Legends Of Canarrow (Vol 1)
by QueenCanarrowDeathstroke
Summary: AU events: What if Oliver Queen wasn't the only one to leave the island? What if Sara Lance and Slade Wilson left with him? Complete re write of Arrow with Sara and Slade. Canarrow Romance and massive Oliver/Slade friendship!
1. Prologue

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **AU: Complete seasons rewritten to feature Canarrow and Slade/Oliver friendship! Keeps mostly to the same storyline, some events are greatly AU.**

 _Prologue_

The leaves rustle as they are trodden upon by three sets of feet. Feet belonging to a man in a dark green hood. A beautiful blonde in black and a man with an eyepatch and a scowl to his lips, as they walk through the same part of the island as they do everyday.

It's humid. Too humid, but they are used to the conditions of their prison by now that it doesn't bother them as much as it used to, ohh so long ago now.

The girl entwines her hand with the man in the hood, resting her blonde head on his shoulder as they walk. Despair hanging miserably in the air.

Suddenly, the man with the eyepatch stops. Freezes in place. At first, his companions believe something to be wrong.

"What." The man in the hood simply murmurs.

"Shh, kid!" The man with the eyepatch replies harshly, harshness being his second language after all! Yet as the other two look at their companion in confusion they to freeze in place.

"No…" The girl whispers, in complete disbelief to what she can presently hear. It can't be real, she thinks. Not after all this time! As the sound that can be heard is the sound of an overhead plane…

Positioning themselves carefully on the hill. The man in the hood grabs his bow. Holding it tightly in his strong grasp. His hands shaking ever so slightly as the girl passes him an arrow, which is snatched from her grasp by the other man. The tip of the arrow is a blazing inferno of fire in seconds. It is then he passes it to the man in the hood, who preps his arrow quickly. They only have a short window of opportunity and this needs to go to plan in one simple shot. He keeps his arm straight and taut as his companion leans toward him.

"If you miss this, kid. I'm going to kill you." He growls in his ear. The man in the hood doesn't respond, pretty sure his companion meant it! Yet if he did indeed miss, his companion wouldn't need to kill him. He'd do it himself!

Taking a slight stance. He holds his bow steady, eyes closing for a brief moment.

"Any day now will do it. I'm not getting any younger, kid!" His companion snarls. The girl stands on tiptoes to kiss her lovers cheek. In both encouragement and comfort at the same time and honestly, it does help.

Aiming the bow with precision, the man in the hood looks at his intended victim. An unlit bonfire, sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of a deserted beach. Taking a deep breath he releases the bow, wanting to shut his eyes tight. What if it misses? He thinks. What if his aim was off by just a few millimeters? It has happened before and his one eyed companion has threatened death to him then!

However, as he'd remarked to his one eyed companion, there had been a breeze!

Then, the almost unbelievable happens. The arrow strikes the heart of the mass of sticks and ignites a fire that could be seen from miles away.

Pushing his hood from his head to reveal straggly blonde hair and an unshaven face. The man laughs in pure relief at what he is witnessing. As what the three of them are witnessing is also being witnessed by a plane overhead, which appears to be making its descent on the island.

"You did it kid, you did it." His companion laughs in pure disbelief.

The girl races into his arms. He presses a long, lingering kiss to her lips as she wraps her arms around his waist. A million and one thoughts going through his head. His family, his best friend. Home.

The thought of home triggers something in the man in the hood and in response he practically leaps up and down, swinging the girl around in his arms. As, after five years of being stuck in this purgatory. Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson are going home! Sara tightens her grip on Oliver, who looks over at Slade.

"You were right. We're leaving as brothers." Oliver murmurs before something remarkable happens, something unthinkable. Slade pulls them both into a tight embrace.

They spent five years on this hellish island and today they are returning home.

 **Authors Note: Hey guys thanks for reading! This story came to me after season two practically destroyed my soul! If Tommy Merlyn dying in season one wasn't bad enough! I really ship Canarrow and I loved the friendship between Oliver and Slade before it was destroyed! So this story will heavily feature Canarrow romance and Oliver and Slade friendship! Please tell me what you think of this. Thanks again for reading xxxxxxxxxxxx**


	2. Pilot (1)

_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners_.

 **Chapter One**

 _Starling City. Five days later…_

"Oliver Queen is alive." The news reporter states.

"The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago, along with two other survivors. Sara Lance and a man named Slade Wilson. Five years after he and Miss Lance was presumed dead, following the tragic accident at sea which claimed The Queen's Gambit." The report reads.

"Queen was a tabloid presence and fixture on the club scene, before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi. Sara Lance, the daughter of Detective Quentin Larry Lance, an ordinary college girl at the time, was a passenger on The Queen's Gambit having been invited personally by Queen himself for reasons unknown. Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also on board, has now officially been confirmed as deceased."

Two sets of feet race down the hospital corridor. Moira Queen and Quentin Larry Lance.

Their children are alive. They are in this hospital. They are home.

A doctor turning the corner is bombarded instantly by the two parents.

"Where is He/She?" They say simultaneously. The doctor gives both parents a sympathetic smile before indicating to a door, just a few small steps away.

Moving quickly, anxiousness settling in both of them as they stand facing the now opened door.

Oliver stands up tall near the window, his back to them. Sara, the same. Except she has her arm coiled around Oliver's waist, her head on his shoulder and then there's the man neither Moira and Quentin have met before. Slade Wilson, who sits in the window seat. A bored expression upon his face.

The doctor clears his throat to regain the attention of Moria and Quentin.

"We couldn't separate them. They refused point blank to be. I suppose that's what comes from spending five years in hell with one another." The doctor shrugs.

"How are they physically? Is their any permanent damage?" Moria whispers, the thought alone sending shivers down her spine of their being any permanent damage to her son.

"That's where it gets interesting. With Mr. Queen, twenty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue. There are also second degree burns on his back and arms. The X-Rays that we did show at least twelve fractures that never properly healed."

Moria stands there, covering her mouth with her hands in shock and horror.

"What about my baby girl?" Quentin whispers. Preparing himself for the worse after hearing what Queen had gone through.

"Miss Lance has similar wounds to Oliver. At least twelve percent of her body is covered in scar tissue and at least five fractures that didn't heal." The doctor tells Quentin solemnly.

Quentin can only stand there. In some ways relieved that his baby girl had suffered less then Queen.

"To be perfectly honest. The worst off is probably Mr. Wilson. There's not much of his body that isn't covered in scar tissue, countless fractures that haven't healed. I'm suspecting he was ex-military or something, due to the countless injuries he's seem to have obtained over many more years then just five. There is also the fact of his eye being missing. I expect that an incident occurred that required his eyeball to be removed, due to their being evidence of a seemingly shoddy surgical procedure." The doctor explains grimly.

"Has he said anything? Has he said anything about what happened to him?" Moria asks.

"No. He's barely said anything. The only words he has spoken being to Miss Lance and Mr. Wilson."

Moira closes her eyes in despair. The doctor nods.

"The only words spoken aloud by any one of them was actually when Mr. Wilson threatened to gouge our eyes out if we separated the three of them!"

Moira and Quentin shuffle into the room nervously. The doctor follows.

"Moira, Quentin. I would like you to prepare yourselves. The Oliver and Sara that you lost five years ago might not be the one's they found." He warns them before leaving to give the family privacy.

"Oliver?" Moira called nervously, Quentin following straight afterwards.

"Baby?" Quentin whispers.

Sara and Oliver slowly turn around to face their parents, their hands still entwined. Empty looks upon both of their faces.

"Daddy!" The word slips from Sara's mouth as she races into her father's outstretched arms. Quentin laughs out of pure relief and slight disbelief as he holds his daughter in his arms after five, excruciatingly painful years!

"I've got you baby, I've got you. You're home." He whispers into her stagily blonde hair. Hot, fresh tears streaming down both of their cheeks.

Meanwhile, Oliver had also walked toward his mother.

"Mom." He murmurs as she quickly wraps him in her arms.

"My boy. My beautiful boy." She whispers as she holds him.

Both Moira and Quentin never wanting to ever let go of their children again. The irrational fear of losing them again still lingering in the air.

After what seems like a millennium to both Oliver and Sara, their parents release them from almost bone crushing, hugs.

They take each other's hands again. Moira and Quentin both noticing Slade, on his feet and standing behind Sara and Oliver.

Protectively, almost.

"I just can't believe you're really here." Quentin breaks the silence that had descended.

Slade tries not to roll his eyes. He had expected this after all and tries to contain himself from saying something arsey. It is a hard task, especially for Slade!

"And safe. You're both safe." Moira chimes, choosing in that moment to hug Sara. Prompting Quentin to shake and pat Oliver's arm.

Neither Moria or Quentin knowing exactly what to say to Slade. In the end they don't say a word.

"Rather amazing really." Slade chooses to respond to Moira's comment in a dull voice. Oliver sighs and places his hand behind his back, intending to hit Slade. Yet despite the fact they are all knackered, weak and still slightly shellshocked. Slade still deflects him!

"Alright! The discharged papers have been dealt with. Let's get you home." Moira announces, turning for the door. Stopping when she realizes Oliver and Sara haven't moved.

"Come on baby girl. Your sister won't wait much longer." Quentin smiles at Sara.

Still, Oliver and Sara don't move. Realizing what this means.

They will have to leave Slade behind.

It hits Quentin after a few moments. He nods and looks to Moria.

"How about we give them a few moments?" He suggests.

Moira sighs, yet reluctantly agrees. Watching as the three of them embrace.

Sara is the first to break from the embrace, yet keeps a tight grip on Slade's hand in farewell.

Oliver, on the other hand wraps his arms around his friend, whispering quick instructions into Slade's ear.

"I think I can use a bloody map, kid." He growls inaudibly to Oliver, who tries not to crack a smile.

"Be careful, kid. We both know clumsiness is still your greatest downfall." He murmurs. Oliver closes his eyes in mild frustration.

In the end it is Sara, who tugs on Oliver's hand to get them to leave.

Wrapping one arm around her waist again, Oliver pulls Sara close as they leave the hospital room and Slade behind. Fear filling them both the instant they leave at having to leave Slade behind. They do it anyway because if there is only one thing both Oliver and Sara can be certain of it is that they will see him again and soon.

Both Oliver and Sara thought the hardest thing would be the split from Slade. As it becomes evident on the hospital car park that Sara is going home with her dad and Oliver, with his mother.

They clutch to one another when they realize what is happening. Being away from Slade is bad enough, but being away from each other. Sara feels, will be an impossibility!

"Please send my regards to your family Quentin." Moira shakes his hand firmly.

"Same to yours Moira." He replies, patting Oliver's arm once more.

Sara warps her arms around Oliver again, burying her face into his chest.

They haven't been apart from one another in five years for more then brief seconds. Sara fears she won't survive being apart from him for so long.

"Love you." Oliver murmurs as he presses his lips to her forehead.

Sara wipes her damp eyes.

"Love you to." She replies as they share one more kiss, holding onto one another for dear life. Dreading the moment when they have to let go…

Starling City hasn't changed much after five years.

Something that Oliver discovers on the drive, in the luxury limo, home.

Queen Mansion hasn't changed. In fact, when they arrive. It's like he had never left and spent the last five years in hell!

Following his mother through the old wooden doors of his home she begins to chat nervously.

"Your room is exactly how you left it. Haven't moved anything!" She chatters. Oliver smiles in response at his mother's mundane approach to what's happened.

"Didn't have the heart to change anything."

However, upon entering his home he is surprised to see his father's friend from the company standing by a table, which bears several photo frames.

"Oliver. Damm good to see you! It's Walter. Walter Steele." He shakes Oliver's hand.

"You remember Walter?" His mother asks nervously.

"Your father's friend from the company?" She presses.

"It's good to see you Raisa!" Oliver turns his attention to the family maid. Ignoring his mother and Walter.

She embraces him. "Welcome home Mr. Qu…"

"Oliver." He reminds her as she bustles off.

"Mr Merlyn phoned. He wants to join you for dinner." Walter turns to Moira, who gives him a beaming smile in response.

"Wonderful!" She says before freezing as she hears something.

Walter hears it to and a wide grin spreads across his face.

"Oliver? Did you hear that?"

Oliver spins around at the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Grinning himself.

"Hey sis." He smiles as his sister, Thea Queen comes into view.

She stands there for a moment, whilst registering what is in front of her. Her bother. Her brother is home.

"I knew it. I knew you were alive." She whispers as she throws herself into his arms.

"I missed you so much."

Oliver shakes his head and presses a kiss to the side of hers.

"You were with me the whole time."

 _Meanwhile at the Lance's…_

"Come on Laurel. We're lawyers, not miracle workers. We can't win this." Laurel Lance's friend Johanna says from Laurel's kitchen.

Johanna, bless her had chosen to stay with Laurel for moral support after the announcement that Oliver Queen and Sara Lance are alive. Alive and should be arriving any minutes now, however with both girls being lawyers and both working at CNRI. A debate soon began about a current case.

"If we can't win a class action against a man who swindled hundreds of people out of their life savings. We are not fit to be called a legal aid office." Laurel Lance replies, taking a sip from her coffee.

"And if we go bankrupt in the process we won't be a legal aid office! Hunt has an army of lawyers and they are ready to bury us!" Johanna argues.

"You and I against an army? I love those odds!"

"Why do you hate me? And…"

A knock on the door makes both girls jump.

Putting her mug down Laurel races for the door, unlocking it quickly to reveal her father and behind her father…

"SARA!" Laurel practically screeches as she pulls Sara into her arms, stroking her baby sisters hair.

"You're home. You're ok. You're home." Laurel whispers, mirroring her father from the hospital whilst pressing kisses to the side of her sisters head.

Sara cries against her sister, who holds her tightly in her arms.

Tears for the pain, guilt, sorrow, misery that had plagued her for five long years before finally starting to fade starting right here, right now.

Alone, Oliver looks at the photographs on the table.

One's of him, his father. The Queen's Gambit…

His thoughts go immediately to Sara. Needing her here right now. It's been too long. Too long!

"What did I tell you? Yachts suck." A familiar voice breaks through his soliquay.

"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver murmurs the name of his best friend, another grin making its way to his face as he turns to see his best friend standing right behind him.

Tommy has him in a hug before either can say anything.

"I missed you buddy." Oliver sighs in relief at the feeling of having his best friend in his arms and for a moment Oliver wonders away from the angst. The fact he has been apart from Sara for took long and even the fact he had to leave Slade! And he wonders actually what Tommy and Slade will make of one another when his two best friends come face to face!

Slade, in question has found himself on the other side of town.

He's in the right place. Well he better be in the right place, he's not moving all that again!

Bloody rich kid can't even move his own shit! Slade thinks to himself for a moment. Yet reminds himself he shouldn't be so harsh on Oliver after that exhausting reunion earlier!

Instead he lies back and tries to shut his eye.

He would be lying if he said he didn't care about them and that being apart from Oliver and Sara for this amount of time is an unusual feeling.

However, he thinks as he lies back and let's sleep claim him.

At least he won't be awoken in the middle of the night to a certain bloody idiot tripping over him nightly, to take next watch!

Yet that doesn't mean he doesn't sit up for a moment and say.

"First watch is on me kids."

 **Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading. I can't believe the response this story has gotten thank you so much! Especially to those who have favorited and followed and reviewed! Please tell me what you though. Next chapter should be up shortly. Thanks again for reading xxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	3. Pilot (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights to to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Three**

"Okay, what else did you miss? Super Bowl winners: Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again." Tommy chatters away joyously. Oliver picks at the food on his plate. He wants to listen to Tommy, he really does and after many sleepless nights dreaming of hearing his best friend talk to him again, it truly is wonderful to hear his voice.

However, that doesn't change the fact that he's apart from Sara and the distance currently between them is truly unsettling.

"A black president that's new." Tommy falters for a moment.

"Oh, and Lost. They were all dead. I think?"

"What was it like there?" Thea cuts into the conversation abruptly.

The whole table falls silent at her interruption.

Looking between both she and Oliver nervously.

"Cold." Oliver replies with a slight smile.

"Tomorrow, you and me do the city. You've got a lot to catch up on." Tommy continues, breaking the awkward silence that had descended.

"Great idea!" Moira smiles at her son.

Oliver nods.

"Good. I was hoping to swing by the office." He adds.

"There's plenty of time for all that. Queen Consolidated isn't going anyway." Walter smiles.

Raisa enters then, accidentally knocking something over in her wake.

"I am so sorry, Mr…"

"Oliver." He sighs before responding to Raisa in fluent Russian.

Tommy's eyes widen in amazement.

"Dude, you speak Russian?"

"Didn't know you took Russian at college." Walter puts.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Oliver murmurs in a tone that suggests perhaps, annoyance, anger? Moira closes her eyes.

"I didn't say anything…"

"She didn't have to."

"Oliver, Walter and I are married and I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father." Moira explains gently to her son.

"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh well, gone." Walter says, stumbling over his words immensely.

"It's fine. May I be excused?" Oliver stands abruptly.

Tommy grabs his arm comfortingly.

"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow buddy." He smiles.

Oliver smiles back before heading out of the dining room, ready to do something he hasn't done in a very long time.

Sleep.

 _Meanwhile at the Lance's_

" _Ohh god there's so much blood…" Sara whispered._

 _"Just bloody do it kid." Slade growled._

 _"How the hell are we going to get that out!" Oliver growled, trying not to pass out at the sight of the arrow imbedded in Slade's eye._

 _"Listen to me. Get it out before it goes any deeper. I'm not. I'm not…"_

 _Slade had trailed off, his one eye starting to close._

 _"Slade? SLADE!"_

Sara awakens then, tears streaming down her cheeks at the memory.

Only a memory. Oliver and Slade are okay.

Slade's keeping watch, Oliver is by her side.

She reaches over, expecting to grab Oliver's arm.

She grasps at the empty air…

"Ollie? Slade?" She sits up, scanning the room.

Slade's not here either!

"OLLIE!" She cries in anguish.

Suddenly a light comes on overhead.

She's in her room at home. She's home. Ollie's at home.

Not with her.

The tears run down her cheeks then as someone wraps their arms around her.

"It's okay, it's okay." Comes Laurel's voice.

"You're safe baby, you're safe now." Her father's voice joins Laurel's as both her father and sister comfort her.

She's at home with her family. Not on the island.

She's home.

 _"SARA!"_

 _"One, two, three."_

 _"It's getting closer." Sara murmurs lazily, lounging against Oliver's bed._

 _"That's not very scientific!" Oliver smirks._

 _"What would you know about science, Mr. Ivy League drop out?" She retorts cheekily._

 _"I happen to know a lot about science." He moves closer to her._

 _"I know about fermentation." He kisses her neck._

 _"I know biology." He bites playfully at her neck._

 _"Laurel's gonna kill me." She whines._

 _Oliver responds by pushing her against his bed._

 _"Oh, she's so going to kill me!"_

 _"Your sister will never know. Now, come here!" He throws her to his bed._

 _"Okay that one was really close." Sara says in between kisses._

 _"Sara. We're going to be fine!" Oliver replies, kissing her again._

 _The thunder strikes again, yet this time it moves the boat, tilting it._

 _Oliver and Sara roll off the bed._

 _"Sara!" Oliver screams as part of the boat gives away, water seeping in._

 _"Ollie!" She cries._

 _He grabs her waist to stop her from slipping as they are both dragged under the waves…_

 _"Oliver! Oliver!" A voice calls his name, his dad._

 _The lifeboat comes into view then._

 _"Sara!" Oliver ensures she's on first before swimming over himself._

 _Once he's in the boat, Sara wraps her arms around his waist._

 _His father eyes them both._

 _"You're okay kids. You're okay…"_

"Oliver! Wake up." A voice calls his name.

Is it Slade? Sara? Or is it…

He rolls over, expecting to grab Sara's waist. She should be beside him.

He distinctively remembers one night where Sara had been keeping watch and he had rolled over in his sleep to cuddle up to her.

However, it had not been Sara who he'd cuddled up to.

It had been Slade!

He had been careful to never do that again after he was put on night watch for a month and he was certain his nose had been broken!

However, this time when Oliver does such an action he doesn't grab anything!

"Oliver! Oliver!" The voice calls his again as he attacks.

It's his mother. Ohh god it's his mother….

He releases her instantly, collapsing to the floor.

He's at home. Sara's not here, neither is Slade.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispers, unable to believe that he just attacked his own mother.

"No, it's okay, Oliver." She pulls him into an embrace.

"It's all right sweetheart." She reassures him.

"You're home. You're home."

The next morning Oliver awakens early, having not slept after almost killing his mother!

He needs to see Sara. Sara and Slade!

It is then he remembers something.

Something that affects his sister…

"Ollie!" Thea is startled when Oliver walks into her room.

Shoving the drugs instantly out of sight.

"Hey Speedy."

"Worst nickname ever!" Thea cringes in embarrassment.

"What, always chasing after me as a kid? I thought it fit pretty well."

"Maybe it still does?"

Thea's friend chuckles, nudging her as she turns to leave.

"See you at school, Speedy!"

Thea groans when she's gone.

"Sorry about her." She murmurs, Oliver smiles.

"I have something for you." He starts digging around in his pockets.

"You did not come back from a deserted island with a souvenir!" Thea cries.

"It's a Hozen and in Buddhism, it symbolises reconnecting."

He hands her the curious stone.

"I kept it, in hopes that one day it would reconnect me with you." He says genuinely.

"A rock. That's sweet!" Tommy appears in the doorway.

"I want one of those T-shirts that says "My friend was a castaway and all I got was this crappy shirt!" He flashes both Oliver and Thea a dazzling grin.

"Don't let him get you into too much trouble." Thea pats his shoulder.

"You just got back. Take it slow." She warns him.

"Ahem. The city awaits!" Tommy wraps his arm around Oliver's shoulders, steering him out of the room.

"Have you noticed how hot your sister's gotten? Because I have not!"

"Your funeral blew." Tommy states bluntly as they slide into his car.

"You get lucky? Fish in a barrel?"

"They were sad and huggy. No and I'm counting on another target rich environment for yours and Sara's welcome home bash!

"At my what?" Oliver cries in shock.

Tommy simply laughs at puts his hand in his friends arm again.

"You and Sara came back from the dead. This calls for a party!" Tommy responds cheerfully.

"Slade. Mine, Sara's and Slade's welcome home party." Oliver reminds him.

"Ahh yeah I've been meaning to ask you about who the hell he was. Where is he anyway?" Tommy questions.

Oliver falls silent for a moment whilst coming up with a viable excuse.

"He's got matters to clear up now he's back here. I'll introduce you to him later." He replies. Tommy nods.

"You just tell me where and when. I'll take care of everything!"

"This city's gone to crap." Tommy informs them as they drive.

"Your dad sold his factory just in time." He adds before looking over at his friend quizzically.

"Why'd you wanna drive through this neighborhood anyway?"

"No reason." Oliver comments, with a secret smile as he spies something.

"So, what'd you miss the most? Steaks at the Palm? Drinks at the station? Meaningless sex?"

"Sara." Oliver answers.

Tommy closes his eyes for a moment but of course, understands why his best friend is so insistent on this course of action.

"Just a warning buddy. I know where Sara is and she's. Um she's with Laurel." Tommy says nervously.

Oliver nods.

"I was going to have to face her at some time wasn't I?" He sighs in defeat.

"I wish you all the luck buddy, I really do!"

Oliver sees her as soon as Tommy pulls into the car park near a simple fast food joint.

Laurel Lance.

A face he had dreamt of, thought of for countless days.

Laurel Lance.

He senses Tommy moving to stand behind him, he can practically sense Tommy's anxiousness as neither of them are sure how Laurel will react.

Yet when Oliver sees Sara beside her. He knows everything is going to be okay.

"Ollie!" She races over to him, he pulls her into his arms, kissing her and holding her close.

They had been apart for too long. The longest time in five years.

He kisses her forehead before she pulls away and into Tommy's arms.

"Ohh am I glad to see you!" Tommy holds her close.

Leaving Oliver facing Laurel.

"Hello Laurel." Oliver speaks first.

"I'm so…"

"Don't. Please don't. You brought my sister back alive. That's all that needs to be said." She says cooly.

Oliver nods, he'd been expecting worse to be honest!

Sara joins his side then, wrapping her arm around his waist as they head toward the restaurant.

"Well that went better than expected." Tommy says to Laurel, who gives him a poisonous glare in response.

"Well how did you think that was going to go Tommy?" She replies before storming after her sister and her ex boyfriend.

Despite Laurel's initially coolness the four of them actually enjoy a great lunch.

Both Oliver and Sara having two helpings of food, having not eaten so much glorious food in five long years!

Tommy makes most of the conversation and Laurel holds her sisters hand over the table.

Leaning into Oliver more Sara whispers gently in his ear.

"We need to go to Slade."

Oliver nods, turning quickly to kiss her as not to alert Laurel and Tommy.

"So who's the guy you came back with? Sara's told me nothing!" Laurel smirks at her sister.

"He's a good friend, wouldn't have made it back without him." Oliver smiles.

Sara tries to hide a smile. If only Slade had heard that!

Oliver would never have lived it down!

"That was great!" Tommy smiles once they are walking back towards his car.

"I'm gonna go with Ollie, Laurel. I'll see you later." Sara pulls her sister into a tight hug.

"What happened to just you and me buddy!" Tommy folds his arms in mock annoyance.

Yet before Oliver can respond to his friend a black van zooms by and before anyone can react each of them are hit by tranquilizer sand everything goes black…

"Mr. Queen. Mr Queen?" An unfamiliar voice drags Oliver out of his drugged state.

From what he can see he's in an abandoned warehouse.

Tied to a chair.

Looking around, he sees that Sara, Tommy and Laurel are there with him.

Oliver breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that Sara is still awake.

He gives her a reassuring glance.

Tommy and Laurel are unconscious. Unconscious or worse….

No. He can't think like that.

Focusing on his surroundings then, he realizes that the person who addressed him is a man in a demon mask. There are three men in the room.

This is going to be easy.

"Did your father survive the accident? Did he tell you anything? Did he make it to the island with you?" The man in the demon mask addresses Oliver, shoving the gun in his face.

Sara flinches at the sight yet they've handled worse.

Much worse.

"Yes. Yes in fact my father did tell me something." Oliver responds dully.

"What did he tell you!" The man growls.

"He told me that we're going to kill you." Oliver responds as, almost on cue both he and Sara spring into action.

They attack with precision.

Tearing the leg off the chair he was confined to Oliver drives it through his opponent whilst Sara attacks the others.

Knocking one of her target to the floor, snapping his neck.

Once the fight is over the third man looks at his dead companions and races off in fear of Oliver and Sara.

"Slade's gonna be pissed that he missed this." Oliver murmurs as he pulls Sara into an embrace.

"Are you hurt?" He asks as they both bend down beside the unconscious Laurel and Tommy.

"I'll live." She responds, he takes her hand in his.

Tommy and Laurel come around soon after that.

 _Much later at Queen Mansion._

"So let me get this straight." Quentin says as he looks at the four witnesses in front of him, holding both of his daughters hands tightly.

Unable to believe that he had been so close to losing them after getting his youngest back only hours ago.

"You were rescued by a woman in black and a guy in a green hood?"

Oliver and Sara exchange a look and nod.

"So that's your story? A guy in a green hood and woman in black flew in and single handedly took out armed kidnappers? I mean who are they? Why would they do that. I'm grateful that they did, don't get me wrong. I just want to know why!" Quentin sighs.

"I don't know, find them and ask them." Oliver responds.

"Yeah daddy. They saved us, does it really matter that we know who they are?" Sara chimes in with Oliver.

"What about you Merlyn? You see them?" He turns his attention to Tommy.

"I just saw movement." Tommy shrugs his shoulders.

"We were kind of out it dad." Laurel adds.

Her father nods, deciding not to push the matter further.

"I'm just so glad you kids are okay, even you Merlyn." Quentin flashes him a glance as he gets to his feet.

"Coming?" He gives Sara and Laurel a brief glance.

"Yeah." Laurel gets to her feet along with Tommy.

"I'm going to stay with Ollie if that's okay daddy?" Sara looks at her dad pleadingly.

Quentin stares at his daughter, after her near miss all he wants do is keep her with him.

To keep her safe.

But he knows she needs to be around Oliver. So in the end he agrees, leaving Oliver and Sara alone.

They will find Slade later.

Now they just need to rest from their latest encounter.

"Not like you to read a book?" Raisa comments as she walks past Oliver resting on the couch, Sara resting on top of him, fast asleep, a book in hand.

"I missed you Raisa." Oliver smiles at her as she passes.

"No kitchen on the island?"

"No, few friends as well." He murmurs whist stroking Sara's hair.

"Do I really seem different?" He asks as she's turning to go.

"No. You're still a good boy."

"I think we both know I was far from that!" He retorts.

"But a good heart." She adds.

His smile grows wider.

"I hope so. I want to be the person you always told me I could be."

Deciding that it is way past the time to go find Slade, both Oliver and Sara prepare to set off.

However, as they are heading for the door, hand in hand.

They run into an unexpected complication…

"Oliver, Sara. I want to introduce you to someone, John Diggle." Moira gestures to the man standing beside her.

An African American man with a shaved head and brown eyes.

"He'll be accompanying you from now on." Moira explains in a way that suggest that this is not up for debate.

"Mom I don't need a babysitter, I'm a grown man." Oliver points out, not to mention that they have Slade, who could probably take down this 'John Diggle' in a heartbeat.

"I know but this is something I need." Moira responds in a pleading tone.

"Well, it's better than you hiring someone to follow me around without my knowledge, so fine, okay." He responds before sighing.

This is really going to screw things up!

"So what should we call you?" Oliver asks as he an Sara sit in the back of the car Diggle is driving.

"Diggle's good, Dig if you want." He responds.

"Ex military?" Sara questions with the same tone as Oliver.

"Yes Ma'am. 105th Airborne out of Kandahar, retired. Been in the private sector a little more than four years now." Diggle tells them before stating firmly.

"I don't want their to be any confusion Mr. Queen. My ability to keep you from harm will outweigh your comfort, do we have an agreement? Sir? Sir!" Diggle yells as he turns his head to find the passenger seats empty.

Sara and Oliver jog along an alleyway hand in hand.

Oliver with a smug look on his face from their recent escape, as they head towards The Foundry.

He looks over at Sara, who squeezes his hand tightly.

"Think he'll be back?" She asks, referring to Diggle.

"Probably but I know one thing for sure." He murmurs.

"What?"

"Slade's gonna hate him!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and to all of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story it means the world! I'm still in shock that so many of you guys like this story! Thanks again for reading, next update should be soon.**

 **P.S: I have a playlist on Spotify for this story which is also called Legends Of Canarrow as I always find it therapeutic to listen to music whilst I write each chapter and think of songs that fit the theme. Feel free to check it out!**


	4. Pilot (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All right go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Four**

It doesn't take much time for Oliver and Sara to reach The Foundry and they make their way inside after jumping over the fence.

The fence that, coincidentally, has a fresh dent imbedded in it already!

"Slade?" Oliver calls out as he and Sara descend the staircase.

"Kid! I was wondering when you were going to show up!" Slade growls from the Salmon Ladder.

"I was about ready to come looking for you." He adds, dropping down to the floor to great Oliver and Sara.

"We would have come sooner but we ran into a few, let's call them complications." Oliver grimaces.

"And you left me here to sort out your shit. I'm not your butler kid!" Slade comments.

"Slade I'm sorry. At least you got the right location though!" Oliver smiles rather not helpfully at Slade, who starts to advance on Oliver before Sara interrupts them.

"There was an attack. Oliver and I dealt with it." Sara explains briefly as she heads towards the desk where there is a computer upon it.

"So now you're telling me I missed out on all the action as well?" Slade growls at Oliver.

"It was quite straight forward. You would have found it boring." Oliver shrugs his shoulders as he grabs his bow and fires rapid arrows at a wall.

"It would have been more entertaining then these four walls." Slade mutters resentfully, annoyed at Oliver for a moment.

It doesn't last too long.

"You two alright? They didn't hurt you?" He questions with slight concern.

"We're fine. Good work setting up the computer." Sara comments from the desk.

"Another one of my many talents." Slade smirks to himself, earning an eye roll from Oliver.

"The other complication we ran into was that Oliver's mother decided to hire a bodyguard. We had to ditch him." Sara adds.

Slade scoffs and shakes his head.

"After five years on a hellish island you don't need a bodyguard kid."

"Try telling his mother that!" Sara replies with a smirk at her lips.

"And anyway, I've kept you alive for five bloody years! You don't need a bodyguard when you've already got me, kid." Slade reminds him.

"Again, try telling his mother that!" Sara sighs as she gets up from the desk.

"Which will have to wait until later. We've got work to do."

 _Later In A Random Parking Lot…_

Adam Hunt stood in the parking lot, a phone in hand.

"Remind Grell I put him on the bench, I can take him off." Hunt growls.

"I will turn him into a cautionary tale."

"Yes Mr. Hunt."

"And this attorney, Laurel Lance? You said she wasn't going to be a problem anymore. I told you to fix that situation…" Hunt is abruptly cut off by a sudden explosion.

One of his guards pulls out a gun, only to drop it when a sword of some kind slices his hand off.

Another man screamed as a silver baton came out of nowhere, smashing into the side of his head.

The two remaining guards pushed Hunt towards the car and he leapt inside as his guards started to open fire on the three assailants.

After a few moments an eerie silence consumes the parking lot.

A silence that ends when the window behind him shattered, an arrow penetrating the seat beside him.

It is then he is forcibly removed from the car and dropped on to the hard tarmac, gasping as one of them holds a sharp object to his throat.

He chooses to take a look at the assailants then.

The one holding the offending object to his throat is a tall, well built man.

A white and deep orange mask covering his face.

The assailant with the baton is revealed to be a blonde woman dressed in black and leather from head to toe, a black mask covering her eyes and standing in front of him is a man in a deep green hood, which covers his eyes.

Insuring it impossible to make out his facial features.

He is holding a bow and arrow, which is currently aimed at Hunt.

"What do you want? Look just tell me what you want!" Hunt begs desperately.

The assailant holding him kicking him in the ribs and holding the sword even tighter against his throat.

"You're going to transfer $40 million into Starling City Bank account 1141 by 10pm tomorrow night." The man in the hood growls in a disguised voice.

The assailant holding Hunt then drops him to the ground, giving him another kick for good measure!

Hunt sits up, glaring at the three assailants who stand side by side.

"Or what?" He spits venomously, recovering some of his courage.

No one gets the best of Adam Hunt!

"Or we're gonna take it." The woman states in a matter of fact kind of manner.

"And you won't like how." The man who had held a sword to his throat hisses.

It is then and only then they walk away, side by side.

"If I see you again, you're dead!" Hunt screams after them.

The man with the sword turns back and starts to advance on him but the man in the hood grabs his arm in restraint almost.

He fires an arrow, yet it hits a window to Hunts surprise and when he finally gathers the courage to open his eyes then three of them had vanished.

 _Much Later At Queen Mansion._

"Sorry? We're going to a what!" Slade snarls as Oliver breaks the news of Tommy's welcome home party that is commencing in less then fifty three minutes.

"I know it's not exactly what you're used to but it's for you me and Sara and I couldn't exactly say no. My best friend was quite insistent on the matter." Oliver grimaces, noticing how Slade has gone from being cheerful about finally being able to partake in some action to livid about the upcoming party held in his, Sara's and Slade's name.

"Look! I get that you don't want to go but it's across the road from where Hunt will be tonight, if you catch my drift." Oliver snarls quietly.

Slade closes his eyes in response, glaring at Oliver with a one eyed look that could probably cause a massacre of looks could kill.

"Fine! But kid, you and I will be having a little discussion about this later!" He growls as he follows Oliver toward the limousine.

Rolling his eyes at the choice of vehicle.

Oliver gives him a sympathetic glance as he opens the door only to reveal John Diggle.

So this must be the son of a bitch Oliver's mother hired. Slade thinks to himself.

Yes. He could take this one down! No problem.

Oliver stifles a groan as Diggle smirks at him triumphantly.

"Put on your seatbelt sir. Wouldn't want you to miss your party and you must be Slade Wilson!" Diggle acknowledges Slade as he and Oliver climb into the limo.

Oliver looks over at Slade who just glares at him in response, mouthing.

"You are so dead, kid."

 _Meanwhile at the Lance's_

"Aww you look beautiful!" Laurel grins, dropping her chin to Sara's shoulder as she looks at her sisters reflection in the mirror.

Sara had let Laurel buy her a new outfit for the party and had allowed her to do her nails and makeup.

Leaving Sara in a short, tight black mini dress equipped with perfect nails and makeup.

"Thanks Laurel." Sara smiles genuinely as she does have to admit, she looks ok.

Well the best she had done in five years!

"What's the dress for?" Quentin asks as Sara heads for the door.

"Welcome home party for me, Slade and Ollie. Tommy's throwing it." She explains briefly.

"And I'm going with her. I'll look after her for you dad." Laurel pops her head around the door.

"And because I want to meet this Slade Wilson!" She adds.

"I don't know if I feel comfortable with you going out tonight Sara." Quentin murmurs.

"Daddy I need to go to this and I'm also staying with Ollie tonight." She adds.

"What?! Sara…"

"See you tomorrow daddy!" Sara calls.

"SARA!" Quentin yells but she's already long gone!

 _At The Club_

Once at the designated club, Sara eyes her surroundings to see if she can spot either Oliver or Slade.

She winces as she sees them both as they both are standing beside John Diggle.

Oliver is looking down at his feet and Slade looks livid whilst he adjusts his eyepatch.

Great! She thinks.

Slade's going to be in a bad mood about this for days!

She can sense that already!

"Miss Lance. How good it is to see you again!" Diggle says as she reaches them on the way to the staircase entrance to the club.

"Dig." Sara murmurs before patting Slade's arm and kissing Oliver as them four of them descend the steps.

"So do you think Tommy broke a bank to create this party?" She murmurs in Oliver's ear.

"I think several." He replies, unease in his voice.

"Never thought I'd ever wish to be back on that island until right now. Congratulations on that accomplishment kid!" Slade growls as they walk into the club.

The party is already in full swing.

They spot Tommy almost instantly as he them.

"Glad you're here!" He shouts as he makes his way to their side, putting his glass down.

He signals the DJ to stop the music to get everyone's attention.

"Everybody, hey! Men and woman of the hour! Let's give them a proper welcome!"

Slade rolls his eye as he looks at Tommy.

He's like a second pre island Oliver!

We Are The Champions play as Oliver, Sara and Slade walk onto the main stage in the centre of the room.

Oliver takes his two companions hands.

He can tell Slade wants to kill him for this and he's more than certain that he's probably going to receive the beating of his life when the night is over!

"Thank you so very much everybody!" Oliver yells as he, Sara and Slade are quickly handed shots by Tommy.

The only redeeming quality about this whole monstrosity! Slade thinks to himself again as they each down them.

"Mmmmh I missed tequila!" Oliver cheers.

That's it. Slade is pretty sure he is going to kill him later!

"Let's party!" Sara shouts as she wraps her arm around Oliver's waist, holding her glass up high.

Everyone cheers.

And with that the party is back in full swing.

"Now it's time for you to meet Tommy!" Oliver whispers to Slade as the three of them make their way to Tommy.

"Hey, does he wipe for you to?" Tommy murmurs, gesturing to Diggle.

Oliver laughs as he turns to Slade.

"Slade. Meet my best friend in life! Tommy Merlyn. Tommy. Meet the man who helped me survive for five years on a hellish island, my brother. Slade Wilson." He introduces them both.

Even Slade finds himself smiling at Oliver's words as he knows they are genuine as he shakes hands with Tommy.

 _"You know when we first tried to get off this island it was as strangers." Slade had turned to Oliver._

 _He waited until Oliver had been facing him before adding._

 _"But now it's as brothers."_

"So you were with Sara and Ollie on the island for five years?"

The voice of Tommy Merlyn pulling Slade out of his sudden flashback.

"Yes I was." He responds gruffly.

Yes of course I was! Where else was I you absolute moron! He wants to say, yet restrains himself for Oliver's sake.

However, that does not stop him from adding.

"I didn't just appear out of nowhere!" He murmurs.

Oliver laughs at Slade's comment yet falters as he spots something out of order.

Tommy, Sara and Slade follow his gaze and see what had made him fall silent.

Thea Queen.

"Ollie…" Sara puts her hand on his arm almost in restraint.

"Back in a minute." He pulls away, storming over to his sister.

Tommy buries his head in his hands.

"This isn't going to be pretty."

Oliver, his mood instantly darkened by seeing his sister.

His underage sister! He marches over to her and her little group.

"Ollie, hey! This party is sick!" Thea cheers, evidently already under the influence!

"Who let you in here?" Oliver growls.

"I believe it was someone who said 'right this way Miss Queen!'" She replies cheekily.

Oliver sighs angrily.

"Well you shouldn't be here!"

"Oh Ollie! I'm not twelve anymore!"

"No, you're seventeen!" Oliver retorts.

"Ollie, Ollie! I love you, but you can't just come back here and judge me, especially for being just like you!" Thea snaps.

Oliver falls silent, knowing deep inside that she's right.

He did get up to much worse at her age. Yet that doesn't matter! He vowed that if he ever left the island he would never allow Thea to follow in his footsteps!

"I understand that it couldn't have been easy when I was away…"

"Away? No, you died! My brother and my father died. I went to your funerals."

"I know…"

"No, you don't know! Mom had Walter and I had no one!" Fresh tears start to stream down her cheeks.

"Now, you guys can act like it's all cool, let's forget about the last five years! Well I can't! For me, it's kind of permanently stuck in there. Now I'm sorry if I've turned out a major disappointment but this, me is the best thing I could do with what I had to work with!" She snarls before walking away from Oliver, leaving him alone once more.

Meanwhile, Sara, Slade and Tommy watch as brother and sister argue.

"So let me get this straight. That's his sister?" Slade queries. Sara nods.

Slade laughs.

"She looks like she's got more balls then Oliver!"

Tommy rolls his eyes at Sara and Slade.

How is Oliver friends with this guy? He wonders as Laurel appears.

"Hey guys! Parties great! Where's Oliver?" She questions.

Tommy points to where he is arguing with Thea.

Laurel winces before wrapping her arm around her sister.

"You must be Slade Wilson!" Laurel smiles at Slade.

"Laurel Lance." He shakes her hand.

"Your sister and Oliver spoke of you fondly." He smiles at Laurel.

Now she looks normal! He thinks as Laurel smiles back.

"Did they now?" She looks at Sara, who blushes.

"Nice to see you again Laurel." Oliver nods politely as he rejoins the group.

She smiles slightly in response.

Nothing will ever be the same between them pair again.

Oliver can sense it.

"Something wrong?" Tommy asks as Oliver's phone suddenly goes off and he looks at it venomously.

"I asked someone to do something for me. They didn't do it." Oliver sighs, flashing a glance to Sara and Slade before heading towards the door.

"I better go after him." Sara states before racing after Oliver.

"I'll join her." Slade says to Laurel before following Sara, without even a word to Tommy.

Tommy, who looks over at Laurel.

"You know I really don't like that guy!"

Liking her arm with Oliver's, Sara joins him on the way to the exit.

However, before they get to that exit they realize that someone is behind them and that, that person is certainly not Slade!

"Something I can help you with sir?" Diggle questions cooly as he walks to stand in front of the couple.

"I just wanted a moment alone with my girlfriend." Oliver murmurs.

Sara leans into him as to help prove his point.

"I would believe you Mr Queen if you and your girlfriend weren't full of crap."

He gestures towards the door.

"Party's this way."

Sara and Oliver sigh as they think of a way to get out of this one.

Yet before either of them can react Diggle hits the floor, unconscious.

"What you were you waiting for kid?" Slade chuckles behind Diggle's unconscious form.

"A written invitation to take him out?" Slade questions.

Oliver rolls his eyes at him as the three of them head in another direction.

"I'm glad you waited, kid because I enjoyed that immensely!"

 _Hunt's Office_

Adam Hunt sits in his desk chair with a smug smirk on his face.

It is passed ten and no one would be getting in here, not with his brand new security team and the very best of the Starling City Police Force.

"It's past ten; they're never getting in here."

Quentin promises Hunt over a radio positioned in the room.

However, what neither of them noticed was the three arrows that had been shot from the apartment next door and are now embedded in the wall.

The lights blow and the elevator dings.

The doors open and the team is greeted by two arrows, killing two guards.

The man in the hood, the woman in black and the man in the mask emerge from said elevator.

The man in the mask using a sword to slice through two guards, the woman her baton, sending another two guards into unconsciousness.

Using his bow like her baton, The man in the hood knocks one guard down, darting out of the way as another fires.

Using a pillar as a trampoline, the man in the mask comes down hard on the guard, hearing the sound of his neck breaking as the man in the mask gets to his feet.

"Now this is more like it!"

Deep within his office, Hunt is pacing back and forth as he hears the fight going on outside.

It isn't long before silence falls, like in the parking lot…

The glass door shatters as someone bursts through it and the guard opens fire, only to stop when he realizes that it was another guard of theirs.

That's when the man in the hood, the woman in black and the man in the mask enter the office.

The man in the mask killing the guard with a sickening slice of his sword.

The man in the hood killing the last guard with an arrow to the heart before firing another arrow at Hunt that embeds itself in the wall behind him.

"You missed." Hunt sneers at the threesome.

"Really?" The man in the hood replies.

Suddenly, Drakon, Hunt's head of security appears, attacking the assailants.

He pulls out a knife and lunges for them.

They deflect Drakon easily as he reaches for the guns on the desk, opening fire.

The woman in black grabs his knife and tosses it at Drakon, the knife striking him in the head, through and through.

That is the moment when the cops intervene, a group of them with guns trained on the threesome.

"Lay down your weapon or we will open fire." The cops yell.

Neither any of the three of them react.

"I repeat, lay down your weapons or we will open fire!"

And just like that the man in the hood and the man in the mask disarm the cops.

However, Quentin appears right behind them and shoot after them as they leap through the window.

"You saw that! Please tell me you saw that!" Quentin yells as he races to the window, his eyes widening in disbelief as he watches as the three of them slide down a zip line, gliding toward a club.

A club where a party is currently in full swing.

The club is swarmed by cops within the next ten minutes.

The DJ is silenced and Quentin and his team burst into the club, barking instructions back and forth.

"Search the building. Roof to basement, find them! Starling City Police, parties over kids! Oh Mr Merlyn. I take it that this is your party." Quentin folds his arms as he approaches Tommy.

"Dad what's going on?" Laurel asks as she joins Tommy's side.

"Laurel? Where the hell is your sister!" He shouts.

"I was about to ask the same as Laurel." Oliver says as he, Slade and Sara appear beside Tommy and Laurel.

"Sara, ohh thank god!" Quentin sighs in relief at seeing his daughter beside Oliver.

"There was an incident at Adam Hunt's building." Quentin explains.

"Who's Adam Hunt?" Sara feigns innocence.

"A millionaire bottom feeder. No offense Queen." Quentin says, not extending such courtesy to Tommy, who glares at Quentin venomously.

Slade tries to hide a smirk due to Quentin's choice of words.

"Well he just got attacked by the guy in the hood, the woman in black and now a new one. The man in the mask. The guys that saved your asses the other day."

"You didn't find him? Maybe I can help. I'm gonna offer a reward." Oliver states, grinning.

"Kid, what are you doing!" Slade hisses in Oliver's ear as he heads toward the main stage.

"Hey, everybody. Two million dollars to anyone that can find a nut bar in a green hood!"

"Wonderful Queen. Wonderful!" Quentin mutters sarcastically as he turns to leave.

Once the police are gone, Oliver stays where he is.

"It's too quiet in here! This is a party!"

The crowd cheers in response.

 _Next Day In The Foundry…_

"Oww!" Oliver groans as he hits the ground for the umpteenth time in the past half hour.

"Maybe the next time you're forced to go to some party, kid. You'll do me a favor and leave me out of it!" Slade growls in response before helping Oliver to his feet.

Sara rolls her eyes at them both as she watches their work, work its magic and just like that the money from Hunt's bank account is transferred into a trust fund that Oliver had set up. Another program that was set up by the three of them is redistributing the money to the ones Hunt had stolen from.

Oliver moves away from Slade's upcoming attack to pick up the small battered notebook on the desk, crossing our Hunt's name.

 _It was cold. Too cold._

 _The air whips against their bare skin, the salt from the sea stinging in open wounds._

 _Sara had passed out from exhaustion._

 _Robert Queen passes the water bottle to Oliver._

 _"Save your strength, you can survive this. Make it home, make it better." He murmurs to Oliver._

 _Sara starts to stir at the sound of voices, looking up at Ollie._

 _"Right my wrongs, but you've got to live through this first. Both of you." He croaks._

 _"You hear me, Ollie? You hear me son?" He growls, pulling a revolver from his pocket._

 _"Dad…" Oliver starts as he pulls the trigger on the other member of the crew in the raft._

 _Then he turns the gun on himself._

 _"No!" Oliver screams, yet quickly pulls Sara against him so she'll be spared the sight._

 _"Survive." Is his father's last words before he pulls the trigger…_

Shaking off the flashback, Oliver turns to Slade and Sara, who are now standing beside him with worried glances.

"That's one down." Oliver says simply as he sets the book down.

There are many more names on the list, those who rule the city through intimidation and fear.

Every last one of them will wish that Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson died on that island.

"That son of a bitch deserved it!" Slade growls, shattering Oliver's epiphany, as he turns back to grab his pole.

"We did good guys." Sara states as she stands on tiptoes to kiss Oliver.

"I love you." She smiles lovingly at him.

"As I love you." Oliver replies, smiling against her lips just as something hard and metal pole like collides sharply against his head!

"Goddamit Slade!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of Starling City at her work place. Laurel Lance is getting many grateful phone calls!

"No! If hypothetically, $50,000 magically appeared in your bank account, it might be best not to speak about it. To anyone. Ever!" Laurel instructs, smiling.

"God bless you too." She says, putting the phone down.

"I just got a very grateful phone call from one of our clients against Adam Hunt." She laughs.

"Me too." Joanna laughs with her.

"Looks like Starling City's got its very own guardian angel. Ohh and Laurel, your cute friend's here." She informs her, leaving Laurel momentarily confused until she sees who's standing across from her desk, flashing a dazzling smile her way.

Tommy Merlyn.

"Didn't get a chance to talk to you for very long last night." Tommy states as he walks along the road with Laurel.

"You wanted to talk to me Merlyn?" Laurel smirks.

"Yes. To be honest I wanted to ask what's going on with you." He stops in front of her.

"What do you mean?" She replies with a smile.

"Oliver and Sara. Your sister and your ex boyfriend, who went missing for five years after he cheated on you with her?'

"What are you getting at Merlyn?" Laurel mutters, sounding slightly annoyed.

"The day they came back to us you told me that the first thing you wanted to do was punch Oliver and give your sister the telling off, of a lifetime if I can remember rightly, and I do, distinctively! What changed?" Tommy questions.

Laurel sighs, yet she owes Tommy an answer.

"I was going to shout at Sara. I had it all planned, what I was going to say, what I was going to do and then she was just there, on my doorstep. Alive. Alive after five years of believing her to be dead and as much as I was mad at her. I couldn't get passed the fact that she was there and she was alive. I was angry at her, I still am but she is alive and I'm not going to lose her again and with Oliver, I was going to kill him. I was going to slap him senseless. I still want to do that but I couldn't, because despite the fact I hate him for what he did he brought her back alive. They both came back alive and even though I am still furious at them for what they did, I'm saving the confrontation for another time." She explains after holding it in for so many days.

"Pity I thought the reason for your change of heart was due to us." Tommy replies with feign hurt.

"I wouldn't characterize us as an us, Tommy."

"Then what would you call it?"

"A lapse." Laurel puts her hands on her hips.

"It's quite a few lapses. Your place, my place. My place again!" Tommy says with a heart stopping grin.

"Come on Merlyn, we both know that you're not a one girl type of guy."

"Depends on the girl." Tommy notes.

Laurel sighs before crossing the distance between them, pressing her lips to Tommy's for nothing more than a second.

"I've got to get back to work." She murmurs, turning away from Tommy.

"Dinah Laurel Lance." She turns to face him when he speaks her full name.

"Always trying to save the world."

"Hey, if I don't try to save it, who will?"

 _Meanwhile on an empty car park at the far end of Starling City._

"The police failed to identify the men I hired to kidnap Oliver and his girl. One got away though. That individual has been dealt with." A man mutters.

"What did he say again? That they were defeated by my son and Miss Lance?" Moira Queen replies.

"Lies. All lies, didn't the Merlyn boy confirm a man in a hood and a woman in black?" The man questions.

Moira nods.

"And now a man in a mask. I think the story is pretty straight forward. One individual took out our men and the survivor chose to place the blame on my son. My son may have been stranded on an island for five years but he and Sara could never be capable of such actions. However, I don't know much about the other one. Slade Wilson." She mutters.

"Should we arrange another abduction?" The man asks.

"No." Moira replies sharply.

"There are other ways of finding out what my son knows without people creating fables that he could somehow take down a team of elite experts! However, due to the circumstances and the fact that there was indeed an attacker who rescued my son. I would like to do a little bit more research on Mr. Wilson."

 _Oliver and Sara had not spoken a word after Robert had killed himself._

 _Oliver due to the emotional pain and Sara in shock at what had just happened, had cried and held onto Oliver for dear life._

 _It was only when she had raised her head to check on Oliver that she saw it._

 _In the far distance._

 _An island!_

 _Using their hands as ores, they steer the life raft towards the island._

 _It could be dangerous, it could kill them but right now it is there best hope of survival and that's what Oliver and Sara need to do. In memory of Robert Queen._

 _Survive_.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be up soon, not sure when! Thank you for all your support with the story and for following and favoriting and for all your lovely reviews! Please tell me what you think, thanks again for reading xxxxxxxxxxx**


	5. Honor Thy Father (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Precisely One Week Later.**

The night sky shrouds Starling City in a blanket of darkness.

It would be a good night in Starling, if not for the disturbance of the peace on a distant roof, deep in the heart of Starling City where a fight is currently taking place.

A fight that involves The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask.

The guards are just something they need to deal with to get to their true target.

The Man In The Mask dispatching his victims with a sickening slice of his sword, The Woman In Black sending her victims into the oblivion of darkness with her baton.

Yet it is The Man In The Hood that finishes off their final guard with a smack around the head with his bow.

With their target now defenseless, no one to help him out now, the three approach the now cowering slime ball of a businessman!

"Please, wait, wait!" He cries in fear of the vigilantes.

His attempts at pleading for mercy however, are in fact pointless.

The Man In The Mask pulls him by the collar and throws him off the helicopter platform and onto the air conditioning vent.

The three vigilantes then stand over him, The Man In The Mask taking satisfaction in pinning him to the vent, so close to the blades of the fan.

"No, please!" The man screams.

The Man In The Hood simply stands above him.

"Marcus Redmond. You have failed this city."

"Please, don't!" Redmond begs, the fear of losing his life willing him to say anything and everything that could possibly avoid that fate.

"Cell Phone, inside pocket, call your partner." The Man In The Hood growls.

"Tell him to give those pensioners their money back." The Woman In Black hisses poisonously.

"Do it now. We won't ask again." The Man In The Mask threatens.

"Okay!" Redmond gives in, feeling the pressure on his body abruptly vanish.

He looks up.

The vigilantes were gone.

 _The Foundry_

"Well that was successful!" Sara chirps happily as she sheds her leather jacket.

"I was expecting a more exciting fight." Slade grumbles, Oliver rolls his eyes in response, only to be smacked hard around the head.

"What was that for!" Oliver moans, rubbing at his now aching head.

"Stop rolling your eyes at me, kid!" Slade replies grumpily as he sits down.

Sara snickers at Oliver, who hangs up his bow.

"Should we go home?" He looks to Sara.

"Yeah, I could do with at least one hour of sleep before tomorrow!" Sara moans, referring to the horrific day ahead in which she, Oliver and Slade will have to attend court.

"Coming with us?" Oliver nudges Slade on his way out.

"I'm perfectly comfy down here, kid." Slade replies, and as if to prove his point, places his feet upon a desk.

"Slade you can come and stay with me and Sara you know." He sighs.

"I know that, kid. However, here is better then that palace like place you've got there, with that. Family of yours." He says the word 'family' as if it were an unholy evil.

"I get that you and my family haven't exactly hit it off yet, but they don't know you. Remember, it took Sara and I awhile to get used to you!" Oliver reminds him.

"What's that supposed to mean, kid?" Slade grumbles.

"Ohh come on Slade you know why!" Oliver moans.

"I haven't missed you whining all the time!" Slade mumbles sarcastically, before getting to his feet in defeat.

"Fine! I don't know where the courthouse is anyways." He mutters as he follows Sara and Oliver, grabbing Oliver's arm as they go.

"Savor this moment, kid. This is the only fight against me you'll ever win!"

Oliver just smiles.

The next morning when Moria Queen goes to awaken her son for the start of a very busy day, something she has been doing every morning since he got back.

Just to reassure her that he is still here.

She is unprepared for what she witnesses upon opening the door to her son's room.

Oliver and Sara are wrapped in each others arms on Oliver's bed sleeping peacefully and on the floor, surrounded by a mixture of various pillows and blankets is Slade.

However, the thing that worries Moria Queen the most is the trip wire only a few feet away from where she is standing. She shuts the door firmly to wake them before leaving, waiting at the end of the corridor before a resounding thud is heard! And Oliver yelling.

"Slade!"

"Over the past fifteen years, Mr Redmond has withdrawn more than thirty million dollars from the plans account." The news reporter announces.

"Redmond claims refunding the Halcyon pension plan has always been his intent."

Oliver scoffs at that as he, Slade and Sara approach the living room, listening intently to the news report on the tv, confirming the excellent results from last nights mission.

"But sources say Redmond was coerced by the vigilantes…"

"This guy gets more airtime than the Kardashians, right?" Oliver calls as the three of them enter the living room where Moira, Walter and Thea are.

Thea rolls her eyes at her brother in amazement.

"Five years on an island and you still know who they are!"

"Been catching up." Oliver smirks.

"Nice to see the culture has improved since we were away." Slade mutters in the background.

"People used to feel safe." Moira murmurs in response, neither her, Walter or even Thea knowing what to say to the mystery that is Slade Wilson.

"Oh, what's the matter mom? Afraid we're gonna be next?' Thea chuckles, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Do you have any questions, Oliver, Sara?" Walter asks them politely.

Neither of the three say anything in response and Walter carries on regardless.

"It's a simple proof of life declaration." Walter says as if it were just a walk in the park.

"Read out a brief statement to the judge and your death in absentia judgement will be voided." He finishes, looking at Oliver and Sara expectantly.

Oliver sighs.

"It's fine, I've been in a courtroom before." This time Sara is the one who groans.

"Four times by my estimate." The abrupt voice of Tommy Merlyn pulls everyone's attention to the door as Tommy saunters in.

"There's the DUI. The assault on that paparazzi douce bag. Stealing that taxi, which was awesome by the way." Tommy lists, putting his arm around Oliver's shoulders.

"And who could forget peeing on the cop!" Tommy sniggers.

"Jesus, kid!" Slade looks at Oliver in disbelief as Moria closes her eyes.

"I wish everyone could."

Oliver turns to Tommy, smiling.

"I'd hang, but we're headed to court." Oliver explains.

"That's why I'm here." Tommy suddenly announces, Oliver looks at him in shock. Slade wants someone to shoot him!

"My best friend is getting resurrected. I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Tommy grins.

"What about you?" Moria asks Thea, who shakes her head.

"I think the first four times of you in court was enough for me!" She smirks.

"Fair enough."

"Mrs. Queen? Cars ready." Comes the voice of Diggle.

Oliver stifles a groan as he takes Sara's hand, Tommy on his other side. Slade behind them wondering to himself why oh why didn't he kill that fucker!

"Mr. Queen, Miss Lance, Mr. Wilson!" Reporters ambush them the moment they reach the courthouse.

"How does it feel to return to civilization after five years?"

"What happened on that island?"

"Mr. Queen tell us about the accident!"

Slade would quite happily kill them all!

Oliver, Sara and Slade stand before the judge, Oliver holding on tightly to Sara's hand and even Slade's!

A lawyer stands beside them whilst Tommy, Moira, Walter and Quentin stand in the audience for support.

Tommy nods to Oliver as if to say that everything's fine.

"There was an accident." Oliver speaks after the judge requests to hear from him.

"There was a storm, the boat went down. Sara and I were the only survivors. My father didn't make it." He states quietly, closing his eyes a moment as the flashback hits him before continuing.

"We almost died. I thought we were going to because we spent so many days on that life raft before we saw the island. When we reached it, I knew I had to live for myself and my father and to make sure that no matter what happened to me that Sara survived. It was Sara's love that kept me going through those five years, without her I wouldn't have survived." He pauses momentarily before turning to Slade.

"And on that island I found Slade. He was stranded there like me and Sara, he taught me how to survive. Without Slade I never would have survived on that island. He forced me and Sara to keep going, no matter what and for that I am eternally grateful. I'd be long dead if it wasn't for this man, when I escaped that island I didn't just escape with the woman I love, I escaped with a brother as well." Oliver finishes as Slade smiles genuinely at him.

"Sara and Slade were the light in that horrific darkness. The light that brought me home."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter is currently being written and should be updated tomorrow! Thank you to all those who have followed and favorited this story I am truly over the moon that so many of you like this story! Thank you for all your lovely reviews and thanks again for reading.**

 **Legends Of Canarrow Spotify Playlist Update: 153 Songs**


	6. Honor Thy Father (2)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Six**

The courtroom is silent after Oliver's words.

In the end it is down to the Queen's lawyer to break through the emotional atmosphere that has descended on the court room due to Oliver sharing just one small slice of what he went through during the five years he spent on that island with Sara and Slade.

"Your Honor, we move to vitiate the death in absentia filed after Oliver and Sara's disappearance at sea aboard the Queen's Gambit five years ago. Unfortunately, we will not be requesting that the declaration of death filed for the petitioners father, Robert Queen to be rescinded. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle, I'm afraid."

"Motion approved." The judge agrees instantly, banging his hammer ceremoniously.

Filing out of the courtroom, Oliver stays close to Sara and Slade as they rejoin the others.

"Now on to the offices! Everyone is waiting to meet you there!" Moria smiles joyfully.

Oliver and Slade look at her as if she's gone mad.

"Mom, that was, uh a little bit heavier then I was expecting it to be. Could we do that tomorrow please? I was actually planning on spending the day with Sara, Slade and Tommy." Oliver requests, earning a beaming grin from Tommy and a glare from Slade at the prospect of having to be in the presence of Tommy for a whole day!

"Of course." Moria nods.

"Thank you." Oliver murmurs as they leave Moira, Walter and Quentin, whom hugs Sara tightly before she goes.

"Be safe." He says pleadingly to his daughter.

"I'll be with Ollie and Slade, dad. I'm gonna be safe." Sara reassures him.

"I know, I'm sorry baby. It's just every time you leave I worry that your never going to come back." He admits.

Sara shakes her head, smiling.

"I'm always going to come back dad." She hugs him again before rejoining Oliver and Slade and Tommy, whom looks quizzically at Oliver.

"Last week you couldn't wait to get to the company." He questions Oliver.

"Tommy, I spent five years away from civilization. I wasn't exactly thinking straight." Oliver sighs as the four of them round a corner, running into Laurel, her friend Johanna and another girl neither of them recognize.

"Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't be there, did everything go ok?" Laurel apologizes as she pulls Sara into an embrace.

"Ohh it was great! I've never heard such emotional things from Ollie ever!" Tommy laughs softly as the others roll their eyes at him.

Laurel gives Tommy another glance before introducing them to the unknown girl.

"Emily, this my sister Sara, her boyfriend Oliver, their friend Slade and Tommy. Everyone this is Emily Nocenti." Laurel introduces them.

"Nice to meet you Emily." Oliver smiles as he, Sara and Slade shake hands with her.

"Nice to meet you to Oliver, Slade, Sara." She smiles politely.

"We actually have to go now but I'll see you guys later yeah?" Laurel questions.

"Sure, see you later." Sara and Laurel share another embrace before the trio disappear.

"Come on buddy, let's go find a bar or something." Tommy suggests, wrapping his arm around Oliver's shoulders as they head for the exit.

The four of them stopping upon seeing the press conducting an interview with a man. Martin Sommers, a name that alerts the immediate attention of Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"I don't know what I've done to earn this witch hunt from Ms. Lance and her bosses at CNRI, but I can tell you this. I am an honest businessman and I will fight this slander to my last dime and breath. That's all I have to say." Sommers states.

Both Oliver and Slade holding Sara back from attacking him there and then for the things he is saying against Laurel. However, there stopping soon alerts the press who start to swarm the group, who race quickly toward the exit, ignoring questions that are thrown at them as they go.

Diggle, thankfully arrives and helps them fend off the reporters and press as the four of them make for the car, which Diggle opens the door to for them, turning away for just a moment to confront an eager reporter.

"Hey man I'll make you swallow that Nikon." He threatens.

The sound of a car speeding off returning his attention to said car that is now zooming down the road in slight zigzags, due to Slade's rusty driving skills!

Tommy laughs as they watch it go, smirking at Diggle.

"That happens to you a lot doesn't it?"

 _Meanwhile In Court_

"How much is a life worth? A life of a man, a good man. A stevedore on the docks of the city in which we live." Laurel says as she addresses the jury.

"A father." She looks briefly at Emily sitting beside Johanna.

"A man with a daughter." She turns back to the jury, playing it to them. If there's one thing to know about Laurel Lance it is that she is very good at her job.

"The plaintiff will prove by a preponderance of evidence that Victor Nocenti learned that his boss, that man sitting there." Laurel takes time to indicate toward said person.

"Martin Sommers was taking bribes from the Chinese triads to smuggle drugs into our city and when Victor threatened to tell the police. Martin Sommers had him killed!" Laurel says, emphasising the word 'killed'.

"Sommers is very well connected and has friends in the District Attorney's office, which is why if Emily Nocenti is to get justice for her father's death. If Sommers is to get justice for his crimes then someone is gonna have to do it for them!"

 _The Foundry_

"How long has it been exactly since you last drove a car?" Oliver groans on the way down to their lair.

"Ohh come on, kid it wasn't that bad!" Slade protests.

"Slade, Oliver and I were on a boat that crashed and a lifeboat for days and I didn't feel half as travel sick as I do now!" Sara moans as they head towards their places of work.

"We'll revisit your rusty driving skills at a later date." Oliver mutters as he heads towards the computer with Sara.

"Yeah. I mean Laurel's targeted the worst of Starling City. It's no surprise his names on your father's list." Sara comments as she tugs on her gear.

"And the city's police and DA can't stop him." Oliver mumbles, grabbing his arrow.

"Or won't, knowing this god forsaken city." Slade grumbles.

"I don't want Laurel getting hurt in all this. I know my sister too well, she won't give in no matter how dangerous things get. She's so stubborn like that! She's going to end up getting herself killed!" Sara growls.

"Like her sister then." Slade comments, only to receive a sharp slap on the arm from Sara in response.

Oliver moves to Sara's side, wrapping his arms around her middle to pull her closer to him.

Slade groans and rolls his eyes at Sara and Oliver's display of affection.

"If you two are interested in joining me any time soon I'll be handing this fuckers arse to him." Slade mutters, his voice laced with sarcasm as he heads up the stairs.

He wasn't much of a fan of Oliver and Sara expressing their love to one another on the island. If anything it's even worse now!

"We better join him before he murders the lot of them." Oliver sighs, knowing that, that is what Slade would do if he were in charge!

Sara laughs and leans against Oliver as he presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"Don't worry Sara. Laurel may think that she's the only one willing to bring this douce bag to justice but she's wrong…"

 _Later On A Construction Site_

"You listen up. The longer this goes on, the more likely the media is gonna crucify me!" A furious Martin Sommers growls at a group of men in his office.

Suddenly the lights flicker on and off until they completely shut off and the room descends into darkness.

The surprised yells from his men fill his ears as he is dragged backwards and everything goes black…

Upon opening his eyes. Martin Sommers had the strangest feeling that the world had turned upside down, however he quickly realises that it is he who is hanging upside down! Hanging from a crane, swinging back and forth whilst the three vigilantes stand watching across from him.

"Martin Sommers." The Man In The Hood shouts.

"Who the hell are you?" He snarls back in retaliation, crying out as The Man In The Mask whacks him hard, causing him to swing back and forth faster.

"You have failed this city." The Man In The Hood continues, firing an arrow, which purposefully misses..

"No, no, no!" Sommers cries out desperately, hoping that someone will hear his cries for help and come to his aid.

"You're going to testify in that trial." The Woman In Black commands.

"You're gonna confess to having Victor Nocenti killed." The Man In The Hood adds.

"There won't be a second warning." The Man In The Mask snarls.

The Man In The Hood fires another arrow, catching Martin Sommers cheek, he shuts his eyes instantly, preparing himself for death.

Yet when nothing happens he opens them again to find the vigilantes gone.

 _Next Day In The Queen Mansion_

"I hired you to protect my son." Moira Queen's angry voice is heard by Oliver, Sara and Slade as they approach the living room.

"I'm not a bodyguard, but it seems to me the first retirement would be staying next to the man you're hired to protect!" She continues, evidently addressing Diggle.

Oliver and Slade smirk at one another knowingly.

"I've never had a client who didn't want my protection." Diggle replies in such a calm manner it's almost humorous.

"I hired you. That makes me the client." Moira snaps in annoyance, taking a deep breath to collect herself before firing another question at Diggle.

"Now, where do you think my son and his girlfriend are going on these chaperone less excursions?"

"Ma'am I truly do not know." Diggle responds.

"And he truly doesn't." Oliver cuts his mother off before she can say another word.

"Then perhaps you'd like to share with me, you know, where it is you run off to with Sara and Mr. Wilson?" She questions in a way that hints that she expects an answer.

"I've spent every single minute of every day with them for the past five years…"

"I know that, Oliver however, I'd rather you promise to take Mr. Diggle with you on your next rendezvous." She folds her arms, ignoring the eye rolls from both Oliver and Slade, whom is all prepared to give Oliver's mother a speech on how there is no point to John Diggle's presence here as he is all the protection Oliver and Sara need, having kept them alive for the past five years after all!

"It's not safe! You've already been abducted once, there's those maniacs out there hunting the wealthy…"

"Those maniacs saved mine and Sara's lives." Oliver butts in.

"This isn't a game. I lost you once and I am not going to go through that again." She says firmly.

"Okay! Dig's my guy!" Oliver holds his arms up in mock surrender as Moira exits the room sending a quick 'thank you.' In Oliver's direction.

The room falls silent once she has left, the three of them staring at Diggle on the other side of the room.

"Sorry to give you so much grief." Oliver says to Diggle in the end as he to choses to exit the room.

"I served three tours in Afghanistan Mr. Queen. You don't even come close to my definition of grief." He mutters before stopping right in front of Oliver.

"I tell you what you ditch me one more time and no one will have to fire me." He states before disappearing.

Slade mutters something in Oliver's ear, who sighs.

"No you can not take him out Slade, I know…"

Oliver stops mid sentence as Thea passes the door.

"Where are you going?" He questions.

"Somewhere loud and smoky. Ohh and don't bother trying to pickpocket my stash because I'm gonna go get drunk instead!" She announces.

"Thea." Oliver calls her back sharply.

"Do you think this is what dad would want for you?"

"Dead people don't want anything. It's one of the benefits of being dead." She retorts.

"We were dead and we wanted a lot." Oliver says on behalf of him, Sara and Slade, Sara in particularly who wants to give Oliver's bratty sister a piece of her mind about the lack of respect she is showing her brother.

"Except for your family. You've been home a week and all you do is avoid Mom, ignore Walter and judge me." She snaps as she heads for the door.

"Don't wait up."

 _Meanwhile On The Other Side Of Starling City…_

"Well I owe you an apology Mr. Sommers. We come all the way down to your docks and turns out you don't need the police." Quentin comments.

"Which is exactly what I've been saying." Sommers sighs in frustration.

"So I guess that 911 call we got last night from your stevedores saying you were attacked by a guy in a hood, a woman in black and a man in a mask. I guess that then hm was what? A practical joke? These guys like to fool around?" He questions.

"Yeah." Sommers replies quickly.

"You know I'd be very inclined to believe an honest, upstanding businessman like yourself except well, one of my men found this at your docks." Quentin holds up an arrow.

"You see there's this group of vigilantes running around thinking they're Robin Hood and His Merry Men, robbing the rich. Trying to teach them a lesson, I guess I don't know but the point is, they are killers and nothing and no one is going to stop me from bringing them down." He snarls before continuing.

"But like you said huh, clearly nothing happened here last night." He resolves, turning to walk away.

"Isn't this a conflict of interest detective? After all, your daughter is suing me."

Quentin clenches his hands into fists to stop himself from attacking the man he has such hatred for.

"I'm good at keeping my emotions in check." He retorts.

"You see the thing is I'm not. You and your daughter don't wanna find out what I'm capable of when I get emotional…"

 _Queen Consolidated_

"As you can see Oliver, we've modernised quite a bit." Moira smiles as she leads Oliver, Sara and Slade around Queen Consolidated. Slade practically ready to rip Oliver and new one for this torture Oliver has inflicted upon him!

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She asks her son with a short laugh and a beaming smile.

"Yes I am." Oliver replies confidently.

 _I'm not. This makes me want to gouge my other eye out, kid!_ Slade wants to say.

"I remember your father used to bring you here when you were a boy…"

 _Here we go, another boring story!_ Slade thinks as Moira sighs at a distant, but happy memory so long ago now…

"You were always so excited!"

 _Does anyone honestly care?_ Slade wonders.

"Dad let me drink soda in the office." Oliver smirks, Sara nudges him in response, tightening her grip on his hand.

"So that's what you enjoyed coming!" Moira laughs as if she had solved such a hard mystery!

"Queen Consolidated's success of late is a result of its targeted diversification. We have been making impressive inroads in cutting edge fields like biotech and clean energy."

"That's neat." Oliver says, cutting Walter off mid sentence.

"Excuse me. Can I get a sparkling water or something cold please for me and my friends, please?" Oliver asks a near by employee.

 _I'm gonna need something stronger then some sparkling water crap if I'm gonna get through this, kid!_ Slade thinks to himself as the girl dashes off.

"Sweetheart, Oliver, Walter and I have something to discuss with you." Moira says calmly, looking at Sara and Slade standing closely beside Oliver.

Oliver soon catches on.

"Anything you can say in front of me you can say in front of Sara and Slade." Oliver replies.

 _I'm gonna kill you, kid!_ Slade thinks as his perfect excuse to get out of this torture goes up in flames!

"Come, please sit." Moira indicates to a chair, upon realising that Sara and Slade are not going anywhere.

"Mom, it makes me nervous when you ask me to sit down." Oliver retorts and remains standing beside Slade and Sara.

"The company is about to break ground on a site for the applied sciences division and we would like you to honour your father by dedicating the building in his name."

"Nice!" Oliver comments with a smirk.

"And we would like you to make an announcement at the dedication. That you will be taking a leadership position in the company." Moira announces with a smile.

"No." Oliver says simply.

Smartest thing you've said all day, kid. Slade thinks.

"No? Your, your company?"

"No. I don't wanna lead anything. Besides! Walter is doing a very good job here." Oliver grins over at Walter, clenching Sara's hand tighter for support.

"You said you wanted to be a different person." Moira growls.

"And you are Robert Queen's son…"

"I don't need to be reminded of that!"

"Obviously, you do." Moira retorts, annoyance evident in her voice.

"Everyone here understands that this transition is difficult for you." Walter says, trying to keep the peace in the room.

"Thank you, Walter." Oliver acknowledges him kindly.

"Which part though? Everyone fantasising that I got my MBA while I was on the island? Or the fact that my father's CFO now sleep down the hall from me?" Oliver snaps.

"You know, five years ago, your irresponsibility was somewhat charming. It's a lot less now and it is not helped by the company that you keep." Moira speaks calmly in a venomous tone of voice.

Oliver tightens his grip on Sara's hand and places his other on Slade's arm to restrain them from speaking there minds on the matter and after seeing Diggle at the door, wraps his arm around Sara and the three of them depart together without another word...

 _Big Belly Burger Sometime Later…_

The four of them silently walk into the restaurant, neither of them knowing what to say after what just happened.

Well Slade has rather a lot he would like to say but he's certain it would only piss Oliver off more!

Leaving Diggle to get food, the three of them find a table, Oliver sliding in quickly next to Sara so that Slade will have to sit by Diggle! Realizing that, Slade glares at Oliver.

"We're going to have words about this, kid. On top of the words we are also going to be having about you dragging me into that god awful place your family calls their business place." He growls as he sits across from Oliver, who gives him an apologetic glance.

"I can't believe she would expect that of you Ollie or even have the audacity to comment on your relationship with me and Slade." Sara shakes her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Oliver murmurs in Sara's ear, pressing a kiss to the side of her head as she leans against him.

"Do you mind, it's bad enough I have to sit next to him without you pair putting me off my food!" Slade grumbles, causing Sara and Oliver to smirk.

"What I meant to say was that she can't force you to do anything you don't want to do Ollie and she has no right to comment on the company you keep." Sara shakes her head in disgust.

"I'm pretty sure if I don't she'll disown me." Oliver sighs.

"And that's a bad thing?" Slade's eyes widen in shock.

"Slade…" Sara starts.

"Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference if she did, kid. You'd still have me and Sara. All the family you need, kid." Slade smiles as Diggle reappears with trays of food.

Silence falls instantly and Slade flashes Oliver a dirty look as Diggle sits beside him and moves as close to the wall as he could possibly get!

"Okay. I spent the first twenty seven years of my life in Starling City and the next five in Afghanistan. You want to know what I learned?"

"There's no place like home?" Sara smirks in response to Diggle's question.

"No Miss Lance, just the opposite. Home is a battlefield. Back home, they're trying to get you. Get you to open up, be somebody you're not sure who you are anymore." Diggle looks between Oliver, Sara and Slade, whom raises his one eye at Diggle and waits for him to make his point.

"Or I could be wrong. Maybe after five years you three are not as messed up in the head as you have every right to be."

 **Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading and for all of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story. Next update should be soon now I have more free time to update! Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you thought xxxxxxxxxxx**


	7. Honor Thy Father (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seven**

 _Sara had fallen asleep in their makeshift tent. Oliver keeping a constant watch over her, his gaze occasionally flickering to the lifeboat which holds the corpse of Robert Queen._

 _Presently where a flock of birds have landed and are pecking at the bag they placed over his blown out head…_

 _"Hey, hey get away!" Oliver screams as he takes off down the beach to shoo away the birds._

 _The smell from the corpse causing him to retch._

" _Ollie." Sara races after him as she watches as Oliver collapses beside the body of his father._

 _"Stay away from him, stay away." Oliver whispers pleadingly as the birds fly away._

 _Having no words, Sara falls beside Oliver, gripping his hand tightly, burying her face into the side of his neck._

 _"We can't leave him here like this." She whispers after a few moments._

 _Oliver is silent._

 _"We can't Ollie, we just can't." She cries as Oliver rises to his feet, looking at the body of his father momentarily before bending down, groaning in pain as he lifts his father's body into his arms..._

 _CNRI_

"Well we anticipate that Sommers' attorney will try and paint you as blinded by grief or looking to make a buck." Joanna explains as gently as she can to Emily Nocenti.

"But this isn't just about the money. I just want justice for my father." The young girl whispers heartbrokenly.

"Emily there are a lot of people who don't want this trial to proceed. Dangerous people." Laurel warns her.

"My mother died when I was a baby. My father is the only family I've ever known and they slit his throat." She looks up at Laurel.

"They are going to have to kill me if they want me to give this up." She replies, a flash of anger crossing her eyes.

Determination. Laurel approves.

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that." She says with a slight smile.

"And it won't." Comes the unexpected voice of Quentin Lance.

Laurel turns around and frowns at the sight of her father and a few other officers.

"What's going on?" She asks innocently.

"You three are getting police protection." Quentin proclaims, holding up his hand to stop Laurel from protesting.

"Get used to their faces, they're going with you everywhere." He explains, turning his attention back to Laurel again.

"No arguments." He says, this time specifically to Laurel.

Laurel who looks about ready to explode with rage.

"I'm a lawyer. I live to argue!" She snaps.

"Well I'm your father, I live to keep you safe!" He silences her.

Sensing that a family discussion is about to take place between Laurel and her farther, Joanna tactfully leads Emily away.

"Emily, let's go grab a cup of coffee?"

"Yes why not do that? Please go with them!" Quentin signals to the officers in the room, who follow Joanna and Emily dutifully.

"Stay there." He mutters, before turning to Laurel, whom is silently fuming.

"Protective custody? I seem to recall you trying that once I discovered boys! It didn't work then, either." She growls.

"This isn't a joke Laurel. Martin Sommers got attacked last night…"

"What?" Laurel cuts him off, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah…"

"By who?"

"Doesn't matter. You have whipped up a storm with these guys and until the dust settles, you will be protected. End of discussion and for the love of god where in gods name is your sister?!" Quentin cries desperately.

"I haven't seen her all day dad and do not change the subject here! All that your doing, that may have worked on me when I was eight but it's not going to work anymore."

"End of discussion Laurel! If you're insistent on doing your job that's great! This is me doing mine. Okay? Not just as a father but as a cop, these people are more dangerous than you are willing to admit and you've made them angry." Quentin snarls, having the last word as he turns and leaves Laurel standing there, wondering frantically to himself about where his other daughter could be!

 _Meanwhile In Another Part Of Starling City…_

Martin Sommers looks up from his desk at the familiar click clack sound of heels approaching.

"Thank you for coming." He says in welcome to China White.

"Anything for a friend." She replies with a coy smile.

"We're not friends. You smuggle drugs and I let you use my port." He growls.

"For which you are paid a lot of money." She reminds him.

"I don't get paid enough to have arrows shot at me!" He snarls resentfully. She raises her eyebrow at him as he glowers at her.

"You need to take these people seriously! They are a bigger threat than Nocenti ever was!" He cries, his voice filled with the remainder of the fear left over from the vigilante attack.

"Now it's Nocenti's daughter who's the problem and unlike your vigilante friends, we know where to find her." China White assures him in a dangerous tone of voice.

"Don't be an idiot. Take out Emily Nocenti and Lance will never let this go! She won't stop until she burns you, me and the entire triad to the ground!" Sommers yells.

China White folds her arms and shoot a crafty smile in his direction.

"Then we kill Ms Lance."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Attorney for shipping magnate Martin Sommers confirmed his client has no intention of testifying, maintaining innocence in the death of Victor Nocenti. Nocenti's body was found for weeks ago, we'll keep you updated as information becomes available." The TV informs Oliver, Sara and Slade who are all in Oliver's room.

Relaxing for a brief moment, something that doesn't happen often.

Being in one another's company, Oliver doesn't care that he doesn't have a shirt on as he was with Sara and Slade when he got most of the scars that litter his body!

Same goes for Sara and Slade. As Sara would never allow her family to see the scars she has obtained and Slade, who doesn't wear his eyepatch in Sara and Oliver's presence.

The only two people in the world who are allowed to see him without the eyepatch on.

There are no other people on earth he could be around without wearing the blasted thing, except Oliver and Sara.

Only Oliver and Sara.

"We gave fair warning." Sara sighs, in relation to the news.

"I was hoping this would happen!" Slade says with a devious grin.

"Yeah me and Ollie were aware that you wanted to kick his ass from the very start!" She chuckles, smirking at Oliver.

"I still don't know why we gave him the option to testify in the first place!" Slade mutters.

"Slade…" Oliver looks over at his friend, who is lounging on the window seat.

"Can't remember ever training you to be boring, kid." He comments.

Oliver rolls his eyes at him and is about to respond when a quiet gasp disturbs them.

"Wait. How did you get those?" Thea says in the doorway, staring at the scars on Oliver's body. Thea's arrival startling all three of them. Especially Slade, whom instantly turns his face to the window.

"Don't you knock?" Oliver hisses in behalf of himself, Sara and Slade as he begins rapidly buttoning up his shirt.

"No, wait. Mom said that there were scars…" Thea says, moving to Oliver's side, gasping in horror as she sees the damage done.

"Oliver, what happened to you out there?" She whispers before looking to Sara, her eyes landing on the scars on Sara's arms and shoulders, then finally to Slade, who has taken to covering his empty eye socket with his hand.

"What happened to all of you out there?" She whispers, noticing Slade's eyepatch by her feet.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Oliver responds.

"Of course you don't!" She snaps.

"None of us do." Slade growls threateningly, in an attempt to ward Thea off.

"Maybe if you'd just stop and think for once you'd realize that we don't want to talk about what happened on that island. We spent five years in hell there, your brother, Sara and I and all anyone's asked us since we got back was 'what was it like on the island?' 'What happened on the island?' Why should we tell any of you anything? It's not like any of you could come anywhere close to imagining what we went through there on that island. I'd respect your brothers privacy if I were you Thea Queen. Perhaps mention this to your mother as well!" Slade snaps angrily, his patience close to breaking completely.

Thea looks to Oliver, expecting him to reprimand his so called friend for his words against her but he says nothing almost as if he agrees with what he says.

She glares at Oliver once more.

"Of course you don't want to talk to me about anything else. As all that you seem to care about is my social life!" She growls, turning to go.

"Where are you going?" Oliver calls after her.

"Why should I tell you?" She snaps.

Slade and Sara sigh, both of them ready to give Thea a piece of their minds!

"I know I need to get better at talking about what happened to me there but Slade is right. I'm not ready yet." Oliver murmurs.

Thea stops for a moment before gesturing toward the door.

"Do you have a second?"

"Yeah." Oliver smiles slightly.

"Good. I wanna show you something out back." She explains.

"Just you Ollie. Not you and your entourage." She eyes Sara and Slade.

Turning to Slade and Sara for a moment Oliver nods at them before turning to go with Thea.

"Anyway." Thea tosses Slade's eyepatch in his direction.

"Your 'friend' needs to fix his face."

Walking down a bank, Thea leads Oliver toward two headstones.

One says Robert Queen. The other, Oliver Queen.

"Sometimes when I felt whatever I'd come here." She states, bending down beside the one that is engraved with 'Robert Queen's' name.

"About a month after the funerals, mom stopped going out. Pretty soon she stopped talking all together. The house got so quiet so I'd come here. To talk to you, stupid stuff. Like what I was doing that day, what boy I had a crush on and then sometimes I'd ask you, beg you to find your way home to me. Now here you are." Thea looks him straight in the eye.

"And the truth is I felt closer to you when you were dead!" She spits venomously.

"Look, I know it was hell where you Sara and your friend were. Your friend seems to be quite opinionated on the matter! But it was hell here too!" She growls before looking at her brother.

"You need to talk to someone Ollie. Someone who is not Sara Lance and Slade Wilson. They are making you worse, especially him. He has turned you into something your not Ollie. You need to let me in. You've gotta let someone in before that island and that man destroys you." She mutters before heading back up the hill, Oliver staring at her as she goes but also letting her go at the same time.

After his discussion with Thea, Oliver returns to Slade and Sara and suggests that they head out. Sara requesting that they drop in on Laurel and Oliver having an idea.

An idea that both he and Sara agree is a good one.

Neither of them mention Oliver's conversation with Thea until Slade decides to bring her up.

"You need to stop with all this talking crap, kid." He mutters as they walk down the street.

"What else am I meant to do Slade?" Oliver sighs exasperatedly.

"If she were my sister I would have given her the scolding of a lifetime. She needs to be taken down a notch, told that this is how it is." He mutters.

"If you want to have a go at trying to convince my sister to clean up her act then be my guest but she's stubborn…"

"As were you, kid but I got through to you in the end." Slade reminds him.

"I think Slade's right Ollie, if you don't want to yell at her Slade and I will." Sara adds, been waiting for a while to give Thea a proper scolding.

"Good luck." Oliver mutters as they approach Laurel's apartment building.

"Ollie." Sara grips his arm upon seeing the cop car outside the building.

Oliver falls silent and closes his eyes.

Ohh god Laurel, what have you gotten you yourself into now?

The sound of knocking on Laurel Lance's door sends her into a brief spell of panic.

Who would be here now? She isn't expecting anyone.

Creeping to the door carefully, peering through the small hole in her door.

She sighs in relief when she sees Sara, Oliver and Slade and opens the door immediately.

"Laurel." Sara smiles as Laurel pulls her sister into an embrace.

"Are you okay? There are two cop cars outside." Oliver asks worriedly.

"My dad's idea." Laurel rolls her eyes as she lets them in.

"What did you do? Never thought I'd see the day when dad wanted to put you under protective custody. Or that you'd be put under it before me!" Sara smirks.

"This Sommers case thing." Laurel replies boredly as she and Sara sit on the sofa, Oliver on the floor beside Sara and Slade on the chair beside Laurel.

"Wow. This place hasn't changed in five years." Oliver comments.

"Never really felt like redecorating, I like it like this." Laurel smiles, happy to have her mind taken off the nightmare of a case she's going through.

"There is a purpose to our visit, other than to see you." Sara grins as she runs her fingers through Oliver's hair.

"Ollie." She prompts him and out of a small paper bag, he reveals a large tub of ice cream.

Slade rolls his eye at them.

"Sara and I thought about many things on the island but there was one thing that we thought about everyday. I actually dreamt about it once…"

"Yeah and you wouldn't shut up about it for days, kid!" Slade butts in with another roll of his eye.

"And when I told Sara, we promised ourselves that if we ever got a chance to do it again we'd do it with you and that was to eat ice cream and also force Slade to do it with us as well!" Oliver grins. Laurel smirks in response at her sister and Oliver before yanking the tub away from Oliver.

"Well you've got no complaints from me!"

Half an hour later the four of them are chatting amongst themselves and eating the ice cream Oliver procured for them.

Laurel and Sara eat from small bowls whilst Oliver and Slade fight for control over the tub! Whilst Sara and Laurel laugh at them.

"This is as good as I remember." Oliver says through a mouthful of ice cream after he yanks it away from Slade.

"So how's your day been?" Laurel asks Sara kindly as Oliver and Slade start bickering again.

"Fine. Oliver's mother wants him to join the company, that didn't exactly go down well." Sara explains carefully.

Even Slade and Oliver look up when she says that.

"She wants me to take my rightful place." Oliver mutters.

"And seems to believe Slade and I are a bad influence." Sara adds.

"What? She didn't say that did she?" Laurel gasps in shock.

"Sure sounded like that." Sara mumbles.

"And there are a lot of things I wanted to say in response!" Slade grumbles.

"Now to be honest, I'd like to see that." Laurel nods to Slade before turning to Oliver.

"Oliver you're not thinking of saying yes are you?" She shakes her head in disbelief.

"I don't know what to say." He shrugs his shoulders defeatedly.

"Well I could think of a few things you could say, kid." Slade mutters.

Oliver ignores him before continuing.

"You know, after five years I have plans. I have things that have to do and I can't do that if I'm I don't know. Attending board meetings and stockholder briefings!" He sighs.

"Oliver." Laurel starts.

"You're an adult. You can say no." She reminds him.

"Thank you! The only person here who's made any sense so far!" Slade congratulates Laurel, who smirks.

"I tried Laurel. Didn't take." Oliver mutters.

"Well then, don't tell her, show her. Be the person that you want her to see you as. Trust me I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents, don't we Sara?" Laurel nudges her sister, who nods solemnly.

"Well I'm just going to come right out and say it, kid. I don't like your mother and if you don't stand up to her then I'm going to!" Slade proclaims.

"We all will. Together." Sara adds. Oliver nods.

"My mother has never really…" Oliver falls silent mid sentence.

"Ollie?" Sara asks anxiously as she sees Slade react the same way.

"Did you hear that?" Oliver mutters.

"What?" Laurel whispers.

"There's someone on the fire escape." Oliver growls suddenly as he grabs the knife from the table, Slade removing two small daggers from the inside of his coat.

"Come on, come on!" Sara cries as she grabs Laurel's hand, dragging her toward the door, which is suddenly broken down by a man with a gun, whom starts rapidly shooting at Laurel, Sara, Slade and Oliver.

The man is followed by China White.

They race toward Laurel's bedroom, escaping it instantly as another armed man dives through her window.

China White stops the foursome as they re enter the living room, holding two daggers in their direction.

It is at this point when Slade moves forward to attack the obviously well trained China White, who attacks him with finesses and expertise.

"Slade!" Sara cries as the other man who had entered Laurel's apartment aims his gun at him.

He is shot down abruptly by John Diggle, who appears in the door way, shooting at another guy behind Oliver.

"Out of my way. I've got this!" Slade growls as he fights China White, who takes the opportunity whilst Slade is distracted, to slash his arm with one of her daggers.

Ignoring the pain in his arm, Slade continues to attack her and Diggle moves to help, despite being knocked out of the way by Slade!

China White quickly disarms Diggle, moving in for the kill, stopped when Slade throws her at the wall.

Diggle struggles to get to his feet and just as she is about to stab both of them Oliver throws a knife expertly in her direction, startling the woman, causing her to dive out of the window. Diggle stares at Oliver in amazement.

"Are you hurt? Are you hurt Mr. Queen? This is why it's a good idea to have a bodyguard!" Diggle yells.

"I could have taken her if you hadn't have gotten in the way!" Slade yells at Diggle as Sara pulls her sister into a comforting embrace.

"And if I hadn't have been there the others would have been shot! Didn't you think of that?" Diggle snaps.

"You honestly have no idea…"

"GUYS!" Oliver yells, silencing them.

"Stay out of this, kid. You know I'm right!" Slade snarls, advancing on Diggle.

"Slade!" Oliver moves towards him.

"Stop! Please just stop." Sara cries, still holding her sister.

"This isn't over." Slade growls menacingly at Diggle.

No it's not. Oliver thinks to himself.

It is most definitely not over.

It doesn't take very long for the best of Starling City's police force to swarm Laurel's apartment. Quentin Lance ahead of them all.

"Laurel, Laurel! Are you okay?" He cries frantically, pulling his eldest daughter into a tight embrace. Relief filling him upon seeing her alive and unharmed and standing beside his other daughter.

"Daddy!" She cries as she wraps her arms around her father, pulling Sara into the hug also.

"Thank god." Quentin whispers.

"Thank god. Are you alright?" He asks, checking her over for any injuries.

"I'm okay yeah. Those cops that you out on me…" Laurel whispers.

"They…"

"I went to ask for a light and they were both dead in the squad car." Diggle confirms to Laurel's horror.

Quentin closes his eyes briefly before continuing to comfort his daughter.

"It's all right, honey. It's okay." He whispers before moving towards Diggle.

"Mr. Diggle, thank you. You saved my daughter, you feel free to run as many red lights as you want." Quentin says, unable to put across in words the gratitude he feels towards the man who saved his daughter.

"I was just doing my job, sir." Diggle shrugs it off as if it were nothing.

"No, your job is protecting him." Quentin turns to Oliver.

"Are you alright Oliver?" He questions.

Oliver nods in response.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm just relived that we all survived that." He nods.

"If it wasn't for Slade and Diggle I don't know what would have happened." Laurel cuts in, as it was Slade who did most of the fighting.

Quentin turns to Slade then.

"You helped protect my daughter as well?" He questions.

"Mr. Wilson had already taken control of the situation before I got there. He brought me enough time to take the others out." Diggle admits through gritted teeth, his dislike for Slade evident to anyone with eyes and ears.

"Mr. Wilson, I don't know even what to say to you. You have protected both of my daughters. You have my eternal gratitude." Quentin turns to Slade.

"Welcome." He replies as the two men shake hands.

"Slade you really need to get your arm seen to." Sara says abruptly, she, Oliver and Slade sharing a knowing look.

Oliver nods, holding his hand out to Sara.

"Um. Oliver if you don't mind I would like to keep both of my daughters where I can see them. You can stay if you want but I want both of my daughters here." Quentin says firmly. Oliver nods, knowing arguing wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Go. It's ok, I'll be fine." Sara pulls Oliver in for a kiss, to which both Quentin and Slade object to!

"Love you." Oliver murmurs.

"Love you to." She replies gently as Oliver and Slade leave her behind.

 _Queen's Mansion_

"Just pass me a bandage and I'll be fine, kid." Slade mutters as he looks at the slice on his arm from China White's knife.

He's had much, much worse!

"Do you want any help?" Oliver offers.

"Do I look like I'm helpless, kid?" Slade rolls his eye at him.

"No, you never do." Oliver replies with a smirk.

"Thank you for what you did back there. I wanted to help but…" Oliver stops.

"You did, kid. If you hadn't thrown that knife things could have been much worse and I think that it would have raised a few questions with Laurel if you and Sara had gotten involved with the fighting. No one except you and Sara know me, or what I'm capable of." He reminds Oliver, who nods.

"I'm just glad that you and Laurel are ok." He sighs in relief. Slade nudges him.

"Worried about me, kid?" He questions with a smirk.

"I always worry about you Slade!" He returns the smile just as Diggle enters the room, wrapping a thick bandage around his hand.

"I'd say thank you, but I don't think that'd cover it." Oliver says to Diggle.

"Like I said to your cop friend, I was just doing my job. Besides, I think it should be you that I'm thanking." He nods at Oliver.

"What for?" Oliver asks innocently.

"The knife."

"I got lucky." Oliver responds and Slade tries not to snort with laughter.

That wasn't luck, kid. That was down to my magnificent training skills! He thinks to himself.

"That was a kitchen knife. It wasn't weighed properly and you threw it for accuracy across a ten foot room." Diggle doesn't drop the matter.

"Exactly. I got lucky." Oliver responds calmly.

"I'm not the man you want to take for a fool, Mr. Queen. You understand me?" Diggle mutters.

"Yes." Oliver replies with the same calmness as before, keeping his hand on Slade's arm to keep him from, probably killing John Diggle.

"I think I'm just beginning to understand the kind of man you are." Diggle states.

"Shouldn't take you very long. I'm shallow and very tired, both of us are. Good night." Oliver says, heading out of the room, dragging Slade with him.

"Good night sir." Diggle replies, the mystery that is Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson staying just that. A mystery a truly vexing mystery.

"Foundry." Oliver growls as soon as their out of earshot, slipping out of the door.

"Where are you going Oliver?" Moria Queen's voice arrives from behind them both.

"To Sara. Laurel was attacked, Sara's with her. I need to get back." Oliver explains.

"Where's Mr. Diggle?" She questions coldly.

"Recuperating, he was the one who helped fight of Laurel's attackers." Oliver explains. She nods, yet the frown still remains on her face.

"I still don't feel comfortable with letting you go unprotected." She reminds him coolly.

"He has me. He doesn't need a bodyguard." Slade mutters.

"Slade…" Oliver starts.

"Kid, I'll be there in a moment." Slade growls moving toward Moria Queen. Oliver nods and starts off down the drive. He knows what's Slade's doing. Distracting his mother before she can get Diggle and screw everything up. He smirks as he goes down the drive, knowing Slade will enjoy every bit of providing a distraction!

"Mr. Wilson, please help me understand how you could possibly believe that you can protect my son better than a trained bodyguard can, who has in fact served time in the military?" Moria folds her arms.

"Because I have kept your son alive for five years on a hellish island. He'd be dead already if it wasn't for me and before the island I was an agent for the ASIS Unit. I know a great deal about protecting people, which I have proven today when I saved his friend. Now, if I were you I would have realized by now who is the best person to protect your son." Slade says as calmly as he can for Slade.

"We are in no need of your services Mr. Wilson since Mr. Diggle is perfectly capable of protecting my son and because there is also the fact that I don't trust you." She says plainly.

"You were with my son on that island for five years and during those five years I strongly believe that it was you who turned my son into what he is now. I meant what I said earlier in the office, I don't like the company my son keeps as of present and then there is also the fact of how you apparently spoke to my daughter earlier." She folds her arms.

"Ohh yes, Mr. Wilson. My daughter and I talk quite often." She adds, an evil glint in her eye.

"She, like you should respect Oliver's privacy. There's no doubt about that and if you think for one moment that Oliver is going to open up to his mother, who is trying to control every aspect of his life and turn him into something he most certainly is not then you've got another thing coming. Like it or not I know Oliver Queen better than most people, better than you it seems and he's going to make whatever decision he likes and you are not going to stand in his way." Slade growls.

"Is that a threat Mr. Wilson?" She questions calmly, before adding.

"I didn't realise that you had citizenship in Starling City, do tell me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that you were from Australia." She comments with a sly expression upon her face.

"Where I'm from has no relevance. I am here for a reason Mrs. Queen, a reason that I'm not sure you're aware of." He folds his arms.

"Just thought I'd inform you that I have many friends in high places. Imagine if someone told those friends of mine of their doubts about your citizenship here." She threatens, Slade takes no notice what's so ever.

"Like I said, I am here for a reason and I am willing to do anything to protect Oliver Queen against anything and anyone. Including you, Mrs. Queen." He grows, heading out of the door after Oliver to ensure it is he who has the last word.

 _The Foundry_

"Where the hell have you been?" Oliver questions as Slade arrives in The Foundry, grabbing his gear.

"Having a nice chat with your mother."

"Slade!" Oliver groans.

"Don't worry, kid. I said nothing but the truth." Slade holds his hands up.

Oliver rolls his eyes and chooses to drop the matter for the time being as right now there are more pressing matters. Martin Sommers.

Oliver had wanted to give him the chance to confess and face a court but he chose to go after Laurel instead.

He's still going to face justice.

It'll just be a different kind.

 _Meanwhile On The Docks Of Starling City_

"That triad bitch screwed up the hit on Lance." Sommers fumes.

"Now the triad is gonna erase every ounce of evidence of their smuggling operation. Including me!" He yells before calming ever so slightly.

"Except that's not gonna happen. Tell Wallace to get the boat ready, I'm leaving tonight. Wallace? Wallace, you copy? Wallace?" He screams though the walky talky.

There is silence for a moment before a voice comes through the device.

"Wallace isn't here. But we are." Comes the haunting voice of the vigilante. Sommers freezes in fear.

"We need to move. Now. Move!" Sommers yells at his men.

"Sir, we got six men out there."

"That's not enough!" Sommers cries, even he smart enough to realise that six men are no match for The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask…

 _Meanwhile In Laurel's Apartment…_

"You're going into that court room to recuse yourself. Or drop it, but either way you're done! Sara are you with me on this one?" Quentin yells at Laurel, saying just about anything to get her to drop this case for her own safety if nothing else.

"If either of you think I'm gonna abandon Emily then you don't know me that well." Laurel huffs angrily.

"We just want to keep you safe Laurel." Sara says in attempt to get through to her sister.

"Then you don't know me well young lady. I will lock you in a cell." Quentin threatens.

"Well, I guess that's what it's gonna take then." Laurel says stubbornly.

"Damn it Laurel! I thought that after what happened with Sara that you'd stop being just so reckless! I'm sorry, honey." He turns to Sara apologetically, who nods to let him know that she doesn't mind what he has to say.

Anything to keep Laurel safe.

"It's not about being reckless, it's just the opposite. I'm trying to make this city safer, just like you…"

"You're job isn't to go after the triad or Sommers!" Quentin lashes out.

"No, my job is to use the law to fight for what is right, just like you taught me." Laurel folds her arms, sulking slightly.

"Laurel, we just don't want to see you get hurt because we love you so, so much." Sara tries to take her sister hand to know success.

"We've only just got Sara back, Laurel. I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you." Quentin sighs sadly, desperately almost.

"You've only been back one week, you don't have a say in what I chose to do Sara!" Laurel lashes out sharply, shocking Sara into silence.

Laurel falls silent, regretting the words she said since they left her mouth.

It is Quentin's radio sparking to life which breaks the awkward silence.

"Sir, we got a report from the wharf site. Sommers imports."

"I'll be right there." Quentin confirms before turning to both his girls.

"There's something going on at the docks. If I were you Laurel, I'd think about apologising to your sister." Quentin says as he walks away.

 _Starling City Docks_

"SOMMERS!" The Man In The Hood bellows as he chases after the crook, dodging bullets as Sommers guards fire upon him and The Man In The Mask.

They take the guards down as if they were toy soldiers.

Once they are all incapacitated, he and The Man In The Mask follow the running scumbag down a flight of stairs where The Man In The Mask contemplates throwing a knife into his back!

The Man In The Hood however, shoots rapid arrows at Martin Sommers, all but nailing him to a box.

"Ohh god, no, no no!" Sommers cries in fear as The Man In The Hood fires more arrows.

"He can't help you." He snarls before firing another arrow.

"I want the truth about Victor Nocenti!"

"I can't. The triad will kill me!"

"The triad is the least of your concerns right now!" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"All right, all right, all right! It wasn't me that killed him, it was the triad!"

"Acting on whose instructions?' The Man In The Mask growls.

"Whose?" The Man In The Hood prepares to fire another arrow.

"All right, all right it was mine. It was mine alright! Nocenti said he was gonna testify against me!" Sommers cries, just about ready to say or do anything to continue living.

A sudden brief sentence in a foreign language causes both vigilantes to turn around where China White stands, sword in hand. Surprised when The Man In The Hood replies in her language perfectly before striking, dodging her attacks with his bow as The Man In The Mask assists him, the two of them cornering her with their attacks, both vigilantes mirroring one another perfectly as they fight China White.

"It's the police. Drop your weapons, you are surrounded. Come out with your hands up!" A megaphone sounds throughout the building, causing China White and the vigilantes to stop their fight and scatter, racing towards the exits.

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask scaling a container to escape, yet when they jump to the ground they find themselves face to face with Quentin Lance, who aims a gun at both of them.

Instinctively, The Man In The Mask moves in front of The Man In The Hood, like so many times before.

"FREEZE! Twitch and you're dead." Quentin yells as both vigilantes come to a standstill.

"Sword and bow down and hands up!" He commands calmly as he takes a few steps toward them both.

Suddenly The Man In The Hood fires a well aimed arrow at the detective, causing him to duck.

Looking up, he realizes that both vigilantes are gone.

The only thing remaining is an arrow, an arrow with a certain confession…

 _The Foundry_

"We did good there, kid. You are improving." Slade notes, patting Oliver's arm in recognition of their job well done.

"Better than you yet?" Oliver smiles hopefully.

"Kid, you're never going to be as good as me." Slade smiles back as he sheds his gear.

"Ollie! Slade!" Sara's voice rings out as she comes running down the steps, pulling both Slade and Oliver into a brief hug.

"I was so worried. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. My dad was being particularly stubborn today!" She rolls her eyes at them both.

"We're both alright, Oliver and I are quite the team remember?" Slade smirks as he returns to putting his gear away.

Sara races into Oliver's arms afterwards, kissing him fiercely.

It is only then that Oliver notices the tear stain on Sara's cheeks.

"Why are there tears?" He mutters with his lips against her forehead.

"Laurel and I exchanged a few words. It doesn't matter Ollie." Sara shakes it off as she buries her face into his chest as he holds her tightly in his arms.

"Let's go home." He murmurs, slipping his hand into hers.

"However, Laurel was right about something today. I can't be the Oliver my mother wants me to be and still keep my promise to my father. Tomorrow, I'm am not going to be talking a place in the company…"

"Thank god, kid you finally discovered common sense!" Slade proclaims. Oliver laughs.

"Home!" He calls. Sara nods, yet frowns when Slade does not follow them.

"Slade, we've talked about this!" Oliver groans.

"I'm aware, kid but I don't believe that I'm welcome anymore after the words I exchanged with your mother! And to be honest, I prefer it down here." He folds his arms.

Oliver smiles at his friend sadly.

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow Slade!" He calls as he leaves with Sara, hand in hand.

It isn't until much later when Sara is lying beside Oliver, her arm around him and her head pillowed on his chest when she looks up at Oliver and says.

"What on earth do you think Slade said to your mother?"

 _Next Day: Queen Consolidated Ceremonial Site_

"Okay, this is a surprise. Did you show up here by mistake?" Tommy Merlyn addresses Laurel upon spotting her instantly in the crowd.

"By invitation." Laurel smirks.

"Oh." Tommy nods.

"Sara and Oliver invited me last night." She confirms.

"Yeah, last night, I heard you were attacked. You could have called me." He states.

"Now why would I do that?" She asks with a smile upon her lips.

"I would have come running." He points out.

"I bet you would." She smiles again, feeling a desperate strong urge of want and she fights to keep herself from kissing Tommy right there and then.

She feels him place his hand on her waist.

She pulls away instantly, no matter how much she didn't want to inside.

"Tommy. I don't want him to find out about anything okay? Oliver has been through a lot and I'm sure he'll have something to say about what you and I had." She says firmly.

Tommy frowns before bravely placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Why would he care? He's with your sister! And for the record Laurel, we've all been through a lot." He murmurs against her cheek before pulling away and so what if her hand happens to find his.

No one will know!

"Good afternoon and thank you for coming." Walter addresses the crowd politely.

"Welcome to the future site of the Robert Queen Memorial Applied Sciences Centre. Now this is a building that will stand as a monument to the man whose company and vision are his greatest legacies…"

"Whoa! Whoa." The voice of Oliver cuts him off as Oliver begins to walk towards the crowd, Sara and Slade beside him, who take their places near Thea and Moira, who look at Oliver in somewhat disgust, disappointment? It's hard to tell.

"Mm." Oliver smiles as he takes a large drink from a tray.

"What about me? Right? I'm a legacy." He makes his way to the front.

"Hey, thanks for warming them up, Walt!" He says to complete silence.

"All right. Fine, fine. Shovel." He holds out his hands, noticing the look on Laurel's face as she wonders if he's gone completely insane or not.

Tommy, on the other hand looks likes he's trying to hold back laughter.

"I got it. Whoa! Oh!" Oliver laughs as he pretends to struggle with the weight of the shovel.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I got it, I got it!" He assures a bemused Walter.

"Some of you may not know me. My name is Oliver Queen. Watch some television, read a newspaper. I'm kind of famous right now. Mostly, though I'm famous because I'm Robert Queen's son. Uh, but as Walter, who's my new dad Huh? Who is, sorry. As Walter was saying, I'm not much of a legacy, per se and…"

"Oliver you don't have to do this." Walter mutters in his ear.

"No sit. Sit. Gosh! See, I was supposed to come here today and I'm supposed to take my rightful place at the company. Prodigal son returns and becomes the heir apparent. But I'm not my father. I'm not the man he was. I'm not half the man he was. I never will be. So please stop asking me to be." He mutters before shoving the golden shovel into the ground vigorously before walking back to the podium.

"And now I will leave with the woman I love, Sara Lance and my best friend, Slade Wilson, knowing that this company is in great hands! Right mom?" Oliver aims that last part at her, causing her to close her eyes in embarrassment as Oliver practically skips towards Slade and Sara, the whole crowd watching as she slides her arm around his waist and Slade throws an arm around his shoulders.

"I love you." Sara says through muffled laughter.

"Well done, I knew you had it in you! I'm proud of you, kid." Slade mutters and that's all Oliver needed to hear!

 _Later At CNRI_

"Martin Sommers, CEO of Starling Port is being arrested for the murder of Victor Nocenti. He is also being accused of accepting cash, including over ten million in bribes." The news reporter reports, causing Laurel, Joanna and Emily to smile.

"We can pursue the civil suit if you want, but the DA now has no choice with Mr. Sommers' confession to prosecute him." Joanna explains as Laurel cuts in.

"He's going to jail Emily. For the rest of his life." She smiles.

"Thank you so much for fighting for us." Emily takes her hand.

"Well, thank you for being brave enough to let me." Laurel nods as her dad enters from behind, after hugging Emily she passes her father with a glare.

"I thought I didn't need police protection anymore."

"I thought I didn't need a reason to see my daughter."

"You don't." Laurel sighs in defeat.

"You look tired." She comments.

"I was filling out reports on the shoot out at the port and getting grilled about how I let that archer and that sword guy get away." He rolls his eyes.

"I have to admit, I'm kind of glad they did." Laurel smiles as her dad looks at her like she's gone mad.

"They brought down Martin Sommers." Laurel reasons.

"They hurt a bunch of people doing it! They are no heroes Laurel, they are anarchists!"

"Yeah, well, whoever they are. It seems like they're trying to help." Laurel sighs.

"This city doesn't need that kind of help. I always told you, you don't go outside the law to find justice. No I believe that, alright and I promise you Laurel. When I catch these guys then they're gonna believe it to!"

 _Meanwhile In Queen Mansion_

Oliver sits at his desk, his father's book in his hand along with a pen, with which he determinedly strikes a line through Martin Sommers name.

He flicks through the pages absentmindedly for a moment…

 _Sara follows behind Oliver silently as they walk up a hill, Robert Queen's body slung over his shoulder._

 _They walk like this for ages, until Oliver stops, dropping his father's body to the floor._

 _"Ollie." Sara whispers, kneeling down beside him as he closes his eyes. She wraps her arm around him, trying to do something, anything to comfort him. Not knowing how to ease his pain. She knows she probably never will._

 _Except, Oliver returns her embrace, his arm snaking around her waist almost for support._

 _He's almost glad she's here with him, despite all that's happened he's glad._

 _He wouldn't have made it this far without her._

 _Suddenly, she nudges him, noticing something in Robert's trouser pocket._

 _A book, a small notebook._

 _Oliver pulls it out, flicking through it._

 _The pages are blank, empty._

 _Except for the back page, which is marked with a coral coloured symbol._

 _Oliver runs his fingers over it._

 _"What the hell is that?"_

"Ollie?" Sara's sleep ridden voice pulls Oliver from his flashback.

He keeps his eyes on the book, hearing her feet hit the floor and make their way over to him, where she drops her head to his shoulder, placing soft kisses on the side of his neck.

"Island?" She says softly.

He nods in response.

"I know, I was thinking about it to. Come back to bed." She requests sweetly. Oliver nods, turning and pulling her into his arms as he carries her over to the bed.

Not needing to be asked twice!

 _Somewhere In Starling City…_

As sunset falls over Starling City, two cars pull up beside each other in the middle of a deserted road.

From one car exits Moira Queen, as she climbs into the backseat of the other.

Talking to someone unknown.

"Well you saw for yourself, my son knows nothing. Robert didn't tell him anything that could hurt us. He has no idea that the yacht was sabotaged. However, the man that came back with him from the island. Mr. Wilson? Something needs to be done about him. I have a feeling he knows too much about some things and could be a potential threat to us. A huge threat in things to come." She mutters as the driver holds something out towards her, something that bares the exact same symbol as the one in Robert Queen's journal…

 _Queen Mansion_

Oliver stands in front of the two headstones, a million and one thoughts running through his head as he looks at them.

Two removal men stand further away, waiting to be given the go ahead to get rid of the one that bares the name Oliver Queen.

Holding the notebook in his hands, Oliver kneels down beside the one that says Robert Queen.

"All that time on the island, plotting my return I didn't realise how hard it would be to reconnect with mom and Thea, even Laurel and I are not on exactly good terms. She tries to cover it up but I can see it. The resentment for what Sara and I did. It's only a matter of time before she choses to confront us about it." Oliver sighs, looking down for a moment.

"I didn't, I didn't know how painful it would be to keep my secrets. Sara and Slade are the only things keeping me going through this, but it pains them to. I can see it. They'd never admit it though because they're strong. The strongest people I know, dad. You asked me to save the city. To right your wrongs. I will, I swear. We will but to do that, I can't be the Oliver thar everyone wants me to be which means that sometimes, to honour your wishes I need to dishonour your memory. I'm sorry." Oliver bows his head for a moment before getting to his feet, walking away towards Slade and Sara, who stand on the pathway waiting for him.

"Take it down." He says to the removal men in passing before joining Sara and Slade.

"Well that sounded beautiful, kid."

"Ahh shut up!"

 _Grabbing another rock, Oliver and Sara set them down on the makeshift grave they have fashioned for Robert._

 _Holding hands as they carry another there, moving back and forth for what seems like hours._

 _A whistling sounds suddenly fills both of their ears, and an immediate stabbing pain runs through Oliver as an arrow runs through his shoulder._

 _"Ollie!" Sara screams as she lands beside him before also being hit with an arrow._

 _"Sara!" Oliver cries as he feels unconsciousness taking a hold of him._

 _"Sara, Sara, Sara…" He whispers her name repeatedly as everything goes black whilst a distant archer observes them both…_

 **Authors Note: Wow, that was a long chapter, I was so greatly enjoying writing it I didn't realise just how long it went on for! A massive thanks to all of you who have read this story and to those who have followed, favourited and reviewed it means the world, please tell me what you thought, next update should hopefully be soon. Thanks again, so much for reading xxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	8. Lone Gunmen (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to there respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eight**

 _Sometime Later In Starling City_

 _The Foundry_

"Arghh!" Oliver groans in slight discomfort as Slade clocks him around the head with a baton.

"You've never really mastered the art of dodging attacks, kid." Slade comments before adding with a satisfied smirk.

"Looks like another training lesson is in order…"

He is abruptly cut off by Oliver talking a swing at him with his baton.

"As you see, I can dodge attacks."

"So can I!" Oliver protests.

"I haven't seen you prove that to me once, kid." Slade continues to smirk.

"I can dodge attacks, just apparently not yours!"

"Yeah, I don't think you've ever really won in a fight between you and Slade." Sara chortles from her desk.

"What the hell Sara!" Oliver cries in outrage at his girlfriend.

"Sorry, Ollie." She turns back to face the computer.

"Guess I'm just too good." Slade folds his arms.

Noticing him in a relaxed position, Oliver chooses to take another swing.

Slade deflects him easily, making a point and hitting Oliver on the head again.

"Stop that!" Oliver groans as he rubs at his now sore head.

"You're never going to catch me by surprise, kid. I have seen it all!" Slade smiles as he heads toward the Salmon Ladder.

Oliver sighs in defeat before heading toward Sara, who smiles at him innocently.

"I was only speaking the truth, which comes from spending five years on an island watching you spar with Slade!" She looks down at her keyboard.

Oliver rolls his eyes and bends down to place a kiss on the top of her head.

"We'll be discussing this later." He murmurs, hearing Slade chuckling in the background before a loud crash rescinds throughout the room.

"What the hell was that?" Oliver cries in shock, noticing a pile of rocks that fell through from a crumbling part of The Foundry.

"This place is a health hazard! I felt safer on the island than in here!" Slade mutters from the Salmon Ladder.

"He's right Ollie, this place is old!" Sara mutters.

"Convenient though." Oliver murmurs.

"Well I for one, preferred the other place! At least then I wouldn't have had to have been concerned that the collapsing of a building would be my demise!" Slade growls.

"Guys we all mutually decided that our main base would be here." Sara sighs.

"Yeah, I'm rapidly going off that decision!" Slade rolls his eye as Oliver tidies away the debris and rocks.

"Whose our target tonight?" Sara questions, changing the subject quickly.

Knowing that if Oliver and Slade start debating about something they are going to be there all night and nothing will get done!

"James Holder, a man whose corporation put defective smoke detectors in low income housing in the glades." Oliver mutters as he heads to suit up.

Sara shakes her head in disgust as she moves to join Oliver.

"Those poor people." She murmurs as she regretfully pictures innocent people's houses burning down with the people still locked inside, screaming as the fire claimed their lives. She only hopes that the innocents who died were long dead by smoke inhalation before they were burnt alive.

Men, woman, children. Yes, Sara Lance will enjoy teaching this scumbag a lesson!

"He's not going to know what's hit him!" Slade, who drops from the ladder, landing perfectly on his feet, says with a smile.

"He needs to be stopped, there have been too many fires and too many funerals." Oliver says with a disapproving shake of his head as he opens a box to reveal his bow and arrow.

"And I shall enjoy 'stopping' him immensely!" Slade grins as he grabs his sword…

 _Meanwhile On A Balcony In Starling City_

Deep in the dark heart of Starling City, standing on a rooftop wearing nothing but a robe, a bottle in one hand and his phone in the other hand. James Holder smugly chatters away on his phone with not a care in the world.

"Other than the bill I got handed this morning by my legal team, I'm feeling pretty good." Holder says with a small laugh.

"Plus, now that this lawsuit has been settled we can focus our attention on Unidac Industries." He laughs again to himself.

"Ok. I'll see you in the office first thing." He replies, hanging up, discarding his phone on a near by couch.

Sighing to himself, Holder prepares to take a long drink from his bottle just as it is suddenly knocked out his hand by an arrow.

Turning his head his eyes land on the three vigilantes. The Man In The Hood, who just fired the arrow, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask.

"I have armed security inside, all I have to do is call out." He threatens.

The Man In The Mask laughs at the pointless threat.

"Go ahead." The Man In The Hood murmurs.

"They can't hear you." The Man In The Mask finishes as The Man In The Hood chucks a handful of guns to the floor.

Guns, that doesn't take Holder very long to realise are from his security team, his eyes falling on a few splatters of blood on The Man In The Mask's sword.

"What do you want?" Holder questions, his voice now laced with fear.

"How many people died in those fires?" The Woman In Black growls.

"How many!" She cries, preparing to break this guys skull with her baton.

However, all four of them are completely unaware that a few rooftops away a man sits, a sniper set up to respond at his beck and call with a clear shot at his victim.

The cool and calm man, manning the sniper places his finger on the trigger.

Ready to fire at any given moment…

"The courts say you don't owe your victims anything. We disagree." The Woman In Black snarls.

The Man In The Hood moves a step closer.

"James Holder…"

The sound of a gunshot cuts him off as a bullet rips through James Holder's chest.

He's long dead even before he hits the pool, the bullet also ripping through The Man In The Hood's arm, who whirls around and starts firing rapid arrows in the shooters direction, whilst pushing The Woman In Black behind him to protect her as the shooter keeps firing upon them.

The a Man In The Mask uses his sword to deflect the bullets that are aimed at him as he covers for his partners, who move to find cover until he to takes a bullet to the arm.

Taking cover with The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

The Man In The Hood casts his gaze over the floating body of James Holder before wincing at the pain in his arm.

Great! Just fucking great!

"Son of a bitch!" Slade snarls as he storms down the stairs, clutching his throbbing arm.

"Slade! Just calm down before you injure yourself further!" Sara holds his hands up in an attempt to calm Slade down as Oliver sits at his desk, removing his gear and his shirt so he can get a better look at his arm.

"We've had worse." Oliver shrugs one shoulder.

"That we have, kid. That we have." Slade agrees as he sits on nearby table.

"Still want to kill the fucker though." He snarls as Sara returns to Oliver and Slade with the med kit and Petri dish.

"I'm just relived that you weren't hit Sara." Oliver turns to her.

"You pair could have been killed though!" Sara mutters

"We were collateral damage. It's no surprise that James Holder had more than one enemy." Oliver mutters through his pain as he yanks the bullet and its fragments from his arm, Sara strokes his back, trying to provide as much comfort as she can.

"All done." He mutters, trying to smile as Sara bends down to kiss his lips, he wants to tug her into his lap and just hold her for the next few hours but he knows he cannot.

"Here you go."Oliver pushes the stuff over to Slade so he can extract his bullets.

"Want a hand?" Oliver asks kindly.

"You are to come no where near me with any surgical equipment ever again, kid!" Slade growls, before adding.

"I thought I had clarified that in the island!"

Oliver winces at the memory as he turns back to his desk, his arm still hurting greatly.

That's when he doubles over and falls off his chair.

"Ollie!"

"Kid!"

Both Slade and Sara yell as Oliver tries to scramble to his feet.

"Poison, the bullets were laced with poison!" Oliver groans as he crawls over toward his create.

That's when the effects also hit Slade and he collapses as well.

"Sara, the create, the create!" Oliver moans.

Sara, upon Oliver's instructions races towards the create, removing a jar of peculiar herbs before grabbing water and racing back to Slade and Oliver.

"Kid. To Oliver!" Slade mutters, nearly unconscious to Sara to plead her to save Oliver before him.

Luckily, she manages to get the herbs to both on them on time.

The mysterious herbs providing an antidote to the poison that had affected both Oliver and Slade.

The only time she has ever felt grateful toward the five years spent on that hellish island, Sara thinks to herself as Oliver crawls weakly over to her, resting his head beside her knee.

"Don't scare me like that again!" She whispers as she strokes his hair.

"Either of you!" She turns to face Slade, who crawls over to them both.

"Slade?" Oliver whispers, holding out his hand for his friend.

"I'm here, kid. I'm here." Slade mutters as he grips Oliver's hand to reassure him that they are both alive.

"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch. I'm going to find him and when I do I am going to bury my sword in his skull." Slade growls menacingly before both he and Oliver promptly pass out.

Sara sighs in relief and places a gentle kiss to Oliver's lips, knowing that they are both going to be ok. If there's anything she knows about Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson it is that they are survivors.

She wouldn't know what to do if anything ever happened to either of them, especially Oliver.

Smiling, slightly as she watches them both sleep she thinks back to nights on the island.

"Looks like I'm taking the night watch then!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all very much for reading and massive thanks to all of you who have continuously supported this story and who have followed and favorited and another thanks to all of you who have reviewed, your kindness is appreciated! Please tell me what you think of this and thanks again for reading xxxxxxx**


	9. Lone Gunmen (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All right go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Nine**

 _As he comes to, Oliver's eyes flutter as they fight to open._

 _His first thought: Everything hurts. He wonders for a moment if he is dead, but with the amount of pain he's in, he quickly realizes that, that is not the case._

 _His second thought is Sara. Where's Sara? Is she alright? Is she alive? Oliver thinks rapidly to himself as the memories flood back to him, a man with a bow and arrow shooting one arrow through Oliver and the other through Sara then nothing. Nothing at all, until now._

 _Lifting his head slightly, he sees a beam of sunshine through a crack, in what appears to be a cave that he is currently imprisoned in._

 _The second thing he sees is the arrow, imbedded in him, he lets out a low groan as he looks around the room and sure enough, Sara is lying by a pile of wooden planks._

 _The rise and fall of her chest assures Oliver that she's still alive, despite the arrow that, like Oliver, is imbedded in her._

 _Despite his current position he sighs with relief that she is still alive._

 _The sound of footsteps make his eyes snap to the entrance to the cave, where the archer who shot them both stands._

 _He makes his way over to Oliver, a scowl on his face as he removes his hood._

 _"Who are you?" Oliver says hoarsely._

 _"Why did you shoot us?" He asks to silence as the archer bends down beside him, replying in a language Oliver could not decipher._

 _He speaks again before holding out strange looking herbs and a pot of water._

 _Oliver hesitates. Could it be poison? He wonders as the man shoves it closer to him._

 _Or could it be a remedy to the pain? He'd do anything to take the pain from the wound off._

 _Reluctantly, he takes a pinch of the herbs from the mans hand, placing them in his mouth, shuddering a bit at the horrific taste, before taking a sip of the water._

 _He looks up at the man in thanks, yet before he knows it the man rips the arrow from him as Oliver cries out in agony._

 _He drops the arrow to the floor when he's done before heading over to Sara's unconscious form, preparing to do the same thing to her._

 _Oliver closes his eyes momentarily, grateful that Sara is unconscious so that she won't feel the pain as badly as he and also because he couldn't bear the thought of hearing her agonized screams of pain…_

 _The Foundry_

The sound of an alarm causes Oliver to sit up abruptly.

"Arghh fuck off!" Someone beside him grumbles.

"Slade don't break the computer… Hey, Ollie. It's ok, you're okay." Sara rubs his back gently as he looks around rapidly, realizing that he is in The Foundry, not the island and Sara is ok.

Without even thinking he wraps his arms around her as he remembers the previous night.

Going after James Holder, who was suddenly assassinated by a sniper and then being shot himself, the still aching pain in his arm is a reminder of that!

Slade was shot to. Oliver remembers, looking around the room for Slade, who is lying beside him, running his fingers through his hair whilst clutching his aching head.

"Quarter past seven." Sara winces as she looks at the clock on the computer that Slade currently wants to run his sword through!

"Ohh shit." Oliver grumbles as he stumbles to his feet, feeling a headache beginning to form.

"You're not the one who didn't text their father to let him know what I was doing last night!" Sara buries her face in her hands.

"Should have gone home Sara." Slade mutters as he gets to his feet, also unstable on them, like Oliver, both of them grabbing a hold of each other for support as they have done so many times before on the island.

"I wasn't going to leave you two. I've been awake all night watching over you both after you passed out after the poison." She scolds them both.

"I wouldn't worry Sara." Oliver murmurs as he shuts down the computer.

"Wouldn't worry? Oliver my father's a cop! He's probably sent a freakin search party out by now!" Sara groans.

"He wouldn't do that." Slade folds his arms.

"Ohh he would!" Sara shudders at the very thought before kissing Oliver's cheek in farewell.

"I better go face the music, I'll meet you both later, yeah?" She nods before leaving.

"So." Slade starts, once Sara has departed.

"What are we going to do, kid? I believe we should devote today to finding that bastard who shot us and put an end to the assassin, who thought it would be a good idea to fire upon us." Slade questions, looking over at his sword longingly.

Oliver, however, shakes his head.

"Like Sara, I need to face my mother. You're coming with me." Oliver states firmly.

"How about you go and keep up appearances and I stay here, track down and slaughter the assassin who shot us." Slade turns toward the computer.

"Nope. You're coming with me." Oliver drags him toward the staircase.

"Oliver, presently I have the headache from the depths of hell due to that arsehole. I want to find him and put a definite end to him."

"I think I remember you once saying we were brothers." Oliver plays his chosen card with a smirk at his lips.

Sighing in frustration, feeling an urge to murder Oliver for playing the 'brothers' card, he reluctantly follows him.

"I'm gonna kill you, kid."

 _Queen Mansion_

Upon returning to Queen Mansion, Oliver is surprised to see a cop car waiting outside his house.

"What have you done now, kid?" Slade nudges him with a smirk.

Oliver rolls his eyes at him before heading toward the living room where his mother and Walter are talking to a couple of police officers.

Also in the room is Thea, who sits on the couch with her arms folded and a scowl upon her face and, unfortunately John Diggle, who stands by the entrance to the lounge.

Oliver enters first, as he knows Slade's pissed off as it is and he's confident that if Diggle happens to say the wrong thing then Slade is probably going to put him to the very top of his long list of people to kill!

"What happened? Is Thea okay?" Oliver slips back into the role of concerned older brother as if he were simply flipping a switch.

"Cops brought her home." Diggle states boredly, almost.

"She and her friends broke into a store, tired on some dresses last night. Lit up the breathalyzer like a Christmas tree." He explains briefly.

Oliver shakes his head in disappointment.

"Told you the talking wouldn't work, kid." Slade mutters in Oliver's ear.

Oliver says nothing in response as he fears that Slade is probably right.

"So how was your evening sir?" Diggle adds, looking between Oliver and Slade suspiciously.

"After I said I had to go to the bathroom at dinner and never came back?" Oliver queries, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm, something he's sure he picked up from Slade!

"I guess from now on, I'll be watching you pee." Diggle folds his arms.

"Or you could take the evening off as I have all the protection I need." Oliver gestures to Slade, who can't help but smirk.

"That's not how this works Mr. Queen." Diggle mutters.

"Well maybe things need to be shaken up a bit around here." Oliver says, before taking a few more steps into the living room.

"Thank you officers. My wife and I appreciate it. I'll see you out." Walter says politely to the policemen before showing them to the door.

Moira on the other hand, turns to fix Thea with a steely glare.

"Last time it was public intoxication. This time breaking and entering. My, how we are moving up in the criminal world." Moira growls at her daughter.

"When you pay off the store owner you should check out the merchandise. They got some pretty killer outfits." Thea says with her arms folded, like she doesn't really give a shit.

"Thea, go get ready for school." Moira says firmly.

"Uh, you know, I was thinking of taking a sick day." She says with a smug look on her face.

"Fine, then get some sleep." Moira resolves, not wanting to waste time arguing with her daughter. It wouldn't get them anywhere and would only make things worse. Space is the best thing she needs, Moria decides there on the spot.

Knowing that she has won, Thea strides out of the room, passing Oliver and Slade.

"You both look like crap and still deformed." She aims the last part at Slade, glaring at them both as she exits the room.

Oliver still trying to piece together what he just witnessed from both his sister and his mother and apart from Oliver, Slade has just about had enough of the Queen Family!

"You're letting her play hooky?" Oliver splutters in disbelief.

"When you're sister gets like this, it's best to give her space." Moria resolves.

"She's testing you."

"Yes." Moria nods, knowing exactly what her daughter is doing, yet doesn't have the patience or time to bother with confronting her about it!

Oliver's eyes widen in further disbelief.

Slade just rolls his one eye. No wonder Oliver was the way he was when he first met him on the island if this is the parenting he received!

"Who'd she learn that from, mom?" Oliver asks rhetorically.

"When I was her age, you let me get away with murder. It took me five years to understand that and to see those faults and looking back, I could have used less space and more parenting." Oliver shakes his head in disappointment at his mother before exiting the room with Slade, who briefly felt the urge to explain what good parenting is to Moira Queen!

"Now to the excitement, kid?" Slade questions.

"No, you're probably going to hate this even more."

"That, kid is not possible."

"We're gonna hang out with Tommy."

Oliver was right, Slade thinks as he follows him.

He does hate this even more as this involves Tommy Merlyn and the thought of spending any more than mere seconds in Tommy Merlyn's company makes Slade yearn for the days on the island!

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"It doesn't make sense." Quentin Lance says as he surveys the crime scene once more.

"Holder fits the profile." His partner comments as he moves around the pool area where the Starling City police had only just recently removed the body of James Holder from the icy depths of the swimming pool.

Their number one suspects. The Vigilantes.

"Wealthy dirtbag, red meat for The Hood, The Mask and The Woman In Black. We did recover one arrow, and places where the patio has been struck indicates that of a powerful sword, which we know The Man In The Mask possesses." He folds his arms.

"This time cause of death is a double tap through the heart and neither one of our perps uses firearms." Quentin reminds him.

"Maybe they've figured out that there's easier ways to kill people than with a bow and arrow, a heavy duty sword and batons and, like you said, they are utter wach jobs!"

 _The Foundry_

"No. Oliver he is not joining us. If you do this I will take charge!" Slade growls as they head down the steps to the lair.

"I should be in charge anyway!" He mutters under his breath.

"Slade he's not joining us, don't worry."

"The why did you tell him to meet us here, kid! Isn't this place supposed to be top secret?" Slade growls at Oliver's apparent stupidity at sending a message to Tommy, the most annoying human being on this planet, according to Slade! Requesting him to meet both Oliver and Slade at The Foundry.

"You saw how Diggle reacted, we need a cover for how we spend our nights!" Oliver growls in frustration as he starts testing the bullets he removed from himself and Slade.

"And this involves that guy how?" Slade snaps incredulously, rubbing at his still aching head.

"Tommy and because he's got good ideas when it comes to the matters I want to address." Oliver replies, before adding.

"Why do you have a problem with Tommy?"

"Kid, I have a bad enough headache as it is. I am not about to waste my breath talking about that moron!" Slade growls.

"After effects of the poison, I've got a killer of a headache as well." Oliver agrees.

Wondering if it's worth switching off all the lights and sleeping off the rest of it.

Maybe later. He thinks to himself as he gets the test results.

"The bullets were laced with curare." Oliver states.

Slade perks up at that and moves over to Oliver's desk.

"Isn't that a rare and deadly poison?" He questions.

"The killer's unique MO." Oliver pulls up a couple of cases that report the same bullets being used in the murdering's of different people.

"He's killed all over the world. Chicago, Markova, Corto Maltese." Oliver lists.

"Ohh look, Interpol even has a code name for the arsehole!"

Deadshot.

 _Sometime Later In The Foundry._

"What do you think?" Oliver says to Tommy, who grins and wraps an arm around his shoulders.

Slade already wants to behead him!

"Great spot for a nightclub or what?" Oliver adds.

What are you planning, kid. Slade thinks to himself as he questions Oliver's ideas.

"Sweet. If you're thinking of calling it Queen's. I don't think you're gonna get the clientele you were hoping for." Tommy jokes, causing Oliver to smile.

Tommy has always managed to find a way to make Oliver smile, no matter what the circumstance.

That's one of the reasons why Tommy is his best friend.

"Private office?" Oliver points to an empty space.

"For the private one on one meetings, I would imagine." Tommy grins mischievously, causing both Diggle and Slade to roll their eyes, neither of them liking Tommy that much. Probably the only thing John Diggle and Slade Wilson could agree on!

"Hopefully the occasional two on one meeting." Oliver smirks.

"Man, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean it's not like you really have any experience in running, well. Running anything!" Tommy puts gently.

And what experience do you have in running something, moron! Slade thinks to himself.

If Oliver never once ran anything then he's certain Tommy Merlyn hasn't and he shouldn't be the one to talk!

"How about tomorrow night, the two of us go and scope out the competition. Just you and me Oliver." Tommy flashes a distasteful glare at Slade.

"There's a new club opening downtown. It's called Poison. Max Fuller owns it. You can invite Sara with you if you want, just as long as we get to spent some time together without your entourage." He flashes yet another glare at Slade, yet also including Diggle.

"I wouldn't want to attend anyway. I have much better things to be doing with my time then spending it with an…"

"Slade!" Oliver scolds him before he can insult Tommy.

"Yeah you weren't invited!" Tommy advances on Slade.

"Tommy, don't." Oliver warns him, slightly afraid of the result if Tommy and Slade ever got into a fight.

"I'm sorry Ollie, I just don't know how you can be friends with…"

"Yes Oliver, you never did explain to me how you and Merlyn became friends. If this is the best friend you rated so highly good god you must have been itching to escape that island!" Slade snaps back sarcastically, cutting Tommy off.

"Guys! Can't you pair please just try to get along!"

"Well, kid I would much rather bury my…"

"So Max Fuller!" Oliver cuts Slade off before he can say something psychopathic!

"I slept with his fiancée." Oliver reminds Tommy.

"Yeah, before the wedding."

"It was at the rehearsal dinner!" Oliver protests.

"The rehearsal dinner is technically before the wedding." Tommy and Oliver laugh between one another, whilst Slade contemplates a plot to secretly kill Tommy!

"And besides, who stays mad at a castaway?" Tommy grins as his phone buzzes in his pocket. His face falls upon seeing the message.

"Aw, damn it! I gotta roll." He sighs disappointingly before looking up at Oliver.

"Anyway, I'll see you later, man. Good place." He adds as he heads for the door.

"See you." Oliver calls after him as Slade breathes a silent sigh of relief!

"So what do you think?" Oliver smirks at Diggle.

"I'm here to provide security, not a commentary."

"Oh, come on, Dig, do me a favor. Speak freely, please." Oliver requests, much to Diggle's annoyance.

"Well, this is the Glades, right? Your rich friends wouldn't come to this neighborhood." Oliver laughs in response.

"I am Oliver Queen, right? People would stand in line for three hours if I opened a club!" Oliver replies as Slade rolls his eye in response.

"No one in the Glades would see a penny of those charges." Diggle contradicts.

"We make it a successful business, we gentrify the neighborhood." Oliver retorts.

"I was wondering when we would get to that. The white knight swooping in to save the disenfranchised and with only himself and a highly questionable partner in crime!" Diggle replies calmly as Oliver raises his hand slightly to stop Slade from attacking him.

"Wow. You really don't think very much of me or my friends do you?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Not so much of your friend here, sir but you, actually. I have a very high regard for how perceptive you are." He moves past Oliver and Slade.

"Sir." He adds in an almost sarcastic tone.

"Can you give me a moment alone." Oliver asks. Diggle looks at him skeptically.

"Literally, just stand by the door or something!" Oliver sighs in frustration as Diggle complies with his request.

Once out of earshot, Slade moves closer to Oliver.

"I'm going to kill him. Him, then that Tommy!" He growls.

"Slade…"

"What even was the point of all that, kid?" He snaps.

"The nightclub will conceal our base underneath and provide an alibi for where we spend our nights." Oliver explains briefly.

"And a nightclub was the first thing that popped into you head, kid?" Slade mutters.

"And I'm sure Sara will agree that it's a good idea." Oliver sighs.

"It's a terrible idea." Slade comments.

"Might surprise you." Oliver smirks as they start to walk over to Diggle.

 _Meanwhile At CNRI_

Tommy Merlyn…

Laurel Lance thinks as she gazes at a picture of him under a news article about Oliver, Sara and Slade's return to Starling City.

At first Tommy was just there. He was someone who could relate to what she was going through and he was available at her time of need but now both Oliver and Sara are home and are together and Tommy is still here and a part of Laurel still wants him.

At first she wanted him due to anger and grief over Sara and Oliver but now she thinks she just wants him and she can't explain how or why she feels this way.

"Hey, do you have the depos on the Jergens case?" Joanna calls, causing Laurel to start scrambling around her desk, turning her screen off hastily.

"Yeah, they're around here somewhere…" Laurel scans her desk quickly, before braving to look up at Joanna, who fixes her with a stern stare.

"I was just surfing the net!" Laurel protests, in an attempt to help her case.

"Really?" Joanna glances at her skeptically.

"Joanna, it was a one time thing! I'm over him."

Joanna continues to shake her head at Laurel, giving her a look that Laurel believes translates into, I can see right through your bullshit.

"And you don't believe me." Laurel works out for herself.

"You know, I would have if you hadn't zoomed in on the picture of him!"

"I didn't zoom in!" Laurel looks down in embarrassment.

"Laurel, he is the best friend of the man who cheated on you with your sister." Joanna sighs.

"I appreciate your self control." Laurel mutters.

"You're stuck. The reason I know this is the fact that he is the only man you've been in a relationship with since Oliver cheated on you with your sister! It's time to move on Laurel, it's past time!" Joanna states.

"I've been busy, I work a lot." Laurel replies quickly.

"Laurel! It's never going to work out with you and him, he may be cute an everything but he's only going to screw you over like Oliver did!" Joanna cries in despair.

"Tommy's different." Laurel regrets the words the moment she says them.

"See! You're not over him and he's Tommy Merlyn. In ways he's worse than Oliver, if that's even possible! This has all got to stop! So we are going out tonight and we are going to have some shots and we are going to dance with men and we are going to stay out way too late." She proclaims before grabbing a file behind Laurel's head.

"Oh, Jergen Depos!"

"I really don't think I can go out tonight." Laurel bites her lip anxiously.

"It is adorable that you actually think I'm giving you a choice!"

"Laurel?" Sara's voice cuts her off before she can respond to Joanna.

"Where were you last night? I called you, dad called you!" Laurel turns her attention to Sara.

"I was with Ollie…"

"Okay, that's my cue to leave! Tonight Laurel." Joanna adds as she quickly disappears.

"I know that you and Oliver aren't used to being separated from one another Sara but you could at least call either me or dad. I was literally on the phone for an hour with dad trying to convince him not to send a search party after you!" She scolds her sister.

"I did try to find dad, I think he's at work." Sara explains.

"Yeah he is, I'll call him to let him know that you're still alive!" Laurel snaps.

"Laurel…"

"Sara! We thought you were dead for five years! Five years Sara. That takes time to get passed." Laurel mutters, her anger at Sara and Oliver flaring up again.

One day, she knows that she won't be able to contain it and she'll tell Oliver and Sara exactly what's on her mind about their five year rendezvous!

But for now she needs to talk to Sara as a sister.

"I know, I know." Sara sighs as Laurel pulls up a chair.

"Well to make it up to me, you can make yourself useful here!" Laurel decides.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Sara replies quietly.

Laurel bites her lip again before replying.

"I want to talk to you, about Tommy…"

 _Elsewhere At Queen Mansion..._

With a scowl on her face, Thea Queen stands in front of her mirror as she puts her tie for school on, unaware of her mother standing in the doorway.

"I want you to come right home after school." Moria makes herself known to Thea, who smirks and shakes her head.

"Ohh can't! Margo and I are going to go to the mall."

"What more shopping?" Her mother replies sarcastically.

"Tell Margo you have to cancel. You're grounded for two weeks." Moria states firmly, Oliver wanted her to provide more parenting to Thea and so she shall!

Thea turns to her with a puzzled look on her face, her mother grounding her? This is a first!

"Grounded? I've never been grounded." Thea practically laughs.

"Well you've never committed larceny before." Moria replies calmly.

"Since when do you care?" Thea questions with her arms folded.

"I've always cared. I'm your mother!" Moria walks towards her daughter.

"We. We've had a good thing going on the last five years. Why mess with it now?" Thea protests in disbelief.

"We are paying off store owners to keep your record clean! So clearly it hasn't been working." Moria retorts.

"And you're going to teach me?" Thea says snarkily.

"It's Oliver isn't it?" Thea sighs.

"His judgemental hypocrisy is rubbing off on you!"

"No, I don't need Oliver to teach me how to parent you. You'll be home by four!" Moria snaps firmly.

"Or what? You're gonna call the cops on me?" Thea smirks as she moves past her mother to grab her school bag.

"Tell them I say hi!"

 _Meanwhile On The Other Side Of Starling City_

"If said scumbag is finished by the time you and Sara have finished wasting your time at some stupid club. I think it is fair that I take charge for a week!" Slade states as he and Oliver walk down a street, a street near to the building where James Holder was shot and killed.

"Wait for me and Sara. Or come with us!"

"Kid, I'd rather go back to the island then go to a club with Tommy Merlyn!" Slade grumbles.

"Tommy's not that bad…"

"Yes he is!"

Oliver sighs before pleading with Slade.

"Don't go off after Deadshot without Sara and I."

"Why not? Afraid I'm gonna take him down all by myself and you're going to miss out on all the action and the glory of watching me take this guy's head off with my sword?" Slade grins triumphantly.

"No, you saw what this guy can do! What if you got hit or something Slade! Just stay in The Foundry and try and track him down then wait for me and Sara." Oliver instructs.

"Kid, I can look after myself."

"Yeah Slade and I remember the last time you said that and remember what happened!" Oliver cries.

"Kid, that won't happen again." Slade tries to assure him.

"You are so stubborn at times Slade!" Oliver turns away from him for a moment.

"Oliver. I'll wait for you and Sara, alright?" Slade mutters in defeat.

"Fine!" Oliver growls.

"But I'm not making any promises if the bastards close by…"

"Slade!"

"Ohh come on, kid you'd do the same!" Slade folds his arms.

"Yeah I would because I learned from you!" Oliver retorts.

"Best lessons of your life, kid!" Slade smirks as he and Oliver approach the buildings they were looking for.

Oliver looks around for a moment before running at the side of a building, using a window still to pull him up, using the various pipings and and window stills to scale the building, tiptoeing along another window ledge before grabbing another ledge to pull himself up to where he needs to be, removing a pair of pilers from his pocket as he finds the bullet he was searching for embedded into the wall, removing it with a couple of twists before jumping back down.

"Show off." Slade mutters as he and Oliver walk away.

"What can I say? I learnt from the best!"

Slade laughs and puts his arm around Oliver's shoulders.

"That you did, kid. That you did!"

 _Starling City Police Department_

Halfheartedly, Quentin Lance flicks through the handful of pictures from the crime scene, looking for any new evidence he can find.

"Got ballistics back on the Holder murder." Hilton enters the room, holding a file.

"They pulled two, 7.62 millimetre bullets out of him. According to stippling inside the entry wound, they estimate the shots were fired from approximately one hundred yards away." He finishes as Quentin lets out a short laugh.

"One hundred yards? What so The Hood, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black shoots him from another building, goes over to his place, they take out his security and then he fires off a few arrows?"

"And according to his tox screen his blood contains high concentrations of Stychnos toxifera." Hilton cuts him off with more information.

"What?" Quentin looks bemused.

"Curare. It's a kind of poison."

"Oh, ok, so now we switch from arrows, batons and swords to sniper bullets and poison? I'm not buying it." Quentin gets to his feet.

"We still found arrows and evidence of a sword being used at the scene. Solid evidence that the three vigilantes were there."

Quentin sighs and moves past Hilton.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get my own evidence."

 _Meanwhile At The Foundry._

Starling at the bullet through the microscope, Oliver pulls up the information on the bullet.

"7.62 millimetre rounds." Slade reads off the screen from beside him as they both hear the door slam shut.

"Hey." Sara appears as she walks down the steps.

"Where you've been?" Slade questions as she wraps her arms around Oliver's waist from behind.

"My sister wanted to talk to me about something, she kept me all afternoon!" Sara groans.

"What about?" Oliver questions.

"I'll tell you later." Sara smiles as she rests her head against his back.

"Tommy?" Oliver says with a smirk.

"She still thinks we know nothing about the fact she's crazy for him yeah!" Sara laughs.

"She should go for it!"

"I know that's what I was telling her all afternoon!" Sara rolls her eyes.

"In my opinion. You're sister could do a lot better, she isn't serious about Tommy Merlyn is she?" Slade looks at Sara in disbelief.

"Ohh come on Slade! Tommy's not that bad…"

"Sara please don't get him started on that again. Tommy came by earlier to discuss the nightclub idea. He's onboard by the way."

Sara nods in agreement.

"You don't actually think it's a good idea do you?" Slade looks at Sara in disbelief.

"Ollie and I were discussing it the other night. It's not a terrible idea Slade." Sara tries to reason with him.

"And Slade and Tommy had a slight dispute, ohh and Tommy invited me and you to a club tonight." Oliver remembers.

"What, just me, you and Tommy?" She questions, looking over at Slade.

"The feeling between them is mutual." Oliver mutters.

"And I'd rather stay down here anyway!" Slade decides to add as something else flashes up on the computer screen.

"The money trail leads back to the Bratva, the Russian Mob." Oliver reads.

"Finally!" Slade laughs.

"Some good luck!"

Donning a plain baseball cap to hide their faces. Oliver and Slade head down a street in a different part of Starling City, a neighbourhood that is less to be desired, ducking their heads if anyone dares to pass them.

Finding a door leading to the place they want to be, Oliver opens it, Russian chatter filling their ears as they enter.

Oliver speaks to them in perfect Russian as he requests a man called Alexi Leonov.

The other man replying something that translates to. There's no one here by that name.

Slade takes over then, by saying something in Russian that translates to. _Not up here but in the basement underneath._

The other man then pulls out a gun, to which Slade calmly disarms him, ripping the gun from his hand, pointing it at him.

Oliver sighs and takes the gun from Slade before pulling it apart, before showing the man the tattoo which proves that he is indeed Bravta.

 _I'm Bravta, as is he._ He speaks in Russian as he indicates to Slade.

Silence descends for several moment before the man speaks

"Pleased to meet you all." The man says in English as he indicates towards a set of stairs…

"I apologise. We meant no disrespect to captain's such as yourselves, particularly an Australian and an American one." He apologises.

"So. How can I be of assistance?" He queries.

"I'm in the market for a hired gun." Oliver replies.

"Someone the organisation has used before." He adds.

"His calling card is a 7.62 millimetre round laced with curare."

"I don't know a man who uses such tools."

"But you can find out who does." Slade growls.

"First. We will drink to each other's health's." He hands Oliver and Slade shot glasses.

"Then I will look into the identity of this man you seek." He vows as they three of them raise their glasses and down them in one.

"And I will also confirm that the two of you really are Bratva captain's. Should this not be the case. I will send my mechanic here to find you and kill you both and your families."

 _Later At The Club_

"Oh, oh my. This is going to be killer!" Tommy exclaims as he, Oliver and Sara enter the club.

"If Max Fuller sees me here, I agree." Oliver grimaces as Sara tightens her grip on his arm.

"Are you sure we should have left Slade by himself down there?" She mutters in his ear.

"He assured me he wouldn't go after him without us."

"This is Slade Wilson we're talking about here." Sara reminds him in hushed tones as Tommy continues to speak.

"If you want to run a business you've got to take a few risks!" Tommy smiles as Diggle gets stopped at the door.

"Mr. Queen!" Diggle calls.

"I have never seen this guy before in my life!" Oliver smirks to the bouncer before following Tommy and Sara into the club, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Ohh wow!" Tommy laughs upon seeing the one person he was not expecting to see. Laurel Lance, sitting by the bar.

"Doesn't you going out and having fun violate some kind of law? You know the ones that are carved on a stone tablet?" Tommy smirks wittily.

"Hey sis." Sara smiles as she and Oliver join Tommy.

Sara nods at Laurel to prompt her to talk to Tommy.

"That's cute Tommy. I can see you are up to your old hunting patterns? Alone this time, considering Ollie has my sister." She smirks.

"No actually, we're here on business." Tommy replies.

"Well of you're not to busy I wanted to talk to you." Laurel moves closer to Tommy, who seems more than happy to oblige.

Laurel, who is about to say something to Tommy is cut off, unexpectedly by Thea as she races over to Oliver.

"Big brother! Oliver, ohh I am so wasted right now. There is two of you." Thea throws herself at him.

Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.

"I thought you were grounded."

"I am. Thank you. Thank you, for that by the way." She replies.

"You're done for the night." Oliver says sternly.

"Aww what are you going to do? Tell mom?"

"Thea. You are hanging with the wrong people." Thea laughs at Oliver.

"You're one to talk. I mean how much do you know about your so called friends over there." Thea indicates to Tommy and Laurel.

"Whoa Thea that's not cool." Tommy chooses that moment to speak.

"Tommy. It's ok. He's with Sara now…"

"Thea, let's go." Oliver growls.

"Ollie it's okay, they've been screwing whilst you were gone. This is good for you Ollie as you know, they were probably just waiting for you to disappear so that they could start screwing! Tommy's always wanted what you had and knowing Laurel over here, she was probably with Tommy even before you left with Sara! As wasn't that what you were just going to do Laurel? Proclaim your still remaining feelings for Tommy?"

Laurel and Tommy look between each other, Tommy with widened eyes at Laurel, who looks away quickly.

"Oliver I swear to god it never happened when you were with Laurel."

"Tommy. It's alright." Oliver nods at him, knowing that Tommy wouldn't have done a thing like that.

"Go get him Laurel!" Sara whispers in Laurel's ear with in an encouraging voice.

"You and me. We're done for the night." Oliver grabs Thea's arm.

"Take your hands off me! You're not my father and you're barely my brother." Thea glare at him as someone else grabs her arm.

"No. You're coming with me. Right now." Sara growls in her ear as she drags her toward the exit.

Thea tries to resist her but is unable to move out of Sara's iron like grip.

Sara drags her outside before taking her to a near by alleyway, which is occupied by someone standing in the shadows.

Slade.

Pushing her to the wall, Sara and Slade stand across from Thea, who waits to see what is going to happen next…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for your wonderful reviews and to all of you who have been continuously supporting this story. Next chapter should hopefully be soon. Thank you all again for reading, see you next update.**


	10. Lone Gunmen (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ten**

Thea crosses her arms as she observes Sara and Slade across from her.

A smug smile crossing her face.

"What you pair gonna do to me? Ollie give you any instructions on what to say to me? Did he arrange this? My, my, my. My brother really must be desperate! Now, if you pair are just going to stand there then I would like to get back to being wasted and having a good time, so get out of my way and I won't mention this to my mother." She bargains as she starts to walk away.

Slade, however, blocks the exit.

"You are not going anywhere young lady." He growls as Sara pushes her back toward the wall.

"Get your hands off me! What do you think gives you the right to do this? The fact that you're screwing my brother and believe that because you were on an island for five years with him that you are entitled to special favours? I can assure you and my mom can assure you that your not because I don't know if you hadn't realised this Sara but no one in my family but my brother actually likes you! You're just another one of my brothers conquests…"

"Shut up!" Sara snaps furiously.

"Excuse me?" Thea laughs.

"Quit being such a little brat and shut up and listen to what Slade and I have to say." Sara snarls.

"And why should I?" She responds.

"Because the world does not revolve around Thea Queen! And the sooner you realise that the better and…"

Thea cuts Sara off by moving to slap her hard, yet Slade grabs her wrist and twists it behind her back to stop her from striking Sara again.

"Let go of me!" Thea snarls, whimpering slightly under the iron like grip of Slade.

Sara bites her lip momentarily, whilst rubbing her slightly sore cheek, resting her hand gently on Slade's arm in hopes he doesn't actually attack Thea! Because if she wants to then she's sure he does to!

"Listen up girl. I get that the past five years mustn't have been easy for you, loosing family is the worst pain imaginable, I get that. Oliver gets that but he came home to you, he came home and he's done nothing but try to reconnect with you and when I met you I just couldn't understand why! On the island he painted a very different picture of you and he talked about you constantly. His one biggest desire was coming home to his beloved sister but what does he come home to instead? This twisted version of his sister, a shadow of her former self. Is what I think he told me the other night!" Slade growls as Sara steps in.

"I get that you have suffered and that you have tried to find ways to cope with the pain but what you're doing is pointless, reckless and nothing good will come of it! You've become an absolute train wreck!" She shakes her head in disappointment.

"And now you are taking your misery out on others, my sister, Tommy…"

"Ohh come on Sara! Laurel hates you for what you did, you know she does, she just won't say it to your face. You know what though Sara? She should! She should tell you the truth, hurt you like you hurt her. I would like to see that!"

"Quiet!" Slade twists her arm tighter.

"You are disrespectful. You're rude and that will not continue! You will learn to talk to your brother, myself and Sara with respect! You seem to think you were the only one to suffer those five years, that everything revolves around you. Well I can tell you that it most certainly doesn't! Your brother, Sara and I went through hell on that island, we lost people that we loved dearly and there were moments where we could easily have given up, become a useless mess like yourself but we didn't, we never did and I can tell you something Thea Queen we went through a hell of a lot worse than you did! You whine and moan that you suffered those five years. Here in the lap of luxury! Yes, you lost family members but whilst you were here, getting pissed, little did you probably realise that your brother was doing everything in his power to survive and come home so he could be with you! Yes your bother, who you have treated like dirt ever since he came home to you. You've seen our scars, even someone as stupid as you should be able to realise that we went through hell on that island, pain, heartbreak. Something none of you here will ever be able to comprehend! So here is what you are going to do. You are going to go home to your mother and you are going to stay there. Then I want you to apologise to Oliver…"

"Apologise to Oliver? He's the one who should be apologising to me!"

"I wasn't finished." Slade snarls dangerously, shutting Thea up instantly.

"You are also going to clean up your act." Sara adds.

"And you will never, ever lay a hand on Sara again and you should consider yourself lucky that your Oliver's sister. The last person to lay a hand on Sara didn't have that privilege." Slade growls threateningly and despite her asshole persona, fear fills Thea Queen at Slade's words as she's not stupid. She can tell he's not a person to be messed with!

Which is why Thea finds herself unable to say anything, she wants to tell them both to be afraid of what will happen when she tells her mother of what has happened!

Which, she is certain she will! In hopes that her mother could somehow have Slade sent back to Australia and Sara just dealt with so severely that she would never bother with her family again.

No, all that will come later. For now the fear that Slade and Sara has caused her to feel has got her frozen.

"Hied our warning Thea and for gods sake stop being such a bitch before you lose everyone in your life because there is only so much shit people are going to take from you!" Sara shakes her head in disappointment.

"This is your only warning." Slade snaps before releasing her, Sara then grabs her arm and leads her out of the alleyway.

"Now come on, let's get you home."

 _Meanwhile In The Club…_

After Sara and Thea's departure. Oliver, Laurel and Tommy look anywhere but at one another. Laurel, feeling slightly disappointed that her Sara proofed plan to talk to Tommy had gone up in flames and had been destroyed by Thea's drunk state.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea anyway.

Tommy is just in complete disbelief that Thea would say such a think about himself and Laurel.

It hadn't mattered that she had told Oliver and Sara about his relationship with Laurel whilst they were gone. It wasn't that at all, in fact Tommy is pretty confident Sara and Oliver knew about it in the first place!

It was the fact that Thea had made it out that what he and Laurel had could have been going on whilst Laurel was with Oliver and honestly, Tommy fears that, that is something Oliver could actually believe!

Oliver, on the other hand stands there shaking with rage.

He should go after Thea and give her the scolding of a lifetime.

Slade was right, well to be honest Slade normally is!

He just hopes that Sara has attempted to talk some sense into her!

"Well, well, look at this." The voice of Max Fuller startles him out of his reverie.

"Oliver Queen."

Gritting his teeth, Oliver turns calmly to face Max Fuller with a smile.

"Max Fuller, how you been?"

Standing with two bodyguards behind him, he smiles sarcastically.

"Happy you drowned!"

A moment of silence passes before Oliver walks away from Fuller, striding through a set of curtains, Fuller and his bodyguards following him closely.

"Hey Max…" Oliver is cut of by Max Fuller suddenly punching him hard in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

He growls in anger and slight pain and clenches his fists.

Yet, somehow resists going all Man In The Hood on him!

"Get him up!" Fuller commands to his bodyguards, who on command pull Oliver to his feet.

"Let him go, let him go!" Tommy's voice arrives as he tries to push past the bodyguards to come to his friend's defence.

"I said, let him go!" He yells as he stands courageously between the bodyguards and Oliver.

Oliver rolls his eyes.

"I told you he was going to be pissed." He sighs.

"Back off Merlyn. This isn't your problem." Fuller calls.

Tommy shakes his head, no one harms his best friend and gets away with it!

"You want to get to him, you've got to go through me!" He threatens bravely.

Oliver closes his eyes in despair as Tommy turns back to face him.

"Wow, they're probably going to go through me!" He winces as one of the bodyguards attempts to punch him, to which he retaliates, both Oliver and Tommy trying to fight the bodyguards off.

Oliver watches in anger as Tommy is thrown across the room to the floor, landing another punch.

If he were wearing the hood now, these men and Fuller would be dead for daring to lay and hand on him and Tommy!

Yet as Max Fuller watches in glee at seeing his rival taking a beating, he is suddenly grabbed from behind, punched twice in the side, flipped over and thrown to the floor by none other than Laurel Lance, who stands over him, a furious expression on her face.

"So is this over, Max?" She questions whilst rubbing her knuckles.

"Or are you going to have your boys pound on me next?"

Max Fuller, feeling slightly afraid and knowing he has no more moves left to play, scrambles to his feet before facing Tommy, Oliver and Laurel.

"You three consider yourselves banned for life. Get the hell out of my place!" He cries as he and his entourage exit.

"Your club sucks anyway!" Tommy yells to ensure that he has the last word!

"You guys ok?" Laurel asks worriedly as she moves to Tommy's side, checking him over anxiously, hoping to God that he's not wounded because if so Max Fuller will regret the day he ever met Laurel Lance!

"Where did you lean to do that?" Oliver asks, his eyes widened.

"Cop dad, remember?" Laurel says quickly in explanation as she places her hand gently on Tommy's cheek.

"He made me take self defence classes." She adds as Tommy rubs at his sore nose.

"You better hope Sara doesn't find out about this." She mutters as Oliver heads for the exit.

"Yeah, she's gonna give me an earful." Oliver smiles as he leaves Tommy and Laurel be.

"Thank you." Tommy murmurs as Laurel draws him into an embrace.

"I'm just glad your ok." She mutters.

"I am, thanks to you." He smiles before adding.

"What we're you going to tell me before?" He queries.

Looking up at him, Laurel shakes her head.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

" _Ollie, Ollie!" Sara's soft voice pulls him out of his unconscious state._

 _Looking up at her, he winces at the sight of her blood covered shoulder from where the arrow had hit her, but more then anything, he is more relieved that she is alright._

 _Looking around again, he sees that the man who shot and then proceed to extract the arrow from both he and Sara is asleep in the far corner of the cave they are currently trapped in._

 _"Come on." He whispers to Sara, as with her help he manages to get to his feet, entwining his hand in hers tightly, she leans into him for a moment and grips his hand, never wanting to let go as they both run for the exit._

 _Hand in hand, Sara and Oliver race through the woods, stumbling over leaves, twigs and a various manner of woodland artefacts as they go._

 _Sara falls after a few minutes of running, Oliver stopping to help her up momentarily as they run towards the light._

 _Oliver looks back once before continuing to run with Sara close by his side._

 _"Arghh." Sara cries as her wound starts to bleed again._

 _"Sara." Oliver stops by her side, stroking her face in an attempt to comfort her._

 _"We need to keep going we need to…" Sara doesn't get to finish her sentence as she and Oliver are both suddenly ensnared in a trap!_

 _Big Belly Burger_

Not looking at either, Oliver or Tommy. Diggle leads the way into the restaurant that Oliver had commanded that they go to, having messaged Sara telling her to meet him there.

"Why don't you guys take a seat and I will grab a couple of burgers and ice for those faces." Diggle waves toward a pretty waitress.

"Mmhh she's pretty cute." Tommy starts.

"That's my sister in law." Diggle growls territorially.

"Who I will never speak to or look at ever. Ohh look there's Sara and… Great!" Tommy mutters as he head towards a table where Slade and Sara are sitting at.

"She's not wearing a wedding ring. Brother out of the picture?" Oliver asks.

"Yeah, you could say that." Diggle replies, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Oliver nods, before heading over to the table.

"Ollie!" Sara cries worriedly upon seeing Oliver's bruised face.

"Jesus, kid! What the hell happened to you?" Slade's eye widens as he grabs a tight hold of Oliver's hand to drag him to the seat beside him so he does not have to sit next to either Tommy or Diggle!

"Minor altercation with Fuller. Last time I listen to Tommy!" Oliver smirks at Tommy as he sits by Sara.

"I'm so sorry man. However, you have to admit it was funny to see Fuller get his ass handed to him by Laurel!" Tommy laughs.

"Knew I liked that girl." Slade comments.

"How's Thea?" Oliver looks between Slade and Sara.

"Home." Sara puts bluntly and by the looks upon both Slade and Sara's faces, Oliver decides he'll ask them later about what happened between them and Thea!

Tommy is silent for a moment as he tries to put the Thea incident out of his head.

"Tommy. It's ok." Oliver says in reassessment, guessing that Tommy is thinking about the incident without even having to ask.

"Look man, I swear to god that nothing happened whilst you were with Laurel."

"I'm glad I missed all this." Slade mutters to Oliver shakes his head.

"Tommy, I believe you. I know you wouldn't have done that to me and I'm glad that you were there for her after Sara and I disappeared. You did nothing wrong Tommy, at all." Oliver assures him.

"Yeah Tommy, you looked after my sister. Oliver and I only feel grateful that someone was there for her and we know you Tommy, you'd never have done that to Oliver and my sister wouldn't have either. Don't let Thea mess with your head Tommy. To be honest and I'm actually going to tell Laurel this, I think you pair look really cute together." Sara smiles at him warmly.

"Exactly, you're my best friend Tommy. I trust you more then anyone." Oliver adds as Slade nudges him sharply!

"And I honesty think that you should talk to Laurel and…" Sara is cut off by Oliver's phone ringing.

"Hello?" Oliver speaks before hearing a response and in return starts speaking in perfect Russian.

Instantly alerting Sara and Slade.

"Business, overseas thing. Can I have a moment?" Oliver requests.

"Come on Merlyn. I'll get you some ice." Sara smiles as she pushes Tommy out of his seat, stepping into the light.

Oliver nearly dropping his phone upon seeing a red mark on Sara's cheek.

How the hell did that happen? He thinks to himself momentarily before dismissing it and adding it to the pile of things to talk about later.

"So we checked out?" Oliver questions as Slade leans in to listen to the call.

"Yes you both did." Alexi Leonov replies before adding.

"His name is Floyd Lawton. I have address where he stayed last time he was in Starling City but that is all."

"Let's hope he's a creature of habit." Oliver responds.

"Go." Slade adds.

"1700 Broadway, Bate Motel, room 52." He speaks the information Oliver and Slade had been waiting for.

"You leave us out of this, yes? Assuming Mr. Lawton doesn't kill you first."

Oliver hangs up then, pocketing his phone.

It is going to be a long night.

 _Floyd Lawton's Apartment_

"What happened to your face?" The Man In The Hood hisses to The Woman In Black as they approach the apartment.

"Misunderstanding." She replies, causing The Man In The Mask to snort.

The Man In The Hood would question further but right now he is where they need to be and that conversation can wait.

Standing outside of the door, he pulls a bow from his quiver. The Woman In Black removes two batons. The Man In The Mask his sword as they approach the door.

Breaking it down, The Man In The Hood goes first, firing rapid arrows at the desk where Floyd Lawton sits by a laptop, who in response starts to fire from a gun strapped to his arm at the three vigilantes.

The Man In The Mask deflects the bullets with his sword, allowing the Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood to take cover.

When the bullets start to cease, The Man In The Hood moves to fire more rapid arrows, ducking once more are they come under yet more gunfire.

The smashing of a window alerts the three vigilantes as they move into the space, racing toward the window which Lawton had just escaped from.

"Fuck!" The Man In The Mask snarls as he throws his sword down in anger that the son of a bitch got away.

"Wait." The Woman In Black holds up her hand as she spies the remaining laptop on the table, alerting The Man In The Hood toward it.

Grabbing it, he turns to his partners.

"Let's get out of here."

 _The Foundry_

"I can't believe that son of a bitch got away." Slade growls as he swiftly punches a bag in front of him.

"We'll catch him Slade, don't worry."

"Do I look like I'm worrying kid? Of course we're gonna catch him, it's just taking longer than I had anticipated to put an end to that scumbag!" Slade mutters.

"We'll get there Slade."

"Ohh, I have no doubt about that! Now come here, kid. I'm up for sparring!"

Oliver smiles nervously as he heads toward Slade, even after five years Slade when he's in a mood makes him nervous when he wants to spar as it usually means that Oliver is going to get his ass handed to him!

"Not to add to the bad news or anything guys but this computers toast." Sara winces.

"What? Arghh!" Oliver cries out as Slade takes advantage of him being distracted.

"I can't do anything with it Ollie. It's hopeless!" She sighs.

"Great! Our only lead, gone." Slade mutters as he takes a swing at Oliver.

"Maybe not. The IT department in Queen Consolidated is one of the best in the world. It's only hopeless if they can't get into it!" Oliver remembers as he dodges an attack from Slade, who laughs and smiles at Oliver.

"You, kid. Never cease to amaze me. You're smarter than you look." He says with a grin, reminding Oliver of something he had said, similar to that on the island.

That, however doesn't stop Slade from taking advantage of Oliver's momentary distraction.

"Not that smart though, kid!"

 _Queen Consolidated: Next Morning…_

Sitting by a desk happily typing away, a sweet looking blonde girl with glasses is startled by the sudden arrival of three people to her desk.

"Felicity Smoak?" A voice calls her name, causing her to turn around and drop her pen, in shock and pure disbelief at the sight of the three people, who are standing at her desk.

Oliver Queen. Sara Lance. Slade Wilson.

"Hi, I'm Oliver Queen, this is my girlfriend Sara Lance and my best friend, Slade Wilson." Oliver introduces them.

"Of course, I know who you are. You're Mr. Queen and…"

"No, Mr. Queen was my father."

"Right, but he's dead. I mean he drowned, but you didn't, which means you could come down to the IT department and listen to me babble, which will end in three, two, one…" Felicity looks down at her desk anxiously, only looking up at the sound of laughter from Sara, who beams friendly at Felicity.

"You're cute." She smiles as she moves lets go of Oliver's hand to shake Felicity's, making Felicity feel a little bit more comfortable than she did a few seconds ago!

"I'm having some trouble with my computer and they told us that you were the person to come and see." Oliver says, business like as he holds out a laptop toward her, before placing it on her desk.

She uses her chair to wheel over to it, looking at it curiously.

"I was at my coffee shop surfing the web and I spilt a latte on it." Oliver explains poorly as he still earns and eyebrows raise from Felicity.

"Really?" She asks skeptically.

"Yeah." Oliver grimaces.

"Because these look like bullet holes." Felicity notes.

"Clumsiness has always been his greatest downfall." Slade shakes his head at Oliver in joke dismay, causing Felicity to smirk.

"My coffee shop is in a rough neighborhood!" Oliver protests.

"That's what he likes to say, he's just clumsy." Slade jokes.

"What with a gun?" Felicity questions, smiling up at him, deciding that she already likes this Slade guy, he's funny.

"Rough neighborhood, like I said!" Oliver rolls his eyes at Slade.

Felicity tilts her head in disbelief.

"If there's anything you can salvage from it. I would really appreciate it." Oliver requests.

After a moment of silence, Felicity nods in agreement.

 _Meanwhile At Queen Mansion..._

Boredly, Thea sits texting rapidly on her bed.

The conversation she had with Sara and Slade still imbedded in her mind.

"Oh good, you're here." Moria chimes as she enters holding two outfits for Thea.

"I'm under house arrest, remember?" Thea sighs.

"Do you want to wear the Calvin Klein or the Zac Posen?" She holds up the dresses for her daughter, changing the subject.

"To dinner? I was just gonna wear pajamas." Thea says with a small laugh.

"To Walters stock auction." Moria reveals.

"I think I'd rather be grounded." Thea mutters.

"No, it's important that you come."

"Important to whom?" Thea laughs lightly.

"To me!" Moria snaps.

Thea looks up and scoffs before looking back down at her phone.

"All right listen to me." Moria moves to sit on the bed beside Thea resting her hand on her knee.

"When you were four years old you came home one day with a cat. It was a stay. It was filthy and it was mean, but you stood there and you declared that it was coming to live with us. Your father came home from the office and he saw what was going on and he sat you down and he explained to you that the cat was in fact a tiger and that we needed to get it home and somehow, you understood. Robert was always so good at getting through to you. I, I was always so jealous of that. I." Moria sighs for a moment.

"You never talk about him." Thea shakes her head sadly.

"Dad. That's the first time you've talked about him in years."

Moria looks away from Thea for a moment before turning back to face her daughter.

"Well I think you and I have gotten into some bad habits. There's been a lot that has changed recently Thea and I think that maybe this can change too." She says before getting up to leave, however before she leaves Thea calls her back.

"What Thea?" She replies at her daughters call.

"I need to tell you something. About Oliver's friend…"

 _Queen Consolidated_

Oliver, Slade and Sara now sitting beside Felicity as she works, Sara on Oliver's lap as they watch her do what she is most talented it.

"Looks like blueprints." She murmurs as she pulls something up onto her screen for the other to see.

"Do you know what of?" Slade asks her.

"The exchange building." She replies softly.

"Never heard of it." Oliver mutters.

"It's where the Unidac Industries auction is scheduled to take place." She explains before turning around in her chair to face the three of them.

"I thought you said this was your laptop?" She questions.

"Yes." Oliver mumbles.

"Look I don't want to get in the middle of some Shakespearean family drama thing." She starts, as Oliver's expression becomes puzzled.

"What?"

"Mr. Steele marrying your mom." She states before continuing.

"Claudius, Gertrude, Hamlet?"

"Like he ever learnt Shakespeare!" Slade laughs.

Ignoring Slade, Oliver turns back to Felicity.

"I didn't study Shakespeare." Oliver shoots a glare at Slade.

"At any of the four schools that he dropped out of!" Sara joins in with the laughter.

"Due to his lack of education, perhaps explain it to him in terms he'll understand." Slade suggests with a grin that makes Oliver want to actually punch him.

"Mr. Steele is trying to buy Unidac Industries and you've got a laptop associated with one of the guys he's competing against."

"Floyd Lawton." Oliver finishes for her.

"No." Felicity says, causing the three of them to look at her in surprise.

"Warren Patel." She indicates toward the computer screen, which clearly states his name.

"Who's Floyd Lawton?"

"He is an employee of Mr. Patel evidently." Oliver grimaces before getting to his feet.

"Thank you for your help." He nods toward Felicity as he and Sara head toward the door, hand in hand.

"I'll grab that." Slade takes the laptop from the desk before meeting Felicity's curious gaze.

"Thank you for your help, Miss Smoak." He says in curtesy.

"You're welcome, and please it's Felicity." She smiles at him as they shake hands.

"It's was nice to meet you, Mr. Wilson."

"Slade." He smirks at her as he heads off after Oliver and Sara.

Felicity sinks back into her chair once he has gone and try's to process what had just happened.

In the end she decides that the man she works for and his friends are mystery a mystery that Felicity Smoak would someday like to solve!

 _The Foundry_

"Now she was useful!" Slade comments as they enter The Foundry.

"That might have been too risky, she asked a lot of questions." Oliver mutters as he walks over with Sara to the computers.

"Normally I'd agree with you, kid but she did get the information we needed and I'm sure she won't look any further into what you presented her with." Slade assures him.

Oliver contemplates it for a moment before shaking his head, ultimately agreeing with Slade.

"We need to figure out a plan." Sara reminds them, Oliver nods.

"The blueprints showed that the exchange building is surrounded by three towers with eye lines into the building." Oliver remembers as Sara looks up at him.

"Then that means that Lawton can get his kill shot off from virtually anywhere." She bites her lip nervously.

"There's three of us. We take a tower each." Slade suggests.

"There's that. However, there is also the fact that Oliver Queen is supposed to be at that event tonight to support my new step father." Oliver says resentfully.

"Say you can't make it. You know, kid be the Oliver Queen who was a right arsehole before he got stranded on an island." Slade reminds him.

"Like that would go down well with my family." Oliver mutters with a slight smile before adding.

"The reality is this. We don't know how many targets Deadshot has and what if the three of us can't protect all of his targets?" Oliver sighs in frustration.

"Kid, I could probably protect all the targets on my own. We'll be fine!" Slade smirks.

"And what if you get hit? The bullets are poison! Remember? No, we can't take that chance." Sara shakes her head, not even wanting to comprehend something happening to either Oliver or Slade.

"We need someone else on our side." Sara states calmly.

"No." Slade shakes his head.

"Yes and I've got a pretty good idea who we can ask." Oliver looks to Sara, who shakes her head.

"No, I don't want my dad in the firing line."

"I agree, we don't need anyone else to help us." Slade growls.

"No Slade we don't need any one to help us take this guy down but we do need someone to watch the people so we don't have to worry about that." Oliver says as he turns around to grab his gear and a new set of arrows...

 _Later In A Parking Lot_

Quentin Lance walks boredly over to his car, hoping to return home to see his youngest daughter waiting there for him to come home.

A beautiful dream, he knows will never come true.

She'll be with Oliver where she will always be and Laurel will probably still be a work.

He contemplates calling them over to have dinner with them but he knows that will probably include Oliver and his friend.

That however, wouldn't be a bad thing to be honest as Quentin actually liked that friend of Oliver and Sara's.

Anyone who protected his little girl for five years he'd swear allegiance to!

However, just as he's about to reach his car something hard shoves him into it.

"Son of a bitch!" He yells as he turns to face The Man In The Hood, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black.

"Detective." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"You three have got a set on you for pulling this in front of a police station!" He growls.

"Floyd Lawton is the one targeting the buyers interested in Unidac Industries." The Woman In Black says quietly.

"Interpol calls him Deadshot because he never misses. You can look this up after we go." The Man In The Hood snarls.

"Yeah, stop chasing you, your girlfriend and your psycho friend I suppose." He mutters.

"Warren Patel hired Lawton." The Woman In Black states.

"And we can't be sure who he's targeting. It might be all the buyers and the three of us can't protect them in a space that big and take him down at the same time." The Man In The Hood explains.

"We need your help." She adds.

"Yeah? Professional help." Quentin wants to laugh.

"Lawton laces his bullets with curare. Tell your men to wear Kevlar." The Man In The Mask advises quietly.

"I'm coming to…" Quentin starts to say but in a split second the three of them are gone, only a laptop remaining on the hood of his car…

 _The Auction_

"Again, kid you have got to stop dragging me to these events!" Slade growls in Oliver's ear as he, Oliver and Sara stand side by side on a balcony, looking over the Queen Family.

"I could have been searching for this guy, but no! I'm here at some fucking auction I really couldn't give a shit about!" Slade snarls, whilst thinking of all the ways he can torture Oliver for this later.

"Unfortunately we have to be here to Slade. I'd much rather be looking for Lawton right now." Sara mutters, in a pretty dress beside Oliver.

"You can torture me for it later." Oliver murmurs.

"Ohh I was planning to, kid!"

"Well, it's quite a turnout hu?" Moria Queen smiles at her husband.

"Well, it's quite an opportunity actually." Walter smiles back, before adding kindly.

"But regardless of the outcome of the auction, because I'm already a winner because I have two of the most beautiful women at my side tonight."

"Two?" Moria frowns in surprise at her husbands words, turning around when she sees Walter looking past her to where Thea is walking over to them.

"Thanks for coming Thea." Walter smiles as Moira looks at her daughter with both surprise and love in her eyes.

"It means a lot to your mother and me." Walter leans in to kiss her cheek as Moria wraps her arms tightly around her daughter.

Feeling, for the first time in five years that she has her daughter back.

"Mr. Steele, the auction will be opening in five minutes. Please make sure your bid is ready." A woman interrupts them with a smile.

"Thank you June, shall we?" He turns to Thea and Moria as they begin to follow the crowd.

Meanwhile, a few steps away from the Queen's, a police man has found his target.

"I've got him." He says as he takes a few steps toward Warren Patel.

"Warren Patel, I need you to come with me, sir." He says as he leads the surprised businessman away.

"Unit 1, all clear?" Quentin questions from a balcony.

"Unit 2, you copy?" He adds.

"We have Mr. Patel in custody, still no sign of Lawton." Unit two responds.

"Unit 3?" Quentin questions.

"I'm at the northwest parameter. All clear."

"Unit 4?"

"Parking structure is secure."

"Unit 5, what's your status?"

"This is unit 5, call clear." Unit 5 comes in and Quentin nods approvingly, completely unaware that unit 5 happens to be one Floyd Lawton, who is getting ready to attack…

 _Meanwhile In A Distant Courthouse_

Walking toward the exit, Laurel Lance almost drops the files that she is holding at the sudden sound of someone's voice.

"Oh what a shock!"

Tommy Merlyn.

Laurel spins around to see Tommy, looking rather relaxed on a chair with a smirk on his face as he laughs.

"It is Friday night. What are you doing here?" His voice becomes softer as Laurel approaches him, smiling back.

"Well I am an attorney and this is a courthouse. So I think the better question is what are you doing here Merlyn?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night." He admits.

"You mean how I saved your asses?" She smirks, reminding him of the events of last night, causing Tommy to rise to his feet.

"Ok, first of all we shall never ever speak of that ever again. Secondly, I think you know that I meant the other thing."

"What other thing Tommy?" Laurel questions innocently.

"The 'you holding something back from me' thing." He eyes her suspiciously.

"I wasn't holding anything back from you Tommy." Laurel says quickly.

"And we both know you were, come on Laurel whatever it is, you can tell me." Tommy takes a step toward her.

"I can't tell you something when there's nothing to tell." Laurel replies, trying not to meet Tommy's gaze.

She had decided last night, with help from Joanna that perhaps she does need to move on from Tommy and forget any ideas of starting a relationship with him as he is Tommy Merlyn after all.

Yet despite that she can't just let Tommy go, not after what she had discussed with Sara.

Sara, who had openly told her to pursue Tommy and she really was going to then Thea Queen had to mess everything up by trying to plant doubt in Oliver and Sara's heads that she has in fact been cheating on Oliver with Tommy, which is certainly not true!

She loved Oliver, despite her feelings of anger towards him now that she tries to keep buried at all times as not to upset her sister.

Yet she had gotten over Oliver and Tommy was there and Tommy's still here but even still she still can't bring herself to say the words she so desperately means.

"Laurel, there are no secrets anymore. Everything is there out in the open and Oliver and Sara practically begged me to have this conversation with you!"

Laurel smiles at Tommy's words, laughing to herself as she tries to picture Oliver and Sara begging for something.

"Is there a chance now for you and me?" The sudden words from Tommy instantly turning Laurel to stone, rendering her silent.

"You said you didn't think I was a one girl type of guy. I'm gonna prove you wrong." He says, staring at her with those fabulous eyes of his.

"By dating me?" Laurel finally says when she is able to get the words out.

By being better. By being someone that you deserve, someone you want to be with." He continues, bringing a smile to Laurel's face and she almost tells him, almost yet instead her words come out differently then from what she really wants to tell him.

"Well, that's certainly a guy I'd be interested in meeting." She replies.

"Good." Tommy nods with an award winning smile that makes Laurel go weak at the knees and makes her want to grab a hold of him and kiss him right here, right now.

Somehow she manages to resist. Somehow!

"Now how about we start by getting you the heck out of here? Come on it is Friday night!" He rips the files from her arms before holding out his other arm to her.

Laurel takes it without needing any prompting, resting her head on Tommy's shoulder.

"Come on." Tommy smiles at her as she kisses his cheek.

"Fine." She smiles.

"Good."

 _Back At The Auction_

Striding down the stairs with Sara and Slade at his side Oliver heads after his family, only to be stopped by Quentin Lance.

"Sara? What the hell are you doing here!" He cries in horror due to the fact he knows that there is a present danger and his daughter is slap bang in the middle of it.

"Here to support my boyfriend's family. Why what's going on dad?" Sara feigns innocence.

"Look sweetie, you need to get out of here, you to Oliver." He instructs.

"Why daddy? What's happening?" Sara pretends to look afraid.

"Sara go home." He growls quietly.

"I'm a grown woman. I'll be alright I'm…" Slade holds his hand up to silence Sara.

"I'll take care of them. Don't worry Mr. Lance I won't let anything happen to your daughter." Slade assures him, calming Quentin down ever so slightly.

"Well that does reassure me, but please Sara just go to your sister's. Sara!" He calls after her as she follows Oliver and Slade over to where Diggle is standing.

"Got your eyes open Diggle?" Oliver questions as Sara moves to his other side to avoid her father's gaze.

"That's what I'm here for sir. That and answering patronizing questions." He mutters, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"This guys out of time. If he's going to do something it's going to happen before the auction." Oliver sighs, causing Sara and Slade to look at Oliver funnily and Diggle to frown.

"Sir?" Diggle questions in confusion.

"I heard the story on the radio."

"Oliver! So pleased that you and Sara are able to attend!" Walter butts in.

"Walter, the police say that some of the Unidac bidders were murdered. I just think that we should be a little bit more careful. My mother's already lost a husband." Oliver attempts to warn him.

Yet Walter just shrugs it off.

"Well, if Moria shared your concerns she wouldn't have come and she definitely wouldn't have brought your sister…"

Walters words make Oliver suddenly scan the room rapidly for Moria and Thea as Sara and Slade follow him.

"Hi." Oliver says as he comes to their sides.

"Oliver what a wonderful surprise!" She smiles at Oliver, her face falling as she sees Slade and Sara behind him.

"You. What the hell did you say to my daughter!" She growls at Slade angrily.

"Mrs. Queen…" Sara starts.

"You to. Miss Lance, who the hell do you think you both are…"

"I need you to get them out of here right now." Oliver silences his mother, whilst beckoning Diggle over.

Meanwhile, whilst Quentin is scanning the room for his daughter his eyes fall on Walter and the several red dots that have appeared on his chest…

"Get down!" He yells as he pushes Walter to the ground as gunfire sounds, hitting a waiter in the back as the room dissolves into screams.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Oliver yells to Thea and Moria.

"No I'm fine. Where's Walter?" Moria cries panicked.

Oliver scans the room quickly, sighing as he sees Quentin escorting Walter to safety.

"Walters fine." He announces.

"Sir, I have to get you out of here…" Diggle starts to say.

"No, them, them!" Oliver commands before grabbing Sara's arm and running away along with Slade.

The three of them making their way to a staircase, toward a silver bin that holds all their gear.

"You need to get a smaller weapon!" Oliver cries as Slade removes his sword form behind the bin.

"You're complaining about this now, right now, kid?" Slade rolls his eye at him as the three of them race toward the stairs encased in darkness…

Meanwhile, Deadshot sits calmly by the window ledge, smirking gleefully to himself as he shoots a few more people in the room.

Suddenly, three loud crashes happen all at once as the three vigilantes crash through the windows, making Lawton jump to his feet, firing all over the place as The Man In The Mask fires arrows off in response.

Suddenly silence falls as the three vigilantes take cover and Floyd Lawton starts to move forward, searching the room for them, only to be knocked down five seconds later by The Man In The Mask who knocks him to the floor, screaming out in pain as a sword slices off his fingers.

Unfortunately, for the vigilantes, it's the wrong hand and he starts to fire again.

However, The Woman In Black smacks him on the back of the head with one of her batons, allowing her partner, The Man In The Hood to throw Lawton backwards and onto a table, which snaps in half.

It doesn't take him long to find his feet and to engage The Man In The Hood in combat, throwing his bow away from him before aiming his gun with his good hand at the three vigilantes, who move to take cover as The Man In The Hood retrieves his bow.

"Drop your guns." The Man In The Hood calls.

"I admire you guys work! I guess you guys won't be extending me any professional courtesy."

"We're not in the same line of work!" The Man In The Hood yells back.

"You're profession is murder!"

"You've taken lives." Deadshot smirks.

"For the good of others." The Man In The Hood calls back.

"You're out for yourself."

"Ohh shut up!" The Man In The Mask growls as he throws a set of knifes around the corner, striking Deadshot in shoulder, he groans and takes a step back, allowing The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black to strike.

The Man In The Mask moving to take the guys head off when he suddenly regains his weapon and starts firing.

Instantly, the three move to take cover but The Woman In Black stays to throw another weapon…

"No!" The Man In The Hood yells as he fires an arrow, only to hear a body hit the floor…

"No, no, no." The Man In The Hood whispers, preparing himself for the worst as he peaks around the corner, only to stop and sigh in relief as he sees that his worst nightmare hasn't come true and that The Woman In Black is standing beside The Man In The Mask, who had tugged her back to ensure she didn't get hit.

However, the same cannot be said for Floyd Lawton who lies on the floor, his leg missing from where The Man In The Mask had thrown his sword, however what is most intriguing is the arrow through his eye which had ended his life.

The Man In The Hood smiles momentarily as The Man In The Mask starts to rejoice at the victory.

"Can I still take his head off?" He questions as The Man In The Hood turns on The Woman In Black.

"What the hell was that? You could have gotten yourself killed!" He yells, but before either of them can respond a sudden groan pulls all three of their attentions toward the other side of the room where John Diggle is limping toward them.

He had been hit during the shootout.

"No." The Man In The Hood calls as he races over to Diggle.

"He's been hit!" He calls to his partners.

"No." The Man In The Mask shakes his head as he sees what his partner's thinking.

"We have to Slade. We can't just leave him here to die." He protests.

"Well that is still an option…"

"No." The Man In The Hood says firmly as he begins to carry Diggle away…

 _Ensnared in the net, Oliver and Sara hold on to one another as it rocks back and forth, back and forth until unconsciousness claims them both…_

 _Upon breaking free of his unconscious state, Oliver is startled by the sudden appearance of the man who had shot, then held them prisoner, holding a knife towards him._

 _"Not her, you can kill me but not her." Oliver begs as Sara starts to awaken._

 _The man shakes his head at him before insulting him in a language neither Oliver or Sara recognize but by the tone of voice, he is pretty sure he is being insulted!_

 _The man then walks away from them both before the slicing of rope is heard and the net plummets toward the ground, freeing Oliver and Sara._

 _"What the hell!" Sara groans as she rubs her head, before helping Oliver to his feet._

 _The man then speaks once more before racing off, leaving both Oliver and Sara to untangle themselves form the net._

 _Suddenly, they hear a set of footsteps. The snapping of a branch…_

 _"Come on, come on!" Oliver mutters to Sara as they race away from the sound of approaching footsteps, neither of them wanting to stay behind to find out who or what is coming towards them…_

 _The Foundry_

"You could help me!" Oliver growls as he and Sara pull Diggle's unconscious form down the stairs.

"It's a stupid idea, kid. I reckon your stupidest yet!" Slade mutters as he removes his mask.

"What? Saving a man's life?" Oliver shakes his head as he and Sara place Diggle on the table before she rushes towards the create.

"No, saving his life! There are a lot of people on this planet who's lives I wouldn't want to save. His is one of them!" Slade sits on a chair.

"Can you put your dislike for him aside for a moment Slade!" Oliver sighs.

"Nope." Slade retorts as Sara returns with the herbs, Oliver racing to mix them quickly before returning to Diggle's side, feeding him the substance that will save his life.

He opens his eyes for a moment, coughing before promptly passing out.

"Well that was eventful." Slade smirks as he removes his gear.

"Don't be mean." Sara scolds him lightly.

"I am mean." He replies coldly.

"You're not really. We know that." Sara gives Slade a knowing smile.

"And you weren't mean to that nice IT girl today were you? We all know you're a softie really." Sara chuckles as Slade rolls his eye at her in both humor and annoyance.

"This was a mistake, kid." He shakes his head at Oliver in slight disappointment.

"It wasn't." Oliver replies as he grabs Sara's hand so they are standing face to face.

"You almost got yourself killed earlier." He mutters.

"Well thanks to me she didn't, this is why and I'm going to say it again! I should be in charge. This." He indicates to Diggle.

"Never would have happened." He says angrily before storming off to put the equipment away.

"He's gonna hold this against me for a while." Oliver groans.

"Couple of days. He'll get over it soon, but until then… Good luck." She laughs.

Knowing just how hard Slade can be when he's in a mood with Oliver and she hopes there spat doesn't last too long.

"Never worry me like that again." He strokes her cheek gently.

"I'm sorry Ollie. I'll try not to."

"You won't. I couldn't. I couldn't continue if I lost you, either of you!" He gestures to where Slade is putting the stuff away.

"I love you so much Sara." Oliver whispers before kissing her and wrapping his arms around her, holding her close.

"And I love you to." Sara replies as Oliver remembers something.

"You never did tell me what happened to your face?" He questions softly.

"Let's just say it's got to do with the fact why your mother confronted Slade and I earlier." Sara winces as Oliver grips her shoulders.

"Wait, what happened?" He questions just as a groaning sound alerts them to Diggle, who is opening his eyes.

"This is a bad idea, kid." Slade says again as he moves to stand beside Oliver and Sara as Diggle focuses in on them.

Oliver and Sara are still in uniform, except Sara has removed her wig and mask and Oliver has his eye makeup and hood.

Diggle's eyes widen as he looks at the three of them.

The three of them…

The three vigilantes…

"Hey." Oliver says so casually that even makes Slade want to laugh!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and thanks again to all of you who have supported this story and have followed and favorited it, it means the world. See you all next update xxxx**


	11. An Innocent Man (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eleven**

"Hey." Oliver says casually as Diggle stares at him, then Sara, then Slade.

"Oliver? Sara?" He whispers as he moves to sit up.

"You three are those vigilantes!" He gasps as he takes in Oliver, Sara and Slade's uniform. He continues to stare at them before staggering forward to land a punch.

"Don't you dare!" Slade growls, twisting his hand behind his back to stop him from attacking Oliver.

"Easy, Digg." Sara says gently as he continues to glare at them both.

"You were poisoned." Oliver adds.

Explains a lot, Diggle thinks to himself as if he were not poisoned he is certain he could have taken out the man who holds him back.

"Son of a bitch!" He almost breaks free from Slade's hold, turning around to punch him instead, Slade deflects him easily, slamming his face into the wall.

"Slade, easy, easy!" Oliver begs, trying to remind him that Diggle is still wounded as he knows that, due to the mood Slade's in he will probably actually end up killing Diggle!

"We could have taken you anywhere. We could've taken you home…"

"That's exactly what you bloody should have done!" Slade snarls angrily at Oliver, who sighs and attempts to ignore him.

"What he means to say is that we chose to bring you here." Sara says carefully.

"You three really did lose your minds on that island!" Diggle whispers before adding bravely.

"Or he turned you both into this, I always knew he was a psychopath!" Diggle snarls at Slade, who in response turns Diggle to face him and punches him hard in the face!

"Slade!" Oliver sighs.

"I saved them. I protected them, don't ever try to comprehend what went down on that island because you'll never know the pain and suffering we went through! I am no psychopath and I turned them into warriors to keep them alive." Slade snarls before releasing Diggle, storming upstairs.

"Slade." Oliver calls.

"Slade! Where are you going?" He adds worriedly.

"Anywhere but here." He snarls as they all hear the door slam shut.

Oliver groans and buries his head in his hands, this is not what he needed right now!

"You're crazy. You're all crazy!" Diggle whispers after few minutes of silence after Slade's departure.

"Found a couple of things along the way." Oliver tries to continue as nothing happened, as he wasn't now panicking about Slade storming off in a furious mood!

"What? Archery lessons!" Diggle snarls.

"Clarity." Sara answers for them both.

"Starling City is dying." Oliver says before looking down.

"It is being poisoned by a criminal elite who don't care who they hurt as long as they maintain their wealth and power." Oliver explains.

"And what are you going to do?" Diggle snaps.

"Take them all down in this little threesome you've got going hu?" He adds.

"No." Sara folds her arms.

"No, we want you to join us." Oliver reveals as Diggle looks around in amazement at Oliver's words.

"Special Forces out of Kandar. It's perfect. You're a fellow solider…"

"Oliver, you and Sara and that man. You are not soldiers. You're criminals and murderers." Is the last thing he says to them before turning to run, run away from Sara and Oliver and away from all the secrets he has learnt.

Meanwhile, Oliver and Sara stand facing each other as Oliver collapses against the desk in misery and Sara just stands there, processing all that has just happened.

"Well that could have gone better." She says after a moments thought.

"You think!"

"We should have gone after him." Sara warns Oliver as they approach Queen Mansion.

"Which one of them?" Oliver mutters in defeat.

"Both of them!" Sara cries tiredly.

"Slade just needs space to cool off, he'll be fine in a few hours…"

"Oliver the last thing he needs is space. You pair need to talk and resolve what's happened between you." Sara says firmly as she pushes the door open.

"Talking to Slade! Yeah that's gonna work!" Oliver mutters.

"Despite what you think Ollie, Slade does actually listen to you!" Sara replies as they run into Laurel.

"Where the hell were you?" She turns on them both the minute they shut the door.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asks.

"I heard about the shooting and I wanted to make sure you were both ok. Especially my sister, do you know what you did to me and dad going missing like that? He has been freaking out for hours whisker you and Oliver have been god knows where!" She yells furiously at them both.

"I knocked on the door and I found a family terrified for you Oliver Queen! They had no idea where you were! And dad and I have been ringing you Sara and you couldn't even be bothered to leave us a message to say you were safe?"

"Laurel…" Sara starts.

"No! No Sara, don't apologize! This is just who you are, you didn't change one bit from being on that island. Always disappearing! You pair, again disappearing! You did it five years ago, I shouldn't be surprised that you would do this now! You are both so self centered that I don't think you care about the people who you leave behind! You couldn't even be bothered to contact us to let us know you were both okay after you all got shot at! Moira, Thea, Walter, dad and me. We don't deserve this, we deserve better, some people who don't only care about themselves!" Laurel yells as she heads for the door.

"Laurel." Oliver calls her back for a moment, both he and Sara in silence after her harsh words.

"Thank you for coming." He finishes.

"That's because I care about the lives of other people! You both should try it sometime!" She adds angrily before storming out, leaving Oliver and Sara in silence.

They knew that this would come out eventually, Laurel's anger, it was only a matter of time, but what worries both Oliver and Sara is that it only looks to be the beginning of her anger…

"That was harsh." Thea makes herself know from behind both Oliver and Sara as she enters the room, not looking in Sara's direction.

"You ok?" She asks Oliver.

"Sure." He replies in a bored like tone, turning to look at his sister.

"Good night." He a says briefly as she pats his arm in comfort.

Sara tries to hide her look of pure disbelief.

Perhaps she and Slade got through to her after all.

Slade has a habit of getting through to people.

Taking his hand in hers Sara follows Oliver up the stairs, hoping to get a few hours of sleep in before they have to deal with Slade!

 _Back once more in the cave that held them prisoner, Oliver removes his soaking wet wallet from his shorts pocket._

 _"Sara." He nudges her arm to get her attention as he removes a picture from his wallet._

 _It is old and battered and has been folded into an assortment of shapes before being straightened out again yet it is a picture._

 _A picture of Laurel._

 _Without thinking Oliver hands it to Sara so she can hold it, to see if it will provide her with some comfort due to their awful situation as of present._

 _The man who shot them both disturbs them as he enters the cave, a caged bird in hand._

 _He sets it down by their feet before muttering something in Chinese._

 _"What are we supposed to do with that?" Oliver questions as the man walks to the other side of the cave._

 _He replies in Chinese._

 _"Does that mean bird?" Sara asks in confusion._

 _Again, he replies in Chinese._

 _"We don't speak Chinese!" Oliver yells in frustration._

 _The man does not say anything but just looks at Oliver and Sara before grabbing a knife and moving from the place where he had sat._

 _Ignoring him, Oliver and Sara continue to look at the picture of Laurel._

 _Oliver closes his eyes in guilt._

 _He cheated on Laurel with her sister and now she probably thinks that they are both dead and that he never loved her as he ran away with her sister, her sister who is with him now._

 _"I'm sorry, Laurel." He whispers as Sara grabs his hand._

 _"I'm so sorry."_

"Ollie! Ollie!" Sara's cries pull Oliver out of his nightmare of the island.

"Sara…" He turns to face her, worried for a moment that he had attacked her.

Satisfied that he hasn't, he wraps her in his arms.

They stay like that for no one knows how long, Sara soothing him gently as he tries to break free of the memories, the tears in her own eyes due to her own memories that had also awoken her.

There's only two people in the world who can help when the memories get too powerful. However, one of the said to people is who knows where!

"I need to talk to Slade." Oliver says after a while.

"Ollie. You pair can sort out your differences in the morning, Slade's not going to do anything stupid." Sara says reassuringly.

Surprisingly, it does not reassure him!

"There were no signs of forced entry or any evidence of a struggle but hours later, the police found a blood stained kitchen knife in the trunk of Peter Declan's car." The news report on the tv Thea is currently watching reports.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Thea calls as she hears Oliver enter the room, luckily for once without either member of his entourage!

"No." He replies.

"Does she live here now?" Thea folds her arms, referring to Sara.

"She stays wherever I am." Oliver replies sternly.

"I'm surprised she hasn't joined us, oh and your friend! What is it with you three?" She looks at him with a smirk on her face.

"She's still asleep and Slade's at his place." Oliver lies about the Slade part.

"Lucky mom's in bed she wants a word with Sara and your friend." She comments.

"What did you say to her?" Oliver sighs.

"The truth. Last thing I heard mom say on the matter was that she was wondering if she could have your friend sent back to Australia!"

"What." Oliver growls.

"Ollie! Can we just not get into this now. We're both tired, let's just watch the tv like brother and sister." She sighs as she turns back to the tv.

"What are you watching?" Oliver questions.

"Peter Declan."

"Hm?" Oliver queries.

"A guy who killed his wife." She frowns when Oliver gives her a quizzical look before remembering Oliver's five year disappearance.

"Right, this guy killed his wife in their babies room. Psycho!" She shakes her head in disgust.

"Camille was everything to me. I couldn't kill her anymore than I could kill myself." Peter Declan says from the tv, from a report in 2008.

"Why can't you sleep?" Thea abruptly switches the tv off.

"Bad dreams." He replies simply.

"About?" She presses.

"Everything." Oliver mutters.

"Well you've basically been a jerk to everybody except your two friends since you got back, so perhaps you could start with not being a jerk. That could help?" Thea suggest with a smile.

"I know that It might not seem like it sometimes but I'm not the same person I used to be. I see things more clearly and I know that it was you who slapped Sara." Oliver reveals.

"She said that to you? Ollie she's talking crap! Your crazy friend probably told her to say that!" Thea shakes her head quickly.

"She didn't have to tell me Thea it just didn't take me very long to work it out. They talked to you because I couldn't get through to you myself and I hope, I'm really hoping that they got through to you." Oliver sighs in frustration.

Thea says nothing, just looks down and tries to think of something to say.

"Because whatever they said. They were right and due to the fact I know that what went down, if it included Slade you probably got the scolding of a life time. I am not going to spend my time now yelling at you for harming Sara! However if anything like that happens ever again Slade won't be the worst thing you have to deal with! What I am going to talk to you about is not your actions but whatever you told mom because now, because of whatever you said to her mom is now trying to punish them."

"Ollie, he's insane. So what if mom deals with him?" She groans.

"He's been my brother, he has been my family for the past five years, both Slade and Sara have and they talked to you as a favour to me. If mom wants to deal with them then she's got to go though me to do it." Oliver says firmly as he gets up, heading back to bed, to Sara.

"And if they have gotten through to you, hopefully, for me, you would have another conversation with our mother." Oliver requests to a silenced Thea as he leaves her alone with only her thoughts for company.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this and thank you to those who have reviewed, followed and favourited. It means the world! Next chapter hopefully will be soon. See you all next update x**


	12. An Innocent Man (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twelve**

The next morning, with the intention of speaking to his mother about what Thea has said to her about Sara and Slade. Oliver and Sara make their way in to the living room.

"How did you sleep?" Moria looks down from her paper in a flat tone of voice.

"Just fine, thank you." Oliver replies.

"I was unaware that she was staying." Moria flashes a glare at Sara.

"Where I go, she goes. Mother I would like to talk to you about something Thea said…"

"Don't waste your breath Oliver, I've already decided what is going to be done on the matter and right now it does not concern you." She replies in a cold voice, still glaring at Sara as Oliver looks over at the man who is standing in the room quietly.

"We have a visitor." Oliver states the obvious.

"Yes, Mr. Diggle's replacement." She informs him.

Both Oliver and Sara quickly exchange a worried look.

"Replacement?" Oliver repeats.

"Yes. He tendered his resignation this morning." She says in a matter of fact manner of voice.

"He said he didn't approve of the way you spend you evenings. Particularly given that they always begin with you ditching him and also due to the company you keep." She replies.

Oliver and Sara are silent as Moria looks up at them.

"Which is why I have already decided what to do on the matter." She returns to the earlier conversation.

"Your new bodyguard will also keep you away from the people I specify, or person may that be until that person is dealt with." She folds her arms.

Sara opens her mouth to protest but Moira silences her.

"I wouldn't say anything if I were you Miss Lance, count yourself lucky I'm giving you a second chance due to our long relationship with your family. Slade Wilson doesn't have that luxury." She comments moodily.

"Mother you cannot choose who I have as my friends." Oliver mutters.

"I can if that friend decided to harass your sister!" She retorts.

"Ohh for the love of! Mother I asked Slade and Sara to talk to Thea because her well being was at stake and no matter what I did I couldn't get through to her and I was seriously worried that she was going to get herself hurt so I asked them to see if they could he successful. He knows how to handle things like that and he gave her the scolding, that quite frankly she deserved! and to be honest I think it worked in some way. I'm sure Thea will be happy to tell you her new opinion on the matter!" Oliver snaps angrily.

"Unfortunately now though, it is not just the Thea incident that bothers me. It's the fact that Mr. Diggle resigned and that once again Slade Wilson was one of the causes of it! No Oliver. I have made up my mind. We shall speak no more on the matter." Moira replies as she puts down her paper and exits the room.

"Hi." Oliver breaks the uncomfortable silence by greeting Diggle's replacement.

"Mr. Queen, Miss Lance. Rob Scott. I'll be your new body-man." He introduces himself.

"That's a firm grip you've got there, Rob." Oliver comments upon shaking his hand in a firm handshake.

"That's five years SWAT with Monument Point MCU." He replies with a confident smirks.

All of which will count for nothing if he ever met Slade! Sara thinks to herself as she to shakes his hand.

"I feel safer already." Oliver mutters, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Something he is almost certain he picked up from five years of Slade.

"Oh, thank god we don't have to hear about this awful man anymore." Moria says upon reentering the room, gazing over at the television.

Both Oliver and Sara turn around instantly, Oliver using the remote to un mute the TV.

"Declan's execution is set for midnight two days from now." The news woman reports.

"Camille Declan's former employer, Jason Brodeur, released a statement saying, quote, I hope this gives Camille the peace she deserves."

"Jason Brodeur." Oliver and Sara say simultaneously.

"What?" Moria looks over at them.

"The dead wife worked for Jason Brodeur." Oliver states.

Raising her eyebrow at him in confusion, Moria dismisses it with a flick of the paper.

"Apparently so. What? Why?" She questions briefly."

"No reason." Oliver shrugs it off as Sara curls her arm around his waist lovingly.

"Say, Rob. Me and my girlfriend want to go into town." Oliver requests as he turns to his new bodyguard.

"Could you please get the car for us?" He asks on behalf of himself and Sara.

"No offence, Mr Queen, Miss Lance, but I've been filled in on your tendency to slip the leash. If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer keeping you and your girlfriend in my sights at all times." He replies calmly, yet firmly.

Slade's going to kill this guy. Oliver says as he continues to smile at the man stood in front of him, ready to say something he is sure that would even make Slade smirk in satisfaction!

"We're twenty miles from the city. If you don't drive us, how else are we going to get their?" Oliver says with a triumphant smirk as the man reluctantly nods in slight embarrassment, Oliver and Sara believe as they smile mischievously.

"Right." Both Oliver and Rob Scott say in agreement as he makes his way sheepishly toward the door.

Oliver smiles at his mother as he hands back the remote.

"I like him."

Waiting patiently beside the car for Mr. Queen and Miss Lance, Rob Scott frowns as a few minutes go by and neither Oliver or Sara appear.

The sound of a motorcycle near by arrives to his ears as one zooms past him, rode by a man, a woman on the back, her arms wrapped around his waist as they drive.

The man raises a hand and waves at Rob Scott, who in fact in politeness waves back, until the realisation settles in and he realises that the two passengers are in fact Oliver Queen and Sara Lance.

"Hey!" He calls after them but they are too long gone to hear!

 _The Foundry_

"Slade would have been impressed with that one Ollie." Sara chuckles as they enter The Foundry, expecting to see a grumpy Slade either working out or on the computer.

Oliver smirks at her comment, yet his smile fades as he eyes the room and realises that it is just he and Sara.

Slade is absent.

"I'm sure he's just letting off some steam." Sara rubs his arm affectionately as she to eyes the room on the way to the computer.

Oliver moves around the room. It is still in heavy disarray from the events of last night.

Yet the thing that snags his attention is the fact that Slade's uniform is gone.

"Sara." Oliver calls her name to drag her attention toward what he is staring at.

Sara is silent for a few moments as she sighs.

"Maybe we should go and find him." She suggests.

Oliver stands there thinking it over, but in the end her decides that Sara's earlier comment about Slade letting of some steam might be the best course of action right now.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon." Oliver sighs after a while as he places a kiss on the top of Sara's head as she brings Peter Declan up on the computer screen.

"They say that Peter Declan murdered his wife in cold blood." She states as Oliver nods.

"He had no alibi and all the evidence pointed toward it. So he was tried, convicted, sentenced to death." Oliver reads from the screen.

"It was an open and shut case except that Declan's wife Camille worked for Jason Brodeur and Jason Brodeur is on the list." Sara pats the notebook beside her as Oliver picks it up, and flicks through the pages until he sees it, clear as day. The name, Jason Brodeur.

 _Meanwhile Somewhere In Starling City…_

In a distant part of Starling City, a man name of Anikov looks smugly as he reads the newspaper, reporting the upcoming execution of Peter Declan.

"Jason Brodeur." He looks up as the man himself approaches him.

"Admiring your handiwork, Anikov?"

"You should've just let me kill the both of them." He retorts.

"Peter Declan is worth more alive. Husband kills wife is a much better headline than whistleblower uncovers toxic dumbing, don't you think?" He spits venomously.

"Either way, forty eight hours, all this'll be over…"

 _Back At The Foundry_

"The odds are good that Brodeur is involved in this woman's murder." Oliver comments as he picks up something on fire with pliers.

"But that means that an innocent man is facing execution!" Sara exclaims, burying her head in her hands.

"Then he'll need a good attorney." Oliver says with a slight grimace.

"No, Oliver. No." Sara shakes her head quickly, upon realising what Oliver is referring to and suggesting they do.

"Sara your sister is a brilliant lawyer. It is worth a shot." Oliver tries to reason with her.

"Oliver I do not want my sister to be in danger." Sara warns him.

"She'll be fine, she'll just be doing her job." Oliver says to reassure her.

"But you want to go to her as the vigilante!" Sara screeches.

"And I want you to come with me."

"No. I don't want to face my sister like that." Sara shakes her head in fear of the look on her sisters face if she came face to face with her as The Woman In Black, not knowing that she is in fact her own sister.

"We are just going to talk to her." Oliver holds his hands up to reassures her, putting his equipment down.

"Just talk? About Peter Declan?" She folds her arms.

"We may have to break into her place…"

"Ollie!" Sara groans.

"Sara. An innocent man is going to be executed in forty eight hours." He reminds her, moving to her side so he can pull her into his arms.

"The guilt card? Really Ollie?" Sara frowns.

"Sara." Oliver sighs as he pulls her closer.

"You better make this up to me." She wraps her arms around his neck.

"I fully plan to." Oliver murmurs, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"You can start right now. For once it is just you and me, Slade is out and in a fowl mood, so probably won't be back for a while so you can start by making it up to me right now as who knows if this opportunity will ever arise again!" She smiles at him.

"Too right." He replies as she crushes her lips to his...

 _Much Later At CNRI_

"So I take it there's absolutely no point in asking you if you'd like to grab a drink." Joanna looks over at Laurel as both women scramble around for files.

"I can't. I have to go over transcripts for the Fernands case." Laurel says as she grabs her coat from her chair and puts it on.

"You know, if you go somewhere that's not work or your home, your odds of meeting someone increase by like a gazillion percent." Joanna sighs.

"Ohh that's not true. I could still get mugged on the way home." Laurel smirks.

"In that case. I hope he's cute and single and not Tommy Merlyn." She sighs.

"How can you say that when you just practically begged me to go and meet someone?" Laurel turns to face her friend with an incredulous look upon her face.

"I do want you meet someone, someone who isn't Tommy Merlyn. I keep telling you Laurel, he's no good for you and I know you went out with him the other night." She folds her arms.

"Yes I was getting out there, like you wanted me to."

"Not to repeat the same mistakes again Laurel! I bet it was the usual one night stand am I right?" Joanna questions.

It actually wasn't. Tommy took her to a diner and they ate pure junk food and he talked to her and listened to her problems and encouraged her to talk to him if she ever needed someone.

To be honest, Laurel was a tiny bit disappointed at Tommy being such a gentleman as a part of her wanted to sleep with him and wake up beside him the next morning, but Tommy is trying to 'be better' as he had told her.

Yet that hadn't changed her feelings and want for Tommy.

Not that she'd ever admit that, of course!

"Goodnight Joanna!" She calls as she heads on home.

It feels as of everything hits her as she reaches her apartment.

Oliver and Sara's betrayal. She had shouted at them the other night yet had been no where near close to absolutely wiping the floor with them!

All those emotions are slowly building up and she knows soon it will explode.

She momentarily considers phoning Tommy, talk to him about that and hope that when she had told him he'd comfort her.

She'd just want him to hold her.

Pushing thoughts of Tommy from her mind, Laurel unlocks her front door, entering her pitch black apartment.

She moves instantly to switch the lights on, repeating that action multiple times when the light does not switch on at all.

Nervously, Laurel edges her way into her apartment, her eyes narrowing upon seeing the windows wide open.

Quickly, she moves toward a chest of drawers, where her gun lies.

Grabbing it and cocking it, she spins around to face the window with the gun held firmly in her hands.

The intruders to her utmost shock and horror are the vigilantes.

The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

"Hello Laurel."

"Don't move!" Is the first thing Laurel says, unable to think of anything else to say in her current situation.

The Man In The Hood holds his bow out in front of her before putting it behind him as if to signify that he and his partner comes in peace.

"We're not going to hurt you." He says in a low voice.

A voice manipulator, Laurel believes.

"Stay back." She warns them both as The Woman In Black pockets her batons.

"My father's a cop, you are making a huge mistake!" She says quickly, fearfully.

Unbeknownst to her that her words sting The Woman In Black.

"We are not the people you think we are." The Woman In Black speaks quietly.

"We need your help." The Man In The Hood adds.

"Peter Declan is going to be executed in forty eight hours. We thinks he's innocent." The Woman In Black explains.

"Declan's wife was going to blow the whistle on Jason Brodeur. Brodeur had her murdered." The Man In The Hood adds on.

Laurel shakes her head slowly, not lowering the gun for a moment.

"There are one thousand lawyers in Starling City. Why me?" She questions.

The Woman In Black takes a step forward, placing her hand on Laurel's gun to lower it.

Laurel doesn't stop her.

"We're all trying to help." The Man In The Hood speaks as they walk to stand behind her.

"What makes you so sure I'm going to help you?" She retorts sharply.

"Because I know you'd do anything to save the life of an innocent man." The Woman In Black concludes all for herself.

There is a brief moment of silence then and when Laurel turns her back to face the vigilantes she realises that she is once again alone.

 _The Foundry_

"My sister looked at me as is if I were a monster." Says Sara, the only words she has spoken since leaving Laurel's place.

Oliver cannot find the words to say anything to even comfort his girlfriend as he to really has no idea what he can say about what's just happened because Laurel did think they were monsters and he doubts heavily her opinion will change.

So instead of words, Oliver pulls Sara into his lap, rocking her gently back and forth to calm her and try to provide her with somewhat comfort because he knows how deeply this has affected her. The look of fear and hatred from her own sister Oliver believes Sara will never forget as he himself is finding it hard not to think of the woman he used to love staring at him as if he were a monster and if it's hard for him then it must be even worse for Sara! Oliver doesn't even want to begin to imagine the pain he would feel if it had been Slade who had stared at him like that.

Slade, his brother staring at him the way Laurel did Sara, it's not worth even thinking about!

"Slade's not back yet." She sniffs, pulling Oliver from his thoughts.

"Ok. Now I'm concerned, we better go after him." Oliver sighs as pulls his hood up.

"Where the hell could he have gone!" Oliver growls a few hours later after throughly searching Starling City for Slade.

"He's really pissed off with you." Sara winces as Oliver puts his head in his hands.

"I made a terrible mistake." Oliver groans.

"It wasn't ideal, recruiting Diggle but you know Slade. He's stubborn, incredibly stubborn. We both know that he'd be resistant to any type of change." Sara sighs.

"He'll come round eventually. He's probably just cooling off." She adds as Oliver raises his eyebrow in disbelief.

"Nethertheless we need to find him and I think we also need to find Diggle…"

 _Starling City Prison Next Day_

Laurel looks over the table at Peter Declan nervously.

The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black had made a convincing case.

Normally she would never listen to vigilantes, she would have stopped them and handed them over and let the law deal with them.

Yet something about what they said to her made her somehow believe their words.

At the very least she would never forgive herself if she hadn't have listened to them and am innocent man was executed.

The Woman In Black was right about that.

"A jury has found you guilty. Mr. Declan." She says as he gazes at a picture of his daughter, held tightly in his hands.

"The evidence was stacked against me! But I didn't kill my wife!" He protests before leaning over the table.

"I didn't take my daughter's mother away from her."

Laurel bites her lip before looking down at the table.

"The murder weapon was a knife from your kitchen." She sighs regrettably.

"With your prints on it." She adds.

Declan shakes his head.

"It was found along with Camille's blood. In the trunk of your car." She says as Declan rises to his feet, turning away from Laurel.

"Your neighbors said they heard an argument that night."

"We had a knock down fight over Jason Broduer. Camille worked for him and his company had been dumping toxic waste into the Glades and Camille told me that she'd gone and told the supervisor about it! I was afraid for my family's safety and we argued. Very loudly yes!" He cries as Laurel folds her arms.

"Izzy started crying, so Camille went and stayed in her room." He sighs as he moves to sit back down to face Laure, shaking his head sadly.

"In the morning I went to apologize and, uh, that's when I found her."

Laurel leans forward, placing her arms on the desk, staring at Declan curiously.

"So I just grabbed Izzy and I ran outside and I called 911. I'm innocent, Ms. Lance." He says quietly and Laurel, in that moment, just knows that she has believed everyone word he just told her.

The man is innocent and in forty eight hours he will be executed.

Yet not if she can do anything about it!

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Well it looks like someone forgot a lunch date with his wife." Moria Queen says with a smirk as she approaches a working Walter at his desk.

"What do you mean?" He looks away from his computer for a moment to looks at her in deep confusion.

"Lunch isn't for another… Forty five minutes ago." He sighs as he takes a look at his watch.

Removing his glasses and looking at his wife in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry." Moria shakes her head whilst smiling.

"It's all right. The restaurant is holding our table." She reassures him as Walter scrambles around to grab his jacket.

"Is there something wrong?" She questions.

"Compliance departments tagged something. 2.6 million withdrawal from one of our Vancouver subsidiaries." He admits.

"Do you mean… Are you saying that someone embezzled 2.6 million dollars from the company?" Moira's eyes widen in shock.

"Well, it's probably a bookkeeping error but compliance is understandably worried about some IRS audit." He explains as he moves passed her.

"But don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing." He smiles at her as he nods toward the door.

"Well come on. We're going to be late." He says as she gives him a beaming smile.

"I mean later!" He laughs as the couple head for lunch.

 _Meanwhile At Starling City's Police Department._

Laurel stares at the drawings of The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and their partner. The Man In The Mask.

He wasn't there the other night, there was only two.

"Well I wasn't the lead on this but from what I recall we had fingerprints, we have blood, we've got motive, everything!" Quentin pulls Laurel from her thoughts as he enters the room, a file in hand.

"Broduer seems like the type of guy with the resources needed to frame someone." Laurel says as she moves to sit beside her dad on the desk.

"Laurel. In twenty four hours, Peter Declan is lying down with a needle in his arm and he's not getting up. If I thought for a second we didn't have the right guy do you think there's anything else I'd be doing right now except trying to get at what really happened?" He sighs.

"Declan said his wife went to her supervisor with allegations that Broduer was dumping toxic waste." Laurel protests.

"Yeah, but that supervisor, he said that never happened." He states as he reaches for a price of paper.

"Let me see, what was his name. There you go." He says, pointing to a name on the paper.

"Istook, Matt Istook. He said he didn't even see Camille that day. Happy now?" He turns to Laurel, who smiles at her father.

"Yes." She replies, moving to stand.

"You know, I thought It'd be a cold day in hell before you started defending criminals." He turns to face her.

"I'm not so sure Declan's a criminal. Like you said he's on a clock. Can't leave any stone unturned." She smiles before departing.

Quentin rolls his eyes at her before turning back.

"Ohh yeah." He mutters sarcastically.

 _Big Belly Burger_

"So when are you going to tell me?" Carly asks as she puts a basket of fries on Diggle's table where he sits alone.

Diggle hums in confusion as he tucks into his meal.

"About what happened to your arm." She clarifies.

"Oh, it's my shoulder and it's. It's fine." Diggle shakes his head dismissively as to not show anything that Carly could possible pick up on.

"I knew that Queen guy was trouble and his friends." She leans against the table.

"Hey, I never said this happened protecting Queen. However, you are right on one count his friend is a psycho!" He mutters.

"Did he do that to your arm?" She questions.

"Actually he didn't. He's just a psycho." Diggle murmurs.

"Are you sure this wasn't protecting them?" She looks at Diggle in disbelief.

"No it had nothing to do with Queen or his friends." Diggle sighs, wanting her to drop it.

"Oh yeah?" She eyes the door, which Oliver, Sara and what Carly supposes is his new bodyguard, calmly walk through.

"Then what's he doing here?" Carly's words make Diggle instantly turn around so he can see what she sees and it is exactly what she had said. Oliver and Sara are both her and from what Diggle can tell, with a new bodyguard.

Yet what he notices most and doesn't know whether to celebrate or worry about is the fact that Slade Wilson is not amongst them.

He chooses to smirk.

"Area's secure sir." Rob Scott says as he surveys the area with his eyes.

"Thank you very much Rob." Oliver says, much sarcasm in his voice as he links arms with Sara and walks into the restaurant.

"Can't believe I'm even saying this but there's one thing good about Slade not being here. He didn't have to meet him." Sara murmurs in Oliver's ear, kissing his cheek at the same time.

"I think Slade would have actually killed this guy." Oliver smirks as they head over towards Diggle's table.

"Hello Diggle's sister in law Carly." Oliver says to a glaring Carly who stands with her hands on her hips as he approaches her. They shake hands.

"I'm Oliver Queen and this is my girlfriend Sara Lance." He introduces them as Sara also shakes her hand.

"I know who you are" She replies coolly, folding her arms

"No you really don't." Diggle mutters as she grabs her tray.

"I thought there was supposed to be three of you?" She mutters before leaving.

"Hello." Oliver says as he and Sara take a seat opposite Diggle, Sara slipping her hand into Oliver's and leaning into him lovingly.

"Where's your shadow?" Diggle mutters. Sara feels Oliver freeze at his choice of words and she tightens her grip on his hand.

"He not joining us tonight? Off beheading the locals?" He murmurs almost inaudible.

"Have you seen him?" Sara whispers quietly.

"You would know if I had." Diggle mutters menacingly.

"He missing or something?" He questions stiffly as Oliver completely ignore the question and changes the subject.

"We couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of police cars when we got home. We knew you wouldn't drop a dime on us. So have you considered our offer?" Oliver questions.

"Offer?" Diggle scoffs.

"That's one hell of a way to put it!" He shakes his head in disbelief.

"It is an offer." Sara reaffirms.

"Offered by all of you? Isn't the reason Mr. Wilson is missing due to your offer?"

"We don't offer it lightly." Sara cuts in.

"It's a chance to do the kind of good that compelled you to join the military." Oliver adds.

"Please." Diggle all but laughs.

"You were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth, Queen. What you spent five years on an island with no room service and suddenly you found religion?" He shakes his head.

Oliver in response looks at Sara before revealing to Diggle the book.

"This was my father's." He says as in explanation as Diggle picks it up and flicks through the pages to see its contents.

"We found it when we buried him." Oliver reveals.

"I thought you said your father died when the boat went down." He look up in surprise.

"The three of us made it to a life raft but there wasn't enough food and water for the three of us, so he shot himself in the head." Oliver states plainly.

"And as much as he was doing it to give me and Sara a chance to survive, I believe that he was also atoning for his sins." He adds as Diggle continues to listen.

"I need to write the wrongs down by my family and that's what Sara, Slade and I have been doing and we're offering you the chance to right the wrongs done to yours."

"Oliver what are you talking about?" Diggle looks upon them in confusion.

"The police never caught your brother's shooter." Sara starts.

"Hey, you leave Andy out of this!" He growls in response.

"But the bullets were laced with curare. That's Floyd Lawton's MO. He is the sniper that me, Sara and Slade stopped." Oliver sighs.

"Are you trying to tell me you three took down Andy's killer?"

"We're, we're giving you the chance. A chance to help other peoples families. Do you remember when the people in this city helped each other? They can't do that anymore because a group of people, people like my father, they see nothing wrong with raising themselves up by stepping on other people's throats." Oliver all but growls.

"It needs to stop and if it's not going to be the courts and it's not going to be the cops, then it's going to be, me, Sara, Slade and I hope you." Oliver says calmly.

"It won't be if your friend kills me." Diggle murmurs.

"Slade's stubborn. He's a very closed off person and takes a lot of getting used to. Sara and I had five years and after quite a chunk of it, he let us in. He is a member of my family, he's my brother and he doesn't like change. None of us particularly do. Yet I see a potential in you and I think somehow, Slade could learn to accept you. That however, would probably take more than five years." Oliver mutters the last part under his breath as Diggle rolls his eyes at them both.

"However, despite all that. I honestly think you could do some good." Oliver, having said his piece, moves to stand with Sara as Rob approaches them.

"We've got to go to the washroom, Rob." Sara says before taking Oliver's had and dragging him to where the toilets are, leaving Rob standing beside Diggle, hands clasped together as he waits patiently for Oliver and Sara.

Diggle smirks as he turns to the new, obviously inexperienced in the ways of Oliver Queen and Sara Lance!

"You should be grateful you didn't meet the other one!" He comments as Rob looks over at him quizzically.

"Oh those two are long gone, man!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading, sorry for not updating in a while. There was a party, I think I missed a whole day because of it! The next update should be soon as it is already in the works. Thank you all again for your kind reviews and for following and favoriting this story. See you all next update xxx**


	13. An Innocent Man (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _Queen Mansion_

"You still following the money trail?" Moria Queen questions as she enters her living room to find her husband still buried in his laptop, wearing the same expression he had when she had dragged him out of the office for their lunch date.

"Mhm." Walter nods briefly as he scribbles something down.

"Don't we have accountants for that sort of thing?" She smiles as she moves to pour a glass of whiskey from a decanter.

"They're being singularly ineffective in this instant." He sighs as he continues to write.

"Well, then it's fortunate that I've solved the mystery." Moria's words instantly grabbing Walter's attention as he looks up at her in surprise.

"I think I'm the culprit." She winces as she sits down, Walter removing his glasses, staring at his wife quizzically.

"2.6 million is a rather specific figure. That's the exact amount the company invested in a friend's startup venture three years ago." She admits as Walter smirks.

"I will call accounting. They'll clean it all up. Then theirs nothing to worry about." She resolves with a warm smile.

"Ok." Walter replies as she gets up to leave, the puzzled look, however, never once leaving his face.

 _CNRI_

"You really are putting a lot of hours into this Declan thing." Joanna states as she shuts a file, looking over at Laurel who is still buried in one.

Looking up briefly at Joanna's words Laurel nods before burying her head back into the file.

"You actually think he's innocent?"

"Someone does." Laurel replies bluntly.

"So you said, but you didn't say who." Joanna sighs as Laurel looks back up from her file, looking around the room for a moment, before walking over to where Joanna stands.

"Guardian angels." She says in a low voice with a smile.

Joanna folds her arms as she latches on to what Laurel is referring to.

"The three vigilantes?" She all but mouths.

"You're, you're kidding." She whispers as Laurel smiles.

"Two vigilantes actually, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black. They tracked me down and asked me to look into the Declan case."

"But you've met them?" Joanna cuts her off.

"Only two of them and they go against everything that I was ever taught to believe in. They break the law and God knows what else." Laurel admits, biting her lip.

"How are you not afraid that they are going to do God knows what to you?"

"They won't. Well two of them won't I didn't meet the other one." Laurel finds herself defending the two vigilantes that broke into her apartment and scared the crap out of her only the other day.

"I don't know, I can feel it. They won't hurt me." She adds.

"You know when I told you to meet someone, this is far, far away from what I meant. Even Tommy Merlyn would have been a more appropriate choice!" She shakes her head in disbelief as Laurel just shrugs her shoulders, a smile at her lips.

 _Later On A Rooftop In Starling City_

"I got your message." Laurel says as she stands on a rooftop.

"Is there a reason the three of us can't do this face to face?" She questions to the two vigilantes she knows are behind her.

Still two, not three she notes.

"You've met with Peter Declan." The Man In The Hood speaks.

"You were right. He might be innocent." Laurel reveals.

"Declan said that his wife blew the whistle on Brodeur the day she was murdered."

"Then we need to get whoever she told about Brodeur to testify." The Woman In Black states coldly as she keeps her hand in The Man In The Hood's, feeling grateful that Laurel has not looked at her as if she were a monster during this second meet that had been arranged to see what Laurel has gathered after they had unsuccessfully tried to find their friend and recruit a new member to their team.

"He already has. Matt Istook, Camille's supervisor, only he says that she didn't say a word to him." Laurel turns around to face them, surprised to see them holding hands.

"He could be lying." The Woman In Black mutters.

"Well if he is, then he's very convincing. He had the jury and police believing him."

"He hasn't been questioned by us." The Man In The Hood says threateningly.

"I didn't become a lawyer to break the law or hurt anybody." Laurel replies coolly.

The Woman In Black flinches at her words and The Man In The Hood tightens his grip on her hand to comfort her.

"We do what's necessary, what people like Peter Declan need." The Man In The Hood responds.

"If what you're doing isn't wrong, then why are you hiding your faces?" She retorts.

"To protect the ones we care about." The Woman In Black explains.

"That sounds lonely." Laurel says quietly.

"It can be, but not today." The Man In The Hood responds before spinning around and firing an arrow, wrapping his arm around The Woman In Black's waist as they fly from the building leaving Laurel stunned, scared and alone.

 _Queen Consolidated_

Felicity Smoak waits patiently inside the elevator that has begun ascending, trying to figure out what to say as she has been called up to the office of her boss.

Only twenty minutes ago had she been sharing a pleasant coffee break with someone she definitely hasn't expected to see walking around the streets. Alone as well. She hadn't asked why, considering his best friend or whatever relationship they have between them is the man who's dead father founded and owned the company she works for! She had just seen him and noticing his glum expression had offered to have coffee with him. From what she had gathered, considering most the the break was spent in silence with her occasional nervous babbling! He had, had some kind of argument with his friends and without even asking she had offered him a tiny bit of advice, to which he smiled (well what she believed was a smile, the man doesn't show much emotion!) to so Felicity hoped she had somehow said the right thing!

Yet here she is twenty minutes later, on her way up to her bosses office, unaware of what is to happen.

She'll find out soon enough, she realizes as the elevator dings.

"I've got one question." Felicity starts as she marches into Walter Steele's office, who looks down from his file, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"Why am I being fired?" She cuts straight to the chase.

"Ms. Smoak isn't it?" Walter questions calmly.

"Yes. And I am without a doubt the single most valuable member of your technical division. That's including my so called supervisor. Letting me go would be a major error for this company." Felicity pleads her case to Walter, hoping to change his mind as he throws the file he was reading onto his desk.

"I agree, which is why you're not being fired." He smiles.

"I assumed when you brought me up here it was because…" Felicity makes a beheading gesture nervously.

"It's because I wanted you to look into something for me." He replies.

"The variance of 2.6 million on a failed investment from three years ago. It was authorized by my wife. I was hoping you could find out some of the details of the transaction for me." He explains as Felicity reads through the file briefly.

"Find out…"

"Dig up, discreetly." He nods as Felicity shuts the file.

"I'm your girl." She grins before heading to leave, turning around when she realizes something.

"I mean I'm not your girl. I wasn't making a pass at you." She says quickly, cursing her awkward brain!

"Thank you for not firing me."

 _Meanwhile In A Parking Lot_

Making his way over to his car Matt Istook opens it with a simple click of a button, opening the door so he can get in and drive home.

Suddenly a whistling sound, sounds through the air and a sharp stabbing pain shoots straight through his neck.

Placing his hand on his neck, he removes what appears to be a dart.

"What the…" He whispers but it's too late to do or say anything as unconsciousness claims him instantly.

Groaning as his vision slowly comes back to him, Istook sits up groggily as the events that had just happened hit him hard.

He'd been hit by a dart, a tranquilizer dart and now he's chained to something…

He is chained to something! He begins to panic as he realizes his dire situation, not comprehending just how worse it is about to get.

"Matt Istook." A voice calls his name.

Not just any voice either, the vigilante.

The Man In The Hood, who stands beside The Woman In Black.

"You're them, the vigilantes." He gasps as he attempts to get to his feet, despite being chained to what he now realizes is a train track!

"You're those people who have been terrorizing the city!" He gasps in fear, yet not as much as he would have been if there had been three vigilantes there! From the news, he knew there was three yet only two are present and despite his current situation that is actually a positive thing!

"Peter Declan. Your lies helped put him on death row." The Woman In Black hisses.

"Now either it's time to tell us the truth, or its time for the ten fifteen to Bloodhaven!" The Man In The Hood snarls as Istook begins to crack under fear.

"Ok, ok! I… Brodeur paid me to, to say that Camille never spoke to me but I didn't have anything to do with her death!" Istook pleads as he attempts to free himself from the handcuffs, soon realizing that his attempts are futile.

"Oh god, please, please! I'll do anything! You can have the file!"

"What file!" The Man In The Hood snaps.

"Camille gave me a file of evidence against Jason Brodeur…"

"Where is it!" He bellows.

"Let me go and I'll tell you." He attempts to bargain.

The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black look at one another before walking away.

"Wait, wait, wait, don't go! Uh it's in my desk! The file, it's in my desk at the office! You can have it. Get me out of here!" He begs helplessly for his life as the train approaches him, getting closer and closer until an arrow is fired, destroying the handcuffs just in the nick of time as he rolls off the tracks.

The Woman In Black stares at The Man In The Hood as they start to walk away.

"You have no idea how impressed Slade would have been if he had seen that!" She smiles as they walk. The Man In The Hood smirks in agreement.

"Agreed. Now let's go and get that file…"

 _The arrow man sits calmly on a stone facing the fire whilst he turns a stick around slowly. He does not make a sound and ignores the presence of Oliver and Sara beside him._

 _"What is that?" Oliver chooses to ask, breaking the silence that had descended._

 _"We are so hungry. If you're not going to feed me then at least feed her." Oliver begs as Sara curls up against his side tired from hunger and dehydration._

 _"It smells really good." Oliver continues as he gets to his feet, Sara following him as Oliver reaches for the stick._

 _In a flash of movement, the man slaps his hand away and sends him flying to the floor._

 _"Fine! Don't share." Oliver mutters as Sara pulls him to his feet, assessing him for any more injuries he could have obtained from that little attack!_

 _"Hey." The man says as he points to the bird before making gestures with his hands and speaking Chinese once more._

 _Oliver looks over at the bird in the cage quizzically as Sara nudges him and whispers in his ear._

 _"I think he wants us to kill it Ollie."_

 _"I'm not going to kill the bird!" Oliver says indignantly._

 _The man scoffs before muttering in Chinese again, the exact same words…_

 _CNRI_

Still searching for more evidence after her last meeting with the vigilantes. Laurel pauses for a moment to gaze at her phone.

It is a couple of minutes she takes staring at it. It's late.

Really late! But maybe she could set something up for tomorrow with Tommy. To be honest with all the crazy that is going on Laurel just wants to hear his voice and perhaps admit to him that she wants nothing more than to have a relationship with him...

But she can't. She can't date Tommy can she? She wants to. He makes her smile, he's spectacularly handsome but what's stopping her?

Ohh she knows. He's Oliver Queen's best friend. Best friends to the man who cheated on her with her sister! Unfortunately for Tommy, she knew him to be just like Oliver before the accident happened. But he's trying to be better and he'd never attempt to sleep with her sister! So what is holding her back? She wonders to herself as she hears something fall.

A file…

"Compliments of Matt Istook." A voice comes. The voice of The Man In The Hood.

Laurel gets to her feet, file in hand at the sight of the two vigilantes.

"What's in here?" She questions.

"Leverage on Jason Brodeur, enough to help save Peter Declan's life." The Woman In Black explains as Laurel flicks through the file.

"As an attorney, I never would've gotten a file like this." Laurel stops for a moment before deciding to continue.

"I always thought the law was sacred, it fixed everything." She whispers.

"And now, Laurel? Now what do you think?" The Woman In Black questions.

"I think there's too many people in this city who only care about themselves, people who are selfish. I think they need someone who cares about the lives of other people, someone like the two of you." Laurel admits as she looks down at the file again as the two vigilantes disappear. Turning the lights back on as they go.

Leaving Laurel Lance with a beaming smile upon her face.

 _Queen Mansion_

"My sister doesn't think we're monsters, that's an improvement!" Sara smiles at Oliver as they enter the house after dropping all their equipment off at The Foundry where they still couldn't see any hint of Slade being or had been there.

"Slade's still missing." Oliver murmurs as Sara places a kiss on his lips.

"Ollie, he will be back before you know it and then you'll be begging him to go away again!" She smiles as Oliver shakes his head.

"Not at this moment in time I wouldn't." He grumbles.

"You'll be back to losing sparing sessions with him before you know it Ollie and he'll be there like. 'Kid! For your stupidity you're having five years worth of training in one day!" Sara laughs, poorly mimicking Slade's accent.

"Sounds about right!" Oliver winces at the very thought, almost as if he could feel the pain from Slade's 'training sessions' just at the very mention of it!

"I love you, you know that." He smiles as he bends down to kiss her again, pulling back when Thea makes herself known.

"Ohh my god. What is wrong with your face?" She asks, confusing both Oliver and Sara.

"What do you mean?" He questions.

"There's something really weird on it, like this thing with your mouth. It looks like it's in the shape of a smile!" Thea jokes as Oliver laughs.

"That's cute." He smiles as he wraps his arm around Sara.

"Is it because you finally got rid of that friend of yours as for once, I don't sense his evil presence!" Thea smirks herself.

"I was happy due to the fact I'm home, I have an amazing girlfriend and things are beginning to settle for me a little Thea. But then I come home and have to hear crap said about my best friend!" Oliver sighs.

"Well where is he then if he's your best friend! Prepare yourself bro, mom's probably had him sent back to Australia!" She smirks as she turns to leave but both Oliver and Sara grab her wrist to stop her.

"Thea. This has got to stop. You can tell this to mom to. Slade Wilson is my best friend, my brother for all intends and purposes, he has protected me, and helped me survive for five years on that godforsaken island. Without him Sara and I wouldn't have come home because we would be dead! So think about it Thea and make sure mom thinks about this to. If Slade Wilson didn't exist Sara and I would never have made it home and since you both are glad I came home. I would have thought you'd have both shown a little more respect to the man who saved my life and allowed me to come home to you because if I had been in your position, I would have been eternally grateful to him for what he did so just think of that and like I said make sure mom gets the message. Slade Wilson is not going anywhere and if she tries to do anything to him then she'll have to go through me, Sara and a couple of others whom I'm sure I could get on my side…"

"Oliver! That is enough!" Moria calls as she enters the room, an angry expression on her face as she marches over toward them.

"No it is not enough. You should be thanking him for what he did for our family mother, not trying to find ways to make his life even more hell then it already is! He went through hell and back on that island for me and Sara. He lost people to protect us. He lost one of the most Important things to him to protect me mother! So for gods sake cut him some slack. I don't except you to like him. I just expect you to accept the fact that he is here to stay and he's not going anywhere."

"We'll see about that!" Moria growls as Sara decides to add her tuppence worth.

"Ohh please! Like any jury in the word would condemn a man who spent five years in hell protecting himself and two citizens of Starling City! It's a fight you'll never win. So just accept it, there's nothing you can do." Sara snaps, a wave of relief flooding through her once she has done so, gripping Oliver's hand tightly.

"Slade, Sara and I are a family. Anyone who tries to even touch that family. I have no time for and the consequences will be severe." Oliver finishes before storming off upstairs with Sara leaving Moria and Thea standing there in stunned silence.

"Maybe he's right mom." Thea says in a quiet voice just as the doors fly open and Rob Scott comes racing into the room.

"Gotta keep up Rob!" Oliver yells from the stairs with a laugh as Moria stands beside her daughter. Her son is stubborn, both of her children are but with Oliver he's always follows through with anything he's said he was going to do and Moria Queen is certain that her son would probably never speak to her again if she continued to go after Mr. Wilson like this and she cannot face losing her child again.

However, that doesn't mean that she cannot go after Mr. Wilson in other ways.

Ways that would ensure her involvement never would be tied to any 'accident' that could possibly befall Slade Wilson.

 _Meanwhile In Oliver's Bedroom_

"Well played." Is the first thing Sara says as they hit the bed.

"Something had to be done about that. I know Slade's a difficult person…"

"Define difficult!" Sara smirks, Oliver smiles in response as he pulls her closer.

"Very difficult person to get to know but after all that happened to us out there my mother still manages to pick fault with something! I meant what I said. She should just give us a break!" Oliver shakes his head as Sara throws her arm around his waist before settling her head down on his chest.

"Oliver you know I've never been the biggest fan of your mom and I think since we've been back my dislike for her has grown. She has no right to comment so harshly on the person that helped us survive on the island, who helped return us here. I mean my dad loves Slade! Honestly, he does!" Sara assures Oliver when he raises his eyebrow.

"Let's just hope that Moria and Thea have got the messaged and that, tonight was the end of it and that if Slade ever does decide to show his face again that they are just going to accept the fact that he is here and that's the end of it!" Sara huffs moodily before shutting her eyes.

"If he comes back." Oliver murmurs before kissing her forehead and telling her just how much he loves her.

 _CNRI Next Day_

Having not moved from her desk all night, Laurel sits in the morning glow with her computer typing away and looking from file to screen in split seconds, hitting the keyboard at a spectacularly rapid pace.

Time is running out.

"Hey, you look busy." Her father's voice slightly pulls her from her concentration as Quentin enters the room.

"Is that the Declan case?" He queries.

Slightly annoyed at the disturbance, Laurel looks away from her computer.

"You know there was a funny development on that. Matt Istook, he filed a police report. He said the The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black harassed him last night, and that's funny because I gave my daughter Istook's name."

"Dad…" Laurel starts, knowing from the livid expression on his face that he knows about her meets with the vigilantes and that she is in trouble. Huge trouble.

"They are vigilantes!" He snarls.

"They are damn criminals and you worked with the three of them! That makes you and accessory!" Quentin hisses, almost unable to believe what he is saying to his eldest daughter. Laurel of all people!

"I am trying to save an innocent man's life." She replies calmly, unsure if she should mention to her dad that there was only two vigilantes or not.

"No. You're breaking the law."

"Well I wouldn't have to if the police would've done their job right in the first place." Laurel replies, trying to continue to maintain calmness.

"I asked you how you got this case and you lied to me straight to my face, eh." He looks at her, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"I thought you and I didn't do that." He sighs as he looks at Laurel's determined face.

"Guess I was wrong."

 _Later In Starling City Superior Court_

"Your honor, the mere existence of the file proves that Mr. Istook perjured himself for Jason Broduer's benefit." Laurel protests to the judge sitting behind the desk, having raced over with all the hard solid evidence she could find after her, what she believes to be, rather upsetting conversation with her father.

"That's slander." A voice interrupts Laurel as a man enter the room, holding a briefcase.

"Jared Swanstorm, your honor." He introduces himself as a swarm of men enter the room from behind him.

"I represent Jason Brodeur and Brodeur Chemical." He states.

"The interest of justice requires you to stay the defendant's execution pending exploration of the newly discovered evidence." Laurel continues to fight her case.

"Ours isn't a court of justice, Ms. Lance, it's a court of law and under the law I don't think your evidence is sufficient to warrant a stay of execution." The judge sighs as she stacks a few papers on her desk before looking at Laurel solemnly.

"Your motion for habeas corpus is denied."

Laurel closes her eyes in anger as she storms over to the exit, ensuring though that she faces Jason Brodeur before she leaves.

"This isn't over. I've got the loose end now and no matter what happens I am going to pull on it until your whole world unravels!" She threatens, being sure to knock his shoulder on the way out.

No matter what she has to do, she will bring Jason Brodeur down.

 _Later In Brodeur's office…_

"Declan's lawyer's pulling me into this. I'm going to go to prison if not for murder, then this, this dumping thing!" Brodeur cries, Laurel Lance having set fear in him deeply causing panic to rise.

"That won't happen." Ankov confirms calmly as Brodeur continues to freak out.

"There are steps that we can take…"

"You saw her! She's going after me!" Brodeur yells, ensuring to exaggerate each word.

Ankov sighs.

"She's going to want to meet with her client after what happened in court today. We have friends up in Iron Heights. Prison can be a dangerous place."

 _Starling City, On A Distant Rooftop_

"We're not done yet." The Man In The Hood promises after Laurel had explained what had happened in court to The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black, who had come quickly to see what Laurel had managed to do for Declan.

"I'm an attorney. Trust me guys, we're done." Laurel says regrettably, distraught that there is nothing more she can do for an innocent man about to be executed and down due to the fact she had failed the vigilantes.

"What do you need to free Peter Declan?" The Woman In Black replies, ignoring Laurel's comment of defeat.

"At this point, nothing short of a signed confession from Brodeur." Laurel sighs defeatedly.

Looking at one another, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black begin to walk past Laurel, who stares at them both in shock and curiosity.

"Where are you both going?" She cries as The Man In The Hood ready's his bow.

"To get a confession."

 _Meanwhile At Queen Consolidated_

"The company Mrs. Queen, or Steele. Mrs Queen-Steele?" Felicity ponders aloud.

"She hyphenate? She seems like a woman who would hyphenate." Felicity continues to babble before Walter clears his throat in some what annoyance.

"Right. The company she invested in doesn't exist." Felicity reveals.

"I don't understand?" Walter replies in great confusion.

"There was no investment. The money was used to set up an offshore LLC called Tempest."

"I don't recall that name being under the Queen Consolidated banner." Walter buts in.

"That's because it's not. There's nothing registered with the Secretary Of State. No federal tax records, no patent applications filed. But in 2009, Tempest purchased a warehouse in Starling City." Felicity smiles as she reveals all her information.

Walter says nothing in response, except holds his hands out for the file in Felicity's hands. She passes it to him before she leaves, allowing Walter to flick through it.

What has Moria been doing?

 _Big Belly Burger_

"Enough moping." Carly smiles as she approaches Diggle at one of the tables, taking a seat opposite him before attempting to make him realize the situation.

"You quit, it's done. My advice would be to move on." She sighs.

"Ah, if it were only that easy." Diggle grimaces.

"Except it is. Personal security is dangerous. Your nephew already lost his father. He can't lose his uncle, too." Carly reveals, a sad expression on her face as she thinks of her deceased husband, the father of her child, Diggle's brother. Andrew Diggle.

"Does it ever bother you that they never caught the guy who killed Andy?" He queries to complete silence from Carly in response.

"You know, when I was in Afghanistan, I had a job and I did it and when I could I would help all the people there so that in some small way when I left. I could believe I left it a better place. But ever since I've been home, all I do is protect pokes and spoiled one-percenters. I miss feeling lie I'm making a difference in the world." Diggle reveals.

"Then get out of personal security and go do something you believe in." Carly all but begs.

"Yeah but what if it's wrong?"

"John, if you believe in something, how can it be wrong?"

 _Meanwhile..._

"Jason Brodeur!" The Man In The Hood says as he stands in front of the criminal with his arrow aimed directly at his heart, The Woman In Black beside him, her batons held our ready in case he attempts to do something stupid.

Both of them although unwilling to admit it, mind. Deeply missing The Man In The Mask, who if he had been present would have been holding his sword to the man's throat!

"What do you want?" Brodeur cries desperately, all but mirroring Istook's fear from the other night.

"You are going to confess that you arranged to have Peter Declan's wife murdered." The Woman In Black commands viciously.

"What, so I can take his place in prison?" Brodeur snarls.

"So you can avoid the death penalty." The Woman In Black adds.

"Except if I'm dead, well, then you've got no one to pin Camille's murder on." Brodeur says in an attempt to be clever.

"You need me to exonerate Peter Declan. Maybe you could try to force me to sign a confession or something…"

The Man In The Hood aims his arrow elsewhere before firing an arrow directly into Jason Brodeur's hand, nailing him to the wall.

Broduer screams in agony, music to the vigilantes ears

"That might be difficult." He mutters as Broduer's phone begins to ring.

"My hand!" Brodeur growls as The Man In The Hood pulls his phone from his coat pocket.

"Just answer it." He hisses as he accepts the call.

"What!" Brodeur spits through the pain.

"It's Ankov. It's going down, one hour." The man replies as The Man In The Hood hangs up.

"What's going down in an hour?" The Woman In Black snarls.

"What!" The Man In The Hood yells.

"Let's just say Peter Declan's execution, it's getting moved up." Broduer smirks.

"No. It's not." The Woman In Black growls before slamming her fist into his face.

 _Iron Heights_

"Ok, you have to listen to me. We still have a shot." Laurel reveals to Peter Declan as she sits across from him, he looks at her expectantly.

"Do you remember the friend that I mentioned? The one that believes in you?" Peter Declan shakes his head in misery, yet acceptance of his upcoming death.

"He's working on something." Laurel replies, unbeknownst to her that right outside of the prison, to save the lives of Peter Declan and others, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black have begun to carefully take out the guards to infiltrate the prison…

Whilst Ankov and his team mirror their infiltration, except with the command.

"Unlock the cages."

"I told you, Jason Brodeur is powerful. I've been here before, these lawyers holding out these little nuggets of hope…" Declan is cut off by the abrupt sounding of alarms and the sudden failure of the lights.

"What the…" Broduer stands as shouting from a mass of people can be heard as the alarms continue to blare.

"What?" Laurel whispers as a guard reaches for his radio, from which can be heard.

"Secure all the corridors cell block C." The guard turns to them.

"The wardens setting up a secure perimeter in C block. Stay here Ms. Lance." He commands as Laurel chases after him

"Wait!" She cries as the noise level rises as prisoners, criminals leave there cells and begin to attack the near by guards, groups of them descending on guards like wild animals after their prey. Kicking the men, breaking bones, ending their lives…

Laurel and Declan run down a corridor until they enter a room where a bunch of prisoners have swarmed, one preparing to strike Laurel.

Suddenly something flies past her head before imbedding itself in the criminal.

Laurel and Declan whirl around to face two police officers in ski masks.

It doesn't take Laurel more than a second to realize that they are the two vigilantes.

"Let's go!" The man commands as Laurel and Declan rush past them as the prisoners start to fight them, Laurel and Declan stopping to watch as the vigilantes begin to deal with the prisoners, breaking them like porcelain dolls before racing back over to Laurel and Declan, the female vigilante grabbing a hold of Laurel's hand as she goes.

Laurel shouldn't have been here, her sisters life is in danger. She thinks as she hurriedly pushes Laurel and Declan through a near by door.

"Go, go, go!" The male vigilante yells before following them in.

The four race into an open space where more prisoners start to attack them.

A prisoner even taking the vigilantes by surprise, the male vigilante being thrown to the floor, watching helplessly as his partner is thrown half way across the room into a wall. Another prisoner shoving Laurel into the wall before throwing her to the ground and beginning to strangle her, Laurel tries to fight as the male vigilante scrambles to get to her, throwing the criminal off Laurel, freeing her before fighting with him himself, yet another prisoner makes his way over to the female vigilante, who dazedly tries to focus her sight having received a rather nasty knock to the head.

The male vigilante is distracted for a moment, yet before he can react a sword is flung across the room, all but severing the criminal in half as it imbeds into the criminals head before slowly starting to cut him in half.

"Miss me, kid?" The disguised voice of The Man In The Mask arrives unexpectedly.

"I've got this." He mutters as he races over to retrieve his sword as the male vigilante continues to attack the prisoner, punching him repeatedly, over and over, trying to smash the man's skull until someone grabs his arm.

Instantly leaping into attack position, his fist lowers in shock upon seeing the person to be Laurel as she shakes her head to let him know that this isn't the way.

However, it is short lived as The Man In The Mask flings his sword into the man's head. Laurel looks over at the vigilante she had not yet met in somewhat fear and disgust as the room is suddenly swarmed by guards, all screaming out instructions as they circle the room. The Man In The Mask wraps his arm carefully around the female vigilante as he helps her walk quickly over to their partner, her vision still not clear and her feet unsteady.

Yet, without no one apart from Laurel witnessing them the three vigilantes slowly exit the room.

United once more.

 _A Little Bit Later Outside Iron Heights_

"Laurel!" Quentin calls worriedly as he races over to his daughter, all anger and disappointment from earlier melting away just in the pure relief at seeing her alive.

"Sweetie." He calls as he pulls her into a tight embrace.

"What do you…" He starts as he releases her.

"I'm alright." Laurel cuts him off before he can begin ranting.

"You sure?" Quentin asks fearfully, Laurel nods as Quentin begins to freak out.

"I haven't even called your sister yet. She's probably reading this on the news now, God knows where she is and…"

"I'm sorry about what I said to you." Laurel stops him mid sentence with her apology.

"You were right. Brodeur's bodyguards just confessed to Camille Declan's murder. We got the wring guy." He clarifies for Laurel, before continuing on what he believes to be the more pressing matter.

"But listen to me, Laurel. I'm right too about them. They're dangerous. They're outside the law…" He begs her, desperate for her to just listen to him.

"I know. They're killers. I only met The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black at first but then I met the other one and he…" Laurel trails off as she remembers the way he dealt with those prisoners and even The Man In The Hood when he had nearly attacked her after beating a man within the inch of his life.

"They're killers. They would have killed all those people. I looked into the eyes of one of them. It's like he had no remorse, none of them did..." Laurel continues, completely unaware of the three vigilantes watching her from afar...

 _Oliver and Sara continue to look at the bird._

 _It now appears that if they want to be fed they are going to need to kill the bird sitting innocently in the cage._

 _"Hey." Oliver says as the man continues to eat beside them._

 _"Please, we're starving." He begs._

 _"We've never killed anything before." Sara adds as the man just chooses to continue to ignore them both._

 _There's only one choice available._

 _Kill or die of malnutrition._

 _"I'll do it if you want Ollie." Sara whispers hoarsely._

 _Oliver shakes his head, he cannot ask Sara to do that, he will not let her do that._

 _He has to be the man here._

 _So, crawling forward he reaches into the cage and removes the bird. It stays perfectly still in his hands, trusting him._

 _"I'm so sorry." Oliver whispers._

 _The only sound heard being the sound of the birds neck snapping under his murderous grip_.

"Let's get you home, sweetie. I'll call your sister to assure her of your survival." Quentin smiles as he wraps his coat around Laurel.

"How'd he get into that prison anyway, huh? Grown men and woman in outfits, swords, arrow and batons. It kind of stands out a little, doesn't it?" He queries.

"They actually weren't wearing the outfits this time, The Man In The Mask was but I think he was their back up. They were both wearing prison guard uniforms and ski masks." Laurel reveals tiredly.

"What?" She queries as she watches her father look at her in surprise.

"Nothing, I just had an idea. Get in the car."

 _Meanwhile On The Other Side Of Starling City_

Alone in the dead of night. Walter Steele approaches the warehouse Miss Smoak had found for him.

The first thing he notices is the security panel on the door.

Typing the word 'Tempest' into the panel it rejects it.

He tries again, this time with the word 'Oliver' again it is rejected.

His next attempt is to type 'Thea'. Rejected.

Finally, he tries the name 'Robert' and to his shock, the door opens and he enters the warehouse, switching on the light and nearly collapsing to the floor in shock as there, in the middle of the room lies none other than the wreckage of The Queen's Gambit…

 _Laurel's Apartment_

"Sara, pick up your goddam phone! Call me back. Now!" Quentin growls at his fifth unsuccessful attempt to contact Sara, who just won't answer her phone.

"She's probably with Oliver and Slade! Always with Oliver and Slade! Now I like Slade very much and I can tolerate Queen but what does piss me off is the fact she seems to think no one else in the world exists!" Quentin rants after keeping his mouth shut for too long.

There is a lot of things Laurel would like to say in response but doesn't. She'd never shut up.

"Now, I've got to go run an errand at the station. Will you be alright here on your own?" Laurel nods in response as Quentin turns to the door.

"If your sister calls tell her I want a word with her!" He growls before leaving Laurel to her own devices, snuggled up on her coach, a blanket over her legs.

She looks down at her phone, which she does for what feels like hours.

Contemplating leaving Sara a rather long, detailed voicemail! Yet the abrupt sound of someone knocking upon her door, rapid knocking.

If it's Sara, Laurel decides she is going to give her hell. Yet it's not.

"Tommy…" Laurel breathes upon opening the door.

"Are you okay? The prison… I heard it on the news and someone mentioned you were working the Declan case. I had to come over to make sure you're ok." He says quickly, worry spreading across his handsome features.

"Thank you for your concern." Laurel smiles warmly, stepping aside to let Tommy in.

"I thought more people would be here to be honest." He smirks as he sits beside Laurel on the couch.

"Dad had to go to work. Sara's just. Sara wouldn't even pick up her phone!" Laurel cries. Tommy frowns before reaching to grab his own.

"I could call Oliver if you want me to…"

"No! Please just don't Tommy! I'd rather them not be here right now." She mutters.

"Laurel, I told you the other day if you need someone to talk to I'm here. I'm always here." He sighs, wondering if he should take her hand.

She looks up at him, tears forming in her eyes as she speaks.

"I almost get killed and my sister doesn't pick up the phone because she's with him. Oliver Queen. She's always with Oliver Queen. It's like she doesn't even give a damn about me and dad anymore just as long as she has Oliver and Slade. Everything's fine! Except it's not. She and Oliver went missing for hours when his family was nearly killed. They're always running off and I know they have gone through hell and back during these past five years but that doesn't change the fact that it is down to them running off that this has happened! They ran off with each other. Oliver Queen the boyfriend I loved very much desire his flaws and oh, their were many! Ran off with my sister because he is a cheating, lying, self centered asshole. He always has been and even now he's still self centered he's still the biggest jerk ever. That hasn't changed one bit! I resent him for when he did. I hate him for taking my sister away. I hate Sara! I hate Sara for playing along with him! I hate Sara for making the last five years of my life hell! I try to act like it's all cool Tommy! But it isn't! They betrayed me and I have hated them both for it! I will never forgive them for their betrayal because they did it because they were selfish and self centered and now they're back and they think that they can just flaunt their relationship and blame all their faults on spending five years on an island! They shouldn't and I hate them for it. I'm over Oliver. I've been over him for years but what they did is wrong and I'll never forget. I'll never probably forgive them for it. They don't deserve my forgiveness Tommy. I have tried to be kind, understanding, I have tried to see past the past five years, which they basically stole from me. Five years of my life believing them to be dead and now their back I don't know if I wish they had just, if they had just stayed there!" Laurel cries as the tears she had kept in for the past five years begin to fall down her cheeks as she weeps and sobs.

Tommy, unsure of what to say pulls her into his arms to comfort her, holding her on his lap and rocking her gently back and forth whilst whispering comforting words to her.

"It's ok, honey. It's ok. Everything's going to be ok." He whispers as she wraps her arms around him tightly, burying her head into his chest as she sobs wordlessly.

"Tommy." She whispers as she holds onto him tighter as she continues to cry, in response he holds her tighter, just like she wanted… Needed him to do.

"Shh, shh honey, it's okay. I've got you, I've got you honey. It's all going to be okay." He soothes her as she continues to break down, wrapped safely in Tommy's arms.

 _The Foundry_

The walk back to The Foundry is done in complete silence.

Neither of them knowing what to say as they approach The Foundry.

None of them saying a word as they removed their gear and nothing still being said, not until all the gear had been successfully put away.

"How's your head?" Oliver looks at his girlfriend worriedly.

"Nothing more than a concussion probably. My visions cleared now, I've just got an awful headache though." She smirks as grabs her phone, her reassurance still not convincing Oliver, who carefully moves her hair to see if theirs a wound on her head, luckily for the three of them. It's just bad bruising.

They've all had a million times worse!

"I've got to go call dad. He's left me like ten voicemails." Sara sighs upon checking her phone before turning around and unexpectedly hugging Slade.

"Thanks for having our backs out there. I'm so glad you're back and that you're okay." Sara sighs as Slade smiles at her.

"Do either of you really think I was going to miss an opportunity to storm a prison and miss a fight like that?" Slade rolls his eye at the both of them.

"Most decent battle since some on the island!" He smirks as Sara heads upstairs, phone in hand leaving Oliver and Slade alone.

"I need to…" Oliver tries to move past Slade.

Slade's back and appears to be unharmed and doesn't look like he's been in much trouble (he's sure there's been some, it's Slade Wilson for gods sake!) and he did just help him and Sara defeat those prisoners. At the moment they needed him the most, he came back! Yet, unsure of Slade's mood Oliver wonders if it's best to avoid the man for a little while but when he moves to go Slade grabs his arm to keep him in place.

"Not so fast, kid. I want a word with you."

Standing in front of Slade right now reminds Oliver of one of the very first times he met Slade, when if he was being truly honest was when Slade Wilson used to scare the absolute crap out of him!

"Kid, I know I shouldn't have left like I did. I was furious, honestly, kid I'm still angry now but I promise you, even if. That." He refers to Diggle with a snarl.

"Joins our small band I ain't going anywhere again. I mean come on, you'd both have your arses handed to you if weren't 'ere kid!" He says with a smirk, reassuring Oliver slightly that Slade isn't about to kill him!

"It's been the three of us for five years. I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't want that to change. That man gets on my last nerve…"

"I saw a potential in him Slade, that's why I recruited him. He's after justice like us and I believe he can do some good here, helping us with our mission. Potential, like what you probably saw in me when you decided that we were to become allies." Oliver replies.

"That was different…"

"How was it different Slade? You hated me." Oliver sighs.

"Yeah and I hate him! And if I'd've hated you kid I wouldn't have agreed to let you join me." Slade growls. Oliver stares at his friend, an argument ready to fire at him but honestly. He's just gotten him back and he's in a relatively good mood.

That Oliver certainly doesn't want to change!

"I'm just glad you're back." Oliver finishes calmly as Slade smirks at him.

"I just needed time to 'cool off'" He quotes Sara.

Oliver shakes his head in disbelief as he sees the smirk on Slade's face.

"You were watching us the whole time?"

"Some of the time kid. I knew about the mission and I gathered that you'd need help at some point and despite the fact I felt like killing you kid! I decided to keep my eye on you a bit. The other times I was staying out of the way."

"We couldn't find you." Oliver starts.

"We were worried, we'd thought you'd gone massacre a part of Starling City at first!" He shakes his head at Slade.

"Former ASIS, kid. If I don't want to be found I won't be but it was mildly entertaining to watch you and Sara run around looking for me."

"Slade!" Oliver growls as he begins to chuckle.

"That nice IT girl bumped into me when I took a break. Reminded me of something." Slade reveals as Oliver's eyes widen.

"You actually had coffee with someone?" Oliver smiles in disbelief as Slade rolls his eye at Oliver, before giving him a somewhat smile.

"Remember what I said to you on the island, kid?" Slade questions.

"You said a great deal many things to me on the island." Oliver replies.

"You know what I mean Oliver." Slade sighs as Oliver nods knowingly.

"Both you and Sara. You're all the family I've got left." He smiles as he and Oliver share a quick, yet brotherly embrace.

"Now, kid as punishment for your stupidity, you're getting five years worth of sparring in a few hours!" Slade reveals just like Sara had said he would earlier!

"Told you so." Sara says in a sing song voice from the stairs.

"Ohh don't think you're getting out of it!" Slade beckons her over as she groans and moves towards the men.

"Bet you didn't predict that!"

"Oh shut up Ollie!" Laughs Sara as they set to work.

Slade is hard on them, harder then he's ever been but Oliver and Sara couldn't really care less as their family is finally reunited and hopefully will never be tampered with again!

 _Meanwhile In Starling City's Police Station_

"Ok, here's the security footage from the exchange building shooting but I've already scrubbed through all that." The tech guy tells the observing Hilton and Quentin

"Yeah well you're going to do it again." Quentin instructs.

"So listen, when you went through the camera security tapes you were looking for a guy in a green outfit and a green hood, a woman in black and a man with a sword and a mask, right?" Hilton asks the tech guy.

"And what do you want me to look for them in, people in wigs and a tutu?"

"We just want you to look for anything that's out of the ordinary, ok?"

The three of them continue to look at the screens, scanning the footage for any signs of well anything that could give them a sign of the vigilantes.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait! Go back ten seconds!" Hilton commands, his eyes widening as he picks something up on the camera, the tech guy obliges.

"No, no. No!" Quentin yells in disbelief at what he sees.

"Their has got to be some reasonable explanation." He continues as Hilton shakes his head.

"Play that again."

 _Next Day In Starling City Park_

"Thank you Laurel." Declan says as he walks beside a quiet Laurel who had spend the whole night releasing all the grief she had kept held in to Tommy who had just been there, holding her and comforting her all night long.

It makes her confused. It makes her very confused because after last night it made her want to have a relationship with Tommy even more! Even though she knows she probably should just move on. Move on from all of them.

"Don't thank me. Thank Brodeur's bodyguard Ankov for helping him." She smiles as she approaches a young girl with her guardian sitting on a bench.

Declan's daughter. Izzy.

"I think there's someone that wants to see you." She replies as Declan breaks into a wide smile upon seeing his daughter.

"Izzy!" He calls as she runs over to him and into his arms as Laurel smiles.

She had done it, she had saved an innocent man's life and the results are just so heartwarmingly perfect she couldn't have asked for anything more.

 _The Foundry_

Bruised, very bruised from his latest sparring session with Slade! Oliver sits at his desk with Sara as he opens up the book to cross Broduer's name off as the report marks Broduer's arrest. Sara smiles.

"I'm glad we put him away." She murmurs as she kisses Oliver's cheek.

"I would've put him down!" Slade grumbles.

Both Oliver and Sara exchange a glance. Slade's definitely back!

"Well you should be pleased, Ollie did shoot an arrow through his hand and tied someone down to train tracks!" Sara lists off Oliver's achievements.

Slade smirks and sits beside Oliver on the desk.

"Congratulations, kid you're learning from the master!"

 _The bird was dead._

 _The bird was dead, cooked and presently being eaten by Sara and Oliver._

 _They were being fed and they were happy about it._

 _The man walks over to them, sitting down and nodding his approval as they eat the bird hungrily before speaking in Chinese._

 _"Yeah." Oliver mutters in between mouthfuls._

 _"Bird I know." He adds as Sara steals his half of the bird, he lets her without any argument._

 _"Not mean bird." The man says beside them, causing both Oliver and Sara to look up._

 _"Means survive."_

 _"You speak English?" Sara murmurs._

 _"You want survive this place, bird not last thing you two kill." He warns as he picks up the small picture of Laurel._

 _"And you two forget her. You pair look at her all day, you do not survive this place."_

 _Meanwhile In Starling City_

Moira Queen makes her way confidently over to a car, which she slides in.

A man sitting beside her with a smile on his face, a smile that hides many evils.

"You wanted to see me?" She questions the man.

"You look nervous Moria." He replies.

"Do I have a particular reason to be. There is someone in my way though. I was wondering if an 'unfortunate accident' could possibly befall him." She murmurs.

"We all have a particular reason to be nervous and I'm suspecting that person is Mr. Wilson am I right?" He questions.

"I think he knows more than he lets on. We need to do something about him. We can't have him snooping." Moira snarls.

"Mr Wilson will be dealt with all in good time. But for now." He pulls out three pictures.

The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask.

"The three vigilantes." She states.

"Are you worried that your net worth makes you a target?" She questions as smiles coyly.

"Jason Brodeur, Adam Hunt, Warren Patel. Tell me you see a connection Moria." He sighs.

"He's not targeting the rich." Moria realizes suddenly.

The man nods solemnly.

"No he's not. He's targeting the list."

 _Queen Mansion_

Side by side Oliver and Slade walk into the living room whilst Sara calls her sister with some excuse to apologize for not visiting her last night.

By the window is Diggle, whom turns around upon seeing Slade and Oliver.

Slade grits his teeth and clenches his fists in an attempt to not say, or do anything that he probably would (wouldn't) regret.

"Back together again?" Diggle says with a slight smirk as Slade and Oliver approach him.

"Don't provoke him. For once he is actually trying to demonstrate restraint." Oliver smiles only to groan in pain when Slade slaps him around the head.

"That goes for you to, kid." Slade mutters gruffly. Oliver just grins.

"You here for the bodyguard position, because the new guy just quit." Oliver tries his hardest not to start laughing.

"Quit?" Diggle looks between Oliver and Slade as Slade starts to smirk, remembering the look on Rob Scott's face when he came face to face with Slade Wilson!

Let's just say, his resignation was announced only a few minutes later!

"No I'm not. I think you've got that position covered." He looks at Slade with some what distaste, yet if he wants to work with them he knows he has to deal with that.

"First thing he's said I've agreed with!" Slade mutter to Oliver.

"I'm actually here about the other position. Just to be clear, I'm not signing on to be a side kick and I am not looking forward to be working with one of you, but you and Sara were right. Fighting for this city needs to be done and you three are going to do this with or without me. But with me, there'll be fewer casualties, including you and Sara." Diggle says.

"We don't need anyone to protect us and if you think I'd ever let anything happen to Sara or Oliver then you've got another thing coming. I don't like this as it is and it's going to take time for me to accept this decision of Oliver's. But he sees some use in you and even though I think he's an idiot. I'll go along with it to a point, but just to warn you. You ever try to tell us how to run things then you're going to have me to deal with!"

"Slade! Calm, calm." Oliver commands quietly as Diggle takes a few steps towards them.

How is he supposed to work with this man?

"Diggle, he's right. We're not looking for anybody to save us." Oliver sighs.

"Maybe not but you need someone just the same to speak up if things get too crazy. You three are fighting a war. Except you have no idea what war does to you, how it scrapes off little pieces of your soul and you need someone to remind you of who you are, not this thing you're becoming, because I know he won't." He flashes a glare at Slade before shaking Oliver's hand.

"Welcome aboard." Oliver murmurs, releasing Diggle's hand.

Diggle and Slade just share a long glare at one another.

John Diggle and Slade Wilson working together.

It's not going to be a smooth ride! Oliver grimaces just as the door is thrown open.

"You can't just barge in here!" Comes the outraged voice of Walter as several policemen enter the room, all armed and all staring at Oliver, Slade and Diggle.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Quentin whispers as he appears behind the police officers.

"Dad? What the hells going on?" Sara asks quizzically as she puts her phone in her pocket, having hung up upon hearing the commotion out front.

She instantly moves to stand with Oliver and Slade out of habit.

"Go easy on them Hilton, please go easy." Quentin whispers with his eyes shut as he waits for the inevitable.

"What's going on officers? All okay?" Oliver questions calmly.

"No, no. It's not Oliver." Quentin replies as Hilton beckons three police officers over, who move with handcuffs towards Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"Daddy what's happening?" Sara whispers as Quentin shakes his head.

"It's going to be okay, it's all going to be okay." He whispers as Oliver and Slade stand defensively as if preparing for a fight as Hilton steps forth.

"Oliver Queen, Sara Lance, Slade Wilson. You are under arrest due to some recent evidence making you all persons of interest in the case of the vigilantes…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter and to all of you who have followed and favorited, sorry if the chapter wasn't great. I didn't particularly enjoy the actual episode of this one and I found it difficult to add extra stuff in and make it better. Hopefully you all enjoyed it though! Thanks again for reading and for all your lovely reviews, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, see you next update xxxxxxxxx**


	14. Damaged (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 _The rabbit had no chance to even move before its small body was penetrated by an arrow, shot by the man, who's name Sara and Oliver had discovered to be Yao Fei._

 _"Dinner." He points toward the caucus of the rabbit._

 _"For the love of! Hey, I got an idea why don't you let me or Sara shoot that thing and then you can go and pick up the bloody, dead, disgusting animal?" Oliver indicates toward it in great disgust, whilst Sara tries not to start laughing at Oliver's sudden outburst._

 _Yao Fei turns to look at Oliver before holding out his bow._

 _"What?" Oliver looks confused as Yao Fei continues to dangle the bow in his face._

 _"Try!" He commands._

 _"Breathe, everything breathe." He adds as he holds up his bow again._

 _"Breathe, aim, fire!" He instructs before handing the bow to Oliver._

 _"Yeah." He nods as he accepts the bow and arrow from Yao Fei._

 _"Aim, that tree." He commands as Oliver struggles to place the arrow in the bow, looking briefly at Sara for help, yet unfortunately she cannot as she to has no idea how to fire a bow and arrow!_

 _Oliver is silent for a moment whilst he finds the right place for the arrow to go, his hands shaking as he pulls the bow up._

 _"Breathe." Yao Fei says calmly as Oliver raises the bow._

 _"You can do this." Sara whispers to him to encourage him as he aims the arrow._

 _Closing his eyes, he releases it and it flies off into the distance missing every tree it passes!_

 _Yao Fei chuckles in amusement at Oliver's failed attempt before speaking once more in a foreign language._

 _"What does that mean?" Oliver sighs in disappointment at his failure._

 _"You will die badly." He smirks before pointing off into the distance._

 _"You two. Get." He commands as Oliver rolls his eyes before taking Sara's hand and returning the bow to Yao Fei._

 _"He pisses me off." Oliver whispers as he and Sara move out of Yao Fei's hearing range._

 _"I keep thinking that he's going to kill us." Sara mutters as Oliver bends down to get the arrow where it had imbedded itself in a log._

 _"I'm sure if he was going to kill us he would have done that alre…" Oliver is cut off by a swarm of men in black advancing on Sara and Oliver, who tries to push Sara behind him but neither of them are a match for the attackers in black, who handcuff and drag Oliver and Sara through the forest before reaching a hole in the ground covered by a grate._

 _Kicking him hard, the men push both Oliver and Sara into the hole before covering it up, trapping them both there._

 _"Wait! You can't leave us here! Don't do this to us! Please!" Oliver begs as one of the men hits him hard around the head with the butt of his gun._

 _Sara grips tightly onto the bars as Oliver had just done._

 _"Please! We didn't do anything please!"_

 _Starling City_

The press, news reporters and paparazzi swarm the police car as Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson exit it, the three of them cuffed and being pushed toward Starling City's Police Department.

Oliver looks at Sara and Slade as he attempts to ignore the yells from the reporters asking stupid questions like 'what have they done' 'did they do it' crap basically.

Slade in particular looks absolutely livid and appears to be about ready to actually commit murder right here, right now!

The police thing they know who Oliver, Slade and Sara are.

They think that they are the vigilantes.

The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask, terrorizing the city's criminals.

They also think that they have them trapped.

That they have no way out.

They're only half right!

"Please tell me that this is some kind of messed up mistake or something here?" Quentin looks between the threesome sitting in front of himself and Hilton.

"This is a mistake!" Oliver clarifies.

"Now. We'll be asking you a few questions. Standard stuff for the report." Hilton starts as he writes notes down on a piece of paper.

"Have any of you been arrested before?" He asks.

"I think we know the answer to that for Oliver. Plenty of times." Quentin murmurs as he sits beside Hilton.

"It's a mistake! This is all a terrible mistake, you have to believe us daddy." Sara looks to her father with what appears to be fear in her eyes.

"We are not who you guys think we are." Oliver says bluntly.

"Now don't aim that at me Queen. I don't even want to think of this being a possibility. Hilton, this had got to be a mistake some how." Quentin defends them.

"The evidence doesn't lie, you of all people should know that." Hilton sighs as Quentin closes his eyes and places his hand on top of his daughters in an attempt to comfort her.

"What evidence? What are you talking about? Have you gone insane or something?" Oliver cries in exasperation.

"Kid!"

"Oliver!" Both Slade and Quentin say in restraint to Oliver, who flashes Slade a glance.

If there is anyone of them who should be the most pissed off right now, it'd be Slade!

Yet for once, he is actually rather calm.

"The security footage of the three of you from the Unidac Industries auction with hoods, wigs and swords is the evidence we present!" Hilton snaps.

"And as we said again. We ran into the stairwell once we heard the shooting. We saw all this stuff that we thought belonged to the shooter. I grabbed it, looked inside and found all that stuff. The hood, the wig, the mask." Oliver explains for what feels like the umpteenth time.

"And what you took it home with you? Because we can't find it?" Hilton growls.

"Were you three just goofing around or something with the that stuff, playing dress up?" Quentin adds sarcastically as he looks at the three of them.

"Because I cannot think for the life of me why you three would just take the stuff and go and not even turn it into the police! Sara. I raised you better than that, Oliver, I expect it from you and I barely know this guy but out of the three of you he is the one who I thought to be the most responsible so what the hell were you three playing at and what the hell did you do with the stuff?" Quentin yells then.

"Okay, okay. I know it looked suspicious but there's a explanation for that." Sara says in an attempt to calm her dad.

"We're all ears Sara!" Quentin cries desperately, for just anything that will clear up this whole mess and allow everyone to move on from this, what he believes is a crazy notion!

"I'm former Australian Military. ASIS. We came across the stuff in the corridor, like we said and part of that stuff we found and the sword and the mask strongly resembled something that had come up once, long ago, many years before the island. No offense but the police wasn't my first thought at the time." Slade explains as Hilton and Quentin stare at him as if he were insane.

Makes sense though. Quentin thinks to himself as he could picture Slade as being a member of the military before he was evidently stranded on that island for five years.

"Didn't you just say former Australian Military?" Hilton questions.

"I still have my contacts there." He responds.

"Who? Who is your contact?"

Slade's eyes widen in amazement at the stupidity.

"You actually think I'm going to blow the covers of members in ASIS? Not much of a secret service if people know the names of undercover agents now is it?" He rolls his eye.

"Could help in your case. There's not that many records of you around Mr. Wilson."

"Well there wouldn't be in Starling City. He is Australian, if you hadn't noticed." Oliver mutters with deep sarcasm in his voice.

"Oliver." Quentin sighs as Hilton continues to question Slade.

"There is one Slade Wilson mentioned in research that's been done. Australian Military man, not much on that. So you could actually be ASIS for all we know! However, what is particularly curious is the link to a case of the deaths of Joseph Wilson and…"

"Slade! Slade! Slade! It's ok. It's…" Oliver whispers comforting words to the enraged Slade, who is about ready to murder Hilton for his words as both Oliver and Sara take one of his hands each.

There are two things you shouldn't talk about with Slade and his son is one of them!

"Easy. Ease off on them a bit why wouldn't you?" Quentin sighs, looking over at Slade in slight sympathy.

Hilton looks over at Quentin for a moment, realizing he has probably toed the line.

This case is serious though and he'll do anything for answers.

"So what did you do the stuff? Is it in a secret base in Australia?" Hilton questions sarcastically.

"I was about to make contact and organize the stuff to be sent to the professionals, who I knew could deal with that stuff better than could be done here anyway. However, in the morning the stuff was gone. Obviously the vigilantes reclaimed their stuff." Slade explains, whilst trying to keep as calm as he can in the circumstances.

"Or they just packed it away!" Hilton glares at the three of them.

"I commend you for the good story, it's a unusual one but there's not one shred of evidence that proves your stories. I also think it's odd that the three vigilantes appear just when Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson return from an island after five years or being presumed dead!" He continues.

"Here's a thought. What if the vigilantes are setting us up?" Oliver protests.

"And what about harassing Adam Hunt. That just happened to take place right across the street from your homecoming bash?" Hilton changes the subject harshly.

"Coincidences!" Sara shakes her head in disbelief.

"No. When they pile up like that, it becomes evidence." Hilton replies.

"Hilton!" Quentin scolds him for his comment, yet before he can say anything the door bursts open and a police officer enters.

"Sir, Mr. Queens parents are here."

"Tell them to wait." Hilton growls.

"I want to see my son!" Moria Queen's agitated voice arrives as she enters the room.

"We're in the middle of an interrogation here!" Hilton protests.

"This is ridiculous! My son is no vigilante, neither is his girlfriend. I would say though that you got it right with Mr. Wilson. He has harassed myself and my daughter on a few occasions. He's the true villain here. Not my son." She snarls.

"Mom!" Oliver snaps in Slade's defense.

"Don't waist your breath, kid." Slade mutters.

"Whatever evidence you have against my son can be presented to his attorney when he gets here!" Moria adds sharply.

"Until then, this interrogation for Oliver at least is over." Walter adds.

"Sure." Quentin nods as he grabs the files.

"You have fifteen minutes." Hilton adds.

"Well. Can you get rid of these two?" Moria adds.

The two detectives nod simultaneously.

"Come on Sara." Quentin opens the door.

"I would prefer it if she stayed mother." Oliver growls.

Moria glances at her son's determined face, realizing that it would be pointless to argue.

"Fine. But he has to go." She glances at Slade.

"I'd also prefer it if he…"

"S'alright, kid." Slade moves from the table, anxious to get away as soon as possible.

"Alright." Moria starts, yet falters as she sees that Oliver has grabbed Slade's arm.

"Don't think about it, just don't think about it." Oliver murmurs to Slade as he nods.

Moira, Walter and Quentin exchange a confused glance at Oliver's words.

Slade mutters something incoherent to anyone but Oliver and Sara as he pats Oliver's arm.

"Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this, next chapter should be soon I just needed to get the first part done and out, hopefully you all enjoyed it. Please tell me what you think and see you all hopefully next update x**


	15. Damaged (2)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 _Starling City Police Department_

Both Moira and Walter stare at Oliver and Sara, who sit holding hands now as they wait for someone to say something.

"Ok. So basically the police seem to believe that Sara, Slade and I dress up in a hood a wig and a mask and go around stabbing people with swords and shooting people with arrows!" Oliver breaks the rather uncomfortable silence with an awkward laugh.

"These accusations are ridiculous. This will all be over soon." Walter speaks up as Moria shakes her head.

"Oliver, Sara. Please don't be afraid to come clean, he can't hurt you…"

"What?" Sara cuts in abruptly.

"Slade Wilson, whilst you two may have nothing to do with this. He might, just please come clean now so this matter can be sorted…"

"No. Slade's done nothing but protect Oliver and I! And you know what, he's done a hell of a better job protecting us then any of those bodyguards you hired for Oliver! Slade's a hard person, I get that. After five years, we both get that and he's like that because of losses that he has suffered and pain he's had to endure. So please stop attacking our friend!" Sara snaps, giving Moria another piece of her mind yet restrains herself from adding more with far more suggestive language by gripping Oliver's hand tightly.

"I can assure you that Slade's done nothing, just like Sara and I, he's no vigilante and neither are we.." Oliver snaps in anger in response to his mother's words on Slade.

"He already confronted Thea and I on ridiculous matters that he had no right to even speak to us about! If I was to suspect anyone of being one of those vigilantes it would be him!" Moria snaps back.

"That's because at the time the three of us believed that hiring Diggle was pointless and because Thea was a mess and I asked him to talk to her as I couldn't get through to her myself! Because he can be extremely useful when it comes to showing people. This is how it is. I also did it because I didn't want her to get herself killed mother! If you had done your job as a parent I probably wouldn't have had to!" Oliver throws out.

"Let's not start throwing around accusations." Walter holds his hands up in an attempt to keep the peace in the room as Moria turns away from her son in shock at his words.

"Let's just keep calm and neither of you say a word until your attorney gets here." Walter says in a calm manner.

"Fine. We want Laurel." Oliver mutters.

"Oliver, I don't think your ex girlfriend can counted on to be objective here." Moira turns back to face Oliver as both she and Walter look at him as if he'd gone insane at even presenting the notion!

"It makes sense. She's Sara's sister. She knows us better than anyone." Oliver reminds them.

"She also gets along with Slade and both Ollie and I already have noticed the significant shortage of people here who actually do like him!" Sara glares at Walter, particularly Moria as she gives them her opinion.

"No surprise there." Moria mutters under her breath, yet heard by Oliver and Sara and even Walter, who honestly really doesn't have an opinion on Slade Wilson but if his wife's claims about him are genuine he can see why he is greatly disliked.

"She knows that we could never be these people, so mom please." Oliver requests, already knowing that he's going to get what he wants.

 _CNRI_

Moira Queen, after her heated argument with her son and his girlfriend makes her way into the main office of CNRI in search of Laurel Lance, having realized that Oliver, Sara and their friend would have represented themselves if Oliver's demands for Laurel were not met, so after a brief discussion with Walter and Detective Lance, who openly praised Oliver's idea of hiring Laurel. She came to realize that she had no choice but to actually hire Laurel.

"Laurel." She says quietly upon discovering Laurel in the far corner of the room casually reading a large file.

"Mrs. Queen…"

"It's Oliver and Sara. Something's happened." Moria cuts her off calmly.

"I know it's been all over the news and my dad just called me. This is insanity. All of it is!" Laurel shakes her head in disgust.

"Yes, these charges are ludicrous." Moria sighs as Laurel grabs her bag.

"It's ok, you don't have to ask. I'm gonna represent the three of them. I know that's why you're here. I could've saved you the trip as dad wants me to represent them." She says quickly as the two women head for the door.

"Oliver threatened that they would represent themselves if you were not their attorney." Moria grumbles, Laurel stifles a laugh.

"I'm sure he did!" She sighs as they step into the elevator.

The last time she had spoken with Oliver and Sara it had not ended on good terms, not to mention last night when she had broken down in Tommy's arms and finally admitted all the hurt she had felt by Oliver and Sara's betrayal to him.

Yet this is her job as an attorney to represent three innocents and to do her job she honestly needs to put her personal feelings aside for a moment even if they are killing her inside.

 _Starling City Police Department_

When Laurel enters the police department, her eyes scan the room for her sister and what she sees makes her stop for a moment as she sees the three of them, Slade in the middle of Oliver and Sara who both appear to be comforting him about something as Sara has her hand on his arm, just like Oliver does. Laurel can tell they are having a conversation or something and she waits until it ends, which it soon does by Oliver embracing his friend.

"Hey." She makes herself known to the three of them as she walks over to them.

"Thanks for coming Laurel." Walter nods to her as he re enters the room with Moria at his side. Laurel nods before turning to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"It's nice to see you again Slade, shame it's under these circumstances." Laurel smiles as the two shake hands.

"Ok, so the arraignment is set for a couple of hours. Let's go over a few pointers..." Laurel removes a file from her bag, settling herself into work mode.

"Just so you know. We didn't do this." Oliver states.

"Ohh I know that because these vigilantes are actually trying to make a difference. We both know that's not really your style. Sara, Oliver." Laurel says coldly, causing Oliver and Sara to sigh, as it is then obvious to them both that Laurel hasn't forgotten the events that went down between the three of them last time they were in the same room.

"Right. So there will be the question of bail. Please don't make any sarcastic comments during that Oliver. Sarcasm is not appreciated in court." Laurel mutters as both Sara and Oliver look at Slade with smirks, who fixes them both with a glare in response.

"People of the court will be skeptical about bail considering the fact that the Queen's are incredibly wealthy and because of that they may deem the three of you as a flight risk, considering the fact of private jets and then there's also the fact that one of you has citizenship in another country. They may request electronic tagging." Laurel states as automatically the three of them shake their heads in response.

"I thought that would be the reaction, which is why I'm going to offer them a compromise. Don't worry. I've got you guys covered." She reassures them as Quentin walks over.

"It's time." He says quietly as he smiles gratefully at Laurel.

"Thank you for being here sweetie." He hugs her quickly before she requests something.

"I was just talking about bail and the concerns they are going to have and I wondered, considering this is Sara wrapped up in all this and also there's the fact that neither of them appear to want to spend anytime apart! That you could keep the three of them on guard so they don't have to be subjected to electronic tagging or being held in prison." Laurel asks as Quentin nods in agreement.

"Of course, I wasn't going to let Sara out my sight anyway if bail was granted, I don't mind watching Oliver and Slade as well."

"Can we do that at my place? I've got something planned." Oliver questions.

"As long as those plans are legal. I don't see why not." Quentin murmurs, obviously not entirely on board with that, but he really doesn't want to start an argument with his daughter will all what's going on.

"Great! Okay. This is all going to be fine." Laurel smiles warmly before adding.

"It'll be over before you know it!"

 _Starling City Supreme Court_

"Docket ending 1941. People verses Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson. Murder, aggravated assault, assault with intent, menacing and trespassing." The man reads out as a group of policemen escort Oliver, Sara and Slade to the defendants side of the courtroom whilst Moira, Thea, Walter, Quentin and Tommy watch nervously from the audience as members of the press snap photos annoyingly.

"How do you plead?" The judge questions, beginning the arraignment.

"The defends plead innocent your honor." Laurel stands up confidently.

"Your honor, Mr. Queen's family owns a pair of private jets and while on the subject of their wealth. I would point out that there is virtually no bail amount that could guarantee their presence at trial." The opposition speaks up.

"So I guess it's a good thing that the people's case is so circumstantial. Mr. Queens wealth should not deprive him or Miss Lance and Mr. Wilson the right to be released on bail while under the presumption of innocence." Laurel speaks up for them.

"They are flight risks…"

"Then we minimize the risks. The defendants have agreed to home confinement and my father Detective Quentin Lance has agreed to guard them and make sure they stay in his sights and on Mr. Queen's property." Laurel folds her arms.

"Second that!" Quentin calls from the audience.

"Sold." The judge nods without any complaint.

"Bail is set at fifteen million dollars. Five million dollars bond." She bangs the gravel.

The arraignment is over.

 _Queen Mansion_

"Thank god that bits over." Oliver mutters as he crosses the threshold.

"And now I've got to keep an eye on the three of you. This should be fun." Quentin smirks as he follows them in.

"I managed to put up with his whining for five years, I'm sure you'll manage in this short amount of time." Slade mutters as Oliver hits the sofa, pulling Sara down next to him, Slade quickly taking the other seat beside Oliver before Tommy can.

"Mom. It's not that bad." Oliver says calmly to his rather frazzled mother who hasn't done anything but rant the whole way home.

She just closes her eyes and turns away from them in response.

"So what was that plan of yours you mentioned earlier Queen?" Quentin questions as he looks boredly through a magazine left haphazardly on the coffee table.

"Ahh yes I'm having a sizable get together here tomorrow evening." Oliver reveals causing Tommy to raise his eyebrow, Moria to turn around and Slade to look furious and begin plotting Oliver's brutal end!

"A sizable get together?" Moria questions as calmly as she can.

"Ohh come on we're confined to this house for the foreseeable future. We might as well make the most of it!" Oliver smirks before turning to Tommy.

"And this part is going to be themed. I'm thinking… Prison? Burning Man meets Shawshank Redemption. The invite says, come before Oliver Queen gets off!" Oliver decides as everyone rolls their eyes.

"Wonderful idea Queen." Quentin mutters sarcastically.

"I'm there with you on that one." Slade murmurs in agreement.

"Sounds like fun, what better way to go out then go out with a bang." Sara shrugs her shoulders as everyone looks at her.

"What? What happens if we do get charged for this?" Sara looks at the others.

"Let's not go there right now. This is going to be resolved one way or another. Let's try to think positive. Yet not this kind of positive Queen." Quentin sighs.

"Maybe a party's not in the best of taste. You know considering the circumstances." Tommy puts in, causing him to receive many grateful looks from Quentin, Moira, Walter and even Slade! (Not that he'd admit to being grateful to words said by Tommy Merlyn of course!)

"Tommy the circumstances are why we're having the party in the first place. I want people to know that we're not worried about any of this." Oliver sighs.

"Well that makes one of us." Moria says quietly as she and Walter leave the room.

"Hey, do you mind if Sara, Slade and I go up to my room. We're exhausted and we need someplace to plan the party." Oliver questions Quentin who nods.

"Fine. I'll be down here, don't do anything stupid like try to leave the house or go out through the window. I have a cop car outside the gates." He warns them as they head for the door.

"We won't. Bye daddy." Sara smiles as she follows Oliver and Slade to the door.

Tommy, however, grabs Oliver's arm before he follows Sara and Slade up there stairs.

"Do you have a minute buddy?" Tommy asks softly. Oliver nods.

"You two go on ahead, I'll be up in a minute." He calls to Sara and Slade before turning to face Tommy.

"What's up?" Oliver asks innocently.

"It's Laurel." Tommy starts quietly.

"What about her?" Oliver asks.

"After that fiasco with Iron Heights yesterday. I went over to see if she was alright and when I did I spent the whole night comforting her whilst she broke down about all the crap that went on between you and Sara and everything during the five years." Tommy reveals.

Oliver closes his eyes briefly before Tommy continues to talk.

"I have never seen her so lost, so broken since the night we learnt that you and Sara were gone, since your funerals. Oliver. You and Sara need to talk to her and sort out these differences you have because I never want to see her like that again. Please, buddy for me. Talk to her." Tommy begs out of his feelings toward Laurel.

"Of course we will." Oliver nods as he and Tommy embrace.

"Can't wait for that party!" Tommy grins as he heads for the door.

Sighing, Oliver takes to the stairs, finding that Sara and Slade have been waiting around the corner, probably listening to the whole thing.

"We'll talk to her Ollie. We have to." Sara agrees as she takes his hand in hers, her eyes wet with small tears from hearing the sad truth about Laurel.

"Yet now we are going to discuss, kid what in gods name possessed you to come up with an idea to throw a party as our cover!" Slade growls as they enter Oliver's bedroom.

"Slade I've got it all planned out its gonna be fine!" Oliver sighs from his desk as Slade glares at him.

"The first party was a monstrosity! What happened to leaving me out of any future ones you had planned, kid?" Slade growls as Oliver looks through the notebook whilst Sara lounges on Oliver's bed boredly.

"I've taken that into consideration, don't worry. I've got it covered if you'd just give me a moment to explain I will do." Oliver smiles.

"You did explain it but now suddenly you had to throw in a get together! This is why I should make the executive decisions when we are faced with a crisis like this!" Slade comments.

"I thought it would look good. I'm still Oliver Queen remember, people expect this kind of thing from me. It would be unusual for me not to react in this way. To be honest I'd much prefer your input on plots like this as you are the master after all. Especially after what you came up with today. I never would have convinced them if you hadn't have been there." Oliver points out calmly as Slade smirks yet rolls his eye at him, understanding his point, yet still not thrilled in the slightest by Oliver's notion.

"Yeah. You did good Slade, my dad believed you anyway. I'm sure he did." Sara smiles warmly over at Slade before adding.

"I'm just so sorry that Hilton had to throw that at you." Oliver adds.

"It's ok. I should have expected it." He mutters quietly before adding.

"Look, I'm in a bad mood enough as it is today, kid. Your idea of a get together is just gonna make that worse!" Slade grumbles just as a knocking sound is heard.

"Yeah!" Oliver calls, the three of them expecting it to be Quentin.

However, it is instead a John Diggle.

"Thank you for coming." Oliver smiles.

"Shut the door." Slade grumbles as Diggle complies, with a glare aimed at Slade, who contemplates Diggle's murder, but in the end decides to sit in the window seat in an attempt to relax ever so slightly.

"Guess it was just a matter of time before the police caught up with the three of you." Diggle comments as Slade glares at him.

"Watch it." He mutters as Sara shakes her head.

"They didn't." She replies.

"Sara, Oliver, they got the three of you in video…"

"We knew the security camera was there." Oliver reveals to Diggle's shock.

"What?" Diggle gasps in amazement, shock and confusion.

"You're only realizing this now?" Slade mutters his voice heavily laced with sarcasm as Diggle continues to look all but open mouthed at them.

"We knew the police would review the footage and arrest us." Oliver adds.

"All part of the plan." Slade chimes in boredly.

"So you three wanted to get arrested?" Diggle questions when he can find the words.

"We returned to Starling City and a few days later three vigilantes appeared. Sooner or later some bright spot was gonna make the connection." Slade mutters in explanation.

"So what part of serving yourselves up to the cops will help you three avoid going to prison for the rest of your lives?" Diggle questions harshly.

"There's more to it then that." Oliver adds.

"I think it's safe to say you're stupider than Oliver used to be." Slade sums up before shutting his eyes and shifting so he's facing the window.

"Why don't you come over here and say that?" Diggle snaps.

"Slade. Diggle. Please Slade's had a rough day already he will actually kill you." Oliver warns.

"Don't tempt me, kid." Slade grumbles from the window as Sara sighs and buries her head into a pillow.

"You pair have got to start working together." She murmurs, muffled by the pillow.

"Well there better be more to it for yours and Sara's sake." Diggle changes the subject, making sure not to include Slade.

"Because your family and Sara's father is freaking out downstairs. Oliver your mother and your sister just got you back, Sara, your father and your sister and now you're going to put them through a trial? Maybe even worse? Don't you care? Is this all his wonderful idea?" Diggle flashes another glare at Slade's form.

"Of course we care. The mission comes first." Sara puts sharply as Oliver twists the laptop around so that Diggle can see it.

"Who's he?" Diggle asks as the picture of a man along with a news article.

"Leo Mueller. German arms dealer suspected in the theft of one hundred M249 Squad Automatic Weapons." Oliver explains.

"Ok." Diggle clasps his hands together.

"Last night he arrived in Starling City to sell the guns." Sara adds.

"Don't you three imagine that there's enough trouble you three are in this week than to go after this guy?" Diggle warns cautiously.

"We imagine what would happen if a street gang got their hands in military grand hardware. We imagine our city's, streets turned into a war zone." Oliver folds his arms.

"But the three of you are under house arrest Oliver, Detective Lance and a bunch of other officers are on the property which means you three can't just go after this guy!" Diggle exclaims as Oliver stares at him.

"Look, for now I would just like you to shadow Mueller. We would like you to track his movements. We want to know where the buy is happening. Let us worry about the rest. Also and you didn't here this from me, there's ways out of this property that not even the police are aware of!" Oliver adds with a smirk.

"Ok." Diggle agrees without hesitation.

"And how am I supposed to track him?"

"Well you know us vigilantes. We do love our toys!"

 _The Foundry_

Flicking a switch, the room illuminates as Diggle looks in awe at the what lies in front of him.

"Wow." He whispers as he walks around to find the things, Oliver and Sara had instructed.

Walking around the room, he eyes all the equipment.

The batons that must belong to Sara.

The swords, the very impressive swords, Diggle adds. He believes are Slade's.

He may hate the man but he's got some pretty cool sword collection going on!

Finally the arrows. Oliver's. He thinks as he walks over to them, curiosity making him touch the tip of an arrow, wincing in pain at its sharpness.

However, he's not here for their personal equipment. He reminds himself as she moves towards a box sitting beside the computers.

"Ooh!" He reacts as his eyes widen upon seeing the boxes content, picking up one of the small, bleeping circular devices.

"Now that's sweet!"

 _Queen Consolidated_

"You wanted to see me, sir?" A man asks. Head of security at Queen Consolidated, as he enters Walter's office.

"No, I didn't. In fact this meeting isn't taking place." He reveals as he points toward his desk.

"How long have you been head of security at Queen Consolidated Josiah?" He asks as both men take their seats.

"Going on seven years now sir." He replies.

"Sounds about right. But what I'm about to tell you will test the boundaries of your discretion." Walter winces before continuing.

"You're aware of the Queen's Gambit? Robert Queen's ill fated yacht?" The man nods in response to Walters questions.

"I found it." He reveals.

"Sir, the boat went down in the North China Sea five years ago…"

"Which is why my discovery of its remains in a warehouse downtown was unexpected to say the least. I want you to transfer those remains to a secure location. Can I count on you?" Walter requests politely.

"What's going on, sir?" Josiah responds after a moment of brief silence and hesitation.

"That's very much what I'm trying to determine."

 _Queen Mansion_

"He always looks so peaceful when he's asleep." Sara comments from beside Oliver as they both gaze over at the sleeping Slade in the window seat.

"Then he wakes up and the peace is destroyed." Oliver says with a small chuckle before kissing Sara gently.

"I can't remember the last time he slept during the day. Other then that winter when he got sick." Sara says, shuddering at the memory.

"That was rough." Oliver remembers.

"It was his stubbornness that made it get that bad." Sara reminds him.

"Yeah, he just kept ignoring it and ignoring it, kept continuing the way he was until he passed out!" Oliver rolls his eyes at the sleeping form of Slade.

"If I wasn't worried about him. I actually could have beaten him in that fight." Oliver sighs at the memory as Sara laughs.

"It would have gone down in history. The first fight Oliver Queen won against Slade Wilson!"

"Don't make me regret it!" Oliver grins as he pulls Sara closer.

"Well if he ever gets sick again, you're taking care of him by yourself and I'm going to go and do something with my sister!" Sara smirks.

"Your sister, who we need to talk to." Oliver murmurs as Sara nods.

"We'll do it together, yeah?" She looks up at Oliver.

"Together." He replies as they share a kiss.

"I'm sure Slade's fine. It's just probably because of earlier." Oliver sighs as he breaks from the kiss to change the subject.

"They shouldn't have brought that up." Sara shakes her head.

"They're trying to get us to crack. It's not going to work." Oliver mutters.

"Luckily they don't know about her. Slade definitely would have snapped then." Sara winces at the very thought.

"To be honest, we all would have reacted badly if they had known of her." Oliver closes his eyes as a devastating memory washes over him.

A memory of arrows, impossible choices, sanity stealing toxins and blood washing over him.

A sudden knock on the door pulls Oliver out of his thoughts as Slade stirs and mutters out varied curses as Quentin peeps his head around the door.

"You three need to come with me back down to the precinct. The opposition wants to discuss a deal…"

 _Later At Starling City's Police Department_

Quentin quietly leads Oliver, Sara, Slade and Laurel to one of the interrogation rooms, which holds Hilton and the woman on the opposition who had spoken at the arraignment.

The five of them enter quietly before taking seats.

Quentin beside Hilton and Sara, Oliver and Slade as close to each other as they can get with Laurel on Sara's side.

"Thank you all for coming." The women speaks up first.

"No. Thank you. It's nice to get out of the house." Oliver says with a smirk.

"I'll cut right to it. Miss Lance, your clients were arrested without consulting my office first." She shoots a glare at Hilton and Quentin, who looks away.

"So congratulations, I am willing to consider a plea in this case." She reveals causing Oliver, Sara and Slade to look up at her.

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance and Mr. Wilson spent five years in seclusion in a deserted island cut off from civilization. It is quite possible that they are suffering from some form of post traumatic stress. Given that, we would support a plea of insanity, conditional on a period of indeterminate incarceration at a psychiatric facility."

"We'd rather not." Oliver speaks out before gripping Slade's arm in restraint, who looks about ready to kill someone!

"We're not crazy." Sara adds in horror, looking over at her father who simply closes his eyes and takes his daughters hand in comfort.

"They're not crazy, they're just killing machines." Hilton grumbles from the corner, in complete disbelief at what's he's hearing.

"We're neither." Slade growls in a low voice.

"We'll take polygraphs!" Oliver says quickly before Slade can say anything else, that Oliver is slightly worried could incriminate them with the dangerous mood he appears to be in.

"No!" Quentin shouts as Laurel leans over to them.

"Polygraphs are inadmissible." She reminds them.

"They'd prove our innocence and they would prove that what the stuff we've been telling you isn't a load of crap." Oliver shrugs his shoulders as Sara nods.

"And if some of the stuff you've been saying is true and he is Australian Military would it honestly work on someone like him?" Hilton flashes a glare at Slade.

"I think we're going to need a minute!" Laurel breaks through the argument before Slade can retort with something in response to that comment!

Not arguing with Laurel. Spencer, Hilton and Quentin leave the room as she slams it shut behind them before turning to Oliver, Slade and Sara, anger in her eyes.

"You three are looking at life in prison. What Spencer just offered the three of you is a gift!"

"We're not crazy. We are innocent!" Oliver all but snaps.

"You want us to get locked up in a nuthouse?" Sara adds.

"Of course I don't but it is a better alternative then going to prison for the rest of your life Sara!" Laurel cries.

"Look, Laurel, the three of us will just take the polygraph and if we take it and we fail, then. We will consider making a deal." Oliver folds his arms.

"I'd rather go back to the island than do such a thing." Slade mutters under his breath so that Laurel cannot hear him. Oliver can, and in fact agrees with him!

"We're innocent Laurel. We're gonna take it and pass it with flying colors because we're innocent. Why would we agree to take one if we were not?" Sara queries.

"Fine! I'll set up the poly and I will tell Spencer that we're not pleading out but Oliver, Sara. You have a family, friends. People who actually care about the two of you. So don't for one second think that you two are the only people here with something to lose here!" She snaps at them both before turning to the door.

"I'll be right back." She mutters before storming out leaving the three of them alone once more alone with there thoughts and painful memories.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading. Next chapter should hopeful be posted soon as I have already started work on it :) Thank you all for your lovely reviews and for following and favoriting see you all next update.**


	16. Damaged (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

 _Both Oliver and Sara, having been trapped in that hole underground are soon removed and dragged forcibly across the forest floor until they reach a camp of some sorts, both Sara and Oliver think to themselves as more men in the same uniforms pass them in larger quantities._

 _Both with their hands cuffed, are dragged through the camp._

 _A military camp or something, Sara wonders to herself as she and Oliver and pushed into a tent, where inside sitting at a table is a man._

 _On that table is one glass and one can of soda._

 _They are shoved towards a wooden pole._

 _"Please, sit." The man speaks up for the first time._

 _"You're making me feel rude."_

 _Moving slowly, keeping close to one another's sides Oliver and Sara sit down exhaustedly._

 _Both of them groaning as the pain in their various wounds as they sit._

 _"I do apologize for my men's treatment of the two of you." He says as he opens the can and pours the soda into a glass for himself, whilst both Oliver and Sara's mouths water at the sight of something as mundane as soda._

 _"They're. They're trained to view any strangers as hostile. I'm Edward Fyers, by the way." He introduces himself to them._

 _"And you two are?"_

 _"I'm Oliver Queen and this is my girlfriend Sara Lance." He murmurs after a moment of silence and looking over at Sara, who had nodded in agreement._

 _"We were shipwrecked here. We don't know for how long." Sara whispers quietly, looking over at Oliver for him to add something. Anything as these new people scare her greatly._

 _"My family. My family has money. They have lots of money. You would be. You would be really well compensated for mine and Sara's rescue." Oliver says, Sara backing Oliver up by nodding quickly, in a hopes that the man in front of them will accept a generous sum of money and ensure they get back home as quickly as possible._

 _That's not what happens._

 _"Well. I look forward to that. But for the moment let's just talk." He says plainly._

 _"About what?" Sara whispers._

 _"Well, for instance. This gentleman." Fyers says as he leans back and retrieves a photo, which he then holds in front of Sara and Oliver._

 _A picture of Yao Fei. Except he's in an army uniform._

 _"Do either of you know him?" He asks._

 _"No." Both Oliver and Sara say simultaneously._

 _"No?" Fyers asks again._

 _"No." Sara reaffirms._

 _"Never seen him before in our lives." Oliver says quickly._

 _"Who's he?" Sara adds._

 _"You two are poor liars." He responds, seeing through their bullshit instantly before throwing the photo onto the desk._

 _"I've been polite. I'll offer you both one more chance before my manners leave me." He warns them in a threatening, dangerous manner._

 _"Hey, hey, we don't know this guy." Oliver leans forward._

 _"We thought it was just the two of us on this island." Sara cries._

 _"Do you know what this island is named?" He cuts her off suddenly as they both shake their heads in response to his question, which both of them come to believe was a rhetorical one._

 _"We're on Lian Yu. Mandarin for purgatory and I can make it feel like hell." He snaps as he rises to his feet, glass in hand._

 _"I don't know why you two are protecting him." He snips as he moves past them both._

 _"You're both young and foolish. Perhaps you don't know why either." He adds as Oliver and Sara remain silent._

 _"Think on that when you're both begging for death." He snarls before leaving the tent._

 _"They're yours now!" He shouts to a person from outside of the tent as both Oliver and Sara turn around, shaking in fear as a heavily armed man wearing a black and white face mask enters the tent before advancing on both he and Sara…_

 _Queen Mansion_

Thea Queen sits alone, whilst people mill about around her, organizing crap for Oliver's party! Looking at the rock Oliver had given her in her hands whilst trying to distract herself from her disturbed thoughts.

"Hey, sweetie, one of the workers left a keg too far from the bar. Can you ask them to move it, please?" Oliver asks, disrupting her chain of thoughts as she looks up at him.

"I'd do it myself but Slade and Sara need a hand with something inside and I said I'd only be a minute!" He calls back toward the mansion from where Slade is glaring at him for leaving him and Sara with a job to do to help organize the party as Oliver had decided that even if Slade wants to kill him for making him help with the preparations at least he's distracted from earlier!

However, Thea just looks at Oliver sadly before looking down at her feet.

Oliver notices her sad expression and sighs before moving from the entrance to the door to sit beside her on the other sun lounger.

"Hey, all this stuff. It's going to be fine. I promise." He says in an attempt to reassure her.

"Yeah well when you and dad left on the yacht, you promised me that I'd see you in a few days, which didn't happen."

"This is different than that." Oliver cuts her off.

"I didn't do anything of this stuff…"

"What about him though? Did he do this stuff and force you and Sara to go along with it?" Thea mutters with the same attitude as Moira had, had.

"Thea. I didn't do any of this stuff and neither did Slade or Sara for that matter. You know that, right?" He questions.

"What am I supposed to think Ollie! You three are out all the time. You have those scars and since you've been back you've never left their sides and have been acting really weird and as much as I'd like to blame all of this on your friend Slade. I think a small bit of this comes from you as well." She mutters as Oliver takes her hand.

"None of this makes me some Robin Hood wannabe though."

"You gave me this." She holds up the stone abruptly.

"I mean it's an arrowhead!" She cries as Oliver starts to smile.

"Oh man! Thea I brought that in the gift shop of the Beijing airport." He lies as Thea stares at him in surprise, yet finds that she believes his words as she glares at him and stares off into the distance, anywhere but at Oliver.

"Now. I'm sort of happy I didn't listen to Sara and buy you the shot glass with the panda on it, because then you'd be worried I was Panda Man!" He says with a smirk as Thea to smiles.

"You know, I knew you and Sara couldn't be these people. I just. I can't lose you again." She admits as Oliver nods with a smile.

"Deal."

 _Meanwhile In Starling City_

Moira Queen enters the office of the man she had talked with in the car the other day as he had called her for a short meeting only an hour ago.

"Moira. Thank you for coming on such short notice." He says as he signs a couple of documents on his desk.

"Could you please make this quick? I'm in the midst of somewhat of a family emergency."

"Yes of course." He cuts her off as she sits down opposite him.

"It's all over the local news, possibly even national." He replies with a small laugh.

"Well, I know what you're thinking." Moira mutters.

"Do you?"

"My son and his girlfriend are not the people targeting the list. The charges against Oliver and Sara are preposterous! However, I'm more than willing to bet that Mr. Wilson has something to do with this." She says firmly.

He closes his eyes before leaning over the desk, in a somewhat manner of rage.

"If that is what you truly believe then something needs to be done about that."

 _Starling City's Police Department_

"Is your name Oliver Queen?" Hilton asks sharply to Oliver as they are in the midst of the polygraph.

The only people in the room are himself, Hilton, the man operating the lie detector and Laurel, whom keeps going in between rooms to be with each of her clients as they take the lie detector test.

"You don't know who I am?" Oliver replies sarcastically, wondering to himself momentarily about how Sara and Slade are responding to these questions and if Slade has threatened death to anyone yet!

"The questions are to calibrate the polygraph." Hilton mutters.

"Is your name Oliver Queen!" He snaps.

"Yes." Oliver replies calmly.

"Were you born in Starling City, May 16th, 1985?"

"Yes."

"Is your hair blue?" He adds on at the end.

"No." Oliver replies.

"Ever been to Iron Heights prison?" Hilton asks.

"No." Oliver sighs as Hilton picks up the picture of The Man In The Hood off the desk.

"Are you the man in this picture?"

 _The man took no haste to quickly tie Oliver and Sara up, placing their hands above their heads and tying them to the pole._

 _"Where can I find the man in this picture?" Fyers asks, holding out the picture of Yao Fei for both Oliver and Sara to see..._

"No." Oliver responds to the question with ease as Hilton puts down the picture and glares at the man administering the test, who gives a simple nod.

"You steal forty million dollars off Adam Hunt?"

"No I didn't." Oliver sighs.

"Were you marooned on an island called Lian Yu for five years with Sara Lance and Slade Wilson?" Hilton questions as Laurel renters the room.

"How is that relevant?" She folds her arms.

"I don't need to show relevance, but since you ask, whatever happened to your clients on that island turned them into cold blooded killers!"

 _Fryers takes the photo away as the man in the black and white mask steps forward, a knife in hand before suddenly stabbing Oliver with it, causing him to scream out in pain._

 _"No! No please stop!" Sara pleads as Oliver continues to scream in pain._

 _The man in the mask removes the knife from Oliver, who tries to get his breath back and instead begins to advance on Sara._

 _"No, no, no. Not her, please not her. Do anything you want to me but not her no. No!" Oliver cries breathlessly from the pain as the man repeats the action yet on Sara instead and it isn't long before the sounds of her agonizing screams of pain fill the air…_

"The physician that examined you reported that twenty percent of your body is covered in scar tissue…" Hilton continues to yell.

 _After moving away from the heavily bleeding and sobbing Sara, who goes limp against the pole the man moves back towards Oliver._

 _"Sara! Sara look at me! Look at me Sara." Oliver cries her name in an attempt to keep her from passing out from the agony, yet is cut off by his own screams as the man slides the knife across him once more…_

"The machine won't work unless you asks a question." Laurel's voice pulls Oliver out of his sudden flashback.

"Did that happen to you there?" He questions.

"Yes." Oliver replies.

"When you came back you told everyone that it was only you, Sara and Slade that were on that island. Are you claiming that your scars were self inflicted? Your ASIS friend do all that to you?" He asks as Laurel looks at him in worry.

"No. It wasn't just us." Oliver admits before adding.

"We didn't want to talk about what happened to us on the island."

"Why not?" Hilton presses.

"Because the people that were there tortured us." He responds truthfully causing Laurel to bury her head in her hands at the thought of Oliver and Sara being tortured.

A brief moment of silence passes as Oliver looks down at the desk as he remembers all the torture, every blow that he, Sara and Slade faced.

The pain they had endured.

"Are we done?" He questions quietly, wanting to find Sara and Slade, the memories building up in his mind.

"Off you go." Hilton murmurs as Oliver removes the equipment attached to him and heads out of the door, Laurel waiting behind with Hilton.

Both of them looking at the guy controlling the equipment.

"I'd have to study the data, but just eyeballing it, he's telling the truth." The guy responds.

Hilton hums to himself as Laurel gets to her feet.

"Can I assume that you'll be recommending Miss Spencer to drop all charges against my clients?" Laurel questions.

"No. I know a guilty man when I see one and neither of us know what the results were from Miss Lance and Mr. Wilson."

"Well from what I witnessed they were going pretty much the same as Oliver's!" Laurel snaps as she heads for the door to find her father and sister.

"We'll see, Ms. Lance, we'll see."

After leaving the interrogation room, Oliver waits nervously in the corridor pacing back and forth he sees that neither Sara or Slade are waiting outside.

However, his worries begin to thaw when Sara exits a room followed by Quentin.

Oliver makes no haste to run across the room to embrace her tightly as she buries her face into his chest and closes her eyes whilst holding onto him for dear life.

"I knew you were telling the truth sweetie." Quentin smiles reassuringly as like Oliver, Sara had also passed the test with flying colors.

"Oliver did as well but Hilton won't be convinced, I don't think until all three of them are in the clear. Even then he still is so wrapped up with that whole camera thing." Laurel says from behind Oliver and Sara.

"It also doesn't help that he thinks their friend can trick the polygraph due to his apparent experience in the Australian Military!" Quentin murmurs, rolling his eyes as another door opens and Slade appears.

"Let me guess. He passed to?" Quentin questions the officer and tech guy exiting the room behind Slade.

"Flying colors. We'd have to review the data of course, but it looked pretty clear to me." The tech guy nods before leaving.

Oliver breaks away from Sara to put a reassuring hand on Slade's arm.

The three of them exchanging a glance, a glance that Laurel notices yet only makes her think of one thing, the words spoken by Oliver that will haunt her for days to come.

They spent five years together on an island and during that time.

They were tortured on that island.

 _Queen Mansion_

The party is in full swing, loud club music is playing, courtesy of a DJ Tommy knows and people are raving and getting drunk.

Basically, it's a typical Oliver Queen party night!

With a smirk on his face Oliver enters the room wearing a jacket with a prison number sewn upon in, much like Sara who walks in beside him, Slade following them, definitely not in any sort of costume! And feeling rather pissed of that he has had to be dragged to, yet again another social event caused by Oliver!

Jumping onto a raised platform, Oliver and Sara address the crowd, signaling to the DJ to cut the music to allow them to speak.

"Hi everybody!" Oliver calls as he and Sara smile at the crowd, playing their parts well.

"I'm gonna kill him." Slade grumbles as Quentin appears beside him.

"You and me both!" He mutters, less then pleased himself at having to be at this party, just so he can keep a close eye on Slade, Sara and Oliver!

"At least the only thing I had to put up from him on the island was his occasional whining!" Slade mutters under his breath as he grabs himself a drink to help him get through this hell Oliver has created!

"We're very touched that you came to celebrate with me, my girlfriend and my friend before we are sent up the river." The crowd moans at Oliver's words, who adds.

"The closest neighbors are six miles away. So don't worry about the noise." He laughs before turning to Sara a moment to steal a kiss.

"Actually on second thought, let's wake those losers up!" He cheers as the party resumes.

Jumping down from the platform he and Sara eye Diggle awaiting them.

"If you think this is what prison is like you are in for a rude awakening!"

The three of them manage to sneak away from the party to go to Oliver's bedroom. It isn't long before Slade joins them and after his arrival they lock the door.

"I'm sorry about all that." Oliver says as Slade enters.

"You can make it up to me by excelling in our next sparring sessions, kid." He grumbles as Oliver holds out his phone to Diggle.

"Mueller's car has been parked in the warehouse district of the Glades for forty five minutes." Oliver explains.

"Yeah, that's a good place for an arms deal." Diggle comments as he turns to face the three of them.

"Ok, since it's going out tonight, what do we do? Drop a dime on Mueller with the cops?" He questions with his arms folded.

"No. The Man In The Hood And The Man In The Mask. They're going to stop them." Oliver reveals, causing Slade to give him a half smile.

Anything to get away from this god awful party!

"Oliver, you Slade and Sara can't leave the house, Detective Lance is watching you guys like a hawk. There are cops outside the drive!" Diggle protests in shock at Oliver's suggestion.

"It doesn't have to be me in the hood." Oliver reveals.

Diggle closes his eyes for a moment as it all dawns on him.

"That's why you threw this ridiculous party!" He mutters as Slade smirks at Oliver.

Now this is a much better than some ludicrous party! Slade thinks to himself.

"So you have one hundred witnesses playing the three of you here at the house while I'm supposed to be across town dressed as a vigilante! But you know what Oliver it's not going to work as there's three of you!" Diggle protests.

"Yes and that's why you're taking Slade with you." Oliver sighs.

"You won't be able to pull this off." Diggle shakes his head.

"There are ways out of this place only I know about and Slade's absence won't be noticed here. We've got it covered." Oliver assures him.

"I thought that it was going to be good enough just for you to be seen in the Slade's uniform…" Oliver reveals to Diggle.

"What. No he's not going anywhere near my uniform!" Slade snarls.

"For once, I agree with the man. If he's coming with me why can't he wear his own uniform. I thought you wanted me to wear the hood?" Diggle questions, for once he and Slade being on the same page.

"For personal reasons Diggle. There's only one other person than myself who can wear the hood. That person is Slade, which is why he's going with you. Slade. Diggle impersonates The Man In The Mask and you wear the hood..."

"No. No, no, kid. I. I can't." Slade says quickly as he backs away to the wall causing Diggle to looks up in surprise at Slade's reaction.

His cold, hard, almost emotionless façade beginning to slowly crack at Oliver's suggestion.

"Slade. You are the only other person who can wear that hood besides me…"

"Oliver! No! I'll go on the mission. I'll do that with pleasure but in my own uniform." He yells at Oliver whilst running his hands through his hair nervously.

Causing Diggle to wonder what the hell is going on?

"She would have wanted it to be you Slade. If you don't want to do this for me, please do it for her. She wouldn't have wanted him in the hood because she probably would have had the same opinion on him as you!" Oliver says to Slade with a smirk, who's mouth twitches into some kind of small smile at the thought.

"Fine." He mutters as Sara pats his arm in comfort.

"It'll be ok." She reassures him as Oliver nods.

"Yeah, you'll be great. The performance has to be genuine after all and I know you can fire a bow and arrow." Oliver says to his friend in reassurance.

"Now I've just got to deal with working with him!" Slade mutters, glaring at Diggle.

Oliver and Sara smile at one another.

"This plan is still ludicrous." Diggle murmurs.

"Look. I didn't count on Mueller showing up and we didn't count on the possibility that the Glades could be flooded with machine guns!" Oliver snaps in frustration as Diggle continues to glare at him.

"Look, I promise it was never my intention to put you in harms way. Just follow Slade's lead and you'll be fine." Oliver says as Slade mutters something almost unintelligible.

"Oliver, I didn't think joining in with you guys crusade was ever going to be risk free. I just don't like being played. Now, you might have gotten used to lying to everyone else in your life but those two, but I'm the other guy you don't lie to." Diggle snaps.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Oliver says, causing Slade to raise his eyebrow in response as Diggle walks past them.

"So are we going to jail?" Sara calls.

"No, man. I've got to stop an arms deal." He says with a smirk as he exits the room, Slade disappearing with him, leaving only Sara and Oliver in the room.

 _Queen Consolidated_

The phone begins to ring, startling Walter out of his thoughts as he accepts the call.

"Hello?" He says confidently.

"Mr. Steele. I'm sorry to bother you, sir. This is Mike Vogel done in security. I have some sad news for you." The man in the phone says in a somber tone.

"The company's head of security, Josiah Hudson, was in a car accident tonight. He's dead, sir." The man reveals to Walter, who all but drops the phone in horror.

 _Meanwhile At Queen Mansion_

After Slade's message informing Oliver and Sara that he managed to escape the property and is now on his way to The Foundry, via a disposable phone. Oliver and Sara decide to rejoin the party. Oliver grabbing both him and Sara a drink just as Sara grabs his arm tightly to get his attention.

Both of them turning around to face the door which Laurel had just entered from.

"Hello." Oliver smiles as he walks over to her.

"Do we have a legal meeting or something because I have friends over." He says, smirking.

"Do you think maybe you can tear yourselves away from this inappropriately themed rave for a couple of minutes?" Laurel requests as both Oliver and Sara nod.

"Yeah, sure. Let us just go tell your dad and Slade first where we're going." Oliver smiles as he leads Sara through the mass of people partying.

"Hey!" Tommy's voice calls them from the midst of the room, approaching them, wearing an eyepatch.

Slade's eyepatch to be precise!

"Look what I found on the table in there!" Tommy grins playfully.

"Tommy if Slade caught you in that he would kill you." Oliver replies with a knowing smirk.

"Only if he finds me first! But right now I'm continuously grumpy and moody. I have a stick up my arse and I always look like I'm about to commit a murder or steal Tommy Merlyn's best friend!" Tommy laughs whilst doing a poor impersonation of Slade's accent.

"Ok. I'm going to tell my dad that Laurel wants a word with us." Sara rolls her eyes at Tommy before moving to find her dad, who is waiting at the back of the room watching from a distance as Sara approaches him, leaving behind Oliver who has his back turned to him just like 'Slade' does…

 _The Foundry_

Diggle and Slade enter The Foundry in silence, which they decide is the best option considering the fact that they probably would start attacking each other if any words were shared! Yet Diggle feels particularly brave today.

"What was the plan to explain your absence?" He breaks the silence.

"An idiot." Slade replies shortly, referring to Tommy Merlyn as he crosses the room to get to the uniforms, looking sadly at the hood.

Memories, painful memories hitting him as his fingers trail over it.

"Well we better get going then." Diggle says as he moves towards Slade's uniform, knowing that this mission will not go that smoothly with it being himself and Slade working on it together as in his opinion, Slade Wilson is impossible to work with.

He's a psycho and a right pain in the ass! Diggle thinks to himself as he looks over the uniform of the man he greatly dislikes that he will have to wear in only a short time.

Slade stands there for a moment, hesitating as he thinks of a million reasons why he doesn't want to wear the hood before closing his eyes, slowly putting on the hood, grabbing the bow and arrows, ensuring there is a good amount before storming towards the stairs, not bothering to wait for Diggle, who hurries to catch up with him. Slade glares at him.

"If you so much as leave a scratch on my uniform. I will destroy you."

 _Meanwhile At Queen Mansion_

Oliver and Sara take Laurel up to Oliver's room, who looks around in shock when she enters.

"Wow." She whispers as gazes at the place she has not been in many, many years.

"I can't remember the last time I've been in this room."

"Ohh I can, probably in 2005. We were getting ready for Tommy's party." Oliver smiles as Sara rolls her eyes at him playfully.

"Ah, yes. I wore those horrible fishnets." She remembers, shuddering at the memory.

"I thought you looked nice." Sara smiles as Laurel turns to face them both.

"Look, I just wanted to come by and apologize for being such a bitch to both of you during this trying time. I shouldn't have acted that way and I'm really sorry." She says sadly.

"Hey, no Laurel. Don't apologize, you have a right to feel any way that you want to after what we did." Oliver says quickly as Laurel looks at them both.

"But Sara. You are my sister and you could go to jail and I was acting like a heartless bitch!" Laurel cries as Sara shushes her and takes her hand.

"Laurel. It's ok. It really is, we are the ones who should be apologizing to you…"

"You've apologized already." Laurel murmurs.

"And we know that you've been trying not to let all hell loose on us since we've gotten back, we know that you've tried to bottle it up and we know about last night…" Sara trails off.

"Last night? Ohh Tommy… Why did he tell you!" Laurel moans, turning away from them both in both sadness and anger that Tommy told Oliver and Sara about how she had broken down last night.

"Because he cares about you and was worried. He was so worried Laurel." Sara sighs as she stands beside Oliver.

"We put you through so much crap Laurel. You come to us apologizing for being a little sharp with us when I cheated on you with your sister! What I don't understand is that why you don't hate us for what we did." Oliver reveals.

"I did." She admits through her tears.

"For so long. I did, Ollie, Sara. I hated that you both had left me to be with each other. I hated you Oliver because I thought you were happy with me and wanted to be with me because I loved you. I loved you so much and then you just left. Left for five years with my sister, whilst I believed you both had died and Sara! I hated you to because you ran away, because you ran away with my boyfriend and by doing so you caused me, dad and mom all this pain! Hell, dad got so wrapped up in cases and law and work that mom left him Sara! Left us both because of the hurt you caused by leaving with Oliver. Then I didn't hate you both. I missed you both, I grieved for you both and I put my hatred aside because I loved you once Ollie and Sara you're my sister but I still can't get over the fact that you betrayed me. You betrayed me and left me here! I lost five years of my life because of you pair! I was angry, I'm still angry at the betrayal and no matter how many times you both apologize to me I'm never going to forget it! But because I still love and care about you both I am trying to ignore it. That's what I did when you both came back. I had planned to yell at you both for what you had done to me, confront you for the hurt you caused me to to feel but I saw you both and I was just so happy you were both alive that I couldn't say a word. Yet then when you came back you both became so self absorbed that made me want to hate you both again! You both kept avoiding me, neither of you cared who you were hurting as long as the three of you stuck together and I hated that! I hated that Oliver, you decided to abandon your family to go out with my sister when they and you had nearly been killed! And I hated both of you for not even bothering to call when that thing went down at Iron Heights as the only person who actually came and sat with me when I was reeling from the event was not either of you but Tommy! You both have hurt me so much recently for a moment I wished you hadn't made it off that island! I hate the pain you both have caused me over the five years and the pain you have been causing me recently! But then today, when I heard about the scars the three of you received on that island. The fact that the three of you were tortured…" Laurel breaks off, tears in her eyes.

"It hurt me so deeply to hear that but despite all the sadness I now feel for you for what happened to you on that godforsaken island, I still couldn't get passed what you pair had done to me and I'm not going to easily either. You both hurt me. You hurt me so badly and as much as I am relieved that you are alive, that you are here with me and we get another chance to mend our differences. I can't get passed what you did but I'm willing to try." Laurel admits, honestly feeling a million times better after telling the one hundred percent complete truth to Oliver and Sara.

As now they know how deeply it affected her maybe they can all start to heal and move on, no matter how long it takes.

"Thank you for telling us Laurel." Sara places her hand on her sisters shoulder as tears slip down Laurel's cheeks. Oliver to places a hand on her arm in comfort, both her and Sara feeling relieved at Laurel finally telling them the truth, letting out all her pain to those who caused it in the first place.

They both needed to hear all that.

"Sara, Ollie. I need see. I need you to show me…" Laurel trails off as Sara and Oliver exchange a glance.

"Are you sure. It's not pretty." Sara folds her arms.

Laurel nods quickly as Sara slides off her shirt at the same time Oliver does.

Laurel gasps in horror when she sees Sara and Oliver's deeply scarred skin, small, large and deep scars that litter their bodies.

"Ohh my god." She whispers as she grips Sara's hand tightly.

"How did you both survive all of this?" She questions through her tears.

"There were times that we wanted to die." Oliver murmurs quietly causing Laurel to drag Sara closer, gently stroking her baby sisters hair.

Her baby sister, who has suffered so much...

"In the end though, there was something that we wanted more." Sara whispers.

"We wanted to come home to you. So we could find a way to make it up to you some how. The thought of seeing you again kept us going." Oliver admits as Laurel looks up at both of them with tear filled eyes.

"Just come here, please just come here." Laurel whispers through her tears as she pulls both Oliver and Sara into a tight embrace.

They stay like that for several minutes before the three of them break from the embrace, Oliver and Sara retrieving their tops to once more hide their horrific scars that Laurel is certain shall give her nightmares tonight!

"Now that the truth is out there now, hopefully we can start again. A fresh start." Laurel says whilst wiping her eyes of tears.

"We'd like that." Oliver smiles as Sara takes his hand in hers, both of them feeling instantly grateful toward Tommy for bringing this to their attention.

"And to kick off this fresh start! Let's go party!" Oliver smirks.

"Baby steps Ollie. Baby steps." Laurel sighs.

"How about we talk about Tommy?" Sara grins.

"What about Tommy?" Laurel questions.

"Please just go out with him already! He likes you, you like him!" Oliver smirks.

"I am not discussing this!" Laurel rolls her eyes at them both, a smile on her face.

"Laurel! He makes you happy! He really cares about you and we know that you want to go out with him so just go and ask him out!" Sara encourages her sister.

"I don't want to date Tommy!" Laurel lies playfully.

"Yes you do!" Both Oliver and Sara cry simultaneously.

"Every time someone mentions his name you start grinning like the Cheshire Cat!" Sara smiles as they head for the door to rejoin the party.

"He cares about you Laurel and he makes you happy and after all the pain you have had to endure you deserve at shot at happiness." Oliver adds.

"You pair are insane!" Laurel finds herself joking as the three of them exit the room, leaving behind the feelings of sadness, hatred and guilt as they go.

Leaving behind their old selves so they can begin to wipe the slate clean.

A new start for the three of them, in which they hope in time will completely destroy all the misery and sadness and instead be replaced with an unbreakable friendship.

However, only time can heal and tell!

 _Hours and hours of constant torturing later Oliver and Sara haven't said a word except to cry out in pain for when they are either stabbed, sliced, cut etc!_

 _The only words said is when they call out to one another to make sure the other is still alive._

 _"Amazing. You pair have resolve I didn't credit you both for." Fyers comments as he approaches an exhausted and deeply pained Oliver._

 _"Or perhaps." He turns to the man who tortured them both, still holding the photo._

 _"They truly don't know anything. Yes." He says as he turns away from them both._

 _"You should put them out of their misery." He turns to the man in the black and white mask._

 _"No please. Kill me but don't kill her, please let her go." Oliver groans in attempt to save Sara's life so that even if he dies she survives this._

 _Yet just as the man is about to deliver the final blows to them an arrow flies through the sky, slicing through Oliver's restraints as Yao Fei suddenly appears._

 _The man in the mask instantly pulls out his knife to fight Yao Fei, who uses his bow to block all attacks as Oliver crawls over to Sara to untie her, she falls limply into his arms._

 _"It's ok, it's ok. I've got you." Oliver whispers to her as she cries out in pain from her wounds, before gripping Oliver's hand and moving into the corner so they can witness the fight between their tormenter and their apparent savior, Yao Fei._

 _The fight continues for several moments whilst both of them throw each other around the tent, using their weapons to strike one another and to block each others rapid attacks, both of them desperate to cause a killing blow to one another so that one of them can come out of this victorious, yet Yao Fei is quick on his feet and manages to send the man flying backwards and whilst he is trying to get to his feet Yao Fei rushes to grab Oliver and Sara's hands to get them out of the tent which he does successfully and the three of them escape the tent…_

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Starling City the arms deal is about to go down, spearheaded by Leo Mueller, who speaks in rapid German to the other men in the room with him before turning to the people he wishes to sell the weapons to.

"The M249 machine gun, gas powered, air cooled, fires up to eight hundred rounds per minute." Mueller explains before tossing the gun over to the man, who wolf whistles before beginning to check out the weapon he had just been offered.

However, before he get to test it the power goes out.

Knowing that this symbolizes danger, Mueller begins to speak to his men in rapid German once more before snatching the gun back.

"We need to move now!" He yells as everyone starts to try and escape from the room.

However, from behind one of the escapers The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask appear and start to attack those trying to flee and escape.

The Man In The Hood laying waste to as many of them as he can get to as The Man In The Mask tries not to kill the criminals but send them into unconsciousness.

"Stop, stop, stop!" The Man In The Mask growls to The Man In The Hood who is presently beating one of the men to death!

"What the hells wrong with you?" The Man In The Mask hisses as The Man In The Hood moves away from the now unconscious or dead man, before snarling.

"Unless you want that to be you stay out of my way and don't ever tell me what to do!" The Man In The Hood snarls before storming off.

The Man In The Mask stands there. Normally, he would have just continued to think of his unfortunately new working partner as a psychopath, which he is pretty certain he still is! However, this time he senses that it could be about something deeper, something much more than just his usual psychotic ways…

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Well I'm not accustomed to being summoned to the office!" Moria Queen says with a smirk as she enters her husbands office, as he had summoned her to it only moments ago and after Walter had told her to come quickly she had raced down to Queen Consolidated as quickly as she possibly could.

"Well what was it that was so important that I had to race down here?" She asks as Walter looks at her with an expressionless look before taking a deep sigh and saying.

"I found the Queen's Gambit, Moria." Walter reveals causing Moria to freeze on the spot before staring at her husband, waiting to see what he says to her next.

"I know you secretly had the boat salvaged. I wanted to move it to a more secure location before confronting you about it. In fact I sent Josiah Hudson to the warehouse for precisely that purpose but he died mysteriously in a car accident." He explains as Moira begins to shake her head before sitting down.

"I hope now you have a better understanding of why it is I've been so distant of late. It's very disconcerting to discover that the person with whom you share your home, your bed and your heart has been lying to you so convincingly and I would be a fool not to consider all the things that you've told me were lies…"

"Walter you're my husband…" Moria cuts him off, fear in her eyes.

"Yes I am." He snaps as he gets to his feet, turning to the window.

"Walter, please. You've got to stop looking into this. It's not safe!" She begs.

"You'll be, you'll be upsetting people. People with influence. You are very far out of your depth." She says as he finally turns back to face her...

 _Queen's Mansion_

"That went better than expected." Oliver comments after he and Sara saw Laurel to her car as she really, really didn't want to stick around for the party!

"You know I hope she does talk to Tommy. He's so sweet and he really cares about her and like you said, she deserves happiness and Tommy is like the King Of Happiness!" Sara grins as Oliver laughs at her choice of words as he pulls her onto his lap.

"Also. I think my dad actually brought that Slade thing. I mean when I walked over to him and turned back to face you and Tommy all you could see was you and since Tommy had his head turned, the back of his head and the eyepatch he was wearing. If I hadn't have know the plan I would have been convinced, especially now since dad thinks that Slade's up here with us as he already knows Slade hates these kind of events because Slade told him, himself! So I think we're going to be okay." She smiles.

"Okay?" Oliver smiles back.

"Definitely okay." She finishes before kissing him, trailing her lips down the side of his neck.

"Well if your dad thinks we're all up here then let's take advantage of that." Oliver smirks before kissing Sara back, throwing her onto the bed behind him, moving to kiss her again when his phone rings, subsequently destroying the moment!

"Goddamit Slade! He always chooses the best moments!" Sara mutters sarcastically in disappointment as Oliver climbs off her to grab his phone.

"Later." He presses a kiss to her forehead before taking the call.

"Man In The Hood and Mask, one. Gangbangers, zero. However, I think there's something wrong with him." Diggle explains.

"Ohh for the love of! Can't you pair get along even for one small mission?" Oliver groans as Sara starts to laugh softly as Oliver closes his eyes in despair, waiting to hear the rest of Diggle's complaints about Slade and vice versa when Slade returns!

"Not when he threatens death to me no." Diggle responds as Oliver sighs.

"Look I'll talk to him…"

"As much as I'd like to believe that he is just a pshyco and enjoys trying to brutally murder a whole room of people! There was something else going on there. I don't know what it was but…" Oliver and Sara both look up in an instant at the sound of knocking on his door.

"Hang on." Oliver says to Diggle as he and Sara stare at the closed door.

If it's Quentin and he comes in realizing that Slade's not here. They are going to have to think of something fast in explanation.

"Yeah?" Oliver calls.

"Mr. Queen, if you are entertaining guests up here, should I have some drinks sent up?" The voice of a waiter calls.

"No, it's just me, Sara and Slade up here. Sara and I were just on our way back down." Oliver calls as he takes Sara's hand and leads her to the door.

They can just go down blend in with the party and even though Oliver is seriously doubting Slade's going to be in the mood to do much of anything when he gets back after what Diggle had said he can join them as if Diggle just called in then he's certain Slade's on his way back or even already back by now.

"Good job. Now get back here." Oliver mutters down the phone just as gunfire can be heard

"What the…" Sara whispers as she and Oliver open the door to see the waiter, whom they had spoken to only moments ago armed with a gun and firing upon Slade, who had just gotten back and had been meaning to find Oliver and Sara only to be shot at upon attempting to get to Oliver's room!

Slade, Sara and Oliver jump into action immediately as Oliver grabs the man's hand from behind, twisting it so the gun falls out of his hand as Sara punches him, only to be thrown back into the table by the man, as Oliver throws him to the floor, delivering rapid punches, only to be punched back by the man, who grabs for his gun again to aim at Slade when suddenly two gunshots ring out causing the man to fall to the ground dead.

Quentin standing with his gun raised in the doorway.

"Sara. Sara, sweetie." He races over to his daughter to help her to her feet.

"Is everyone alright? Is anyone hit?" He yells to Oliver and Slade who both shake their heads before looking at one another in shock and horror about what just happened.

Not even noticing that one of them in the room did in fact lie about being hit…

 _Later…_

Quentin talks rapidly on the phone to someone to come and clear up this mess whilst Oliver, Sara and Slade sit on the sofa side by side, Tommy and Thea facing them with worried expressions upon their faces as Sara has several cuts upon her face, an ice pack resting on her sore hand. Oliver exactly the same and Slade looking like he's about to pass out!

"Are you alright!" Moria's voice breaks through the silent air.

"We're fine." Oliver grumbles tiredly as she enters the room.

"Oliver…"

"Mom. I promise." Oliver sighs as Sara leans into him.

"This is on you and your police department!" Moria turns on Quentin.

"By accusing my son publicly you've made him a target." She growls.

"Mom." Oliver says in a tired tone.

"Do you have any idea who attacked Oliver?" Walter snaps.

"We haven't yet though it must be someone with a grudge against the vigilantes. Good news is that I just got a call from my lieutenant. An arms dealer was attacked across town tonight by The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask. Now whilst The Woman In Black wasn't spotted by any witnesses we have enough evidence to prove that the vigilantes isn't anyone in this room now and in light of that they decided to drop all charges." Quentin smiles as he hugs Sara in pure relief before saying sternly.

"However, after tonight's events I want you to come home with me alright?" He says to her in a tone that suggests do not argue.

Sara nods before turning to Oliver and Slade.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." She murmurs, kissing Oliver deeply before leaving the room with her father.

A moment of silence passes after Sara and Quentin's departure before Oliver chooses to break it.

"Ok! So I'm gonna go stay with Slade whilst my bedrooms a crime scene. See you guys tomorrow!" Oliver says as he and Slade move toward the door.

"Oliver you can't just leave! I forbid you…"

"You can't tell me what to do mother. I'm a free man!" Oliver says with a wide smile, leaving his family with furious looks upon their faces as he and Slade head down the drive.

Oliver sighing once out of earshot.

"Come on, let's go get you patched up."

 _The Foundry_

"Just like old times eh, kid?" Slade smirks slightly as he extracts the bullet from his side, which, luckily hadn't caused any internal damage!

"You should have told me and Sara." Oliver mutters.

"If I'd have said anything, kid then I probably would have put in the hospital and that definitely wasn't gonna happen!" Slade growls as Oliver passes him a bandage.

Oliver rolls his eyes at his friend before folding his arms and leaning back against the desk.

"Diggle mentioned something to me before the attack." Oliver starts.

"What'd he say?" Slade mutters in a low voice.

"That you went completely insane and threatened to kill him?" Oliver reminds him as Slade looks down, away from Oliver.

"I'm sorry for asking you to wear the hood. I knew it was going to bring back painful memories. I just couldn't trust anyone else but you to wear it. She probably wanted you to have it from the start. I'm so sorry Slade." Oliver apologizes to his friend.

"Oliver it's not your fault…"

"But it is! It was all my fault Slade and I'm so sorry." Oliver closes his eyes.

"You did what you had to do, kid. There was nothing else you could have done. It was on me, all of it was." He shakes his head.

"But I was the one…"

"She was already gone before that, kid and that was because of me. It was never your fault. I would have done the same thing." Slade reassures him.

"But…"

"That wasn't her, Oliver." Slade says sternly.

"I think about it every night, what happened there how I nearly lost everyone I loved. I keep seeing those final moments in my head…" Oliver trails off.

"Same here, kid." Slade sighs.

"I haven't talked about it in so long, any of it and today it all of it just came flooding back and I know I nearly lost it." Slade admits, running a hand through his hair.

"Understandable." Oliver smiles slightly.

"However, can you at least try to get along with Diggle?"

"Don't push it, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver laughs.

"At least I still have you and Sara, kid." He looks up at Oliver, who embraces the man he sees as his brother.

"I'm glad I still have you to. I'm glad I met you." Oliver smiles truthfully as he honestly wouldn't know what he would have done without Sara and Slade being with him every step of the way and it is something he never wants to have to think about!

 _An Office In Starling City Next Day_

A furious Moria Queen barges through the office doors of the man she works with, a livid expression on her face.

"Moira." He questions as he moves to sit down.

"Did we have an appointment?" He questions.

"No but I decided to screw propriety after my son and his girlfriend was almost killed in your failed attempt at trying to assassinate Mr. Wilson!" She snaps angrily.

"I'm sure you understand I was justified in what I did believing that Mr. Wilson was one of the vigilantes targeting our associates. You wanted me to have him taken out!" He reminds her sternly before adding.

"You're lucky I didn't ask the hit man to take out Oliver and Sara as well! I didn't because I took your word for it as come on, those two being vigilantes? Even I'm doubtful but Mr. Wilson is different and despite the three of them having all charges dropped against them. I like you still suspect him and I had to take steps. I offer my sincere apologies for any harm that might have befallen Oliver and Sara but I was doing the job. They got in the way Moira and now thanks to Detective Lance, Mr. Wilson is still living so do you want me to try again or should we presume him innocent now all charges have been dropped?" He questions.

"It would be too obvious that someone was after him if we try again so soon. However, you get a clear shot to take him out. I expect it done." Moria snaps before adding.

"Look I know you found out I had the yacht salvaged. Just as I know you had Josiah Hudson killed." She confronts him as he sighs.

"Well, accidents tend to befall people who are too curious." He replies.

"I've been the good soldier. I've done everything you asked but if any member of my family gets so much as a paper cut. I will burn your entire world to ashes…"

 _Queen's Mansion_

Oliver stands in the mess that is now his bedroom, whilst looking around at his stuff.

Most things are either on the floor or broken.

He had asked Slade to come back with him to help him tidy up but Slade had responded in a way only Slade would!

A small bag on the floor draws Oliver's attention as he walks over to pick it up, holding it tightly in between his fingers…

 _Yao Fei took no time to drag both Oliver and Sara back to the cave, where Oliver carefully places Sara down on the floor before being pushed to it himself by Yao Fei who stands over them both._

 _"I tell you both. Island dangerous but you two not tell them where to find me. You two, stronger than I thought." Yao Fei compliments them to both Oliver and Sara's shock as he holds a small bag out to them._

 _"Take this. I lead them off, you two stay." He drops the bag in Oliver's hand before turning to the entrance._

 _"Remember breathe. Everything breathe, you breathe, you both survive here longer." He comments before leaving._

 _"No, we're coming with you." Oliver moves to his feet, helping Sara up with him to no use as the sound of a rope snapping is head and a bolder blocks the caves entrance…_

Knocking brings Oliver out of his flashback as he turns to the door where Sara is standing beside Laurel.

Both sisters standing beside each other with their arms linked.

Oliver smiles at the sight.

"Hey." Oliver smiles as he draws Sara into his arms.

"Slade ok?" She questions in his ear.

"Yeah, he's fine." Oliver assures her before they turn to face Laurel, who looks around the room in shock before staring at Oliver and Sara worriedly once more.

"Rough party!" Oliver chuckles as Laurel rolls her eyes at the both of them.

"What am I going do about you to?" She grins before looking to Sara.

"Sara and I were going to go and get ice cream. Would you like to come?" She asks kindly.

"Sure." Oliver grins as he follows them out to begin that new start Laurel had talked about.

 _Later At The Foundry_

"Hey Slade." Sara says with a beaming smile upon seeing him standing back in his own vigilante uniform, unharmed by the table.

"I was wondering when you two were gonna show up! What's kept you both?" He questions with a smirk as Oliver grabs the box.

"Well I'm glad that you're not dead considering the fact that you got shot last night!" Sara snaps as she folds her arms.

"Yeah. We both noticed!" She growls at him.

"Just a scrape. I've survived worse." He says with a knowing glance at the both of them.

"Doesn't stop Ollie and I from worrying about you!" She scolds him as Diggle enters, hovering around the doorway.

"Ohh you can come in. Slade's promised not to kill you."

"Made no such promise, kid." Slade mutters under his breath.

"Job well done. We're all off the hook, we've mended our relationship slightly with Laurel and are having a new start. Point to us!" Sara cheers as Diggle looks at her skeptically.

"No. I think things didn't go down exactly as you planned. I mean, he nearly lost his mind." Diggle flashes a glance at Slade before continuing.

"Not to mention that the 'new start' you have made with Laurel has many lies as its foundation." He mutters as Sara and Oliver look up at him at his choice of words.

"You didn't count on so many people having questions, doubting you guys. You didn't think about want happens when you all lie especially when you lie to the ones you love the most."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Thank you Chris." Walter smiles as a man wheels his suitcase out of the house.

"Walter!" Moira calls from the top of the stairs.

"What is this?" She questions as another suitcase is dragged from the house.

"Business trip. I decided that it is long overdue for me to inspect our holdings in Melbourne." He reveals.

"And how long will you be?" Moria asks worriedly.

"I don't know." Walter replies before exiting the mansion and leaving Moira behind.

 _The Foundry_

"When the three of you were stuck on that island, plotting your grand plan to save the city, I don't think any of you stopped to consider the effect it would have on the people in your lives, or how it might hurt them." Diggle continues to speak.

"Is he still going?" Slade leans over to whisper to Oliver, who tries to hide a smirk.

"If you don't let your families in then you're going to lose them.."

"You're wrong." Oliver replies to Diggle, cutting him off.

"We think about it all the time and just to be clear not being able to tell our families the truth, it doesn't hurt anyone worse than it hurts us." Oliver replies as he puts on the hood.

"And none of that applies to me as Sara and Oliver are my only family remaining." Slade mutters as he grabs his sword.

"Where are you all going?" Diggle calls after them.

"Mueller still has to sell those guns and we have to stop him."

"Sara, Oliver!" Diggle shouts warningly.

"He has his chance."

 _Starling City_

"Twenty eight crates, four guns in each crate. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars cash." Mueller offers the buyers, unbeknownst to him the three vigilantes waiting from the roof.

"Take it or leave it." He snaps.

"Hmm ok." The buyer nods as the three vigilantes leap into action to make themselves known, firing arrow, slashing with swords and hitting with batons as they take on the group of men firing the weapons at them with ease until no one else except Leo Mueller is left standing.

Standing beside each other the three vigilantes raise all of their weapons at the target.

"Leo Mueller. You have failed this city."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this and a massive thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter and I'll try to update as soon as I can. See you all next chapter.**


	17. Legacies (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 _Starling City_

The doors to a bank fly open, courtesy of a gang of masked robbers, each with a gun in hand and a mask on there face.

The first thing they do is to fire a gun rapidly in the air causing many people to scream and drop to the floor as the approach the desk.

"Get down. Everybody get down." The ring leader yells as everyone drops to the floor in fear of being shot at.

"Nobody lift a hand, nobody gets hurt." They instruct, unbeknownst to them that a lady behind the desk has pressed the silent alarm.

"You can't jackhammer into the safe. It's took thick." One of the employees whispers as one of the armed robbers approach him.

"We're through!" One yells as another looks at his watch.

"Three minutes." He yells back as men inside the bank begin to load money into thick bags.

Meanwhile, in the main room a brave cop, with a gun in his shoe reaches for it.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" A woman hisses to him.

"Don't worry. I'm a cop." The cop replies, flashing his badge to the woman.

"Please don't do anything. I don't want to die." She begs, unfortunately catching the attention of one of the robbers with a gun, who takes no haste in firing a bullet into the back of the young brave cop just as his partners reappear.

"What the hells going on?" One yells as they turn the cop over, grabbing his badge.

"He was a freakin cop! Enough throwing shots!" He yells to his partner as suddenly, police alarms sound as they arrive on the scene.

"You hear that?" One of the robbers shout.

"Someone triggered the alarm." The man who had shot the cop raises his gun again.

"Stop. Let's go!" The other commands as a megaphone call can be heard.

"Starling City Police Department. Lay down your weapons and come with your hands up! Repeat, lay down your weapons and come out with your hands up!" They yell as suddenly the doors open and the hostages come flooding out, each wearing the masks that the robbers were wearing…

Entering the bank, the Starling City Police Department find the shot cop and the room where the money was stolen.

A gaping hole remains in the floor.

Meanwhile, the robbers climb out through a man hole, having gone underground from the hole in the bank floor.

"He shot a cop!" One robber complains grumpily.

"This is not how we do things." He adds as they remove their masks.

"Me getting killed is not how we do things either!" The guy who shot the cop mutters.

"Get in the van!" The other snaps, climbing in and slamming the door behind him as the car races away…

 _The Foundry_

The rapid click clack of metal sticks being hit against one another sounds loudly from The Foundry as Oliver and Diggle spar with them.

Slade observing and making comments, sometimes helpful, sometimes sarcastic across from them and Sara working at the computer.

"Make it a rear hand, Diggle!" Oliver advises.

"Come on." He adds as Slade rolls his eyes at them.

"Why don't you let me have a go? He'd improve drastically in minutes!" Slade mutters.

"Because you'd probably kill him!" Oliver sighs.

"Can't argue your logic there, kid." Slade shrugs his shoulders as Oliver turns back to Diggle.

"Ok." Diggle nods before restarting the sparring.

It isn't long before Oliver smacks Diggle across the arm, being the more superior fighter.

Slade chuckles at that.

"Wow. Never did I think I'd ever get to witness Oliver winning a sparring session in that short amount of time!" Slade comments whilst laughing.

'Variable acceleration. Fighters working the same pace, you switch it up. Throw your opponent of his game." Oliver explains.

"Yet he's never managed to do it to me." Slade sniggers.

"You could be more helpful!" Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Well, kid you just refused my help, so you get feedback instead." Slade smirks.

"I think he meant helpful feedback." Sara says gently from the computer.

"Truth hurts." Slade shrugs his shoulders before continuing to watch as Oliver and Diggle start up again, Oliver once more having the upper hand and hitting Diggle once more across the arm.

"Slightly better." Oliver smiles.

"You going blind, kid?"

"Arghh! Where'd you learn that?" Diggle groans in pain.

"His name was Yao Fei." Oliver replies, before turning to Slade and adding.

"And Slade, who improved my skills." He smiles.

"Yes, don't forget who taught you how to fight, kid." Slade nods in approval.

"Yao Fei give you those scars?" Diggle questions.

"One of them for both Sara and I." Oliver nods.

"And the others?" He questions to silence.

"One day you three are going to be straight with me about what really happened on that island." Diggle mutters as Oliver launches the metal stick at him again.

"Absolutely." He nods as his last attack sends Diggle to the floor.

"But not today!" He says in a sing song voice as he steps away from Diggle.

"Come on, kid. Let's see if you've improved." Slade stands as Oliver chucks the metal sticks at him before taking Diggle's.

"Still some pretty sweet moves." Diggle comments as Oliver and Slade start up.

"Yep!" Oliver nods as he starts sparring with Slade, who offers a great deal larger of a challenge then Diggle had.

"You're getting better, kid I'll give you that." Slade grunts as Oliver takes a swing at him.

"All thanks to your constant, mostly torturous lessons." Oliver says as he ducks an attack.

"Aww come on, kid you love them really!" Slade laughs as he whacks Oliver on the head.

"Oww! Yes I love getting my ass handed to me even now after five years!" Oliver groans.

"Well at least you put up more of a convincing fight now! You've finally passed Girl Scout level!" Slade chortles as Oliver glares at him.

"I think I passed that years ago!" Oliver grumbles.

"Ohh really?" Slade sniggers as he knocks one of the poles out of Oliver's hand.

"What the hell!" Oliver groans as he dodges an attack to pick up his stick.

"You never really lost the whining though." Slade chuckles as he moves to attack.

"I don't whine!" Oliver protests.

"Ohh yes you do!" Slade laughs as he launches an attack.

"You have improved your ducking skill though, kid from the other week. There's still hope for ya." He comments as Oliver makes a move to attack Slade.

"Ohh shut up!"

"How long do this go on for?" Diggle questions with his arms folded as he watches the actually rather impressive sparring session between Oliver and Slade.

"Varies. Some days it can be over in a few minutes if Slade's on top form but it normally lasts for a couple of hours!" Sara smirks, just as she hears the sound of Oliver grunting as Slade wins the sparring session.

"One day, kid. One day." Slade smirks as he and Oliver move toward the desk.

"It will happen, I swear to god it will happen!" Oliver huffs as they approach Diggle and Sara.

"Slade win again Ollie?" Sara says with a smile as Oliver puts his hands on her shoulders.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Slade grins as Diggle rolls his eyes at them.

"Never thought I'd be paying him a compliment, but that was quite impressive." Diggle notes to Oliver's amusement.

"That's because I am impressive." Slade mutters.

"Now there's doubt on that one!" Oliver sniggers before receiving a head slap from Slade.

"And now we're going to use our impressive skills on him." Oliver says as Sara pulls up a picture of a man onto the computer screen.

"Scott Morgan runs the water and power in the Glades. Jacks up the prices when people can't pay. Shuts them down even in the dead of winter." Sara explains as she passes Oliver his sweatshirt, which he pulls on.

"Which is at least a month away." Diggle notes before taking the mouse from Sara.

"Look at this. These guys started Keystone three years ago. They began moving west hitting banks along the way." He pulls up a news report to show Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"This morning they hit Starling City Trust. Shot an off duty cop. He's in a coma and the doctors are saying it's a coin toss whether he'll make it." Diggle explains.

"If he's a cop, the CPD will be all over it." Oliver shrugs his shoulders as Sara and Slade nod in agreement.

"Overwhelmed, underfunded! Listen these guys don't hit one time. They hit two or three banks per city, which means right now they're planning their next job." Diggle adds, looking at the three of them in amazement that none of them has said anything yet.

Instead they look between each other before Slade folds his arms.

"This is why you should have listened to me before recruiting this one, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver turns to Diggle.

"I think you have the wrong impression about what it is we do here."

"You three take out bad guys with bows and arrows, swords and batons." Diggle responds.

"We don't fight street crime and again, Oliver I will ask what is his purpose for being here?" Slade gives Diggle a look that if looks could kill then Diggle would be six feet under! Before exchanging a glance with Oliver, who is starting to wonder if Slade was right about his decision to recruit Diggle is this is the crap he's coming out with!

"That's a symptom of what is wrong with the city and we're trying to cure the disease." Oliver mutters as he flicks through the book he retrieves from the desk, looking at the pages and pages of names.

Some, wonderfully and thanks to his, Sara and Slade's hard work have been crossed off.

"CEOs and crooked entrepreneurs, I get it. Listen, I'm just saying maybe you three could make a difference if you think beyond the scope of those pages. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind Oliver." Diggle folds his arms.

"If I were you I'd keep your thoughts to yourself." Slade grumbles from the corner as Diggle glares at him before giving Oliver a widened eye look.

"In a way, he's right because you don't get it. My father died so that Sara and I could live. Live and make a difference by fixing the city that he and the people in this book ruined. Every name that we cross of this list honors that sacrifice…"

"Oliver, there's more than one way to save this city."

"Not for us." Slade snaps.

"Crime happens in this city every day. What do you want us to do logically? Stop all of it?" Sara sighs from the computer.

"It sounds like the three of you have a very narrow definition of being a hero." Diggle retorts before walking away from the three of them as Slade rolls his eye.

"That's because we're not heroes."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading, sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter then most it's just because I like to split the episodes up into three chapters per episode and that's how this one worked out. Thank you to all of you who have followed, favorited and reviewed see you all next update x**


	18. Legacies (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 _Sara had passed out._

 _Either from pain or exhaustion or hunger, leaving Oliver the only one awake in the cave Yao Fei had left them trapped in._

 _Moving his head, he looks at the flickering flames of the fire he and Sara are lying beside before looking at the notebook of his father's that he had placed beside the fire._

 _That useless, empty notebook._

 _The last gift from his father before he shot himself in the head._

 _Tiredly, he rips out a page before tossing it into the flames just as Sara starts to whimper, either from pain or nightmares or both._

 _Shifting himself painfully, he drapes his arm around her waist, pulling her close._

 _"It's ok. I'm not going anywhere. I've got you." He murmurs to her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before closing his eyes._

 _However, only minutes later something grabs his arm and when he opens his eyes he cannot believe what is in front of him._

 _"Dad?"_

 _CNRI_

"Please tell me that this is a nightmare and I'm about to wake up." Laurel groans as she removes a file from a draw, slamming it shut behind her as she storms across the room, Joanna trying to keep up with her as she goes.

"Perkins Stag Industries pulled out completely. They're our largest donors!" Laurel complains as she runs a hand through her hair.

"It's like they say, it's the economy, stupid." Joanna mutters.

"No it's the stupid economy." Laurel retorts.

"Ok without Stag how long can CNRI keep their doors open?" She adds a little more calmly than before.

"It depends." Joanna puts.

"What time you got?" She questions.

"I have fiesta time?" Comes the surprise voice of Tommy Merlyn.

"Or is it siesta time?" He ponders as he approaches the girls.

"Or which one means a party and which one means a nap?"

"Tommy, as much as I would love to relive intro to Spanish with you, today is not a good day." Laurel sighs as Joanna just glares at Tommy before walking off.

"Of course not, working in this tiny brick office. It's intolerable! Now you know where is a spectacular place to spend the day. Coast City. Here's what I am thinking. Sunset flight on my private plane, dinner at Brooms. I'll have you home by midnight, or maybe in the morning." He smiles as Laurel rolls her eyes at him, yet with a smile on her face as those plans do sound lovely, especially if they include Tommy!

She had lied to Sara and Oliver when they questioned her. She does want a relationship with Tommy and she wants to tell him that she wants a relationship with him but something is still holding her back from telling him the truth.

Oliver said she deserved happiness and Sara had said that Tommy could be the happiness she's been searching for but still there's something stopping her.

"What is this Merlyn?" She ends up asking, regretting her words almost instantly and her tone of voice. The man did spend the whole night comforting her when she had almost broken down that time and now she's being cold with him again?

What is wrong with her!

"What we talked about. This is you getting to know the real me." He says gently.

"Tommy! Just so you don't misunderstand. CNRI just lost its largest single donor, which means all of the hard work and sacrifices that I have made to help this legal clinic survive. It may have been for nothing!" She cries.

"Maybe another time then." He says quietly before disappearing, leaving Laurel with her head in her hands, wishing now that she had asked him to stay.

 _Queen Mansion_

"I mean haven't you noticed she's been acting a little down lately?" Thea asks Oliver as she, him and Sara walk across the corridor to the stairs.

Slade isn't with them as once Oliver and Sara told him that they were going to Queen Mansion then he suddenly had a million and one jobs to do in The Foundry!

"What am I saying? Of course you haven't because you've been too busy with your girlfriend there and Slade Wilson." She mutters.

"Oh, who are you to judge? Since when do you pay attention to how mom's feeling?" Oliver retorts, fed up of having Thea judging him all the time.

Sara notices his tense posture and squeezes his hand in comfort.

"Since our step father suddenly decided to take a business trip half way around the world in Melbourne! Isn't that in Australia? Could have sent your friend back too!" Thea smirks and then it's Sara who's tense with annoyance and both she and Oliver squeezing each other's hands to stop themselves from doing something they are sure they'd regret.

Oliver momentarily grateful no that Slade chose to stay in The Foundry!

"I think when someone at Walter's pay grade takes a business trip it's always sudden." Sara chooses to comment.

"And what would you know about businesses?"

"Thea! I wouldn't worry." Oliver says gently, also cutting her off before she can start an argument with Sara, that Oliver is one hundred percent certain Sara would win!

"Ah! Guess who I just hung up with!" Moria makes herself knows as she places a vase of flowers on the table which holds the photos.

"Janis Bowen, Carter's mother?" She reveals as Oliver and Thea start to laugh.

"Ahh! Cater Bowen, the perfect son!" Oliver mutters sarcastically.

"Is he perfect?" Moria smiles.

"According to you! Carter Bowen just won the national chess championship. Carter Bowen is anchoring the debate team!" Oliver says, his voice laced with more sarcasm.

"I'm sure I didn't make that big of a fuss!"

"Oliver, Cater just got accepted into Harvard and Princeton!" Thea joins in with the sarcasm.

"That's because Carter got a perfect score on his SATs!" Oliver laughs.

"Now how did he manage to study and cure cancer?" Thea giggles.

"I don't know."

"All right, all right, all right. I get it!" Moria cuts them off.

"But they're coming for brunch and I expect you to be there." Moria turns to Oliver.

"We have plans." He smiles as Sara curls her arm around his waist.

"That's fine. Brunch is tomorrow!" She smirks, knowing that she had caught her son out.

"Hmm, inches from a clean getaway." Thea sniggers gleefully at her brothers misfortune.

"Well, you too Thea." Moria adds.

"Snap!"

"Ollie nobody says that anymore!" Thea groans.

"Mom?" Oliver calls.

"Hmm?"

"I can't actually go. I've got really important things to do. I've got to teach Slade how to drive properly again as he was away from civilisation longer then Sara and I and he's really rusty and when I mean rusty we got more travel sick with him driving then we did on The Queen's Gambit!" Oliver protests.

"When it went down." Sara mutters under her breath, reliving the moment when Slade had attempted to drive! Rusty doesn't even begin to cover it!

"Oliver, Sara. I haven't see the Bowen's in years. So whatever crazy thing you have planned. I'm sure the four of you can make the sacrifice just this once!" Moria folds her arms angrily.

"We'll be there." Oliver sighs as Thea closes her eyes in annoyance, yet smiles at their mom, who smiles widely back.

"However, so I can go through with my plans after brunch. I'm bringing Sara and Slade!" Oliver calls, hoping that the notion will get her to drop this request but to his horror she groans as she walks away.

"If that what gets you to come to brunch then so be it!" She calls before disappearing, leaving Sara, Oliver and Thea standing beside one another.

"I hate you." Thea says before walking away.

"Don't look at me. I'm not too pleased with you either." Sara folds her arms when Oliver turns to face her.

"And Slade's probably going to kill you." She adds as his mobile rings.

"Perhaps you should get it over and done with over the phone, so at least then he's had time to cool off before you see him in person!" She suggests.

"Or it gives him time to plan my murder! Anyway, it's not Slade." He replies as he answers.

"Diggle." He says in greeting.

"You know your friend Scott Morgan from your father's list? He tried to kill himself. Maybe he was afraid of getting a visit from you." Diggle explains.

"How fast can you make it to Starling General?"

"On our way." Oliver replies before hanging up, both he and Sara turning to the door, which abruptly opens, revealing Tommy.

"Hey, hey, just the man I wanted to see! I just picked up a new sports car and I'm thinking that since its just you and Sara, thank god! We can open her up, pick up a few speeding tickets…"

"That sounds great but something's come up. We've got to jet." Oliver sighs in slight disappointed having not managed to spend many days with Tommy.

Curse of being The Man In The Hood!

"Oh, oh ok. Nice talk, thanks!" Tommy says as Oliver and Sara disappear through the door.

As that was one of the one times Tommy needed his best friend and for once he thought he had the right opportunity with it just being Oliver and Sara. No Slade Wilson, who he's pretty sure hates him and to be honest, Tommy hates him to! Only keeping his mouth shut for Oliver's sake! As he has had barely any time alone with his best friend since he got back and he honestly misses him! He would have been happy even if his best friend's girlfriend was there with them, just to talk to them about something he needs to discuss.

That would have been better than nothing!

However, probably having Sara there would have been even better as what Tommy needs to discuss is Laurel!

"Moves fast, doesn't he?" Thea's voice pulls him out of his train of thoughts.

"It's ironic really, since you're the one we call Speedy." He flashes her a dazzling smile.

"Called. Please, for the love of god!" Thea groans before smiling flirtatiously at Tommy.

"But if you need somebody to talk to, I'm here." She reminds him.

"You know. Maybe you could help." Tommy replies, putting his hands in his pockets.

"There's this girl that I'm interested in. Well interested would be putting it lightly! And I am really not sure how to pursue it." He smiles nervously as thoughts of Laurel comes to mind.

"Have you tried using your usual lines? Hi, my name is Tommy Merlyn and I'm a billionaire but I don't look like Warren Buffet!" Thea chuckles.

"Yeah, she is aware of that." Tommy says whilst smiling.

"And she doesn't care." He adds.

"You know, money really isn't a big deal to her." He finishes.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Thea wonders.

"Well, I've known her for a long time and I'm not sure the direct approach is really the right way to go." He explains as Thea smiles widely.

"Maybe you just have to figure out what's a big deal to her and make it a big deal to you." Thea offers her advice with an even larger smile.

A girl he's known for a long time.

It couldn't be her, could it? She really hopes so.

"Thea, you. You are amazing!" Tommy grins, kissing her cheek sweetly before darting out of the door.

"Love you!" He calls as he shuts the door.

Not realising for one moment the shit he has just landed himself in as Thea smiles and skips away because if there's one thing she knows for certain is that she loves him too!

 _Starling City General_

Oliver and Sara arrive at the hospital by motorcycle in a few short moments.

"You sure?" Oliver questions immediately as Diggle approaches them both.

"Scott Morgan doesn't seem like the type to try and kill himself." Sara says, taking Oliver's outstretched hand.

"True, but it's the best lie I could come up with on short notice when I knew you two were apart from him!" Diggle mutters, having known that Oliver and Sara had gone to Queen Mansion and had left Slade in The Foundry as he believes that Oliver and Sara could be more reasonable without Slade's presence and constant comments!

Oliver and Sara look at Diggle with annoyance in their eyes at whatever Diggle is planning.

Oliver has a pretty good idea what!

Yet before either of them can say anything a woman walks over to them.

"Mr. Diggle, I can't thank you enough for arranging to move my husband from Country Ward to Starling General. Now I know he's getting the best care available." She says, a grateful look in her eyes as she thanks Diggle.

"You really should be thanking this man, Oliver Queen." Diggle gestures to Oliver.

"He's the one paying the bill." Oliver shoots Diggle a glance before smiling at the woman.

"Jana's husband Stan is a police officer. He happened to have been making a deposit at Starling Trust Bank…"

"The bank that was robbed." Sara finishes Diggle's sentence.

"We were so sorry to hear about your husband is he going to be ok?" Sara asks kindly.

"The doctors say the next twenty four hours are crucial. He should have just kept his head down, you know." She says, a sad look in her eyes.

"I've known a few police officers in my day. Always willing to help others even if that means putting themselves at risk." Diggle smiles sadly at the woman.

"Thank you." She looks to Oliver and Sara.

Oliver shakes her hand with a smile.

"You're welcome." He says as she leaves, leaving Oliver and Sara alone to confront Diggle.

"You lied to us!"

Silence passes between the three of them as Sara and Oliver glare at Diggle whilst contemplating what to say and if they should set Slade on him for his dishonesty!

"Hey, you asked me to work with the three of you, not for you." He responds to break the silence between them.

"And when you did, you said it was because you understand the kind of man I am. Well, Oliver. I'm the kind of man who doesn't walk away when there's a chance to make a difference and neither does Sam Washington." He says sternly as Oliver takes Sara's hand before walking towards his motorcycle.

"Hey, I'm not finished talking." He scolds them as they mount the bike.

"Where are you two going?" He calls.

"Go make a difference. Let's catch some bank robbers!"

 _The Foundry_

"Kid!" Slade's voice calls from the salmon ladder as Oliver, Sara and Diggle enter the room.

"We've got a new job!" Oliver states as the three of them move toward the computer.

Slade frowns and drops from the ladder.

"And what would that be."

"Catching bank robbers!" Oliver says in a bored voice.

"What! You're actually gonna listen to him? You said so yourself, kid. We don't get involved in street crime." Slade growls.

"I know but if it shuts him up then so be it!" Oliver starts before sighing.

"We met the wife of the cop that got shot. I know this isn't what we do but maybe just once we can shake things up a bit." Oliver mutters, glancing at Diggle.

"Alright." Slade murmurs as he joins the group.

"Ollie's got something else to tell you as well." Sara says with a sneaky smirk.

"Which can wait!" Oliver begs as Slade raises his eyebrow at him.

"Can you bring up the footage of the bank robbery?" Diggle requests as Sara logs in.

Moments later she had done just that and the three of them are looking at the footage of the bank robbery.

"See that guy right there." Diggle points to a guy on the screen.

"He's got a temper." He comments.

"And he shot Officer Washington." Sara frowns as she looks at the screen.

"That's right." Diggle nods as Sara types in a few commands to zoom in on the man.

"That looks like a college ring." Slade comments at the upclose picture of the shooters hand.

"From high school more likely." Diggle mutters.

"That ring should get us an ID." Slade adds.

"Yeah, but even with photo enhancement you're going to have a problem getting a clear shot of that ring." Diggle responds as Sara zooms in closer, only to see that Diggle is right and the picture is kinda grainy.

"No, but it left an impression that police would have photographed." Oliver chips in.

"Then it will be in evidence lockup." Sara reveals as the three of them get to their feet.

"Please tell me you the are not going where I think you're going?" Diggle sighs.

Slade chuckles as he grabs his sword.

"Why'd you even ask?"

 _Much Later At Starling City Police Department_

Sliding the window open, The Man In The Hood, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black slide through it, running carefully around a corner and down the corridor.

"Are you kidding me?" The voice of Hilton rings out.

"I down want to hear this!" He snaps as he throws a file at another officer.

"Don't talk to me about red tape! One of our own's been shot!" He protests.

"Tell them to find themselves a pair of scissors." He snarls as he turns the corner, unaware of three vigilantes attached to the ceiling above.

Waiting until the officer and Hilton have gone, they drop down from their positions.

"I've always hated doing that." The Man In The Mask grumbles as The Woman In Black sits at the computer, taking the offered memory stick from The Man In The Hood as she quickly downloads all the required files to the stick before ripping out.

The mission is complete.

 _The Foundry_

Diggle is not there when Sara, Oliver and Slade return, to Slade's delight.

"At least that's done." Sara murmurs as she removes her wig.

"We'll go through it with Diggle tomorrow, for now we're done for the night. Want to come back with us?" Oliver offers.

"I'm fine down here, kid." Slade reminds him.

"Come on Slade you can't live down here forever!" Sara protests.

"I think I can." Slade murmurs stubbornly.

"It's coming up to winter and it's going to be freezing down here! Please, for mine and Sara's sake come stay with us. We are not having a repeat of that winter!" Oliver begs.

"I'm sure that was your fault some how, kid." Slade says with a smirk as he follows them to the stairs, much to Oliver and Sara's relief.

"Really Slade? You're going to blame me for you getting sick because you thought it would be a great idea to sit outside all night in the winter!" Oliver shakes his head.

"If it wasn't for your inept skills at keeping watch then I wouldn't have had to!" Slade replies as Sara laughs at them as the three of them exit The Foundry to return to the normal world where they are just Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson.

Survivors of an island and the closest of friends.

 _Queen Mansion_

It doesn't take very long for the three of them to get back to Queen Mansion and by the time they have gotten there Oliver has just had a thought that might make everyone happy!

"You know." Oliver starts as they enter through the front door.

"What if we got our own place?" He says as both Sara and Slade turn to him instantly.

"Just for the three of us. I mean you can't keep living down there Slade and I know you hate it here! And we wouldn't have to deal with my family's opinion on a day to day basis! Gives us yet another excuse for where we spend our nights. So why don't we?" Oliver wonders out loud.

"That's actually not a half bad idea, kid." Slade replies.

"Sure would beat staying here." Sara adds with a smile as Moira suddenly walks in.

"Oliver. Nice to see you home at a reasonable time for once." She comments completely ignoring Slade and Sara, her thoughts going to her partner in crime and to her disappointment that the assassination attempt went horribly wrong!

"We just decided to call it a night mother. I'll see you in the morning." Oliver says as he, Sara and Slade head up the stairs.

"Don't forget brunch tomorrow!" She adds as Oliver smiles at her.

"Don't worry mom, we'll be there!" Oliver assures her as Slade raises an eyebrow to him at the word 'we'll'. Both words 'brunch' and 'we'll' are definitely not music to Slade's ears!

"Yeah Oliver dropped us in it big time and now have to be at a brunch tomorrow with some friends of Moira's!" Sara gives Slade a quick recount of the conversation between she, Oliver, Moria and Thea only hours earlier.

Moira gives her son a beaming smile before the three of them reach the top of the stairs. Once they get there Oliver turns around to face Slade slowly, who has a glare upon his face.

Oliver smiles sheepishly.

"Heyyy Slade, forgot to mention something…"

 _CNRI Next Morning_

Readying herself for a long day of work and trying to come up with ideas to save said workplace Laurel walks into CNRI with a glum face.

However, she stops in her tracks when she sees that at her desk is not only Joanna but also Tommy! Thoughts of her attitude toward him yesterday come back to her and she bites her lip nervously as she racks her brain to think of something to say, yet to play things as safe as she can, in the end she decides to remain slightly cold toward him

"So where are you going to take me today? Monte Carlo?" She says with a smirk at her lips when Tommy laughs. He has a really nice laugh, she thinks to herself.

"Actually, I was telling Jo, here that the Merlyn Global Group was looking to expand its local philanthropy and I thought that we could start by a sponsoring benefit for CNRI." He says with a wide smile.

"Thank you, Tommy but I think we can manage without your family's finances!" She says in an almost sarcastic voice. One of the things that is not a redeeming quality about Tommy Merlyn is his wealth and how he so likes to remind people of that!

Tommy falls silent then, an almost hurt look crossing his handsome features.

"Laurel. A word?" Joanna requests as she jumps up from her chair beside Tommy before moving over to her friend.

"Come on." She whispers, grabbing her arm gently to lead her over to a corner of the office where she is certain Tommy won't be able to hear them in.

"What are you doing?" She says in a stern voice as she confronts Laurel.

"He's not interested in throwing us a fundraiser! What he wants to have is an annual attempt to get back into my pants gala!"

"Who cares why he's doing it! We need the money and like you don't want that!" Joanna folds her arms, giving Laurel a skeptical glance.

"I don't want that." Laurel says in a small voice.

"Laurel. I know when you are lying and that is what you most definitely are doing now!"

"You told me that it was a terrible idea! That I should move on from him!"

"I know that's what I said and I still somewhat believe that but Laurel. I saw the way you looked at him the other day and only minutes ago when you saw him sitting next to me. Maybe I was wrong before, maybe you need Tommy Merlyn in your life!" She smiles.

"Look, I, I don't know. He says he wants to change that he's not who he was before. Yet he comes here and decides to do this for us just out of the blue? He wants to be with me and he thinks this is the best way to go about it! That's the old Tommy Merlyn! But what if he is genuine? He honestly can be so sweet and kind and I, I would actually love to have a relationship with him but I just can't. I just can't get my heartbroken again." Laurel explains, realizing that she has just solved the mystery of why she couldn't just be straight with Tommy and tell him the truth because she's afraid.

Afraid that Tommy will eventually break her heart, just like Oliver did.

She wants him but she's afraid of the risk.

Joanna sighs before taking Laurel's hands in hers.

"Despite personal issues here. We need the money and we need the money badly. So you're going to listen to your best friend's advice. You are going to go over there and say, thank you, Tommy! We'd be honored for you to throw us a fundraiser!" Joanna begs as she all but drags Laurel over to Tommy, who stands up the instant they appear.

"Thank you Tommy, we would be honored for you to throw us a fundraiser!" Laurel says as Tommy's smile only grows wider.

 _The Foundry_

Diggle descends the staircase to the basement where he can hear the now familiar sound of sparring, which he takes a guess at is Oliver vs Slade and from the sounds of things Slade is winning and it also sounds like Slade could possibly be torturing him as in between pained grunts is Oliver attempting to apologize for something!

"Morning." Diggle says in greeting as he approaches the computer where Sara is typing away, trying to enhance images.

Diggle smiles when he sees the memory stick plugged into the computer.

"Good job." He smiles even wider.

"Wasn't much of a job. Easy for us." Sara replies as Oliver and Slade's shouting draws both Diggle and Sara's attention.

"What have I been telling ya, kid?"

"I'm sorry! I thought she'd ban me from coming if I said I would bring you and Sara!" They hear Oliver protests.

"Ow!" Soon follows afterwards as Slade attacks him.

"Ohh this has been going on for hours." Sara explains to Diggle, who frowns.

"What happened?" Diggle questions.

"Oliver tried to get out of a family brunch by inviting Slade and I to it because he thought that Moira would just give up and tell him not to bother, due to the fact she hates my relationship with Oliver and I'm pretty sure she hates Slade more than anyone on the planet right now. She must have been really desperate for that brunch as she actually agreed! Hence why Slade is pissed off." She explains briefly before sighing.

"Guys I've got something!" She calls as they continue to spar off.

"What?" Oliver calls, dodging an attack from Slade in the process.

"Come over here and I'll explain!" She says with a playful smirk.

"That family brunch is really going to be entertaining if you two are having to explain why you look like you've just been in a fight!" Diggle says with a smirk.

Oliver sighs, yet subsequently agrees with Diggle before heading to grab some clean, casual clothes, which Slade does also.

"This will be continued, kid." Slade warns Oliver as they approach the computer

"I had no doubt. I know you too well." Oliver replies with a smirk.

"Obviously not well enough as wouldn't be in this situation if that were one hundred percent true!" Slade retorts grumpily, Oliver just laughs and unless he's started seeing things he think Slade cracks a small smile to!

They return their gazes to the computer, where Sara has pulled up some pictures.

"Bank manager is punched." She says upon showing them the picture.

"Ring left a mark." Slade adds as Sara clicks a few keys to zoom in on the wound which has the letter 'L' imprinted in the skin.

"Larchmont High. High school." She looks over at Diggle who nods.

"We crossed referenced his height and relative age with the list of students and alumni." Sara explains as Diggle folds his arms.

"Still, that's a pretty long list." He comments with a sigh.

"It was. I dug a little deeper and found Kyle Reston. Right before Kyle's senior year, not only did her drop out, he dropped off the grid along with his family." Sara explains as she shows them the information on the screen she had found.

"Father, mother, younger brother." She brings up a photo of the family.

"You are brilliant, you know that?" Oliver smiles as he kisses her cheek.

"Wait. There are two other guys involved in this robbery." Diggle continues as Sara nods.

"And a woman. Aside from Stan Washington, there were twenty two customers and employees that came out of the bank, nine men, thirteen women. Inside the back, nine men and fourteen women." Sara explains as Diggle scoffs.

"Put a ringer in."

"The mom." Oliver nods as he leans closer to the computer screen.

"The police are looking for a crew. We're going to look for a family, speaking of which we are incredibly late for mine!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and a big thanks to all of you who have followed this story, favorited and reviewed. Your kindness is greatly appreciated! Next chapter hopefully will be updated soon as it's in the works, thank you all again for reading.**


	19. Legacies (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 _Queen Mansion_

"Well, I'm sorry Walter couldn't be here to join us." Janice Bowen says to Moria as she hands her a glass.

Moira sighs, yet keeps up the façade that it is just a business trip Walter had ventured to and purely for business reasons, not due to personal issues. No not at all.

"Ah, yes, well, the Australian trip came up so suddenly." She sighs as she approaches her daughter and Carter Bowen.

"He sends his sincere apologies." She finishes confidently as Janice nods sympathetically.

"And where is Oliver? Not out of town too, is he?" He questions as everyone looks at Moira, who checks her watch, noticing that it is late and Oliver hasn't showed, or called.

"Well I'm sure he's just…"

"Stuck in traffic." Oliver enters the room, followed by Sara and Slade, cutting Moira off, who looks at Oliver in relief and to be honest, shock that he has actually kept to his word and has shown up, even if it is with Sara Lance and Slade Wilson!

"One of the things I didn't miss on the island, Sunday drivers!" Oliver laughs as he hugs his mother in greeting.

"Sorry, we're late." He smiles as Thea wraps her arms around him.

"Thank god you three are here." Thea murmurs in his ear, having wondered when her brother was going to show up to save her from this torture! Hell she's even grateful that Slade is here and that's saying something coming from Thea!

"It is so good to see you!" Janice moves to greet Oliver before glancing at Sara and Slade.

"And you pair must be the other lucky survivors of that horrible ordeal!" She says in greeting to Sara and Slade, who both stay silent, yet give wry smiles.

"We all thought you were…"

"Oh, well we are just so happy that he and Sara are home." Moria hugs her son again as Oliver reaches for Sara's hand, who gladly takes it!

"Hmm and returning as celebrities as well." Carter shakes Oliver, Slade and Sara's hands.

"What do you mean?" Oliver queries with a tight smile.

"Billionaire scion, cast away for five years with the daughter of a cop, returns alive and well with her and another man, presumably also stranded on the island. You know, there's a bidding war for the rights to your life story." Carter smiles.

"Like anyone would want to read that!" Slade mutters under his breath with a slight chuckle as Oliver grins at him as they sit at the table.

Oliver at the far end of the table and Slade and Sara as close to Oliver as they can get and as far away from the others as they can get, especially Carter!

"At least that's what my agent says." Carter says as he sits down.

"Agent? I thought you were a neurosurgeon Carter." Oliver says, almost sarcastically.

"I know, crazy right? One minute I'm publishing this book on how long term potentiation initiates the creation of a slow moving protein synthesis and the next, there's an agent trying to make me the next Dr. Oz!"

"Why would he want you to be a wizard?" Oliver cuts him off as everyone, bar Slade bursts out laughing as Thea turns to him.

"For all our sakes start reading U.S Weekly!" Thea smiles as Oliver grits his teeth, if this is getting on his nerves, he is actually rather nervous to wonder as to what's Slade's thinking right now!

Slade was right! This is going to be hell!

Give him an island any day!

"Well, the truth is I just feel it's our duty as Starling City's more fortunate to help those in need."

Is he still going? Slade wonders to himself as he looks at the complete and utter arsehole sitting across from him. If Oliver had been like that when he first found him Slade wouldn't have even hesitated before taking him out!

"Wouldn't you agree Oliver?" Carter pulls Oliver from his thoughts, coincidentally similar in a way to Slade's!

"You're the hero, Carter." Oliver says in a sarcastic voice, causing Sara and Slade to smirk and command themselves not to laugh, no matter how much of a struggle that is!

 _Meanwhile In Starling City_

Approaching a bank at a fast pace, a blue van zips by containing the family of thieves, each armed and each with masks upon their faces.

"Quick and clean and try not to shoot anybody!" The man in charge says as he cocks his gun before the group leap out of the van, destroying the back door.

 _Queen Mansion_

"So we've heard about me." Carter says after another long speech that had made Oliver want to die and Slade to rip his other eye out!

"What about you Sara? Are you readjusting back to civilization ok?" Carter questions her.

"As well as can be expected. I'm just thinking myself lucky that I survived and have my amazing boyfriend and best friend here and alive with me." She says, taking a sip from her drink and flashing Carter a glance that somehow gets through the bubble he seems to be trapped in and warns him not to attempt to question Sara again!

"What about the mystery that is your friend here, Slade Wilson. Were you marooned on that island to then?" Carter turns his attentions from himself to Slade.

"Yes." Slade mutters gruffly.

"Please tell me if I'm wrong, but you're not from around here originally are you? You're from Australia I'm guessing?" He questions.

Oliver and Sara give Slade a reassuring glance, knowing that he hates talking about where he's from due to the pain it brings up.

"I was." Slade replies, keeping his answers short to keep his temper under control.

"Why stay in Starling City?" He finishes, causing everyone in the room to look at Slade, Thea and Moria especially.

"There's nothing there for me anymore. All my family is here." Slade replies in a low voice as Oliver and Sara smile at him warmly.

"How lovely." Carter smiles, preparing to launch into another speech about something yet Slade cuts him off before he can begin.

"Spend five years in hell with people who stay by your side constantly makes them all the family one needs." He mutters truthfully as everyone in the room falls silent at that, no one wanting to think of the hell's Oliver, Sara and Slade were faced with upon that island, even Thea can't think of anything judgemental to say or think about him. In fact his words bother her slightly, he sees Oliver as family, in the way Oliver evidently sees him and it reminds her thar Oliver wasn't the only one going through crap on that island and even though she would never admit it, ever! It makes her ashamed of her actions towards Slade.

Because perhaps maybes he's not actually as bad as she originally thought him to be!

Silence passes for a couple of moments as everyone tries to get their thoughts away from the pain Oliver, Sara and Slade must have gone through on during those five years and back to something a bit more uplifting and normal, Janice smiles at Oliver

"So now that you're back, what are your plans?" She asks kindly.

"I haven't really thought about many plans at the moment. Recently though I have made a plan to buy myself and my friends a new apartment for the three of us." Oliver reveals as Moira all but drops her fork and Thea's eyes widen in shock.

"News to me." Moira mutters under her breath, flashing Oliver a look that clearly says.

This will be discussed later!

"Will you be taking a job at Queen Consolidated?" Janice adds, Oliver shakes his head.

"No, we're opening a nightclub." Oliver says casually as Thea laughs, Moria bows her head in shame and the Bowen's look at Oliver in surprise.

"Sir, you're liquor distributor is on the line." Diggle's voice calls out before anyone can say anything in response to Oliver's 'nightclub'!

"First Bank Of Starling was hit two minutes ago." He murmurs in Oliver's ear, loud enough though for Sara and Slade to hear to.

If this means getting out of this hell hole then Slade has never been so happy to see Diggle in his life!

"Sorry, business." Oliver apologizes to the group as he, Sara and Slade rise from their seats, hurrying quickly after Diggle.

"Thanks." Slade grumbles his gratitude to Diggle when they are all out of earshot.

"That bad, hu?" Diggle replies looking between the three of them with a slight smirk.

"You have no idea!" Sara groans as Diggle continues to smirk at them before returning back to business.

"If the rest of their MO holds, they'll have made their escapes underground. The First Bank of Starling is located right above the water treatment tunnels. The entrance is located here." He holds out his phone for Oliver, Sara and Slade to see.

"Oliver!" Moira's voice calls as she marches over to the four of them.

"Where are you going?" She says quietly, trying her hardest not to raise her voice, due to the company she has only in the other room.

"Something's come up. I'm really sorry." He apologizes before turning to the door with Slade, Sara and Diggle leaving his mother behind.

 _Starling City_

Sirens blare as the Starling City Police Department arrives on the scene, a bunch of officers lead by Hilton exiting the cars each one of them with a gun in hand as they race toward the recently broken in bank.

A resounding thud can be heard as a bag hits the stone cold floor, followed quickly by the robbers who instantly grab a hold of the bag.

"I got it, let's go!" One yells as the group race down a large corridor, only to be met by the Starling City Police Department at the other end!

"SCPD, don't move!" Hilton yells, his gun raised ahead of all the other officers.

The robbers however, don't stop running down the corridor and in response, fires upon the officers with their guns.

"Enough!" One of the robbers growl as they retreat to the side.

"What are you doing?" Another one yells angrily as they all continue to fire.

"Move! Let's go!" The robbers yell at one another as suddenly an arrow soars past their heads and hits their bag of money.

The gunfire continues from both sides as the robbers try to escape, not only from the police officers but now also the three vigilantes!

The Man In The Hood fires rapid arrows at the robbers as The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask follow behind him as they race toward the robbers, whilst also deflecting attackers from the SCPD, who turn their gunfire to them!

"Get out of here!" A robber yells as The Man In The Hood fires another arrow at the bag of stolen cash, subsequently nailing it to the floor.

"Our cash!" A robber cries, moving back to get it, only to come face to face with The Man In The Mask, who swings out his sword, narrowly missing the robbers arm!

They fire at him before he can try to actually decapitate any of them, causing him to have to take cover to avoid being shot.

"Forget, it lets go!" Another yells before they can be either shot by a gun or arrow, bludgeoned to death with batons or stabbed with a sword!

They move to escape, a move noticed by the SCPD.

"Let's move!" Hilton commands as he and the other officers race into the room, their eyes landing on The Man In The Hood, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black.

"It's the vigilantes!" Hilton yells as The Man In The Mask throws a small knife through the air which collides with a power box which then explodes, descending the room into darkness.

The perfect means of escape for both the vigilantes and robbers…

 _Later In Starling City…_

"Now who the hell was those guys!" One of the robbers yell after the recent events of their bank robbery gone wrong due to three crazy insane people and the SCPD.

"The local vigilantes." Derek Reston states.

"Usually they go after the rich guys!"

"Well, clearly, they're branching out! I almost lost my fucking arm due to that masked guy!"

"Things have gone sideways for us lately." Mrs. Reston cuts off her son mid sentence.

"Those vigilantes showing up, Kyle shooting a cop!"

"You're the one who warned me he was cop!" Kyle snaps back.

"So you would take his gun, not shoot him!" His mother scolds him.

"You're mother has a point!" Reston cuts in.

"Maybe this is a sign that we need to hang it up! Head for Mexico! Retire!" He proclaims to the shocked expressions on his sons faces.

"We don't have enough!" Teddy Reston cries as the rest of the family falls silent.

"We always said that we wouldn't quit until we had enough to set ourselves up!"

"Kids right we need to hit another one!" Kyle backs up his brothers statement.

"We can make do with what we've got!" Their mother snaps.

"We'll be ok." Reston adds quickly, holding his hand out almost in surrender.

"I didn't spent five years risking my life and my freedom to just be ok!" Kyle yells as he approaches his parents.

"No. Set for life! That was our deal!" He growls as his father falls silent for a moment.

"Ok." He eventually responds.

"One more, and then we're out!"

 _Queen Consolidated_

Oliver, Sara, Slade and Diggle enter Queen Consolidated in search of someone particular.

Felicity Smoak. The nice IT girl who had helped them out the last time.

This time they need to find someone and unfortunately none of them have the skills required to do so on technology like Felicity does!

She is dozing off at her desk when they find her, the four of them smirking at each other as Oliver clears his throat in the background.

Immediately Felicity leaps up, looking around the room to locate the source of the sound, biting her lip nervously when she sees that it's Oliver Queen, Slade Wilson, the guy she had coffee with the other week! Sara Lance and whom she suspects to be Oliver's bodyguard.

"I was not sleeping on the job!" She protests, her cheeks blushing deep red as the others smile at her as Oliver steps forward.

"Good because we have task for you!"

"I should add personal Internet researcher for Oliver Queen and co to my job title!" Felicity murmurs as she sits across from the group her laptop opened.

"Happily, I mean." She adds quickly, touching her glasses nervously.

"His name is Derek Reston. We were close before I went away and I want to get back in touch." Oliver explains briefly to Felicity, who looks up at the group.

"I'm guessing you didn't have Facebook out on that island."

"Nope, not even a MySpace account. It was torture!" Sara says with a smirk as Oliver rolls his eyes at her as Felicity types away.

"Well, there's not much here that's recent. No credit activity, no utility bills. I guess you guys must have met at the factory." Felicity says, looking back up at Oliver.

"Wait, what… What factory?" Oliver leans forward.

"The Green Steel factory. Derek Reston worked there for fifteen years until it shut down in 07." She explains as Oliver closes his eyes and Diggle, Slade and Sara look at her in surprise.

"Derek Reston worked for my father?" Oliver says after a couple of minutes.

"You weren't really close friends, huh?" Felicity gives the group skeptical look.

"Oliver's forgetful." Slade chips in with a small smile, causing Felicity to smirk a little as Oliver turns to flash a playful glare at him.

One of the things she had liked most about the mysterious Slade Wilson when they had that coffee was most definitely his humor!

"It looks like Derek was the factory foremen until your dad outsourced production to China. About fifteen hundred employees got laid off." She explains as the other four exchange a knowing glance.

"Looks like the finance guys even found a loophole in the union contract so they didn't have to pay severance packages and pensions to their employees. All pretty much lost their homes, including your friend." Felicity adds as Oliver nods.

"Thank you for your time." He says with a smile as the four of them stand to go.

"No problem. I'm here if any of you guys need me for stuff." She smiles friendly as Sara grins at her before taking Oliver's hand before the four of them leave Felicity rather puzzled and in a state of confusion as she vows to herself that one day she will discover the secrets behind the mysteries that are Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson! Even though she strongly doubts that will happen and that they will remain a mystery to her forever…

 _Pulling away from Sara, who does not even stir Oliver moves towards his father nervously._

 _"You. You died." He whispers when he finally finds the words._

 _"I asked you. I begged you to survive! But if you don't think you can, there's still two more bullets left." He pulls the gun out of his pocket he had used to kill himself with before holding it out to Oliver._

 _"But Oliver, my death is made meaningless by yours and hers." He says as Oliver takes the gun from him, holding it behind his back._

 _"We're starving, we're injured. We're going to die anyway and I just want it to be quick for both of us. I want it to be quick like yours was." Oliver says, his voice trembling at the very thought of ending it all, both he and Sara as he has said nothing but the truth in the last few moments. They are probably going to die anyway and he hates the thought of it dragging out, making them suffer terribly._

 _Making Sara suffer…_

 _But if they ended it that would be it, the end they really would be dead._

 _They would be abandoning their families, Laurel…_

 _And they would also be dishonoring Robert Queen's sacrifice._

 _"You you survive this. Both of you can." He continues to speak._

 _"No we can't." Oliver whispers, looking over at Sara's sleeping form once again._

 _"I'm not as strong as you think I am and I'm sorry." He says, holding the gun to his head…_

"The rest of us just got home after five years of being away. Those factory guys hung out at a bar after work." Oliver explains as he, Diggle, Slade and Sara head toward the elevator.

"We're going down there." He states as he presses the button for the elevator.

"Hopefully Derek Reston wants to take a stroll down memory lane!" Oliver mutters.

"And if by some miracle Reston is there?" Diggle questions.

"I'm going to give them a chance to do the right thing." Oliver responds.

"Where's the fun in that?" Slade exclaims in disbelief as Diggle nods.

"Yeah, Oliver he already had his chance to do the right thing. It's called not being a criminal!" Diggle reminds him.

"This is happening because of my father, because of my family." Oliver replies coldly.

"Point taken." Slade murmurs, nodding to Oliver.

"Still want to kick his arse though."

"Oliver you are worried about the wrong thing." Diggle continues.

"It's not your fault. The Reston's aren't the victims…"

"My family stole from this city. They hurt the people in it and I am hellbent on making that right." Oliver snaps as he, Sara and Slade enter the elevator.

"For Derek Reston, that means giving him the chance to make it right."

 _CNRI_

Tommy smiles at a yawning Laurel sitting across from him as she rubs her tired eyes and runs her fingers through her hair.

She's so beautiful, Tommy thinks to himself as she all but passes out on the table.

"Hey, don't fade on me now. We have about ten thousand more decisions to make!" He sighs as he looks at a sheet of paper in front of him.

"Now for the cake! Chocolate or mocha?" He offers as Laurel looks up at him.

"Mmm carrot." She responds with a smile.

"Are you sure about that because Bugs Bunny hasn't RSVP'd yet!" Tommy jokes as Laurel leans forward, she needs answers from him and answers could help her sort through her issues with moving forward with Tommy, which she so desperately wants to do, even more now but the thought of someone breaking her heart again still lingers and is something that is going to need a lot of persuasion to just go away!

"Tommy, why the full court press?" She questions, keeping her voice soft.

"Asking me to Coast City, the fundraiser, why now?" She questions because she needs to know the reasons why, she knows he likes her and she knows he wants to be with her but she needs his reasons why as they are the only things that will make her trust him.

"I wanted to try and make you happy." He responds.

"Tommy." Laurel raises her eyebrow skeptically.

"Laurel you have been through hell and back. Your boyfriend went off with your sister and you just got them back. Now everyone is talking about how hard it was for them and it was. It was horrific for them, it must have been but it was also horrific for you and I had to watch you go through that and it killed me to see you so sad. Then we were together and all I could think about was trying to make you smile, cheer you up. Do anything to just try and get your mind of things and I think we can mutually agree that some of the stuff we did definitely got our minds of Oliver and Sara!" Tommy says with a smirk as Laurel blushes.

"The other day when you broke down. It reminded me of how you were when we were together, how you'd come to me crying because of your anger or sadness. Then it made me think of when I was a mess and you came to me back then and I never told you then how much I needed you. In a way, and I hope this to be true but we both needed each other during those years." He says quietly and Laurel is speechless, she cannot find a word to say as in a way she believes that Tommy could be right.

"The other day made me wonder if perhaps you still needed me because it certainly reminded me that I still need you." He admits, as a tear appears in Laurel's eye.

"You send me mixed messages Laurel and I honestly just want the truth." Tommy finishes. Laurel looks down at the table, could she be honest with Tommy? She wants to be.

Just tell him the truth, she tells herself.

Yet once the truth is our there it's out there and all of it could be way to much to handle!

Yet if not all of it then at least a portion of it.

"Oliver. He used to tell me he loved me, I used to love him so much. Yet he betrayed me. He broke my heart and I never want to feel that way again Tommy and you, you keep telling me you've changed that you want to be better but I can't look past the person who you were when you were friends with Oliver. You pair were so alike it's an amazement your not some how related! I'm scared that if I open up to you, give you my heart then you're just going to break it, like Oliver did and I can't. I won't ever go through that again." She admits, looking anywhere but at Tommy, who cannot believe what he's just heard and tries to think of something, anything to say to Laurel. To assure her that he would never do anything to her like Oliver had done and that all he wants to do is make her happy. He leans forward.

"You know, I remember some of the mornings when you and I were together and I made you omelettes." He says, causing Laurel to look up and actually smile at his words.

"And I'd be in your kitchen and I would just think to myself. This isn't just fun." He admits.

"This is more than fun. This is… This is different." Laurel closes her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling at Tommy's words.

She somehow just knows them to be true.

"I've never felt that way with anyone else and I miss it." He admits as Laurel gives him a small smile as she had looked into his eyes and saw nothing but the truth, he had meant every word that had had just spoken.

Oliver never spoke to her the way Tommy just did. He'd say he loved her and whilst Tommy has never said those words to her, she somehow feels more loved then she ever did with Oliver because Tommy would never leave her, he'd stay faithful. She can see that he would now, maybe he'd even never break her heart.

It is something she wants to believe so desperately to be true it's unreal!

"Not mocha, carrot?" Tommy snaps her back for reality, descending into planning mode.

"Carrot." She replies a little sharply.

"Carrot." He nods as he makes a note.

"Maybe we should have a profiterole towers! I mean everybody loves profiteroles! I most certainly do love…" Tommy is cut off by Laurel suddenly kissing him, her hand resting against his cheek as she leans closer toward him, all but sitting on his lap as he kisses her back, softly and gently before they break apart from one another.

"So it's a yes to a profiterole tower?" He whispers as she links her arm with his and drops her head to his shoulder.

"Now I didn't say that did I?"

 _A Bar In Starling City_

Derek Reston laughs as he turns over a card to a group of his friends who he was playing card with, subsequently ending the game.

He smiles as the others stand to leave.

"Ok, fella's. Thanks for playing!" He smiles as he gathers up the cards.

"Mind if we sit in?" An unexpected voice makes his head shoot up. Oliver Queen.

Looking up he sees that Oliver Queen is indeed across from him, the girlfriend of his beside him and their said to be scary ass of a friend on Oliver's other side.

"Oliver Queen. Prodigal son returns and with friends." He acknowledges the three of them.

"Didn't figure you for someone who hangs out in The Glades." He mutters.

"My father used to bring me here after we visited the factory. There's a pac man machine in the back. I had the highest score for, I don't know. Two months and I was just showing my friend here the neighbourhood." He glances at Slade as Reston racks his cards.

"The last time I saw your dad, he was making a speech. Telling all my crew not to believe all the gossip. That there was no way Queen Consolidated was moving production to China. A week later they close the door!" He snaps resentfully before leaning forward.

"I didn't even get the two weeks vacation pay due me!"

"My father made mistakes. He hurt people." Oliver states calmly

"And when people are hurt, people are in trouble. They tend to make questionable choices." Slade murmurs.

"Right Derek?" Sara pipes up, as he glares at the three of them.

"But those choices don't have to define you. They don't have to define who your family will be because theirs always one moment when you can turn it all around." Oliver finishes as Reston continues to look at them, Oliver adding something before he can even say a word.

"If my father had another chance, I think he'd do things differently but time ran out for him." Oliver shakes his head, looking down for a moment at the thoughts of his father.

"How poetic." Reston cuts in.

"It doesn't help me get my house back, does it?" He retaliates.

"No it doesn't." Slade replies before leaving it to Oliver. If it were up to him The Man In The Mask would have either driven a sword through this guy, or at the very least cut something of value off!

"No, all I can offer you is an apology and a job." Reston looks up at Oliver's words.

"Queen Consolidated has subsidiaries all over the country. I make one phone call you start next week." Oliver offers as Reston takes a long drink from his glass.

"So what do you say?" He finishes, waiting Reston's response.

"How about I still have some pride left. I don't need charity from the son of the man who screwed me over." He hisses venomously.

"Ok." Oliver replies calmly before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a business card.

"If you change your mind." He puts it on the desk as he, Sara and Slade rise.

"You and I have one thing in common." He notes as he walks past Reston.

"We're both still dealing with the aftermath of my father's actions. What he did then, that's on him. What we do now, that's on us." He says before following Sara and Slade after maybe slipping a small device into the coat pocket of Derek Reston.

He had his chance.

 _The Foundry_

"You know, kid. I may never have met the man you call your father but from what you've told me and what I've learnt he seems to be a right nasty piece of work!" Slade comments as they reach The Foundry.

"He seems to have an awful lot to answer for." He adds as Oliver nods.

"That is the truest thing I've heard all day." Oliver sighs as Sara sits at the computer to pull up the feed from the device Oliver had slipped into Reston's coat pocket.

"You probably would have killed him if you'd have met him." Oliver sighs.

"From the sounds of it, kid. I probably would've!" Slade smirks as Sara turns up the volume.

"Got it." She murmurs as it connects to their computer.

"I've been thinking baby. Maybe you were right, maybe it's time to hang it up, retire." The voice of Reston sounds from the computer.

"But Kyle said we do one more or he'll go out by himself!" The voice of presumably Mrs Reston joins the conversation.

"Well if that's what he wants to do, that's his right! But you, me and Teddy, we're out." Reston snaps firmly.

"I want out to but I am not leaving without Kyle." She replies determinedly.

"What's this?" Diggle calls as he enters the room as Sara clicks the sound off.

"We dropped a bug in Derek Reston's jacket." Oliver explains.

"I thought you were going to give him a second chance." Diggle retorts.

"That's what I believe in but I also believe in covering all my bases." Oliver replies quietly as Slade snorts loudly.

"Ohh come on, kid you wanna kick that bastards arse!"

"You know Slade, it probably will come down to that." Sara nods at him.

"Guys!" Oliver protests as he unmutes the feed.

"Derek we can't abandon our son!" Mrs Reston's voice returns.

"After all this time he wants to end up a winner. Set for life! Otherwise what was the point!"

There is silence for a few minutes on the feed as everyone waits for Reston's reply.

"All right." He says clearly.

"One more."

Oliver sighs and puts his head in his hands in disappointment.

"Now what?" Diggle questions.

"I'm gonna go sharpen my sword." Slade smirks almost gleefully as he heads over toward his vigilante gear, rather pleased about being right and also about the action that shall be taking place shortly! He thinks as Oliver joins him.

"We take them down."

 _CNRI Benefit Gala_

"I can't fucking believe this, kid! First that horrendous brunch and now this! You really are asking to be tortured aren't you!" Slade growls moodily as they reach the CNRI Benefit Gala purely to keep up appearances as Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson.

Unfortunately nearly all of these 'keeping up appearances' jobs coincide with some of the things Slade Wilson greatly detests!

"Monitor the Reston's with this." Oliver speaks to Diggle as he approaches them.

"When you get a line on their plans, we move." Oliver says firmly.

"And you three are going to do another abrupt exit?" He questions as Oliver smirks.

"We're getting better at it with practice!" He chuckles as they enter the gala.

"Keep the alcohol flowing!" Tommy smiles kindly at a waitress, turning around abruptly when he feels a hand on his arm.

Laurel. More specifically Laurel in a stunning black dress that has Tommy lost for words!

"Oh, wow you look just, really lovely." He smiles, stumbling over his words.

"Lovely? Well, it's nice you've extended your vocabulary from words like hot and mega hot!"

"You could just say thank you, you know." Tommy grins.

"Thank you." She smiles before stepping closer towards him and kissing him softly, twice in one day. She could get used to this!

"You're welcome." He smiles against her lips.

"Tommy! This is wonderful!" Joanna startles them abruptly as she joins them, staring in shock as she sees Laurel so close to Tommy, having evidently just kissed him!

"It means the word to us." She adds as he feels Laurel slide her arm around his waist.

"Thank you." She says again, yet not just for the gala but also for Laurel, whom she's never seen look so happy in forever. She was wrong, Tommy Merlyn could possibly be the best thing for Laurel and what makes her smile is that she thinks Laurel is now seeing this to!

"Oh, god, excuse me, just for a second." Tommy bites his lip nervously as he spies Thea deep within the crowd.

This night can't get any better he thinks as he walks over to her.

"So! You and Merlyn!" Joanna all but shrieks once Tommy has gone.

"Don't even go there and it's not official or anything. We kissed at CNRI…"

"And just now by the looks of things!" Joanna grins.

"Maybe!" Laurel smiles mischievously, for the first time in a long time feeling as if she's over the moon!

"Thank you for coming." Tommy starts by greeting Thea as she kisses his cheek.

"Thank you for inviting me." She replies.

"Well I figured the entire Queen family and their cheque books should be present." Tommy replies with a smile.

"And how is that going for you so far?" She questions.

"It is going amazing!" Tommy replies honesty before adding.

"And all thanks to you! Thea Queen, the unlikely voice of reason!" Tommy smiles to Thea's confusion, completely unaware of what he is referring to.

"Ah, me. What did I do?"

"You gave me that great advice. I thought about want the girl was interested in and it worked out a million times better for me then I ever thought it would!" He turns around to look at Laurel whom is chatting among a group of others, she makes eye contact with Tommy and smiles warmly.

"And you did this for Laurel." Thea sighs, the realization hitting her instantly.

It was never her Tommy was talking about. It was never her at all. It was Laurel Lance!

"And it worked! Well I think it did, nothing's official yet." Tommy babbles excitedly.

"Thanks again sweetie." He smiles at the girl he sees as a sister as he walks back over to join Laurel with Thea watching on as Laurel smiles at him and tugs him to her side, siding her arm back around his waist as Thea sighs.

"Yeah, any time." She mutters as she grabs a tall glass of wine.

"Tommy! Do you remember Carter Bowen from high school?" Laurel asks when he reaches her side again, gesturing to Carter.

"Oh yeah sure I do!" Tommy says through gritted teeth as he shakes his hand.

"So glad you could make it." He adds.

"So great to see you and you look amazing." He turns his attention straight to Laurel, much to Tommy's annoyance.

"I've got to say, I'm so impressed with the work that you and CNRI are doing here." He smiles charmingly at Laurel, who smiles back.

"Thanks Carter."

"You know I've actually started thinking about opening a free clinic down here in the Glades." He reveals as Tommy continues to grit his teeth.

"Oh really?" He nods.

"Maybe grab a couple of drinks and I'll tell you what I'm thinking." He smiles at Laurel, who nods happily.

"That sounds great." She nods before following, turning back to look at Tommy though.

'Sorry! I'll explain later' she mouths to him before following Carter Bowen, leaving Tommy alone once more, not for long though.

"Tommy!" He hears Sara Lance call his name as she greets him, beside her stands Slade.

Tommy bites his tongue. If things couldn't be worse!

"Hey! Where's Oliver?" He asks as Sara hugs him.

"Talking to his mother, no one wants to be there for that." She rolls her eyes at him.

"Insufferable woman." Slade grumbles.

"What happened?" Tommy asks.

"Well there was this brunch with Carter Bowen earlier and we had to cut it short and Oliver kinda blurted out he was building a nightclub and that he was planning to move out and get a place with Slade and I! Let's just say, she's not in the best of moods." Sara explains as Tommy's eyes widen.

"Your company's preferable to hers!" Slade adds.

"I am actually going to take that as a compliment." Tommy responds.

"Good. Only one you're ever gonna get!"

Oliver discovers his mother talking when he eventually finds her to talk about what happened yesterday.

"Hi." He comes up behind her, startling her.

"Excuse me." She turns back to her friend for a moment before fixing Oliver with a glare.

"Well, I'm surprised you made it tonight given your hectic schedule!" She says sarcastically.

"Mom. I messed up with the Bowen's yesterday. I made you a promise and I couldn't keep it." Oliver sighs apologetically.

"It's nothing new for you Oliver, especially now with your new 'friends'." She mutters distastefully as Oliver closes his eyes, he should have guessed this was coming.

"I know you and I have had our difficulties, more so recently due to the company you chose to keep! But despite all my many mistakes. I always thought you and I had a connection, yet we don't talk. You some how thought it was okay just to blurt out the fact that you are planning to move out to live with you friends!"

"Which I am doing. I knew you'd be opposed to it which is why I thought it was best to just get it out there." Oliver admits.

"Well that's one thing you and I can agree on. I am opposed to this because it is not going to happen Oliver! I will have no son of mine living with that barbarian!" She growls.

"Mom. I'm an adult. Tommy moved out the day he was legally able to! I can't stay at home anymore mom. I'm not the son you lost five years ago." He responds, kinda glad that he had sent Slade and Sara off together so they wouldn't have to hear this.

"And I know it's hard for you to hear but that's the way it is." Oliver adds coldly.

"Like I said. I thought we had a connection. So can you imagine, just imagine, after being granted the miracle of having my child returned to me that you seem to have little or no interest in being with me, or telling me the truth! You'd rather spend your time with some girlfriend and him than your own mother! And I can't for the life of me think!"

"Ma'am." Diggle, gratefully cuts her off by turning to Oliver.

"Redwood United Bank. They're trying to make a nighttime hit." He mutters discreetly in Oliver's ear so Moria cannot hear the conversation.

Oliver nods at him before he leaves to go find Sara and Slade to tell them the news, leaving Oliver once more alone with his mother!

"I have to go." He says calmly.

"I'm sorry…"

"No don't bother apologizing! Honestly Oliver there are times when I wonder why you bother coming home at all!" She shakes her head dismissively before heading away from Oliver, who turns back to find Sara and Slade.

He sees them talking to Tommy, well Sara's talking to Tommy. Slade is glaring at him!

Oliver stifles a groan.

Ohh great!

 _Later At Redwood United Bank_

A lone security officer shines his torch light around the dark, deserted bank.

Nothing out of the ordinary, not at all.

However, the robber standing behind him with a gun might just qualify!

The sound of the gun cocking startles the guard who whirls around, only to be attacked from behind, rendered unconscious in a matter of seconds.

The Reston's don't take long to marvel at their work before they are back in work mode, attaching explosive devices to the door covering the money.

In seconds the door has exploded, letting them inside where they lift there masks confidently and start throwing cash into their large empty bags.

"Three minutes." Derek Reston warns them as they grab money.

"Ok." One responds as they clear the shelves.

A sudden sound makes Kyle Reston spin around.

"You hear that?" He stops causing the others to stop and look around anxiously.

"I'll check it out." Kyle nods as Reston replies with a brief 'ok', before lifting his gun and exiting the vault, searching around for the source of that sound.

"Kyle Reston!" The unmistakable voice of The Man In The Hood sounds out as Kyle spins around to see the three vigilantes standing in a corridor, The Man In The Hood with his bow raised, he fires and the arrow ricochets of Kyle's shield.

"I came prepared!" He smirks as he fires a hail of bullets at the three vigilantes, who duck for cover, leaping over desks and chairs as they move to avoid getting shot.

Kyle continues to shoot as it seems as if the vigilantes have just disappeared, he turns around only to have a arrow shot through him! He grunts and rips it out, holding his shield back up as he waits for another attack, instead he does by charging at The Man In The Hood, who attempts to get passed the shield, assisted by The Woman In Black, who swings her batons at Kyle Reston, breaking his left hand in the process as he pushes The Man In The Hood into a wall of glass, a shard embedding in The Man In The Hood's arm who just shakes it off as if it were not even there!

The fight continues as the security guard begins to regain consciousness, who reaches for his gun just as there is a slicing noise and a bloodcurdling scream from Kyle Reston as his arm is sliced clean off by the sword of The Man In The Mask.

The guard aims the gun at Kyle Reston.

"We got this!" The Man In The Hood growls as Kyle Reston continues to scream from his recently amputated arm! Alerting Derek Reston who runs into the room with his gun.

As he sees that his son has just had his arm cut off, he opens fire upon The Man In The Mask, achieving a couple of hits…

"No!" The Man In The Hood snarls as he fires an arrow at Reston's gun, whilst The Woman In Black races over to their partners side, who just received several gunshot wounds!

Kyle Reston, ignoring the agony in his arm, lifts his gun once more to kill the vigilante who cut off his arm…

"Gun down now!" The security officer growls before firing his weapon in self defense as Kyle turns the gun on him, however before he can be hit by the bullet Derek Reston leaps in front of them, receiving the bullet himself.

The Man In The Hood watches as Reston falls to the floor before completely ignoring him and moving over toward The Woman In Black, whom is supporting The Man In The Mask.

"How bad is it?" He growls, his voice filled with worry.

"Few hits. I'll live." The Man In The Mask mutters as they hear the sound of rasping.

Derek Reston as he takes his final few words.

"Kyle. It wasn't his fault. I turned my son into this! Get him help, he'll bleed out. Don't let him die, this is my doing!" He croaks, eying his son who has passed out from blood loss.

"Call an ambulance." The Man In The Hood mutters to the security guard, who races off in fear of the three vigilantes.

"Get him back. I'll meet you there." The Man In The Hood murmurs to his associates.

The Woman In Black nods before helping The Man In The Mask walk until they disappear into the darkness…

 _Oliver cocks the gun, preparing to end it all before realizing that it shall not end his life because it's not really there. The gun isn't and neither is his father, he looks at it only one more time before throwing it behind him as he looks at his father._

 _"Of course it doesn't work." He whispers._

 _"I'm hallucinating." He realizes._

 _"I'm dreaming."_

 _"But if you aren't. You betrayed me Oliver. I died so that you and your girlfriend could live and you threw that gift away. You made that sacrifice empty!"_

 _"I'm not you." Oliver shakes his head._

 _"I'm not, I'm not strong like you. I never was!" Oliver protests._

 _"I told you I'm not the man you think I am! The things I've done… What I was about to do." Robert Queen shakes his head in disgust as he moves away from Oliver._

 _"Dad. Dad! What does that mean, please. I don't know what it means." He whispers._

 _"I told you. I begged you. Right my wrongs!" He yells._

 _"This is your responsibility now and hers if you want her to join you." He gestures to Sara's still sleeping form._

 _"How?" Is all Oliver can say._

 _"How do we do this?" He whispers before adding._

 _"We can't even get off this island!" He cries as Robert places his hands on his sons shoulders in almost comfort._

 _"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you the truth about me but I hope that you know that I love you."_

The memory ends as Derek Reston dies and the siren begin to blare, promoting The Man In The Hood to lift his hood back on and flee before he can be caught.

The memories distracted him, he can't let that happen again!

 _Meanwhile At The Gala_

Tommy stands there shaking his head as he thinks of the two people he currently hates most in the world.

Carter Bowen and Slade Wilson!

"Did you know that as a doctor I was able to diagnose myself as a giant tool?" He says to himself as he witnesses Carter dancing with Laurel.

He knew it was too good to be true, that something would prevent him and Laurel from finally being together. It just had to be Carter fucking Bowen!

In fact, Tommy believes he hates him more than he does Slade Wilson! Which is saying something coming from Tommy as he didn't believe he could possibly hate anyone more than Slade the Australian special forces (he thinks that's what Oliver said) absolute psychopath! But no, Carter Bowen has managed to make himself even more unlikable than Slade is!

Tommy wonders to himself if it would be possible to get away with secretly murdering both of them? Carter would be easily dealt with, might take a little longer with Slade but Tommy is positive that he'd win the fight against Slade and murder him easily!

Tommy sighs and almost scolds himself for his jealously as that's all this is, well Slade's just an insufferable human being (if he even is one) but jealously is the at the core of Tommy's hatred for both Carter and Slade.

Carter and his intentions toward Laurel and Slade for stealing his best friend!

"How about a dance, handsome?" A drunk Thea pulls him out of his thoughts as she rests her arm on his shoulder.

"Hey, I thought we agreed that you were going to call me before you did something stupid." He says in a worried tone as he puts his glass down to confront Thea.

"You're no fun!" She laughs before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm going to show you how to have some fun." She grins as she moves to kiss him, he instantly pushes her away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" He gasps in shock.

"You said I was amazing." Thea responds sadly.

"Yeah you are amazing but you're also like my sister, my baby sister." He tries to confirm, realizing that Thea might have taken the words he said earlier the wrong way.

This was most definitely not his intention!

"Well, I'm not a baby anymore. Thank you for noticing!" She says before eying Laurel.

"Laurel doesn't even like you! She doesn't understand you. I do. Why can't you just see that?" Thea shakes her head in disbelief as Tommy tries to find the words to say that won't come across to harsh.

"Thea, Thea. It was a mistake to talk to you about girls and stuff." He says as she moves away from him.

"It was inappropriate of me and I think it may have confused you…"

"No, no! You're rejection is pretty clear. Even if it wasn't between my mum and Oliver and everybody in my entire life I'm pretty much used to it by now!" She snaps before turning around only to stumble into a waiter drunkenly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's go, let's go." Tommy leads her gently to the door, closing his eyes. This is not how he pictured tonight going!

"Tommy?" Laurel calls his name worriedly as she follows him outside to where he is standing calmly by his car, watching as Thea throws up uncontrollably into an alleyway, she gives him a sympathetic glance as she notices that he has given Thea his coat.

"Is Thea ok?" She asks, moving to Tommy's side.

"Oh yeah she just ate some bad crab cakes!" He lies.

"Are you sure it wasn't something she drank?" Laurel reaffirms, worried when Tommy doesn't even move toward her.

"Don't worry. I got this." He replies calmly.

"You can go back inside, keep having fun. Look like you were having a nice little do si do with the the good doctor." He says, unable to keep his jealously in as Laurel sighs and closes her eyes, almost in relief really as that explains why Tommy is suddenly acting distant and that now he's the one who feels insecure, like she is.

"Tommy I'm going to let you in on a little known secret about Dr. Carter Bowen. The man is a gigantic ass! And I told you I was going to explain it to you and what I was trying to tell you was that the only reason I decided to hang out with him was because he wrote a massive check to CNRI! Why would you think anything else? I want you." She says, gasping as she realizes that she said the last part out loud! To which Tommy smiles widely before fixing her with a solemn look.

"I guess when it come to you I tend not to think straight." He admits as he pulls Laurel into his arms, holding her close as she presses a kiss to his lips before just relaxing in his arms.

"Can you call me a cab?" Thea calls weakly, startling them both as Tommy shakes his head.

"Absolutely not! I am taking you home." He moves to open his car door.

"Get in." He sighs as Laurel gives her a sympathetic smile.

"Feel better ok." She calls softly before finding herself in Tommy's arms again.

"You know, I owe you a dance." She whispers in his ear.

"Oh yeah?" He replies as she presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Your earned it." She grins, before pulling away.

"Goodnight." She calls before practically skipping away, a beaming smile on her face.

Tommy smiles himself for a moment before climbing into his car.

"Please don't hate me." Thea whispers quietly as Tommy turns to her.

"Never." He shakes his head as he turns on the engine.

"Never."

 _The Foundry_

Oliver takes no haste in rushing back to The Foundry after watching Reston die.

He doesn't even bother to remove any of his gear as he races into the room, looking around for Slade and Sara.

Slade was shot, wounded! He cannot contain his worry for much longer.

He needs to know that Slade's ok.

He eyes his brother lying on a table surrounded by a pillow and blankets as it is cold! Sara stands by the computer, she has removed her wig and mask yet has left the rest on.

"Hey, is he…"

"Shh don't wake the baby!" She whispers jokingly whilst laughing, making Oliver relax instantly, if Sara's joking around then Slade's fine!

"He's ok then?" Oliver questions just to make sure, she nods and runs a hand through her beautiful blonde hair.

"He got hit about three times, no internal damage. Minor for him!" Sara laughs as Oliver rolls his eyes at the woman he loves.

"I kinda knocked him out cause I was wary of the damage at first, that's why he's out." She says in explanation as Oliver's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

"How? And what with? Horse tranquilizers!" Oliver retorts, knowing first hand that it's not easy to knock out Slade!

"Well he's probably going to kill me when he wakes up! It was relatively easy, he was in more pain then he was letting on. I was worried and his stubbornness was driving me up the wall." She sighs as Oliver pulls her into his arms, holding her close whilst pressing kisses to the top of her head.

"I love you, you know that." He smiles as she looks up at him.

"I know, because I love you to."

Diggle enters The Foundry a couple of hours later after hearing the news of Derek Reston's death and what happened, he is shocked to see Slade lying, seemingly unconscious on a table and Oliver and Sara sitting in a chair beside him, Sara on Oliver's lap.

"What happened?" Diggle mutters, making himself known.

"He got hit a couple of times, he's fine. Sara just knocked him out. I'd get out of hear if I were you before he wakes up." Oliver replies in explanation as Diggle smirks at Sara.

"Good for you! I've always wanted to see someone knock him out!" He smiles at them both before sighing, he knows what Oliver's thinking.

"What went down wasn't your fault." He comments as Oliver looks up.

"I didn't say it was."

"Oliver. It wasn't your fault, man. You three gave Reston a chance. It was more than he deserved." Diggle sighs as Sara kisses Oliver's cheek gently.

"I'm not so sure about that." He admits after a few moments.

"Well listen, I'll tell you this much. You three say going after the guys on that list is the way you honored your dad? Well if your dad could have seen you this week. The way you cared about the people he had hurt, the way the three of you stepped up to try and help them, id say he's be pretty damned honored!" Diggle says with a smile, Oliver and Sara say nothing.

"So maybe there is more than one way to save this city."

"Maybe." Oliver looks up as Diggle turns to go.

"I'm gonna leave you two to deal with him." He murmurs, quite happy to go before that!

"Ohh and by the way, Sam Washington woke up. He's going to be fine." Diggle replies before disappearing, leaving Oliver and Sara alone with the knocked out Slade.

"Maybe he's right." Sara whispers before Oliver gets to his feet, saying nothing in response.

"I'm just gonna get a few things from home. I won't be long, we'll stay the night here until he wakes up." Oliver mutters as Sara nods and kisses him before he leaves.

"Don't be to long!" She all but begs as Oliver leaves, a smirk on his face.

 _His eyes snap open. He's where he was, lying besides Sara, his arm curled around her waist as she whimpers, like she was before the dream._

 _Easing back a bit, Oliver looks at the fire before ripping out another page from that damned book before chucking it into the flames, yet before he does he sees as he brings the paper closer to the fire, ink beginning to magically appear on the page._

 _Names, lists of names._

 _With fumbling fingers he holds the rest of the book out over the fire, gasping when he sees the names appearing due to the heat._

 _"Ollie?" Sara's voice startles him as she sits up to look at what he's doing._

 _"What, what is that?" She whispers, eyes widening when she sees what Oliver does._

 _"My responsibility…"_

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira is pouring herself a tall drink when Oliver arrives to grab a couple of things.

He briefly considers just grabbing his things and leaving without a word to his mother but they left things on bad terms.

"Night cap?" He questions as she turns to face him.

"Well, I thought it would help me. I don't sleep well alone. What are you doing?" She questions eying the various items in Oliver's hands.

"I'm staying with friends." He responds.

"Oliver please drop this ridiculous notion that you are going to go and live with your friends." Moria sighs desperately.

"I'm not. It's happening though, either way mother but it might not be for a while as we haven't even started looking for a place yet." Oliver explains calmly as his mother falls silent.

"Look. I'm sorry for what I said tonight." She says after a while.

"No, you were being honest." Oliver replies.

"No not entirely. The truth is with Walter being gone I'm, I'm lonely. Yet you and I used to talk. I used to know what you were thinking. But now even when you're home you're somewhere else. That island changed you. The island and him, that Slade Wilson! He turned you into someone you're just not and I guess I just miss my son." She sighs as Oliver falls silent, normally he would have defended Slade, he wants to more than anything but he also needs to try with his mother to at least give them a stable relationship, even when he does eventually leave to stay with Sara and Slade.

"I miss you too." He replies eventually before sighing and retrieving his phone to send a quick message to Sara to let her know he may be a while as an idea comes to him.

He just hopes to god that Slade stays unconscious until he gets back!

With that done, he turns to his mom.

"Are you hungry?"

 _Big Belly Burger_

Moria smiles as she and Oliver are handed plates of burgers, grabbing her knife and fork as Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.

"Mom! It's ok to get your hands dirty every once in a while." He laughs.

"For me please." He adds as she puts her knife and fork down.

"That is a great burger! Thank you for this." She smiles at him as Oliver nods.

"Anytime."

"No, thank you. You could have just gone to your friends. You didn't."

"They can survive a few hours without me. I don't think Slade even knows I'm gone." Oliver smiles as Moria looks at him.

"Oliver as much as I don't get why you are friends with that man, I understand in a way why you don't like to leave them for long. It's natural having spent five years on that island with them both I get that. I just don't." She shakes her head.

"Slade takes a bit of getting used to but he is the brother I never had and I would love it if you'd just try not to hate him." Oliver begs as Moria smiles at him again.

"I can't promise that." She murmurs, her mind flashing to the assassination attempt and hopefully the more attempts to come! But for now she is just going to have to put up the façade for her son.

"But I can try!" She lies before abruptly changing the subject so Oliver doesn't know she's hiding something.

"You know I bet Carter Bowen doesn't know where to find the best burger joint in Starling City." She smirks as Oliver rolls his eyes.

"So I have one thing on him!"

"No, you have everything on him Oliver." Moria replies taking her son's hand, never wanting to let go.

After the meal Oliver returns to the mansion with Moira to say goodnight.

Luckily, he's only been an hour and upon returning back and sending an instant message to Sara he finds that luckily, Slade's still out of it! And hasn't awoken ready to probably kill Sara for knocking him out and in a bad mood!

"Thank you for tonight Oliver." Moria nods as she takes her son's hand again.

"I enjoyed it mom." He admits as he looks over at his motorcycle.

"I won't keep you! Go!" She smiles as he climbs on.

"Just promise me that you'll give me fair warning before you move out." She requests.

"You'll be the first to know when!" Oliver laughs before driving away into the dark of the night, his smile remaining as he drives through Starling City.

Now the only thing he's got to deal with now to properly finish the day off in style is a rather grumpy Slade!

It's gonna be a long night!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading I'm amazed that so many people have read this and followed and favorited it means a lot. Next update should be soon I'm gonna work on it soon, please tell me what you think. See you all next update!**


	20. Muses Of Fire (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty**

 _Starling City_

Two motorcycles zoom down a street, side by side.

They keep on driving for some time before Oliver's phone starts ringing.

"Hello?" Oliver answers the call, pulling in.

"Mum said I'm supposed to remind you to pick her up for lunch." Thea's voice travels through the phone.

Oliver raises his eyebrow, looking between Sara and Slade.

"Was I supposed to have lunch with her today?" He queries.

"She said she left you like five messages. I'm guessing you thought you were spending the day with Sara and Slade?"

Oliver's momentary silence gives her the answer.

"Look just bite the bullet and have a Cobb salad with the woman, bring those two with you if you never want her to have lunch with you again!" Thea suggests.

"You know Thea sometimes it's difficult to remember which one of you is my mother!" Oliver grumbles before hanging up in annoyance before turning to Sara and Slade.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go for a lunch with my mother." Oliver mutters miserably.

"Really? I thought we were going to look at apartments!" Sara sighs.

"I wont hear the end of it if I don't go, you guys can come with me if you want." Oliver suggests as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Rather not." He mutters as Oliver smirks.

"How about you two go on ahead and look at apartments? Sara you're in charge." Oliver says and Sara smiles.

"Kid!" Slade glares at Oliver in protest.

"Oh come on Slade! You'd live in a hole in the ground and you'd be happy! We want a nice play to live in." Oliver laughs as Slade actually nods in agreement.

"Can't argue with you their, kid. I'm not exactly picky about where I stay."

Oliver grins in response as Sara climbs off the back of Oliver's motorcycle.

"I'll walk if you want to borrow this." Oliver offers as Sara shakes her head.

"No, you're late as it is and I think your mother will probably kill you if you're any later then threaten death to Slade and I!" She says with a laugh, kissing Oliver goodbye.

"And surprisingly Slade can actually drive a motorcycle better then his does a car!" She says.

"That's because I never used to drive a car unless I had to, I used to have a motorcycle back in Australia. I only ever drove a car when I was in the ASIS." He explains with a smile.

"Now he tells us!" Oliver laughs as Slade rolls his eye at him once more.

"That explains why you nearly killed Sara and I on that drive from the courthouse!" Oliver adds, his thoughts going to that rather painful drive back to The Foundry after being legally resurrected!

"Enjoy lunch with your mother!" Slade smirks, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Oliver all but whines in response.

"If we find anything nice, we'll tell you about it later." Sara nods.

"Or call me and get me out of lunch, please!" Oliver all but begs.

"Ohh no you did promise your mother, kid!" Slade laughs sarcastically.

"Slade!" Oliver whines.

"Whine to your mother, not to me, kid." Slade laughs as he and Sara zoom off into the distance, leaving Oliver miserably alone!

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Mrs. Queen. All I'm asking for is a chance to sit down and discuss our proposal." Paul Copani requests as he follows Moira down the steps of Queen Consolidated.

"If that's all it is then I can save us both the time." Moira sighs as she comes to a stand still.

"It's rejected." She adds as Copani sighs in frustration.

"I see." He murmurs before adding.

"Can I ask why?"

"Do I really need to answer that, Mr. Copani?" She sighs as in the distance she sees Oliver pull up on his motorcycle, luckily seemingly without Sara and Slade!

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm meeting my son for lunch!"

Oliver waves at her from across the road, hoping to get this done with as soon as possible so he can join Sara and Slade in the hunt for a new home!

The sudden squealing of tires makes Oliver turn his head as a motorcycle zooms past, on it is a man who suddenly pulls out a gun.

"GET DOWN!" Oliver cries as the man opens fire on his mother and the man who she was meeting with, both fall to the ground...

Frozen in shock, Oliver begins to run across the street to where his mother is.

"Mom! Are you ok?" He cries worriedly as he pulls her to his feet, scanning her quickly to see if she had been hit anywhere.

"I'm alright." She shakes her head as he helps her up.

"You're not hurt?" Oliver asks quickly as she shakes her head again.

"No, I'm fine." She nods as she hugs her son.

"Are you sure? You sure you're fine?" Oliver tries to confirm.

"Yes I'm fine!" She replies as Oliver sits her down carefully.

"Call 911!" He yells at passerby's as he races toward the building, after the shooter, who is still escaping on the motorcycle.

Oliver's races after him, running down alleyways, pathways to try and catch up with the guy who almost got his mother killed!

He picks up a metal pole as he runs and throws it at the back of motorcycle.

He tries to catch up as it slows due to the received hit yet before he can a lorry cuts him off, allowing the shooter to escape.

Oliver shakes his head in disbelief when the lorry clears as the shooter is already long gone!

 _Starling City General_

"Ollie!"

"Kid!" Slade and Sara call as they race toward Oliver, their faces masks of worry.

"You alright? You hurt?" Slade growls at him hurriedly as they reach Oliver's side.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Oliver smiles wryly as Sara throws herself into his arms, placing relief filled kisses on his cheek as Slade rests a hand on his arm, both of them beyond relieved that Oliver seems to be safe and unharmed.

"The shooter got away." Oliver murmurs.

"We'll get him kid, don't you worry about that!" Slade mutters in response.

"What happened?" Sara pulls away to rest her hands on his chest.

"This guy with a gun just opened fire on my mom and some guy she was meeting with. Mom didn't get hit, she's just in there but I think the other guy…" Oliver trails off.

"Your mom ok then?" Sara questions worriedly.

"Yeah. I was just about to go check on her, Thea should be here about…"

"Ollie!" Thea cries as she races over to them.

"Is mom ok? What happened?" She looks between the three of them.

"Yeah, I think she's ok. I was just about to go in, wait here a moment Speedy." Oliver smiles, almost expecting her to protest about being left with Sara and Slade yet she says nothing.

Oliver enters the room, relived to see his mother sitting up and looking around anxiously, her face softening when she sees Oliver in the doorway.

"Are you ok?" Oliver questions as she smiles at him.

"I'm fine." She notices the worried expression on Oliver's face.

"I'm fine." She repeats as Thea moves in behind Oliver.

"Did you reach Walter?" She looks to Thea, who shakes her head sadly.

"No, I'm sorry." She murmurs as she leans against the door.

"As I was telling your mother, the CAT scan showed a grade two concussion." The doctor in the room makes himself known for the first time.

"She can go home, so long as someone stays with her just to make sure there are no after effects." He adds as Oliver nods gratefully.

"Thank you." He responds as the doctor exits the room, leaving only himself and Moira in the room as Thea appears to be talking to Sara and Slade.

Oliver looks at them quizzically for a moment before turning to his mom.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have left you. I thought you were fine." Oliver stammers.

"What'd you think you were doing anyway?" She shakes her head at him.

"Yeah, I wanted to get the license plate of the guy who took a shot at you."

"Well that was foolish." She cuts him off.

"What were you thinking Ollie?" Thea chimes in from the door.

"Oh, he isn't known for his brains." Slade chuckles in an attempt to stop the questioning.

"Yeah." Oliver nods simply as he embraces his mother.

Honestly, just happy that she's alive.

"So did you get the license plate?" Thea questions as Oliver leaves his mother be to rejoin Sara and Slade.

"No he got away." Oliver responds calmly.

"Maybe you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero. You're obviously not very good at it." She folds her arms.

"That's cute."

"I wasn't trying to be." Thea cuts Oliver off, a solemn look on her face.

"You left mom in the street, alone and hurt in the street to get a license plate?" Thea glares at him, doubt evident in her voice.

"You don't believe me?" Oliver questions.

"I love you, mom loves you, but it's getting hard when you won't be truthful with us." She mutters, turning to go back to her mother yet stops again.

"And it's not just that Ollie. What if you had been shot? What if that crazy lunatic had killed you! We lost you once, we can't go through that again." Thea shakes her head as Oliver sighs, wishing he could just put her mind at rest somehow yet before he can say anything she wraps her arms around him.

"I'm still mad at you but I'm overjoyed that you didn't get hurt." She sighs as Oliver smiles before she pulls away.

"I'm gonna go help mom. Sara, Slade." She addresses them both by name, causing Oliver's eyes to widen in shock.

"Thank you for coming." She thanks them with a small smile before heading back into Moira's hospital room.

Oliver, Sara and Slade stare after her with confusion in their eyes.

"Did that just happen?" Sara breaks the silence.

"What was she talking to you guys about when I was with my mother?" Oliver questions.

"She was just thanking us for being here, she was nice to us." Sara raises her eyebrow in disbelief at the whole affair as she explains it to Oliver.

"Something wrong with her?" Slade mutters as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"She must have some hidden agenda or something." He resolves.

"Slade!" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.

"Hey kid, she hasn't said one word to me before now that wasn't insulting." Slade reminds him, Oliver nods in response.

"We'll get to the bottom of it eventually. Whatever it is." Oliver resolves as Quentin and Hilton appear at the end of the corridor.

"Hey dad." Sara smiles as the three of them saunter over to the detectives.

"Detectives, do you have any leads on the shooter?" Oliver questions.

"Not yet." Quentin shakes his head regrettably as he embraces his daughter.

"Did you get a clear look at him?" Hilton cuts in.

"No, he was wearing a helmet." Oliver responds as Quentin nods.

"Don't worry. We'll find him." He assures Oliver.

"My head of security is on his way. I want to make sure there are men outside my mother's door. She needs to be protected." Oliver requests.

"You have a head of security when you've got that guy?" Quentin looks at Slade before Oliver in momentary disbelief.

"I don't exactly see eye to eye with Mrs. Queen." Slade mutters, yet with a smile at Quentin's comment.

"You saved both of my daughters lives, I think anyone who has a guy like you around should count themselves lucky." He nods kindly to Slade.

"I wouldn't worry yourself Mr. Queen, your mother wasn't the target. The guy she was with though was connected, mobbed up to the eyeballs connected." Hilton cuts in as Oliver looks to Slade and Sara momentarily.

His mother wasn't the target but she had almost been a casualty.

Which means that the people who orchestrated the hit need to be punished.

A task that The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask will take great pleasure in for filling!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter is already in the works so it hopefully won't take me too long to update! Thank you to all of you who have followed, favorited and sent me such kind reviews, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, see you all next update!**


	21. Muses Of Fire (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty One**

 _Laurel's Apartment_

Music blares from Laurel Lance's laptop as she works silently in her apartment, alone…

A sudden knock on her door pulls her out of her thoughts as she pads over to it, unlocking it to find Tommy Merlyn and also the pizza delivery guy, both of them standing on her doorstep with food.

"Uh, technically I did get here like ten seconds before this guy." Tommy smiles as Laurel pays for her pizza.

"Keep the change." She nods as she lets Tommy in.

"So Tommy, what brings you by so late?" She questions with a playful smirk.

"You." He grins as she puts all the food down on her table before turning back to wrap her arms around Tommy's neck, pulling him into a kiss.

"I missed you." He murmurs as he pushes her to the coach, kissing her repeatedly.

"Missed you to Merlyn." She smiles back as she runs her fingers through his raven hair.

"And well I assumed rightly that you'd be at home working tonight and I also assumed that you might be hungry, hence the food!" He chuckles as she moves so that she's on top of him, taking his hand in hers.

"I was right about that to!" He grins as she kisses his cheek.

"Oh I don't know. On that table is a mushroom and olive pizza from Mario's." She beams playfully as Tommy groans.

"Ah that is damn good pie!" He sighs as she kisses him again.

"All right, what do you have to offer, other then this and I am actually quite satisfied with this." She smiles before letting him sit up.

"In that bag I have spicy tuna on crispy rice from Toro." He grins as she leaps up from the couch and Tommy at his words, moving to where she had discarded the food.

"Damn you Merlyn!" She smiles as she grabs the bag triumphantly, opening it as she feels him coming up behind her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat when he wraps his arms around her waist from behind.

"Actually there was something I wanted to ask you." He murmurs as he kisses the top of her head lightly.

"What was that?" She smiles, contemplating for a moment wherever or not she should just forget the food, save it for later and drag Tommy to her bedroom right now but sadly, she really is hungry!

"Will you go out with me, like on a proper date?" He asks, nervousness in his voice.

"You brought me dinner to ask me to dinner?"

"Well, I also did throw you a really big charity gala." He smirks, Laurel faces him, putting the food down once more to put her arms back around his neck.

"See I thought you threw it for the hundreds of people it would benefit."

"Yeah, hundreds of people, plus one more." He bites his lip.

"Tommy." Laurel laughs.

"Laurel. I get it. This is all happening for us in the wrong order. You know first we're friends for many years and then briefly we are friends with benefits, extremely excellent benefits! Now we're kinda going back to how that was, in fact it's better then before!" He grins as she kisses him and pulls him closer to her.

"Much better than before." She murmurs.

"And I was just hoping that we could begin our relationship with an actual proper date, where we are two people who are sitting at the same table in the same restaurant at the same time. See? When I say it like that I doesn't sound so scary hopefully." He smiles.

"No it doesn't, not at all." Laurel says in between kissing him.

"I would love to go on a date with you Tommy Merlyn."

 _The Foundry_

The sound of Oliver hitting a dummy repeatedly with precision and expertise is all that can be heard in the foundry as Sara observes him from her chair and Slade waits patiently, well as patient as Slade Wilson can be! For Oliver to finish so they can spar off.

The wait isn't long.

"I would have continued with the dummy, but it doesn't fight back!" Oliver growls as he launches an attack at Slade, who narrowly misses.

"Now that's more like it!" He mutters as he launches an attack of his own only to be deflected by Oliver.

"You know Slade, it is possible that I shall beat you today." Oliver grunts.

"I'll believe that when I see it!"

"Can you pair like try not to injure each other?" Sara calls, noting that both Oliver and Slade look to be on top form today and from what she's seen when such a thing occurs it never ends without a few cuts and bruises here and their!

"I'll be gentle with him!" Slade assures her as she shakes her head.

"That was aimed at both of you!" She all but laughs as she hears them both growl and grunt.

"You're doing well today, kid." Slade comments as he defends and attack.

"Lot on my mind!" Oliver growls.

"We'll get whoever did this." Sara assures him kindly as Oliver hits the floor.

"Oh come on!" Oliver moans as Slade pulls him up.

"Your thoughts, whilst they may have fueled the rather excellent fighting you have demonstrated today are also what kept you from beating me. Careful, kid because you and I both know that if you think of things too deeply it causes sloppy mistakes to occur. We've both been there, all three of us have." Slade looks over and Sara as the three of them fall silent as a wave or memories hit them all at once causing both Oliver and Slade to continue sparring, even Sara considers joining them except Diggle enters the room, eying Slade and Oliver and shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oliver, your mom was nearly killed. I think you can take a day off from training or whatever you call that." Diggle calls, causing Oliver momentary distraction which allows Slade to knock him to the ground again.

"Thanks." Slade calls gruffly as he pulls Oliver back to his feet.

"His mother wasn't the target." Sara explains briefly to Diggle as he, Slade and Oliver join her at the computer.

"This man was." She indicates to the picture of the man who had been talking to Moira at the time of the shooting, they guy who unfortunately did lose his life.

"Paul Copani, he was trying to close a deal with her when they were shot at." Sara explains as Oliver sits in the chair beside her, looking exhausted from his latest session with Slade.

"Copani works for Bertinelli Construction and Frank Bertinelli." Oliver mutters.

"The mob boss?" Diggle questions.

"I did some digging. Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew who's been hit." Sara explains as Diggle raises an eyebrow.

"You did some digging?" He says in a skeptical tone.

"Bertinelli has a lot of enemies." Oliver states.

"The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organization is to get inside of it."

"So let me get this right guys. Oliver's mother is shot at, nearly killed, and the way he processes this emotionally is by the three of you going undercover with the mob?" He questions with his arms folded as Oliver sighs.

"I'm not trying to process it emotionally."

"We have a job to do and when we do we try to keep our emotions out of it." Slade grumbles from the corner in Oliver's defense, who gives him a kind look.

"Yeah well maybe that's your problem, man. You ever thought about just being there for your family?" Diggle ignores Slade's comment who snorts at Diggle's.

"I tried that today with Thea and whilst she may have been nice to us and all she told me that I wasn't being honest with her and she's right. I can't very well explain to her that I left her mother alone and bleeding in the pavement because I am fast enough to almost run down the attacker!" Oliver mutters, receiving reassuring nods from Sara and Slade.

"But what I can do is protect my family." He stands, Sara and Slade mirroring his action.

"And Diggle, when we find out who this guy is, he's a dead man."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

A motorcycle drives carefully into a garage, where it parks in the corner.

The driver waits until the garage door has closed to before dismounting the bike and heading over toward a board which holds several pictures.

A marker pen in hand, the driver draws a cross through the picture of Paul Copani.

It is then that Helena Bertinelli removes her helmet, a dangerous smile crossing her lips…

 _Queen Mansion_

Thea moves down the stairs quickly, startled when someone calls her by her nickname.

"Speedy!" She looks up to see Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Where are you going?" Oliver calls.

"Clubbing! Which is difficult to do in your house and not in an actual club!" She says, with sarcasm and a smirk.

"We have to go out tonight." Oliver moves towards her.

"What for house hunting?" She eyes Sara and Slade behind him.

"Thea." Oliver says warningly as she folds her arms.

"I thought you'd be watching mom." He adds.

"I've spent the whole day with her. I thought you three would take the night shift?" She growls in frustration, folding her arms.

"I'm sorry, but this thing, it's important."

Thea rolls her eyes at him.

"You know, sometimes Ollie, I just don't get you and by sometimes I mean never." She mutters resentfully.

"You're actually not the first person to say that to me today."

"Why am I not surprised?" She cuts in as Tommy suddenly walks in causing Slade to roll his eye and groan in annoyance ever so slightly at Tommy's arrival.

"Oh, nice dress! Where you headed?" He smiles kindly at Thea.

"Upstairs apparently." She flashes a glare at Oliver before storming off.

"Long story." Oliver mouths to Tommy.

"I still think she's too disrespectful." Slade mutters his opinion.

"You could say that again." Oliver murmurs.

"I blame your mother's parenting skills." He adds and Oliver can't find it in him to disagree as Slade does speak the probable truth!

"Hey, I heard about your mom, is she alright?" Tommy asks worriedly as Oliver moves back over to Sara and Slade.

"Well she's resting upstairs, more shaken up than anything." Oliver says in explanation.

"We've got to run to this business thing, but I do appreciate you stopping by." Oliver smiles kindly at Tommy.

"It's no problem, just as long as you're mom's alright." Tommy nods as Oliver moves past him followed by Sara and Slade.

"Hey, one more thing. Mainly because I have both of you here in the same room." He eyes Sara who moves closer towards them.

"Laurel and I are going to dinner as in a date and I'm kinda freaking out…"

"Grow a pair, you could use some." Slade mutters, as Tommy glares at him.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you ever get a date!" He snaps back both Oliver and Sara moving to stand between them, both Sara and Oliver mildly concerned about what would happen if Tommy and Slade ever actually got into an actual fight, which both Sara and Oliver agree without even conferring that could actually happen!

The results of that fight are something neither of them want to imagine!

"That's really good. I'm happy for you Tommy." Oliver places a hand on his friends arm.

"Just be your normal charming self and she'll love you!" Sara smile reassuringly.

"Charming?" Slade mutters under his breath, more like annoying waste of space! He thinks to himself as Oliver nudges him sharply.

"Laurel deserves someone special like you. Just be yourself and like Sara said, you'll be fine." Oliver smiles warmly.

"Thanks guys." Tommy replies with a smile.

"We've got to run to this thing." Oliver adds as they turn to the door.

"Absolutely, I'll catch you later?" He questions.

"Oh and uh Tommy, if you hurt my sister I'll snap your neck." Sara threatens with a smirk as Tommy actually for a moment looks worried and Slade smiles at her.

"Just kidding!" She calls as she takes Oliver's hand.

"I wasn't." Slade grumbles.

"No one was asking you!"

 _The Bertinelli's House_

"You have got to be more civil with Tommy." Oliver says to Slade as the three of them walk up the driveway to the front door of the Bertinelli's home.

"If you mean by being civil not planning his death then fair enough, kid. I can live with that!" Slade replies grumpily.

"You know Tommy isn't actually that bad, he's really nice." Sara adds.

"He's annoying."

"Yes but he wasn't so different from me when we first met." Oliver reminds him.

"He's even more annoying then you were, kid and that truly is saying something!" Slade mutters before adding.

"And on the topic of annoying things how come I'm your business partner?" He questions as they reach the front door, Oliver shrugs.

"It's a good cover and if I ever had to go work for Queen Consolidated I'd want you as business partner." Oliver smiles kindly as he rings the doorbell.

The door is opened a couple of moments later by Frank Bertinelli himself.

"Mr. Bertinelli." Oliver says politely as he shakes his hand.

"Call me Frank." He smiles as he releases Oliver's hand.

"Call me Oliver and this is my girlfriend, Sara Lance and my best friend and business partner Slade Wilson." Oliver introduces them as Bertinelli shuts the door behind them.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me at my home."

"My father used to say that living rooms make the best conference rooms." Oliver smiles.

"Oh, I'm going to steal that!" Bertinelli responds as he moves to introduce a man.

"Nick Salvatti, my associate." He nods as they shake hands.

"Let's have a drink." He suggests as the three of them follow Bertinelli…

 _Queen Mansion_

"So what are you in the mood for?" Thea asks as she lies in bed beside her mother, whom is currently reading the paper.

"We could watch reality housewife cooking show or 'Cop Docs'. It's where doctors run around fighting crime when they're not all sleeping with each other!"

"Whatever you want sweetheart. You're the one who's given up your evening out." He mother smiles kindly at her.

"It's not like there's anybody else who could be staying with you! Oh wait, yes there is." Thea grumbles.

"Don't be too harsh on your brother..."

"Why not? Aren't you getting sick of his lies?" Thea sighs.

"Thea everyone has secrets. We all have things that we'd like to keep to ourselves."

"I just don't get him sometimes." Thea mutters.

"I know, I know. Honestly I think it's the company he keeps." She murmurs as she pulls her daughter into an embrace.

"Don't be too hard on Slade. He's not forcing Oliver to be like this." Thea says in defense as Moria looks at her quizzically.

"Thea that man is probably who's changed Oliver and for the worst I must say, I have noticed that they are frighteningly alike in some ways." She replies.

"I know you don't like him mom, hell I'm not his biggest fan and all but I think he just truly cares about Oliver, he loves him and sees him as family from what I noticed." Thea sighs.

"What's changed your tune?" Moria asks worriedly.

"That lunch with the Bowen's when he said Oliver and Sara were family to him, I don't know what it was but I could just tell he meant it and that he truly cares about Ollie. Yeah he's the biggest asshole in the world but I think there is more to him then what meets the eye because you were right, he and Oliver are alike in some ways, they both keep secrets. They both have these like walls up and they don't want to let anyone in." Thea says as Moira continues to look at her daughter quizzically.

If Thea is changing her opinion on Mr. Wilson then perhaps she should have another assassination attempt set up!

In the end she simply changes the subject.

"You know being in that hospital and seeing Doctor Lamb again made me remember the day that Oliver came home. I can still see them their together, Oliver was holding onto Sara and he was in front of them, Quentin and I were there and they didn't move, they just stayed by one another as if we didn't matter. They said nothing, at first I thought it might have been psychological but then it was Doctor Lamb that told us that they had spoken, yet only to one another and I couldn't believe that they wouldn't even address us, family."

"Mom I think they are their own family in a way." Thea says quietly.

"What they have is not a family but a seriously dis functional relationship." Moira mutters under her breath, yet Thea still hears.

"Mom!" She sighs.

"I'm sorry Thea, we're a family, me you and Oliver and possibly even Sara could be counted but that, that barbarian is certainly not and he never will be!" She grumbles.

"I told you, I'm not his biggest fan but there's something else about Slade. He's not even from Starling City, mom, he could have gone back to Australia or something but he didn't for Sara and Ollie. I think that it's possible I've been too harsh with him…"

"Thea! No you haven't. I do not want to hear you talking like that alright?" Moira growls.

"Attempt at parenting, mom?" Thea raises her eyebrow.

"I'm trying to protect you…"

"From what? Slade?" Thea retorts.

Both of them fall silent after that, Moira breaking that silence only moments later.

"The doctor told me that the Oliver we'd lost might not be the Oliver that they'd found. I think it's easy to forget he lived apart from civilization, except for Sara for five years, all he had was her and then he obviously came along and from his mannerisms I do think that Oliver is like the way he is now because of Slade Wilson and I want to accept the Oliver that he has become now but it's hard to, because it's not who he is even though I know we have to try as if we don't try nothing can change and right now change would be the best thing." Moira says to Thea who sighs.

"This mean your going to stop him from moving out? If he'd gotten a sweet place I was actually thinking of staying with him to see if I could get him to open up to me more." Thea reveals causing Moira to raise her eyebrow.

"But I sooner realized the flaw in that plan, knowing my brother, Sara and Slade it would be so much stricter than living here! I'd probably never have a social life ever again if I stayed with them three but maybe he'd be more inclined to spend more time with us if he did move out because then he'd have to make the effort to come and visit!" Thea smirks.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear some of that Thea." Moira warns her because when she had said change and that change would be the best thing right now. It did not involve her son moving out, nor her daughter! It involved Slade Wilson's head on a silver platter! Because without him in the way everything for Moria Queen will fall nicely into place!

 _The Bertinelli's House_

"So Oliver, I'll be honest with you, I was surprised to hear from you." Frank Bertinelli says as he hands Oliver and Slade a drink before falling into his arm chair.

"It was my impression from the local news that you weren't going to be involved with your family's business, let alone have a business partner." He flashes a glance at Slade.

"Well apparently there were a few catch phrases that I missed while we were away for five years, one of them being lame stream media." Oliver says as he and Bertinelli laugh.

"The press never get anything right." He adds.

"Ah, I know a thing or two about that." He replies as his own business partner's phone starts to ring, causing him to disappear to take the call.

"So Oliver, I'll be blunt. I want the contact to build Queen Consolidated's new applied sciences division." Bertinelli states plainly.

"And we are inclined to give it you." Oliver smiles.

"Your mother wasn't quite so enthusiastic."

"Well there's a surprise!" Slade comments, voice heavily laced with sarcasm.

"Yes Mrs. Queen is not the easiest of women." Bertinelli laughs lights again at before turning back to Oliver.

"How is she, by the way?" He asks courteously.

"She's recuperating at home, thank you." Oliver smiles.

"What a terrible thing that happened." He shakes his head.

"And Frank, we were very sorry to hear about what happened to Paul Copani." Sara adds.

"Yeah, Paul was a good friend. He's was a good man." He says before sighing as if in disgust.

"The violence in this city, sometimes I wonder why I stay!" Bertinelli sips his drink.

"We had the same thought." Oliver murmurs, glancing at Sara and Slade a moment.

"So why'd you three come back? After that island you three could've settled anywhere in the world. I mean, you're not even from Starling City." Bertinelli looks over at Slade.

"Starling City is my home, mine and Sara's." Oliver replies for them both.

"And my home is with Oliver Queen and Sara Lance." Slade mutters.

Bertinelli looks as if he were going to respond yet doesn't as a pretty woman with long brown hair walks in, talking confidently in a foreign language.

"No matter which way you go or turn, you always end up at home." She says in English as Frank gets to his feet and puts an arm around the woman.

"This is my daughter, Helena." He introduces her as she shakes hands with Sara, Oliver and Slade with a wide smile.

"Nice to meet you all." She smiles at them before turning to her father.

"I'm heading out." She states.

"Just take one of the guys with you." Bertinelli says in a way that reminds, Oliver, Sara and Slade of Moira!

"I can take care of myself." She replies hastily.

"I wasn't asking, sweetie." He says in a tone that definitely reminds them of Moria Queen!

"Frank, that meeting you requested, he can do it now." Salvati re enters the room, having spent the whole time answering that call.

"We can come back another time." Oliver speaks up as there is a moment of silence.

"No, no, no, no, no. Just excuse us for a moment, would you?" Bertinelli says exiting the room with his daughter and business partner, leaving the three alone…

"Oliver Queen, the rich man's Lindsay Lohan, his girlfriend Sara Lance and the guy they brought back from an island." Helena Bertinelli states as she enters the main hall, followed closely by her father.

"Look, um, I've got to go to this other meeting." Bertinelli starts as she folds her arms.

"I need someone to take them to dinner."

"So you pimp out your daughter? You know he's got a girlfriend right? She's literally in the other room!" Helena protests.

"No. I asked her to help me close the business deal!" He snaps.

"A reminder that the family business is dying and that we need this contract and Oliver Queen can give it to us." Bertinelli explains to a sighing Helena.

"Please, sweet pea, huh? For us?" He requests.

"For me?" He adds.

She sighs in frustration.

"Oliver! I'm so sorry. Something has come up but Helena would love to take the three of you to dinner to discuss the deal further." Bertinelli calls to Oliver, Slade and Sara as they enter the room.

"Oh. I was hoping to speak with you." Oliver says in surprise.

"Well as the three of you speak for your family, my daughter also speaks for ours." Bertinelli smiles down at Helena.

"It would be my pleasure." She speaks up.

"I look forward to working together." Bertinelli shakes Oliver and Slade's hands before departing leaving Helena alone with Oliver, Sara and Slade.

She huffs momentarily before heading for the door.

This was definitely not on the agenda for this evening!

 _Elsewhere In Starling City, later..._

As a car pulls up, China White confidently exits, making her way over to Frank Bertinelli and his associate.

"Thank you for coming." He greets her.

"Anything for a friend." She responds as her own associate begins speaking in rapid Chinese.

"We're not responsible for the attacks on your people." She translates.

"These attacks on my business, on my family's lifeblood, they stop now or I'm coming for you." He threatens her as she and her associate calmly walk away.

"What does the Triad have to gain by provoking you?" Salvati questions once the two men are alone once more.

"Well no one ever credited the Triad with rational thinking." Bertinelli mutters.

"If not them, then who? Whoever it is, when I find out who's behind this, there will be blood!"

 _SCPD_

Agitatedly, Quentin switches off the feed connecting them to Frank Bertinelli, having heard the entirety of the conversation that he had just been having, having bugged him.

"Sounds like Bertinelli's ready to put the screws to everyone who pays him protection money." Hilton mutters as he leans against the desk.

"Yeah, well three of his best earners have been murdered. He's got to make up the cash somewhere." Quentin explains as he stands.

"Whoever is pruning the family tree is looking to make Bertinelli suffer." He adds as he looks at the evidence board.

"So you do think it's one of the other families?"

"No? Then who?" Quentin says as he turns around to face Hilton.

"Well, according to the coroner's reports. None of the vic's took a clean shot, half the bullets missed." He reveals as Hilton furrows his brows at him.

"Our killer is not a pro."

"That's not stopping him from pulling the trigger." Hilton intersects.

"That's up to us." Quentin says determinedly as he turns back to the evidence board.

"Or this is going to blow up into an all out mob war."

 _A Restaurant Somewhere In Starling City_

"You're an angel, Helena, so beautiful." The owner of the restaurant says as he leads the four of them to a table.

"Well, we are going to take good care of the four of you tonight." He smiles at them all.

"You'll tell your father hello from us?" He turns back to Helena.

"Of course Mr. Russo." She nods as he leaves them be.

"I heard about your mother's accident. Is she going to be okay?" She asks Oliver politely.

"She's going to be fine, thanks." Oliver replies.

"I'm glad."

You're the only one! Slade thinks to himself.

"So why would you want to go into business with my father?" She questions.

"You know who he is and how he made his money." She adds, a hint of resentment in her voice, a tone that Slade knows all to well.

"You don't approve of your family's enterprises?" Slade questions.

"We share a name. That name defines us whether we want it to or not." She replies sharply.

"You three have already made judgements about me, just like I've already made judgments about the three of you." She look up at them.

"Yes, he's the rich man's Lindsay Lohan, she's his girlfriend and I'm the guy they brought back from the island." Slade quotes Helena perfectly from earlier, sarcasm in his voice.

Helena gasps in shock at the fact the three of them heard all that.

"Sorry." She says automatically.

"That's ok." Oliver smiles.

"I'd actually like to thank you for saying to your father that Oliver in fact has me." Sara adds, causing Helena to smile at Sara.

"Honestly, that's not the worst we've heard." Slade mutters.

Helena still looks down nervously and fiddles with a necklace around her neck.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?"

"Yeah." Oliver nods.

"I know it must have been hell for the three of you on that island for five years but, um." She starts yet stops abruptly.

"What?" Slade questions.

"Well was there ever a day when the three of you were just happy to be away from everything?" She looks between each of them.

"No pressure from families, no need to be the people that everyone else expected you to be. Was there ever a day when…"

"When we didn't feel lost, but free?" Slade speaks up.

Helena looks up at them each in turn, they all wear the same expression.

"More then once." Slade adds gruffly, a memory of someone he held dear coming to mind.

"And those are the days that we miss." Oliver finishes honestly on behalf of the three of them as Sara slips her hand into his.

Because, honestly there were moments when they felt free on that island.

Moments that the three of them treasured and it wasn't just the three of them.

However, when something happened to someone they loved that was all gone and a distant memory, those moments forgotten forevermore…

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"What is it too spicy for you Merlyn?" Laurel says with a smirk as Tommy buries his face in his napkin.

"No, no, not really." Tommy says, his voice muffled by the napkin.

"No. I'm just crying because I was thinking of a Hallmark commercial I saw earlier today featuring a sick kitty." He lies as he wipes his eyes again.

"It was very emotional." He adds as he and Laurel start to laugh.

"Will there be anything else?" A waiter asks.

"No, thank you." Tommy says politely as Laurel takes his hand on hers.

"Thanks for letting me take you to dinner." He smiles as she kisses his cheek.

"Well, thank you for letting me choose Indian." Laurel smiles back.

"Yeah, I read this article by a film critic once who said if he could have one wish it would be to watch his favourite movie again for the first time. I kinda wish that was us." He admits.

"So you want dinner and a movie? And maybe something else?" Laurel says with a flirtatious grin as she moves closer to Tommy.

"No. I wish we had just met and all this was just the beginning, and there wasn't so much of me I wish you'd forget." Tommy reveals.

"Well keep saying nice things like that and maybe next time I'll let you chose the restaurant!" Laurel says, stealing a kiss from him.

"Mr. Merlyn?"

"Yep?" Tommy turns to face the waiter.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid your credit card has been declined." He explains.

"Did you swipe it a few times? You know sometimes those things can be a little glitchy."

"I did and um, I'm afraid the credit card company wants me to confiscate it." He says throwing in a quick 'sorry' as Tommy turns back to face Laurel. Both of them thinking the exact same thing.

What the hell was all that about?

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading please do tell me what you think of this chapter and thanks to all of you who have followed and favourited. Until the next update then thanks again for reading! Hope you enjoyed x**


	22. Muses Of Fire (3)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Twenty Two**

 _Starling City_

"People are always asking what did we miss the most." Oliver explains to Helena, whom looks at the three of them with deep interest.

"Air conditioning, satellite radio, tagliet…"

"Tagieltelle?" Helena supplies.

"But those are the answers that we give people because those are the answers they're expecting to hear from us." Sara sighs.

"Why can't you just be truthful?" Helena questions.

"Because we don't know how truthful we can be." Slade mutters.

"You three have been through a crucible and it changed you. How can it not?" She states, looking at them all once again, noticing the sadness behind their eyes.

"I can hardly remember the person I was before the island." Slade murmurs, causing Oliver and Sara to nod in agreement, their former selves died on that island and they've changed. Helena's words were true. How could it not?

Helena glances at him, a soft look in her eyes.

"That's beautiful, your cross." He adds.

"It's a gift from my fiancé." She replies.

"Didn't know you were engaged." Sara smiles.

"I'm not anymore." She says before falling silent.

"He died." She reveals.

"I'm sorry." Slade looks at her almost as soon as she said the words.

"Me too." She murmurs before adding.

"That was my crucible." She tangles her fingers in her necklace once more.

They all fall silent then, Slade still glancing at Helena with an understanding look.

"It's nice to… It's really nice to hang with someone else that we can be ourselves." Sara says on behalf of herself, Oliver and Slade.

"It's nice to be with some people who know just how hard it can be." Helena replies.

"Sorry." Oliver apologises as his mobile rings.

"Take it." Helena nods as she turns to Sara and Slade. Slade in particular.

"You lost someone close to you." She says gently.

Slade raises his eyebrow in response yet says nothing.

"You have the same look in your eyes as I do." She whispers softly.

Again, Slade doesn't respond yet gives Helena a look, a one of complete understanding.

"Hey it's Dig. Something can up." Diggle says through the phone as Oliver holds it close to his ear whilst Sara and Slade chat with Helena.

"You've got to get out there and call me back." He supplies.

Oliver sighs and hangs up.

"Helena we've got to go. There's something that we have to do." He apologizes.

"Its quite a pressing matter otherwise we would stay." He apologizes.

"And I would like that." She responds, sadly as she hoped at least one of them would stay.

Oliver smiles before putting money down on the table.

"Uh, my father would kill me if I let you pay." She says as they stand.

"I have a confession. We didn't want to go out with you tonight." Oliver says.

"That makes four of us." She smiles.

"Yet we are really glad that we did." Slade murmurs, surprising both Oliver and Sara as whilst they were going to say something a long the same lines they are surprised that Slade would say something like that.

"That makes four of us." She replies with a wide smile as the three of them head off.

"Be careful with my father." She calls in warning, the last thing she says to them before they disappear leaving her alone.

 _Queen Mansion_

A knock on her bedroom door causes Moria Queen to look up from her book.

"Thea you don't need to knock sweetheart." She calls kindly.

"What about me?" The mysterious man she works with enters the room.

"I hope you don't mind." He adds.

"Thea let me in." He supplies.

"What are you doing here?" She questions in shock.

"I wanted to see how your recovery was going."

"Well surely someone of your means has a telephone." She murmurs.

"I like to see someone when I have something important to talk about." He reveals as a moment of silence passes between them.

"We used to be friends Moria." She looks anywhere but at him.

"I still remember that time, you, me, and Robert which is what I came by." He moves to sit on the end of the bed.

"You are a vital part of Starling City's future." He reminds her.

"Robert feared that future. He lost his conviction, it's been my experience that when someone has a brush with death like you experienced today, even their deepest held convictions can change. Have they?" He questions.

"No." She replies.

"You didn't have to say it. I can see that they haven't." He whispers as he stands to leave.

"Mr. Wilson. I want you to deal with him sooner than later." She mutters.

"I wouldn't worry about that. There will be another attempt." He nods. Moria frowns.

"What? There's something your not telling me."

"There's a name that came up during my research and if he and Slade Wilson are one in the same then our theory of him being one of the vigilantes is correct and we have big problems." He reveals.

"A problem like that needs to be iradicated. I think you and I can both agree on that." He reminds her as she nods.

"We can." Moria murmurs.

"Ohh we really can."

 _Starling City_

"What happened?" Oliver cries as he calls Diggle back.

"Yeah it's what's about to happen. Bertinelli's enforcer, Nick Salvati?"

"Yeah we all drank scotch together." Oliver responds.

"Seems like a real stand up mobster." Sara adds.

"Yeah well he's been paying a visit to everyone that owes the mob protection money."

"Diggle we're trying to figure out who took a shot at my mother, not take on all of organised crime!" Oliver sighs as he shakes his head at Sara and Slade in disbelief.

"Here he goes again. What did I tell you, kid?" Slade mutters.

"Well listen guys, Salvati and his goons have already out four people in the hospital tonight and if somebody doesn't stop him, the poor bastard who owns Russo's going to be next." He informs causing Sara's eyes to widen.

"Wait, wait. Russo's?" Oliver gasps.

"It's at the corner of Adam's and…"

"We know where it is Diggle. We're right here now." Oliver responds stonily.

"What?" Diggle asks in surprise.

"We were having dinner with Bertinelli's daughter."

"How was that a part of being undercover?" Diggle questions curiously.

"We didn't have a choice." Oliver replies.

"You think she's got something to do with this?"

Oliver is about to reply when a car zooms by.

"Salvati's here." Sara notes as the three vigilantes walk toward the building…

Mr. Russo sits at a table when the restaurant door opens.

His daughter, Jenny Russo moves toward the door.

"I'm sorry, we're closed." She informs Nick Salvatti as he and his goons enter the restaurant.

Walking past the woman, he moves into the restaurant as Mr. Russo looks up.

"Huh." Salvatti mutters as he circles a table.

"Mr. Salvatti." Mr Russo says politely before muttering in Italian.

"I have some fresh made lasagna." He offers kindly.

"We're not here for food, Mr. Russo." Salvati replies before adding.

"Your payment's due." He says in a matter of fact tone.

"I already made my payment this month." He protests.

"You need to pay again." He informs Russo sternly.

"No, please I can't afford to make another payment if I'm going to…"

"Going to what?" Salvati curs him off.

"Restock your bar?" He pushes a group of wine bottles off the side where they shatter loudly on the floor.

"Break his fingers." He commands his associate after a brief moment of silence.

"Leave him alone!" Jenny yells as they grab a hold of him.

"Break her's to." He adds in a bored tone.

"No!" Russo exclaims.

"Don't touch her!" He yells as an arrow suddenly soars through the air, hitting a box cutting off the lights.

A moment later The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask burst into the room, taking down the associates as they pass them, hitting them with batons, slicing them with swords and using just good old fashioned violence to take the criminals down with ease and expertise.

Salvati pulls his gun out and begins to fire upon the three vigilantes, who duck and dodge the bullets as The Man In The Hood sends an associate to the ground.

Suddenly, another shooter enters the room.

The same one who took down Paul Copani.

The Man In The Hood shoots an arrow at the gun, sending it flying out of the shooters hand.

The three vigilantes then turn on the shooter, who ducks their attacks.

The shooter pushes The Woman In Black into a table as the other two attack, The Man In The Mask getting the upper hand, allowing The Man In The Hood to smash the glass of the shooters helmet, The Man In The Mask removing it to reveal Helena Bertinelli.

The three vigilantes stand there looking at her as the realization that the shooter, who killed all those people, who almost added Moria Queen to their list of kills is none other then the woman they had just had dinner with. Helena, the only person to truly understand them.

Yet before they can do anything she runs, leaving the three vigilantes standing there in her wake, trying to understand what just happened.

 _The Foundry_

"I don't understand." Oliver shakes his head as he, Sara and Slade look over at where Diggle sits by the computer, having just returned to The Foundry after the attack.

"Why would she be targeting her family?" Sara questions, as she puts her gear away.

"I don't know." Diggle shakes his head.

"And here I thought you had parental issues." Diggle eyes Oliver.

"This is not a joke!" Slade snarls as he places his sword down, contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to stab Diggle with it!

"You three don't actually trust this girl, do you?" Diggle folds his arms in dismay.

"Because I know you three can't be that crazy and that's saying something." He adds.

"Helena Bertinelli shot at your mother Oliver. She also murdered four men in cold blood."

"She has to have reasons for what she's doing." Slade says in her defense.

"Reasons?" Diggle raises his eyebrow in disbelief.

"Since when do you, of all people Slade care about the bad guy's reasons?" Diggle stands.

"She is the bad guy!" He protests.

"There's more to this, don't question my judgment. You'd be a fool to." Slade growls.

"I think he's right. There's more to this then what meets the eye." Sara backs him up as Diggle shakes his head in disbelief at them both before turning to Oliver.

"Slade's right. She has to have reasons for this." Oliver admits, his mind still lingering on the dinner between the four of them and how it was nice to meet and spend time with an outsider who finally seems to understand them.

"Oliver she's the killer and whatever's going on in your heads. You better get it straight!" Diggle snaps at them angrily.

"Any attempt on his right hand is going to send your new friend's father on a war path." Diggle says, calming down a bit as silence passes between the four of them.

"We know what we're doing." Oliver replies after a few moments.

Diggle just stands there and shakes his head in dismay.

"Him, I expected this kinda crap from. But you Oliver, Sara I didn't." He mutters as he turns back to face Oliver.

"Now I know how your family feels when you lie to them."

 _SCPD_

"Is this the only handle you've got?" Quentin asks the tech guy sitting at his desk.

"The Russo's chintized out a bit in their security package." He explains to a frustrated Quentin who sighs and turns away for a moment.

"Somebody is in the wings with a gun shooting at these guys." He grumbles.

"What have you got from earlier?" He requests.

"You mean before the shooting?"

"Yeah!" Quentin mutters.

"Business dinner, birthday dinner, a couple of blind dates." The tech guy lists off.

"Any guests of the Chinese persuasion?" He questions.

"Why?"

"Humor me." Quentin replies as the tech guys types away before something catches Quentin's eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. What was that?" He whispers as he grabs the mouse away from the tech guy.

"Help yourself." He mutters in a bored voice.

"Ohh for the love of!" He groans as the picture he had zoomed in on was one that showed Helena Bertinelli, Oliver Queen, Slade Wilson and Sara Lance…

 _Queen Mansion_

"I'm going to kill him." Slade mutters from the couch, which the three of them are lounged on, Sara lying on Oliver and Slade in the corner.

"Diggle or Tommy?" Sara says with a smirk.

"Preferably both but Diggle." Slade growls.

"He did have a point in a way, she was the shooter." Sara sighs.

"But earlier she understood us in a way no one has since we got back." Oliver mutters before groaning and burying his head into his hands.

"I just don't know!" He growls.

"Maybe we should find out what her reasons are." Slade suggests.

"And how are we going to do that? Interrogate her as the vigilantes?" Sara questions.

"Maybe." Oliver nods.

"Or we just talk to her some more and see what she comes out with." Sara murmurs before adding with a smirk.

"Or just Slade."

"Why just me Sara?" Slade looks up at her.

"You pair seemed to have some kind of understanding going on between you. Like when she mentioned her dead fiancé. I thought, you know…" She trails off as Slade looks away.

"She's right Slade, it's not a half bad idea." Oliver looks over at him.

Slade doesn't respond, just stays silent.

"And maybe this won't just be helpful to us but helpful for you to, someone to talk to who isn't Ollie and I." Sara smiles kindly.

Slade is about to reply when a loud knock rings out.

"I'll go." Oliver stands as he moves into the main hall toward the door.

"Detective." Oliver says in surprise when he opens the door to see Quentin on the doorstep.

"Is everything ok?" He asks.

"Kind of, where's Sara?" He questions.

"Ohh, through here." Oliver smiles as he heads back into the lounge.

"Hey daddy, what's going on?" Sara looks up at him as she gets to her feet.

"Nothing much I was just wondering why on earth you three were hanging around with Helena Bertinelli last night!" Quentin sighs in frustration.

"Business thing." Oliver supplies.

"Her family is bad news on a good day. I'm just concerned for the wellbeing of my daughter and her friends! Especially since afterwards that place was broken into and there was some kind of gun fight!" Quentin folds his arms.

"Like I said it was a business thing." Oliver smiles.

"I think you're doing business with the wrong people Oliver." He warns him.

"I just don't want to see any of you getting hurt." He adds as Sara hugs her father.

"Dad, trust me we'll be ok." She reassures him.

"I would love to believe that but the Bertinelli's…"

"We can handle it." Oliver finishes as unbeknownst to Quentin, the three of them can handle it, in more ways than one!

 _Merlyn Mansion_

The sounds of people fencing is all that can be heard on a patio beside a huge mansion, belonging to none other than Malcolm Merlyn, the father of Tommy Merlyn, CEO of Merlyn Global, yet also the mysterious man Moira Queen works for.

"Can I talk to you?" Tommy Merlyn growls as he approaches the two men fencing, one of them being Malcolm Merlyn.

He ignores Tommy's presence and continues to fence until Tommy sighs.

"Dad!" He yells.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little occupied at the moment." Malcolm responds, his voice slightly muffled by the face mask he wears.

"I just talked to the accountant. He said my accounts were frozen. He said my credit cards were all canceled!" Tommy snaps.

"I pay Sandy a king's ransom each year in fees, Tommy. When it comes to money's if he says it's so, it's so." His father finally answers him, whilst deflecting his partner.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Tommy cries as his father finally puts his sword down before turning to face his son.

"No." He says, removing his protective face mask.

"You are." He states, a moment of silence passing between father and son.

"Although I must say, your chronic irresponsibility and terminal laziness has lost its humour." Malcolm growls, giving Tommy a smirk.

"Hm. You're wondering why now? The better question is, Tommy. Why not sooner?" He snaps as he walks closer to his son so they are standing face to face.

"It's my trust fund." Tommy snarls.

"Which is comprised of my money." He growls back.

"Oh, excuse me. Was comprised." He corrects himself with a smug look, patting Tommy's cheek before putting back on his mask and continuing to fence, returning to ignoring his son who angrily walks away.

 _Starling City Graveyard, Later…_

Helena Bertinelli sits on the grass beside a gravestone, engraved with the name Michael Staton, her fiancé as she rests a flower upon the grave, her hand automatically going to her necklace, horrified when she realises that it isn't there.

"Helena." A low voice calls her name, turning around with slightly tear stained eyes she sees that the person is Slade Wilson.

"How did you find me here?" She turns back to the grave.

"Followed you." He mutters, having being sent to do this by Oliver and Sara, actually agreeing to comply with their idea from earlier about him going to see what more she comes out with the more she gets to know one of them, as he couldn't disagree with the fact that he and Helena probably had the most in common, what with the love of her life dying, something Slade can definitely relate to!

"And it's just you? I thought the three of you were joined at the hip!" She smiles lightly. Slade chuckles in response, before frowning.

"Your fiancé?" He questions to complete silence from Helena for a few moments.

"Yeah." She responds, dropping the flower onto the grave before standing up to turn and face Slade.

"You said that losing him was your crucible, that it changed you." He glances at her.

"You didn't say how." He adds.

"When you love someone as much as I loved him, with all of your heart, then you can't just turn that emotion off when they're taken from you. You still feel things as deeply as if it. If it can't be love that you feel then, then it becomes hate." She reveals.

"I can understand that." He murmurs, his mind flashing to memories of her, the woman he had loved with all his heart and the rage he had felt when she was taken from him the first time. He lost the woman he loved twice, the first brought rage. The second time was different as by then the woman he had loved was already dead.

"What happened to her?" Helena asks suddenly, Slade looks over at her in surprise at her choice of words, unable to reply to her.

"You know how I feel. I can tell you do, you lost the person you loved just like I did and I strongly believe that, like me you changed because of it." She folds her arms.

"I don't talk about it." He replies curtly.

"Another similarity." She notes before turning to walk away.

"You, Sara and Oliver should stay a way from me." She murmurs.

"Helena." Slade calls her name, yet just before she can respond a black van pulls up, Salvati exiting, a gun in hand aimed at Helena, his goons behind him also armed.

"Get in." He commands as Slade races over to them, ready to attack.

"Unless you want me to put a bullet through her brain right now, I wouldn't try anything." Salvati turns his gun on Slade.

One guy with a gun, easy! Slade thinks to himself, yet falters when the rest of the goons enter the van, all armed with loaded firearms.

If there were a fight, it would only end with one of them, if not both of them dead.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Salvati and his goons take Slade and Helena to an abandoned factory where they are pushed into chairs and bound with plastic wires.

If he had, had his sword their might have been a fair fight that Slade is confident he would have won but has no weapon on him, this wasn't part of the plan!

"My father is going to kill you for this!" Helena says in a bored voice as Salvati scoffs and backhands Helena across the face, sending her the floor.

"I've been wanting to do that for years!" Salvati chuckles as one of his goons places Helena back into her chair.

Unbeknownst to them that Slade is currently breaking out of his restraints.

There honesty isn't much that Slade Wilson cannot break out of!

"Spoiled bitch!" Salvati growls at Helena.

"I knew it was someone from the inside waging war against your father and me. I just never thought it'd be this inside." He growls before smiling smugly and removing Helena's necklace from his coat pocket.

"You dropped this at Russo's." He swings it back and forth.

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Nicky." She smirks.

"You're not." He responds, glancing at her before asking his question.

"What was this all about anyway?"

"My father had Michael murdered." She snarls, causing Slade to close his eye for a second in slight sympathy at the reveal of her fiancé's demise.

Salvati chuckles as he faces her again.

"Of course her did." He states.

"He didn't want you to know the truth." He adds as he grips her hair.

"You're rat of a fiancé was gathering evidence. He was talking to the freakin' FBI! The love of your life was going to destroy your father."

"You're wrong." Helena whispers as he lets the grip on her hair go.

"I found a laptop in Michael's bag Helena. Everything that could send your father and me to prison for the rest of our lives was on it. That computer…"

"Was mine!" Helena cries to Salvati's surprise.

"Michael wasn't the one talking to the FBI. I was." She cries.

"You?"

"My father is a monster. He doesn't care about who he hurts to keep his money and power! And I wanted it to stop!" She admits.

"Well then it's your fault that Michael's dead." Salvati reminds her.

"Not your father for ordering the hit or me for carrying it out. Yours." He points at Helena.

"You shot Michael?" She whispers just as he wraps something around her neck, stroking her cheeks at the same time.

"In the chest. Just so he knew it was me, just like this!" He pulls out a gun, just as Slade breaks free from his restraints, having heard quite enough and attacks Salvati's goons, snapping their necks and moving one of them, causing the guy with the gun to fire at his own man as Helena launches out of her own chair at Salvati as Slade continues to kill the other goons that keep arriving.

Salvati throws attacks at Helena who easily defends them, kicking the man hard in the jaw and punching him in the face, dodging his attacks on her. In the end Helena gets the upper hand on Salvati and pushes him against the wall, her hand wrapped around his throat.

"You will burn in hell for what you've done!" He hisses at her.

"It'll be worth it!" She growls as with one swift move she breaks his neck.

She turns back to Slade, who stands near the bodies of the recently murdered goons.

"I didn't have a choice Slade. No one can know my secret." She says in a tone that reminds him so much of himself, Sara and Oliver.

He was right, she does understand them.

 _The Foundry_

Slade arrives back at The Foundry around about an hour later, Helena having left to go who knows where and he had let her go. He needed to talk to Oliver and Sara anyway.

"What the hell happened?" Oliver questions as he and Sara move over to Slade as soon as he makes himself known, noticing the fact instantly that he looks like he's been in a fight.

"Are you okay?" Sara asks concern in her voice.

"I'm alright. Salvati showed up and took Helena and I. They're all dead. I made sure of that." Slade mutters as he takes a seat near the computer.

"Did you find anything out?" Sara presses.

"About why she's doing this? Reasons why?" Oliver adds.

"Her father had her fiancé killed." Slade states in a matter of fact manner.

"It was about revenge." Oliver sighs.

"Salvati admitted his crime and she snapped his neck. She got the man who killed her fiancé but I don't think she's done just yet." Slade mutters.

"Funny thing revenge." He grumbles as he exchanges a look with Oliver and Sara, who say nothing in response yet all of them are thinking the same thing.

"It won't change the rage she's feeling." Sara sighs sadly.

"No it won't. Even when I killed the man who…" Slade trails off before adding.

"She also killed Salvati due to these words. 'No one can know my secret' sound like anyone we know." He looks between them as Oliver leans back against the table.

"Ok. What should we do about this then?"

 _SCPD_

"CSU didn't find any usable prints. Except for three victims." Hilton explains as he enters the main room of the precinct.

"One of them had a GSW to the chest." He hands the file to Quentin.

"So who broke the necks of Salvati and his buddies?" He questions as he flicks though the file boredly.

"Look, it's been a while since the vigilantes broke anyone's neck and I didn't see any arrow laying around." Hilton mutters as Quentin turns to face him.

"Well, better pray that Frank Bertinelli blames the vigilantes for this because if he thinks it's the Triad, Starling City is ground zero to World War Three."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

A knock on the door alerts Laurel immediately, who races over to open it only to see Tommy standing outside, a sad look upon his face.

"You ok?" She asks worriedly as Tommy stands there, Laurel just wanting to pull him into her arms and just hold him, to comfort him in any way she possibly can.

"I spoke to my dad today." He reveals.

"I bet that was fun." She says softly as she envelopes him into an embrace, stroking his back comfortingly as he tightens his arms around her.

Kissing his cheek, she pulls away to take his hand and lead him into her apartment, locking the door behind them.

"He explained to me what happened with my credit card yesterday and my checking account, my savings account, my brokerage account, my stock portfolio. He cut me off completely." Tommy explains as he sits down on the couch.

"What?" Laurel whispers in shock as she sits beside him, cuddling into his side and placing her hand reassuringly on his thigh.

"My car got repossessed. That was fun and I have to move out of my apartment by the end of the month." He murmurs as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"You are going to be fine, Tommy. In fact you are going to be great, Merlyn money or not." She clutches his hand tightly.

"And you know, I have a mushroom and olive pizza in my refrigerator waiting to be eaten." She smiles as she kisses him.

"Sounds perfect." He responds as he kisses her back.

"But right now, this is perfect to."

 _Queen Mansion_

A hand stroking her hair causes a sleeping Moria Queen to awaken immediately, her eyes widening in shock when she sees that the person is in fact Walter.

"When did you get back?" She whispers in shock at his return.

"Just now." He informs her quietly, she smiles before sitting up to face him properly.

"I'm so happy to see you." She takes his hand in hers.

"Hm." Walter responds as she closes her eyes and looks away.

"But did you only come home because you heard that I was hurt?" She asks waiting nervously for Walter's answer.

"No. I was already on my way when Thea called. I actually came home because I miss my wife." He reveals as with a smile she kisses him and wraps her arms tightly around him. Happy beyond relief that her husband is home and hopefully this time for good.

Oliver smiles at the scene as Sara tightens her arm around his waist, whilst the three of them observe the happy reunion.

"Is she all right?" Thea calls as she approaches them.

"Walter's home." He reveals to Thea's beaming smile.

"She's going to be fine." He smiles back.

"Look I'm sorry if I was a bitch with you earlier, with the three of you." She apologises.

"There were a few times. Could be be more specific?" Oliver grins.

"Don't push it."

"Don't worry. You weren't a bitch." He assures her as Slade raises his eyebrow at him.

"Ok, at the hospital you were a little. A little bit." Oliver decides as Thea laughs.

"Look I'm just worried about you. We all have our secrets Ollie, clearly the three of you have yours and it's fine if you don't want to share them with us. But I just really think you should share them with someone other then just keeping it between yourselves." She wraps her arms around him tightly.

"I love you Ollie and I want you to be happy. I just do hope that the person you guys open up to is me. I really do." She says as they turn to go.

"Slade?" Thea calls his name softly, causing him to turn around in general surprise.

"Can I have a word with you?" She requests as the three of them look between one another before Oliver sighs.

"Be nice." He mutters, the comment applying to both Slade and Thea as they approach one another, Sara and Oliver still hovering.

"I'll deal with this, you two stay 'ere for tonight." He calls to them before moving back over to them speaking discreetly so only Sara and Oliver can hear him.

"I'll go on ahead afterwards to her." He murmurs as they nod in agreement.

"You seem to be able to get through to her." Oliver agrees as he and Sara depart, however waiting around the corner just so they can hear the conversation between Slade and Thea!

"You wanted to speak with me." Slade says in a gruff voice.

"Yeah, I. I just wanted to um apologise for the crap I've given you ever since you got here." She reveals, causing Slade to look upon her with shock evident in his eyes at her sudden, unexpected apology.

"I think you are an extremely hard person to get to know or like even." She admits, sounding more like herself, Slade thinks.

"But you. I think you truly love my brother, you care about him so much and by the sounds of things. You saved him, you got him off that island and you brought him home to me." She folds her arms, waiting for Slade to say something.

"That's because I do. He's my brother." He murmurs.

"I know, I see that now that the three of you are your own family. That lunch with the Bowen's, when you said that Oliver and Sara were your family. I believed you when you said that because you could have gone back to Australia, but you came here with Oliver and Sara to Starling City because you care about them and I can't hate someone like that. So I am honestly sorry." She says before walking away, leaving Slade speechless for once.

"Keep looking after my brother for me will you?" She calls back before adding, knowing if her mother heard she would probably disown her!

"Because I truly think my brother needs you Slade." She smiles before disappearing.

"Wow." Sara whispers from beside Oliver as they watch as Slade raises his eyebrow in shock one last time before taking to the stairs, disappearing from view.

"That was unexpected." Oliver says when he finally finds the words to speak, losing them again when Sara wraps her arms around his waist and drags him toward his bedroom!

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

Running her hand through her wet hair, Helena exits her bathroom. Stopping when she sees the rather familiar figure in her room.

"I'd ask how you got in here but one of Starling City's vigilantes comes and goes as he pleases, doesn't he?" She addresses Slade.

"How did you guess?" He questions as she folds her arms.

"I saw you fight and then I saw your eye. Sara and Oliver are The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood, right?" She questions, smirking when Slade doesn't give her an answer.

"That island changed you in ways that only someone like me and them could understand."

"No." He cuts her off.

"What you're doing right now, I know that it feels like justice but it's not. It's revenge. I understand revenge more than most people Helena." He murmurs.

"Sometimes revenge is justice." She states.

"I thought that once before now, twice. Two people I loved were taken from me and all I wanted was revenge. I got it on one of them and it didn't change a thing." Slade shakes his head as Helena glances at him.

"You're father killed your fiancé."

"And what happened to the people you loved?" She retorts.

"Isn't The Man In The Mask fighting to set things right? Why is your vendetta more valid than mine? We're the same you and I!" She cries.

"Not in some ways." He growls.

"Hiding in plain sight? Concealing our anger with smiles and lies. Don't lie to me Slade. You feel the same as I do, I know it." She growls as she stands so she's facing him.

"The mask is a distraction for you, from your pain. You fight because of it. Tell me I'm wrong!" She yells as she sits down on her bed.

"I try to ignore my pain. Emotions cause mistakes."

"You said you got revenge for one of the people you lost." She reminds him of his words.

"I did. I shot the man who destroyed my love through the head and it didn't change a damn thing." He admits.

"You said he destroyed her? You never said he killed her." She picks out.

"Ohh he killed her alright, he destroyed the woman I loved what happened afterwards…" He trails off, looking away from Helena.

"Hey." She surprises him by grabbing his hand and pulling him down so he sits beside her.

"You can tell me. You know about mine." She reminds him.

"I never talk about what happened to her. The only people who know see myself, Oliver and Sara. You know more than most people." He reveals.

"Maybe talking might help." She suggests.

"It wouldn't." He grumbles.

"The man who destroyed your love, took your eye to?" She guesses, his silence giving her the answer she was searching for and when he finally responses with a 'no' it surprises her.

"It was because of that man I lost my eye but he wasn't the one to take it." He admits before leaning over and whispering to her who did take his eye. She gasps.

"What?" She asks in confusion.

"I don't talk about it." He repeats.

"But you fight because of what happened."

"It can be a useful distraction from the pain." He replies.

"Like I said, the mask is your distraction from whatever happened to you." She murmurs both of them falling momentarily silent as memories wash over them of the people they loved and lost. The horror of their deaths and the horror it brought them.

The rage and anger it caused both of them to feel.

"Why are you crying?" He murmurs as tears start to fall down her cheeks.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I have been alone in my hate for so long. It feels…"

"So good to tell the truth?" He supplies as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"It can be different." He informs her.

"Can it?" She mutters.

"Whilst I may never find love again, being The Man In The Mask made things different. The only family I have left made it different." He explains.

"Oliver and Sara?" She questions, he nods.

"As long as I have them and the mask. I can distract myself from the pain. Perhaps you could learn to as well, you could be happy again." He murmurs as she lifts her head from his shoulder to glance at him.

"That sounds an impossibility but I like the sound of it." She says, resting her head back down onto his shoulder before saying.

"And maybe, Slade. Even though right now you think it's an impossibility of your own. You could find love again someday."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! This chapter was shorter then I thought it was going to be, it's probably because the episode was shorter I don't know! But thanks for reading and thanks to all of you who have followed and favorited this story, please do tell me what you think. Hope you enjoyed x**


	23. Vendetta (1)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Three**

Helena's eyes snap open as a thought comes to mind, awakening her from her slumber beside Slade Wilson. For the first time in a long time she has not slept alone and she would be lying if she said that didn't please her.

Yet now she has something to do, she reminds herself as she lifts her head from his chest, gazing at his sleeping form for a moment, the eyepatch covering his missing eye still in place. He never took it off, not even when he eventually fell asleep, he wouldn't show her what lay beneath the patch. Yet she had heard the horror story behind the patch and it was a horror story indeed!

She would also be lying if she said that it wasn't nice to talk to someone who understands her, her and her pain as Slade understands what it's like to lose someone close. He hadn't gone into detail about it but she had received a large portion of the story of what had happened, enough to understand why Slade is reluctant to talk about it.

A fact of the story he had told surprised her, but he had thrown a million and one reasons as to why that happened the way it did and why he could never hate the person who officially had murdered the woman he had loved as she apparently had already been dead.

The person she was destroyed by the man he had shot through the head and got his revenge on!

She rolls her eyes at that, he tells her that she shouldn't look for revenge when he did that! Now that had annoyed her, yet he had given her another story in response about how when he lost someone else close to him he hadn't killed that person.

However, he did say he would have if it had been possible to, but the person who murdered that loved one was someone with a hell of a lot of power, she had learnt from what had had told her. He didn't say much more after that and then she had talked to him about Michael and how much she had loved the man who had been taken from her, causing them to have another debate about her wanting to seek revenge!

All in all, it had been a nice night for her. The nicest in a long, long time.

Glancing at him one last time, she slips away into the dark of the night.

It is only a moment later that Slade awakens, looking around in confusion for a moment at his surroundings and the fact that he had fallen asleep with his eyepatch on before realizing where he is and why he is here.

He had been talking to Helena Bertinelli, both of them sharing the stories of the tragic losses of their most loved ones.

He had opened up to Helena as she had opened up to him. Oliver and Sara being the only other people to hear the stories he had told Helena.

To be honest, it was surprising that he found it so easy to talk to Helena as other than Oliver and Sara he finds it hard to talk to most people, especially about matters like that but as he had said to her it was good to finally tell the truth to someone else, someone who wasn't Oliver and Sara.

However, it isn't long before he notices that Helena is gone.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As a car pulls up a motorcycle does to, Helena upon it as she witnesses two men stepping out of the car, one holds up a walkie talkie and mutters something in a foreign language, which Helena translates means 'all clear'.

Crouching by a fence, Helena removes a gun from her pocket as she witnesses China White walking across the street and into the car.

She raises her gun, aiming it at the person as another man steps out.

Suddenly, something drops beside her and pushes her to the floor, causing her to fire her gun and alert the others.

China White making commands in Chinese as the guards begin to fire upon Helena, The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask as he deflects the bullets with his sword before grabbing Helena's arm and yanking her to her feet, pulling her to safety as they are fired upon continuously as The Man In The Hood fires off several arrows, allowing the other three to take cover.

In the end, to evade their attackers, The Man In The Mask pushes her into an alleyway, where once they are safe from the gunfire, she glares at him angrily as he removes his mask.

"What the hell do you think you were doing!" He yells at her furiously.

"Oliver, Sara. I would say it's nice to see you both again!" Helena turns to them as Oliver drops his hood and Sara removes her mask and wig.

"What were you thinking Helena?" Oliver folds his arms as he waits for her to explain herself, all three of them do.

"That man was the leader of the Triad. My father blames them for the recent hits against his men." She snaps her explanation.

"These are men you killed." Oliver mutters.

"That's right. I take out Zhishan and the Triad retaliates. I have weakened my father's organization to the point where there is no way he can survive their onslaught."

"What and then you have your revenge?" Sara growls.

"Then I have justice. For what he did to Michael and me." She cries.

"It's not justice." Oliver snarls.

"And what you three do is? You told me yourself you shot the man who hurt your love through the head, what's the difference Slade?" She folds her arms as she turns to Slade, causing Oliver and Sara to look at him in surprise at the knowledge that Helena knows a part of a secret of theirs that they rarely ever mention.

"We could show you." Oliver offers, she doesn't reply and a moment of silence passes until Sara sighs loudly.

"For now, it's late, should we just go and get a burger or something?" She suggests, trying to keep the peace between the four of them.

The four of them all in agreement at Sara's words!

 _Big Belly Burger_

"Can I get you four anything else?" Carly Diggle asks the four sitting together on a corner table, each of them with tall mugs of coffee in their hands.

"No thank you Carly." Oliver says on behalf of them.

"Where's my bother in law?" She asks with her hands on her hips.

"It's late and this is the Glades. Shouldn't he be keeping the four of you safe?" She questions, glancing at each one of them in turn.

"We have Slade." Oliver smirks at him as he rolls his eye in response.

"And she's tougher than she looks." Sara nudges Helena kindly.

Carly glances at them one last time before leaving.

"Thanks!" Helena smiles genuinely at Sara who shrugs.

"It's nice not to be the only female here." She replies as Oliver takes her hand.

"So were you two patrolling or something?" She asks Oliver and Sara after a moment.

"We were going to stay in for the night, but we had sent Slade to talk to you and we had mutually decided to let you in on our secret, so we gathered that Slade might have brought you back to our base." Oliver explains as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"I went back to base to grab my gear to come and follow you and they were there when I got there." Slade explains to Helena, who nods.

"Slade told us that he was following you, so we decided to join him and it looks as if we got there just in time." Sara notes as she leans back against her chair before frowning.

"Out of curiosity, why did you even let her go in the first place?" Sara questions, turning to Slade. The thought only just hitting her.

"He was asleep." Helena replies casually causing Oliver to all but choke on his coffee at Helena's words as Slade smirks at Oliver.

"It was nice to have someone to talk to. Someone who understands." She smiles at Slade.

"And you also have us to talk to, whenever you need." Sara assures her kindly.

"I don't need to. It was nice to talk to Slade but I really just don't need anyone but myself." She replies, looking away from them.

"Because you have everything figured out!" Slade mutters sarcastically.

"I don't think you're the one to judge. I saw the three of you kill people, remember?" She reminds them moodily.

"We kill people when it is absolutely necessary. It's not our opening move and they way that you're going, you're going to get somebody hurt. Like my mother, or yourself." Oliver whispers angrily.

"I'm sorry about your mother Oliver." She sighs apologetically as Oliver folds his arms.

"It was an accident…"

"How many more accidents have to happen before you're done getting back at your father?" Oliver snaps as Helena looks him in the eye.

"Hopefully none." She replies, causing Slade to raise his eyebrow in disbelief, having heard the most from Helena out of the three of them to know otherwise.

"I am not getting back at him. I. I am stripping away everything that has meaning to him, just like he did to me when he had Michael killed!" She cries.

"What if we could show you another way." Oliver sighs. Helena shakes her head and looks away from them.

"A way that you could take down your father's organization without putting innocent people at risk?" He offers kindly as silence passes and Helena looks up at them again.

"Thank you." She says plainly.

"Thank you for the coffee." She nods to Oliver and Sara before looking at Slade.

"And thank you for talking to me and just listening and understanding." She smiles warmly at him as she rests her hand on his arm.

"But, your offer? I'm not interested." She mutters before departing, leaving the three of them in silence, which Oliver breaks seconds later.

"Well it looks like we have work to do!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this. Sorry if this chapter was terrible, I found it kinda hard to write it, I don't know why. Thank you to all of you who have follows and favorited this story, please tell me what you think x see you all next update.**


	24. Vendetta (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Four**

 _The Foundry_

"I don't know where the next Olympics are at but you three might want to think about signing yourselves up." Diggle comments as he walks into The Foundry to see Oliver doing a handstand, Sara doing some kind of acrobats and Slade on the Salmon Ladder.

Neither of them answer him, Diggle smirks before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"So do either of you want to talk about last night?" He questions, to utter silence once more, apart from the metal click clack of Salmon Ladder and a small grunt from Oliver as he pushes downwards again before straightening out.

"Last time we all spoke you three were on your way to stop Helena Bertinelli from her one woman war against the mafia." Diggle mutters before adding.

"And how did that work out for you three? Nick Salvati, Frank Bertinelli's right hand, was found with his neck snapped along with a few of his thugs." He closes a paper in his hands before giving each one of them a look.

"Was that her or you three?" He asks as Oliver drops to his feet.

"I was with her when they attacked us." Slade grunts from the ladder.

"We didn't have much of a choice!" He adds.

"We?" Diggle's eyes widen at Slade's choice of words as Oliver retrieves a couple of batons and heads over to Sara, whom takes them and begins to battle with Oliver.

"Want me to be your Slade?" Sara smirks at Oliver as she launches and attack at him.

"Ohh neither of you will ever be as good as me!" Slade grins at them.

"Ohh just you wait! One day I'm gonna knock you on your ass!" Oliver sniggers.

"Then I will." Sara smirks as she deflects an attack from Oliver.

"I doubt either if you will ever beat me in a sparring session but if the day ever comes, I believe that it would be Sara who would be the first!" Slade replies.

"Hey!" Oliver whines.

"Aww thank you Slade!" Sara grins as she attacks Oliver.

"Don't take it personally, kid. Sara was only mostly taught by me. You learnt everything from me! I know your tactics, you'll never beat me." Slade smirks.

"One day you will be eating your words Slade." Oliver mutters.

"Not to interrupt this fascinating conversation but neither of you answered my question!" Diggle snaps, in slight annoyance.

"Why 'we'?" He asks again.

"She knows, Diggle about us. It was our secret or her life." Oliver calls in between attacks from Sara, which he deflects quickly.

"It's not just your three's secret anymore and this woman is a killer. She's been dropping bodies all over the city!" Diggle explodes with rage.

"She's not what you think she is." Slade growls defensively.

"Three years ago she was going to turn her father in to the FBI. She put everything she had on him on to a laptop. Her father found it believed it to be her fiancé's and had the man murdered." Slade explains as Diggle falls silent whilst he takes in the information, which even he admits makes him feel a tiny bit of sympathy for Helena.

"That's a heavy thing guys but it doesn't change the fact that she is dangerous and if Bertinelli retaliates against the Triad or is perceived to. The Triad is going to rain down hell and innocent people are going to be killed!" He protests.

"She's lost Diggle." Sara replies, smirking playfully when she hits Oliver with her baton.

"What the hell!" Oliver whines as he would with Slade.

"You know, I think Slade was right about the whining." Sara giggles.

"I don't whine!" Oliver grumbles as he misses an attack from Sara.

"Come on Ollie. I've seen Girl Scouts with more fight in them!" Sara chuckles, doing a poor imitation of Slade's accent.

"Fighting Girl Scouts now Sara?" Oliver plays along.

"Don't sass me, kid!" Sara responds, still imitating Slade's accent.

Oliver laughs loudly, causing Sara to disarm him due to him being distracted as Slade nearly falls off the Salmon Ladder as he to is laughing so hard!

"This isn't sorting out our problem!" Diggle reminds them harshly.

"She's lost, like Sara said." Oliver replies, returning back to business. The short moment of humor giving them a well needed distraction for a few seconds, something which Oliver feels grateful for as he knows already that today won't be an easy one!

"And whether she knows it or not there's something that can be done about it." Slade says confidently as he moves up the ladder.

"Slade's right, we can save her, stop her from doing anything reckless." Oliver mutters.

"That's, that is just it, you three can't save her, ok? Some people don't change." Diggle folds his arms, trying to reason with them.

"Yes we can. We can help her, I've done it before." Oliver grunts as Sara tackles him to the floor, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she disarms him.

"Excellent!" Slade smirks encouragingly at Sara.

"What do you mean you've done it before?" Diggle replies skeptically.

"The living proof is right here in this room, Diggle." Oliver explains as he rolls over so he's on top of Sara and retrieving the batons.

"Once upon a time there was a moment when I was lost and I would have stayed lost if Oliver hadn't have been there." Slade supply's, causing Diggle to raise his eyebrows as he tries to think up possible scenarios where Oliver could have managed to get through to Slade. To be honest he doesn't know how Oliver could have possibly managed to get through to Slade considering the person Diggle knows Slade Wilson to be!

"All right." Diggle holds up his hands as he takes a step toward Oliver and Sara.

"Maybe the three of you think your are more persuasive than you are, or maybe she thinks she's fine the way she is on her mission of righteous fury. Whatever it is, either way all of this. It ends badly." Diggle tries to warn them.

"I can see this conversation ending badly." Slade mutters venomously.

"Slade!" Oliver says in a warning tone.

"I keep reminding you that bringing him onboard was a bad idea, kid. When are you ever going to agree that I was right?" Slade growls as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, kid!" He grumbles.

"Look, Diggle either way we've got to try."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Where are you off to so early?" Moria questions as she and Walter descend the stairs.

"You just got home." She adds.

"The trouble with traveling overseas for a few weeks is that a few weeks worth of work is piling up on my desk." He responds with a smirk.

"I just want to start digging my way out from underneath it all." He adds.

"Of course." Moria nods as he places files into his briefcase.

"What is it?" He asks after a moment of uncomfortable silence passes.

The silence resumes as Moria takes a few steps toward her husband.

"We haven't spoken since you left, really spoken." She explains.

"I know." He says curtly.

"Well I can imagine finding out that I had Robert's yacht salvaged and that he was murdered was a lot for you to take in." She whispers as he turns to face her.

"Yes it was." He responds plainly.

"I just don't want you to feel that you can't trust me anymore." Moira reveals her worry.

"I, I wasn't lying to, to hurt you, but to keep you safe! I haven't changed Walter. I'm still the woman you fell in love with and married. Do you see that?" She asks nervously.

"Yeah." Walter replies without hesitation.

"Of course I do." He says as he gives her sweet kiss.

"I just want us to agree to be honest to one another, moving forward." He replies.

"Yes of course." Moira nods as they kiss again.

"Walter!" Thea calls from the top of the stairs, ruining the moment of reconciliation between husband and wife.

"Will you give me a lift to school?" She begs.

"I like to mix it up sometimes and actually be on time!" She sniggers as she skips down the stairs gleefully.

"That would be my parental privilege." He nods.

"Or you know you could just buy me a convertible and then we could avoid this." She smiles.

"And what? Miss out on all those wonderful conversations we have in the car!" Walter smirks as he gets into the car.

"I don't think so." He replies parentally, causing Moria to just smile as she feels as if she had gotten her family back and this time she won't let them go!

 _The Bertinelli's House_

"I'm so sorry Frank." Dina Salvati says tearfully as Helena lingers in the background, walking down the stairs slowly.

"The last thing you need is me crying on your shoulder." She whispers due to her grief of losing Nick, whom Helena killed for being the scumbag he was, which she thinks of as she continues to walk down the stairs.

"I just can't believe that Nick is gone."

"Dina, look you and Nicky you're like family to me, ok? And in my family we take care of our own, ok?" Frank Bertinelli says as he embraces the woman.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Helena calls from the stairs.

"Nick was like a brother to me." She says thorough a fake sympathetic smile.

"I'll talk to you soon." Frank says to Dina as she heads out of the house.

Shutting the door, Bertinelli rests his head against the glass and sighs.

"I'm going to find the son of a bitch who did this, and on my life, I am going to make him pay." He snarls as she flashes him another sympathetic glance.

Hide behind lies and smiles she had said to Slade last night, which is exactly what she is doing now!

The doorbell suddenly rings loudly.

"That girl's always forgetting something." He murmurs as he opens the door again, this time to find Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson on his doorstep.

"Frank." Oliver says in greeting.

"Sorry to drop by unannounced." He apologises.

"No, no, no. Come on in, it's all right. Come on in." He says as he shuts the door behind them both.

"Um, look, I know, um. I know we've been working on that construction deal and I. I'm sorry for my dropping the ball. We've had a death in the family." He stumbles over his words as he gives an explanation to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"We're terribly sorry to hear about that." Sara replies.

"Thank you." Bertinelli bows his head.

"Actually, through, we're not here to discuss business. We wanted to talk to your daughter." Oliver looks over at Helena as Bertinelli's eyes widen.

"Oh, oh, ok! Well, this is um, this is one merger I won't stand in the way off." He grins at his daughter proudly before departing, leaving the three of them alone.

"Was I not clear that I wasn't interested in talking?" Helena folds her arms grumpily.

"You don't have to talk." Oliver smiles before opening the door.

Helena gives them all a skeptical glance before in the end deciding to follow…

 _Starling City Cemetery_

"What are we doing here?" Helena questions as she slides off the motorcycle Slade had driven, Oliver and Sara getting off theirs.

"We wanted to show you something." Oliver smiles kindly before looking to Slade.

"Slade told us how much he had told you last night and we thought you might like to know more." Sara looks away as she takes Oliver's arm as the four of them walk quite far into the cemetery until they are actually far from gravestones and beside a willow tree.

"Come on." Oliver nods to her as the four of them move the branches of the willow tree to an enclosed space.

By the trunk of the tree is a small statue of an angel holding a bow and arrow.

It has no markings on it.

"This is for the woman I was telling you about. The woman I loved more than anything. It was because of me that she perished, I made a choice. The wrong one and she is dead because of it. I got my revenge on the man that pulled the trigger but it was a choice I made that destroyed her because I was selfish. I didn't want to lose her so I hurt her in a way you cannot possibly imagine and because of what I did I almost destroyed the rest of my family, people I love because of my selfishness. I caused my brother to do something that haunts him even to this day." Slade admits as Helena entwines her fingers with Slade's and he lets her, resting his other hand on Oliver's arm.

"We created this a few days after we got back to Starling, so we would never forget the part we had all played in her death. To remember her forevermore." Oliver whispers softly.

"Helena, you're on an island too." He adds as she looks up at Slade.

"There is something all of us regret, wish had happened differently, wanted revenge for." Slade lists softly as she turns to face him.

"I want to. I want to let you in but Michael was the last man I opened up to and I. I can't bear it again." She shakes her head sadly.

"No. I will never hurt you. I promise." Slade murmurs.

"None of us will."

 _The Foundry_

The four of them return to The Foundry after the trip to the cemetery, deciding that it is past time to show Helena The Foundry!

"I like it." She says after looking around.

"It's falling a part a bit though." She murmurs as a brick falls down beside her feet.

"Something I have mentioned before now." Slade mutters, glancing at Oliver who shrugs his shoulders before grabbing a bow and arrow.

"Ok." He smiles.

"Let's begin!"

Oliver begins the training with a bow and arrow, each of them having decided to show Helena their preferred methods of fighting, by taking it in turns.

"Ah, ah, easy, easy!" Oliver winces as Helena pulls back the bow shakily.

"Relax." He adds as she moves it again, causing Oliver to wince once more.

"Relax, relax, relax! Now pull back gently." He advises her as he helps her position it.

"You need all three fingers to come off the bow sting at the same time." He explains.

"Relax." He says again.

"Breathe." He adds as he helps her position it again.

"Then release." He commands as she releases and shatters a glass.

"This is a waste of time!" She growls.

"I'm trying to teach you something."

"What? The least effective way to shoot people?" She cries.

"No. Control." He replies.

"To use a bow and arrow requires patience and discipline." He advises before firing his own arrow perfectly into the target.

She folds her arms before lifting a tin can and throwing it into the air, he hits it.

She throws another one, he hits it perfectly again.

She holds up a tennis ball in her hand and he hits it again, causing it to zoom out of her hand and hit the pipe behind her.

"I could do this all day, it's kinda fun!" He smirks.

"Yeah I'll try my chances with the swords, considering I think Sara's method is probably the least effective in killing someone!" She smirks at Sara who folds her arms.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to kill someone with a baton." She says, chucking a set at Helena, who frowns as Sara picks up her own.

"It requires focus, anticipation. You have to be watching your opponents every move." Sara explains as she swirls her batons towards Helena.

"One wrong move from your opponent." She aims another attack at Helena, managing to knock the woman to the ground.

"And you're dead." She replies calmly, her baton held in a position that if she had stuck Helena with it she probably would have killed her!

"Ok. I am very sorry for doubting you!" Helena winces as Sara shrugs and pulls her to her feet, picking up the batons.

"That's fine, ready to go again?"

"I am bruised everywhere!" Helena murmurs as she finally picks up a sword from Slade. Sara and Oliver laugh loudly.

"What?" She questions them in confusion.

"if you think we're harsh, wait until Slade starts training you!" Sara smirks as Helena holds her sword tightly.

"Slade's probably the best out of all of us." She adds.

"Well he is ex military so that does help!" Oliver grumbles as Slade aims an attack at Helena.

"Whoa! I wasn't ready!" She cries.

"You must always be prepared when under siege, an attack can come at any time and you've got to be ready for it!" He growls as he knocks the sword out of her hand.

"Hey!" She sighs, bending down to pick it up, Slade retrieves it before she can.

"Now that's not fair." She protests with a pout.

"That's because it's not. Never is. It's kill or be killed." He informs her as he swings his sword at her again, tossing her's back to her as she manages to launch her own attack, not getting very far with it though as her manages to disarm her again.

"Ok, you are good!" She grumbles as he smirks.

"Practise, loads of practise has made me who I am now and practice will help you become a better fighter!" He replies as she grabs her weapon.

"Again!"

"Ok. I am officially useless at everything!" Helena groans as she sits down beside Slade.

"It's practice and patience." Oliver reminds her as he and Sara sit opposite them.

"I don't know whether you've notice but I don't have much patience." She mutters.

"Ohh we're used to it from him so don't worry." Oliver smiles as Slade gives him a glare.

"Thank you though, for doing this with me." She murmurs.

"We've actually enjoyed it. It's nice not just being the three of us in here sparring all the time." Sara smiles warmly.

"Don't you have someone else? Diggle did you say?" She turns to Slade.

"Yes but he's useless." Slade mutters.

"They need to learn to get along." Oliver mouths.

"I'm gonna kill you as well at this rate, kid!" Slade growls as the four of them laugh.

"You know our crusades have something in common. Ours stated with my father, too." Oliver explains as he removes the small note book from his pocket.

"He left us with a list of people who need to be reminded that Starling City isn't theirs for the taking." He passes her the book.

"Anthony Venza is in here." She gasps, her eyes widening.

"He works for my dad. He, he deals illegal prescription pills." She looks up at them just as Diggle enters The Foundry.

"Diggle this is Helena. Diggle is our associate." Oliver introduces them.

"I explained his role a lot more effectively." Slade mutters under his breath as Helena smiles and nudges him.

"Well any associate of you three…"

"Is absolutely nothing to you, ma'am." Diggle cuts her off venomously.

"Another reason why I wish to see the end of him." Slade growls.

"Ok! How about we leave you to, associate." She smirks as she and Slade head towards the stairs together, arm in arm.

"She knows my name. That's lovely." Diggle says once she and Slade are gone.

"You can trust her." Sara sighs.

"Except I don't and what the hell is going on between them pair?" He gestures to the stairs.

"They sleeping together? Two psychos together?" He folds his arms.

"I don't think that's any of your business Diggle." Oliver mutters.

"It became my business when you brought me into this. When I signed on I told you I was going to keep your head straight, all of your heads straight! And I'm just going to come out and say this now. I don't trust Slade either!" He growls.

"Diggle. I would be careful with what you decide to say next." Oliver says in a calm but annoyed tone of voice.

"I never have trusted him Oliver and he seems to think, along with you and Sara that he can fix that girl and I don't think any of you can. She's going to draw that darkness that I see out of him and when that happens it is not going to be good. I think she's manipulative and she's going to manipulate all of you, especially Slade because from what I've also picked up from him, he's lonely. You and Sara, you have each other. Who does he have? He wants to believe that he can save this girl when all she's going to do is destroy him. Oliver, Sara this is dangerous and the three of you getting confused about who's good and who's bad is a good way to get the three of you dead." He snaps angrily, a moment of silence passing between the three of them. Sara's hand tightly clutching Oliver's to stop him from going into a rage.

"You done?" He mutters.

"Yeah I'm done with this. Everything else, I don't know. I don't know Oliver, you two tell me." He shakes his head as he leaves, leaving Oliver and Sara to the silence.

"And if you do lose Slade. Don't say I didn't warn you."

 _CNRI_

Tommy strides confidently into the CNRI office, spying Laurel instantly and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, smiling widely when she laughs softly.

"I hope you don't have plans for tomorrow night because I just got us a rez at that new restaurant Table Salt, opening night." He all but cheers as she leans back against him.

"Isn't that place ridiculously expensive?" She questions worriedly.

"Everywhere worth going is!" Tommy smiles as she steps away to grab her coffee.

"Ah, you have the cutest crinkle on your forehead when you're worried." He smiles as she takes his hand in hers.

"Tommy this is serious. I thought you were going to live more frugally." She reminds him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Everybody's a grown up except for me. Even Oliver has a job. He's working on that new nightclub." Tommy murmurs as Laurel looks up at that.

"Ok you have thinky face. Why do you have thinky face?" He questions, getting slightly worried himself!

"Have you ever thought about asking Oliver for a job?" She questions.

"Not even once. Besides he's working on that new nightclub with Slade Wilson! I hate Slade Wilson." Tommy grumbles.

"This isn't a quality that I love most about you but you do know the club scene and how to have fun." She reminds him.

"You make some very valid points but that doesn't change the fact I can't work with that man! Help me out here!" He begs.

"Tommy I like Slade. I think he's a great guy and he saved my sister's life. I don't know why you hate him so much."

"Um he hates me! He's literally threatened to kill me several times!" Tommy protests.

"Maybe the reason you don't like him is because he's spending much more time with Oliver then you." Laurel questions.

"Laurel I'm not jealous of him. I just think he's a psychopath!" He whines.

"Are you sure? I could understand that, you've always been Ollie's best friend and now he's here and he's actually going into business with Oliver. Maybe you should talk to Oliver about that as well because he really loves you Tommy. He honestly does but maybe he'd be more inclined to hang out if you and Slade were civil with one another!" She suggests as she puts her arms around his waist.

"I am civil! It's him! Seriously he hate me Laurel! He either looks like he's gonna fight me or kill me." He reminds her again.

"I think that's just how he is. I wouldn't fight him by the way Tommy." Laurel warns him.

"I'd win." Tommy says defiantly.

"Tommy!" Laurel growls.

"Sorry. Sorry," He murmurs, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll talk to Ollie later and we'll see what he thinks." He smiles.

"He is going to think it's a great idea." Laurel smiles back as she presses a kiss to his lips.

"I'd still win that fight though…"

 _Queen Consolidated_

"How was your trip to Australia?" Felicity Smoak questions as she enters Walter's office upon his request.

"I've always wanted to go down under. It's just I have this thing about kangaroos, more of a phobia. They wig me out, they look evil and I'm sure the pictures up in like everything, everywhere in that country and I actually had coffee with a really interesting Australian guy the other week…" Felicity trails off realizing that she's babbling again!

"You said you had something important to tell me, Miss Smoak." Walter cuts her off.

"Yes I did." She nods before turning to the papers in her hands.

"It's about Tempest, your wife's mysterious LLC, the one she diverted company funds to." She explains nervously.

"I appreciate your diligence on this, but um, it was a simple misunderstanding between my wife and I. Everything's been resolved." He nods.

"No. See it hasn't." Felicity reveals.

"There was something about the money transfer that felt hinky to me. The money your wife withdrew from the company, I wasn't the only one who tracked it. She was being shadowed by another entity, and whoever it is, they're good, NSA good." She explains.

"But as you know, I'm good too, so even though they almost left no trace of their presence in our system, I did manage to find one thing." She hands him a piece of paper.

"Well one image." She adds, showing him the paper with the same symbol in Oliver's book.

"Does that symbol mean something to you, sir?" She questions.

"No." He takes it from her.

"What means something to me is one of my employees prying into my wife's private business without authorization!" He snaps angrily.

"And should it happen again I'll have you suspended. Is that clear?" He threatens her.

"Crystal." She nods before leaving, leaving Walter behind looking at the peculiar symbol.

 _The Foundry_

"Where is your friend?" Helena asks as she appears in The Foundry beside Slade.

"You took my advice and killed him right, kid?" Slade smirks.

"No I didn't Slade, not going to lie, I wanted to though." Oliver grumbles as he remembers his confrontation with Diggle.

"It's just the four of us tonight." Sara smiles.

"What did you have in mind?" She questions with a smile of her own.

"An object lesson." Oliver explains.

"We're going after Antony Venza?" She asks excitedly.

"Yes but we're doing it on my terms." Oliver growls strictly as Sara and Slade move to retrieve their gear.

"Your father loses a piece of his organization but no innocent people get hurt in the process." Oliver reminds her as she sighs.

"My way was faster." She grumbles.

"But this time we are going to do it our way. Now come!" Oliver commands as he pulls her over to a table.

"I explained to you that guns were weapons of emotion and unpredictability, but since you are far from an expert at archery, this will have to do for now." He says revealing a box with a crossbow inside of it.

"I like it." She grins.

"And a little something from Slade." Sara smirks before passing her a dagger with intricate engravings on it.

"It's lovely." She smiles as she moves back over to Slade.

"You did well earlier." He comments.

"I know I did." She smirks before adding.

"You look good in your vigilante uniform." She grins as she places her hands gently against his arms.

"You can't go out like that!" Sara calls from beside Oliver.

"Why? You guys got a spare outfit?" She smiles.

Oliver leads her over to a computer where he clicks a few buttons.

"Does it come in purple?" She grins as Oliver types in another command.

"I like purple."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"This isn't crack." Anthony Venza comments as he is passed a box.

"Anyone can sell crack. All you need is a street corner and a hoodie. This is pharmaceutical grade OxyContin. It is caviar, it is champagne and you sell this in fancy houses at parties with rich kids that got money to burn!" Venza chuckles as suddenly the lights blow.

"Check it out!" He yells to his bodyguard, who moves upstairs only to be thrown back down again, his gun falling by Venza's feet.

"Whoever you are, you really think you're going to get out of here in one piece."

"We were thinking the same thing!" The Man In The Hood calls back.

"Anthony Venza." The Woman In Black calls.

"You have failed this city." A new vigilante none of them had heard of before appears, holding a crossbow, The Man In The Hood fires an arrow before the four vigilantes drop down and attack the men in the room, The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask dealing with the other men as The Woman With The Crossbow fires a dart at a wall behind Venza.

"Please, just don't hurt me!" He begs pitifully as she raises the crossbow.

"Nah. How about just a little."

 _Later On A Near By Rooftop…_

"Millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs confiscated." Oliver comments as the four vigilantes sit on a roof observing the scene below of Venza being arrested and the operation being shut down.

"A massive hit to your father's criminal proceeds." Slade adds.

"Nobody had to die." Sara smiles.

"Justice, the right way." Oliver reaffirms.

"What do you think." Slade questions as she moves closer to him.

"I think this feels good." She smiles as they share a quick but tender kiss.

However, she'd be lying if she said she didn't prefer her way.

This is justice, she can agree that it is but when it was her way justice felt much different and she cannot decide whether she prefers that feeling or not…

 **Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading, next chapter hopefully will arrive soon. Thank you to all of you who have given me lovely reviews and to all of you who have followed and favorited this thanks so much! Please tell me what you think of this, see you all next update!**


	25. Vendetta (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Twenty Five**

 _The Bertinelli's House Next Day_

"Anthony Venza was arrested last night. The police confiscated a warehouse full of illegal prescription drugs with a street value estimated in the billions. Several unconfirmed witnesses reported seeing the Starling City vigilantes leaving the scene with a fourth vigilante, possibly another woman." The TV reports as Frank Bertinelli glares at the screen before tossing his glass across the room, the sound of it shattering resonating around the room as Helena walks in behind him, a smirk on her face at him losing another person, even though she would have preferred to have the guy killed just to furtherly torture the man who had her fiancé killed!

"Bad year?" She whispers softly as she approaches her father with a fake smile.

"The scotch, I mean." She covers quickly.

"Yeah, sorry." He apologizes as his kisses her hand.

"Another business setback." He explains before turning to face her, surprised at her appearance.

"Wow, you look beautiful." He takes her hands.

"Oliver Queen? Thought he had a girlfriend?" He smirks, pleased for his daughter if she had managed to win him over despite the girl he'd left the island with!

"Slade Wilson. Oliver has a girlfriend." She murmurs happily. He smiles.

"It's nice to see you happy again." He pats her cheek gently.

"It's been too long." He comments as his phone starts to buzz.

Looking away from Helena, he picks it up.

"Yeah?" He mutters into his phone.

"Yeah. Yeah, I heard about Venza." He mutters as Helena slips out of the room.

"Yeah, I know where that leaves us!" He yells as Helena leaves, a genuine smile upon her face for once!

 _Queen Mansion_

"Sorry to rush out." Moira apologizes to Walter as she runs a brush through her blonde curls, sliding a few rings onto her fingers.

"I have this impromptu board of directors meeting." She explains.

"It's with the Starling City Modern Art Museum." She grumbles as unbeknownst to her, Walter has the picture in his hands the mysterious symbol Felicity Smoak has found that he had not been able to stop thinking about all through the day.

"I don't know much about art but I do know how to pay for it." She smirks.

"No worries." Walter assures her as she kisses him.

"Whip em into shape!" He chuckles.

"Yes, sir!" She nods as she heads for the door.

"I'll see you when I get back!" She calls in farewell as Walter waits until she's gone and that he's certain she's gone before sliding open her draws, rummaging through her things, searching through boxes, under tables even under a pottery horse before lifting a picture of him and her.

Should be doing this? He wonders as he looks at them both in the picture, where they were happy, husband and wife.

His curiosity, however, takes over and he continues to search the room until he walks over to the grandfather clock.

He slides open the door and discovers a small box.

Holding the small box in his hands he opens it to reveal a small notebook, the pages are completely bare, except for the back where the symbol lies…

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

"Well it's only been thirty minutes." Tommy comments as he looks at his watch as Laurel leans into him, sliding her arm around his waist and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"That's, um. That's not bad for an opening." He grins as he rubs her arm gently.

"If they don't seat us soon I'm going to write a horrible review online." Laurel murmurs as he kisses the side of her head.

"Let me see what I can do." He smiles as he leaves her.

"Hey, I am loving the Cavalli. Look I'm Tommy Merlyn. Is there any way that we can go to the head of the class." He gives the woman a dazzling Tommy Merlyn smile.

"Is there?" She smirks as Tommy groans as he remembers his financial crisis!

"Let us know when our tables ready, okay?" He smiles as he moves back over to Laurel.

"Maybe you can eat some of those fancy peanuts from behind the bar…"

"Hey!" Oliver's voice calls as he appears beside Sara, Slade and Helena, who is arm in arm with Slade.

"Hey sis." Laurel smiles as Sara breaks from Oliver to hug her sister.

"Lovely to see you again Laurel." Slade says in greeting.

"You to!"

"Hey Oliver, Sara and someone." Tommy smiles as Laurel discreetly punches him.

"And Slade." He grumbles.

"Tommy, Laurel this is Helena." Oliver introduces them.

"Pleasure." She smiles as she shake hands with Laurel.

"Nice to meet you." Laurel smiles warmly.

"You look lovely Laurel." Sara gives her sister a kind smile.

"Thank you, you do to." Laurel grins.

"Mr. Queen, your table is ready." Someone calls.

"When is our table going to be ready?" Laurel spins around.

"When it is." The girl replies with a fake smile.

"Why don't you both join us?" Helena suggests.

"No, no, no. I am not…" Slade grumbles.

"He is literally my worst enemy." Tommy murmurs.

"Helena those two on the same table..." Is Oliver's response, eying Slade and Tommy.

"We'd love to!" Laurel cuts them all off, all of them glancing at her in what can be described as horror!

"Are you sure? You for remember our conversation from the other day right!" Tommy groans at the prospect of having dinner, that he was supposed to have with his girlfriend with his worst enemy, Tommy has now dubbed Slade as!

"I'm sure I'm hungry." Laurel bats her eyelashes at him prettily.

"Come on what's the worse that could happen?" Helena smiles.

"You have no idea." Sara murmurs under her breath so only Oliver can hear.

"That. That'll be… It'll be great. That sounds great." Oliver replies.

"I'm gonna kill you, kid." Slade growls as Oliver sighs after a while as he and Sara are trying to mend their relationship with Laurel still and this could be nice, even if Slade and Tommy are at each others throats!

The seating arrangement was something Oliver and Sara quickly took control of making sure that Oliver and Helena sat either side of Slade and that Sara sat beside Laurel and Tommy was on the end to hopefully keep everything calm!

"This is nice." Laurel is the first to say something after being served.

"We haven't had many opportunities to have a meal together." Sara smiles at her sister honestly before adding.

"To be honest Oliver and I haven't managed to have a meal together since we got back."

"Well Sara I think I know why that is and I'd be happy to explain…" Tommy is cut of by Laurel squeezing his thigh under the table.

"No it's not like that Tommy! We just haven't had time." Sara gives him an eye roll as Slade glances at him venomously.

"We thought a double date would be nice and it's even better now it's a triple date!" Oliver adds with a smile as he takes Sara's hand.

Tommy almost chokes on his wine.

"Double date? I thought this was a meal between a group of friends?" He questions.

"Nah it's a double date." Sara reaffirms as Tommy's eyes widen as he eyes Helena and Slade.

"Well I was certainly not expecting that!" He laughs to cover up his shock.

How on earth did that guy get a date? Tommy thinks to himself, especially a woman who looks like that! He thinks.

"I'm curious how did you manage that?" He glances at Slade with distaste.

"Tommy!" Laurel, Sara and Oliver growl.

"I could ask the same of you with Laurel." Slade hisses.

"You brainwash her or sommit?" He murmurs.

"Threaten or abduct yours?" Tommy lashes back.

"GUY'S!" Oliver, Laurel and Sara all cry at the same time as both men glare at one another before Oliver launches intro an anecdote to change the subject before they attempt to kill one another!

"I had forgotten that you filled your parents pool with beer!" Oliver laughs at the story as Sara and Laurel laugh with him, the stories managing to distract and keep the peace between Slade and Tommy.

"How many kegs did that take?" Sara giggles.

"Roughly a thousand or so!" Tommy laughs back as Slade gives him an eye roll, directing it at Helena when she starts laughing to.

"His father was so pissed, I thought he was actually going to drown you in it!" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, well death by beer. There's worse ways to go, right, Helena?" Tommy takes a sip from his glass before addressing Helena, finding that she is actually quite a nice quiet woman, despite who she's currently with! Tommy thinks as he smiles kindly at her.

"There are no good ways to die." She murmurs dryly before resting her hand over Slade's.

"So, how did you and Tommy meet?" She turns to Laurel.

"Actually we've all know each other since…"

"We've all known each other forever." Sara finishes for her sister.

"You four have a lot of history." Helena smiles.

"Yeah we do. Some good, some bad. Mostly good but there have been a few misunderstandings." Tommy nods.

"I think the word misunderstanding is used lightly Tommy." Laurel mutters before giving Helena a smile.

"But it's all water under the bridge now." Laurel shakes it off before turning to Oliver.

"So how's the nightclub coming along?" She asks kindly.

"Slower than we expected it to. We've um, we've been busy." Oliver replies on behalf of him, Sara and Slade.

"Them two are in charge of it, I told them, I'll help but I just want to bartend to be honest." Sara says with a smile.

"You were good at that." Laurel nods.

"Yeah, a job I actually enjoyed!" Sara chuckles.

"It's harder then we thought." Oliver admits with a tight smile.

"Well then, you three must be happy to have the extra help, then."

"What do you mean?" Oliver furrows his brow in confusion.

"Laurel I'm sure that Oliver doesn't want to talk about work right now." Tommy cuts in.

"You didn't ask them?" She looks at Tommy with sad eyes.

"I told you Laurel. It would be impossible!" Tommy glances at Slade.

"Tell us what?" Oliver whispers with a smirk.

"Tommy wanted. Tommy said that he was going to talk to the three of you about working for the three of you at the nightclub." Laurel reveals as Tommy buries his head in his hands.

"Really?" Oliver all but laughs in disbelief.

"And I'm now fully in charge, no way! I am not working with him." Slade murmurs.

"Slade…" Sara starts.

"Oliver and I are in charge." He reminds her.

"Tommy, to be honest I'm a little surprised here. I didn't think that you wanted any responsibility at all." Oliver questions, trying not to smile.

"Yeah, yeah, who'd believe that." Tommy looks up at his supposed best friend sadly.

"You've always wanted to get into business with Tommy." Laurel frowns.

"I mean, don't you remember when we went to Aspen and you two wanted to open a ski lodge?" Laurel questions.

"Laurel, the only thing that I remember from Aspen was your father being furious that we shared a room with one bed." Oliver laughs.

"Ohh yeah I remember him wanting to shoot you." Sara punches him lightly.

"You two were together?" Helena questions in confusion before adding.

"I just thought that Oliver and Sara had always been together..."

"Yeah. Oliver and I used to date before he cheated on me with my younger sister, got in a boating accident and let us all believe they were dead for five years before being returned to us." Laurel explains, hints of resentment in her voice as the past is dragged up.

"Ohh so that's what you meant by a misunderstanding." Helena winces, having not heard the whole story before.

"Wow you four do have a lot of history!" She says in surprise.

"Yeah we do! Like I said though. Water under the bridge." Laurel gives them all a small smile as Sara puts her hand over her sisters.

"We regret what we did but we are just so fortunate that the universe granted us with a second change to make things right." Sara says on behalf of her and Oliver, who also smiles at Laurel.

"We're all just prime for a reality show, aren't we?" Tommy laughs lightly as he downs his wine, before quickly refilling his glass.

"Tommy, you working for us. That could be fun but I'm doing this with Slade and he's got to be in agreement as well." Oliver says gently.

"And I'm not." Slade grumbles.

"Slade." Oliver sighs before turning back to Tommy.

"And even if that were so, I'm not sure we need three people to run this thing, I mean Sara's decided to be the bartender. I'm sure Slade will cooperate if you want to share that job with Sara?" Oliver suggests.

"I'm fine with that. Maybe Tommy could help you with the design and stuff as Slade, design is like a foreign language to you!" Sara smirks at him, as he gives her a glare.

"So, let me get this straight. You would rather go into business with him then me a man you've known your whole life, your best friend?" Tommy looks at Oliver sadly.

"Tommy it's not like that. Slade actually has some knowledge of how to run a successful business, having done something like that before in Australia before joining the ASIS. I would love more than anything for you to join us but when we came up with that Ski Lodge thing we were young and you've never really had a job before Tommy and to be honest. I kinda need you and Slade to be on the same page as this won't work if you pair can't even stand the sight of one another." Oliver sighs with a sad smile.

"I see. I see. He convince you of that?" He glares at Slade.

"Tommy…"

"Has he got mind control on all of you or something?" He adds.

"Tommy!" Laurel scolds him as Slade glares at him.

"I suppose jealously is expected in this case." Helena murmurs under her breath, yet not quiet enough.

"What the heck do you mean by that? I am far from jealous of that man! I just wished he didn't exist!" Tommy hisses.

"Hey Oliver, I think we're kinda on the same page now! I don't particularly value his existence either." Slade snarls sarcastically.

"You and I. Outside now." Tommy snarls back.

"Ohh now I have been looking forward to this!" Slade growls.

"No!" Oliver growls back as he and Helena rest restraining hands on Slade, much like Sara and Laurel are doing with Tommy.

"Tommy! Back down, he would kill you!" Oliver hisses.

"Ohh I really would." Slade snarls.

"Maybe we should put that to the test, if he's so good at everything!" Tommy mutters as Sara, Oliver, Laurel and even Helena shake their heads all knowing that Tommy would certainly lose the fight and probably die in the process!

"You know once I managed to kill a man by…"

"Slade!" Sara growls, as a small bit of the island threatens to rear its ugly head!

"I think you're a lot of talk! If you hate me the way I hate you, you would have done something about it by now but you haven't and that's because I think you probably know you couldn't win in a fight against me and…"

"Both of you just calm down!" Oliver whispers sharply, cutting Tommy off quickly whilst trying to keep things calm as he had noticed a few people looking in their direction due to the small commotion!

"Maybe you only feel like this about Slade because you feel threatened by him." Helena murmurs as Laurel looks over at him, kinda actually seeing Helena's words as the truth.

"Tommy, I did say the other day…"

"Of for the love of! I am not jealous of anybody." Tommy growls at Laurel before turning away from her.

"It's probably natural. I mean you're Oliver's best friend, you always have been it seems you have so much history and then you lose him for five years, only to have him come back with someone new. Someone that can relate to him more now then you can as you weren't on that island with him Tommy, Slade was and after all the trauma they endured it's only natural Oliver would be closer to the man who went through it to, all they had was each other and Sara so they formed a brotherly bond which I don't think will ever be broken. So honestly, I think if you want your best friend back then you need to start remembering that he isn't the same person as you knew him to be but he came back to you and that he cares about you a lot, I believe but things are different now and I think the road to going back to being Oliver's best friend you've got to accept these changes. I think you really kinda need to accept Slade in a way." Helena adds her insight as Oliver all but face palms the table and Slade raises his eyebrow at her. He himself, never wanting to accept Tommy Merlyn!

"Yeah, you're probably right about some of that. However I don't think that theirs anything in the world that would ever convince me that he is worthy of acceptance in any way." Tommy murmurs after a few minutes of silence.

"I need some air." He adds as he moves quickly toward the door.

"No." Oliver growls at Slade, who looks as if he were going to follow him and actually start that fight that everyone agrees would be no doubtedly the end of Tommy Merlyn's life!

"I better go talk to him. It was lovely to meet you Helena. I'll speak to you all soon yeah?" Laurel nods as she takes off after Tommy, leaving only Slade, Sara, Helena and Oliver alone and actually kinda relieved about it! Oliver groans as he buries his head into his hands.

"And this is why, kid you should listen to me!"

Tommy storms towards the door angrily after the very unpleasant dinner between the six of them! All he had wanted was a quiet meal with Laurel but no he couldn't even get that! No he got a meal with his worst enemy instead!

"Tommy! Why are you so upset?" Laurel calls as she chases after him.

"Why did you have to say something to them about the job." He growls.

"You were supposed to talk to them!" Laurel cries.

"Well I hadn't and from what you witnessed in their I'm sure you can guess why!" He snarls.

"Ok I didn't realize. I was only trying to help…"

"Well you weren't Laurel." He snaps back.

"You agreed with her, with Helena. You think I am somehow jealous of Slade? I told you I am far from it, I hate the man and I don't know why you hold him in such high regards!"

"Tommy I told you! He's a difficult person that's just who he is but he saved my sister, he even saved me once Tommy and he really cares about Sara and Oliver and honestly yeah I think you're jealous of him!" Laurel folds her arms.

"I know it's always been you and Oliver, the best of friends, practically brothers but that's different now, Slade's in the mix and he's not just going to go away Tommy so stop hoping he will and just try and make the best of it!" She cries.

"That man is a psychopath Laurel!" Tommy growls.

"Well Tommy I trust him, I think you should stop seeing him as the enemy here!" She sighs.

"Laurel, he is the enemy!"

"Is he? Because I'm sure he's thinking exactly the same thing about you to!" Laurel snaps as Tommy shakes his head before leaving.

"Tommy!" She calls after him, he doesn't look back.

 _Starling City Later…_

After that fiasco of a meal, Oliver and Sara decided to go and get a well needed drink and had asked Slade and Helena to join them, who had both declined as Slade needed to clear his head and thought a nice walk might just achieve that!

"I'm sorry." Helena murmurs as she leans against him.

"What you sorry for." He murmurs back.

"I should never have offered to let them sit with us." She winces at the memory of the recent dinner.

"I hate that man." Slade growls.

"I think I do to. Laurel was ok." She comments.

"Yes I like Laurel. She's too good for him." Slade mutters as thoughts of Tommy Merlyn return to him, making him want to kill somebody!

"I agree." She nods before smiling.

"Want me to distract you from him?" She grins as he raises an eyebrow at her.

"I can assure you that will not be an easy task." He grumbles.

"Really?" She smiles flirtatiously as she presses a soft kiss to his cheek.

"You're gonna have to try harder then that." He mutters as she kisses him.

"You know, there are some members of the Triad that are having this meeting, associates of my father. We could go, you know gear up and take out our anger on them!" She smiles, kissing his cheek again as Slade frowns.

"Helena?" He looks at her in deep confusion as she takes his hands in hers.

"Ohh come on Slade! Last night. It was fun and all but that wasn't revenge…"

"That's because it wasn't meant to be." He reminds her.

"I know, it was justice but it didn't change a goddam thing Slade, I still hurt and I honestly hurt worse because their bodies were not lying so my feet! They just got locked away! Probably not for life either! And really I don't see how you guys can preach that as you three still take lives, all I want is to stop my father. Just like you guys want to stop those people on that list, you'd kill people to get those ones, right?" She smiles.

"Only if there isn't another choice." He murmurs.

"Oliver and Sara may think like that but you don't. You just follow them, you never stop to think about what you want? You went through more then them, you lost more. You felt more pain, you felt my pain. I knew they'd never want to do this but your different from them Slade! There is more darkness inside of you then them, you know what needs to be done and you'll do it, you don't need to be tied down by them. They have each other and we lost the people we loved so why don't we just work together? I mean the man you call your brother actually fired that arrow into the woman you loved! How can you just see past that?" She looks at Slade in disbelief.

"Helena." He snarls.

"We'd be unstoppable. We could take out my father's whole organization, including the man himself, then we could get revenge on that organization that had your son killed. No matter how long it takes we could take them down if we did it together. We could even take that Tommy Merlyn out! Starling City isn't your home Slade and I don't think it's mine anymore either. So just come with me, come with me and we can start again and destroy everyone who ever wronged us!" She begs him.

"No." Slade mutters.

"No?" Helena folds her arms.

"I fell into the darkness once I will never do it again. I would never abandon my family." He growls menacingly as she stares at him incredulously.

"What family do you have really Slade? They're all dead!" She reminds him.

"My family is Oliver and Sara. I could never lose them." He murmurs.

"They don't understand you Slade."

"They understand me more then anyone in the world does, Helena.." He admits.

"I do know who you are Slade Wilson. You were a man who was destroyed by lost loved ones, you wanted revenge before, why not now!" She cries.

"Because the cost for my revenge would be the only loved ones I have left." He snaps.

"You'd chose them over me?" She whispers, suddenly feeling lost all of a moment.

"I don't want to Helena, I understand what you have said to me because there were moments back then when I was like you, I contemplated exactly what you are now but you don't need revenge, it took me a long time before I realized that about myself and I'm glad I did because it would've destroyed me and I don't want that happening to you." He sighs as silence falls between them both.

"You know what." She says after a couple of moments of silence.

"I'm sorry." She says before he can reply.

"I'm sorry I ever listened to you!" She snaps.

"Helena. I am just trying to stop you from ruining you life." He growls.

"Is that what you think I am doing? By wanting vengeance on the people who killed the man I loved?" She shakes her head in dismay.

"I care about you..." He mutters.

"Not enough it appears! I thought we understood each other!" She cries.

"We do. We do, Helena, which is why I want to help you in any way that I can. I want you to join us..."

"Join you? You, Sara and Oliver on your mission to world peace or something! That won't work Slade and you know it! This is the only way for me. I thought that you of all people would want this to! You know what I've been through Slade, because you've been through hell to and I don't you that I couldn't be hurt again…"

"Helena I am not trying to hurt you." Slade murmurs, his voice softer than before.

"No. No I am done talking." She snarls at him before storming away, allowing the darkness in again and this time vowing to never let it go again.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

At the sound of knocking, Laurel opens her front door to find Tommy, with his head bowed a sad expression upon his face as she folds her arms, waiting for him to say something first.

"I came to apologize." He states, silence passing between the two of them before Laurel sighs and pushes the door open for him to enter, he follows her into her living room.

"I know you were just trying to help." Tommy sighs as she continues to keep her back to him as she closes her eyes.

"I guess I wasn't ready to face reality." He admits.

Laurel keeps walking, still saying nothing.

"This is just so new you and me and I didn't want you to see that I'm scared." He admits, this time she turns to face him.

"I'm almost thirty years old and I've never been given an ounce of responsibility in my life. You, you are driven and intelligent. You're a million times too good for me even before I was broke, and now I have absolutely nothing to bring to whatever this is." He reveals as she moves closer to him.

"Tommy I never cared about the money, and truth be told, billionaire was your least attractive quality. I am so sorry if I pushed you too hard on the job with Oliver and Slade. I just, I just thought you working for Oliver was a good idea because he's your friend and it's ok to ask a friend of help because Oliver loves you Tommy, you will always be his best friend even with Slade being here now and honestly I think all he wants is for you two to accept one another and I know you working for Slade won't be easy after what I saw but just some acceptance on one another could go along way. You won't lose your street cred." Laurel smiles warmly at him as Tommy shakes his head.

"I'm happy to lose my street cred. I just…" He stops for a moment.

"Laurel I just don't want to lose you." He admits as Laurel smiles and pulls him by his dinner jacket closer to her.

"Well, I'm not saying that it's going to be easy." She murmurs as she wraps her arms around his neck as he slides his around her waist.

"But I'm here for you if you need someone to lean on."

"That's what people do when they're together." She grins.

Tommy stifles a surprised gasp, replacing it with a megawatt smile.

"Together, like boyfriend, girlfriend?" He smirks as Laurel laughs softly and tugs him closer.

"Do not ruin this moment. It was going so well for you!" She laughs loudly as she pulls her boyfriend in for a long, happy kiss.

 _The Foundry_

As Diggle enters The Foundry to see if he could find Oliver and Sara and try to talk more sense into them he is surprised and kind of concerned to see Slade sitting in the corner of The Foundry alone and sharpening his many knives and swords.

Despite his actual nervousness of the scene in front of him as Slade sharpening a large amount of swords and knives is actually rather chilling, he speaks up.

"Didn't expect to see you here." He says clearly, all but expecting Slade to turn to him and throw one of his weapons at him.

"Something happen?" He asks, looking around again.

"Where's Oliver and Sara?" He adds.

"Out." Slade mutters sharply, contemplating whether or not to actually kill Diggle, due to Sara and Oliver's absence to stop him!

Except he won't because like it or not Diggle was right about Helena.

John Diggle was right about something and even Slade can't pretend that he wasn't.

"I think you were right." He growls, causing Diggle to nearly stumble at hearing those words from Slade, the admittance from a man who he'd never thought possible to agree with him about anything, ever.

"Ok." He nods as Slade sharpens another sword.

"About which part?" He questions, trying to keep a smile from his face.

"All of it, even what you told Oliver and Sara." He growls, causing Diggle to frown, how exactly did Slade find out about that? He wonders yet decides not to say anything because if Slade did hear about that conversation he probably wants to kill him for it!

"Slade you three said that you wanted to help her change. The thing is she already did change." Diggle states as he takes a few steps towards Slade, deeming him safe enough to approach yet keeps a distance just in case Slade decides to kill him!

"When her father killed her fiancé, she changed into something dark and twisted. You see that now don't you?" Diggle questions.

"It's not that. It's not that we couldn't see it. I didn't want to. I wanted to help her, like Oliver and Sara helped me when I wanted revenge on the person that killed the woman that I loved, when I wanted to destroy this organisation that had my son killed just because he answered a fucking phone call! Oliver and Sara were the only ones keeping me from that darkness. The darkness that has consumed Helena." Slade growls, causing Diggle to glance at him in surprise at his words.

"I looked into her eyes tonight and I can't stop her from going over the edge. She's, she's already past it." Slade admits as Diggle folds his arms, about to say something in response yet is stopped by Sara and Oliver entering The Foundry, both of them stopping instantly in their tracks when they see Diggle standing across from Slade, whom is sitting down sharpening weapons!

"Slade. What's going on?" Oliver looks at his friend worriedly as he moves towards him.

"I was right." Diggle mutters as Sara joins Oliver's side.

"Helena?" Sara whispers, in worry more than anything as she thinks of the possible scenarios, none of them good.

Slade looks up at them both with an almost emotionless expression.

"There's nothing we can do to help her." He murmurs as Oliver kneels down beside him.

"What do you mean? What happened?" He asks gently.

"She's lost, kid. She's lost to the darkness and there is nothing we can do to save her anymore because this time she's lost forever…"

 _Starling City Docks_

A group of men, members of The Triad sit calmly as they play a card game between themselves just as one of their phones ring.

The person moves to grab it, that's when the rest of the groups phones start to buzz and ring loudly, causing them all to frown at one another.

"What!" One of them snaps in Chinese.

"Get out of there!" The man on the phone yells as suddenly the doors burst open and a woman enters, firing a gun rapidly at the group.

The ones who try to stop her she fights back, flipping one to the ground and snapping their neck under her foot.

"When you seek vengeance dig two graves." One survivor murmurs in Chinese as she raises her gun to him.

"One for your enemy and one for yourself." He mutters.

"I don't speak Chinese so I'm just gonna assume you said goodbye!" She snaps before firing at him with two of her handguns.

Turning to leave, she stops at the sound of groaning coming from the floor, smirking she moves toward the injured man.

"Tell your mistress Frank Bertinelli sends his regards."

 _Queen Consolidated_

Nervously, Felicity Smoak enters Walter's office having being summoned once more.

"You wanted to see me Mr. Steele?" She asks softly as he looks up at her.

"Did I mention it's almost Christmas? Many of the suicides this time of year are due to sudden and unexpected joblessness?" She bites her lip nervously as he sighs at her and instead of firing her pushes the small book her found in Moria's room toward her.

"I want you to find out all you can about that notebook." He states.

"Where it was made, how it was purchased and what it could mean." He commands as she moves quickly forward to take it from him.

"Yes sir." She says with a nod.

"Felicity. I asked Josiah Hudson, our head of security, to look into the same subject matter. He died the next day under questionable circumstances." He warns her kindly.

"What I may be asking of you, this mystery, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I hate mysteries." She states as she turns for the door.

"They bug me. They need to be solved."

 _Starling City Docks_

The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask fall into silence as they walk into the warehouse filled with many dead triad members, dead from bullets and the one snapped neck.

"Ohh my god." The Woman In Black murmurs as The Man In The Mask takes a few steps away from the mass of corpses, closing his eyes.

This is his fault, because he couldn't help her, because he couldn't do a damn thing to stop this from happening.

"This isn't your fault." He feels a hand on his arm as The Man In The Hood approaches him.

"None of us could have anticipated this." The Woman In Black adds as The Man In The Hood pulls out his phone, dialling a number.

"This is Dig." Diggle's voice sounds out.

"What's the situation?" He questions as the the vigilantes look around the room.

"War."

 _The Bertinelli's House_

"Boss, I just got word somebody hit Zhishan. He's dead." One of Frank Bertinelli's workers informs him as he sits at his bar with his phone pressed tightly to his ear.

"Alright." He mutters venomously.

"Now we know what's coming next." He sighs.

"Tell everyone to strap up." He commands as he hangs up the phone unbeknownst to him that outside a war is approaching him, members of the triad.

One of his security guards falls to the ground dead due to his throat being violently slit by China White as she moves in with her army, speaking in impeccable Chinese.

"Leave no one alive."

One by one each member of Bertinelli's security is taken down by China White's small army of Triad members.

"Ricco's not answering his walkie. Check it out!" One of the security guards speaks his last words before finding himself with a fatal slit throat as he pushed away from the door, allowing China White and her small army to enter the home of Frank Bertinelli.

However, just as one moves to race upstairs they are shot down by an arrow as The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask make themselves known, racing down the stairs as the gunfire begins!

Fumbling with his safe, Frank Bertinelli tries to ignore the battle going on behind him as he yanks out his laptop, placing it into a secure box before grabbing a gun and racing away just as one of his guards is take down behind him.

"Frank Bertinelli." China White snarls as she raises her knife.

"This is for Zhishan!" She snarks just as an arrow knocks the knife from her hand. The Man In The Mask sending a knife of his own into her leg before she can retaliate.

"Run!" The Woman In Black growls at Bertinelli as he looks to see the three vigilantes, who race back into the battle as Bertinelli shoots his way toward the exit, moving quickly and taking out anyone in his way as he moves.

A piercing pain through his leg causes him to fall to the ground and cry out in pain as he looks to see a dart into it, looking up to find the face of his attacker, all expecting it to be The Man In The Hood, freezing in place though when he sees that the attacker is none other than his own daughter, dressed in leather, a crossbow trained on him.

"Helena." He whispers in shock.

"What is this?" He cries as he backs away from her.

"Payback for Michael." She snarls through her tears.

"I know you had him killed. Salvati told me." She informs him.

"I did that to protect the family!" He yells.

"I had to take everything away from you because you took everything away from me." She cries in despair.

"Now you know what it feels like to find out your own blood is responsible for the death of your entire world." She whispers as suddenly her crossbow is knocked from her hand by a flying knife.

Turning around she sees The Man In The Mask. Slade Wilson.

Storming over to him, she aims an attack at him, which he easily deflects, knocking her to the ground, she scrambles to her feet, pulling out her dagger to either stab Slade or her farther just as she is shot in the arm by her father, who had claimed her crossbow.

"No!" Slade growls as he races over to Bertinelli, who fires another dart straight into his side, causing him to collapse.

An arrow, soaring into the shoulder of Bertinelli causes him to drop the weapon as The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black race over toward them, The Man In The Hood slamming his fist into Bertinelli's face as he races toward his partner.

"Don't worry about me, kid. Helena…" He murmurs through the pain as he looks to where Helena lies, a dart in her shoulder.

He looks back at The Man In The Mask hesitantly before picking her up and carrying her away as the four of them escape into the night, just as the sirens begin to blare.

The three vigilantes are gone when the police arrive, being left only with the unconscious form of Frank Bertinelli…

 _The Foundry_

"Are you ok?" Oliver asks Slade for the umpteenth time as Sara carefully removes the dart from his side.

"Isn't as bad as an arrow through the eye!" He growls as Sara apologies quickly as she ends up ripping or out, Slade muttering in pain, using several choice words as she pats his arm sympathetically as she tends to his wound.

Helena lies on a table across from Oliver, who had treated her wound, she would live, that they all know for sure.

"Easy!" Oliver whispers as she comes to.

"You were lucky." He murmurs as she groans in pain.

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" She growls.

"No. Helena…"

"He's a monster, a criminal. Why would the three of you save him?" She questions as she sits up, glancing over at Slade, who is still growling at Sara.

"We didn't save him." Slade mutters through his pain as Sara apologises again.

"We saved you." He adds.

"You think that because you've killed, you understand what it's like to have blood on your hands. You don't understand the toll that it takes on you, especially when it's your father." Oliver growls at her angrily.

"I'm not going to stop." She mutters stubbornly.

"The police have him in custody. He's going to gaol and then onto prison." Sara explains.

"They don't have any evidence on him!" She cries.

"They do now." Slade mutters.

"The laptop." She turns to face him again.

"He's going away Helena, for the rest of his life. This is justice." Oliver sighs.

"Then I guess you three were right. I'm more interested in revenge." She growls as she turns to head doe the stairs.

"Stay out of my way or I'll make sure your secrets don't stay secret!" She snarls as she climbs the stairs.

"Helena." Slade calls as he tries to move.

"Don't you dare try to get up." Sara growls menacingly so that he doesn't injure himself further as Slade is the most stubborn person she knows!

"What we did, everything that we've done. Everything I have done is because I care about you." He admits.

She glances at him one last time.

"Too bad I can't say the same."

 _Big Belly Burger_

"Oliver!" Diggle calls as he spies him collecting take out.

"Hey Diggle." He murmurs as Diggle folds his arms.

"Where's Slade and Sara?" He questions.

"Is that worry I detect Diggle?" Oliver says with a slight smile.

"Nope it is more worry for the person that crossed him!" He murmurs as Oliver smirks.

"He got hit tonight, Sara's with him. I was tasked with getting food and then rejoining them to try and get his mind of you know." Oliver explains brief.

"He alright?" Diggle mutters.

"He's had much worse." Oliver replies.

"You know I'm no expert at this but I don't think love is about changing or saving a person. I think it's about finding the person who's already the right fit. Like Sara is for you." He smiles at Oliver, before flashing a quick glance over at his sister in law.

"One day he'll find someone." He adds, Oliver raises his eyebrow.

"I honestly hope he does. He's lost so many people he loved..." Oliver trails off.

"A mysterious woman and his son?" He questions.

"The less you know about them the better." Oliver mutters.

"Apparently his son died because of a phone call? Care to embellish?" Diggle pushes Oliver shakes his head.

"He's my brother, Diggle. If he chooses to tell anyone then that's up to him." Oliver shrugs his shoulders.

"Were you there?" He asks carefully.

Oliver doesn't respond, but remembers it as if it were yesterday.

Remembers that night where had just stayed awake and sat with Slade all night long…

"Some positives to this whole thing, you three saved Frank Bertinelli's life." He reminds him.

"He'll be doing time for a while, justice wins out." He adds.

"Helena didn't see it that way." Oliver shakes his head.

"You three opened up to her, he took a risk with his heart. The Slade I met a few months ago would not have been able to do that, none of you would have opened up to her. I don't like Slade, I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to him but this has been the first time I have ever respected him." He admits to Oliver's shock, if only Slade had heard this! He thinks to himself as he collects his take out.

"And when he meets the right person I think he'll be ready for her." He adds.

"I'm just in complete disbelief that your saying nice things about Slade!" Oliver smirks.

"And you and I are going to have problems of our own if you ever tell him a word I said." Diggle mutters with a smirk.

Oliver laughs.

"I don't know it's pretty hard to keep things from Slade!"

 _Queen Consolidated_

Stepping into Walters office for the second time today, Felicity quietly switches off the lights to Walters surprise as he looks up at her.

"What are you doing?" He questions.

"It needs to be dark in here if we're going to do this." She replies wincing at her words.

"If I had more time to think of that sentence, it wouldn't have sounded so dirty." She babbles nervously as she holds the book out.

"Look." She commands as she passes it to him and he flicks through the same empty pages as before, eying the symbol still at the back.

"I don't see anything." He replies.

"I got these from applied sciences." She holds out to him a pair of glasses.

"They're able to pick up the sub visible variations in the UV spectrum." She explains as she points toward the book.

"Now look at the book again."

Walter, complies starting at the pages in shock when this time he sees that the pages are full, filled with names...

 _Queen Mansion_

"Ok, ok we made it!" Oliver cheers as he and Sara help Slade down onto Oliver's bed, both Oliver and Sara wincing slightly as Slade is heavy and having to support him up several flights of stairs was kind of draining!

"Thanks, kid." Slade mutters, having not said much since Helena's departure.

Oliver is about to respond when he hears someone at the door downstairs.

Tommy… He realises as he hears him greet Rasia.

"I'll be right back." Oliver nods, glancing at Sara.

"Keep him here!" He begs as Slade rolls his eye sleepily.

"I'm in too much pain to try and kill someone right now, kid." He assures him, still not convincing Oliver who smirks at them both before heading down to Tommy.

"Hi!" He calls as he moves down the stairs toward his friend.

"Look. I'm sorry about last night." Tommy starts as Oliver shakes his head.

"It's just I let it get too far, sitting at the same table. That was… That was stupid. I know you and Slade hate each other and I get that he doesn't make things easy…"

"No. I was stupid." Tommy cuts Oliver off mid sentence.

"I haven't been entirely honest with you." He admits as Oliver glances at him surprisingly.

"My dad cut me off." Tommy reveals.

"He froze all my funds. I am living on fumes." Tommy shakes his head.

"Really?" Oliver raises his eyebrow in shock.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He cries in disbelief.

"Embarrassment, shame, jealously, probably a few other emotions I'm not used to feeling." He sighs as Oliver holds out his hands.

"Tommy, my trust fund is your trust fund."

"No." Tommy shakes his head.

"That is the easy answer and believe me, I have loved easy answers. What I need is a job. I'm trying to change, not sure into what yet, but I don't want to be what I was anymore and if that means working with Slade Wilson then so be it because I. I am disturbed by his presence because Oliver you and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember and he was there with you for those five years that I wish I could have been there for you through. There were times when I wished it was me who was on that boat with you so you didn't have to go through that five years of hell alone but you didn't you had Sara and you had Slade and you made it home without me, you didn't need me Oliver and when you were…" He stops himself before he can reveal something he hasn't told anyone bar Laurel, something that he did during those five years to try and save his best friend…

"Tommy! You will always be my best friend, that's never going to change. Honestly I just want you and Slade to accept each other because I want both of you in my life because I love you both. You might not think you were Tommy but you were with me on that island every step of the way because I never stopped thinking about returning home to my best friend. Never." Oliver shakes his head before smirking.

"And about your request for a job it just so happiest that I have a general manager position that is available. You're probably the guy for the job." Oliver smirks.

"Will I be getting dental? This smile wasn't cheap!" He murmurs.

"I'll look into that." Oliver assures him.

"Thank you." Tommy sighs as Oliver pulls him into a tight embrace.

"Does Slade know that you've offered me this job?" Tommy pulls away.

Oliver winces and pats Tommy's arm.

"He will do and he's gonna be absolutely fine with it!"

 _Oliver's Bedroom_

"How was Tommy?" Sara asks gently as Oliver re enters the room, holding the bag of take a way as he approaches them, kicking of his shoes as he puts the back down by his bed.

"Great. Just great, I may need to discuss something with you Slade but it can wait until your better." Oliver shakes it off, fighting his urge to add and probably drunk or drugged as well when he tells him what he has offered Tommy!

"I'd discuss it now but I really can't be arsed, kid." Slade mutters grimly as Oliver smiles at him as Sara plonks herself down on the bed beside Slade.

"We've got something else to do anyway." Oliver grins as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"You need a distraction." Oliver states plainly.

"We're good with break ups." Sara smiles as Slade rolls his eye at them both.

"Which is why the three of us are going to eat take away and watch loads of action movies all night and we are not going to move from this bed for at least a day!" Oliver sniggers as he switches the tv on before sitting on the other side of Slade dragging the food with him.

"Don't think we'd ever abandon you!" Sara adds as Oliver hands out the food.

"I'm glad I've got you two." Slade murmurs as Oliver and Sara smile at him warmly, wincing as Oliver knocks into his injured side in a grab for the fries.

"Sorry!" Oliver murmurs as Slade nudges him playfully.

"S'alright, kid." He mutters before murmuring.

"I was right about something though." He informs them quietly.

"I'll never find love again."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading sorry if I haven't updated in like forever I was abroad and the place didn't have wifi which was hell as I couldn't write fanfic or watch anything from the Arrowverse! Hopefully updates will come sooner as I missed writing this story I honestly did! Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you think see you all next update xxxxx**


	26. Years End (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Six**

 _Starling City_

In the dead of the night, Adam Hunt sits by his desk, papers scattered around the room depicting his fall into the criminal world.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity." He says to someone on the phone as he takes a swig from his drink.

"Look all I'm doing is looking to get something going again." He reveals, sighing when the person on the other line protests.

"Yeah I know. I know but this time…" He stops as he hears a door creaking open.

"I'm gonna have to call you back." He murmurs as he turns to face the intruder.

"What?" He questions as he hangs up the phone.

"What, you come back for another pound of flesh? You're going to be disappointed, pal and you're without your entourage! Thanks to you I'm…" Adam Hunt doesn't get to finish his sentence as he is hit three times by arrows from an unknown archer…

 _The Foundry_

"Nice! Picking up the pace!" Oliver praises Diggle as he spars with him.

"Not what it looks like from here, kid." Slade smirks from the desk with his arms folded.

"I could say the same thing about you!" Diggle says in between attacks from Oliver.

"The three of you crossed three names off your father's lost this week alone." He praises them as Slade snorts.

"Well some of these guys are just giving up now." He murmurs.

"All we've had to do is just pay them a visit." Sara says as she joins them.

"Seems like the three vigilantes reputations are beginning to proceed them!" Diggle comments as Oliver catches him in the arm with the knife.

"Another round? Or do you want to face Slade yet?" Oliver chuckles as Slade smirks at Oliver, rather hoping that Diggle says yes!

"No thanks. I got to take my nephew over to the mall so he can let Santa know what he wants for Christmas!" Diggle reminds them causing Oliver to sink back in his chair.

"Christmas…" He trails off as he glances at Sara and Slade.

"I didn't even realize." He mutters before looking to Sara and Slade again.

"My first proper Christmas with you two!" He smirks.

"Ohh wonderful." Slade grumbles.

"And I don't think we need to even ask about who's going to be the Scrooge this year!" Diggle glances at Slade.

"I am so putting a pair of reindeer antlers on you!" Oliver nudges Slade.

"If you do that, kid I will kill you." Slade growls.

"Ooh and put some tinsel on him!" Sara joins in as Slade just glares at them.

"It's probably slipped the three of you by because you three have been logging in so many vigilante hours ever since that thing with Helena." Diggle sighs as Slade tenses up at the mention of Helena.

"I meant there were no holidays on the island. It's just evert day was how do we stay alive? And to do that we had to forget things like Christmas." Oliver looks between Sara and Slade as memories of the island return to them.

"My dad threw a party every year and he would put a Christmas tree in every room. The whole mansion smoked like… It smelled like Christmas." Oliver reveals before adding.

"I forgot about Christmas but there's something I didn't forget. Sara's birthday." He turns to face her as she folds her arms.

"Ollie." She rolls her eyes at him.

"Ohh Slade and I already have that covered!" He grins, exchanging a secret smile with Slade!

"Then maybe you three should take a break from the list and just enjoy the holiday together and with your family and Sara's birthday." Diggle suggests.

"Besides I hear Saint Nick has a list of his own. I wager two of you are on the nice column!" Diggle pats Oliver and Sara's shoulders before leaving the three of them alone.

"Go home! All three of you!" He calls just as they hear the door shut.

"You haven't really done something for my birthday have you?" Sara glances at Oliver and Slade once Diggle has gone.

"You think we wouldn't?" Oliver grins as he and Slade smirk at one another again, having decided on the perfect birthday surprise for Sara, which is also a Christmas gift, due to the fact her birthday is on Christmas Day!

"What are we actually going to do for Christmas? I mean I think I should spend it with my family but I was actually wondering if we should do something, just the three of us." Sara smiles warmly.

"I'm not bothered." Slade grumbles.

"Come on Slade! Christmas the three of us!" Oliver sighs.

"Yes that would be alright but I know how this is going to go, you're gonna organize some event with your family and drag me to it! To be honest I'm not really bothered about Christmas." Slade admits.

"I never expected to ever celebrate Christmas again since the island as the last proper Christmas I remember I was with my son. Now the only family I have left is you two and if Christmas must go ahead I'd prefer it to be the three of us." He reveals

"Slade. I promise that the three of us will spend Christmas together, one way or another." Oliver promises as Slade raises an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"Maybe we could include Laurel and my dad?" Sara suggests.

"We could spend time with my family, yours and just the three of us, sorted." Oliver says with a wide smile as even The Man In The Hood loves Christmas he and Sara always have and both of them are determined to get Slade to enjoy the season to! No matter how hard that task may be!

 _The sound of rocks falling and constant banging awakens the tired, dehydrated, starving Oliver Queen and Sara Lance as they both move their heads towards the entrance that Yao Fei had trapped them in what must be a few days by now._

 _Sara murmurs something in audible as Oliver nudges her as from the light beaming from where the stones were removed, Yao Fei steps into the cave, seemingly surprised when Oliver and Sara move their heads to look around the place that has been their captivity for the past few days._

 _"You two not dead." He comments before smirking._

 _"Good." He mutters as he places down a tin can and something he had obviously hunted and killed, slightly annoyed Oliver moves into a sitting position._

 _"Where the hell you been?" He mutters angrily._

 _"We ran out of food and water days ago!" He protests as Yao Fei looks at them both before heading back toward the entrance of the cave._

 _"Hey, hey where are you going?" Sara croaks as she and Oliver attempt to move._

 _"Ollie." She murmurs looking down at the tin can Yao Fei left, assuming it to be filled with water they attempt to open it but are stopped by the re entering of Yao Fei, but this time he's not alone and throws someone to the ground by Oliver and Sara's feet._

 _Not just any someone either._

 _Edward Fyers._

 _"You!" Oliver growls as he backs away, pushing Sara behind him at the sudden return of the man who had them both tortured! Yet before anyone can say anything Oliver slams his fist into his face, moving with the purpose to severely injure the man who tortured him, tortured Sara. He had Sara harmed, in Oliver's mind that means that Fyers is a dead man!_

 _"Stop! Stop!" Yao Fei separates them, throwing Oliver back toward Sara._

 _"He's the one who tied us up and had us tortured! He hurt her!" Oliver snarls._

 _"All because he was looking for you." Sara mutters._

" _He would have killed us if you didn't show up!" She adds._

 _"Then one of you kill him." Yao Fei says calmly, holding a long knife out toward them both, Oliver glares at Fyers before back at Yao Fei, wanting nothing more than to take the knife from Yao Fei and plunge it into Fyers for all that he did but Yao Fei hadn't finished._

 _"Or he can take you two home." He reveals causing both Oliver and Sara to stop, Sara gasping quietly at the prospect._

 _"What?" Oliver murmurs as Yao Fei casually kneels down beside Fyers, pointing his knife at him almost boredly._

 _"He has a plane." He states as he glances at them both._

 _"A way for you two off this island."_

 _Queen Mansion_

"Kid, would you stop going on about Christmas!" Slade growls as he, Oliver and Sara enter the Queen Mansion, Sara and Oliver having managed to convince Slade to stay with them here as The Foundry is at minus degrees at this time of the month! And despite Slade's argument that he would put up with it Oliver and Sara were insistent!

And anyway, both Slade and Oliver know that their days at spending the nights at Queen Mansion are limited due to Oliver and Slade's fantastic idea for a birthday/Christmas present for Sara!

"Slade can you please get in the festive mood! You know we should put on some Christmas tunes in The Foundry!" Oliver nudges Sara who laughs when she sees the look on Slade's face at that prospect!

"Hey guys!" Thea grins as she approaches them with a warm smile.

"You look lovely Thea." Sara smiles as she approaches them in a rather pretty outfit.

"What's the occasion?" Oliver adds as she sighs.

"Mom and Walter are having a dinner party with some big muckety mucks. Best night of my life." She mutters sarcastically.

"Ohh so you Slade whenever Oliver drags you to anything fun! Or even mentions Christmas!" Sara laughs as Slade rolls his eye at her.

"Sara is right. I understand your pain." Slade smirks slightly at Thea as Oliver looks around the mansion again, having noticed something missing ever since the three of them walked in through the door.

"Thea, why aren't there any decorations up in the house?" He asks softly.

"What do you mean?" She questions.

"No wreaths, no trees." Oliver sighs sadly.

"Everyone had just been really busy lately. I'm sure they haven't gotten around to it yet." She explains quickly.

"Seems like somebody had the right idea." Slade mutters.

"Ohh ignore him! He's determined to be the Scrooge here, Sara and I are trying are utmost hardest to get him into the spirit of Christmas!" Oliver smirks.

"I wish you good luck with that! I would offer my services but I'd think he'd probably kill me!" Thea smiles.

"I'm already planning on killing them pair!" Slade grumbles miserably.

"Maybe I will help then!" Thea grins cheekily, as Slade gives her an eye roll.

"Does mom at least have some of those boxes of candy canes? Remember we used to race to see who would finish first?" Oliver smiles as Thea laughs.

"Yeah I always won."

"No you cheated." Oliver retorts as Thea sighs.

"Well she was sugar free last year. So I doubt you'll be seeing any of those around and isn't it Sara's birthday at Christmas?" Thea grins at Sara.

"I still can't believe everyone remembers." Sara murmurs with a smile.

"Ohh everyone does! I really want to be there when Ollie and Slade give you their main present. Actually Ollie, Slade I wanted to talk to you about that because if the offers still there I was actually thinking of taking it but it can wait until after!" Thea smiles at both Slade and and Oliver knowingly before disappearing.

"What are you three planning?" Sara murmurs once she's gone.

Oliver smirks innocently and wraps his arm around her.

"Ohh you'll see. You'll see soon enough!"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading sorry it took me so long to update! My wifi has been gone for another week and it has been absolute hell! I couldn't write a thing and I literally spent my whole time without the wifi coming up with ideas for the rest of this story and watching a large amount of Arrowverse shows! updates will be more frequent I hope! Please tell me what you think of this see you all next update xxx**


	27. Years End (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Seven**

"The thing that people forget is that Robin Hood was a criminal." One of the business men sitting around the table filled with other business men, the Commissioner and their wives, there for a meal spearheaded by Moria Queen and Walter Steele, says as he takes a swig from his glass.

"And stealing from the rich to give to the poor is really the job if the Democrats." He smiles as the rest of the table laugh in agreement.

"All joking aside Commissioner, crime is down for the first time in five years." Malcolm Merlyn speaks up from beside Moria.

"That's because of the changes my department has implemented." The commissioner reaffirms.

"Or perhaps, it's because the three vigilantes activities have had a chilling effect on the city's criminals." Walter cuts him off as everyone else in the room nods just as Moira looks toward the door, noticing her son.

"Oliver! Oliver would you like to join us!" She calls clearly as Oliver closes his eyes in brief annoyance, Sara grins at him before racing after Thea.

Most definitely not in the mood for a meal with Oliver's mother and the large group of people Thea had said had been so boring, so she leaves her boyfriend to it! Knowing that Oliver at least has Slade with him! As she's sure that Slade will be just fine with it!

"Of course mother." Oliver nods politely, grabbing Slade's arm as he all but drags a glaring Slade with him as he enters the dining room, taking a seat opposite his mother, Slade sitting on the end of the table beside Oliver, muttering silent curses under his breath at Oliver

as Malcolm Merlyn and Moria glance at Oliver with kind smiles, before eying Slade with distaste, Malcolm specifically glancing at Slade, the man he had tried to have killed still here and still alive and if his fears are confirmed and Slade Wilson and this name he discovered are one and the same then Slade is one of those vigilantes they all talk about so jovially over dinner!

"I don't think we've been introduced, I'm Malcolm Merlyn." Malcolm stands to shake Slade's hand as Slade raises an eyebrow at the surname, wondering if this could be a relation of that idiot, waste of time friend of Oliver's!

"Slade Wilson." He murmurs before taking his seat again.

"I'm gonna kill you slow, kid." Slade leans over to whisper to Oliver, who winces slightly at Slade's tone of voice, this time actually afraid that Slade will kill him this time around!

"Malcolm's Tommy's father." Oliver supplies calmly.

"I did wonder if the two were related." Slade replies.

"I take it you have met my son then." Malcolm smirks as Oliver flashes him an almost pleading look.

"Ohh I certainly have!" Slade growls as Oliver quickly cuts him off before Slade can delve into a 'why he hates Tommy' rant!

"They haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot. Yet with a lot of convincing I managed to get one civil conversation in between the two of them!" Oliver laughs as he remembers after telling Slade that he had offered a job, Slade almost killing him, actually managing to break one of Oliver's bones, Oliver suspected in their rather brutal training session. Slade shook it off as mere bruising, Oliver was convinced otherwise!

It wasn't even a training session!

More outright abuse than actual training! All due to the fact that Oliver had made the decision to hire Tommy without discussing it with Slade!

Well they did discuss it at that dinner and Slade wasn't particularly on board with it but after Oliver begged, explained Tommy's financial status and allowed Slade to kick his ass about ten million times before finally playing the 'brothers' card Slade reluctantly agreed!

Just as long as Oliver dealt with Tommy and didn't involve him!

"What are your thoughts on the vigilantes, Oliver?" Malcolm drags Oliver from his thoughts!

"I think the vigilantes need better code names than The Man In Hood, The Woman In Black, The Man In The Mask! Hood Guy, The Guy With The Sword!" Oliver laughs causing the rest of the table to start laughing apart from Slade who may or may not have kicked Oliver under the table.

"I agree how about Green Arrow? Hmm not sure for The Woman In Black, that kind of fits! Something flamboyant maybe for The Man In The Mask?" Malcolm chuckles, watching Slade closely to see his reaction, to Malcolm's surprise he smirks along with the rest of them.

"Lame." Oliver states, eying Slade out of the corner of his eye with a smirk just before Walter's phone begins to ring.

"Forgive me. It's the office." He apologizes quickly as he gets up from the table.

"Excuse me." He nods before moving quickly outside, ignoring the looks of suspicion from his wife and Malcolm Merlyn.

Slightly annoyed, once out in the corridor Walter answers his phone having recognized the number that belongs to Felicity Smoak.

"I'm in the middle of a dinner party, Miss Smoak so I hope this is of some important!" He hisses quietly.

"I guess that depends on how you define important." Felicity replies as from within Queen Consolidated she clicks a few buttons.

"See most people would considering finding a list of names written in subsonic ultraviolet invisible ink important." She smirks.

"But then I already know about that, don't I?"

"Did you know seven of the names on the list are guys the vigilantes have had in their crosshairs?" She reveals before titling her head to the side.

"That is if bows, batons and swords had crosshairs which they don't." She babbles.

"But it is a rather long list Felicity, so I would expect there to be some overlap." He murmurs quietly.

"Like Doug Miller." She mutters.

"Head Of Applied Sciences at Queen Consolidated. What of him?" Walter questions.

"Mr. Miller may end up getting an arrow or sword in his stocking, because he's on the list." She informs him to his surprise just as a police man enters the house.

"So important or not?"

Meanwhile in the dining room, the policeman had been here to talk to the Commissioner it appears when he moves to whisper something to him as Oliver and Slade glance in their direction curiously.

"I'm sorry." He replies with a grim look, once the policeman finishes telling him something, putting his napkin down.

"Something's come up." He says in explanation.

"Is everything ok?" Oliver speaks up.

"The vigilante has stuck again. However, this time it is only The Man In The Hood his accomplices do not appear to be a part of what happened." He explains to Oliver and Slade's surprise which they hide extremely well.

"He just put an arrow in Adam Hunt." The Commissioner finishes before leaving just as Oliver's phone begins to buzz.

"We really do need to take this call. It's our contractor for the club, excuse us." Oliver says to the table and his mother before he and Slade disappear to take the call, something they are pretty sure they know what is going to be about!

 _Crime Scene_

"Well the daughter came over, used her key, found dad." Quentin explains as he moves onto the crime scene with the Commissioner.

"Hat trick to the chest." He sighs.

"The Hood Guy."

"That's what I thought at first, but for one it appears to be just him and from everything we know, we know that he has two accomplices and also these black arrows are not consistent with his MO, and neither is the fact that the three vigilantes took Hunt for forty million dollars a few months ago." He explains before sighing once more.

"It doesn't make sense to kill him now or alone either. Something doesn't add up." Quentin states before folding his arms.

"We're dealing with a copycat." He concludes, all of them unaware that the three vigilantes had heard all of that and they are far from happy.

 _The Foundry Next Day_

"Who would kill Adam Hunt with an arrow?" Diggle questions the next morning in The Foundry, he folds his arms.

"I mean other than you." He glances at Oliver.

"Set up maybe." Sara questions.

"You mean someone looking to cover up killing Hunt by making it look like the work of The Hood?" Diggle frowns.

"What I don't understand is out of the three of us why the guy would chose to impersonate you!" Slade mutters causing Oliver to roll his eyes at him.

"Well I am in charge!" Oliver responds.

"Yeah you keep thinking that, kid." Slade replies with a smirk.

"Whoever he was he's good. The grouping on Hunt's chest was tight, it's a compound bow most likely." Oliver explains, changing the subject.

"The guy is… The guy is a legitimate archer." Oliver adds quietly.

"Someone who would be particular about his choice of arrows." Diggle responds.

"We get an arrow we get a beat on where he purchased them." Sara suggests as Oliver and Slade nod in agreement.

"So what are you three going to do?" Diggle questions.

Oliver falls silent for a moment before turning back to face them.

"Whatever anyone does when they need help; call a cop." He reveals.

"Ollie no." Sara shakes her head.

"We have to he can get us an arrow!" Oliver tries to reason with her.

"I don't want to involve my dad."

"Sara…"

"Ollie he hates us! He thinks we're monsters! I can't stand to see my dad looking at me like that again and I don't want him to get hurt." She cries.

"Hey, hey, listen to me." Oliver moves across the room to wrap his arms around her before stroking her face lovingly.

"We won't put him in harms way. I promise." He smiles slightly before kissing her forehead.

"We could steal an arrow, kid. I'm not entirely on board with involving Lance." Slade puts.

"Slade. This man, this guy he's impersonating me, killing people in my name. We have to stop him before this gets worse and this guys good and even though it pains me." Oliver sighs as he looks at the three of them.

"We need all the help we can get."

 _Starling City Police Department_

"Quentin Lance?" An officer calls the name of Quentin, who had been sitting lazily at his desk looking over the case.

"Yeah." He replies, looking up boredly.

"Sign here please." The officer explains as he hands over a mysterious parcel.

"Thanks." He mutters after giving his signature, looking at the parcel for a moment before tearing the top off it, vaguely both surprised and confused to find a mobile phone.

Staring at it momentarily, it begins to ring.

Hesitating for a moment, he answers it.

"Lance." He mutters.

"I didn't kill Adam Hunt, neither did any of my friends." The disguised voice of The Man In The Hood murmurs as Quentin almost drops the phone in shock.

"You!" He snaps when he finally finds the words.

"You call me The Hood. It's not a great nickname." He smirks as on the other line Slade smacks him around the head in response.

"The Sword Guy and The Woman In Black could be improved also." Oliver can't help but adding earning another head slap from Slade.

"You told Commissioner Nutosedro that you might be dealing with a copycat, another archer, which makes the three of us your best bet to take him down."

"Your friends are there to?" Quentin shakes his head in disbelief at this whole affair.

"We need your help." The Man In The Hood replies.

"We need one of the arrows from his murder." He requests.

"Yeah we're pretty good at pulling down leads off evidence, thanks." Quentin snaps, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"Not like we are." He responds.

"We can do things the police can't, go places they won't." He explains.

"Like I said, I don't even know…"

"If this archer doesn't stop with Adam Hunt we all have a problem. Think about and call us." The Man In The Hood commands before adding.

"The number's programmed in." He explains before hanging up, leaving Quentin Lance with a quandary and a choice to make.

 _Queen Consolidated_

Upon hearing the door to his office opening, Walter looks up from his work to see Doug Miller entering the room, having called him in after his conversation the other night with Miss Smoak.

"Doug, thanks for coming." He greets him politely.

"Of course." He replies as they shake hands.

"How is the construction coming along on the Applied Sciences Centre?" Walter asks as he takes his seat again.

"Over budget and behind schedule, exactly as expected." He replies as they both smile at one another.

"Is that what you wanted to see me about?" He asks as Walter gestures for him to sit before sighing slightly.

"Adam Hunt; he was murdered last night by the vigilantes, or just one as it seems." Walter states plainly.

"Yeah I read about that." Miller replies.

"I've been concerned by the idea that the vigilantes might target an employee or officer of this company." He explains before adding.

"Security red flagged you."

"Me?" Miller questions in surprise.

"Why would these three nutcase go after me?" He queries.

"That was what I was hoping you could shed some light on." Walter replies.

"From what I've read, these vigilantes only goes after White Collar criminals." Miller says quickly, slightly fearfully. Walter frowns before looking up at Miller.

"Well, let's just hope they don't decide to branch out."

 _Big Belly Burger_

"I think there should be a national holiday for the guy who invented French fries or at least a statue or something." Thea smirks at Oliver, Slade and Sara as she munches on her food, Oliver having asked her to lunch with the three of them to talk to her about something.

"I dreamt about them once on the island." Sara murmurs from beside Thea.

"I can understand why." Thea smiles.

"I dreamt about ice cream." Oliver adds with a smirk.

"And alcohol I bet." Thea grins.

"Ohh there actually was some alcohol on the island, Slade had some weird Australian crap with him." Oliver nudges Slade, the two of them remembering a certain night causing Sara to smirk as well at one of the one good memories on the island.

The alcohol had been terrible, even though Slade has said it was the best invention since sliced bread, a notion Oliver did not see at the time! But the four of them had, had a laugh that night.

"You dream of a certain food Slade?" Thea glances at him.

"Ohh he actually did! We got him to admit it as well." Oliver laughs as Slade hits him.

"Ohh do tell." Thea urges him on.

"Decent biscuits." Slade grumbles under his breath causing Oliver, Sara and Thea to snigger.

"I'm just going to the bathroom." Sara smiles as she moves out of sight and once Thea is sure she's gone she glances at both Slade and Oliver.

"Ok so now she's not here. When you told me about what you were planning for her, you said there could be enough room for me if I wanted it." She smiles as they both nod.

"Mom is going to kill you both, and me probably if I say yes but I'd actually like it." Thea replies with a smile.

"You will always be welcome Thea. Hell I even got him to agree!" Oliver takes her hand as he smirks at Slade.

"Thank you. I can't wait to see Sara's reaction!" She says gleefully as a few minutes later Sara reappears, none of the wiser!

A moment of silence passes between the four of them as they continue to eat until Oliver glances sadly over at Thea.

"There is no Christmas party, is there?" He asks glumly.

Thea looks away from him as Oliver sighs.

"Thea, dad threw one of these every year. Did people think I just wasn't going to notice?" He sighs as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"That's what the probably hoped." He mutters under his breath.

Thea is about to reply when something distracts her.

"Hey Thea." Someone calls her name.

"Hi, Shane." She smiles at him as Oliver, Sara and Slade glance toward the boy who apparently is named Shane.

"Uh, this is my brother Oliver, his girlfriend Sara and his best friend Slade." She introduces them as he looks at the thee of them.

"Nice to meet you Thea's brother and friends. I bet the food on that island is better than the stuff they're serving here, hu?" He comments.

"You would lose that bet." Oliver responds coldly, nudging Slade in warning before Slade can say anything psychopathic!

"It's alright to eat something I didn't have to kill first." Slade quietly growls, his knife posed in his hand over his food.

Thea notices and glances up at Shane in a way to try and warn him to shut up now as she is actually unsure if Slade would stab him or not!

"I'm riding down to the bay to hangout if you want to come." He turns to Thea.

"Thanks but, uh, I'm spending the afternoon with my brother and his friends." She smiles warmly at them, getting approving looks from both Oliver and Slade.

"Another time." Shane nods before departing.

Thea smirks and nibbles on a chip.

"How do you know that Shane guy?" Oliver turns to her once he is gone.

"We rob banks and smoke crack together." Thea replies.

"What." Slade, Oliver and Sara growl simultaneously.

"Jokes, jokes! Geez guys stop acting like disapproving parents!" Thea laughs lightly.

"That's funny Thea. I have a feeling that I'm not going to be a fan." Oliver responds curtly.

"I already am not." Slade grumbles as Sara nods also.

"You don't even know him guys and you went out with a lot worse before you ended up with my brother!" She eyes Sara.

"And I regret all the choices I made except Ollie of course." Sara places her hand over his.

"Let's change the subject." Thea murmurs.

"Fine. You were going to tell me why we're not having the annual Christmas party." Oliver says with the emphasis on annual.

Thea sighs before folding her arms.

"When you and dad disappeared by the time Christmas rolled around none of us felt much like celebrating. So we kind of skipped Christmas that year, every year." She looks down.

"And it's really fine so…"

"I agree." Slade mutters.

Oliver glares at him before shaking his head.

"No, no! No it's really not."

 _Later At Queen Mansion_

"We're celebrating Christmas." Oliver states to his mother, Walter, Thea, Sara and Slade much later on at Queen Mansion, calling them all for a living room meeting.

Family meeting.

"We went five years without it and I already have him complaining about it." He eyes Slade, who shrugs and is about to reply with something sarcastic but Oliver cuts him off sharply.

"No! And Thea tells me that you guys didn't have it either and I'm the reason. So maybe I can be the reason that we have Christmas again." Oliver sighs as the five of them look between each other, only Slade really looking opposed to the idea of Christmas.

"I thought we would throw the Queen Christmas Party." Oliver smiles as Slade all but buries his face in his hands in horror and disbelief.

"You three? Really?" Thea questions.

"Count me out, kid." Slade grumbles as Thea pats his arm kindly.

"Listen to Slade, it's a bad idea." She smirks causing Moria to glance at her daughter, surprised and slightly worried seeing her being kind to Slade Wilson!

"Slade!" Oliver sighs.

"I already told you, kid. I would somewhat accept it it if it were the three of us…"

"Hey! Four of us!" Thea comments, herself actually not minding the idea of spending a very low key quiet Christmas with her brother, Sara and Slade.

Moria all but glares at her daughter this time around.

"But I told I would not be onboard with a party." Slade glances at Oliver.

"Don't you have family in Australia who you would want to spend Christmas with?" Moria murmurs as she glances at him.

"If I did I would be there but I because I don't. I don't see the point in Christmas." Slade growls in explanation before falling silent, scary silent which both Oliver and Sara pick up on and Oliver changes the subject, very, very quickly.

"Look I know I haven't been the son, or the stepson, or the brother that all of you deserve, especially lately. But this feels like the right moment to start making up for lost time and Slade I know, you I know I understand but you have me, Sara and even Thea. I know how hard this for you but please just let us show you that Christmas can be worth while even after everything we went through." Oliver says as he and Sara move to sit beside Slade before Oliver glances at the rest of them.

"Not to mention its Sara's birthday." He smiles as she takes his hand in hers.

"You are determined to remind everyone of that." She sighs.

"Yes I am." Oliver grins before adding.

"So what do you all say?"

Silence passes for a moment before Moria breaks into a genuine smile.

"I say yes." She nods happily.

"Yes!" Oliver cheers as Slade rolls his eye at him as he leaps to his feet.

"Ok we will take care of everything. You don't have to do anything just leave it to Sara and me, because I think Slade would actually kill me if I made him help us! So just show up look fantastic and bring some Christmas cheer, ok?" Oliver smiles warmly.

"You are so full of crap sometimes, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver shakes his head in disbelief before looking at Thea, who wears the same expression as Slade does!

Slade and Thea's thoughts on Christmas much alike!

"Fine." Thea murmurs after a moment.

"You're a good man Oliver." Walter nods as Sara and Slade join Oliver at the door, Oliver flashing a slight smile at Walter as a memory suddenly hits him.

 _"You're a good man." Fyers mutters as he trails behind Yao Fei, Sara and Oliver._

 _"I can see it." He glances at Oliver who says nothing, just tightens his hold on Sara's hand._

 _"Well, beneath the privileged upbringing and the wealthy veneer." He continues to only silence once more._

 _"I saw it when my man tortured you and your girlfriend and you wouldn't give up your friend and didn't beg for your own life but her's. You kept crying out for her and begging us to spare her and do whatever we liked to you." He glances at Sara, who looks away._

 _"Shut up." She hisses as they continue on._

 _"And he's not even a friend really, someone you just met."_

 _"Shut. Up." Oliver snarls angrily._

 _"What do you know about him? Either of you?" He questions as he glances at them again._

 _"Do you two even know what this island really is?" He queries to more silence from Oliver and Sara._

 _"It's a prison." He says bluntly._

 _"I mean this literally. Until eight years ago Chinese military operated this island as a penitentiary for criminals deemed so dangerous they couldn't be safely incarcerated on the mainland." Fyers explain as Yao Fei turns his head slightly as Oliver and Sara looks at Fyers intently, wanting to hear the rest of the story._

 _"When the military shut the programme down my unit came in and disposed of all the inmates with the exception of two." He explains before stopping for a moment to glance at Yao Fei before back at Oliver and Sara as they continue to walk on._

 _"Your friend was one of them." He reveals. Oliver and Sara stop automatically, Oliver pulling Fyers to a stand still as well._

 _"Who was the other?" Sara asks in a small voice._

 _"You two met him." He reveals._

 _"He presided over the interrogation of the two of you…"_

 _"He tortured us, he nearly killed us." Oliver growls._

 _"The two of you had the information I needed." He snaps back._

 _"What would the two of you do in my position?" He questions as he steps closer to Oliver and Sara._

 _"What would you two do to capture the man who'd slaughtered dozens of people?" He reveals as Yao Fei, having noticed that the three of them were no longer moving and had stopped to talk, turns at that comment as Oliver and Sara look at Yao Fei for a moment, Fyers confession burning in their minds for a moment before pushing Fyers onwards…_

 _Starling City_

"Douglas Miller came to see me today." Malcolm Merlyn states as he walks toward his car with Moira Queen.

"He was quite concerned." He informs her before folding his arms.

"He said your husband interrogated him. That his questions suggested a knowledge he shouldn't have of the list." He explains sharply to Moria's anxious, but surprised face.

"Let me talk to him…" She stumbles on her words.

"I think we're past the point of conversation Moria." He cuts her off angrily.

"A month ago you came to me and you told me to stay away from your family and I did." He snaps before adding.

"But your family isn't staying away from me which means something must be done about it on top of what needs to be done about Slade Wilson." He folds his arms as Moria looks away from him.

"Don't you agree?"

"Yes I do." She replies curtly.

"And I'll handle it. You handle Mr. Wilson, I'll handle my husband." She sighs.

"I guess what I'm wondering is whether it's time for our associate to handle it."

 _Later In Starling City…_

"Hell yeah, I returned the money." A man named Nelson Ravich snarls down his phone.

"Forty million dollars isn't worth getting an arrow through the chest!" He protests as his associate babbles away in disagreement.

"And if he's got a problem with that you can tell him…" He is not able to finish his sentence as an arrow is suddenly shot through his chest, killing him instantly.

With Nelson Ravich dead the Dark Archer simply just walks away…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and to all of you who have kindly reviewed, followed and favorited, please tell me what you thought of this see you all next update, which should be soon as it's in the works!**


	28. Years End (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Eight**

 _Starling City_

"Commissioner, this is Nelson Ravich." Quentin mutters as he and the Commissioner walks toward the most recent victim of the copycat archer.

"The vigilantes hit him earlier this week, Ravich wired back the money he embezzled less thank five minutes later." Quentin explains as silence passes between the two men as the Commissioner glances down at the body.

"Alright." He says after a few moments before walking a few yards away, Quentin, in momentary confusion follows him.

"We tell the press the three vigilantes did this. Hunt's murder is page ten story at best. But Ravich makes this a serial murder case." He points out as Quentin looks at him in disbelief.

"We can't let the public get wind of the idea that there are now four of these nut jobs running around!" The Commissioner protests.

"You want me to ignore a serial killer?" Quentin's eyes widen.

"Just catch one of these psychos!" He cuts him off.

"I don't care which one, we have four take your pick!" He says as Quentin rolls his eyes, sighs and glances away.

"That is a direct order from your commanding officer!" He snaps before storming off.

"Well, you can forget it then." Quentin murmurs when he's a few steps away.

"Fine." The Commissioner turns back to face him.

"It's forgotten and you are off this case, sergeant, effective immediately."

Later On In The Starling City Police Department

Sitting at his desk a few hours later after being chucked off the case by the asshole Commissioner, Quentin thinks over his options as he glances at the phone 'gifted' to him by the vigilantes.

They are murders, they are killers and Quentin would do anything to bring them to justice but right now Starling City is under siege by a serial killer and right now in his position there is nothing he can do about it, or can he?

He remembers The Man In The Hood's words, they can get places, do things that the police are incapable of doing and right now he needs something like that to bring this nutcase to justice before anyone else gets killed, Quentin's hatred for the three vigilantes aside.

Shaking his head in disbelief at what he's about to do, Quentin snatches up the phone moving quickly out of the main room of the precinct into a mostly deserted corridor, scrolling through the phone he discovers that the vigilante was correct, the number is programmed in, all he has to do is call it, which he does and waits patiently for an answer.

"Don't bother trying to trace this back to us, you'll never make it through the encryption." The Man In The Hood growls threateningly as he answers the call.

"There's a hearing vent on the corner of O'Neil and Adams." Quentin murmurs before taking a deep breath before revealing the rest.

"You'll find what you're after there."

"It would be a mistake to set a trap for us, detective." He replies.

"I'm trading away just about everything I believe in here because it's the only way I've got to get this bastard." He mutters in explanation before setting terms of his own.

"Now you three have got until Christmas and then copycat or not I'm coming after you."

 _The Foundry_

After retrieving an arrow form the place Quentin had specified, Oliver, Sara and Slade examine it under a lamp, which is what Diggle finds them doing upon entry.

"So Sara's father decided to give you three a Christmas present after all." He comments as he approaches them.

Oliver hums in response.

"His hatred for the copycat is apparently more than his hatred for us." Sara explains quietly, still a little shaken from the phone calls with her father, his hatred over what she has become, unbeknownst to him that one of the vigilantes he hates so much is his youngest daughter, it does bother her sometimes.

"Teflon coated titanium blades serrated to split the bone." Oliver explains as he pulls the arrow away from the light.

"Shaft is some type of specialized polymer which is stronger then your typical carbon fibre." He adds as he moves the arrow around in his hand.

"It's a custom job." Slade mutters to conclude.

"So Lance actually gave in after the other archer dropped another body." Diggle repeats, still in slight shock from that.

"Nelson Ravich." Sara nods.

"Which is another name the three of you crossed off the list." He folds his arms as he focuses on Oliver.

"So is this guy trying to frame you or call you up?" He queries.

"Either way we need to find him." Oliver murmurs as he looks at the arrow.

"The arrow is custom made so there must be a record of it somewhere, which we don't have the resources to find." He looks at the three of them.

"Let me guess, you know someone who can?" Diggle questions, Oliver nods.

"We need to pay a certain IT girl a visit." He looks to Sara and Slade.

"Well, kid since you have your head wrapped around this Christmas crap, how about I do the honors." Slade holds his hand out for the arrow.

"You did say that you and Sara were planning that without me, due to my hatred of it so let me be of some use." He smirks as Oliver hands him the arrow.

"We will be getting you into the Christmas spirit later." Oliver growls threateningly as Slade continues to smirk before heading to the stairs.

"Love to see you try, kid!" He calls before vanishing from sight.

"So what do you say?" Oliver turns to Sara with a smile.

"Let's go plan a Christmas party!" She cheers as she to heads for the stairs, Oliver turns to follow her yet is held back by Diggle.

"Are you alright?" He asks Oliver, who smiles, nods and gives Diggle a confused look.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"This archer chose to copycat you Oliver. Please don't do anything stupid." Diggle requests.

"What do you mean by that." Oliver responds quizzically.

"I think you know what I mean Oliver." Diggle sighs but Oliver shakes his head once more before heading after Sara.

"I'll be fine, Dig!" He calls, yet he knows what Diggle is thinking off because he knows that he's thinking of it to.

The copycat has decided to impersonate him and in Oliver's mind it's his responsibility and his responsibility alone to take this archer down, with or without Sara and Slade…

 _Queen Consolidated_

Flicking through her pages of names from the mysterious book, Felicity had copied to her iPad she is deeply lost within it, unaware of a certain familiar man approaching her desk.

Slade smirks as he sees her, knowing that she's so deep within her work that any sound he makes will startle her, he looks forward to the results!

"Felicity!" A familiar accented voice calls her name, causing her to almost drop her iPad in surprise as she looks up to see Slade Wilson standing by her desk.

"Don't you knock!" She cries indignantly.

"Who's to say I didn't?" He questions with a smirk upon his face.

"And it's not like the It Department is the ladies room." He continues to smirk as Felicity logs out of her iPad and puts it down to look up at Slade properly.

"I'm sure I would have heard you, actually probably not. When I'm lost in my thoughts like that I tend not to hear things so yeah um. What can I do for you? If you want coffee again my break isn't for another hour or so and why the hell am I asking you that? You wouldn't come here for coffee!" She smiles after her almost crazed babbling.

"A friend of Oliver's is into archery. Apparently it's all the rage now." He murmurs with a rolls of his eye as Felicity nods.

"Yeah, I don't know why. It looks utterly ridiculous to me." She sighs.

"It does to me, I prefer fencing. Anyway his friends birthday is next weekend and he sent me here because he is lazy and prefers to waste his time with planning some kind of Christmas party, so he's given the job to me as I refused to help either him or Sara with that!" Slade explains gruffly.

"And according to Oliver, he needs these custom made arrows and he has no idea where to find them and he's to lazy to find them himself!" Slade mutters as he pulls one of the arrows out of a poster tube, causing Felicity to gasp at the sight.

"Oliver wondered if you could find out where this came from." He holds it out to her, with a dazed expression she reaches out for it.

"Careful." He smirks.

"Yeah." She replies as she takes it from him as Slade takes a seat across from her.

"The shafts patented." She comments upon looking at it before typing a few commands into her computer.

"And that patent is registered to a company called Sagittarius." She smiles as she holds the arrow back out toward Slade again.

"That's Latin for the archer." She adds.

"Could you perhaps find out where and when this was purchased?" He questions, taking the arrow from her and sliding it back into the tube away from sight.

She flashes Slade a kind smile before turning back to her computer to type in more commands to find out the information he requested.

"According to Sagittarius company records that particular arrow is part of a bundle shipment, two hundred units send to this address." She murmurs as she writes something down on a notepad, an address.

Slade takes the note from her.

"Felicity." He murmurs as he eyes the writing upon it.

"You're remarkable."

"Thank you for remarking on it." She blushes with a smile.

"And I suppose I should wish you a merry Christmas." He mutters with a role of his eye as he turns to go.

"Ohh I'm Jewish." She cuts in.

"Happy Hanukkah." He smirks as he leaves her again to puzzle over the mystery that is Slade Wilson and his friends!

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"The significant resources of The Starling City Police Department it is clear that these vigilantes cycle of violence has escalated. I'm asking our citizens to keep a close eye out and to report anything suspicious. A tip line has been set up and a reward will be offered to anyone who aids the authorities in the capture of this mad man." The Commissioner reports from the tv in Laurel's apartment that Quentin is currently watching.

"It isn't him is it?" Laurel appears beside him as he stands and walks over to the TV.

"We are all frustrated with the crime…"

"The vigilantes, they didn't kill those people." Laurel comments.

"Hm, you're the one who said that they were monsters." Quentin mutters.

"Yeah but they were protecting me. It's different." She looks to her dad as they both continue to watch the TV.

"And the apprehension of this so called Hood that has been terrorizing our city with two accomplices." Commissioner continues to report from the TV.

A sudden knock on the door, pulls both Laurel and Quentin's attention away from the TV as Laurel moves toward the door.

"It's probably Joanna, or Sara maybe." She comments as she switches the TV off.

"She said she was going to come by with some files and it's Christmas so I have thought that since this is the first Christmas that we have with Sara back and also because it's her birthday, that she'd be coming over!" Laurel calls as she races to the door.

"Tommy!" Laurel smiles widely as she opens the door, surprised to see that it is not Joanna or her sister at the door but Tommy instead.

With a wide smile, Laurel moves to put her arms around him but stops when her father clears his throat.

"Merry Christmas, sir. How are you?" Tommy says politely moving to shake Quentin's hand as Laurel stands behind him nervously having not told her father about her and Tommy being an item.

"Proficient with firearms." Quentin replies moodily.

"Dad!" Laurel glances at him, indicating for him to disappear.

"Yeah!" He replies, moving away quickly so not having to witness anything!

"Hey Tommy." Laurel smiles once her dad is gone and wraps her arms tightly around him as he kisses the top of her head.

"I thought you weren't going to be in town for Christmas?" She murmurs as she buries her head into his chest.

"But when you want to to be with someone as I want to be with you then I decided it was time for a change this year, instead of getting absolutely wasted, coming to see my girlfriend at Christmas time!" He grins.

"You made the right choice." She mutters as she lifts her head so she can kiss him.

"The Queen's are apparently having a last minute Christmas party and I would love for you to come with me as my plus one. Besides! That's where you're sisters going to be and considering its her birthday I thought you'd be spending time with her!" Tommy offers.

"I do, I haven't seen her all day. I would have thought that she'd be here by now." Laurel sighs as Tommy pulls something out of his pocket.

"I was looking through some old photographs and I found this." He holds a small box out to her, she takes it from him, kissing his lips in thanks before sliding the top off to find a picture of her, her dad and Sara.

"Ohh Tommy!" Laurel smiles at him before throwing her arms around him, kissing him repeatedly.

"It's beautiful!" She cries in between kisses.

"I've got one for Sara as well." He informs Laurel as she cuts him off by kissing him again, the sound of quiet swearing from Quentin filling their ears in dismay at Laurel's apparent 'new boyfriend'! He is almost one hundred percent certain they would be having a discussion about this later!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Laurel beams as she continues to kiss and hug Tommy.

"You're welcome honey." Tommy smiles, happy that his kind gesture has brought about this response from Laurel.

"Laurel?" The voice of Sara fills their ears causing them to pull away from one another as Laurel races over to her sister standing in the doorway.

"Come here!" She cries pulling her sister into a tight embrace, their first embrace at Christmas time in five years.

"Hey dad!" Sara smiles at Quentin as he reappears from the kitchen upon hearing Sara's voice, pulling her into a tight hug also in sheer relief at having his daughter her for Christmas and her birthday after five painful years.

"It's good to see you sweetie!" He smiles as Laurel notices two others standing in the corridor outside her apartment.

"Ollie, Slade get in here!" She calls them with her arms folded.

"No!" Tommy groans.

"Behave." Laurel murmurs, kissing him on the lips before moving to all but drag Oliver and Slade into her apartment.

"Hey Tommy, merry Christmas." Oliver moves to hug his best friend as Slade stands in the doorway, both him and Tommy exchanging glares.

"For the love of god please try and be civil, please. I don't want blood in my apartment!" Laurel cries pleadingly to both Tommy and Slade.

"If you want to kill him. I wouldn't press charges!" Quentin grumbles.

"Dad!" Laurel squeaks.

"What its bad enough that you're friends with this guy. Now he's your what?"

"Boyfriend, dad. Behave!" Laurel growls as Quentin gives her a roll of his eyes and turns instead to talk to Slade.

"You don't like him either?" He nods approvingly.

"He's worse than Oliver was when I first met him." Slade growls in response.

"Heard that!" Oliver calls from beside Tommy and Sara.

"Thank god for you, Slade. Without you I doubt my daughter would be here with us now for Christmas and her birthday, thank you for everything you did to bring her home to Laurel and I." Quentin turns to him appreciatively.

"No problem." Slade murmurs in response as Laurel nods in agreement.

"We thought we'd drop by and wish you both a merry Christmas and to invite you to the Christmas party at my place." Oliver beams at Quentin and Laurel, who nods.

"Of course Ollie." Laurel pats his arm with a smile.

"I suppose I'll go as well, considering I actually want to spend this Christmas with both of my daughters, whom I'm sure I won't be able to convince to spend Christmas here!" Quentin grumbles at the prospect of the party, exchanging a knowing look with Slade.

"Thanks daddy." Sara grins as she takes Oliver's hand.

"Now the three of us have to do something but we'll see you at the party!" She smiles widely as she, Oliver and Slade head for the door.

"Ohh where are you off to?" Laurel calls, a little disappointed that Sara isn't staying here with her, Tommy and her dad.

"Well Oliver and Slade apparently have this big surprise for me and they're taking me to it now! So we'll see you at the party!" Sara says in explanation as she follows Oliver and Slade, joining them as the three of them walk down the corridor, Sara glancing at both of them as they head toward the staircase, ensuring that they are out of earshot.

"You know after what we have to do now, you actually better tell me what it is you've been hiding!" She commands as Oliver and Slade just smirk to themselves.

 _Starling City Later…_

It isn't much longer before the three vigilantes are walking toward the building where Felicity Smoak had directed them to.

"This the place?" The Man In The Hood turns to The Man In The Mask, who pushes the door open with his sword.

"Where she said the delivery was sent to." He murmurs in response.

"Useful girl she is." The Woman In Black comments.

"Very helpful." The Man In The Mask agrees as the three of them enter the building, The Man In The Mask choosing to go first in habit to protect his partners from any sudden attack, which there normally always is in these kind of places!

In the middle of the room is a lone arrow, the three vigilantes stare at in in mild confusion for a moment before the sound of the door shutting behind them sounds out.

Anticipating an attack, The Man In The Hood retrieves an arrow of his own, turning to face the door.

"Kid." The Man In The Mask nudges him upon hearing the sound of running water.

The three vigilantes turning around to look at a device, seemingly linked to a container of water which is slowly filling up…

Years of experience from being an ASIS agent makes The Man In The Mask know exactly what is happening.

"We gotta get out now!" He growls as The Man In The Hood comes to the same conclusion.

A bomb. A freakin bomb!

Without waiting another moment the three vigilantes race to the door, The Man In The Hood firing an arrow that blows the door just as the bomb explodes, the three vigilantes dropping to the ground as they move to avoid the explosion, The Man In The Mask's arm unfortunately getting bathed in the flames, which he swears and growls as he puts them out, growling out in pain as he clutches his injured arm.

"Slade!" The Man In The Hood growls as he moves over to his partner, quickly assessing the damage with his eyes as he and The Woman In Black pull their friend to his feet, he mumbles in pain as The Man In The Hood knocks his now injured arm, who winces giving him an apologetic glance.

"Let's get you sorted out."

 _The Foundry_

"Urgh." Oliver mutters in disgust when he and Sara carefully peel Slade's vigilante uniform off his injured arm, the three of them wincing at the sight of the burns Slade has received covering his shoulder and trailing down his arm.

"Try having them, kid." Slade grumbles as Oliver glances at him with a mixture of worry and concern for his friend as he moves to retrieve some supplies

"I'm looking forward to the day where I can bury my sword into that guys eye!" He growls as Oliver returns with water and antiseptic.

"And I'll help you with that, he's harmed one of our own now. He is not going to get away with it." Oliver replies angrily.

"Do you want any painkillers?" Sara asks gently as Oliver starts to carefully clean the burns, to which Slade winces and moves away, glaring at Oliver as he mutters in pain.

"Slade, we've got to treat this so it doesn't get infected. I am never dealing with you like that again!" Oliver folds his arms sulkily.

"You weren't the injured one!" Slade retorts.

"Yeah but I had to put up with you!" Oliver reminds him as Slade rolls his eye at him before moodily allowing Oliver to continue.

"Nah I'll be alright Sara." He responds to her question, glaring at Oliver once more, who apologizes profusely as he carefully cleans the wounds.

"You'll probably need some before the party, so no one notices that your in agony." Oliver comments as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Kid, unlike you I don't whine as much when I'm wounded. I'll be fine." He grumbles.

"Again, I don't whine!" Oliver protests.

"Not as much as you used to."

"Hey!" Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Truth hurts, kid." Slade shrugs his shoulders, regretting it instantly, causing Oliver to smirk slightly before dabbing antiseptic into the wound.

"My uniform better recover from this." Slade mutters under his breath as Sara and Oliver look at him incredulously.

"Slade, you have just received probably third degree burns and you're worrying about your uniform!" Sara gives him an eye roll of her own.

"You seriously worry about the wrong thing." Oliver chuckles lightly as he starts to carefully bandage the wounds.

"When you're not trying to pull an arrow out of my eye, you're actually quite good at this, kid." Slade mutters in appreciation, eying Oliver's handiwork.

Oliver smiles slightly, closest thing to a thank you he's ever going to get from Slade!

"I learnt from the masters." Oliver replies, exchanging a sad look with both Sara and Slade as they think of the other person Oliver learnt how to tend to wounds from.

"Look, we have some time to kill at the moment before the party, how about we show Sara her present?" Oliver glances at Slade, trying to change the subject matter from something he knows upsets Slade.

"Excellent idea, kid!" Slade smirks as he grabs a clean shirt, wincing at the pain in his now bandaged up wound as they both smile at Sara, who folds her arms, waiting curiously to see what is going to happen next.

 _Starling City A Few Moments Later…_

"Just a few more steps." Oliver murmurs with a megawatt smile to Sara, which she cannot see as she is blindfolded!

"Can't believe I let you two blindfold me." She grumbles.

"Traditional!" Oliver calls as he carefully leads her up more stairs, both he and Slade keeping tight holds of her hands so she doesn't fall.

"Isn't there an elevator or something?" She protests.

"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" Slade chuckles to himself, trying to ignore the agonizing pain in his arm.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." Oliver reassures her, stopping for a moment, kissing her cheek softly.

"I know you won't Ollie!" She sniggers.

"Lovely to know just how much you think of me!" Slade says in fake annoyance.

"Aww Slade you know I love you really. I just know you to well!" Sara jokes as he smiles back, rolling his eye at her.

"I'm guessing you're either rolling your eye at me or smiling." She grins.

"Ohh he's actually smiling, such a rarity!" Oliver laughs, Sara giggling when she hears the sound of Oliver grunting in pain, Slade having hit him around the head.

"Now, I'd push you down the stairs, kid!" Slade smirks, before adding.

"Yet you're so clumsy, kid you'd probably fall down the stairs without my assistance!"

"I'm not clumsy!" Oliver protests.

"Those first few months with you were hell, kid!" Slade reminds him.

"Hey it's not like you helped with that!"

"I did what I had to do to get you to survive, kid and now look where we are. You're father was right Sara, you two wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."

"There are several things I can remind you off Slade that destroys your theory!" Oliver grumbles as Slade hits him again.

"We're all here together, that's all that matters." Sara smiles warmly, silencing both Oliver and Slade as they are all in agreement, without each other they wouldn't be who they are today, things they are certain would have been much different if it were not the three of them standing her right now.

"Here we go!" Oliver's voice calls out unexpectedly as the sound of a key turning in a lock fills Sara's ears as she feels the blindfold being removed from her eyes.

"Surprise!"

A moment of silence passes as Sara gasps and her eyes widen at the sight of the 'surprise' and a surprise it most definitely is!

"Happy birthday/Christmas." Oliver places a kiss on the top of her head as she turns to face them both, a smile on her face.

"Is this…" She starts, unable to finish her sentence in shock at it being the truth.

"Our place? Yeah it is." Oliver smiles warmly as she turns back to enter the apartment Oliver and Slade have brought her to. She remembers the three of them viewing it almost a month ago and falling completely in love with it, Oliver and Slade remembered and must have also shared her love for the place!

It is a massive two story penthouse with amazing views of Starling City and three bedrooms, one for her and Ollie, one for Slade and when they had looked at it the first time, Sara had wondered that since there was an extra room that if they got this place then Thea could perhaps stay with them, which Oliver has agreed to then as it is no secret that Oliver thinks his sister needs better parenting!

"I figured it was about time we got our own place together and what better time then this to move into it, I'll explain it to my mother at another date so she can disown me another time!" Oliver jokes as Sara turns to him her eyes brimming with tears of happiness.

"Ohh my god Ollie!" Sara whispers as she pulls him into a long, lingering thank you kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She smiles as he kisses her forehead.

"No problem. I figured that this would make quite a cool gift." Oliver smirks as she kisses him once more before throwing her arms around Slade, who groans in pain as she crushes his recently wounded arm.

"Ohh crap, sorry!" She winces apologetically.

"S'alright. I'm glad you like it. Do you know how hard it was to keep this from you, keeping him quiet?" Slade flashes a smirk over at Oliver.

"Thank you both, so much, best present ever!" She smiles at them both as Oliver takes her into their new living room, equipped with two huge couches, a TV of an ungodly size and surprisingly an almost sky high Christmas Tree, complete with a large array of presents at the bottom of the tree.

"I said we'd spend Christmas together." Oliver wraps his arms around her waist as he places his head on her shoulder.

"Ollie, it's beautiful." She whispers, placing her hands over his.

"Slade wanted to put a real tree in here! I convinced him otherwise and took over." Oliver rolls his eyes at Slade, who eyes Oliver instead of shrugging his shoulders.

"Ya know, kid back in Australia. I used to drag a proper tree into the house every Christmas." He explains to him, as Oliver smirks.

"Because buying one was just too easy?" Sara laughs as Slade smirks at her, remembering a time when he used to enjoy Christmas, so, so long ago.

"I used to make good eggnog to." Slade murmurs as Oliver folds his arms.

"And you never thought to mention that before?" He cries incredulously.

"I can't be bothered with Christmas." He reminds them as both Oliver and Sara rolls their eyes simultaneously at Slade.

"We really have to go but I need to show you what I've done with the bedroom." Oliver pulls Sara's hand in the direction of the stairs.

"I really don't wanna know, kid!" Slade mutters in protest as he sits down on the couch to rest for a moment, due to the pain, noticing a small box on the coffee table that hadn't been there earlier when he and Oliver had last been to add the finishing touches, picking it up he realizes that it is addressed to him, smirking when he opens it to find a selection of biscuits and a note saying.

'Hopefully you class these as 'decent biscuits' thanks for bringing my brother home. Thea xx'

Slade smiles, it appears as if Thea is full of surprises!

Smiling as he goes, Oliver leads Sara up the stairs to their bedroom, covering her eyes with his hand as he leads her inside.

"Happy birthday." He kisses her cheek lovingly, before placing small kisses on her neck as he removes his hands from her eyes to let her see.

Sara beams at what she sees, a large four poster bed, covered with presents, all addressed to her, heaps and heaps of red petals all over the bedroom, the bathroom door slightly ajar and loads of unlit candles all around the room.

"I figured we'd light them much later." Oliver murmurs in explanation.

"And have a bath maybe, we have a great bathroom." He explains, eying the door to the bathroom, she smiles warmly at the thought.

"You are so romantic you know that?" She turns to face him.

"I try my hardest." He replies as she kisses him deeply, wanting nothing more than to lock the door and not come out for the next day or so! But alas! That cannot happen just yet, but all Sara knows is that it will happen and that this is one wonderful surprise!

 _Queen Mansion_

"You know, kid. I'd much prefer to be back there right now than here!" Slade grumbles miserably as they reach Queen Mansion, Oliver smiling warmly when he finds it heavily decorated, just like he had requested and had helped with Sara when Slade was off getting information from Felicity about the arrows.

"We can go home later! I promised, remember?" Oliver smiles as Slade huffs moodily as the three of them make their way over to Diggle, Oliver still smiling when he sees groups of people socializing and even more wonderful decorations! His plan worked beautifully!

"I see the halls are decked." He comments to Diggle.

"You three ok?" He asks politely.

"We'll manage." Sara replies, both she and Oliver glancing at Slade who is still pained from his recent wounds.

"Is everyone having a good time?" Oliver questions.

"You sure you want to do this, man?" Diggle frowns.

"I mean maybe now is not the best time to be Martha Stewart's elf!"

"I have never agreed with him until this moment." Slade mutters, flashing a glance at Oliver.

"My family needs this party Diggle which means that I need it and I am determined to get him into the Christmas spirit!" Oliver turns to face Slade, who glares at him.

"I'm definitely gonna kill you slow kid." He murmurs as the sound of the door shutting causes Oliver, Sara and Slade to turn around to see the boy who had showed up for Thea at the restaurant. Shane.

"Hey dudes!" He calls, armed with a bunch of flowers.

"Thea invited me, I hope that's cool." He says in explanation, Oliver laying a hand on Slade's arm to keep him silent.

"These are for your mom." He gestures to the flowers as Oliver turns back to Diggle.

"Smooth!" He whispers before heading toward the living room with Sara and Slade, Diggle smirks at Shane.

"Good luck, kid!"

"Oliver!" Walter calls his stepsons name as Oliver, Sara and Slade enter the living room.

"You guys look great. Merry Christmas." He smiles at them warmly.

"Merry Christmas!" Walter, Moria and Thea chime at the same time.

"Let's get a holiday photo!" Oliver cheers.

"Jesus, kid!" Slade grumbles under his breath in annoyance at Oliver, whom he believes is doing everything in his power to piss him off today!

"I've already sent out the Christmas cards, Oliver." Moria sighs, for one time in his life, Slade looking at her with a somewhat grateful look!

"Mum, let's get a picture just for the eight of us. Tommy, Laurel!" He calls them, spying them already walking over.

"So glad that you both could make it!" He smiles as Sara embraces her sister.

"Ooh photo!" Tommy grins as he joins them with Laurel.

"You are so dead, kid." Slade grumbles in Oliver's ear as the eight of them move into position, Walter, Moria and Thea in front with Oliver, Sara and Slade standing behind them, Tommy and Laurel on the ends for the photo.

Oliver wonders to himself if this is actually the most death threats he has received from Slade in such a short period of time! It probably is! He thinks as the photo is taken.

The photo, Oliver already has ideas to frame and keep in The Foundry and at his, Slade and Sara's new home as it is the first photo ever to be taken of his new family.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Queen?" Shane's voice calls after the picture has been taken.

"These are for you." He hands her the flowers.

"Wow, thank you." She smiles warmly as Thea reaches out for his hand.

"I'll go put those in water." She comments as Thea and Shane disappear with one another.

"Is everything alright?" Walter puts his hand on Moria's shoulder.

"You and I should talk alone." She murmurs before leaving.

"Everything okay between the two of you?" Oliver questions when it is just he, Walter, Sara and Slade.

"Yeah. I'm sure it will work itself out." He grins, patting Oliver's arm before heading off.

"Well, merry Christmas, pal." Tommy turns to hug Oliver.

"Merry Christmas." He smiles warmly as he hugs Tommy back.

"We actually managed to drag my dad to this." Laurel smirks as she hugs Oliver.

"Well he did threaten to kill me." Tommy murmurs.

"Shame he didn't." Slade mutters in response as Quentin appears.

"Merry Christmas, Oliver." He says politely as he hugs Sara again.

"Now, can I please have some time with my two daughters?" He smiles.

"Of course you can, come on buddy let's get a drink!" Tommy grins as he, Oliver and Slade leave the Lance's alone for there few moments together at Christmas time, on Sara's birthday after five hellish years of believing Sara to be dead.

Long over due time!

 _Meanwhile…_

With a long sigh, Moria puts down her glass and runs a hand through her hair when Walter joins her.

"You lied to me." She murmurs.

"An odd accusation coming from you." He mutters.

"When you came home you said you were through investigating Robert's death." She growls in both anger and worry.

"Robert was my oldest friend. Do you take me for a man who wouldn't avenge his best friend's murder?" He questions sharply.

He scoffs and sits down.

"I thought I could forget about it. Go back to the way things were but you told me too many lies, Moria. You embezzled money from the company, salvaged the Queen's Gambit. Why Moria?" He questions.

"What was it all for?"

"For leverage." She admits.

"Against who?"

"Against who?" He repeats again she he receives nothing but silence from Moria.

"People who you've made very angry." She sighs.

"Well let me help you fight them!" He protests.

"I can't fight them!" She exclaims.

"I am them." She reveals as Walter widens his eyes at her.

"I have tried so hard to convince myself that I'm not and loving you… You were my salvation." She sighs as he stands and reaches for her hands.

"Moria, Moira, whatever you've done and whoever these people are the times for lies is over. You need to tell me exactly what's going on." He commands as she begins to stutter.

"Let's, let's just get through the party." She nods as Walter hums in agreement.

"And then I promise I shall tell you everything." She vows as they share a loving kiss between husband and wife.

 _Meanwhile, upstairs…_

Having left the party to find Thea, Oliver insures that Tommy is getting several drinks somewhere on one side of the mansion whilst he left Slade talking with Sara, Laurel and Quentin, both Laurel and Quentin more than happy to talk to Slade, as Oliver is of the belief that they think Slade is the sole reason both he and Sara are still alive!

They are wrong. It wasn't just Slade! Even though even Slade deludes himself.

"Thea, I have something to tell you…" He opens her bedroom door to see both his sister and Shane in a state of undress, something he wishes he never saw now!

Raising a finger to Shane, her glares at him.

"Hit the road." He murmurs dangerously as Shane quickly grabs the rest of his clothes and races for the door as Thea turns on Oliver.

"What are you doing?" She snaps.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing because there's a party going on downstairs that I threw for you!" He shouts.

"I told you. I didn't want a party. You should have listened to Slade, he's the only one who makes any sense round here at the moment when Christmas is concerned!" She snarls

"But you didn't care about what either of us thought because you came down with the holiday blues!" She mutters sarcastically.

"I have been trying to get you to open up for months. All this party is doing is bringing back memories I've been trying to forget!" She snarls, turning away.

"Thea! Why would you want to forget?" He questions calmly.

"No matter how fancy the party is you throw things will never be the way they used to be in our family ever again and if you had just listened to Slade and had just done something small low key with the four of us, we may not even be here right now!"

"Oliver?" Diggle's voice cuts them both of before Oliver can even respond.

"What is it now?" He turns to face him as all Diggle does is beckon him forward…

 _Oliver's Bedroom_

"The other archers moved to the next level." He informs Oliver as they enter his room.

"He's taken hostages. This just hit the news." He switches on the TV.

"Happy holidays, Starling City for the past three months this city had been laid siege by three vigilantes. But the police have been unable to bring them to justice because they lack the will to do what justice demands. I will kill one hostage every hour in the name of these vigilantes until they surrender themselves to my authority." The hostage reads out on the TV before Diggle switches it off.

"The police are on the scene Oliver. I think the three of you should let them handle this." Diggle advises.

"These people are there because of us. I have to end this." He growls.

"Going to get Slade and Sara?" He questions. Oliver is silent for a moment before making a decision he knows that will piss a couple of people off. Slade in particular!

"Oliver…" Diggle's eyes widen shaking, his head upon realising what Oliver is planning to do.

"I need you to distract them for me. Make sure they think I'm with Thea or something. Don't let them know, Slade's already injured as it is and…"

"No, Oliver…"

"No Diggle. No. This guy, this archer he chose to impersonate me. He chose The Man In The Hood, not The Man In The Mask. This is my responsibility…"

"Oliver. This guy. This guy he's very dangerous."

"Diggle, there wasn't anything on the island that wasn't twice as dangerous as this pretender and I survived there for five years!"

As the hours went by Yao Fei, Oliver, Sara and Fyers continued to walk through the woods.

Once they are in a certain place, Yao Fei pulls out a walkie, placing it in front of Fyers mouth.

"Call your people." He mutters.

"Tell them to bring the plane." He grumbles before turning his head.

"There's no need, Yao Fei. My people will be here shortly. Do you not think it convenient you captured me so easily?" He smirks just as the man who tortured Oliver and Sara struts out from behind a tree, protectively Oliver moves in front of Sara as Yao Fei removes an arrow from his quiver.

"Go!" He yells to Oliver and Sara.

"Run!" He adds as Oliver and Sara run hand in hand through the woods as Yao Fei and the man begin to fight one another, whilst Sara and Oliver run over branches, logs and more as they run from the attackers, unable to do anything when their torturer gets the upper hand and sends Yao Fei into unconsciousness after a close fight, their torturer giving Oliver and Sara an eerie glance before dragging Yao Fei away…

 _Starling City_

"Starling City holds its breath as the hostage crisis unfolds. Police have attempted to enter the abandoned structure in the Glades but have found rigged explosives preventing them from doing so. At the moment there has been no sign of the vigilantes as their one hour deadline nears." The report says, watched by the Commissioner and Quentin, having received the call at the Queen's party, managing to lie to Sara and Laurel that it is just work, not this mess!

"I count three thresholds! Each wired by Mercury witches to Semtex charges." The bomb squad man explains as the Commissioner lifts his radio.

"Can you diffuse one for HRT to use as a breach point?"

"Well that's gonna take a while and then he's going to know which way we're coming in!" Quentin grumbles.

"You got a better idea, sergeant!" He snaps.

"Now would be a lovely time!"

Yet before anyone can say anything the video picks up an image of The Man In The Hood sailing in on a wire…

Once inside the building, The Man In The Hood sets to work freeing the hostages with ease, unlocking all their restraints.

"Where is he?" He asks softly.

"I don't know!" One of the hostages cries as he frees her.

"It's going to be ok." He assures them all as he turns to the door.

"Now follow me!"

The Man In The Hood leads the hostages down a series of corridors before find a stair well.

"Get on the roof!" He commands.

"What about him?" One asks him.

"Move! I will handle him."

 _Meanwhile…_

Upon seeing everything that has happened Quentin pulls out his radio.

"The hostages are on the roof." He mutters.

"I repeat you have five hostages on the roof."

 _Meanwhile…_

The Man In The Hood moves back down the corridor, stopping when he sees the other archer at the other end.

"Thank you for coming, after the warehouse I knew I'd have to do something dramatic to get your attention. Where are your partners?" He growls.

"What do you want with us?" The Man In The Hood growls.

"You did not answer my question."

"You chose me, not either of them to impersonate. Why me?" He snaps.

"What any archer wants, to see who's better." He says as simultaneously both archers begin to fire rapid arrows at one another, each of them dodging each others attacks.

The Dark archer fires another arrow that shatters a window behind The Man In The Hood who in turn races to get higher ground, moving out of the Dark Archers line of sight.

The Man In The Hood tries to achieve an over head attack, which the Dark Archer spots and continues to fire at him, catching him in the side with an arrow, causing him to drop down, aiming more attacks at The Man In The Hood, moving behind him and firing two arrows into his back before pushing him through a wooden wall.

The Man In The Hood, ignoring the two arrows buried in his back tries to move only to be kicked back down again, twisting his arm to keep him down.

"First Hunt then Ravich and now you!" The Dark Archer growls in between kicks as he violently kicks The Man In The Hood when he's down causing untold injures as he just continues and continues.

"I know about the list and the man who authored it wants the three of you dead. I'll finish with you now and then I'll go after them." He snarls as he kicks him again.

"They call you The Hood. Let's see what you look like without it!" He pulls The Man In The Hood up, who drives a small dart through his leg, managing to get the upper hand and punching him hard in the face, just before he flees leaving the rather injured Man In a The Hood, who stumbles towards the exit. Yelling out in pain as he removes the arrows from his back agonizingly, before crawling to the window and falling out onto the ground.

He needs help, he needs to call someone, Slade, Sara or Diggle even though he knows that if he calls Slade, Slade will probably wipe the floor with him and pulls out his phone to call the last number he rang, which he finds to be Diggle, fortunately.

His probable upcoming row with Slade can wait.

"Oliver? Oliver where are you?" Diggle's worried voice calls.

"Dig. Help." He groans.

"Help." He murmurs before falling into unconsciousness.

 _Starling City General_

With a gasp Oliver comes around, memories of the Dark Archer's attack hitting him instantly, he beat him, The Man In The Hood failed…

"Hey, relax, relax, relax, relax. You're in the hospital, you're safe." Diggle's voice reassures him as he groans out in agony.

"Where's Sara, Slade?" He groans.

"They're on their way. We back tracked your single, we cleaned you up and got you out of there. You have a pheamothorax, three broken ribs but the doctors say you're going to be fine." Diggle explains the full extent of Oliver's injuries to him.

"I except you may receive more upon the arrival of Slade." He mutters.

"How angry?"

"He's gone batshit crazy!" Diggle murmurs before adding.

"Oliver, I'd tell you not to worry about it because you're hurt but honestly, I would worry if I were you. I have never seen him so angry before, threatened to kill me for distracting him and Sara but he's just very, very worried about you Oliver, they both are." Diggle sighs in explanation as Oliver closes his eyes, already picturing Slade's anger and it really isn't a pretty picture!

"Where are they?" He asks in a small voice.

"Apparently Slade had a disagreement with another vehicle…"

"Ohh god!" Oliver groans.

"They're both ok. Last thing Sara told me was that she's glad her dad's a cop and that her sister's a lawyer and that they both love Slade." He murmurs.

"Dig, please protect me from him!" Oliver says in both a joking and serious manner, Diggle smirks at him,

"Ohh no I want to see this unfold. I'm not best pleased with you either Oliver." He reminds him as there is a knock on the door, causing them to look up, both of them already knowing it isn't Slade or Sara as there is no yelling, swearing or death threats being thrown around!

"Oliver are you alright?" Moria races into the room with Thea, their faces masks of worry.

"Ohh god you look terrible! Where's Sara and Slade? Their not…" Thea cries worriedly.

"They're ok, they're trying to get here." Oliver murmurs as he takes his sisters hand, the anger from earlier melting away.

"Well, thank god you were wearing your helmet!" Walter mutters.

"I told them how you were on your bike and somebody pulled out right in front of you." Diggle says in explanation to Oliver as his mother strokes his shoulder.

"What were you even doing out?" She whispers softly.

"You bailed on your party and didn't even take Sara and Slade!" Thea sighs.

"I remembered that I had this present for Slade to pick up." Oliver murmurs.

"I picked it up for you." Diggle cuts in briefly, showing something wrapped that is actually a present for Slade from Oliver as it isn't entirely a lie, Oliver had remembered something he had gotten for Slade and had it with him during the attack. He's grateful in that moment as it doesn't appear to be broken!

"And to be honest you were right, he was right. It wasn't the best timing." He admits.

"Ok but when I said that that was me being a bitch." Thea squeezes his hand tightly.

"No, no. The truth is I don't think any of us were at our best." Moira admits.

"The real truth is that you wanted to have a party to bring us closer together. Well, here we are and I'm sure Sara and Slade will be here shortly." Walter beams.

"Man the three of you might not want to be around for that." Diggle murmurs.

"Ohh my god, Sara and Slade are going to wipe the floor with you." Thea chuckles softly as Oliver groans in slight discomfort.

"We're going to let you get some rest." Moira smiles as she kisses her son's forehead before leaving with Walter.

"Thea I would go with them if I were you." Oliver winces.

"Ohh no I want to see Slade tell you off for being so reckless!" She sniggers as Diggle looks down at his phone.

"I don't think you're going to have to wait long…"

"OLIVER QUEEN!" Bellows an angry voice with an Australian accent.

Thea and Diggle smirk slightly at one another before heading for the doorway, they want to watch Slade yell at Oliver but they don't particularly want to be in the room! So they wait near the doorway as they look down the corridor to see Slade and Sara running towards them, their faces masks of fury and worry as they approach the room.

"He's all yours." Diggle murmurs in surrender as Sara and Slade burst into the room, taking in Oliver's position and state.

"You have no idea how angry I am with you, kid!" Slade snarls as Sara cuts him off.

"You're alive, You're ok!" Sara cries, Oliver noticing the tears running down her cheeks as she races over to gently put her arms around him, giving him a soft kiss before slapping him as gently as she can.

"How could you! How could you just go like that! You could have died Ollie!" She all but screeches at him as he wipes the tears from her eyes.

"I'm ok. I'm ok." Oliver attempts to reassure her.

"You are far from ok!" She cries as she starts to stroke his hair lovingly as he grips her hand.

"I am so mad at you right now." She murmurs.

"I love you." Oliver responds.

"Ohh don't you start that crap when I'm angry at you!" She growls before giving him another kiss before leaving him to the mercy of Slade Wilson...

Once Sara has stepped to the side, keeping her hand tightly in Oliver's, Slade has taken to paving the room unnervingly to Oliver.

"You stupid, foolish, idiotic, imbecile! What do you think you were playing at!" Slade snaps.

"Slade…"

"Ohh no. Don't say a fucking word, kid! I have been so angry at you! What the fuck were you thinking?" He growls as he stops pacing to shut the door to Oliver's room so that Thea cannot here what the three of them are about to discuss.

"You could have been killed! You have no idea how furious I am! I have never seen such idiocy from you and that's saying something!" He snaps as he starts to pace again.

"Why did you go without us?" Sara folds her arms.

"Yes that's the question we'd both like the answer to!" Slade snips as Oliver sighs.

"The guy, he chose me to impersonate not either of you, it was in my name that he was causing all that damage. I thought facing him alone would work. I know now where I went wrong…"

"Damn right you were wrong, kid! Because that is absolute bullshit! You nearly got yourself killed!" Slade reminds him.

"He was good, Slade. He was better than me and if you had been there…"

"I would have painted the streets of Starling City with his blood." Slade snarls.

"You're injured! You couldn't have fought like that! He could have actually killed you!" Oliver reminds him, Slade scoffs.

"That's where you went wrong, kid! I would have be fine, but no you thought that you'd handle this all by yourself and nearly get yourself killed in the process! I have never seen so much selfishness from you Oliver Queen!" He growls.

"Selfishness?" Oliver queries.

"Don't start back chatting me, kid. What you did was selfish, did you even think what would have happened if you had died, the consequences it would have had on Sara, your family? Kid, I care about you far too much to lose you to your own stupidity! Oliver you and Sara are all I have left! There no way in hell I am going to lose my brother because he is an absolute moron!" Slade shouts as Oliver's lips twitch into a slight smile.

"I don't know why you're smiling, kid! Because when you get out of here I am going to kick your miserable arse into next year!" Slade continues to shout as he stops pacing to give Oliver a sudden, very brief but somewhat careful brotherly embrace.

"I can't lose you, kid." He murmurs softly for a moment before pulling back, prepared to start yelling at him all over again as there is a gentle knock on the door.

"Only me." Thea enters the room, silencing the three of them, she raises an eyebrow at them, curious to know what had been said since she couldn't distinguish anything but muffled yelling from outside.

"Did you actually steal a car?" Thea smirks at Slade, Oliver's eyes widen.

"Broke several speed laws and actually crash into another car? Yes! Which is why I told Diggle I was glad that my family loves him and are a lawyer and a policeman!" Sara rolls her eyes as Oliver glances at her.

"Seriously?" He gasps.

"We thought you'd been killed, kid." Slade shrugs one shoulder as if it were just something that happens everyday.

"Ohh he also threatened to kill the driver of the car that we accidentally hit as well." Sara smirks as Oliver gives Slade an eye roll, looking forward to having a conversation about this later as Thea clears her throat.

"At least it's just the four of us now." Thea says in a small voice.

"Yeah, Slade! You shouldn't be in a bad mood were not at a party and it's just the four of us!" Oliver sniggers.

"Do not underestimate my threat to kick your ass into next year, kid!" Slade snarls as Oliver just chuckles lightly.

"We never got to the exchanging presents part!" Thea sighs.

"Ohh they gave me mine." Sara smiles warmly at Oliver and Slade at the earlier surprise of a home just for the three of them.

"And I got yours, thanks." Slade says to Thea with a slight smile.

"You're welcome." She grins at him before adding.

"You should so tell mom now whilst your injured because she'll be more lienent!" Thea suggests as she pulls her phone from her pocket.

"Want me to text her the good news that your moving out when you get out of here?" She questions with a smirk.

"Ohh god she'd probably kill me." Oliver smiles.

"I think she's already going to kill you." Thea sniggers before adding.

"So… Am I still welcome to use the third bedroom at times?" She smiles.

"Of course you are! I'd tell you to just move in with us if mom would be okay with that." Oliver sighs, knowing his mother would not be alright with that in the slightest!

"Look, Ollie I know I've been hard on you, the three of you especially you Ollie on being different from the way you were but the truth is is that I'm not the same person I was five years ago either." She says softly as Oliver smiles.

"So maybe the three of us can just accept each other. Not for who we were but for the people we are now."

"Yeah, I'd like that. You know, I wish mom would let me move in permanently with the three of you." She sighs.

"Don't know until you ask?" Sara suggests.

"No, she may not always be the best of parents but she'd be pretty strict on that!" She grins before pulling four candy canes out of her coat pocket.

Oliver laughs lightly as they each take one, even Slade as Oliver hugs his sister.

"No cheating!"

 _On The Other Side Of Starling City_

Placing his bow down, the Dark Archer makes his way into his lair, eying his set of arrows as he removes his hood, freeing his face from the mask to reveal Malcolm Merlyn…

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Thank you, Felicity. It was good of you to call but Oliver's going to be fine. He's already on the mend." Walter smiles as Felicity sighs in relief on the other end.

"Slade and Sara ok to? I know those three are kinda joined at the hip." She asks, biting her lips nervously on the other end.

"Yes, they are fine!"

"I'm glad to hear it, sir." She replies as Walter clicks the elevator button.

"I'm stepping into an elevator so I'll probably lose you." He states with a smile.

"I'll call you straight back." He promises as he enters the elevator, the last thing he remembers before falling into unconsciousness is the pain of a needle…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"It's done." Malcolm states as Moria frowns at him.

"And he won't be harmed?" She queries.

"Nor will he ever discover your involvement." He adds.

"You have my word."

"Forgive me if I don't find that comforting." She mumbles.

"You were warned Moria." He says when she turns her back to him.

"I told you to get Walter under control and you couldn't. Steps had to be taken…"

"That's what you said to justify Robert's murder!" She cuts in.

"And you wonder why I don't trust you?"

"Quite a bit of judgment coming from a woman who had her son and his girlfriend kidnapped and tortured and is out to take one of his loved ones away from him." He replies, referring to Slade.

"To prove to you that Oliver didn't know anything and why haven't you dealt with Mr. Wilson yet?" She growls.

"I have yet to receive the information confirming my suspicions, when I get that information and the facts are true then he will be dead. That I swear because if he is this person then he is dangerous. If he is that person he is one of the vigilantes." Malcolm explains.

"Fine! Fine!" Moira holds up her hands briefly.

"And what does it matter now about Oliver? What's done is done!"

"No, Moira. It's just beginning. In six months the organisation's vision of what this city should be will be complete." He reveals.

"And you won't feel a thing, will you?" She questions.

"Thousands of innocent people will be dead and you'll feel nothing!"

"That's not true." He retorts.

"I'll feel a sense of accomplishment!" He reveals.

"And you'll have Walter back." He says before driving away into the darkness…

 _Starling City General_

Oliver groans as he tries to move from the bed, only to be stopped by both Sara and Slade, only them, he and Diggle in the room, Thea having returned back home when Moira called her to remind her of how late it was!

"I will chain you to that bed of you even think of moving." Slade growls from a chair beside Oliver as he places a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"You wouldn't listen to me if roles were reversed." Oliver reminds him as Slade rolls his eye at Oliver before ultimately realizing that Oliver is right.

"I am still so angry at you, kid." He reminds him as he helps Oliver into a standing position, Oliver leaning on Slade for support as Sara takes his other side.

"I know, you reminded me of that." He winces, Slade having got more of his rage out in the time that has passed, especially after Thea left, Oliver, Sara and Diggle worried momentarily that Slade was actually going to kill him he was ranting for so long!

"Diggle." Oliver holds out his hand for the package he had gotten for Slade, Diggle passes it to him as Oliver passes it to Slade.

"Someone owed me a favor. I called it in." Oliver explains briefly as Slade removes the packaging before almost dropping the goddamn thing.

"Oliver…" He whispers, his voice thick momentarily as he trails his fingers over the frame.

"I know I risk getting punched but Merry Christmas!" Oliver smiles slightly as Slade turns to embrace Oliver carefully again before also Sara.

"Thank you, my brother." He murmurs to Oliver, who grins.

"So does that mean your into the Christmas spirit now?" Oliver jokes.

"Don't push it, kid!" Slade mutters as he looks at the frame again, and he would deny it if anyone noticed the slight tear in his eye at the sight of Oliver's gift.

A picture of Joe, the son whom he had loved and who was tragically taken away from him, the only picture he has that isn't in his mind.

 _Later..._

"You know we we confront somebody on the list we tell them that they failed the city. But to tonight it was me who failed." Oliver admits.

"And kid, I think we all know the reason why it went wrong!" Slade grumbles.

"Oliver, five hostages are home tonight with their families enjoying the holidays because of you." Diggle says softly.

"He's right, Ollie. You saved them." Sara says gently as Oliver wraps an arm around her.

"This other archer we'll find him." She adds.

"And we'll give it to him, the three of us this time, kid." Slade mutters.

"I think we have bigger problems. The other archer told me that somebody complied the list." He reveals.

"I always assumed it was my father but what if it wasn't?"

"What do you mean?" Diggle asks as Oliver pulls Sara closer.

"I think there is someone else out there. Someone who is more of a danger than the archer and together because I promise, I will never leave you two in the dark again." Oliver vows to Sara and Slade, whom mutters in agreement.

"We are going to take him down..."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, one hundred followers wow! Thank you to all of you who have followed, favorited and reviewed. I'm not sure about this chapter. Not sure if it's one of my best, please tell me what you think of it though and thanks again for reading! This chapter was done like a two days ago now but my ipad sucks! so I had to go on the computer and luckily its worked!**


	29. Burned (1)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Twenty Nine**

 _Starling City Several Weeks Later…_

The calm nightlife of Starling City is violently interrupted this night by a certain fire that engulfs a building.

A bustle of firefighters, fight to put out the flames, racing back and forth from their van to the burning building.

"Get that hose over to the north face!" One commands.

"Or we're liable to lose the whole block!" He protests in worry at the thought.

"Danny!" One calls through his radio.

"Yes chief."

"It's getting a little smoky out here buddy." He tells his firefighter, whom is currently inside the burning building.

"Just clearing the upper level." He informs him before spotting something.

"Hey, you, over here!" He beckons a firefighter over.

"I could use your help, I've got a hot spot." He requests, unaware of the firefighter behind him, he turns around only to be sprayed with something.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He protests as a moment later he ignites in a ball of flames…

 _The Foundry_

Oliver Queen stares at the salmon latter determinedly.

Memories of the Dark Archer beating him, remembering how they first encountered each other many weeks ago.

He slowly starts to move up the ladder…

Her remembers the besting he took the injuries he received from the Dark Archer, he was defeated, defeated and hospitalized.

He had remained in the hospital for about a week, Sara and Slade never left his side, sometimes he wishes Slade would have as Slade spent most of those days reminding him just how stupid his was!

When Oliver had finally been released from hospital he had returned home, to his, Sara's and Sade's home to find the Christmas decorations still intact and Thea proclaiming that due to Oliver getting himself placed in the hospital they never got to do that small Christmas with just the four of them, or Sara's birthday celebrations! So that very day they spent the whole day together celebrating. It was wonderful, just the four of them and Oliver hopes that they can do that for many more years to come.

Even Slade had enjoyed it! Well he did get spectacularly drunk that day, so drunk he passed out and Thea stuck reindeer antlers and wrapped tinsel around him!

Unbeknownst to Slade, because if he knew Oliver is certain he would be dead! Oliver still has the pictures!

Continuing to make his way it isn't long before he finds himself at the top of the ladder, leaping off, he drops the pole before heading to grab his bow and arrows and a tennis ball, firing an arrow.

The ball drops to the floor…

"Do you need to be slappin' water again, kid?" Slade murmurs from behind him.

"Not funny, Slade!" Oliver sighs.

"That was actually a good one." Sara smiles slightly as she removes his mask and wig, she and Slade having been out on the streets of Starling City.

Apart from Slade's commentary on Starling City, it had been an uneventful night.

"Someone needs to go grocery shopping and considering Oliver's never gone in his life! I'd probably better go, I'll get some more of those ingredients you used to make that amazing lasagna last night again Slade!" Sara comments with a smile.

"There's still leftovers." Oliver smiles widely.

Just the three of them living together has been great for the past six weeks as Oliver and Sara have discovered, well from last night as Slade refused to cook for them before that Slade cooking food he hasn't caught on the island is amazing and that Slade is a far better cook then either of them or anyone really!

He's does that better than everyone else as well! Oliver had said, earning himself a head slap from Slade and a threat that he'd never cook for them again!

"I've always been good at cooking, why do you think we survived on that island with the food we were eating there?" Slade smirks.

"No Slade, you're not good your wonderful at it! We must have Laurel and my dad over and then you can cook for them!" She adds as Slade rolls his eyes at them both.

"I told ya both this last night. I ain't gonna be your cook! We'll start taking it in turns when Oliver actually starts doing something again." Slade mutters as apart from last night, because of his healing injuries Oliver has volunteered to cook every night for the past six weeks as it's not like he was doing anything else!

"Come on, kid." Slade pulls out two sets of batons before chucking a set to Oliver as they begin to spar off.

The sparring session is probably one of the shortest ones between Oliver and Slade, reminding the latter of the kid he trained on the island five years ago as he has Oliver on his arse in a matter of moments!

"Go easy on me would you?" Oliver protests.

"For me, I am! Do you ever know me to be easy on ya, kid?" Slade retorts plainly.

"Go again?" Oliver suggests, trying to shake all thoughts from his head.

Slade obliges and they start back up again, Slade defeating Oliver once more, without even much of a fight. Again!

Oliver groans in mild frustration as Slade passes him on the way to the salmon latter.

"Not your best, kid." He murmurs as Oliver groans again, Slade stops and turns to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's a'right you'll get there again." He gives him a small smile as Diggle enters The Foundry.

"Doing ok?" He asks Oliver, who doesn't reply.

"Everything going good?" He asks again to nothing.

"Oliver didn't doze off again, did he?" He smirks, remembering an occasion a few weeks ago when Oliver was still healing from his injuries, Slade and Sara had gone out on a lead for one of the guys on the list and had returned to find Oliver fast asleep in a chair as he was supposed to be waiting for Slade and Sara to return, on top of that he was also meant to be working out to try and get himself back to fighting fit again.

He had looked so peaceful that and Diggle thinks this is because Oliver was healing, Slade has left him and had had a go at him in the morning instead!

"Any news on Walter?" Oliver eventually responds.

"My contact at the Bureau struck out. Same with my guy at Interpol." Diggle sighs, the disappearance of Walter being one of the main focuses of the last six weeks, him having disappeared the night Oliver faced the Dark Archer and failed.

"Ohh god." Sara murmurs as she rests her head on her hands.

"They're both saying the same things." He informs them.

"Either your stepfather doesn't want to be found or someone doesn't want him to be." Slade mutters, dropping down from the salmon ladder.

"It's been six weeks, guys. No contact from the kidnappers, no ransom demand, no proof of life." Diggle puts simply.

"I hate to sound…"

"Diggle, the four of us all know he is more than likely dead." Oliver replies bluntly.

"Ollie we can't think like that." Sara starts.

"Kid's right." Slade mumbles in agreement with Oliver.

"I've seen cases like this before, if there has been no ransom, the usual answer is that they've already killed the guy." Slade explains quietly as Sara closes her eyes sadly.

"What are we going to do?" Diggle asks softly.

"I don't know. Even mine and Slade's contacts in Bratva can't dig up a lead." Oliver sighs as he puts down his bow.

"I wasn't talking about Walter." Diggle reveals as he picks the small notebook of the table.

"Back at fighting weight, looks like. Last I checked there were more than two vigilantes." He says with a sigh.

"I've been recovering and the names are still being crossed off." Oliver shrugs his shoulders as he glances at Sara and Slade.

During the six weeks, because of Oliver's injuries The Man In The Hood hasn't been around as much as The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask, who have been crossing off names without him.

"That's not what he means, kid." Slade mutters.

"With Walter missing my family needs me right now." Oliver reminds them as the loss of Walter has hit home hard and what hurts Oliver more is that the loss off Walter could be a permanent one…

 _CNRI_

"And Judge Hinkle is ready to grant them another continuance! So I said, hell no, this trial starts now!" Joanna finishes explaining her tale to Laurel whom gives her a cheeky smile.

"That a girl!"

"Thanks." She grins as she notices Quentin walking into CNRI, nodding to Laurel, who spins around, to see her father.

"Dad!" She smiles, would be lying if she wasn't disappointed that it wasn't Tommy surprising her at work as he's been doing for the past six weeks, to drop off snacks or sometimes simply just to check in on her and give her a sweet kiss!

"What brings you by?" She asks with a smile.

"I need to talk to Jo." He says in a solemn tone.

"Is everything ok, Mr. Lance?" Joanna asks innocently as she looks up at him.

"No." He admits as another man walks in behind him, walking toward Joanna.

"What's happening?" Laurel queries as Joanna shakes her head.

"No." She whispers.

"Your brother Danny, he was killed on duty last night." Quentin admits sadly as the Chief approaches her with a sympathetic glance.

"Jo I am so sorry.."

"No, no, no, no, no!" She sobs as Laurel races forward to embrace her distraught friend.

"It's ok, it's all going to be ok…"

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira Queen sits alone in her room, her fingers trailing over a photo of Walter.

How could she have let this happen? How could she let Malcolm do this to her husband? Another one of her husbands!

She doesn't even here someone entering behind her.

"Mom?" Oliver asks softly, causing her to spin around in an instant at her son's voice.

"Hey." He smiles.

"You're home." She whispers in almost disbelief.

Oliver moving out had caused quite the debacle. It had been so sudden that Moria was so angry and tried to forbid Oliver from doing just that, who had reminded her that he is in adult and if he wants to live with Sara and Slade he will! Then, when Thea asked if she could sometimes sleepover with them, Moria had threatened to have Slade deported! To which was met with the response from Sara that Laurel would defend him and no judge would agree to that after everything Slade, Sara and Oliver had been through together.

It also didn't help the argument that Oliver had threatened that if she did have Slade deported then Oliver and Sara would relocate to Australia!

It was quite a messy argument, but Oliver had expected that and it only died down when Walter was revealed to be missing and because of that event, Moira had dropped the matter for the time being!

"Yeah, Sara and I stopped by the Big Belly Burger. Thought maybe the four of us could have some take out, watch a DVD?" He suggests.

"Thank you sweetheart I'm not very hungry." She replies with a sad smile.

Oliver nods as silence descends for a few moments.

"Well if you change your mind." He nods before leaving, leaving Moria once more buried in her own misery and guilt.

 _Downstairs…_

"Ohh I've seen the movie before." Thea says as Oliver picks one up in suggestion.

"Cut us some slack. We have been gone for a while!" Oliver smirks beside her on the couch, Sara resting on his lap.

"And apparently we missed the cinematic genius that is. Zack Galifinackis?" Sara frowns as she looks at the DVD in Oliver hand.

"I mean mom, when you and dad disappeared she spent more and more time at home, eventually stopped going out all together." Thea sighs sadly.

"What snapped her out of it that time?" Sara queries.

"Walter." Thea responds simply, causing Oliver and Sara to exchange sad glances.

"One morning, he showed up and you know when he gets all British and stern like." She smiles slightly as Oliver and Sara chuckle.

"Moira, get dressed. We're going out for lunch." Thea says in an attempt at a British accent.

"And you know it worked. You know I've been thinking. Maybe Walter wasn't abducted. Maybe he's having a mid life crisis and he's with some stewardess in Bora Bora and he's too ashamed to call home and say that he's ok. Just because we haven't heard from him doesn't mean he's, he's gone." She shakes her head in dismay at the very thought.

"Right?" She looks to them with sad eyes.

"Right." Oliver nods as the three of them stare at the tv.

"So what strikes me is that these vigilantes were actually making a difference in the last four months they were active. Assaults were down, mugging down. The murder rate dropped by sixteen percent! Now there have only been two vigilantes and whilst crime has gone down, those two vigilantes have become more ruthless with the people they hunt without their third member, The Man In The Hood, almost as if he kept them under control. So in a very quantifiable way this Man In The Hood had been a positive force in the city with his two partners. So why is there only two vigilantes now? Two of the more violent vigilantes I might add! So where has the third one been for the past six weeks?" The news lady trails off as Oliver runs his hand through Sara's hair, wondering if he ought to have a conversation with Slade and Sara about their methods as Oliver already guessed with him not there Slade would take charge and Slade is known for being a bit extreme!

That's actually probably putting it lightly!

"Looks like everyone's disappearing." Thea murmurs before adding.

"Why's Slade not here? Where is he? please tell me you know where he is!" Thea looks to Oliver and Sara who both nod with smiles.

"Slade's fine, we just all came to the agreement that we'd probably have a better chance with mom if Slade wasn't here. He's probably at home." Oliver explains briefly. Sara nods.

"Yeah home. I think that's where he is!"

 _Meanwhile In A Bar In Starling City…_

Boredly, Slade sits at a random bar in Starling City, musing over a pint of beer.

It's Oliver that bothers his thoughts currently, the kid has done nothing but sit on his arse for the past six weeks, using excuses like 'he's healing' and would be useless in the field.

Bullshit. Absolute bullshit! Yeah, he'd accept the healing thing for the day after but after that, that excuse is a terrible one!

But what worries Slade more is that it isn't because Oliver is being lazy. No if it had been Oliver just being lazy then Slade would have had sorted that right out and Oliver would be back to being The Man In The Hood promptly!

No, it's not his laziness (shocking really) it's psychological.

Ever since the idiot decided to go off on his own to defeat the Dark Archer and failed it's like he's gone back to the early days when Slade first met him on the island!

He can't even last in a sparring session for more than a minute, which is why Slade hasn't pressed the issue of Oliver not being out in the field because, at the moment it's a concern that if he did Oliver would get himself killed! Which is why there have only been two vigilantes out and apparently, people have an issue with a way The Man In The Mask deals with the victims! Seriously, he only decapitated one person and that person thought they could get away with shooting at Sara!

Yeah a few others may have lost limbs but they certainly wouldn't be failing the city again any time soon!

He's still angry that Oliver would even get himself into this mess but the kid was right, if that Dark Archer bastard was as good as Oliver said he was then with his injuries at the time it could have caused him problems.

It upset him more that Oliver decided to go off alone because the Dark Archer decided to impersonate him and thought everything that happened was his fault as well.

Stupid kid!

No, it's getting to a point where Slade is considering giving Oliver a proper talking to. A this is how it is conversation as this cannot be allowed to continue!

"Work too?" An unfamiliar voice beside him pulls him out of his thoughts as he turns around, all prepared to attack…

He really needs to try and not let 'attacking' be the first thought whenever someone speaks to him, that 'wonderful' piece of advice had been offered by Oliver.

The words came from a man wearing a blue parka sitting beside him.

"I'm just guessing, considering you look as I feel." The guy mutters in a dull bored voice as he finishes his glass, signaling for another.

"People I work with are idiots." He adds with a roll of his eyes.

"Person I work with is just 'challenging'!" Slade eventually decides to respond.

"I feel you, I've got this job to do back in Central City and my partner is a complete moron! Literally I had to stop here for a drink just to come up with something to say without killing the man." He replies.

"It appears were here for the same reason!" Slade mutters.

"You work with Oliver Queen?" The man comments, Slade raises an eyebrow in surprise at this mans knowledge and wonders if 'attack' may be a viable option right now!

"Everyone knows about Oliver Queen and the two survivors, one being you, Slade Wilson and the other being that hot blonde." The man replies in explanation.

"I bet he's a nightmare." He adds.

"He can be, he's mainly 'challenging'. I need to have long conversation with him about something." Slade murmurs, wondering if he should add that if the man ever said 'hot blonde' in front of Sara that little pieces of the man would be scattered all over Starling City! Yet he restrains himself.

"Here's to annoying partners!" The man replies as they knock there glasses together.

Slade smirks as he downs his glass, the other guy smirking back.

"The name's Leonard."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading and for your kind reviews, and to all of you who have followed and favorited. Please tell me what you think, see you all next update :)**


	30. Burned (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty**

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

After her long, sad, depressing day, Laurel returns to her apartment with a sad look upon her face, having spent most of her day comforting the grieving Joanna.

"Hey." Tommy calls softly from the couch, standing up quickly to face her as she walks slowly over to him, pressing a kiss to his lips as he rests his hands gently on her hips, then she throws her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her as the both sit, Laurel resting her head on his shoulder.

It is then she notices the strange piece of paper on her coffee table.

"What's this?" She questions as Tommy grabs it instantly, an embarrassed look crossing his handsome features.

"It's. It's nothing." He stutters quickly as she laughs softly.

"It's nothing?" She questions as she fights him for the paper, something she ultimately wins in. She unfolds it quickly as Tommy looks anywhere but at her.

"Reasons I deserve the drawer." She reads out with a smirk.

"Ok we're going to table this for a less tragedy filled day." Tommy says, taking it from her.

"Ok." She says suddenly causing Tommy to almost fall off the damn couch.

"What?" He says in a small voice.

"You may have a drawer. Tragic day or not." She smiles, she'd been meaning to talk to him about that anyway.

Even though she is far from admitting it to him, he brightens up her every day. He honest to god deserves that drawer!

"Now come here!" She grins, crawling back on top of him, kissing him passionately, yet softy as he tangles hand in her hair whist she slowly starts to unbutton his shirt…

A sudden loud knocking makes them both jump apart as Laurel groans in misery as Tommy runs his hands up and down her back soothingly.

"I should probably get that." She mutters almost resentfully at having to have a moment with Tommy destroyed!

Upon opening the door, she stops in surprise when she sees Joanna standing outside, her face still tear stained.

"I need your help." She whispers shakily.

"Jo, come in." Laurel replies, letting her friend inside as she returns to the sofa, placing her hand in Tommy's as Joanna sits across from them.

"I, um. I don't think what happened to Danny was an accident. I think he might have been murdered." She reveals to a stunned Laurel, whom looks over at Tommy, who says nothing.

"Jo, do you remember when we thought Sara had died? I did all that research to try and find an explanation for why the boat went down. I needed to believe that it wasn't just an accident." Laurel whispers softly.

"That's not what I'm doing Laurel." Joanna says quietly before delving into her hand bag.

"I once handled a case for a clerk in the coroners office." She says as she passes Laurel and Tommy a file.

"He passed me a copy of the incident report."

"It said that Danny's turnout coat was doused in turpentine but I checked! And the plant owners said that there wasn't any in the factory. A turnout is supposed to withstand temperatures in excess of five hundred degrees. But the corner said that the fire did not exceed two hundred and fifty!" She protests as Laurel glances at Tommy again.

"How did my brother burn hotter than the fire that supposedly killed him?"

 _Starling City Police Department Next Day_

"Well a fireman died fighting a fire. I'm not sure I see the crime." Quentin Lance says in response to his daughters questioning and new theories on the fire that killed Joanna's brother just one day after the event.

"I did some digging. Last week another firefighter, Will Barns, was killed in action same circumstances, traces of turpentine and ignition temperatures hotter than the actual fire." She informs him as he sighs and walks away from her.

"Do you think that you could talk to the fire marshal? You know encourage him to pursue this?" Laurel requests as they reach her father's desk.

"Well, the fire department had its own investigative unit. They don't answer to the police." He replies as they are approached by the tech guy.

"Sorry to take so long with this detective. CSU has been really backed up." He says in somewhat explanation, not satisfying Quentin in the slightest.

"What did you find anything?" He snaps impatiently.

"The only prints on it are yours. The tech inside is military grade. I can't even trace the manufacture. Forensics wise, it's a dead end." He drops the phone to the desk as Laurel folds her arms curiously.

"Another case?"

"The vigilantes, the phone belongs to them." He explains to her.

"Where'd you get it?" She asks.

"I, do they answer?" She adds

'Well, like Kelton said it's a. It's a dead end. Listen, kiddo I feel for Joanna's family I really do but there's not a lot I can do on this end." He sighs, draining his coffee.

"I gotta go, I love you." He says to Laurel in farewell as he takes off, Laurel still glancing down at the phone…

 _The Foundry_

After a few more rounds on The Salmon Ladder, Oliver drops miserably to the floor, it isn't long before he feels arms wrap around his waist.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sara asks softly, resting her head against his back.

"Nothing, why is everyone worried about me as of lately?" Oliver frowns.

"Because we always worry about you!" Sara smiles.

"Well you don't need to. Where the hell is Slade?" He wonders, Sara shrugs.

"Beats me. I hope he's not getting into trouble!" She groans.

"Now he we should worry about." Oliver smirks.

"Ohh come on Oliver, we always worry about him to!" She chuckles as Oliver smiles.

"If we didn't worry about Slade we'd have more people off this list decapitated!" Oliver protests as Sara rolls her eyes.

"I told you Ollie, that only happened because he thought I got hit."

"You did get hit…"

"Do you really think I was gonna tell Slade that? He would have literally sliced that guy to pieces and paint the town red with the parts!" She says with a roll of her eyes.

"He does like to show his worry for us in quite unique ways!"

"Really?" Oliver replies his voice laced with sarcasm as to both of there surprise, the phone that is linked to the one they gave Quentin begins to ring.

Glancing at each other in confusion, Oliver moves to grab the phone, putting it on speaker so Sara can hear to.

"Hello?" The voice of Laurel surprises them even more.

"I need some help."

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"I must return, I've got a job to pull off!" Leonard smirks dryly at Slade as he finishes his final glass, the two of them having spend a significant amount of time talking about sometimes challenging partners that both of them seem to have, neither one of them telling the other what exactly is there job for obvious reasons.

"And I have an Oliver to speak to." Slade mutters in response as they both rise at the same time, shaking hands firmly.

"Decent bar. Perhaps we'll meet again?" Leonard notes.

"Hm." Slade smirks back as they head there own separate ways.

Slade actually having for once enjoyed his afternoon.

He'd never thought it possible before now but it is slightly good to have a conversation with someone who doesn't know The Man In The Mask!

Both of them leave with a certainty, they'd cross paths again one day!

 _The Foundry_

"Where have you been?" Oliver queries when Slade finally returns to The Foundry.

"Bar, first decent bar I've found in Starling City, kid." Slade explains.

"There's a lot of decent bars in Starling." Oliver notes.

"Well so far, I've only found the one!" Slade smiles, noticing Sara fixing her wig to her head.

"We going out?" Slade questions, looking lovingly at his sword collection.

"Laurel called the vigilantes phone." Oliver says in explanation. Slade frowns in response.

"How did she get her hands on it?"

"She probably took it from her father." Oliver shrugs.

"Or it could be a trap." Slade says in a warning tone.

"Slade!" Sara folds her arms indignantly.

"I remember what your sister said about her thoughts on the vigilantes after that bloody fiasco at Iron Heights. Forgive me for being cautious!" Slade grumbles as Sara rolls her eyes at him before glancing to Oliver.

"Sara, he. He has a point. After what Laurel said about us, maybe she's decided to aid her father in bringing us to justice." Oliver suggests.

"Laurel wouldn't do that!" Sara protests.

"But what if she did?" Slade responds.

"And what. What if she's in danger, what then Slade? Ollie?" She glances at both of them to silence, until Oliver bows his head.

"Agreed." Oliver nods as Sara smiles at him. Slade huffs quietly before moving to gear up.

"Coming, kid?" He calls to Oliver, who stops and shakes his head.

"I've got things to clear up here. I have a few more leads to chase down for Walter." Oliver reveals as he moves toward his desk, Slade and Sara frowning and taking a few nervous steps toward their supposed partner in crime.

"Ollie, we can do that later." Sara says gently as she rests her hand on his arm.

"My sister could be in danger. She could seriously need our help."

"What if we get something from this lead? There's two of you. If she's in danger, you pair would probably be better and protecting her them me." He moves out of her grasp to type something into the computer.

"It doesn't take all three of us to go talk to Laurel." He mutters.

"Oliver!" Slade snaps as Oliver sits down and runs a hand through his hair.

"I can't just give up on Walter!" He shouts back as Slade moves over to him.

"Kid, if this is about what happened with the Dark Archer…"

"Slade! It's not about that…"

"Really, Oliver because I'm starting to think that it's bothering you more than you're letting on!" Slade replies sharply.

"Who do you think I got that from?" He responds before rolling his eye at both Slade and Sara before turning to the computer.

"This isn't over, kid." Slade mutters after a moment as he and Sara head for the stairs, closing the door behind them…

 _Moments Later…_

"You have to talk to him Slade." The Woman In Black murmurs as they walk across a rooftop, side by side on their way to Laurel's.

"It's the fight against the Archer. Getting defeated by him, it's. I don't know." She shakes her head as The Man In The Mask murmurs in response.

"Has he said anything to you?" He mumbles.

"No. I've been trying to get him to talk about it with me he just won't! I've never seen him like this before and if I'm being honest, I'm worried about him!" She sighs.

"I've seen him like this before once." The Man In The Mask admits.

"What? When?" She pulls him to a standstill.

"You were not there. It was after everything that happened with, with." The Man In The Mask stops for a brief moment as The Woman In Black nods, knowing what her partner is talking about and she knows now why she wasn't there to see what happened to Oliver afterwards, which is what he is admitting to her.

"He blamed himself for what happened to her, you. It was like I'd never trained him or anything, he couldn't do anything. He admitted to me he was afraid of losing someone else, failing again. Like he'd 'apparently' failed you and her." He reveals before adding.

"Hell, he even admitted he was afraid of losing me!" The Man In The Mask says with a sort of chuckle as The Woman In Black smiles slightly.

"You mean a lot to him, you know."

"After everything I've done for him, I should hope so!" He chuckles again.

"How did he snap out of it then?" She asks, The Man In The Mask shrugs.

"For me." He reveals eventually after a few moments.

"When Joe was killed, I lost it. I could have killed the entirety of those bastards and no one would have been able to stop me. He didn't stop me, he helped until that bitch, that bitch who ordered the death of my son was going to kill Oliver. I had a choice, continue and get revenge for my son yet Oliver would have been killed." He reveals.

"You saved Ollie." She can't help but smile.

"Kid told me not to. Told me to finish them but there was no way I could kill them and save him and I couldn't lose anybody else. I chose to save him and after that night, that first day after Joe's death. Oliver, he stopped blaming himself for everything that happened and he snapped out of it. He returned to the fighter he always was." He admits.

A moment of silence passes between the two vigilantes as The Woman In Black processes the story, she knew of it, of course but not this about Oliver losing his confidence like now yet regaining it to, what she believes! To be there for Slade.

"You have to talk to him." She responds after a few moments.

"You have to talk to him because he'll listen to you. If there's anyone who can restore is confidence, it's gonna be you because you made him who he is now in the first place." She reminds him as The Man In The Mask says nothing.

Both of them knowing one thing, something has to be done about their friend before he loses anymore confidence in himself…

 _Laurel's Apartment_

Sitting at her computer Laurel Lance pauses mid type, thinking of what to put when suddenly, her power fails, everything cutting off instantly.

She sits upright, the only time this has happened before was when…

Hearing two sets of footsteps she looks up to see The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask walking into her apartment, without The Man In The Hood, she first notices.

"I didn't trust that any of you would come." She stands up quickly.

"Why wouldn't we?" The Woman In Black turns to face Laurel.

"You said it was important." The Man In The Mask grumbles.

"No one has seen your partner for a while, has something happened?" She questions softly.

"He's none of your concern. Why did you contact us?" He replies harshly.

"My best friend's brother, he died two days ago fighting a fire." Laurel picks up her file and takes a few steps toward the two vigilantes.

"That happens." The Man In The Mask responds bluntly.

"The police department and fire department say that he died in the line of duty. I understand your skepticism. But my friend, she thinks he was murdered." Laurel explains as The Woman In Black steps away from her partner to advance slowly on Laurel.

"So you're asking what? Three killers to find another?" She questions as Laurel freezes, unsure what to say if she's thinking of what she thinks The Woman In Black is referring to.

"I heard what you said to your father about us. That we're killers, killers that have no remorse." She says sharply. Her sharpness covering up her sadness at Laurel's words back then, she hates to think about what Laurel would say if she knew that it was her sister under the black mask and blonde wig.

"Do you?" Laurel takes another step.

"Do any of you?" She says with a shake of her head.

"You know nothing about us, what we do." The Man In The Mask mutters as Laurel passes him the file, trying not to look at either of them.

"Look at the file. If Danny De La Vega was murdered, then we have to bring his killer to justice." Laurel protests as he accepts the file.

"We'll look into it." He replies before the two vigilantes simply walk away.

 _The Foundry_

Diggle grunts moodily as he rapidly punches a target post whilst Oliver sits at his desk commenting on Diggle's efforts.

What had Diggle concerned was the fact that Sara and Slade were out talking to Laurel whilst Oliver had chosen to stay down here and look for leads on his stepfather, even though he had sadly admitted that he thought Walter was indeed a lost cause.

"Rotate your hips Diggle!" He calls from the desk as Diggle turns to glance at him only for a moment before continuing.

"That's where the power comes from!" He adds.

"It's not just your arms, even if they're the size of bowling balls." Oliver chuckles.

"Or try and spar off against me. I doubt you'd get very far." Slade's voice calls from the stairs as he and Sara descend the steps, Slade pulling off his mask, Sara removing her wig and mask before racing down the stairs into Oliver's arms, who holds her tightly.

"How was it?" He asks gently whilst rubbing her back soothingly.

"Still thinks we're killers with no remorse, nothing's changed there I don't think." She sighs.

"I'm sorry Sara." Oliver murmurs as he kisses the top of her head.

"It's ok, Ollie. I should be used to it by now. I thought I could handle members of my family looking at me as if were a monster. I prepared myself for that but I just…" She shakes her head and falls back into his arms again.

"What did she want from you? Because, like you said. I thought she'd made her thoughts on the three of you quite clear." Diggle questions as he leans against the target, Slade tosses a file at him before striding past him.

"She believes that somebody is going around killing firemen." He mutters as he starts to hang up his uniform.

"Looks all in the job. Seems pretty thin." Diggle says upon glancing briefly at the file.

"I think we should look into it." Sara puts softly, Slade nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I didn't just go out there for nothing!" He murmurs.

"Ok, I have a friend who has a friend in the fire investigations department. I'll reach out." Diggle smiles, glad to be making himself useful.

"If you get any leads, tip the police." Oliver murmurs, causing Sara to pull back, Slade to almost drop his sword and Diggle to frown.

"The police?" He starts.

"You insane, kid? No, no. We're going after em'!" Slade folds his arms.

"Police need something to jump start them." Oliver sighs.

"Bullshit. That is bullshit, kid." Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Isn't the whole idea of being the vigilantes that you do the police's job?" Diggle questions.

"You don't speak for us to kid." Slade shakes his head as Sara looks at him.

"We told Laurel we'd look into it, we need to sort this out the three of us." She protests.

"If you two want to do something then fine, I just thought we'd let the police handle this one, considering this case isn't about the book." Oliver sighs.

"Ollie. I know you're still hurting from that fight against the Dark Archer. I know it's still bothering you but you can't let it affect you like this!" Sara cries as he moves out of her reach, turning toward the three of them. Slade takes a step toward Oliver.

"Kid, you're not thinking straight here! look I know…"

"Guys I'm fine! Nothing's bothering me and I'm not still thinking about that fight against the freakin archer!" Oliver yells in desperation in an attempt to get them off his case.

"Really Oliver? Because you've been spending a lot of time around here lately. Sara and Slade have been doing all the work around her, going out onto the streets crossing off names without you and I thought you'd be anxious to hood up again. Hell I even prepared the whole 'you got to slow down' speech but you don't seem to have needed that. We're worried about you Oliver, for once I think even Slade and I are on the same page here!" Diggle folds his arms, but before Oliver can respond, familiar shouting from upstairs pulls his attention away from the conversion.

"Let me see what's going on upstairs in the club." Oliver turns to the stairs, leaving the three of them all staring at one another in disbelief before Oliver turns around again.

"You with me Slade? Thought we were running this thing together!" Oliver smiles as Slade begrudgingly follows him.

He never should have agreed to this whole club idea!

 _Moments Later…_

"There's supposed to be a delivery in this morning and another one this afternoon and I see no one ready for work!" Tommy's livid voice fills Oliver and Slade's ears as they exit the basement, shutting the door and locking it behind them.

"He whines more than you do, kid." Slade murmurs as they make there way to find Tommy.

"If I don't get some progress here in the next week, I'm going to bring someone else in. Is that clear?" Tommy growls as Oliver and Slade make themselves known.

"You know, I do realise that it's difficult for you to manage our nightclub with there not being an actual nightclub here." Oliver smiles as Tommy turns to face them.

"Yeah I just took the liberty of yelling at our contractor. I told him if we didn't see any real progress, we were going to bring someone else in to finish the job." Tommy explains.

"We heard, whole of Starling probably heard you." Slade mutters as Oliver looks at him.

"Be nice." He murmurs before smiling at Tommy.

"I am being nice, you'd know if I wasn't, kid." Slade replies quietly.

"You're doing a great job Tommy." Oliver reaffirms before asking.

"How's Laurel's friend, the one whose brother was a fireman?"

"She is hanging in there, thanks." Tommy responds before adding.

"Actually that was something I wanted to bring up. I was thinking that we could throw a fundraiser for the fire department. Raise some money for the families." Tommy suggests as Slade rolls one eye and glares at Oliver, hoping to convince him into saying no as that would mean he would have to attend yet another of those blasted events!

"That's a great idea!" Oliver grins, hoping to god Slade isn't about to stab him with anything for his answer to Tommy's request, having not seen Slade put all of his weapons away when he took off his vigilante uniform!

"We could do it here. We could keep the overhead low, make sure we maximise the proceeds to the firemen?" Tommy suggests.

"Who are you? Where's my friend Tommy Merlyn?" Oliver turns and smiles at Tommy.

"You gone blind and all, kid." Slade grumbles under his breath, if the day hadn't started bad enough! He wonders absentmindedly to himself about going to get a tall, strong drink!

"You know Slade. He's the guy who once rented out a pro football stadium so that he could play strip kickball with models." Oliver smirks.

"So he was even dumber than you when I first met ya?" Slade raises an eyebrow.

"Ohh he's actually done worse!" Tommy smiles at Oliver.

"I have no doubt." Slade mutters.

"The guy I was. That guy needed a kick in his lazy ass!" Tommy smirks as Oliver nods.

"And he still does now!"

Oliver smiles at Tommy before sighing at Slade.

One day, he hopes. One day maybe his two best friends will be able to be in the same room together and be civil to one another. It's a far off dream now, but Oliver does hope that one day it will become reality!

 _CNRI_

"Jo, you really should take some time off and go be with your family." Laurel suggests to her friend in front of her, still heavily broken from recent events.

"You know, I seem to recall when we thought that Sara died, you hit the books pretty hard." Joanna reminds her as Laurel shakes her head.

"I'm not exactly the best example for healthy grieving…"

"Hey." Quentin calls, cutting Laurel off, whom turns away from Joanna to face him.

"Hey, can I talk to you please?" He requests, Laurel looks to Joanna for a moment before deciding to follow him.

"What is it?" She asks innocently.

"Where is it?" He says bluntly.

"Where's what?"

"The phone." He snaps angrily.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have…"

"You've stolen evidence! Yeah, you probably shouldn't have! What were you…"

"I had to do something!" Laurel protests.

"Those three are killers." Quentin huffs furiously.

"Then why did they give you their phone?" Laurel questions as Quentin glares at her.

"Give me the phone." He growls.

"The Man In The Hood wasn't there. The Man In The Mask took it from me…"

"You were with them?" Quentin all but chokes out.

"Only two of them and when we thought Sara had died if someone could have done something to give you even just a little bit of closure, don't you wish that they would have done it?" Laurel folds her arms.

"If it meant breaking the law, lying to the people closest to them? No." Quentin shakes his head as Laurel opens her mouth to say something.

"And don't you dare use Sara in this! Sara came home to us Laurel, that's all the closure I needed." Quentin snaps as he heads away from Laurel, pulling out his own mobile after his arguments with Laurel, calling a number.

"Hey daddy." Sara's voice comes through the phone. Sara, alive and well.

"Hey sweetheart how's you're day going?"

 _A Bar In Starling City_

To Slade's surprise when he retreats to the bar second day running, Oliver having gone to talk to his family and after the argument between Moira and Slade everyone had agreed that it would be best Slade not go with Oliver to Queen Mansion and Sara had, had a surprising phone call from her father, who apparently just wanted to check in and see how she's doing.

Leonard is there also.

"That chat with Queen not go to plan?" He questions as Slade sits down.

"You could say that, I haven't properly attempted it yet but it already seems like a lost cause." Slade grumbles.

"Job I just did was certainly a lost cause! Swear to god some people are idiots." Leonard mutters boredly.

"Tell me about it! Had a run in with one certain idiot today, friend of Oliver's." Slade murmurs in annoyance at thoughts of Tommy!

"That Merlyn kid?"

Slade rolls his eye in agreement.

"Always promised myself that if I ever met that Merlyn kid I'd punch him in the face." Leonard states.

"Wanna come meet him with me?" Slade raises an eyebrow.

"I'm hoping to cross paths with that imbecile one day, time comes, perhaps I'll ask you to help me deal with the guy." Leonard replies with a smirk.

"Now that, I'd like." Slade mumbles.

"I suppose I better be heading off shortly, my sister is insisting on dragging me to this horrible event of some kind, she may say it's for work but it's a waste of time if you ask me." Leonard announces with a roll of his eyes.

"It seems you and I are on the same page with that one." Slade mutters.

"Oliver dragging you to something as well?" Leonard guesses.

"Yes, just like the last time and the time before that!" Slade grumbles.

"We are on the same page, this is the second event my sister has dragged me to within the month, wasn't so bad last time but with the week I'm having, I ain't got high hopes for this one!" He reveals.

"I love my sister but sometimes…" Leonard growls moodily.

"You just wanna kill em? Yep. I understand completely." Slade agrees.

"Should we just hide out here and drink?" Leonard suggests.

"Now that sounds like a much better plan." Slade replies.

"But if we did I think our lot would kill us, we may want to kill them for what they make us do, but if we don't do it they want to kill us!" Leonard says with a roll of his eyes.

"And don't you have to have that talk with Queen?" He reminds Slade, who in response rolls his own eye. He does have to have that talk with Oliver and considering how things have been going lately, that talk needs to happen sooner than later because after everything they've gone through Slade Wilson is not about ready to let Oliver Queen give up now! Because if he thinks he can just give up, he's got another thing coming!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading and for all your kind reviews and to those of you who have followed and favourited this. Sorry if this chapter was bad, I really struggled with it so I hope it turned out alright. Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you think. next update hopefully will come soon.**


	31. Burned (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty One**

 _Queen Mansion_

"Surely there are contingency for these types of situations." Oliver hears his mother say upon entering the mansion with Sara. The two of them sharing a perplexed glance.

"Bring someone over from our London office, perhaps." They hear her suggest as the approach the living room.

"It's not solely a matter of the day to day operations. We have accountants and Vice Presidents to do that. It's about perception, public confidence." Ned Foster explains to Moira as Oliver and Sara enter in from behind them.

"The company will be fine!" Moira protests.

"I really don't mean to be indelicate but this is the second time in five years that the CEO of Queen Consolidated has vanished under mysterious circumstances!" He reminds Moria as she rises to her feet indignantly.

"I don't need you to remind me of that." She mutters as he stands as well.

"The last thing I want to do is upset you…"

"Well then you should consider this visit doubly disappointing. Good day." She says sharply as he reluctantly leaves.

"Who was that?" Oliver asks once he has gone.

"Ned Foster, the COO of the company."

"He wants mom to take Walter's place." Thea fills in for her mom.

"And it's not like there's anyone else, as we all know you wouldn't do it and if you did you would probably somehow rope Slade into working with you and Queen Consolidated ran by Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson, no matter how interesting that would be to see. Wouldn't work." Thea folds her arms, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"We can barely open a nightclub. That's definitely not going to work!" Sara flashes a smile at Thea as Moria rolls her eyes at all of them.

"Hey, we're making progress. Tommy's finally started to be a bit more assertive and start laying down rules." Oliver reminds them.

"Here's a thought, how about you put Slade on those workers, he'd probably terrify them into getting the work done!" Thea suggests.

"Can we all stop talking about nightclubs and Slade Wilson!" Moira suddenly snaps.

"Mom." Oliver and Thea both sigh simultaneously as she flashes them a glance.

Awkward silence descending on the group and Oliver and Sara are both rather grateful that Slade is god knows where right now and not here! He'd certainly have said something by now which wouldn't have been anything good either!

"You know, that man, Ned Foster he said that the company's stock price has been damaged in Walter's absence and my stepping in would help settle the board. But I told him that I needed to be at home for my family, even if my son has decided to move out!" Moria flashes a glare at Oliver and Sara.

"Mom, Thea and I are fine. We can manage it without you." Oliver says softly.

"You don't even live here anymore Oliver! And Thea I forbid you from staying with them, that man has already corrupted one member of my family!" She growls.

"Where I live doesn't matter, mom because I am going to be there for my family no matter what, just because I sleep under a different roof doesn't mean I won't come and visit here everyday until things start to get back to normal." Oliver folds his arms.

"You really think I'm supposed to believe that?" Moria grumbles.

"Yeah, mom you should since he's been her everyday with us. You know I miss seeing Slade because of you, because the three of them decided to try and make you feel better he would be elsewhere when Ollie comes to visit. Don't you understand mom? We would both do anything for you." Thea says in Oliver's defence.

"And this. This sounds like something everyone needs you to do." Oliver starts as Moria turns on him.

"Well maybe I don't care what everyone needs!" She snaps before storming out.

"That went well." Sara murmurs as she clenches Oliver's hand tighter.

"She's a mess." Thea moans as she moves across the room to hug both Oliver and Sara.

"And she's probably going to stay in her room for the rest of the day so can I stay with you three tonight, pretty please?" Thea begs.

"She'd probably lose her mind if you did that Thea. Maybe we should let things die down a bit before that." Sara suggests as Thea shrugs, yet nods in agreement.

"She's going to be alright, Thea." Oliver starts just as Diggle enters the room.

"Mr. Queen, Miss Lance, we're going to have to get going if you two want to make that meeting with your alcohol distributor for the club." Diggle says sternly as Oliver turns to fix him with an 'I'm busy go away' look.

"Now, sir, ma'am." He adds as Oliver and Sara reluctantly follow him, knowing that this could only mean one thing!

 _Out In The Corridor_

"Eye witnesses place a '72 Ford pickup at the scene of Danny De La Vega's fire." Diggle informs them both once they're out of Thea's earshot.

"Ok." Oliver nods to him to carry on.

"Stag Chemical lit up ten minutes ago. I hacked into Stag's video security feeds, parked right on the street running along the plant."

"Same pickup?" Sara questions.

"I've got all the gear in the car." Diggle informs them as Sara continues to follow Diggle, both he and Sara stopping when they realise Oliver hasn't moved.

"Oliver, by the time I get someone on the phone will even listen to me at least one of those firemen are going to be dead. Sara can't do this by herself." Diggle folds his arms.

"Call Slade." Oliver suggests.

"I've left the man messages, if he's got them he'll be there but I can't take the risk that he hasn't. If he hasn't and Sara goes off by herself with no back up, what then Oliver?" Diggle growls as Sara takes a few steps forward.

"Ollie. I know you're finding things hard right now, I understand that but he's right. I'm not going to take the risk that Slade got the message because if it's a fire I'm gonna need back up." Sara rests her hands on his cheeks.

"Starling City needs all three vigilantes tonight." She says softly as she kisses him.

"I need The Man In The Hood…"

 _Having lit a small fire, Sara and Oliver stand over it to ensure the fire remains small and doesn't grow so that these psychos don't discover their whereabouts._

 _"Cold." Sara whimpers as she moves in front of the fire to warm up._

 _Oliver places a reassuring hand on her back as she kneels in front of the fire._

 _"We're gonna be ok. We've got to go back, find the cave or something." Oliver says hurriedly as he moves closer toward her, wrapping one arm around her shivering form._

 _"We're not going to make it Ollie. Not like this." She sniffs, tears forming in her eyes._

 _"Yeah. Yeah we are, we can't_ _give up yet. As you probably know there's nothing I'd like more than to give up but we can't, not yet." He says softly as suddenly a branch snaps from behind them, causing them both to turn instantly toward the sound._

 _After a second branch snaps both Oliver and Sara quickly start to put out the fire, Oliver grabbing the knife and Sara's hand as he pulls her up to her feet and runs, just as one of Fyers men enters the area they had been staying, a black mask over his face and a gun in hand as he eyes the recently put out fire._

 _"I have contact." He speaks into his walkie._

 _"Two clicks southwest." He adds, unbeknownst to him that behind a tree stands Oliver, Sara standing behind him, Oliver with a knife tightly clasped in his grasp…_

 _Somewhere In Starling City…_

"All clear of civilians." A fireman states into his radio as he walks through a burning building, Stag Chemical, to be precise.

"Copy that, bail out." Comes the reply from his superiors.

"Wait for second in comings." He is instructed as he continues to walk down the corridor, only to be pushed over the edge of the balcony by someone from behind, he dangles over the pit of fire, trying to pull himself up as he looks at the masked fireman whom apparently had been the one to push him over the edge.

"Who are you?" He whispers as the fireman begins to let go, suddenly he is hit from behind by something hard and sharp as he is pushed out of the way by The Man In The Mask.

The other fireman, dangling over the pit of flames manages to get a grip on the rails again as The Man In The Mask punches the other one in the face.

Before he can fall, The Woman In Black pulls the poor man back over the railing.

The Man In The Mask still fighting the fake fireman with ease until The Man In The Hood fires an arrow at the fake fireman, which misses him completely and accidentally grazes the arm of The Man In The Mask, who stops for a moment at the sudden pain, his momentary hesitation causes the fake fireman to move over to The Man In The Hood, kicking him down, landing more kicks until he is thrown off by The Woman In Black.

Yet before The Man In The Mask can behead the asshole, he releases a sudden grenade from his pocket. The three vigilantes all racing towards one another and away from the man as their attacker disappears within the flames…

 _The Foundry_

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Oliver whispers as the three of them reach The Foundry.

"S'alright, kid. I've had worse." Slade grumbles as he eyes the largish cut on his arm from where Oliver's arrow had accidentally struck him, removing his uniform and wrapping a bandage around it quickly.

"Ollie, we saved someone's life today. I'm sure Slade won't kick your ass for grazing him." Sara says, trying to attempt a smile.

"Wouldn't count on that but she's right, we saved someone. You need target practice but everything's gonna be alright!" Slade gives a half smirk in Oliver's direction, who shakes his head quickly, thoughts running through his head, the events just passed.

"I hurt you." Oliver murmurs, the realisation hitting him.

He had missed the target and hit his best friend, his brother instead.

He has screwed up again.

"I hurt you. I am so, so sorry." He whispers again as he sinks to the floor in the corner of the room, running his fingers up the side of his bow…

 _Holding the knife tightly in between his fingers, both Oliver and Sara listen as the armed man walks near the tree they are hiding behind, Sara tightening her grip on Oliver's hand in fear as he walks by._

 _Oliver shakes violently with the knife in his hand, his other tightly clasped in Sara's grip. He only waits a moment more before nodding quickly to Sara, making sure she is standing behind him where hopefully, she would be safe before racing out toward the man, knife raised high as he approaches him._

 _The guard instantly turns around, blocking Oliver quickly, whom attempts to stab him, by twisting his arm painfully._

 _"No!" Sara cries, moving to join the fight only to be knocked aside by the guard, who advances on her, kicking her in the face._

 _"Leave her alone!" Oliver yells as Sara falls into unconsciousness, her face bloody._

 _He attempts to stab the man again, whom grabs hold of Oliver and throws him toward a ravine, Oliver managing to hold on for a moment so both of them fall down the ravine, rolling through the leaves and mud before Oliver hits a stream and unfortunately a rock collides with his head, he sinks under the water before he falls into unconsciousness…._

 _The Foundry_

Removing his hood, Oliver attempts to block out the sounds of Sara and Slade, who are trying to assure him that everything's fine and that he didn't screw everything up.

Even though he knows he did, just like on the island. He couldn't stab that man then due to his weakness and Sara had nearly been killed, just like he nearly got Slade killed.

He has still failed. Years later and it feels like to Oliver he's back where he started!

In the end, to block out the sound of them talking, Oliver rings Laurel's number using the vigilantes phone to give her the information he believes she should have after all their efforts tonight.

At least he can do something right tonight!

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Whilst flickering through some papers, Laurel is surprised when the vigilantes phone starts to ring.

With a determined look upon her face, she reaches to pick it up.

"Hello?" She whispers, careful to keep her voice low as Tommy is here, putting some of his stuff in the drawer she has allowed him to have here.

"I have some information for you." The Man In The Hood replies.

"The killer drives a 1970s Ford pickup. There's a scar on his right wrist from a severe burn and a tattoo of a firefly." He informs her.

"The three of you must have gotten pretty close to him." She says in hushed tones.

"All the men in engine company fifteen had firefly tattoos. Anyone of them could be the killer." He adds after brief moment of silence.

"What should I do with this information?" She queries.

"Whatever you'd have done before you met us." The Man In The Hood replies and Laurel could have sworn she had heard muffled protests before the line goes dead.

"Who's on the phone?" Tommy asks from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and pulling her close.

"Wrong number." She murmurs as he starts to kiss her neck, he doesn't get very far though before she turns around and throws herself into his arms, pushing him in the direction of her bedroom...

 _The Foundry_

After hanging up with Laurel, Oliver gets to work on putting his vigilante uniform away, whilst Sara and Slade yell at him in the background.

"Ollie you can't just leave her to sort things out herself! What if she gets into danger? I won't let her do this by herself." Sara folds her arms.

"She'll be fine Sara, this is her case that she brought to us…"

"So that we could help her solve it. That means actually doing something!" Slade cuts him off.

"If you two want to help her, go ahead if it makes you feel better but I'm sure she could just take this to the police and everything would be fine…"

"But she didn't take it to the police, she took it to us, kid." Slade reminds him as Oliver shrugs and walks over to his desk.

"Don't shrug your shoulders at me, kid!" Slade growls as he moves over to Oliver just as Diggle enters the room.

"What am I hearing about Laurel being on her own against a murderer who burns people alive!" He snaps upon entry.

"We can't right every wrong in this city." Oliver admits.

"Nothing stopping us from helping her." Slade grumbles.

"Which is exactly what we're going to do." Sara adds, both of them looking over at Oliver worriedly as Sara walks over to him to.

"We're going to help Laurel, Oliver, we're not just going to let her put herself in danger like this. I know things didn't go all according to plan today…"

"Wait. What happened? I thought you managed to save a man's life?" Diggle cuts in.

"Not important right now." Slade growls warningly.

"Not important? Because I messed up again! The killer got away and I nearly killed you Slade!" Oliver cries.

"And I'm fine, kid, I'm still here and I'm fine." Slade protests.

"I failed again." Oliver looks down.

"We saved a man's life, Ollie." Sara protests as Oliver turns his head.

"No, do not turn you back on us." Slade snarls grabbing Oliver's arm so he's facing them once more, Oliver instantly pulls away.

"Look we know, you're not back to one hundred percent like you keep trying to tell us, if anything this all proves just that!" Diggle folds his arms.

"Maybe, I'm not. That's why we have two other vigilantes." Oliver murmurs.

"And I don't think the problem with you is a physical one, which you've been trying to tell us. That you're healing, you healed weeks ago Oliver." Diggle points out before glancing over at Slade, hoping that the man doesn't attack him for doing this before aiming a punch at Oliver, who instantly deflects him and after a brief struggle pushes Diggle into the desk.

"What did that prove?" Oliver growls.

"That this is one sturdy desk!" Diggle mutters as Slade smirks to himself.

Best thing Oliver's done in weeks!

If he hadn't have guessed what Diggle was trying to prove he would have joined the fight! If that's what just happened could be called, that's if!

"Like I said your problem isn't physical. I didn't think it was, even if I have seen Slade hand your ass to you for the past six weeks." Diggle folds his arms.

"Oliver's never really beaten Slade in a fight." Sara murmurs.

"I've come to accept I probably never will." Oliver grumbles.

"Ollie, you are brilliant, you're an amazing fighter. You always have been and I know that you think you've failed us but you haven't!" Sara moves towards him.

"That's the only problem that gets to you Ollie. You think that if anything happens to any of us that it's your fault. That you let us down but you never have. It wasn't your fault back then on the island with…" She stops for a moment when Oliver and Slade both look up at her words.

"And is isn't your fault now. You're just shaken up and that's ok it's…" Diggle cuts her off.

"Mental, Sara. His problem is mental and Oliver, you can't let him…"

"For the love of! I don't have a problem!" Oliver snaps suddenly at the three of them.

"Yes you do Oliver. You've let this guy, this other archer into your head and he took some thing from you." Diggle shouts back.

"That's enough!" Oliver shakes his head.

"He's right, kid!" Slade growls.

"He took whatever is in you that let's you jump off buildings and take down bad guys along side your friends."

"Thank your so helpful analysis!" Oliver cuts him off.

"You pair in on this to?" He glances as Slade and Diggle.

"You can avoid all this, kid, avoid Laurel but you can't avoid us." Slade reminds him.

"I don't need this." Oliver murmurs.

"Yes you do, kid. You need…"

"What? You to save me? I don't need saving Slade." Oliver growls, Slade opens his mouth to protest but is once more cut off by Diggle.

"No, Oliver what you need is to do is to take hold of the fear that's in you, if that's not what you're ready to do then you might as well let that archer kill you!"

"Hey!" Both Sara and Slade snap in warning as Oliver glares at the three of them, just as his phone buzzes.

"Text from Tommy. I've got to go run an errand for the benefit at the firemen's station." Oliver picks up his coat on the way out.

"Maybe while you're out there you can decide whether or not you want to be a vigilante with Sara and Slade or just a nightclub owner!" Diggle adds.

Slade rolling an eye before turning to follow him.

"Alone, you may help me run the nightclub, but you didn't want to help with this in the first place, Slade." Oliver grumbles moodily before departing, leaving his three friends behind in horror at the last few minutes passed…

 _Starling City Fire Department_

Walking outside around the Fire Department for a few minutes helps aid Oliver clear his mind a little.

Diggle, Sara and Slade are wrong. He doesn't have a problem, he knows things haven't gone exactly to plan for him since the fight with the archer but that is not the reason. Not at all, but if it's not, a voice in his head says, what is the problem?

Laurel walking toward him surprises him greatly and instantly he remembers his words to her, his harsh words as The Man In The Hood, at least Sara and Slade are not about to let her go this alone, even if he doesn't believe he can help her, because what if he messes up again? What if she gets hurt.

"Hey what are you doing here?" He asks her as she smiles at him.

"I told Joanna I'd clean out Danny's locker, and you?" She questions.

"Tommy sent me over to make sure the guest list for the fireman's gala was accurate with him. Tommy's been working very hard on this." Oliver smiles.

"Tommy's here?" Laurel beams.

"Yeah he's somewhere inside. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you, he was so excited when he told me you gave him a drawer." Oliver smiles again before adding.

"You make him really happy you know Laurel. I'm glad you have got one another."

"Don't tell him this but he makes me really happy too! I haven't had much joy the past five years Ollie as you full well know and other than you and Sara coming home alive. Tommy has been my light and I never want to lose that light." Laurel smiles widely.

"I'm glad, Sara's happy for you to. We should have dinner, the four of us." Oliver suggests as Laurel laughs.

"I don't think that's a good idea after last time, Oliver!" She reminds him of that truly awful dinner between them.

"Just the four of us without Slade would probably work." Oliver smirks.

"Yes, I don't think Tommy and Slade see eye to eye." Laurel winces.

"Eye to eye? You guys don't know Slade like I do, the man looks like he's about to kill Tommy! I wouldn't put that past him." Oliver chuckles as Laurel rolls her eyes.

"I better get inside, say hey to Sara for me!" She calls as the two friends part.

 _Inside The Fire Department_

"I did some research. There are eight firemen in this picture." Laurel states to the Chief as she passes him a photograph of the squad that called themselves the fireflies.

"You called yourself the fireflies." She adds.

"When that station house was shut down a few years back, all the guys went to different companies." He explains as Laurel folds her arms.

"Three of these men are now dead."

"It's not all getting cats out of trees, Miss Lance." He sighs,

"But two of them died within the last six weeks!" She protests before adding.

"But not that man there, Garfield Linz. He died two years ago in the Noddel Tower tragedy." She protests as the Chief looks behind her.

"Did you forget something, Mr. Queen?" He asks.

"Looking for Tommy, he hasn't come out yet." Oliver smiles.

"He's still ironing out some details for the fundraiser. I'm amazed with how organized that man is." The Chief says with a roll of his eyes.

"What was the Noddel Tower tragedy?" Oliver queries.

"How do you not remember that?" The Chief widens his eyes at Oliver.

"I was WIFI free for a few years." He responds.

"It was twenty two stories of glass and steel. Except it turned out that the construction company that built it used sub standard materials to save themselves a few bucks. It was no where near the structural code." The Chief explains.

"The gas line blew. There was a fire." Laurel adds on.

"Yeah burned right through the stanchions. Whole damn thing came down." Chief sighs.

"Bad day." Laurel reaffirms.

"Thirty four civilians and six of my fellow firemen died. Do you need anything else, Miss Lance?" He asks her sharply.

"Other than reminding me of all the friends I lost and buried?" He mutters as Tommy appears beside the group.

"Now this sounds cheerful!" He comments as the Chief rolls his eyes at him and departs.

"Hey Tommy." Laurel slides her hand into his, squeezing tightly as Oliver smirks at him.

"Where have you been?" He asks incredulously.

"Reliving why I failed at math." Tommy smirks as Laurel shakes her head at him.

"I'll see you both at the fundraiser, yeah?" Oliver smiles at them both.

"Of course, see you later buddy." Tommy pats his friends arm as Oliver disappears, leaving Tommy with Laurel, who puts her arm around his waist as they head for the exit together.

"So what was all that about with the Chief?" Tommy queries as Laurel kisses his cheek.

"Ohh it was nothing. I need to make a quick phone call, you go ahead." She reaches up to kiss him on the lips before releasing him as he walks out of earshot.

Then, Laurel quickly pulls out the phone, the vigilantes phone.

"Hello?" She whispers.

"Miss Lance." A voice says her name, The Man In The Mask, she believes.

"Have you found anything?" He questions sharply.

"I spoke to Danny's old Chief. I didn't get anywhere, what am I supposed to do now?" She questions to silence for a few moments.

"Nothing. Leave this to us." He growls as the line goes dead…

 _With a start, Oliver regains consciousness and his breath as he lifts his head out of the water of the stream, memories hitting him in an instant, fighting with that man of Fyers, whom knocked out Sara…_

 _Sara? Where the hell is Sara! He thinks to himself as he looks around rapidly, whilst trying to recover his voice._

 _Almost stopping when he sees the body of his attacker lying across the stones across from him motionless and most likely dead! He realizes as he looks around for Sara._

 _"Sara!" He cries desperately._

 _"SARA!"_

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira lounges tiredly on her bed, glancing at photos of her family.

Family she still has left and family that she has lost, Walter now included in the 'lost' category, she strongly believes.

"We've so many of these old photos." She murmurs upon turning her head to see Thea walking in casually.

"Really should them scanned in." She adds.

"You know mom, I like this one." Thea pulls out her wallet to show her mom the picture that was taken at Christmas time.

"That party may have sucked balls, but at least this came out of it." She murmurs as Moira glances at it.

It is the picture of she and Walter, Thea, Oliver, Tommy, Laurel, Sara and Slade. It would have been a lovely photo if there were less people on it!

"Not the best." She mutters.

"Ollie looks really happy there." Thea notes as she eyes her brother standing close beside Sara and Slade.

"What was I saying about having these old pictures scanned in?" Moria changes the subject abruptly as Thea folds her arms.

"Well it's an incredibly ambitious plan, which will have to wait." Thea says sternly as Moira turns her head.

"Why?"

"Because you and I. We're going to go out to dinner or to see a movie, or shopping, or just about anything to get you out of the house!" Thea declares.

"Ahh no, Thea. I'm just too tired." Moria gives an excuse.

"Really? Well that's pretty amazing considering you've been in bed all day." Thea retorts.

"Please don't presume to think that you know what I'm going through." Moira snaps at Thea, who folds her arms indignantly.

"I do know. I lost dad too. I'm worried about Walter but I don't get too worried about him, because I'm busy worrying about you!"

"I never asked you to do that." Moria cuts her off.

"Right. Because you don't ask me to do anything anymore. Except to stay away from my brother's friend, who is actually a really nice person. You don't ask me to do my homework, you know Ollie asked me to do that the other week and as it was math, Slade and Ollie helped me with it! You don't even ask me to be home at a decent hour, ohh no, of course unless I want to stay over at Ollie's place you forbid me then! You have basically stopped being my parent and now my brother and his friends have been doing it!"

"Well, how's this? Don't talk to your mother like that and never say to me again that your brother and his bad influence of a friend have been doing a better job at parenting you then I have. Did one of them put you up to saying this?" Moria snaps.

"No. No they didn't because all they have done. Ollie, Slade and Sara, they've been here for me! They looked after me when you neglected me! They wanted me to stay with them but I said no, I've got to look after my mom! But you know what? Maybe you should start acting like my mom. So I don't have to act like yours!" She says before departing, leaving her mother behind.

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

Turning over the channels boredly, Oliver sits upon the couch with a bored expression on his face. Sara and Slade are probably at The Foundry, he noticed Laurel calling their number and having a conversation with probably Slade and Sara.

He hadn't heard anything from either of them so in the end he decided it was best for him just to return home where he couldn't screw anything up!

He would have to leave probably soon, to go to that goddam fundraiser Tommy has decided to throw! For the first time, he can actually see why Slade gets so pissed with him for these events as Oliver is certain he's having a 'Slade like' approach to this event!

Hearing the door open and close again startles him, judging by the sound of the footsteps he knows it's Slade and only Slade.

Not wanting to get into a confrontation now, he shuts his eyes and pretends to be asleep.

"Yeah that's never gonna work, kid." Slade smirks as he makes his way over to Oliver, standing over him with his arms folded as Oliver reluctantly looks up at him.

"I think we need to have a little chat, kid." He moves so he's sitting beside Oliver.

"I think we've all talked enough." Oliver grumbles in response.

"Nah, I don't think we have." He raises an eyebrow at Oliver, who rolls his eyes at him.

"Remember after she died?" Slade questions causing Oliver to look up in an instant, Slade never brings her up unless he thinks it absolutely necessary.

"You blamed yourself for what happened to her, you took all that blame, kid for what happened, with her, with Sara. With what happened to me." Slade starts as Oliver looks away, closing his eyes as a bunch of memories rush over him.

"You have no idea how relieved I was when I heard your voice down that corridor. After all that happened, you still survived." Oliver replies with a sad smile.

"I gathered that when you took out those guards to get to me!" Slade smirks.

"I'm surprised she didn't just kill us both then." Oliver murmurs.

"They wanted us to work together, remember kid? They thought they knew so much about us, they gave me that, that name." Slade looks down.

"I could never be a hero under that name." Slade mutters gruffly.

"But you were! You were a hero under that name, you saved people under that name." Oliver reminds him.

"But I wasn't." Slade gives him a roll of his eye before glancing back at Oliver again.

"You saved me back then, kid." He adds. Oliver doesn't say anything.

"You saved me that night, that night they killed my son." Slade reminds him.

"You were lost, a bit like you are now, kid. It was like you couldn't do anything because you placed so much blame upon yourself and it wasn't even your fault."

"I killed her…"

"No, he killed her. That bastard shot her. There was nothing else you could have done after my selfishness. Because I couldn't face losing her…" Slade trails off as both of them fall silent.

"Your in a mess now, kid and don't try to deny it. Back then, you got passed it by yourself because of that night. You became a fighter again after that night." Slade reminds him.

"If I knew how I did, don't think I'd do it now?" Oliver snaps.

"I think you do know, kid. You broke through that cloud of doubt for me. You saved me that time, kid." Slade says with a smirk.

"I honestly thought you were going to snap my neck when I hugged you." Oliver admits with a slight smile.

"I still can't believe you let me!" He protests as Slade continues to smirk.

"At that point kid, you were all I had left. The only family that I had left. You might be surprised by this, kid but you mean a hellva lot to me, both you and Sara do. You are my brother, I meant it when I said it back then and I've meant it every time since and if you think after those five years of hell I'm about to just let you give up now, you've got another thing coming!" Slade snaps.

"This will be the last conversation we have on the matter because after this you will be The Man In The Hood again because if not, if you're just going to give up after five years of pain, anguish and you whining! Then I am absolutely gonna kill you slow, kid." Slade threatens him as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Your father, in his dying wish begged you to write his wrongs and that's what you've been doing quite a decent job of upon until now. Yes you didn't beat that Dark Archer, we all know why that went wrong. You left Sara and I out of it! And yes, you injured me, but come on, kid. I've survived an arrow through the eye and you can't tell me that you haven't wanted to shoot me before now, hey?" Slade chuckles as Oliver starts to laugh.

"Not gonna lie, I have dreamt of doing that before." Oliver smiles.

"Now, kid we're going to go back to The Foundry and we are going to stop whoever's doing this and we're going to do it together, all three of us because if you don't. If you give up then you are letting down me, Sara, Laurel, your father, this godforsaken city!" Slade reminds him as Oliver sighs

"Remember what I told you once, kid? There's no crying or buying your way out of this! Now are you coming with me? Or am I going to have to drag you?" Slade smirks as he moves to stand, offering his hand out to Oliver, who waits for a moment before taking it and getting to his feet.

"Thank you." Oliver says before adding.

"My brother." He smiles as he and Slade share an embrace.

"Now don't get soft on me, kid." Slade threatens him as they smile at one another.

Slade all but convinced that from now on, Oliver is going to be okay.

 _The Foundry_

Sara looks up when she's hears the door open to The Foundry.

Slade had been gone for about an hour and a half, talking to Oliver, she hopes.

She's confident Slade will be able to get through to him and it appears as if she had been right about that as behind Slade is Oliver.

"Sara." Oliver calls her name softly before running down the rest of the steps to pull her into his arms, kissing her forehead and holding her close.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs as she tightens her grip on him.

"It's ok, it's all ok!" Sara beams as she mouths a thank you over to Slade, who smirks smugly.

"I was a dick to you. To both of you and I'm sorry." Oliver admits as he strokes Sara's hair.

"And we still love you." Sara places her hands on his cheeks before kissing him softly.

"Didn't think to see you here, Oliver." Diggle's voice travels from the door.

"Well I found out some information about this case and I remembered that I forgot to mention it." Oliver smiles as he slides his hand into Sara's and walks over to the desk and starts to type in some information into the computer about what he had heard from the Chief when he and gone over.

"The first firefighter to die was Garfield Linz." He explains as Diggle frowns.

"Well being dead kind of rules him out as a murder suspect right?" He questions.

"Never count anything out." Slade mutters as he sits on the desk.

Diggle smiles at the scene. Oliver back to work, his two friends beside him.

"You know Oliver, I'm sorry I came at you so hard." He apologizes as Oliver turns around.

"Ohh I needed to hear it." Oliver murmurs tightening his grip on Sara's hand.

"You know I've been there to, I know what it's like to stare death in the face like the three of you have and be the one who blinks." Diggle folds his arms.

"That's not it. I've. The three of us, we've been close to death on the island more times then we can remember. I feared it then because of Sara and Slade, dying and leaving them behind. The only comfort was that I knew that if anything happened to me Slade would protect Sara." Oliver looks over to them both, Sara closes her eyes and moves so she's sitting on Oliver's lap, who kisses her cheek.

"But it was a million times worse when that archer almost killed me, when I stared death in the face then, it was worse because I thought about all the people that I've let into my life since I've been back, leaving and Sara and Slade after everything we've been through together all that pain and hell and then leaving Thea, mom, Laurel, Tommy and that made me afraid. Afraid of what would happen to those people if they lost me." Oliver finally admits his fears as Sara wraps her arms around him and Slade pats him on the shoulder.

"Oliver, if anything ever happened to you, which I will do anything to prevent. Sara and I would take care of them and each other." Slade reassures him.

"We protect each other. No matter what." Sara murmurs as Oliver smiles at the three of them before turning to the computer again, slightly reassured momentarily.

"All the men in the unit had an alibi for Danny's murder. The guy that we fought had a firefly tattoo and his arm was severely burned." Oliver explains as Sara and Slade nod.

"Ok, I'm curious to see where you're going with this." Diggle queries.

"The Noddel Tower fire, some of the bodies were so badly burned they couldn't even be ID's off of dental records." Sara reads from the computer.

"So what if Garfield Linz didn't die?" Slade folds his arms.

"But was just presumed dead?"

 _The Fundraiser_

In a nice new party dress, Laurel moves through the group of people gathered for the fundraiser having spied Tommy talking to a couple of people.

Greeting people politely as she goes, she smiles warmly at Tommy as he notices her, smiling even wider when she reaches his side and feels his arms go around her as he pulls her into a long lingering kiss.

"You know, ironically if we get any more people in here we're gonna violate the fire code." He chuckles as he pulls away.

"You've done an amazing job here Tommy, you definitely deserved that drawer." She smiles as she runs her hands up and down his arms.

"Really?" Tommy smiles as she pulls him even closer.

"Most definitely." She grins before pressing her lips to his once more.

"Hey Laurel." Sara calls her name softly from behind, Laurel smiles and breaks away from Tommy to hug her sister.

"Ohh its lovely to see you!" She beams as she holds her sister close.

"Dad called me the other day, you pair had a falling out?" Sara questions.

"Small disagreement. I'm glad he talked to you though." Laurel smiles as Oliver and Slade appear behind her.

"Good job, Tommy!" Oliver exclaims as Tommy high fives him.

"Can we borrow Laurel for a sec?" He requests as Tommy nods with a dazzling smile.

"Absolutely." Tommy nods, kissing her before she follows the three friends, who take her over to the Chief she was talking to earlier.

"Chief Raynes." Oliver says in greeting as they approach him.

"Mr. Queen, this is spectacular. The Starling City Fireman's Relief Association can't thank you enough." He smiles at Oliver who nods.

"You guys are the real heroes, like in the Noddel Tower fire, which we've been reading up on." Oliver explains.

"Garfield Linz was the first man to die in your unit. We read that they recovered his coat in the wreckage but they never found his body." Slade folds his arms.

"You and your friends always interrogate your clubs guests?"

"Why?" Oliver cuts in.

"Do you feel like you're being interrogated?"

"You could see it on your face at the fire station. There's more to the Noddel Fire than people know about isn't there!" Laurel exclaims.

"I've been doing this a long time but I've never seen a fire like that." The Chief admits.

"It was like some monster out of a science fiction movie. I radioed for my men to get the hell out of there but Linz, he wouldn't go. Begged me to send the unit back in. But I wouldn't do it, I couldn't. God help me, I left him to burn." He reveals before taking a drink.

"But I can't bring him back." He sighs.

"You don't have to. He is back." Sara replies.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The Chief frowns, looking between the four of them for an explainable answer.

"Garfield Linz killed Danny and the other men in your unit." Laurel whispers as it hits her.

"No, there is no way he could have survived that fire." The Chief shakes his head.

"You'd be surprised the power revenge can give you." Slade grumbles.

The four of them unaware of what is going on, on the other side of the room.

 _Meanwhile…_

Whilst the fundraiser is in full swing a man wearing a fireman's uniform walks calmly through the party.

This man is none other than Garfield Linz.

A grateful woman suddenly grabs his arm.

"Thank you so much. The people in the city appreciate everything you…" She stops upon seeing his face, his heavily disfigured face…

"You're insane. The four of you are all insane." The Chief shakes his head as he addresses them, unable to believe what they are telling him.

"Gar did not make it out of that building…"

"Just like you won't make it out of this one." A voice tells from behind causing the four of them to spin around to face the firefighter. Garfield Linz.

No one can do anything to stop him from throwing a set of devices behind the group, causing part of the almost club to ignite in flames.

People scream and try to escape as a few more explosions happen, the fire spreading everywhere as Garfield Linz removes his helmet so that the Chief and Laurel, Oliver, Sara and Slade can see his face, heavily disfigured due to the Noddel Tower fire.

Meanwhile, Diggle and Tommy work on getting everyone outside, away from the flames leaving really only the Chief, Linz, Laurel, Oliver, Sara and Slade left in the room.

"Gar what the hell are you doing?" The Chief whispers as Oliver, Slade and Sara shield Laurel from getting hurt.

Linz looks at The Chief for a moment before back at Oliver, Laurel, Sara and Slade.

"Run." He whispers eerily.

"Go, go!" Oliver yells to Laurel as the four of them race away, knowing that they can't help The Chief like this.

Linz, meanwhile sprays turpentine onto The Chief…

 _On The Other Side Of The Club_

Having seen everyone safety outside, Tommy realizes that the one person he hasn't seen in the crowd is Laurel.

"Laurel! Laurel!" He cries desperately as he searches for her, whist unbeknownst to him Oliver, Sara and Slade race toward the basement, unlocking it quickly.

"You can do this, kid." Slade claps Oliver on the shoulder as the three of them race down the stairs, Oliver a little nervous about this as the last time he was The Man In The Hood, Garfield Linz got away and he shot Slade.

Yet this time, he's not going to fail. Not this time.

"I can do this." Oliver murmurs.

"Yes you certainly can! Now come on!" Slade commands as the three of them retrieve their equipment…

 _Meanwhile…_

Laurel races through the club as she searches for anyone, having being separated from Oliver, Slade and Sara, her baby sister. She doesn't know where she is! If she got out, if she's still in here but Laurel is slightly reassured by the fact that at least Sara would be with Oliver and they both would be with Slade, who she knows will protect them.

"Laurel! Laurel?" Tommy yells her name, Laurel almost bursting into tears when she sees Tommy, alive and well, racing to her side. She throws herself into his arms instantly.

"Ohh honey, ohh thank god." Tommy holds her close.

"Where Oliver? Sara?" He questions fearfully as Laurel looks up at him with frightened eyes.

"They're still inside, they're still here." She whispers.

"We can't leave them!" Tommy cries as as structure just above his head breaks down so close to Tommy...

"Tommy!" Laurel all but sobs as she pushes him out of the way, both of them falling to the ground holding each other, afraid to let go.

"Sara! Ollie! Slade!" Laurel cries desperately, hoping for a reply from at least one of them as now they can't even get to find Oliver, Sara and Slade as they are blocked by an almost wall of fire...

 _Meanwhile…_

"You know how long it takes for your skin to melt? I do. From experience!" Linz growls at the Chief, who shakes his head at the supposedly dead firefighter.

"I told you to get out of there!" He protests as Linz just shakes his head.

"And I told you that we could save the building. But you got scared. You lost your nerve. You left me in there to die." Linz recounts the story, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"How did you get out?" The Chief questions.

"I was pulled from the wreckage, listed as a John Doe in the burn unit, in a coma for months. When I woke up and I saw what was left of who I was. I only had one thought, to leave you alone as you left me." He growls as he removes a lighter from his pocket, clicking on a flame.

"Now it's your turn!" He snarls, yet before he can drop the flame onto The Chief and destroy him, the way Linz believes The Chief destroyed him the lighter is shot expertly out of his hand by an arrow as The Man In The Hood makes his way over to Linz, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black following behind him, both smiling under their masks.

The Man In The Hood is back!

"Go!" The Woman In Black commands to The Chief as The Man In The Hood keeps his bow and arrow trained on Linz, The Man In The Mask advancing with his sword.

"It's over!" The Man In The Hood snarls as Linz faces the three of them.

"I'm not afraid to die." Linz murmurs.

"We know." The Man In The Hood says as he puts down his bow and arrow, The Woman In Black, putting down her batons. The Man In The Mask still keeps his sword out though, neither of them expected him to put it down anyway!

"You're afraid to live. Let us get you out of here, Linz, let us get you some help." The Woman In Black says softly.

"Thanks." He looks down away from the three vigilantes a moment of silence passing.

"We've been there. We've all suffered something horrific in our lives but we made it somehow." The Man In The Mask murmurs, actually lowering his sword a bit.

"I'm already burned." Linz shakes his head as he turns and walks toward the flames.

"Linz don't do it!" The Man In The Hood yells as Garfield Linz becomes one with the flames…

 _The Basement_

"Someone's got to put that fire out before it gets down here." Sara is the first one to say something as they return to put away their uniforms after watching Linz burn to death.

"Fireproof door." Both Slade and Oliver say simultaneously as Oliver backs his stuff away.

"You did good tonight, kid." Slade smiles at him warmly.

"Better than good, you did awesome." Sara joins Oliver's side as she pulls him in for a kiss.

"All thanks to the two of you." Oliver looks to both Sara and Slade.

"Nah, kid we just encouraged you. Tonight, that was all you." Slade replies as the sound of the door opening pulls all of their attentions toward it, the three of them sighing in relief upon seeing it to be Diggle.

"Good thing the fire didn't spread down here." He comments.

"It's one of the benefits of concrete." Oliver smirks before adding.

"Thank you to Diggle." He smiles at him.

"What for?" Diggle questions.

"You know what for. For helping get through to me with Sara and Slade." Oliver nods.

"So what's next?" Diggle questions.

"We go hunting." Slade smirks at Oliver and Sara as Diggle smiles at the three of them.

"More names, we cross more off. The three of us." Oliver beams.

"Yeah, man before the three of you plan your next victim. Laurel and Tommy are freaking out upstairs." Diggle folds his arms as Oliver, Sara and Slade look at one another.

This, they had been expecting.

 _Outside The Foundry_

"Where are they? Where are they?" Laurel paces worriedly outside the burning club as Tommy tries to comfort her.

"They must have gotten out…"

"You don't know that! What if they're still in there? What if…" Laurel whimpers as Tommy draws her into an embrace.

"It's ok, honey, it's all going to be ok…"

"Laurel!" Sara's voice calling Laurel's name like music to both Tommy and Laurel's ears as they turn to see Sara, Oliver and Slade jogging towards them.

"Sara!" Laurel all but screeches as she races to pull her sister into her arms.

"Where were you? Where have you been? I was so worried! I thought…" Laurel continues to yell as she checks her sister over for injures as Tommy embraces Oliver.

"We got outside through the back way, it took us a while to get through the crowds." Oliver says in explanation as Laurel releases Sara to embrace Oliver, leaving Tommy to hug Sara, both Tommy and Laurel relieved that the three of them are ok.

"And you too! Come here!" Laurel surprisingly pulls Slade into an embrace causing Tommy's eyes to widen in shock and Slade to laugh as Laurel hugs him.

"Hey Laurel, there's one good thing about all of this." Sara chuckles as she wraps her arms around Oliver's waist.

"What?"

"Dad's not here!" Sara laughs as Laurel rolls her eyes and laughs with them whilst the fire still flickers in the distance, neither of them too worried though as everyone they care about is safe right here, right now.

 _Queen Mansion: Next Day_

"Eyewitnesses contend that numerous lives would have been lost if not for the timely intervention of the three vigilantes. Yes the three vigilantes have once again been spotted together, but these are not the actions of vigilantes. What's been described are the actions of heroes." The News reporter reports as Oliver smiles and clicks off the tv, smirking at Slade and Sara beside him.

"What's got you all smiley, Ollie?" Thea questions.

"Your new club is a briquette." She reminds him as Slade starts to smirk.

"And of course, he looks happy about that!" Thea sniggers.

"Didn't want that club in the first place." Slade grumbles.

"Maybe you two should take over Queen Consolidated." Thea laughs. Slade shoots her a venomous look.

"And if that ever happened that building would also be burnt to the ground!" Slade threatens causing the three of them to laugh.

"And I'd help him with that!" Oliver chuckles.

"Anyway, the club was under construction before, now it's just more under construction!" Sara smiles as Moria enters the living room.

"Good morning, nice to see you home Oliver." She flashes a glance at her son and a glare at Slade and Sara.

"Sharp suit, mom." Thea rises to her feet in surprise at her mom's appearance.

"I'm not used to seeing you without your bedroom wrapped around you." Thea folds her arms, their argument still not forgotten.

"I could hardly go to the office in my pajamas. I'm taking Walter's position at the office." She reveals causing Oliver to smile, at least now he won't be forced into taking over Queen Consolidated!

"What changed your mind?" He asks.

"Not what, who. My daughter, my family and I promise you both that Walter will get back to us. I will keep looking for him and I will find him and I'll see you two later." She nods before leaving the house.

"Well that was a surprise!" Sara smirks as Oliver beams and faces Thea.

"What?" He questions upon seeing her glum face.

"Just feeling the whiplash. She went from shut in to chairman pretty fast." She folds her arms in confusion.

"Sounds like you got through to her. I'm impressed." Slade smiles at her.

"Yeah, I guess." Thea sighs an uneasy feeling still in the air as that argument between Thea and her mother last night? Still not forgotten in the slightest.

 _CNRI_

"It will just be for a few months." Joanna promises Laurel.

"My mom, she's taking it so hard." She adds as Laurel places her hand over hers.

"Whatever you have to do to take care of your family." She smiles warmly as Joanna falls silent before pulling out a box from her bag.

"Before I forget, my brothers badge." She puts it in Laurel's hands, who stares up at her friend in shock.

"My mom was hoping you could find a way to get it to, you know, them as a thank you. I don't care what anyone has to say. They really are guardian angels." She whispers as Laurel squeezes her hand.

"I'll find a way to get it to them." She vows as she hugs her best friend.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"Yeah." Laurel nods before watching Joanna leave.

"Hey." Quentin smiles at Joanna as she passes him.

"You look after yourself alright?" He shakes her hand.

"I will." She promises.

"Good." He nods as he moves over to Laurel.

"So Joanna's taking a leave of absence, huh?"

"She has to go be with her family." Laurel explains.

"Yeah well family's important. Maybe you should ask Sara to fill in for Joanna whilst she's gone. I do know Sara does not have a job yet." Quentin suggests.

"Yeah, she'd never agree to work here, anyway she's working with Slade, Oliver and Tommy on the nightclub!" Laurel reminds him as a silence passes between them causing Laurel to sigh, knowing what this visit is really about.

"I already apologized…"

"It's my turn after what happened last night maybe it's a good thing you got the three vigilantes involved. They didn't take the phone of you did they?" Quentin raises an eyebrow as silence passes between them as Laurel sighs and fumbles around in her bag for the phone, which she hands back over to Quentin, who starts to walk away yet sighs and turns back to Laurel, whom is once more looking at the badge.

"Maybe you should hold onto this." He says surprisingly causing Laurel to turn around in surprise at her father's statement.

"I mean I don't like the trio's methods but whoever these people are, they have got a habit of putting themselves between danger and you and that's not something I can argue with." He puts the phone back in her hand.

"And besides, I shouldn't have this thing anyway." He smiles before leaving his bemused, yet happily surprised daughter behind.

 _Later In The SCPD_

"Kelton!" Quentin calls the tech guys name as he approaches his desk.

"We good?" He queries.

"I got a strong signal from the crystal VHF transmitter you hid in the speaker and it can't be back traced." Kelton explains as Quentin rolls his eyes.

"Talk to me like I'm a third grader, please." Quentin begs.

"Next time your daughter calls the vigilantes we'll be able to listen to every word." Kelton explains as Quentin nods and turns away, he'd never planned on just giving the phone back to Laurel jus like that. Those people are monsters, murderers and they need to be stopped. One way or the other and this. This is the other!

"Look I know you swore to take these guys down detective but using your own daughter as bait? That's stone cold."

 _"Sara!" Oliver screams again as he yells in pain as he gets to his feet shakily._

 _He hears a loud groan and he has to look over at Fyers man to make sure he isn't actually alive and about to come after him again!_

 _No, he's still dead. Oliver confirms as he moves to stare at the hill he came rolling down, to the very top where Sara is trying to crawl down to him, her face bloody from where the guard had kicked her hard._

 _"Sara! Sara!" Oliver races as quickly as he can, due to the pain from the fall over to the hill, trying to climb back up it again, yet Sara rolls down it before he can, landing virtually on top of him._

 _"You're ok, you're ok. Ohh my god I thought I'd lost you." Oliver whispers as he pulls her into his arms, his hand knotting in her hair as he holds her close, pulling back for a moment to stroke her cheeks, her nose and mouth covered in blood, he tries to wipe it away but she cries out in agony and starts to sob so he just pulls her back into his arms again and holds her tightly as she sobs._

 _It is she who pulls back next time to look up at him._

 _"I thought he'd killed you Ollie." She whimpers as she eyes the body of their attacker._

 _"Well he's not going to be killing us anytime soon." Oliver tries to smile as Sara continues to cry, tears running down her cheeks, mixing with the blood already on her face._

 _"Hey we're ok, we're alive!" Oliver cheers and without thinking he kisses her swollen, bloodied lips as she clutches to him for dear life._

 _They stay like this for a few moments before turning to face the body of the man who had attacked them, both of them knowing that something must be done._

 _It takes them a while but after they are done they have covered the man's body with leaves and moss from the ground and Oliver has taken his uniform, his clothes all but falling apart, he had offered them to Sara, who had told Oliver that he should wear the uniform as her clothes are not actually that badly destroyed._

 _Going through the pockets on the uniform, Oliver places his father's notebook safely in one of them before feeling something paperish, he pulls out a map, almost dropping the whole goddamm thing in shock as Sara's eyes widen as they stare at it together._

 _It's a map of the whole freakin island._

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment: Night_

"Oliver!" Slade hollers as he enters the apartment with Sara, both of them with worried expressions upon their faces, Oliver having disappeared for the whole afternoon, both Sara and Slade realizing that when Sara had returned from an afternoon with her sister and her father and Slade from an afternoon of talking to Leonard, who had been surprised to hear that Oliver had eventually listened to him! Slade likes Leonard already, they share a lot of similar views on things!

"In here guys!" Oliver calls from the kitchen, causing Slade and Sara to sigh with relief and head toward the kitchen/dining area where Oliver is stood beside the table, putting plates of food onto it.

"What are you doing?" Sara laughs as she crosses the room to him.

"This is. I'm sorry I was such a douce bag to both of you, please forgive me, dinner." Oliver smiles as he puts down three plates.

"You actually cooked something?" Slade's eye widens in shock.

"I can cook, you know. I just hated cooking island crap." Oliver grins, gesturing to the table as the three of them sit down.

"You know, kid you never cease to amaze me!" Slade smirks just as the sound of knocking on the door interrupts them before anyone can either try Oliver's food.

"I'll get it." Oliver smiles to Slade and Sara.

"I could get used to this." Slade sniggers as Oliver opens the door to find Thea on their doorstep, a sad look upon her face.

"Hey Ollie. Would you guys mind if I stayed here tonight? There was something with mom the other day and she's gonna be mad about this but…"

"Thea. Of course you can stay, none of us mind. I was just putting dinner out." Oliver pulls her into an embrace before dragging her toward the table as well so that the four of them can enjoy a nice meal together for once…

 _Hours Later…_

After Oliver's delicious meal, which all of them, including Slade has to admit was pretty good! The four of them sit on the two couches and watch action movies, Slade threatening to murder them all if Sara and Thea put on some romantic comedy crap!

However, a few hours in both Oliver and Slade have fallen asleep anyway, before Oliver going missing to apparently cook dinner, he and Slade had been extensively training again after so many weeks of absolute rubbish, according to Slade and both of them were both shattered anyway! And to Sara and Thea's amusement Oliver has his head on Slade's shoulder! And they are both all but dead to the world, which they find out when Thea snaps a photo of them with her phone.

"I can't wait to see what happens when either of them wake up." Thea tries to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

"I think there's a seventy five percent chance Oliver has a broken nose next morning." Sara laughs, from memory of something similar on the island.

Thea just laughs and takes another photo!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, sorry if this chapter hasn't been my best. I never really favored this episode when I first watched it, so hopefully all this has turned out ok. Please tell me what you thought and thank you all so much for your kind reviews they mean a lot to me and for following and favoriting, see you all next update! Whenever that may be as this chapter was supposed to be out today yet technology again is the evil of the world and has prevented me from posting anything! So next chapter may be sooner than later! Thanks again for reading**


	32. Trust But Verify (1)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Thirty Two**

 _Starling City: Night_

The quiet nightlife of Starling City is noisily interrupted by the sound of blaring music coming from a van, in which two men sit.

"Whatever you're listening to, it ain't music." One of the two men in the van comments as he reaches forward to change the monstrosity to something with a bit of jazz in it.

The other man reaches forward to change it back from what they believe to be a monstrosity to the rave music once again.

Neither man realising that outside the van is a man, a weapon in hand.

As he messes with the weapon, he walks calmly into the path of the oncoming truck.

"Whoa! Whoa watch it!" The passenger yells as they spot the man in the middle of the road.

The car skids to a halt to avoid hitting the armed man, whom they have just noticed is armed just as another van appears behind them, armed men coming out of it.

"He's got a gun!" One of the passengers yells.

"They've all got guns!" The other protests just as the man in the middle of the road fires his weapon, something cylinder like smashing through the window.

The men stare at it for a moment before it bursts into smoke, causing fumes to spill out, choking the men as they fight to get out of their vehicle, falling to the road only upon exiting to be shot by the other armed men, who pull the keys off one of the men.

With the keys, the five men make their way to the back of the van, opening the door to reveal a bunch of stuff which they subsequently take and disappear into the night…

 _Queen Mansion_

"Tahitian green or midnight black?" Thea looks down at something on her phone as Oliver, Sara and Slade enter the living room.

"I think you've been dropping hints all week, Thea and mum still isn't buying you a car for your birthday." Oliver chuckles.

"What about you three?" Thea turns to them pleadingly.

"That's not going to happen either." Sara sits down beside Thea.

"I could not have said it better myself, Sara." Moria says upon entering, smiling as she sees her son at home.

"You know maybe this arrangement isn't as bad as I initially thought." Moria says to Oliver who frowns.

"What?" Oliver raises an eyebrow.

"You're still frequently visiting us here even though you live elsewhere. Yes there are still some aspects." She flashes a glance at Slade.

"I'm still not keen on but I do have to admit it is better than I thought it was going to be." Moira smiles at Oliver.

"Thanks mom!" He grins as Thea looks at her in surprise.

"So does this mean I can move in with them?" She looks at Moria hopefully.

"No it does not mean that Thea, you are most certainly not going to do that. Like I am most certain you are not having a car!" Moria says firmly.

"But Oliver got a car when he turned eighteen!" She protests.

"Yeah, but I could back it out of the driveway without hitting a tree! I'm a better driver then possibly everyone but mom in this room." Oliver holds his hands up.

"I so believe that!" Thea says sarcastically.

"You know he's probably right. My dad never let me drive because I wasn't great at it, even now I still kinda suck at it!" Sara says reassuringly.

"And Slade's driving is just atrocious!" Oliver sniggers.

"My driving is not atrocious, kid." Slade folds his arms.

"You know, Oliver's isn't exactly perfect as I do remember Oliver taking the paint off the side of his dad's Maserati." Tommy says upon entry as everyone turns to smirk at Oliver, his point being rendered mute!

"Thea, the party planner is waiting. Sorry to run off like this." Moira turns to hug Tommy as Slade rolls his eye.

"But we have a convertible to go buy?" Thea leaps up from her seat as she follows her mother happily.

"Good luck!" Oliver calls with a smile.

"How's she holding up?" Tommy questions as he takes his coat off.

"She's ok. She just said she didn't mind me living across town."

"Something wrong with her." Slade murmurs.

"Well I'm sure she still hates you living with me and Slade. I could tell that but I was surprised." Sara nods.

"Yeah we think she's actually a little bit too ok. Even Thea does." Oliver adds.

"Like I said she just said that she's fine with me living across town and she's just behaving erratically, shut in one minute, running the company the next."

"Well at least no one forced you into running the company." Tommy notes.

"Yeah, I'm sure that was the next direction if mom said no." Oliver sighs.

"I'm glad it wasn't." Slade mutters.

"Yeah because Ollie would have dragged you to work with him as well!" Sara chuckles.

"For once we're on the same page." Tommy eyes Slade causing Oliver, Sara and Slade to really believe that something's wrong with the world today!

"If Oliver had to work for his family the club would be a distant dream." Tommy sighs.

"You love this whole club thing don't you?" Sara smiles at him.

"It's like a lifelong dream of mine to own a nightclub of my own and own it with my best friend." Tommy smiles at Oliver.

"Who'd have thought it!" Oliver grins back.

"You know, I wouldn't worry about your mom. Her husband is missing and presumed who knows what, if anyone had an excuse to be erratic, it's your mom." Tommy notes.

"Yeah, that's what we told Thea." Oliver nods as Sara switches the sound on, on the TV upon seeing something curious on it and her father speaking to a group of reporters.

"The department has got the same comment about this heist as it did the other two. No comment." Quentin says from the TV.

"The department may not be willing to go on record, but traffic cameras got the entire heist in this exclusive." A reporter speaks as the scene flashes to a piece of footage.

"Shortly after one am, three masked robbers approached the armoured vehicle after launching what appears to be..."

"That's why you keep all your money offshore." Tommy butts in as Oliver, Sara and Slade glance at him.

"One of the guards was pronounced dead on the scene, while the other died on route to Starling General. Their identities have not yet been released." The reporter finishes. Tommy rolls his eyes as he turns to Oliver, Slade and Sara.

"Told you when when you first got back Ollie, this city's gone to crap!" Tommy comments as Sara, Oliver and Slade glance at one another.

Tommy's very right in saying that but the three vigilantes are determined to change that fact drastically!

 _The Foundry_

"You know I will never tire of watching you pair trying to best one another!" Sara laughs from The Salmon Ladder as Oliver and Slade are practically throwing each other around the room trying to get the upper hand.

"I always win." Slade smirks as Oliver deflects an attack from him.

"Yeah I'm getting there." Oliver growls as he manages to land an attack of his own.

"Maybe in the next five years." Slade grins as he recovers from the attack and sends Oliver to the ground.

"More like five minutes!" Oliver snarls as he launches at Slade.

"You know I should film this, so if one day people found out that we were the vigilantes they could see exactly what we did in our spare time! I'm sure fights between you pair would get a lot of hits on YouTube." Sara jokes.

"What Oliver Queen gets his ass handed to him? Yeah, you're right there!" Slade laughs, dodging Oliver's attack, which causes Oliver to all but crash into a wall!

"Yeah, shame we don't have the evidence of you first doing The Salmon Ladder, Sara!" Oliver sniggers as he recovers from his abrupt meeting with the wall!

"Didn't you fall off about ten times when you first tried it?" He questions with a smile.

"It was really hard! Don't see me falling off now though, do you? She retorts.

"Besides, remember when you start to learn how to do it and you had gotten to the first bar and you were so happy with yourself, only to have Slade show you how it was done properly?" She laughs as Oliver laughs and rolls his eyes being thrown to the floor in the process by a smirking Slade.

"Another one of your faults, kid. You're so good at getting distracted!" Slade sniggers.

"Ohh yeah?" Oliver replies before trying to knock Slade over as well!

"Several times he showed you how to do it properly if I remember rightly." Sara snorts as Oliver tries to get the upper hand on Slade only to trip up.

"Still so clumsy, kid." Slade chuckles as Oliver tries to regain his footing.

"With all the guys working up top you three might want to think about a side entrance for your, um Arrowcave!" Diggle's voice calls as he walks down the steps to see what he usually sees Oliver and Slade looking like they're trying to beat the crap out of one another and Sara on The Salmon Ladder.

"Just put one in. South Holly Way!" Oliver groans as Slade knocks him down again, holding out his hand to pull him back up again.

"I think we both won that one." Oliver smiles.

"Yeah, you keep thinking that kid." Slade pats Oliver on the shoulder as they turn to the computer, Sara jumping down from The Salmon Ladder to join them.

"Something we want to show you." She looks at Diggle.

"Someone we would like to meet." Oliver mutters as he presses a few buttons on the computer to show Diggle the news report which they had watched together with Tommy earlier.

"Yeah I've heard about this. Third truck to get hit this month." Diggle comments.

"Saw it on the news this morning. Couldn't figure out why it seemed so familiar." Oliver notes as he grabs a clean shirt.

"Then we remembered this." He presses a button.

"Kandahar '09, when the marines took out a Taliban transport vehicle." Sara explains as Diggle folds his arms, something coming to mind.

"Yeah well there's a reason why it looked so similar. These guys are running the same swarming technique, where'd you find this guys?" He looks to them before at the computer once more.

"We were researching someone. Bodyguard who works for a private security firm. Black Hawk Squad Protection Group. His name is Ted Gaynor." Slade explains as he types in a few commands, bringing up a photo which startles Diggle.

"Guys, Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer on my first tour in Afghanistan." Diggle murmurs as Oliver and Sara stop and look up at him with sad eyes.

"Dig, we're really sorry but Gaynor's on the list." Sara whispers as Oliver shows him the notebook with the name clearly written upon it.

"Looks like you didn't know him as well as you thought you did." Slade comments causing Diggle to glare at him poisonously.

"Gaynor's a few hundred thousand dollars short of making your list." Diggle mutters.

"Well we never said it was just one percenters, did we?" Oliver reminds him.

"This guy saved my life, received a commendation for it. I don't care what the book says, he's not a stick up man!" Diggle yells at them.

"You haven't known him in a long time. People change, even the ones who you've trusted with your life." Slade grumbles, a memory hitting him of someone he had once trusted with his life, a man that betrayed him.

"We've both kept in contact with each other since we got Stateside. Six months ago he even offered me a job at Black Hawk! Trust me, all three of you. None of you know this man like I do!" Diggle protests.

"We know in Afghanistan his training speciality was the M32 multiple grenade launchers." Sara comments as Oliver nods.

"The exact same weapon used in these heists and not exactly something that you'd find at your local sporting goods store!" Oliver folds his arms.

"Wait, wait, wait! Two months ago we found out that this wasn't even your father's book! That it was written by whoever hired the other archer!" Diggle turns to Oliver.

"Doesn't that beg the question to any of you that there could be more you three are wrong about?" Diggle comments.

"I could be wrong…" Oliver starts.

"Not likely." Slade mumbles as Oliver adds.

"The list isn't. Now the three of us are going to have a pointed conversation with Mr. Gaynor tonight. We'll all see what he has to say about this!" Oliver nods before turning away from Diggle, Sara and Slade following him.

"We understand if you want to take the week off. This might not be easy." Sara says calmly.

"I know from experience that it isn't so please do." Slade mutters as the three of them walk to different stations around The Foundry. Diggle rolling his eyes and thoughts running through his head, glancing at the photo of Ted Gaynor as he mumbles a sarcastic.

"Well thank you, guys!"

Slade, Oliver and Sara look at one another yet nothing is said. Nothing at all.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this and thanks so much to those of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited. Next chapter is in the works and should hopefully come soon, thanks again for reading!**


	33. Trust But Verify (2)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Thirty Three**

 _Oliver and Sara huddle close to one another as Oliver trails his finger over the map._

 _"Any good at orienteering or map reading?" He looks to Sara._

 _"Yeah, my dad's a cop. One of the things he taught me was how to read maps." Sara murmurs as she glances at it with Oliver._

 _"Maybe we should go east?" Oliver questions as he looks to where she's gazing at the map._

 _"I don't know, Ollie but we can't stay here." She shudders as Oliver nods and passes Sara the map, who folds it up and places it into her pocket._

 _"Should we, um." She indicates to the gun the dead man of Fyers had when he had attacked them, Oliver looks at it, a little uneasy himself before reaching down to grab it._

 _"Is it loaded?" She asks in a small voice._

 _"Think so, ok. Let's go then." He says quietly as he takes her hand tightly in his as they begin to walk…_

 _The two of them walk for hours with Oliver leading the way, only stopping to check the map to see if they can see anything that could aid them to getting to some sort of safety._

 _Oliver stops abruptly upon hearing voices, loud voices._

 _Carefully walking around to not alert anyone, Oliver and Sara both notice that up ahead is a camp of some kind._

 _A camp made of Fyers men Oliver is guessing as they are all wearing the same uniform as Oliver had stolen from the guy who tried to kill them._

 _They stop behind a tree._

 _"What should we do?" Oliver questions as Sara gazes at the camp before grabbing the balaclava and putting it over Oliver's face to hide it and to help him blend in with the others._

 _"Go." She whispers._

 _"What? No! I ain't going over there! What about you?" He cries desperately, trying to keep as quiet as they can._

 _"Ollie, there could be food, clean water, a phone or something over there. Stuff that we need. I don't want you to go but you're the only one with the uniform and even if we could get another, I don't think there's many women over there." She whimpers as she knows that they'll have to separate._

 _"I don't want to do this. We shouldn't separate." Oliver warns her._

 _"I don't want to either but we have to do something, Ollie. I'll stay here and hide, you go." She trembles at the very notion of this._

 _Oliver stands there facing her for a moment before placing his lips against her forehead, stroking her cheeks briefly._

 _"You got the map?" He questions, she nods as tears threaten to spill from her eyes._

 _"I'll come back for you. I promise. I'll come back." Oliver whispers as she holds onto him tightly, trying to keep from sobbing at this whole affair._

 _"If it goes wrong. If I don't make it. Run, Sara please just run, get out of here and get home, ok?" Oliver murmurs before kissing her once before removing his father's book from his pocket, placing it in her hand._

 _"If anything happens to me, make sure this stays safe. You are the only one I trust to have it." He murmurs, squeezing her hands tightly before letting go._

 _"I'll come back." He whispers as he walks slowly away._

 _"I promise."_

 _Walking into the camp, Oliver tries to look as natural as possible, despite the fact it's all but destroying him on the inside leaving Sara behind like that._

 _He had waited until he had seen her race to hide behind a tree a minute away from where they had been standing before finally leaving._

 _No matter what he'd go back to her. He'd find her._

 _Nodding to other men, Oliver makes his way toward what appears to be a place where there is food. Food! Proper stuff as well, nothing Yao Fei or he had killed before roasting over a campfire! With his eyes widening and his stomach growling, he moves toward it, wondering if there is anything he could pick up and shove into his pockets for when he returns to Sara._

 _A man mutters to him in Chinese, causing Oliver to freeze._

 _For the love of all things holy! He does not speak Chinese!_

 _"Different day, same slop." He says in English as Oliver stays silent, watching the food in front of him as the man turns to him once again._

 _"You new?" He questions._

 _"Yeah!" Oliver nods as he starts to get a trey of food. There is some sort of stew, an apple and a small bread roll. He'd eat the stew and save the other two pieces for Sara._

 _"Don't worry! Took me a year to find my way around the island." He smirks at Oliver before beginning to walk away._

 _"Ohh hey, hey, hey!" Oliver calls desperately, a plan suddenly coming to mind._

 _"I am supposed to be transporting a prisoner, Chinese guy, wears a green hood?" He queries as the other guy nods._

 _"Sounds like the guy they took to the east camp. I'm heading over that way, come on. You can hitch a ride." He replies as Oliver freezes, having not thought this through._

 _"Let's go, come on!" The man commands as Oliver reluctantly puts down his trey, almost dropping it completely when he hears a shrill scream._

 _Sara…_

 _He whirls around in an instant and races toward the main camp where two of Fyers men are dragging Sara toward the camp, Oliver steps forward._

 _It's hopeless, he can't take on all these armed men with only one gun. He can't do it, it's impossible he deduces as he almost falls to his knees at the sight of them dragging Sara into the middle of the camp, throwing her to the forest floor._

 _"We found her behind one of those trees!" The one who was holding growls, some of them men look at Sara with leering looks in their eyes._

 _"What do we do with her? Hand her to the boss or should we have some fun with her before that?" One says with a sly smile as Sara cries and tries to move, only to be kicked down again._

 _They should never have separated, this is all his fault! Oliver thinks to himself._

 _"Come on. East camp!" The man beside him commands, gesturing to the vehicle._

 _"Shouldn't we take her with us? To the other prisoner?" Oliver suggests, anything to keep Sara with him, he can't just leave her here. She'd be killed!_

 _Yet before the man can reply another load of guards enter the clearing, a limping Fyers ahead of them all._

 _"Hold up, hold up! Unit One, Two." He indicates with his hand before finally noticing Sara._

 _"What have we here?" He questions as he passes Oliver, limping toward Sara._

 _"What? No boyfriend to protect you?" He bends down to her._

 _"Or is he dead?" He smiles an eerie smile as Sara spits in his face._

 _Oliver freezes at her action, all but expecting Fyers to kill her there and then. No, he thinks to himself. No, he can't lose Sara. Nothing can happen to Sara, he'd actually attempt that suicide plan to go all guns blazing on this group of it gave him a shot at saving her right now!_

 _"I think you should come with me! Perhaps you'll be more inclined to talk without your boyfriend present, or even alive? Is he alive? Did he just abandon you here? I highly doubt that. I thought there was a strong connection between the two of you. Perhaps I was wrong." He laughs before raising his hand and punching Sara hard in the face, rendering her unconscious, Oliver unable to do or say anything but just stand there and watch as Fyers drags Sara's unconscious form toward them._

 _"Get in!" The man shouts to him as Oliver wills his feet to move toward the vehicle, in which he sits in the passenger seat, watching as Fyers climbs into the back, dragging Sara's unconscious form with him…_

 _The Foundry (Upper Level)_

"That wall over there still has to be taped and textured." Tommy Merlyn commands to the builders he has trying to help build the club, something which has become harder since that awful fire!

"I need you to grout the hallway floor as soon as they are done with the tile instal!" He snaps to one of the workers.

"If this is not done I will set my bosses on you and I'm pretty sure that one of them is a psychopath!" Tommy folds his arms just as his mobile begins to ring, glaring at the screen in an instant when he see that the person calling is his father.

"Yeah?" Tommy mutters as the builders return to working.

"Hey, Tommy." Malcolm replies in a relatively calm voice.

"Dad, I am really busy! I have this club to set up that is practically falling apart and if no progress is made, I am going to be murdered by my best friend and my other psychotic boss!" Tommy growls, all prepared to hang up.

Malcolm simply laughs in response.

"Oliver and Mr. Wilson giving you a hard time?" He queries.

"Why do you care!" Tommy snaps hastily.

"Nice to see that Oliver is turning over a new leaf, much like yourself. I actually met Mr. Wilson several weeks back. He seems like an interesting person."

Interesting? He's a freakin asshole! Tommy wants to say yet keeps quiet, wanting this conversation to end as quickly as possible.

"Look Tommy, I know things have been, well. Strained between us since…"

"What? Since you cut me off and told me that I was a loser?" Tommy shoots back, trying to keep his emotions in check, yet finding the task very hard to do!

"I was just trying to jolt you into adulthood and look at you know. You've got your first job." Malcolm starts.

"Yeah with one boss from hell who hates my guts!" Tommy can't help but grumble.

"I think my tough love worked." Malcolm says with a small laugh.

"What do you want, dad? I gathered this isn't just a social call. You don't do that kinda thing." Tommy practically snarls.

"Nothing more than to share a meal with my son. Dinner tomorrow night?" He offers.

"Laurel and I have plans." Tommy mutters.

"Bring her along. I think it's time I got to know her a little better." He comments before adding quietly.

"Tommy, I've said some pretty hurtful things and I regret them but you are still my son and I still want what I've always wanted, for us to be close." He admits to nothing but silence from Tommy's end for a few moments.

"Let me check with Laurel and I'll get back to you." Tommy says before hanging up, a million and one thoughts racing through his head all at once.

Some of them good, some of them bad.

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"Hello." Leonard says in greeting as he joins Slade at the bar.

The two of them bumping into one another quite frequently at this bar!

"Killed that Merlyn kid yet?" He smirks as he sits down.

"Nah. No such luck." Slade smirks back.

"That nightclub of yours survived that fire?" He queries.

"Unfortunately so." Slade grumbles.

"At least you still get to boss around that Merlyn kid." He reminds him.

"That is true. Oliver says I'm too harsh on him. Too harsh! If anything I'm being rather lenient with him!" Slade mutters.

"Ignore Queen! I don't know how you put up with both of them and I've never even met them!" Leonard smiles before adding.

"How's the blonde?"

"Sara." Slade murmurs.

"Still with Queen?" He questions, receiving a raised eyebrow from Slade.

"Pity, pity." He smirks as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Damn that's one hellva robbery!" Leonard comments upon noticing the TV reporting the robbery from last night once again.

"Starling City is not much to be desired." Slade murmurs.

"Well that there is someone trying to make a statement of some kind. I've read about robberies before on the news and I've yet to come across one with weapons like that being used." Leonard stares at the screen before adding.

"I'm suspecting that due to the weapons that whoever has done this are pro's. They've either stolen from the military or they are disgraced members of the military." Leonard notes as Slade takes a sip from his drink.

John Diggle is wrong, like he had honestly expected all along!

The list isn't wrong, that man they had discovered probably is the one orchestrating this whole thing, as if even a regular man like Leonard, who according to Leonard works as some kind of delivery man, believes that the robbers were once members of the military then the list is right and the name needs to be crossed off.

Sooner than later!

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

"Hey!" Oliver calls from the couch where he is sitting beside Sara when Slade enters the apartment.

"We off to go 'talk' to that arsehole?" Slade questions as Oliver nods.

"Yeah I was thinking that we should set off to The Foundry soon."

"I do kinda feel sorry for Diggle I must admit." Sara sighs as Oliver pulls her to her feet.

"I know. It's not easy to find out that someone close to you is not who they seem." Oliver sighs as even Slade nods.

"If you've trusted that person and that person has saved your life before then for them to suddenly turn around and betray you…" Slade trails off as Oliver approaches him.

"Your thinking about…"

"Yep, kid. Yes I am." Slade replies as Oliver looks away for a moment, the memory hitting him as well, he pats Slade's arm in comfort almost as they head for the door.

"Maybe you should talk to Diggle about him. Might help him with this situation." Sara suggest as Oliver nods.

"Yeah, that could be beneficial for both of you. I know you and Diggle don't exactly get on, maybe this could help?" Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Doubt it's gonna help, kid considering the fact he is strongly in denial!" Slade mutters.

"Maybe you could help with that?" Sara says softly.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen!" Slade mutters with another roll of his eye.

"Come on then, let's go have a chat with this Gaynor bloke!"

 _Starling City: Black Hawk HQ_

Inside the Black Hawk Squad Protection Group building two men walk calmly and silently from office to office, making small talk as they go neither of them expecting to hear a whistling in the air before two small darts are shot into their necks by The Man In The Hood as he climbs up the staircase, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask beside him as they go, the three of them on a mission to find someone in particular.

Meanwhile, Ted Gaynor sits calmly at his desk in his office, glancing at a laptop holding a memory stick. Noticing that what he wanted has been done, he pulls the memory stick from the computer, typing a code into it before placing the cap on it.

As he turns to leave he comes face to face with The Man In The Mask, not even being able to even make a sound before The Man In The Mask kicks him hard to the floor as the other two vigilantes enter in behind him.

"Ted Gaynor, we're going to have a conversation!" The Man In The Hood snarls as Gaynor manages to find his feet.

"If you move. If you go for a gun, things will end badly for you!" The Man In The Hood threatens as the sound of a gun cocking from behind them causes the three vigilantes to spin around in an instant.

The Man In The Hood raising his bow, The Man In The Mask aiming his sword.

John Diggle stands in front of them, a gun raised.

"Put the bow and arrow, the sword and the batons down now!" Diggle commands, watching to see what the three of them do.

The Man In The Mask looks as if he is about to make a move and does by suddenly throwing a knife from his pocket to knock the gun out of Diggle's hand, advancing on him with his sword as Diggle scrambles for the gun when abruptly The Man In The Hood suddenly spins around and shoots out a light, causing a distraction before anything can escalate any further, knowing that The Man In The Mask would more than happily kill Diggle after the stunt he's just pulled! The Man In The Hood knows this because at the moment, he wants to kill Diggle to!

The Woman In Black snatching up the memory stick as the three vigilantes flee the scene.

More livid then they have ever been!

 _Meanwhile…_

Diggle watches after the three vigilantes as they race away, sighing in frustration, knowing that when he gets back to The Foundry he is probably going to lose a limb, several or even his life when he sees Slade again and for a moment Diggle thinks himself lucky that Oliver caused a distraction before Slade could kill him!

"It's all clear!" Diggle yells to Gaynor, turning to face his friend.

"You ok?"

"Um, yeah! Well, I've got to talk to my boss but after what I just saw, I'd say you're as good as hired." Gaynor chuckles.

"That's a hell of a job interview, Ted. Usually the three vigilantes only go after rich schmucks! Any reason why they would change their MO for you?" He questions cautiously as Gaynor sighs, causing Diggle to freeze just a little bit.

"You've know me a long time, John. What do you think?" Ted smiles.

"I think they made a mistake, got the wrong guy." Diggle admits as he pats his friend's shoulder reassuringly.

They've got the wrong guy, that Diggle is most certain off!

 _The Foundry…_

Deciding it time to face the music sooner than later, Diggle returns from Black Hawks to The Foundry to see what is waiting for him in the lair of the vigilantes.

Upon spying them all with their arms folded, scowls upon their faces and the fact that Oliver is still holding his bow and arrow. Diggle already knows that this isn't going to be good!

Yet calmly, Diggle walks down the steps toward them as he does almost everyday with an expression that shows no fear, no nervousness.

Oliver snaps before Diggle can even finish descending the stairs, smacking his bow down hard on the table as he glares at Diggle.

"I could have shot you! Slade could have stabbed you! We could have all killed you! What the hell were you thinking!" Oliver yells furiously with more ferociousness than Diggle has ever seen from Oliver before as he reaches the last step.

"I'm not going to let either of you William Tell an innocent man!" Diggle snaps back only to have Slade walk up to him and punch him hard in the face, all restraint gone! The force of the blow knocking Diggle off his feet almost as Diggle fights back, moving to punch Slade back, only to be deflected and have his arm twisted behind him so painfully he thinks that Slade is about to break his arm!

"I am done playing nice!" Slade growls viciously as he moves to attack Diggle again, this time who dodges and lands an attack of his own, Slade knocking him backwards toward the create, which Diggle almost trips over.

"Slade! Slade!" Oliver and Sara move toward where Diggle and Slade are fighting it out to try and break up the fight, knowing exactly what Slade's capable of when he's this angry!

Diggle and Slade continue to fight, both landing punches and attacks as Oliver and Sara yell at them to stop, Oliver moving closer toward them both.

"Slade! Slade stop!" Oliver yells as he tries to get to Slade's side.

"Stay out of this, kid!" Slade growls almost inhumanely as Diggle deflects another attack.

"Stop!" Oliver yells again as he tries to grab Slade's arm only to have Slade throw his hand back whilst trying to deflect Diggle, a sickening crack stopping both men in their tracks.

"Ollie!" Sara calls worriedly as Oliver steps backwards holding his nose and growling in pain.

To Diggle's utmost surprise, instead of turning back to fight him whilst he is distracted by Oliver's nose probably breaking, Slade turns to Oliver.

"You a'right, kid?" Slade questions, evident concern in his low voice.

Despite the pain, Oliver nods briskly.

"What were you playin' at?" Slade practically growls as Sara grabs Oliver's arm and leads him toward the chair by the computer, Slade following.

"At least you didn't kill him." Oliver murmurs whilst holding his pained nose.

"Still thinking about it!" Slade snarls as Diggle wonders if he should have attempted to take Slade down when he was distracted by Oliver!

"Ohh just you try!" Diggle snaps back.

"Wanna risk it?"

"GUY'S!" Sara yells angrily, cutting them both off in an instant, both of them startled by Sara raising her voice, something she does not do usually.

"You pair need to sort out your differences right now! You pair are at each other's throats all the time and it needs to stop! We're supposed to be a freakin team here!" She yells.

"Yeah, Sara we were. You, me and Oliver! Then you pair thought you'd be clever by bringing him into the mix!"

"I wasn't finished!" Sara cuts Slade off, glaring at him.

"Like it or not, the four of us are in this together and you pair have just got to get on with that!" Sara shoots a glare in both Slade and Diggle's direction.

"Diggle what you did tonight was reckless. It was stupid and if you get in our way like that again you may not be so fortunate." Oliver murmurs through the pain, grunting slightly as Slade moves over toward him.

"Definitely broken." He comments once he manages to move Oliver's hand away from his nose so he can see the damage done.

"Not like you haven't broken my nose before Slade!" Oliver mutters.

"I don't think I did, kid! You were just not used to getting punched in the face until that moment." Slade can't help but smirk as he moves to get the med kit.

"You punched me pretty hard!" Oliver reminds him.

"Did ya really think I was gonna let you get away with punching me?" Slade grins momentarily at the memory as he returns to Oliver's side.

"Your probably going to get a black eye tomorrow." Sara rubs Oliver's shoulders when she glances at his bloodied face.

"At least we don't really have to lie as. I broke my nose because Slade punched me is something people would actually believe!" Oliver jokes as Slade passes him some ice.

"Damn right." Diggle rolls his eyes at the three of them.

"Diggle. If you value your life I wouldn't say anything else to piss him off tonight." Oliver sighs as Diggle rolls his eyes at them.

"Oliver. I apologise but I was stopping the three of you from making a mistake!"

"Gaynor Isn't innocent Diggle!" Oliver snaps.

"You three seem to thank that mainly because of what's in that damn book, which the three of you apparently trust more than you trust me!" Diggle yells, Oliver is laying a hand on Slade's arm to stop him from trying to fight Diggle again, sensing Slade's anger returning.

Oliver really doesn't want to have to break up another fight between them, one broken nose is quite enough as it is!

"I. I trust my father and he explained everything to me and Slade that every name on that list has a reason to be there!" Oliver growls.

"I thought you and Sara took that book off your father's dead body! How could he have been so chatty and how could he explain it to him!" He glances at Slade with much distaste.

Oliver is silent as he looks between Slade and Sara, the memory hitting him.

Sara wasn't there at the time of this memory. It had only be he and Slade. He remembers it all to well and by the look on Slade's face, so does he.

"A few years ago, Slade and I found a message my dad left me explaining the list." Oliver murmurs whilst looking up at Slade, his hand finding Sara's.

"How is that possible?" Diggle asks in a much calmer voice than before, noticing the shaken up look upon Oliver's face as he remembers.

"You three were on a deserted island!" He ends up shouting again.

"I didn't say that we found it on the island!" Oliver admits as Diggle rolls his eyes and looks away from the three of them.

"Diggle, for the past four months, I have lied to, hurt and hid things from all the people I care about except Sara and Slade! Do you really think that we would be doing any of this if we were not sure." Oliver snarls as Slade pulls up another chair to sit beside Oliver. The three of them looking away from Diggle.

"Guys listen. Gaynor got me into Black Hawk and I'm going to prove he's innocent." Diggle moves away from them.

"And if he isn't?" Sara questions.

"You three owe me that." Diggle says as he grabs his gun, taking another step toward the three of them.

"You three owe me at least that!"

 _The car moves at a decent pace through the forests of the island._

 _Oliver keeps looking forward, doing everything and anything in his power not to look back at Sara's still unconscious form besides Fyers._

 _This was a terrible plan, they never should have tried to separate or go to that camp and it takes Oliver everything in his power not to grab his gun and kill Fyers and the other guy but he knows he's not strong enough to take either of them out and the most likely scenario is that Oliver would end up dead or a million times worse, Sara would be killed in the crossfire! So Oliver just keeps his eyes ahead, knowing that if they make it to east camp then he may have a shot in saving both Sara and Yao Fei._

 _"Were you stationed by the perimeter?" Fyers questions for the first time, causing Oliver to be slightly startled._

 _"Yes." Oliver replies as calmly as he can._

 _"And your report?" Oliver freezes again._

 _"Um, everything's good, sir. No trouble." Oliver makes up._

 _"How long have you been stationed here?" Fyers questions._

 _"I just arrived, sir."_

 _"Yes. You do seem rather green. Though I don't recall a submarine bringing in a phalanx of new troops lately." Fyers responds as Oliver starts to panic, Fyers is going to see through him sooner or later._

 _"Submarine? I thought everybody came into the island on the plane." Oliver questions as Fyers is silent for a moment._

 _"Indeed they do."_

 _Starling City_

"I think you've tried on every dress in the city." Moira smirks as she looks at a piece of clothing she had brought with Thea, the two of them having gone shopping for her birthday and are currently traveling to a new shop or café for lunch.

"Totally worth it." Thea smirks as she looks at another one of her dresses.

"My friends are going to freak!"

"Yes, well if your father were still alive, he'd freak too, though in an entirely different way!" Moira laughs as Thea smiles to.

"Like when he saw what I was wearing to my first boy girl dance?"

"That poor boy you went with! Robert scared him to death." Moira reminds her as Thea sighs sadly.

"You know dad used to say his saddest day would be when I turned eighteen? Now he's gone and I'm the one that's sad."

Moira moves the bags so she can attempt to comfort her daughter, yet before that happens her phone begins to ring.

"Sorry." She apologises to Thea as she looks at her phone to see the name Malcolm Merlyn.

"I need to take this." She says, realising it would probably be important.

Thea looks at her mother with sad eyes as she answers the phone.

"Hello? Yes, I understand but I'm with my daughter." Moira speaks to silence for a few minutes causing Thea to look away.

She knew this day was too good to be true. Just like always, her mother is pulled away from her just like she should have expected!

"All right, I'll be there." Moira finishes to Thea's sadness as he mother hangs up and runs ahead and through her hair exasperatedly.

"I thought you said we were going to spend the whole together?" Thea protests.

"I know, but, um… Compliance needs to file the 8K connected to my assuming Walter's position at the company and they can't wait." She explains as Thea rolls her eyes and tsks.

"I'm sorry."

 _CNRI_

"Hey." Tommy murmurs in a dull voice as he approaches Laurel at her office, she turns around to face him worriedly, Tommy never coming to see her without normally a megawatt smile and a bounce in his step and it concerns her greatly as she puts her files down to embrace him, noticing how tensed up he is.

"Is everything ok? What's wrong? Slade and Oliver fire you?" She tries to smile, even though it is a valid question!

"You look really worried." She notes as Tommy holds her close, almost as if he's afraid to let go. Moving to rest her hands against his face, she looks up at him with concerned eyes.

"Not worried, just my father called." He admits as Laurel freezes, knowing that this isn't going to be good, considering his father cut him off and basically left him to beg and borrow.

"Oh and how did that go?" She questions softly as he kisses her cheek.

"He invited us to dinner for tonight." He admits.

"Ohh, ok." Laurel replies, not expecting that response.

"Yeah I know. Apparently he wants to mend some fences, but thanks to him I can't afford a fence! So I can only assume he's got some other agenda." Tommy murmurs.

"Well there's only one way to find out. Maybe he really is trying to extend an olive branch." She sighs softly.

"You really don't have to say yes Laurel." Tommy replies.

"Yes I do. I'm not about to let you go that alone. I know it's gonna be hard for you to do this and I want to be there for you if it ends up being good or bad, hopefully good as you never know." Laurel shrugs her shoulders as Tommy pulls her closer.

"You really do look for the best in people don't you?" She laughs and puts her arms around Tommy's neck.

"Lucky for you!" She smiles before pulling him in for a long kiss…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter is in the works so hopefully it will be updated sooner than later, thanks to all of you who have followed, favourited and reviewed it means a lot! See you all next update!**


	34. Trust But Verify (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty Four**

 _Malcolm Merlyn's Office_

"I'm sorry to have to pull you away from your family like that." Malcolm says in apology as he enters his office to see Moria standing there with her arms folded and am angry look upon her face.

"What do you want Malcolm?" She asks in an almost tired like voice.

"We have a problem with your friend, Carl Ballard." Malcolm comments upon opening a near by file and passing it to Moria.

"He's trying to gentrify The Glades." He explains as Moria shoots him a sharp glance as she starts to look inside the file.

"But Carl knows that's not part of the plan…"

"Which is why you're going to shut him down." Malcolm cuts her off firmly with his demand as Moria stares at him incredulously.

"He's you're friend, he'll listen to you." Malcolm adds quickly as Moria folds her arms.

"You want me to help you with Carl. I want something in return." She hands him back the documents, a determine look on her face.

"Proof. That Walters still alive." She demands.

"My word isn't enough?" Malcolm questions coldly.

"Hm what's that saying? Trust but verify?" She questions as he places his hand on her shoulder, leaning toward her.

"Words to live by." He murmurs before departing, both of them unaware that in the corner of the office, Thea Queen stands, watching their every move.

 _Big Belly Burger_

"Two days later and I am still digging regurgitated tacos out of the car vents and he asks me what I won't turn on the AC!" Ted raises his mug of coffee as Diggle laughs at the story, it been a long time since he last saw and spoke to his friend.

"All right, you win! Guarding Queen was never that bad! His friends are a nightmare but I'll say no more on that!" Diggle mutters, still feeling the rather painful bruises from his recent fight with Slade!

"Yeah his friend doesn't look the easiest guy in the world!" Ted agrees before rolling his eyes at Diggle.

"Six years serving my country and the only thing I'm qualified for is babysitting spoiled brats!" He takes a sip from his drink.

"Well, Ted they're not all like that." Diggle murmurs in response.

"Haven't met one yet that would survive a single day in country. Sometimes makes me wonder what I was doing over there!" He rolls his eyes again raising an eyebrow to Diggle.

"You get in a fight?" He questions.

"Misunderstanding, Queen's friends are not all billionaires! One packs one hellva punch." Diggle grumbles the last bit under his breath.

"I bet I could guess which friend that is." Ted replies.

"Yep." Diggle mutters.

"Where did he even come from?" He queries.

"Other than the island, I'm not sure. I don't know enough about him. Think he used to be in the military." Diggle says in explanation as Carly approaches the table.

"Specialty of the house." She puts a plate down with a warm welcoming smile.

"Thank you Carly!" Ted grins as he starts his cake, Diggle looking on in frustration.

"Where's my cake?" He protests with a smile at his sister in law.

"No. Tired of listening to you complain about the dry cleaners shrinking your suits!"

"Ohh yeah…" Diggle trails off as Carly pats him on the shoulder and leaves, Diggle smiling after her as she goes.

"She likes you." Gaynor concludes.

"She's my sister in law, Ted." Diggle reminds him.

"Not anymore." He says as Diggle looks down.

"Look, your brother's gone, John, but you are here." He sighs as Diggle looks up at him, about to say something when an associate of Gaynor's approaches the table.

"Cars outside. Got a client to drop off at the shakin' art gallery opening."

"John, you remember Paul Knox? He was a couple of ranks under us back in the 'Stan." Ted reminds him as Diggle nods, Knox and Diggle sharing a glance before he offers him his hand.

"Good to be working with you." He says, shaking hands with Diggle.

"I'll be outside." He nods to Ted before departing once more. Diggle watches him go with suspicion from memories past as he leans over the table to Ted.

"I didn't know Knox worked at Black Hawk." He comments as Ted looks up.

"They recruited him when his tour ended last month." He explains as Diggle hums in suspicion of the man.

"People change, John and everyone deserves a chance to prove it." He slides the cake over to Diggle before departing, leaving Diggle with many thoughts on his mind.

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

"Damn it! I can't get into this thing!" Oliver snaps as he hits his keyboard in frustration at not being able to access the memory stick they had taken from Black Hawk.

"Come here. Let me have a go, you might just not be giving it enough patience." Sara says with a slight smile as she takes Oliver's place, who sighs and moves to the couch where Slade is sitting, glaring at a wall.

"I'm putting a dart board in here tomorrow." Slade grumbles as he folds his arms.

"I'm mad at Diggle to Slade. Don't think I'm not." Oliver sighs.

"Never should have recruited him in the first place! Next time you want to try and let someone into our secret maybe you should check with…"

"Oliver!" Thea's voice calls as she knocks loudly on the front door.

"Coming Thea!" Oliver moves to his feet, Sara shutting the laptop lid down as Oliver passes her on the way to the door.

"Can you get into it?" Slade mouths to Sara, who shakes her head in despair at not being able to crack the memory stick either.

"Thea? What's wrong?" Oliver asks worriedly as he opens the door and his sister runs straight into his arms.

"I need to talk to you." She murmurs.

"Thea, we're not going to tell you if Mom's getting you a car." Oliver laughs softly as Thea looks up at him.

"It's not about that and what the hell happened to your nose?" She questions with concern as Oliver takes her hand and leads her toward the couch where Slade is.

"He elbowed me in the face!" Oliver laughs as Thea smiles briefly.

"You know Ollie, I actually believe that probably happened!" She chuckles, glancing at Slade.

"Well done!" She sniggers as Slade simply smirks.

"So what's wrong?" Sara asks softly as she joins the three of them on the couch.

"Remember last week when I asked you guys if you thought mom was acting weird?" Thea questions, her tone serious.

"Yeah." Oliver nods, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well today I found out why! She's hooking up with Tommy's dad!" Thea cries.

"Thea, that's insane." Oliver sighs.

"Wouldn't put it past her, kid." Slade murmurs. Thea looks at him gratefully.

"Thank you for believing me! Ollie I just saw them together! It's happening all over again." She cries as Oliver wraps his arms around his sister and pulls her closer.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Oliver asks gently.

"A couple of months before you, dad and Sara left on the Gambit. Mom and dad were arguing a lot." She admits.

"About what" Sara questions.

"I don't know, but she was having a lot of these lunch meetings with Mr. Merlyn and now Walter's gone too and mom and Mr. Merlyn are back at it and it's gross!" She groans.

"Thea, mom never would have cheated on dad. She's not cheating on Walter." Oliver tries to reassure her.

"Ollie you don't want to believe it because you have this perfect image of mom in your head. That's not who she is Ollie, even your best friend can see it!" She gestures to Slade.

"Oliver. I know how you feel about your mother but that woman is not perfect, she is far from it and this is something I too believe she'd be capable of, kid." Slade admits as Oliver lets out a sigh.

"He's right, Ollie. She's a liar and a cheater and I don't think you really know her at all. I mean, I can't even go home right now because I can't look at her in the face without having thinking…" Thea adds as more tears escape from her eyes.

"Ok Thea, I will go and talk her and see what she has to say. You can hang here for a long as you want until the party and then after you can stay here for tonight and I will explain that to her so she doesn't give you any grief ok?" Oliver resolves as she wraps her arms around him tightly again as he moves from the couch.

"Slade, stay here with Thea because I doubt she's gonna say a damn thing is you're there. Sara and I will go talk to her." Oliver commands as he grabs Sara's hand, heading for the door, turning to look at his little sister.

"It's all going to be ok. I'm sure of it!"

 _Queen Mansion_

"Wait here." Oliver says to Sara softly when they reach Queen Mansion.

"Keep your ears open." He smirks at her as she smiles back.

"I will. Good luck!" She replies as he kisses her forehead sweetly before noticing his mom in the living room.

"Oliver, sweetheart! It's so lovely to see you and only you for a change!" She pulls her son into an embrace, frowning when she realizes how tensed up he is.

"What's wrong Oliver? You know I can't for the life of me figure out where Thea's got to! The party is in a few hours. Have you seen her?" She questions.

"She's at my place with Slade and Sara." Moria frowns upon the instant Oliver says the words.

"What?" Her tone is icy.

"Apparently she thinks you're having an affair with Tommy's dad and she came to me, Sara and Slade all upset about it." Oliver reveals.

"She thinks Malcolm and I are having an affair?" Moira gasps in shock at her son's words.

"And that it started back when dad was still alive." Oliver adds.

"Why on earth would she think that!" Moria cries exasperatedly as Oliver sits down.

"She says you and dad were always fighting." Oliver explains as Moria shakes her head.

"Ohh dear god." She mutters as she turns away from him.

"Mom?" Oliver says in a small voice at his mother's reaction. The thought that Thea and Slade being right hitting him at her response to his questions.

"It's not your concern sweetheart…"

"Thea made it my concern when she showed up on mine, Sara and Slade's doorstep crying about it!" Oliver protests as silence falls between the two of them as Moria shakes her head again and walks a few steps away so she is no longer facing Oliver.

"What's going on?" Oliver asks softly as Moira turns back to face him once more, a sad expression upon her face.

"Robert was unfaithful to me repeatedly." She eventually admits as Oliver buries his face in his hands at the revelation.

"It made our marriage difficult to say the least. I'm sorry Oliver but your father wasn't always the man you thought he was." She sighs as Oliver looks up and rolls his eyes.

"I know you thought he walked on water, but you see, that's how I wanted you to remember him, as a good man who loved you. That's how I want Thea to remember him, so promise me you'll keep it a secret." She begs as Oliver looks up at her.

"Of course." He nods as she pats his shoulder.

"Mom?"

"Yes?" She asks shakily.

"Why would Thea think that you and Mr. Merlyn are still sneaking around?" He questions.

"Well I can't imagine…"

"Have you seen him lately?" Oliver cuts her off.

"Oliver, he's been the CEO of Merlyn Global Group for years. I've been running Queen Consolidated mere weeks. Of course yes, occasionally go and ask him for advice. Is my interrogation over?" She asks a little sharply as Oliver nods.

"I don't want Thea staying with you and…" She trail off.

"Well tonight mom, after her party she is because right now she can't face coming home!"

Moria shakes her head in response, yet says nothing as she departs…

 _It was pitch black at night when Oliver, Fyers and Sara reached the east camp._

 _Still believing him to be a soldier, Fyers had stuck him on patrol and had taken Sara away, which killed Oliver as he couldn't try and save her now without it becoming a suicide mission! Yet just as he's eying a group of prisoners trapped in cages Fyers appears._

 _"See this where we, um, detain prisoners prone to running off before I've finished with them!" He says in explanation._

 _"The girl will join them all too soon once I've been allowed a crack at her." Fyers smirks, Oliver tries not to do or say anything still, trying to keep his thoughts clear so he can figure out a plan to save her and Yao Fei. Yet before another word is said something hard hits him on the back of the head causing him to fall to the ground, grunting at the pain in his head as he hits the forest floor, hearing the sounds of guns cock as Fyers bends down and pulls the balaclava from his face._

 _"Prisoners like you and your girlfriend, Mr. Queen."_

 _Starling City_

"Ollie I'm so sorry." Sara speaks finally after silence throughout the whole journey back to the apartment.

They climb the stairs together, Oliver squeezing her hand tightly.

"I knew my father was not the man I thought he was, I knew that. I just didn't know this and Sara, I don't know how I am going to lie to Thea about this." Oliver sighs as Sara tugs his hand to pull him to a standstill.

"Ollie I don't think you should lie to her about this." Sara admits.

"Sara, despite everything mom was right. Thea should remember her father for the man who loved her and was a wonderful father to her, not like this." Oliver groans as Sara rests both of her palms against his chest.

"I get that Ollie, but I think that one day she's going to find out about this herself and when she does and finds out you and her mom lied to her it will break her heart. I think you should tell her the truth here and now. If it were me and it were Laurel, I would have told her." Sara replies as she kisses him softly.

"Tell her. Tell her then perhaps advise her not to mention that she knows about all this to your mother as to not strain your relationship with her?" Sara suggests as Oliver looks at her and just smiles at her.

"What?" She questions with a smile of her own.

"You are amazing, you know that Sara?" He says as he kisses her himself.

"I have my moments." She murmurs as she pulls back.

"One of the many, many reason why I love you so much." Oliver strokes her cheek lovingly.

"Aww, I love you too." She replies as they share another kiss, knowing that unfortunately, there are more unpleasant moments ahead!

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

Thea is on her feet the moment Oliver and Sara enter the apartment, looking at both of them to see if she can somehow figure out what they are going to tell her.

Slade glances at Sara and Oliver with a raised eyebrow, gathering all the information he needs from their facial expressions.

As per usual, he was right!

"Well." Thea starts in a small voice.

"What did she say?" She adds as Oliver doesn't speak, just pulls her into an embrace.

"Ohh my god." She whispers as Oliver holds her close.

"Moira with Merlyn?" Slade questions almost inaudibly to Sara when she walks over to him.

"She used to be, there's more to it apparently but I don't know. I told Ollie just to tell Thea the truth." Sara murmurs in response as Oliver releases Thea, holding her hands tightly.

"Thea. What I'm about to tell you, you have to promise me you'll keep it a secret from everyone, including mom. Don't tell mom I told you or that you know anything because I promised her I wouldn't say anything to you but I can't lie to you about this and I'm sorry." Oliver admits in a calm voice as through her tears Thea nods.

"Tell me. I can take it Ollie. I won't tell mom you said anything." She agrees as Oliver smiles at her sadly before leading her back toward the couch.

"From what she told me, I think mom used to have an affair with Mr. Merlyn but she assures me she doesn't anymore…"

"I knew it. I just freakin knew it!" Thea shakes her head, tears coming to her eyes.

"But like she told me, not anymore. It ended a long time ago and the only reason it happened in the first place was because of dad." Oliver starts yet stops when Thea looks at him with sad eyes.

"What about dad?" She questions, tightening her grip on his hands.

"Thea… Dad wasn't the man we thought he was. He was unfaithful to mom and she I don't know." Oliver shakes his head as tears run down Thea's cheeks.

"No." She shakes her head.

"No." She whispers again in disbelief.

"I am sorry Thea. Mom told me not to tell you because she didn't want you to remember your father like that but as the father who loved his family because Thea, despite all this he loved you so, so much and he never would have abandoned you, just like I would never abandon you. Ever, no matter what Thea, you have me but I need you to not tell mom you know about this." Oliver sighs as she wraps her arms tightly around him.

"Thank. Thank you for telling me the truth Ollie. Mom never would have and I won't say anything to her, not a word." She whimpers as she continues to cry silently.

"Dad loved us both Thea. He really, really did." Oliver tries to assure her.

"I know, I know and we loved him but…" She trails off as Oliver holds her even tighter.

"Thea I know this is hard, I know..."

"It's ok. It's ok Ollie. I'm fine, I just need to think." Thea pulls away from her brother as Oliver nods with a slight smile.

"Yeah, your rooms still intact. Slade's been plotting renovations but your rooms survived." He smiles as she nods.

"I'll see you guys later at the party yeah?" She looks up at Sara and Slade, who nod before she heads off toward her room in the apartment, there being one especially for her of course!

Silence passes between Oliver, Sara and Slade in her absence, neither of them knowing what to say and Slade is certain whatever he wants to say Oliver probably would take offense at!

But in the end it is Oliver who breaks the silence as he looks to the table where the seemingly impenetrable memory stick lies.

"I think I've figured out how to get in that thing but we're going to need some help…"

 _A Restaurant In Starling City…_

"At Christmas one year, Tommy wanted a puppy." Malcolm Merlyn looks up from his food as he recounts a story to Laurel and Tommy, who sit opposite him.

Laurel turns and beams at Tommy as she tries to imagine Tommy as a little boy.

"He wanted to name it Arthur, as in King Arthur, because he's a Merlyn." Malcolm chuckles as Laurel laughs and turns to Tommy again.

"Well you used to be so incredibly adorable."

"I still am." Tommy responds through a mouthful of food as Laurel laughs and squeezes his hand under the table.

"Of course you are!"

"My wife would have liked you, Laurel." Malcolm comments before both he and Tommy share a glance and silence falls momentarily.

"Well I wish I could have know her. She passed away before Tommy and I became friends." She says gently as she squeezes Tommy's hand again.

"She was killed Laurel. There's no need to be polite about it." He says sharply, causing Laurel to look down at her plate.

"You're just a ray of sunshine today, aren't you dad?" Tommy comments as he reaches his arm out to put around Laurel reassuringly.

"Please forgive me. Talking about my wife has a tendency to make me a little bit maudlin." He sips from his drink as Tommy glances at him, one thought still bothering him.

What is his father's aim here?

 _Queen Consolidated_

Just as she is about to open up her meal for the night. Felicity Smoak is disturbed by two people walking into the IT Department.

Putting her food down in an instant when she sees it to be Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson.

"And here I was beginning to think my days of being Oliver Queen and friends personal computer geek were coming to an end! Nice to see you this time as well Oliver! Your friend like the arrows you send Slade to me to find out about?" She smiles.

"Yes he did, thank you." Oliver smiles as he looks at Slade with a curious look, wondering what story his friend came up with.

"Managed to convince Oliver to come in person this time!" Slade shares a knowing smirk with Felicity who smiles back and fiddles with her pen nervously.

"His lazy days are at an end!" He smirks as Oliver turns to face him an indignant look on his face as he folds his arms.

"What did you tell her I was doing?" Oliver frowns.

"Never you mind, kid." Slade sniggers.

"Nothing bad!" Felicity says quickly as Oliver rolls his eyes at Slade.

"Well it's great to see you both again! Like I said, I thought those days were at an end." She repositions her glasses before looking up at them both again.

"Is that your way of saying you missed us?" Oliver questions.

"No, but if it works for you two then go with it." She smiles as Slade chuckles at her.

"Ok so a friend of mine is running a scavenger hunt and there's a case of Lafite Rothschild 1982 waiting at the end." Oliver starts.

"Oh I love red wine." She smiles at them both.

"But in order to find it, we first need to get through this." Oliver explains as Slade hands her the memory stick.

"Security fob." She comments, pulling the top of the stick as she looks at it whilst Slade moves to stand behind her chair to see what she does with the memory stick, Oliver standing behind him as they both glance at her computer, Felicity trying to concentrate on the memory stick and not the son of her boss and his friend standing right behind her as she plugs the memory stick into the computer.

"It's PIN protected. The challenge response goes back to a company called Black Hawk Squad Security Protection Group." She reads as she looks at her computer.

"Yeah, my friend had his bodyguard set it up for him." Oliver explains.

"I think it's cheating." Slade mutters with a smirk as Felicity types in a set of commands.

"This is a military grade cryptographic security protocol. Your friend really went to all this trouble?" She turns to face them.

"The idle rich are hard to entertain." Slade replies as Felicity nods.

"Hey if you get through it, one of those bottles of wine is yours." Oliver smiles, Slade patting her gently on the shoulder.

"Thanks for the help Felicity." He murmurs before following Oliver to the door, Felicity watching them go, a wide smile on her face growing as she turns back to her computer...

 _Meanwhile In A Restaurant In Starling City_

"This has been lovely, Mr. Merlyn. Thank you." Laurel smiles once the three of them have finished their meals, he looks over at her.

"Thank you for joining me. It's been wonderful getting to know my son's girlfriend better." He nods to Laurel who smiles and puts her hand over Tommy's as Malcolm reaches into his coat for something.

"And if Tommy doesn't mind me mixing a little business with pleasure. I could use your signature on these." He places several pieces of paper in front of Tommy, who stops to look at his dad for a moment before taking them and unfolding them to see what they say.

A moment of silence passes between the three of them as Tommy looks at the papers, Laurel knowing it to be not a good thing when he takes her hand in his and holds tightly.

"You want to shut down Mom's free clinic?" He murmurs venomously once he finds the words to say.

"It's not hers anymore Tommy." Malcolm reminds him as Laurel looks to Tommy and his devastated face, she squeezes his hand tighter trying to be of some comfort even though she knows it won't make a blind bit of difference right now.

"That clinic meant everything to mom." Tommy looks up from the papers.

"You were eight years old. I don't think you were in a position to know what was important to your mother. I just need your signature…"

"Stop!" Tommy snaps, glaring at his father.

"This dinner was never about getting to know Laurel. It was about this!" Tommy realizes, knowing his father had an aim here. This just makes it a million times worse!

Glaring at his father, Tommy rises to his feet and walks slowly over to him, placing the papers right in front of him.

"You haven't changed and you never will." Tommy states as Laurel rises to her feet to.

"It's about time that I learned that and stopped letting you disappoint me." Tommy murmurs before moving back toward Laurel.

"Come on, honey." He murmurs softly to her before glaring at his father again and simply walking away. Laurel moves to follow Tommy but stops to glare at Malcolm.

"This clinic was his mother's!" She protests.

"Yes and his mother taught him a lesson that I've been trying to that the world is a hash and unforgiving place..."

"And when did she teach him that!" Laurel snaps as Malcolm rises to his feet.

"When she was lying dead in the street with a bullet in her head!" He mutters before glancing at Laurel again.

"Goodnight."

 _Somewhere In Starling City..._

"Management keeps things running smooth, which is nice. Better than going to war with the army you got, right?" Ted Gaynor looks over at Diggle as they walk down a corridor.

"Indeed. Indeed." Diggle agrees with a smile before questioning.

"So, Ted, are you the reason why Knox is working for Black Hawk?"

"Look, I know you don't like the guy. I wasn't his biggest fan either, but jobs are hard to come by for everybody these days and guys like us, when all anyone thinks you're qualified for is shooting at people. If I hadn't gotten Knox this job, chances are he'd be knocking over liquor stores or robbing banks." Ted explains, walking off. Diggle still glancing at him as he goes…

 _The Foundry_

"Think I did the right thing telling Thea the truth?" Oliver questions once he and Slade get to The Foundry.

"Yes. Yes I do. It only would have come back to bite you later if you hadn't. I just hope it comes back to bite your mother." Slade grumbles as Oliver closes his eyes and sits down in the chair by the computer.

"You know, Slade I feel awful about keeping all these secrets from them but my family, they have their secrets to and I feel as if this was only scratching the surface." Oliver admits as Slade pulls up another chair to sit beside his friend.

"Kid, I don't think you really want to hear my opinion on your family at the moment." Slade murmurs as Oliver glances over at him.

"Yeah, I think I could guess." He says with a slight smile.

"To think I probably would have been just like them if I hadn't have ended up on the island." Oliver sighs.

"Hm, you met me just in time then, kid!" Slade smirks as Oliver laughs.

"Yes I did!" Oliver agrees with another smile.

"I just hope Thea is going to be okay with all of this. I didn't want to drive a wedge between her and mom…"

"Kid, we both know that your mother did that all by herself!" Slade raises and eyebrow at him as Oliver nods.

"Anyway. She's got you and if you could change your life around then so can she!" Slade reminds him.

"I know, I just have a really bad feeling about all of this." Oliver groans just as his mobile rings, seeing it to be Felicity, he answers it and puts it on loud speaker.

"What do you get?" Oliver questions first.

"I think your friend's bodyguard gave him the wrong security fob." Felicity admits.

"Why's that?" Asks Slade.

"Well, once I got past Black Hawk's authentication system, there wasn't anything about a scavenger hunt, just a directory. Well, I think you and Slade have stumbled onto or gotten me to stumble onto something pretty illegal." She reveals.

"Define illegal." Slade murmurs.

"Oh you know, robbing an armoured car with grenade launchers and tear gas."

"Wait. What?" Oliver questions, trying to sound like he knows nothing about this.

"Someone at Black Hawk was using their system to store detailed routes and schedules for each of the city's seven major armoured car carriers, including the three that have already been hit. Mr. Queen, Slade. I think we should provide this information to the police. With it, they should be able to predict the next heist…"

"Hold on. Felicity, we don't want you to get into any trouble with my friend so do us a favor. Forward that directory onto me and Slade and we'll make sure to get it to the police personally." Oliver replies.

"Thank you Felicity." Slade finishes before hanging up, leaving Felicity still hanging on the other end, sighing to herself.

"So no wine then!"

 _Starling City Night…_

On the quiet streets of Starling City a truck drives slowly by, another truck a black one on its tail as it zooms after the truck.

In the middle of the road stands a man with a gun, who like several times before aims it at the truck as his own stops behind their targeted one.

Quickly, the other guards move out of the truck, their weapons held up high ready to shoot their target when suddenly a dagger flies by one of their heads and knocks a mask from one of the men's faces as all of them look up toward the top of buildings where two vigilantes, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask racing across the roofs, dropping down to the tops of vans as they race to avoid the hail of gunfire they are put under as the mean shoot at them desperately.

The Man In The Hood leaping off the top of the van, sending two well aimed arrows at the guards, killing two of them instantly.

The Man In The Mask leaping down behind him, sending a variation of knifes at the other remaining guards, taking down a few more before both vigilantes turn to the man with the grenade launcher, The Man In The Hood firing an arrow at him, shooting him with such force he flies backwards and smashes into the bins as his weapon goes off, causing such an explosion that it throws The Man In The Hood backwards, The Man In The Mask glances at his partner for a moment in worry before focusing on the guards still remaining, some still firing upon him as he manages to get behind one of them and slice their arm off! Yet another hail of gunfire forces him to take cover by The Man In The Hood as the criminals drive swiftly away…

 _Queen Mansion_

Loud music blares from the usually quiet Queen Mansion due to Thea's birthday party being in full swing.

After getting ready with Sara, Thea had arrived at her party, still a little shaken up from the knowledge she has recently acquired and in no mood to talk to her mother. Yet she tries to ignore these feelings as she focus's instead on enjoying her party with her friends.

However, her mother did soon find her and instead of saying anything acted like everything is normal, hugged her daughter wished her a happy birthday and sealed the deal with a present, which turned out to be the thing Thea most desired.

A brand new car! All anger at her mother put to one side for a very brief moment!

 _Meanwhile…_

"Now be nice." Oliver murmurs to Slade as they enter the house to the very loud party going on inside, which Slade automatically rolls his eyes to!

"It's for your sister. I will endeavour to keep my thoughts to myself about these sort of events." Slade says with a slight smirk as Thea races over to them, smiling like the Cheshire Cat and considerably a lot happier than she was before.

"Check it out! Check it out! Convertible!" She cheers as she reaches them both, shaking the keys around that are in her hand.

"You must be so surprised!" Oliver smirks as she hugs him.

"I'm so glad to see you both!" She grins as she also hugs Slade, taking him by surprise.

"Ohh isn't everything absolutely perfect, except if I wasn't angry and mom and if dad were here." She murmurs sadly, memories from earlier and memories of her father hitting her like a wave of sadness.

"If dad were here, he'd say you look beautiful." Oliver hugs her again.

"Ohh, give me a sec. Sara's with Diggle if you were wondering Ollie." She smiles before racing off happily.

"She seems to be in a better mood than earlier." Slade comments."

"You have no idea how glad I am about that." Oliver sighs as he looks around for Sara, only to be almost knocked off his feet as he is tackled in a tight embrace from Sara herself.

"Ohh thank god Ollie, I was so worried." She murmurs as she buries her face into his chest.

"I heard there was another attack and that the two vigilantes were spotted there and no one saw what happened to them." She whispers quickly as Oliver tightens his hold on her.

"From the information we got we had no time to contact you." Slade admits.

"That's ok." Sara nods as she looks up at Oliver.

"I was just so worried about the two of you being out there and the fact that it's taken until now for me to find out that your both ok." She slaps Oliver's arm lightly as the three of them glance over at Diggle.

"We better go talk to him." Oliver sighs as he takes Sara's hand in his and moves through the crowds with Slade following them to Diggle.

"I heard that The Hood and The Mask foiled an armoured car heist this evening." Diggle comments as they reach him.

"Gaynor wasn't running the rocket launcher…"

"I know I was with him the whole time it was going down." Diggle cuts Oliver off mid sentence with a skeptical glance.

"Looks like you were right." Sara murmurs as Slade rolls his eye and looks away from Diggle, still not entirely convinced that Gaynor is innocent from his own personal experience with partners betrayals.

"Listen, if Black Hawk is involved. I put my money on Knox, he started right before the heists began. He has military training." Diggle adds.

"We injured one of them…"

"You mean you cut off his arm!" Oliver cuts Slade off.

"What does it matter either way, kid? Anyway he was bleeding pretty badly when they disappeared in their van." Slade explains.

"Ok, so if any of Knox's blood is in one of the motor poor vans, we'll know for sure." Diggle murmurs as he heads for the door.

"Ok we're going with you." Oliver states as he, Sara and Slade begin to follow Diggle who holds his hand up to stop them.

"No, no, no, no. Listen, the three of you have this party and I told the three of you that I would handle this. If there's any problems, I know you three are just a phone call away." Diggle replies calmly.

"Hey." Oliver pulls his attention back to them whilst Sara discreetly places a tracking device into Diggle's suit.

"Head on a swivel." Oliver nods as Diggle smirks at the three of them.

"It's the way I was born guys."

 _Meanwhile_

Thea happily dances with her friends to the loud blaring club music with for once nothing but happy thoughts.

Obviously all that will all fade away when tomorrow comes but right now Thea just wants to enjoy the happiness whilst it lasts.

"Happy birthday!" Two of Thea's friends call as they race over to embrace her.

"Aww thank you!" Thea beams as she squeezes them tight.

"Here's a special birthday gift for you. It's called Vertigo." One of her friends slides a small packet of green pills into her hand discreetly as Thea grins at them.

"It's supposed to make you feel all floaty!" One of her other friends explains as Thea laughs.

"Yeah if my mom caught me with these, I wouldn't make it to nineteen." She slides it into her pocket with a smirk.

"I'm gonna go put these upstairs and then I'll be right back down." She smiles as she heads for the stairs…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Moira." Malcolm approaches Moria from where she is observing the party from the landing.

"I have a little something for you." He holds out his phone which displays a picture of.

"Walter." She whispers as she trails her fingers over the picture of her husband, who from the picture appears to be very much alive.

"I did as you asked. Now it's your turn to do as I asked." He hisses as he leans toward her, placing a hand on her hip.

"I'll take care of it." Moira murmurs.

"Thank you Moria." He replies before leaving, both unaware of Thea's presence, having come up the stairs to dispose of the Vertigo pills in her room.

Moira is startled when she turns around to see Thea standing there watching her with a glare upon her face.

"At my own party, right here in front of me?" She growls at her mother as all the anger from earlier returns and she turns to leave.

"No Thea you don't understand!" Moria cries as she races after her daughter.

"Walter hasn't even been gone two months and you're already cheating on him!" She snaps.

"Sweetie…"

"No! Just like you did on dad." Thea cuts her off sharply, seeing Oliver's story differently now. Her father may have cheated on her mother before but that was only probably because she cheated on him with the same man she's cheating on Walter with now.

"No, Thea. I never cheated…"

"Like I would believe anything you say. All you tell me is lies, lies!" She turns away again as Moria tries to grab her hand, Thea turns back though anyway.

"You know, I wish it has been you that was on that boat." She growls before storming off furiously, racing back down the stairs, looking around for Oliver, Sara and Slade.

They're nowhere to be seen, none of them are! She realises as she closes her eyes momentarily whilst clutching her new car keys, a thought hitting her.

Vertigo. Should make her feel light and floaty? Well that's exactly what Thea Queen needs right now she thinks to herself as she pulls the pills from her pocket and races toward the door…

 _Black Hawks_

Armed with a torch, Diggle walks around the Black Hawk garage, looking out for the van used in tonights heist for the blood to prove that Paul Knox is the villain here, certainly not his friend and one time saviour.

He opens up the back of one of them, finding the blood spatter easily with the torch, which he touches lightly with his fingers before pulling out of there, glancing at the rest of the van.

Noticing something behind the 'Black Hawks' logo, which reveals to be a sticker covering up the words 'Inter Globe Cable'. He is about to look at the van closer when the sound of a gun cocking sounds very near to him.

"Had a feeling you'd show up." Knox's voice calls from behind him.

"Yeah? Why is that Knox?" Diggle replies in a bored voice.

"Right after Gaynor got you hired, someone hacked our system, first person to ever make it through our firewall." He growls before adding.

"Wanna tell me how you did it?"

"Not really sure." Diggle responds.

"He didn't think you'd be very cooperative." Knox replies.

"Who?" Diggle questions just as the over head light comes on and Ted Gaynor walks out from behind a van, Knox securing Diggle once he is distracted.

"Hey John." Ted smiles.

"Ted, you're a part of this?" Diggle whispers, a million and one thoughts racing through his head at the speed of light. Oliver was right, Sara was right, even worse, Slade was right!

"No not part of. My men, my mission." Ted sighs.

"Mission? This isn't Afghanistan!" Diggle exclaims.

"Oh, don't I know that! Over there we were trusted with millions of dollars in weapons and personnel. We were conquerors." Ted murmurs as he turns back to face Diggle.

"And now we're just Nannies with tasers!"

"So that gives you the right to steal, to kill innocent civilians?" Diggle questions.

"I'm not going to convince you I'm right. I am going to convince you to join the team." Ted replies as Diggle scoffs and shakes his head.

"Yeah! Now I know you're crazy."

"Earlier tonight was supposed to be our last score but because of The Hood and The Mask guy, we struck out. Now, we're a man down. Good thing you're qualified to take his place." Gaynor looks up at Diggle who rolls his eyes at him.

"Ted, I think you're convincing is going to have to be a lot more convincing." He says to a moment of silence between him and Gaynor, who smirks in response.

"Copy that. Cavanaugh!" He shouts down a radio as a man enters from behind them holding a struggling, bound and gagged Carly Diggle.

"Carly!" Diggle whispers in worry as she is dragged toward them.

"You son of a bitch!" He turns to punch Gaynor, yet stops himself when the man holding Carly points a gun at her head.

"Don't! Wait." Diggle yells with his hands up in surrender.

"You both can die tonight, John, or once we do this, we're on a plane and she can go home to your nephew. It's your call." He threatens, unbeknownst to the whole room that this whole conversation has been heard by all three vigilantes and they are far from happy!

 _Later In Starling City…_

With Carly trapped at gunpoint beside Gaynor in one van, Diggle bravely walks out into the middle of the street as so many of Gaynor's men have done before him, a mask on his face and a grenade launcher in hand as he aims it at their upcoming target.

It's Carly's life on the line.

He stands in front of the approaching target, his finger hovering over the trigger but for some reason he can't make the shot and moves out of the way before the truck can hit him.

With a sigh, Gaynor leaps out of the van with Knox.

"Come on, let's go." He yanks Carly out of the car as well as he turns and approaches Diggle.

"You shouldn't have done that, Dig! Now you've got to watch us kill your pretty little girlfriend." Knox taunts him as Carly pleads for her life.

"You know, you're forgetting one thing, guys." Diggle calls loudly.

"Ohh what's that?" Gaynor asks with sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm the one with the grenade launcher!" He bellows before firing it at Knox and Gaynor, who leap out of the way.

"Carly get out of here!" Diggle yells to her as Ted regains his footing and fires a bullet in Carly's direction, chasing after her as Diggle follows him, unbeknownst that Knox has also regained his footing and is now holding a gun aimed at Diggle…

Yet before he can fire it is shot out of his hands by an arrow, turning to see the three vigilantes racing toward him, pulling knives from his pocket he turns on them, attempting to stab them which is quickly ended by The Man In The Mask grabbing his own knife and after a quick altercation between the four of them, he drives a knife through Knox's eye…

 _Meanwhile…_

As Carly Diggle runs for her life she is closely pursued by Gaynor, who has his gun outstretched ready to fire upon her the minute he has her in his sights.

"Freeze!" Diggle yells from behind him, causing Gaynor to come to a stand still before turning to face Diggle, who is holding a gun to him.

"Drop it, Ted, or I swear..."

"Don't posture. You're not going to do it. You can't. I can see it in your eyes." He raises his gun to kill Diggle when he is abruptly stopped by a whooshing sound as his head is separated from his body as The Man In The Mask beheads him from behind.

A moment after Diggle approaches the body of his once great friend before glancing up at The Man In The Mask.

"You three are late." He murmurs.

"Yeah, you knew we were coming." The Man In The Mask replies as Diggle pulls the bug out from his coat.

"Next time the three of you plan on bugging someone, be more subtle about it." He mutters as he continues to look at the body of Gaynor.

"I wish you three had trusted me though."

"Like you trust me?" The Man In The Mask replies sharply as The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black appear, Diggle looking at them in relief when he sees they have Carly standing behind a metal fence, which The Man In The Hood leaps over before joining Diggle and The Man In The Mask, looking down at Gaynor's deceased form.

"We trust you Diggle, but them? Never." The Man In The Hood sighs, having heard the whole conversation over the bug.

"You three should get out of here." He murmurs as the three vigilantes race away into the night as the sirens start to blare.

"John!" Carly calls once The Woman In Black has left her side, he races over to the metal fence just as the police cars arrive.

"Carly. Are you ok?" He questions worriedly.

"Turn around and put your hands where I can see them!" A police officer bellows…

 _Meanwhile…_

On the streets of Starling City, having taken the Vertigo and now in her sweet new ride, Thea Queen drives along the streets without a care in the world!

Nodding her head happily in time to the music as she goes, the light and floaty feeling from the Vertigo doing her a favour as it keeps her care free, happy and…

"Ohh shit!" She swears as she swerves to miss hitting an approaching car, her head fuzzy as she looses control of the car, a ditch being the last thing she sees before complete and utter darkness…

 _Starling City General_

Moria Queen races down the hospital corridor a worried look on her face as she joins Oliver, who to had gotten the call about Thea being in an accident.

Yet both of them are slightly reassured as they were reassured during the phone call that Thea is alright and they only want to keep her in overnight for observation after her unfortunate car wreck.

"What are they doing here?" Moria snaps as she sees Sara and Slade behind Oliver as they race to Thea's room.

"Mom, they care about Thea's well being just as much as we do. Can we not get into this now!" Oliver protests sharply, shutting up his mother as they enter Thea's hospital room.

"Oh Thea!" Moria sighs in relief as they find her lying on the bed, her bruised and cut face, facing away from them as the four of them enter.

"Are you ok?" Oliver asks worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She reaches out for Oliver's hand.

"I'm just headachey, really." She murmurs.

"You scared us all to death." Sara sighs in relief as she moves around the other side of the bed to rub Thea's shoulder comfortingly.

"The car. It. It…"

"The car isn't important right now." Slade mutters as he stands beside Sara.

"Do you remember what happened, sweetheart?" Moria presses as Thea shakes her head.

"Ohh just go away!" She commands.

"Thea please..."

"I said I'm fine, just go away mom. I just want Ollie, Sara and Slade." Thea snaps as Moria looks at Oliver before at Sara and Slade with a glare…

"Don't you dare say anything against Slade or Sara!" Thea growls to her mother before Moria just looks at her with a horrified expression upon her face before leaving the four of them alone.

"I'm sorry." Thea mutters as soon as Moria is gone.

"It's ok. None of us are mad at you." Sara reassures her gently.

"What happened?" Oliver asks softly as he sits beside his sister as she tightens her grip on his hand.

"I saw mom. She was with Malcolm again they were... She lied again to you Oliver, she never stopped seeing Merlyn and you know what that story she told you about dad being unfaithful to her? That might have been true but I bet it was only because she was being unfaithful to him!" Thea snaps as tears run down her cheeks as Slade rolls his eye in response as he thinks of several colourful words to describe Moria Queen!

"I'm sorry Thea." Oliver says to her gently.

"I can't. I can't live under the same roof as her." Thea shakes her head.

"Which is why, when you get out of here you're coming home with us, right Oliver?" Slade looks to Oliver, whom nods.

"Yes. You don't have to live their if you don't want to anymore, you've got your room at our place. I'm all but commanding you to come and live with us!" Oliver says with a half smile.

"I'd like that." Thea sniffs through her tears.

"So would we." Sara smiles at her warmly.

"And if your mother so much as says one word against this, which knowing her she probably will! We'll deal with her." Slade grumbles threateningly as Thea smiles at the three of them, knowing that at least if she has the three of them looking out for her, then she's going to be ok and honestly, she would love to see Slade, Sara and Oliver deal with her mother!

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment: Next Morning_

With a stony expression on his face, Tommy flicks through channels on Laurel's TV boredly, each channel seemingly showing programmes about relationship advice! As his phone buzzes noisily on the coffee table in front of him.

"Ok your father's even beginning to call me now." Laurel appears from the bedroom.

"Don't waste your minutes, honey." Tommy grumbles as Laurel sits beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Tommy sighs and puts the remote down before pulling Laurel into his arms.

"Your father's a jerk, but he's still your father." She sighs as he ignores her and kisses the top of her head instead.

"I think in his own way, I think he sees himself as protecting you somehow." She whispers.

"Yeah, he is really good at using my dead mother for an excuse for being a jerk." He murmurs finally as he holds Laurel tighter at the mention of his mother.

Laurel moves out of Tommy's embrace then, who's face falls as she moves but instead she holds her hand out to him, which he takes and lets her lead him back toward her bedroom where the lights are off, the curtains are shut and Laurel shuts the door behind her before crawling into bed and dragging Tommy with her, before wrapping her arms around him tightly. He never wants her to let go.

"You never talk about her." Laurel murmurs.

"I was only eight, I don't remember much about what happened, but after my father completely shut me out." He stops as Laurel just tugs him closer.

"And then he went away. He was gone for a year, maybe two. I was eight and he left me and that is who my father is. He only cares about himself."

 _The Foundry_

"Cops give you a hard time?" Slade questions upon entering The Foundry alone only to find Diggle there standing over the computer.

"Nah. I explained to them that me and Gaynor were old war buddies. He tried to rope me in, everything else happened under duress when he kidnapped Carly. The Man In The Mask beheaded him in front of me…"

"You weren't going to do it." Slade shrugs as Diggle turns to face him, a moment of silence passing between the two men as Diggle glances at him.

"I screwed up Slade." He states plainly.

"Obviously you were right and Gaynor wasn't the man I thought he was." Diggle murmurs.

"You said you had experience with that?" He adds, wondering momentarily if he shouldn't have considering the fact Slade steps towards him silently and Diggle prays he isn't about to get punched as, not like he'd admit it but Slade packs one hellva punch!

"Before I met Oliver and Sara I had a partner. He wasn't just my partner he was my best friend, the godfather to my son and one day he turned his back on me without even thinking twice about it!" Slade mutters in explanation.

"What happened to him?" Diggle questions, after how Gaynor was dealt with by Slade not really sure he wasn't to know!

"I drove my sword through his eye." Slade snarls.

"That's why you were so insistent about Gaynor being the villain, because you saw someone probably closer to you then Gaynor ever was to me betray you." Diggle sighs.

"Yes. I never thought I'd trust anyone ever again after what he did to me but then I met Oliver and Sara and now I don't know what I'd do without them." He admits, all of this surprising Diggle, this being the most emotion he has ever seen coming from Slade.

"I was wrong about Gaynor." Diggle looks down.

"Yes, but you were right to." Slade admits causing Diggle to look up at him in shock at his words.

"When you told us that we trusted the list more than we trusted you. The truth is after what happened to us on that island. It's difficult for us to trust anything. But you do and because of that I now understand why Oliver and Sara recruited you to be our fourth partner. It's because they believe you see the best in people and the three of us don't really see that anymore." Slade explains to Diggle's silence.

"You said I didn't trust you." Diggle replies,

"I know you don't, you never have." Slade mutters.

"No I do. You and I may not always see eye to eye, the other day proving that fact!" Diggle reminds him with a slight smile.

"You gave a fair fight." Slade mutters with a half smirk.

"I'll take that as a compliment coming from you Slade! I have to admit you throw one hellva punch." Diggle mutters as Slade smirks again.

"Like I was saying, we don't see eye to eye. I hope one day we will be able to but I know you went through hell and back on that island, you especially. You lost your partner, your son and I'm sure their is something else you all lost neither of you are telling me about but that's fine! I know you don't trust people Slade but I hope I'll earn your trust one day." Diggle admits as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"You might be waiting awhile, did take Oliver and Sara five years." He smirks before looking to the table and picking up the small book of Oliver's father's, holding it out on the correct page to Diggle.

Diggle stares at the page and the name Ted Gaynor written on it, Slade passing him a pen as Diggle draws a cross through the name, placing the book back down on the table.

"I learned something too. Until you, Sara and Oliver tell me I don't want to know what other names are in this book." He demands as Slade doesn't say anything, just nods as Diggle holds out his hand, shaking hands with Slade.

Perhaps there's hope for an alliance between them yet!

Only time will tell.

 _Queen Consolidated_

After his chat with Diggle, Slade slips into Queen Consolidated on his way back to Starling City General to rejoin with Sara and Oliver, who spent the night sitting with Thea. Slade stayed as well, he's just used to getting up so much earlier than everyone else. It was like that on the island, Oliver and Sara would awaken at what they thought was an early time in the morning only to find that Slade, who had been up hours previous had caught and cooked breakfast, done a few jobs, set a few traps and had been working out by the time Oliver and Sara had finally woken up! He doesn't call Oliver lazy for nothing!

Walking into the IT department he places a single bottle of decent red wine on Felicity Smoak's desk.

She had done the work required after all and Oliver had promised her a reward for her efforts and Slade believes that it's about time that they rewarded Felicity after all the help she has given them.

"Slade?" Felicity calls his name upon entering the IT department to see Slade and more amazingly, a bottle of wine on her desk.

"Ohh my god you remembered." Felicity gasps, unable to believe what she is seeing as Slade smirks at here amused by her reaction and wide eyed glance at both him and the bottle.

"If I remember rightly, Oliver and I promised you a reward for your efforts with the scavenger hunt." Slade smirks as Felicity raises an eyebrow at him at the words 'scavenger hunt' knowing full well that's not what it turned out to be!

"It may not be some vintage stuff Oliver was going on about, but it's for you as a thank you nethertheless." Slade murmurs as he turns to depart.

"Cups! I have plastic cups in my desk." Felicity babbles as she pulls two cups out of a draw.

"I hate drinking alone. Wanna stay and have a drink with me?" She smiles at him softly as Slade smiles before sitting across from her as she tries to open the bottle.

"Do you want a hand with that?" Slade smirks as he sees her struggling with it.

"Not like I have an emergency bottle opener in my desk, I have an awful lot of things in my desk a bottle opener isn't one of them." She starts babbling again as Slade opens it with ease and pours the wine into the two cups Felicity had pulled out off her drawer.

"Ooh that's good! Thank you." She beams as she takes a sip from her cup.

"You deserved it. Oliver has a tendency to forget about things. I, on the other hand don't." He says as Felicity smiles at him.

Silence passing between the two of them for a moment.

"Been able to explore the city much?" Felicity asks after a few moments.

"Yes, there's not much to be desired in Starling City." He replies.

"I know. But it is home and it grows on you after a while and you've probably seen the nicer parts of the city then I have, being best friends with Oliver Queen after all." She smiles.

"There's nice parts of this city?" Slade raises an eyebrow as Felicity laughs.

"I heard someone mentioning that Oliver is starting a nightclub with his friends, are you a part of that?" She questions as Slade rolls his eye.

"Unfortunately so!" He replies.

"You honestly don't strike me as the nightclub person." She chuckles.

"I'm not, but who knows what would happen if it were left to just Oliver and his friend to run it!" He smiles as she laughs again.

"It's certainly a work in progress." He adds.

"Sounds like a lot more fun then being cooped up in an office all day." Felicity smiles.

"Ohh I don't know about that!" Slade smirks again as Felicity pours them both another glass.

 _Starling City General Later…_

"Thank you for letting me come home with you guys." Thea murmurs as she walks out of her hospital room for the first time with Oliver, Sara and Slade, glad to be getting out of the place once!

"I couldn't go home." Thea murmurs sadly as Oliver wraps his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"Your home is with us now." Sara smiles reassuringly.

"I just can't believe she'd lie to my face like that about Malcolm." Oliver shakes his head.

"She did say that she wasn't cheating on Walter." He adds.

"Like we should believe anything that woman says…" Thea starts to say, but is cut off by someone calling her name.

"Thea Queen?" A policeman shouts her name from behind as the four of them turn to face him in confusion.

"Is there a problem?" Oliver queries as he approaches them.

"I received a call from your doctor. In the event of a vehicular accident, they're required to report the result of the driver's tox screen. Ms. Queen tested positive for a narcotic called Vertigo." He reveals causing Oliver, Sara and Slade to glance at Thea, who looks away in shame at her actions.

"The drug they're using in The Glades?" Oliver whispers.

"What were you thinking?" Slade mutters as the policeman approaches Thea again, this time with a set of handcuffs

"Thea Queen. You're under arrest for driving under the influence of narcotics..."

 _Oliver awakens with a start._

 _The first thing he realises is that he's locked in a cage. His cover was blown and he got locked in a cage and Sara is…_

 _Sara is right beside him in the cage next to him._

 _"Sara!" Oliver croaks as he tries to move toward her, noticing that she's unconscious but alive, but when Oliver manages to crawl toward her and slide his fingers through the cage to stroke her hair, he notices all the blood covering her face, slashes on her arms from where someone had cut her with a knife. Fyers. Oliver hisses at the thought of him hurting Sara. It should have been him, it should have been him!_

 _Sara shouldn't have had to suffer like this!_

 _"Sara. Sara please wake up." Oliver whispers as he manages to touch her shoulder only to have his fingers smashed into by a pole by Fyers._

 _"What did you do to her? You psychopath!" Oliver spits at Fyers who looks at him boredly._

 _"Your girlfriend and I had a little chat, Mr. Queen. I'm sure she'll recover and be up for talking to you again soon." He replies, reaching out for Sara himself._

 _"Don't touch her! Stay away from her!" Oliver yells as Fyers turns back to face him._

 _"Do you know why my men wear balaclavas, Mr. Queen? Because it masks everything but the eyes, and in a mans eyes one can always find the truth. You and your girlfriend risked everything to save your friend, someone I warned you about and yet the two of you trusted him, but that trust was misplaced." Fyers explains as the guard of his beside him removes his balaclava only to reveal the one person Oliver was not expecting to see under the mask._

 _Yao Fei…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading and thank you all so much to those of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story, next chapter should be soon as I have infact written the next chapter I'm just having a lot of issues with my technology grrr! See you all next update, please tell me what you thought of this chapter**.


	35. Vertigo (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty Five**

 _Starling City: Night_

As thunder crackles ominously over head a man runs through the rain, running down alleyways and streets to try and escape the three people chasing after him.

The three vigilantes...

Reaching one road, the sound of something over head makes the man swear and race down the other street, away from them as he races towards the Starling City docks where he attempts to climb up a building to escape, only to have an arrow shot through his coat sleeve, nailing him to the structure, a dagger caught in his other coat sleeve, courtesy of The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask as the three vigilantes stare at the drug dealer, dangling pathetically from the structure.

"Come on man, I'm just trying to make an honest living!" He protests in fear at what is about to come next.

"There's nothing honest in about what you do!" The Woman In Black snarls.

"Who supplies you with Vertigo?" The Man In The Hood yells.

"Tell us now and we'll consider letting you live." The Man In The Mask growls.

"Please!" The man begs.

"He'll kill me!" He cries.

"Whoever it is you fear, fear us more!" The Man In The Mask snarled and as if on cue, The Man In The Hood raises his bow…

"Ok, ok! They call him The Count. That's all I know! I swear to god!" The man pleads as he looks to the arrow and dagger still imbedded into his clothing, yet when he looks back toward the three vigilantes they have vanished from sight...

 _The Foundry_

In silence, Oliver, Slade and Sara race down the steps of the basement, pulling off their, hoods, masks and wigs as they go.

"You three found what you're looking for?" Diggle questions as he reveals himself from the corner of the room.

"Took down three Vertigo pushers tonight, Diggle. Last one finally knew a name." Sara says in explanation as she starts to grab more weapons.

"The Count." Slade grumbles as Oliver marches over to the computer whilst he slides another couple of daggers into various parts of his suit..

"The Count? That's worse than The Hood, The Mask and The Woman In Black!" He comments as he folds his arms upon seeing the three of them grab more weapons, Sara even fixing the wig back onto her head.

"You three ain't going out again are you?" His eyes widen in surprise.

"We're not done for the night." Oliver mutters.

"Whoever this Count is, he has a lot of blood on his hands and it is long past time he payed for his crimes, which the three of us will deal with." Slade growls menacingly.

"All right, ok slow down. I think the three of you are missing the point here." Diggle holds his hands up almost in surrender as Slade turns on him.

"You and I may have called a truce but if you stand in our way…"

"I'm not trying to stand in the way here, Slade. I'm honestly not but there is more to this than the here of you going around terrorising practically anyone connected to this Vertigo." Diggle folds his arms as Oliver puts down his hood again.

"Thea." He murmurs as he glances at Sara and Slade, sad looks on their faces as they think of the main reason this Count guy needs to be taken down.

Thea, she having been arrested for using Vertigo only the other day.

"Her hearing's in a few hours. You guys think she cares more about some drug lord getting his just deserts or the three of you being at her side when she needs you guys the most? As I know you were planning to let her move in with the three of you before all this happened. You care about her dearly and to get through this she is going to need the three of you more than ever." Diggle folds his arms, smiling when the three vigilantes say nothing but he knows that he has gotten through to them and for this first time in what he believes to be forever! He gets through to all three of them.

 _Queen Mansion_

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, Thea Queen carefully sorts out her outfit and hair for the hearing that is soon to be.

She didn't want to be here at home anymore, she wanted to be in her room at Oliver, Sara and Slade's place but since her arrest her mother had commanded that she stays at Queen Mansion and even when she had protested to Oliver, Sara and Slade the three of them had gently reminded her that as much as they'd love to it might be best until this whole matter has been blown over for her to remain at Queen Mansion.

Yet, making her feel just that slight bit better they had vowed to her that when all this is over she can move in with them and they even offered to help her move all of her stuff and stay for as long as she wants, no matter what her mother says then!

"Hey, we should get going." Oliver's voice calls from the door where he stands with Sara and Slade at his side.

"I don't think judges appreciate the value of being fashionably late." Sara laughs softly as she moves to stand behind Thea, who eventually turns to face her.

"You look lovely." She assures her, placing her hands on Thea's shoulders.

"You guys got any other tips?" She says with a sad smile as she embraces Sara.

"Let the lawyer do all the talking. They give you a pad and paper but do not play tic tac toe, judges don't appreciate that either." Oliver jokes as he manages to get a genuine smile out of Thea.

"What did you do all those times you ended up in court?" Thea sniffs glancing at Oliver.

"Just sat there and let the lawyer do all the talking. Can't really remember them though, I was usually hungover from the incident that landed me there in the first place!" Oliver sniggers as Slade slaps him around the head.

"Great advice, kid!" He rolls his eye at him making Thea chuckle.

"Any of you two end up in court for anything?" She glances at them.

"Not for me, I'm afraid. I never would have made it to the hearings as my dad probably would have killed me for breaking the law in the first place!" Sara says with a smile.

"Slade?" Thea looks to him next.

"Much different court to what you're going to be facing and the stakes were higher and I seriously doubt you'll get out of it the way I did!" Slade smirks.

"Do I want to know?" Thea questions to Oliver and Sara who laugh.

"Come on, Speedy." Oliver calls her softly by her nickname, noticing the time on the wall.

"I know, I know." Thea says, her face falling as she looks down at her feet.

"I just keep trying it get up and go, but I just don't." She murmurs before looking at Oliver.

"I wish dad were here." She admits as Oliver takes her hands.

"I'm here. We're here." He reassures her as she pulls the three of them into an embrace as the sound of footsteps drags everyone's attention toward the door, where Moria stands, watching the four of them embrace with a stern expression.

"We should leave now, Thea."

 _Starling City Court House_

The moment they reach the court house, the five of them are ambushed by the press and paparazzi who swarm toward them, very much like the day when Oliver, Sara and Slade had been legally resurrected.

"Miss Queen!" The vultures calls as they shove microphones in her face.

"Can we get a comment?" Noticing the oncoming crowd, Thea looks around nervously holding out her hands fearfully, feeling one hundred times more relieved and safe when Oliver and Slade take her hands and shield her from the tenacious members of the press.

"Thea, are you going into rehab?" One asks as another one asks her if she's going to be expelled from her school, something Thea hadn't even thought about at all.

"Are you worried about the outcome?" Another asks and that question is true, Thea does fear the outcome of all this as she is soon about to find out what that outcome is…

 _Inside Starling City Court House_

"Docket ending 1-10-5-6. People vs. Thea Dearden Queen. Possession of a controlled substance. Driving under the influence of a controlled substance." The judge is handed the sheet of information about Thea's crime as she sits at the table beside her lawyer, her leg shaking nervously as she waits for the judge to get on with it.

Yet despite all that is going on right now, feels slightly reassured at the fact that sitting behind her is Ollie, Sara and Slade and that no matter the outcome they won't abandon her.

"Counsellors, I understand you've reached a plea agreement." The judge starts.

"We have, your honour. Given that my client is a juvenile, the people have generously agreed to probation." Thea's lawyer speaks calmly as Thea glances at him fearfully as the judge raises his eyebrow in surprise.

"Juvenile? Says here that she's eighteen." The judge glances down at his sheets of paper as unbeknownst to most Laurel Lance slips into the courtroom, to witness the hearing and to simply be there for her sister's boyfriend's sister. Sara, Oliver and Slade turn their heads momentarily to glance at her and give her looks filled with gratitude for her presence.

"Yes she is eighteen now, your honour. But at the time of arrest, she was still two days shy of her eighteenth birthday. Miss Queen has no priors." The lawyer says in Thea's defence.

"Well, just because Miss Queen's family sweeps her priors under the rug, doesn't mean that they don't exist." The judge states sternly before adding.

"You get your client off and you help your boss avoid dealing with the drug that is sweeping across our city like a plague! Everyone wins except us, the people of Starling City." The judge glances at the court with an annoyed look upon his face.

"Your honour, with all due respect…"

"Miss Queen." The judge cuts of Thea's lawyer before he can say anymore and fixes Thea with a stern glare.

"Like it or not, you are now the poster child for this menace. Maybe if people see that the Queen family can't get away using Vertigo, they'll think twice before using it themselves. The plea arrangement is denied." The judge bangs his gravel as Thea turns around to look at Oliver, Sara and Slade with a terrified expression.

"This case will proceed to trial."

As Thea Queen has no idea what is about to become of her next.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, technology is finally beginning to agree with me thank god! So next chapter should hopefully be soon, thanks again to all of you who have kindly reviewed, followed and favourited. See you all next update.**


	36. Vertigo (2)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty Six**

 _Queen Mansion_

"They can't do this." Moria snaps angrily as she storms into the living room, the five of them having returned from court.

"That man cannot send my daughter to prison!" She says furiously as Thea, Sara, Oliver and Slade enter behind her, Thea with a down expression upon her face after the hearing, having not spoken since the judgment was passed.

"What are our options?" Oliver looks to the lawyer, who had followed in behind them.

"There has to be something that can be done here." Sara adds in concern.

"And interlocutory appeal. But trial judges have discretion to reject plea agreements." The lawyer says solemnly as Thea looks anywhere but at anyone in the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Slade growls.

"It means that. I think you all might want to prepare yourselves for the possibility that this isn't going to go our way." Thea looks at him with a horrified expression on her face, which Sara notices and slides her arm around Thea's shoulders to comfort the girl.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Queen. I'll get to work on the appeal." He nods as he turns to exit as Moria sighs and looks away from them all for a moment.

"Well so much for the best criminal defence attorney in the city!" She mutters resentfully as Oliver rests a hand on her arm to calm her down for Thea's sake, who is already distressed about the whole thing in the first place.

"Thea. We will handle this, I promise…"

"Like you promised Walter you'd always stay faithful to him?" Thea snarls at her as she get to her feet.

"I feel better already!"

"That's enough!" Moria snaps angrily in response as Thea glares at her.

"Don't worry. Sounds like you won't have to be putting up with me much longer anyway!" She growls before storming off, Oliver, Sara and Slade watching as she goes.

"Does she not realise how serious this is?" Moria mutters as Oliver turns to face her.

"She took drugs! She drove, she could have killed someone, or herself!" She protests.

"And who drove her to that?" Slade snarls under his breath as Moria glares at him.

"What did you say?" She hisses as Sara and Oliver look upon them worriedly.

"Maybe if you hadn't neglected her, lied to her she wouldn't be in this position." Slade states plainly, glad to finally be speaking his mind about this whole affair.

"How dare you…"

"Ok, ok! Guys this isn't helping Thea, ok." Oliver holds up his hands, standing in between them as he looks to his mother, despite the fact that he does believe that Slade's words definitely have truth to them!

"All this judge is looking for is someone to make an example of! Why does it have to be her?" Moira whispers sadly.

"Maybe it doesn't." Sara murmurs.

"Listen, we have to go do something. Are you going to be ok?" Oliver looks to his obviously very stressed out mother.

"I'm not the one facing prison." She murmurs as she turns away from them once more…

 _They had been there for hours, a day even. Nightfall had arrived again and some point during the day Sara had regained consciousness only to find out from Oliver that Yao Fei, the man they were trying to save before everything went to hell is actually a member of Fyers crew._

 _Oliver had spent many of the hours gripping Sara's fingers through the bars of their cages, she being extremely shaken up after some of the torture Fyers had put her through to which Oliver had not stopped apologising for, despite her reassurances that it had not been Oliver's fault that she had been captured by Fyers's men as he just kept apologising and apologising for them being separated._

 _Despite the beatings she had received from Fyers upon being separated from Oliver, the blows and bruises, none of that had mattered to her._

 _It bothered her, it bothered her to no end, but what bothered her more was the worry she had felt for Oliver._

 _Afraid that if Fyers had realised that Oliver was impersonating one of his men that they would kill him without another thought and losing Oliver would be unbearable._

 _Speaking of Oliver, due to dehydration he had passed out a couple of hours ago leaving Sara awake alone, her cut, tired and bruised fingers still clutching his as she anxiously waits for him to wake up._

 _The sound of footsteps draws her attention the the bars where on the outside stands Yao Fei, glancing at the both of them with an emotionless expression on his face._

 _"You're working for them now? Why are you doing this to us?" She whispers as he still continues to say nothing, just glances at her and Oliver's unconscious form._

 _"I thought we were allies or something. I mean, why'd you bother keeping Ollie and I safe if you were just going to hand us over to them?" Sara hisses before looking down before back at Ollie._

 _"Just get us out of here, please." She whispers pleadingly for the both of them._

 _"I can't." He says plainly placing a cup of water in Oliver's cage before turning to walk away. As Sara scrambles to her knees._

 _"Hey! Hey! Don't leave us here please, don't leave us here! We came back for you! You hear? We came back for you!"_

 _Starling City Police Department_

"Are you sure your dad will help us with this?" Oliver raises an eyebrow as he and Sara walk into the precinct, on the hunt for more information on The Count and Vertigo, just the two of them, Slade having decided to hunt around for information elsewhere to cover more ground in hopes that one of them finds something that will help with Thea's case.

"I don't know, Ollie. He may take sympathy on us because of Thea being your sister and share the information with us." Sara shrugs her shoulders as Oliver squeezes her hand.

"I hope so." Oliver murmurs as this is his sister's future on the line here.

"Oliver?" A familiar voice from the past calls his name.

"Oliver Queen and Sara Lance." The voice calls again as they turn to face the woman.

"McKenna Hall." Oliver smiles at the woman as she moves to embrace them both.

"Hi, it is so good to see you both here!" She says as she smiles at them.

McKenna Hall, the once old flame of Oliver's and someone who Sara had befriended when she has started hanging out with the once It crowd.

"Surprised to see you! What are you doing here?" Sara questions with a grin.

"I live to surprise." She chuckles as Oliver snorts.

"Yeah, what was that club you got us kicked out of? The Club DeVille?" He smirks.

"Ok! In my defence, there was no sign that said you had to keep your clothes on!" She rolls her eyes at them as she enters her office.

"So after after all your wild days you decided to become a cop?" Sara smiles.

"Hey I still go to raves, I just go undercover now and I have to dress slightly more appropriately to hide my badge and gun!" She laughs.

"So what are you two doing here? Anything I can help you with?" She asks kindly as Sara looks to Oliver with a glance which suggests this is a better idea than asking her father, whom she's sure would ask far too many questions, thinking about it now.

"Vertigo." Oliver states calmly as McKenna nods sympathetically.

"Right. I heard about your sister on TV, I'm sorry."

"The judge is trying to make an example of her, so we were thinking if you and my dad could find the person selling the drugs, it might take some of the heat off of Thea." Sara explains as McKenna looks at her sadly.

"Easier said then done." She sighs as they walk through into the main part of the precinct.

"We did some digging and we came up with a name. Um, The Count?" Oliver reveals as she stops and turns to face them both.

"Guys we've known about The Count for months. I wish that this was thicker, but we don't really have much on him." She hands them a file before adding.

"Love to say that we're going to catch him before Thea's trial but it's highly unlikely." She admits as Quentin spies Sara from across the room and walks over to them.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" He questions.

"Asking about Vertigo, I mentioned that we don't have much on the ringleader and that it is unlikely an arrest is going to be made before Thea Queen's trial." McKenna fills him in.

"Ohh, I was meaning to ask about that. How's it going?" Quentin looks to Oliver.

"Not good. The judge is trying to make an example out of her." He murmurs.

"Is there anything else you know about all this daddy?" Sara looks to him as he folds his arms with a wry smile.

"As much as I would like to say that we have more than this, there isn't and anyway, I don't want you messing around with this stuff sweetie, leave the policing to the police, ok? I know you're both worried about Thea but we'll do everything we can on this end to see if we can get the bastard selling this crap, ok?" Quentin looks to Sara sternly, whom nods and embraces her father, whilst Oliver places the file McKenna gave him behind his back.

"Thank you." She nods before to McKenna as well, who smiles at them both.

"Great to see you again." She says to McKenna before talking Oliver's hand and leaving the precinct, leaving McKenna and Quentin a little bit concerned but they pass it off as just Oliver and Sara's worry for Thea.

That's what they hope it is anyway!

 _Nearby A Bar In Starling City_

Having found out the bare minimum about The Count whilst searching through The Glades for answers about the man that Slade cannot wait to get his hands on and make suffer! He is about to return to The Foundry, in an even worse mood than before when someone calls his name. Leonard.

"You look mad let me guess. Queen or Merlyn piss you off?" Leonard questions with a smirk.

"Neither." Slade mutters, not even in the mood to stop for a drink with Leonard today.

"Is it Queen's sister? I heard about it on the TV." He asks.

"The case is going to trial and it doesn't look good." Slade murmurs.

"I bet Queen's panicking like hell. If it were my sister, I probably would have convinced her to flee the country." Leonard replies with a smirk.

"Well I don't think that's an option." Slade grumbles.

"Yeah. What you need to something to take the focus off her. This Vertigo stuff is all over Starling City. I swear I even saw some in Central the past month. Nasty stuff, apparently if you take too much of it, it starts to screw with the mind." Leonard comments.

"Like have the ringleader taken down?" Slade queries.

"Something like that, but I doubt that's gonna happen, not before that girls trial anyway. Unless those vigilantes get this guy. The Count, they've spooked him." Slade turns to face Leonard after his words.

"How do you know so much about this?" He questions gruffly.

"Let's just say I have friends everywhere, some one I know heard from one of the Vertigo dealers that one of the other dealers had been apprehended by the three vigilantes who decided to put the fear of god into this man. Apparently, it's spooked The Count because this dealer hasn't been seen since the vigilante attack was mentioned as the vigilantes left him alive. So, you may be in luck after all of they're on the case." Leonard smirks before adding calmly.

"Looks like they do have their uses those vigilantes after all. I don't agree with them but they may just take this guy down, which is what I think you guys need." Leonard comments as Slade nods, it is what they need to do to help Thea and if Leonard is right and the three vigilantes have spooked this count bastard then they need to hit him again and this time, they'll take him down.

 _Somewhere In Starling City…_

In a junk filled room the street dealer that had been apprehended by the three vigilantes sits on a chair as he waits for his boss to show up, whom upon opening the door, holds a gun to the dealers head before looking at the sleeves on the mans jacket, noticing the arrow and dagger marks upon them.

"You need a tailor." The Count comments.

"You know about those crazy vigilantes man, they just cornered me!" He protests as The Count looks at him in surprise at that.

"The three vigilantes?" He bends down so he's at eye level with the dealer.

"I didn't say anything." The dealer says quickly.

"Oh, I know. You can't divulge secrets, you don't know. But, an example must be made!" The Count states, before rising to his feet and walking confidently around the mans chair before stabbing a syringe deep into the dealers skin.

"Vertigo in its purest form." He says in an almost daydream manner as he rips the syringe from the mans neck, before bending down to snarl in the dealers ear.

"You know when injected directly into the bloodstream, it affects the thalamus region of your brain, which is where all of the information from your pain receptors is collected!" The Count taunts him.

"You must be in unimaginable pain… But actually, you're not! You just think you are!" He smirks playfully as he takes to circling the man now poisoned with Vertigo.

"I've see in last for days until finally, the heart gives out!" He snarls as the man continues to writhe in unexplainable agony.

"One bullet left!" The Count places a gun in the mans hand.

"Now, you can use that bullet to shoot me and take your revenge! Or, you could shoot yourself." The Count taunts him again.

"It's your choice." He says with his hands raised almost in surrender as the dealer struggles with the gun in his hands, keeping it aimed upon The Count until the last moment when he blows his own brains out, the body slumping to the floor.

"The three vigilantes…" The Count starts as he bends down to grab something.

"Coming for me? Interesting." He states before calmly walking away...

 _Laurel Lance's Apartmen_ t

Moving from her bedroom where she leaves Tommy still dozing wrapped in nearly all the duvet! Laurel moves to the living room where she collects her tablet and sits at her desk with it on the table, looking as the news article sadly about Thea's case going to trial.

"I'm learning you're not much of a morning snuggler." Tommy yawns as he appears behind her as she turns to smile at him.

"Ohh I am Tommy, I just realised that my boyfriend doesn't like to wake up at any hour that's ends in AM! So you missed your morning hug." She sniggers as he laughs.

"Yes, that is true." He nods as he rests his hands gently on her shoulders.

"But, just so you know. I want a hug now." Laurel smiles as Tommy happily complies, wrapping his arms around her tightly as she shakes her head and moves from the small chair she is sitting on.

"This chair won't do at all!" She laughs as she sits on the sofa, pulling Tommy with her so in the end she is lounging on Tommy, who holds her close in his arms whilst she continues to work on her tablet.

"This is nice." Tommy murmurs as he kisses the top of her head.

"It would be perfect if I wasn't working." She murmurs sadly as he kisses her head again.

"You know, I've just realised if you're busy being a lawyer all day and I'm managing a nightclub with Oliver and Slade all night, when exactly do we get to see each other?" He questions just as there's a knock on the door.

"I got it!" Tommy moves from under her to get up to go to the door, surprised to see Oliver and Sara there and fortunately for him, no Slade!

"Hey. Laurel, Sara's here!" Tommy calls to Laurel who smiles as puts her computer down to move toward the door to embrace her sister.

"Nice to see you to Laurel." Sara smiles as she hugs her sister.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in days!" Laurel says eventually when she lets her sister go.

"And I'm sorry about that." Sara chuckles as Tommy turns to Oliver.

"What about Thea? Is she doing ok?" He asks the question both her and Laurel have wanted answering.

"Yeah she's doing ok." Oliver says with a tight smile.

"Thank you for coming to court yesterday." He adds with a glance in Laurel's direction.

"Yeah of course but I don't think the judge is willing to move off his position. Taking a hard like against criminals is a platform for his reelection." Laurel says softly.

"I need you to talk to dad. I tried yesterday but he got all over protective like he usually does when I started asking him about Vertigo, but with this I need you to help me with because I know every time you've gone to dad for something like this you can normally wear him down better than I can with your awesome lawyer skills." Sara starts softly.

"It's just because he's inside the system and maybe he cashes in a chip with Judge Brackett gets him off throwing the book at Thea…"

"Oliver, Sara, I don't think…"

"Laurel, we are working on something on our end. Some help Slade might be able to call in but if it doesn't work out, this is our best chance to help my sister." Oliver says gently.

"Also, I remember something he once did for me when I got into a small legal issue, but I don't think it's gonna sound right coming from me." Sara gives Laurel a slight smile as both sisters know what Sara is referring to!

"I'll see what I can do, but no promises." Laurel nods as Oliver smiles at her gratefully, Sara giving her sister yet another hug.

"Thank you." He says before taking Sara's hand and departing, leaving Tommy and Laurel to glance at each other sadly, as they wish that there is something that can be done for Thea to save her from prison, they really do.

 _Starling City: Later_

"I'm so sorry Laurel. I don't think I'd be able to." Is Quentin's response when Laurel tells him Oliver's proposition.

"Dad, Thea's only eighteen years old, she's Ollie's sister…"

"I know and you know I'd love to help her out but Laurel and if she wasn't eighteen, yes I would try and get something sorted for her but she is an adult now, she knew what she was doing when she did the crime, she must have and she needs to learn the consequences that come from her actions."

"Dad!" Laurel cries in shock.

"Laurel, I know that she's Oliver's sister and I know that she's a young girl but she has to take responsibility for what she's done and sometimes it's got to be the hard way. You don't know Laurel, they could decide to be lenient and let her spend a few months in rehab. I'd try to get people to push for that result, but as a policeman, I don't think that she should just be let go without any repercussions." Quentin admits.

"What about the Lance family? A young girl acting out, engaging in reckless behaviour? Does that sound familiar?" Laurel questions as Quentin sighs.

"Is this why your sister sent you instead of her coming to ask me?" He raises an eyebrow to her with a frown.

"I think she, Oliver are chasing down another lead…"

"What? What lead!" Quentin shouts suddenly in worry for his youngest daughters safety.

"Calm down dad, apparently Slade has some contacts on his side snd they're checking them out." Laurel says softly.

"Well as long as he's looking after her then that's fine." Quentin murmurs, feeling a little more reassured then he was a few seconds ago now he knows that whatever it is the three of them are doing, Slade's in charge of it!

"Dad, Thea is exactly like Sara used to be! I know she was arrested for shoplifting and I know you made it go away." Laurel reminds him, using the card Sara had suggested she use.

"Well Laurel, maybe if I'd have let her go to jail we wouldn't have lost her for five years!" Quentin admits sadly.

"I know. I know, but those five years? They were hell for Thea to, she lost her brother and her father and I think that she's acting out because of all that pain she went through with losing them then and I think she honesty just needs help. So if you want to push for rehab, do that just as long as she doesn't end up in jail." Laurel begs as he father looks at her.

"You and Sara aren't going to stop pestering me about this are you?" Quentin sighs.

"I still believe that Thea shouldn't just be given a free pass for all this but I'll see what I can do and make some calls." He smiles before adding.

"However I expect family dinner this weekend! Me you and Sara! Just the three of us!" Quentin bargains as Laurel smiles.

"Of course." She nods as they father and daughter walk away arm in arm.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Seen a fair amount of Cyrillic back in Afghanistan left over by the soviets. Is this Russian owned?" Diggle questions as he follows Oliver and Slade inside a factory.

Oliver and Slade reluctantly letting Diggle come with them, originally wanting them to stay in The Foundry where Sara had decided to stay researching more information on The Count, but Diggle has said if they left him there he'd just follow them and Oliver and Slade decided it would be safer to just let Diggle come with them.

"Yeah this is the not so hidden headquarters for the Starling City chapter of the Bravta." Oliver explains as Diggle frowns.

"Look, Diggle whatever we say, whatever goes down, just go with it." Oliver says quietly as Alexi Leonov enters the room, Oliver speaking in Russian, which translates to 'Good to see you again'.

"Good to see you both too. Long time." He notes as he approaches Oliver and Slade.

"Particularly for two Bratva captains." He raises an eyebrow at them.

"We were trying to figure out where to put our interests. We decided on pharmaceuticals." Oliver drops a bag in front of Leonov's feet.

"We don't mean aspirin." He comments.

"A wise choice. Mephedrone would be a good investment for you. It's the newest thing." He smirks as Slade folds his arms.

"How about Vertigo." Slade mutters.

"Tough market, Vertigo. Only one seller..."

"We know. I was hoping that you could do us a favour and arrange a meeting." Slade replies.

"The Count, he's a difficult man and he does not like new friends." Leonov replies as Oliver passes him a file.

"This is everything the police have on him." Oliver notes.

"Tell him to consider it as a gift." Slade add as Leonov flicks through the file before looking up at Oliver and Slade.

"I will see what I can do. Provided you two do a favour for me." Leonov bargains as Slade replies in perfect Russian, which translates to 'anything'.

Leonov nods to his mechanic behind him before turning back to Slade and Oliver.

"It is unusual for an American and an Australian to hold such positions of esteem in our organisation, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson." He mutters as Diggle glances nervously as the three of them.

"Anatoli Knyazev speaks very highly of the two of you." He comments.

"He should. We saved his life." Slade mutters as the mechanic returns holding a struggling man, pushing him to the floor.

"What did he do?" Oliver asks.

"Something I told him not to. Another favour. Kill this man for me and I will believe your interests in our organisation is genuine, either of you can do it! Only then I will arrange a meeting with The Count." He comments as Oliver and Slade nod as Oliver and Slade walk over to the man as Diggle looks upon them both in shock.

"Oliver, Slade." He murmurs warningly as Oliver, places a hand on Slade arm.

"I'll take this one." Oliver nods as he starts to strangle the man to death.

"Oliver!" Diggle starts to protest as the man falls to the floor dead.

Leonov smiles at Oliver and Slade before speaking in Russian to them.

"What are friends for?" Oliver mutters in response…

 _As more time passed, Oliver eventually regained consciousness and sits as close to Sara's cage as possible, the two of them silently murmuring to one another, Oliver reassuring her the best he can that everything's going to be alright, even though he knows his words might be pointless with the situation presently._

 _However, Yao Fei returns a second time to the cage, this time he opens the door and drags Oliver out of it._

 _"No, no. Leave him, please leave him!" Sara cries as Yao Fei violently drags Oliver away as she crawls to the other end of the cage to watch hopelessly as Oliver is taken away from her!_

 _"So I'm out of the cage now am I? What's going on!" Oliver yells as Yao Fei pushes him up a hill, where at the very top is a circle of men, in the middle of the circle is a fight between two men, one that Oliver recognises to be his and Sara's torturer._

 _The fight continues for several minutes before the torturer wins the fight with a flourish of his sword whilst the men in the circle cheer and Fyers walks into the centre of the circle._

 _"Well I admit that bout was particularly one sided, would anybody else like to give it a try?" He looks around the circle, Yao Fei pushing Oliver into the middle unexpectedly as Oliver hears Sara's cries of horror as he does so._

 _"The point of these little gladiatorial distractions is to strengthen unit cohesion. To that end, I think our newest recruit ought to be afforded the opportunity to try his hand." Fyers smirks as Yao Fei places down his gun and walks into the circle…_

 _Starling City_

"I can't believe you just killed that guy." Diggle shakes his head as he, Slade and Oliver leave the Bratva HQ with the dead guys body.

"You really have a low opinion of me." Oliver scoffs.

"No, Oliver. I don't. This is the sort of thing I'd expect from him, not you!" Diggle glances at Slade as Diggle opens the trunk of the car, Oliver dropping the body into it.

"Yes well Diggle, if Slade had done it he actually would have killed him." Oliver smirks as the man suddenly sits up in the car, alive.

"Woah! You gonna teach me that one day?" Diggle gasps in shock as Slade punches the guy in the face.

"No." Oliver smiles as Slade shuts the trunk.

"What are you two planning?" Diggle glances at them suspiciously.

"You need to arrange a new identity for this guy, get him out of the city." Oliver explains as the three of them move to get in the car.

"Right, so our Ruski pals draws out The Count and the three vigilantes take him down?" Diggle questions.

"No, because then the Bratva would know that we used them and that relationship is too valuable. We met with The Count as ourselves, let him leave then we follow him to his hideout and take him down." Slade explains.

"That easy hu?" Diggle mutters.

"Ohh and your coming to!" Oliver smiles as he climbs into the car, Diggle rolling his eyes at the two friends, muttering to himself.

"Fantastic! Looking forward to my new and exciting career as a drug dealer!"

 _Queen Mansion_

"My father was able to get Judge Brackett to back off his hard line stance." Laurel explains calmly to Thea as the four of them sit across from her.

"How'd you manage that? Him being a cop I thought he'd want me to be punished!" Thea questions sharply.

"I reminded him of something." She flashes a smile to Sara who bows her head smiling back.

"Look, nobody asked you to get involved." Thea glances at Laurel with distaste.

"Thea!" Slade mutters, a warning tone to his voice.

"Me and Sara did." Oliver sighs.

"The judge has agreed to as sentence of five hundred hours of community service and two years of probation. Provisional on the appointment of someone to act in loco parentis." Laurel explains softly.

"In loco what?" Thea raises her eyebrow at Laurel.

"It means that the court will appoint an individual to assume responsibility for you. Me." Laurel reveals as Thea rolls her eyes at them.

"Thanks but no thanks…"

"Thea!" Oliver and Slade snap simultaneously.

"You don't actually have a choice." Slade mutters.

"Oh, actually I do see I'm eighteen now and I can make my own decisions and no offense but I decide not to be Sara's sisters office monkey!" Thea replies as she is met with glares from Oliver, Slade and Sara as Laurel clasps her hands together.

"Well, if you change your mind then." Laurel states before heading for the door, Sara, Slade and Oliver following her.

"Thank you." Sara pats her sisters arm in thanks before the three of them turn to confront Thea with angry expressions.

"Thea you are in real trouble." Sara shakes her head at her as Slade cuts in.

"And rightly so! Doing drugs and driving? That is beyond stupid, Thea and what Laurel has gotten for you is a good deal!" Slade growls.

"I already have a mother." Thea shrugs her shoulders.

"So you're going to go to jail and it will ruin the rest of your life. Is that what you want Thea? I thought you were smarter than that!" Slade snaps angrily.

"No, guys I want to ruin mom's life! She's a liar and a cheat. I mean you told me so yourself! She cheated on dad with Malcolm and she's doing it again now. I hate her!" Thea snarls.

"So you're just gonna go to jail to spite her? Revenge is never the answer! It always ends badly Thea!" Slade snarls before adding.

"And unless you've forgotten what your brother told you last night, your mother cheated on your father because he was unfaithful to her!"

"He's right Thea. I told you that's what mom told me, dad really wasn't the person we thought he was." Oliver folds his arms sadly.

"Really? Really because I don't see it that way. I see it as mom cheated on dad and because she was being unfaithful to him, he started sleeping around! How can any of you believe a word she says!" Thea cries as Oliver grabs her hands.

"Because on the Queen's Gambit right before he died he admitted to Sara and I that he had failed us. You, me and mom and that he just wished. He wished he had more time to right his wrongs." Oliver admits as Sara nods sadly as Thea looks between the three of them before racing off out of the living room, tears streaming down her cheeks as she goes.

She had believed Oliver when he had said mom had cheated on her father but she never believed that her father was the one cheating on her mother first. She had seen it the other way around all up until now that is and now, she just wants to be alone.

"How dare you!" Moira snarls at Oliver as she enters the room, having heard the whole conversation.

"How dare he? He did nothing! He did what you were too cowardly to do yourself, tell your daughter the truth! She is old enough to know the truth about her family!" Slade snaps back angrily at Moria.

"You manipulated him into telling her didn't you? Because that's what you've done to my son for the last five years, manipulate him like you're the puppet master!" Moria growls back at Slade.

"That's enough! I told her the day she crashed her car mom! I didn't want to have to lie for you so I told her. She would have found out eventually and if I hadn't have told her god knows what would have happened then! I told her of my own accord, Slade never manipulated me into anything, he never has! He is my friend and brother and I am beyond fed up of you treating him like he's some kinda monster!" Oliver yells, Moira looking at him in surprise at his outburst, about to say something with equal venom when Diggle enters the room quietly, Moria glaring at the four of them before striding off, Diggle waiting until she is completely out of ear shot before turning to them.

"The Russians called. The meet is set, it's tonight guys."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading, technology is finally starting to improve for me so here is the new chapter! Hopefully it wasn't bad, I'm not that convinced with this one, please tell me what you think and thanks again to all of you who have ever so kindly reviewed, followed and favourited. See you all next update!**

 **PS: Writing this chapter, I noticed a previous mistake in my last one. Sara had actually been arrested it turns out in the past, I just completely forgot about it when I wrote the last chapter, sorry for the confusion!**


	37. Vertigo (3)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty Seven**

 _Starling City: Night_

"You know why they call him The Count?" Alexi Leonov questions from behind Oliver and Slade, causing them both to turn around.

"Why is that?" Slade mutters, voice laced with sarcasm.

"When he was developing this drug, he experimented on the homeless, prostitutes, runaways. The police would find their bodies, puncture marks on their neck, like a vampire." He explains eerily, Oliver, Slade, Diggle and Leonov being at the location where they are to meet The Count, Sara staying hidden nearby as The Woman In Black ready to join Oliver and Slade when their plan to follow The Count goes into effect.

"You two should not be in such a hurry to meet this man." He says warningly

"I can assure you, Oliver and I have faced much worse!" Slade grumbles as the black van stops in front of them, The Count and his goons stepping from it.

"Thank you for this!" The Count exclaims, holding up the file.

"But I'm not overly concerned about the SCPD. Now I understand you gentlemen wish to participate in the feel good business." The Count smirks.

"Yes." Oliver replies curtly.

"And why's that Mr. Queen? You and your friend don't seem the Vertigo type?"

"My friend and I are opening up a nightclub and we'd like our customers to have a little something extra." Oliver smirks back.

"Well as it happens, I'm looking to expand my brand." The Count replies as Diggle drops a few bags by their feet as The Count moves over to a silver case.

"Good wine's value is measured by its vintage, the number of years it took to ferment. Vertigo, is measured in lives." The Count reveals as he opens the case to reveal the mass of Vertigo pills, removing a bag.

"Fifty eight people died to perfect this high. Believe me when I say that they did not die for nothing!" He says quietly as he places the packet back in the briefcase before handing it to Oliver just as the sudden interruption of sirens begin to blare, the group looking toward the approaching police cars in shock.

"Let's get out of here!" Diggle yells as Oliver, Diggle and Slade race behind a van whilst The Count and his men scatter.

However, what everyone notices is that the bags of money Diggle had put down by The Counts are snatched up by a person unknown.

A man in a blue parka, the hood of the coat and a pair of goggles covering his face as he grabs the money bags, which is when the gunfire begins from The Counts men, who fire upon the money thief and the SCPD, one of the bullets hitting the money thief in the side, who then, slowed down hobbles over to a fence, leaping over it and disappearing the other side, only to be tossed back over by The Woman In Black, who fights the wounded thief until they all come under more gunfire from both The Counts men and the SCPD, The Woman In Black darting for cover by Diggle, Oliver and Slade.

"Sorry I'm late." She mutters to them as they watch the thief crawl away, past the gunfire.

"Want me to go after him?" The Woman In Black yells, more gunfire giving her the answer!

"SCPD! Put your weapons down!" Quentin yells as he continues to fire upon The Count and his goons as they race away for the exit.

"Ok what do we do?" The Woman In Black snarls as Slade spots a pathway through the gunfire and within less then a few seconds is racing toward The Count.

"Slade!" Oliver, Diggle and The Woman In Black yells in horror as he chases after The Count through the hail of gunfire, stopping briefly to take out The Count's bodyguard as he races down a flight of stairs after the man he wants to put an end too. Wishing though that he had his sword, he thinks as he continues to chase The Count, who abruptly turns around, stabbing Slade in the chest with two needles filled with Vertigo.

"No witnesses!" He taunts him as Slade growls in pain, his vision going blurry as he sinks slowly to the ground, pulling the needles from his chest...

"Slade! Slade are you ok?" Oliver cries worriedly when he, Diggle and The Woman In Black find him slumped against the wall.

"Keep it, keep it." He murmurs through the pain and disorientation as he places the syringes in what he thinks is Diggle's hand.

"It's ok, it's ok." Oliver says quickly as he moves to support his friend as Slade slowly begins to slip into unconsciousness…

 _The Foundry_

Upon reaching The Foundry within minutes, Oliver, Sara and Diggle help a almost unconscious, yet disorientated Slade, writhing in pain from the Vertigo he received, down the stairs to the basement where they know that the herbs from the island will hopefully be able to heal him from the Vertigo.

Suddenly, Slade's eyes snap open and he growls in pain as Oliver and Sara force him down onto the table, trying to keep him restrained as he fights against them both, groaning in agony, Oliver trying to keep the image out of his head the last time he saw Slade in so much pain like this and hopes it doesn't go the same way as Vertigo, unlike that horrific toxin Slade was once poisoned with doesn't have regenerative abilities!

"Diggle, the create!" Oliver yells whilst trying to restrain Slade.

"It's ok, it's going to be ok Slade!" Sara whispers as he looks at her.

"You! What are you doing here?" Slade suddenly hisses as he breaks free from Oliver and Sara's restraining grip and goes after Sara.

"Slade! It's Sara! I'm not here, It's Sara!" Sara cries desperately as he advances on her.

"Never call me by that name again you bitch! You killed my son! And you labeled me as a monster with that name. You are the true monster." Slade suddenly yells as he grabs Sara, who attempts to deflect his attack, finding herself unable to as he punches her in the jaw and throws her halfway across The Foundry where she smashes into the computer whilst Oliver tries to stop him.

"Ohh my god." He murmurs at the whole ordeal just as Diggle moves away from the crate to help Oliver restrain Slade, whom Oliver believes now is hallucinating.

"Slade! Slade it's just us, Oliver, Sara and Diggle. It's ok, we're going to fix this! You're gonna be ok, Diggle what are you playing at? The crate!" Oliver growls, noticing that Diggle is now advancing on Slade instead of getting the herbs, trying to protect both Sara and Oliver from Slade's Vertigo induced state, but when Diggle approaches Slade, Slade doesn't see Diggle, he sees someone who he thought dead.

Who he had killed himself.

"I drove a knife through your eye you bastard! You betrayed me!" Slade snarls at Diggle as he punches Diggle with so much force that it knocks him to the floor as Oliver tries to get from behind him, Sara, trying to crawl over toward them to help.

"Slade! Slade. They're not here! They're not here it's me, Oliver! Your friend, your brother." Oliver yells to his friend desperately as Slade struggles against Oliver as Oliver, with assistance from Diggle push Slade back toward the table.

"Diggle!" Oliver commands as Diggle moves reluctantly back over to the crate, grabbing the herbs as Oliver continues to fight with Slade, who fights surprisingly well for a man on Vertigo as he suddenly stops as another hallucination hits him.

"You're not here, you're dead. We killed you, You're not here!" Slade growls Oliver fighting to keep him restrained, not for very long though as Slade punches him, wrapping his fingers around Oliver's neck, strangling him, all but crushing Oliver's throat under his iron like grip as Oliver writhes and tries to fight back as Slade continues to strangle the life out of him.

"Slade! Slade stop!" Oliver somehow manages to choke out as his friend ignores him.

"This isn't you! I made you like this. I made you a monster! And then he killed you! He had no choice!" Slade snarls, tightening his grip on Oliver's throat as Diggle finally reaches Oliver and Slade.

"Let him go Slade! It's Oliver!" Diggle cries as he forces Slade to drink the water and the herbs until Slade's grip on Oliver's throat falters and his eyes begin to close as the herbs do their work, dropping an almost unconscious Oliver to the floor as he too succumbs to the darkness...

 _Within a moment Yao Fei has already punched Oliver to the forest floor, not even giving Oliver a chance to regain his footing before kicking him hard in the face, Oliver who tries to fight back finds himself taken down again, he hears Sara's cries as he is kicked around, unable to do anything. He fights to get back up, to win but Yao Fei has other plans and with a cheer from the crowd, sends Oliver into the oblivion of darkness..._

 _The Foundry_

"Slade!" Oliver croaks upon opening his eyes, finding his voice hoarse from where Slade had strangled him believing him to be someone else, her, Oliver believes.

Slade hallucinated three people under the Vertigo all of whom Oliver once knew as well.

"Easy man." Diggle mutters as he helps Oliver to his feet, wincing when he sees the deep finger marks on Oliver's throat from where Slade has almost strangled the life out of him.

"Sara! Sara!" Oliver croaks upon seeing her sitting upon one of the chairs, blood covering her mouth and clutching at her side which she had landed upon.

She limps over to him as he pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly as they both glance over at Slade's motionless form, both of his wrists handcuffed to the table by Diggle, who nurses a bleeding nose.

"I got the herbs to him, I think he's gonna be ok." Diggle murmurs as Oliver and Sara say nothing but limp over to Slade.

"Are you two ok? How badly did he hurt you?" He questions.

"We're ok." Sara replies as she and Oliver both take one of Slade's hands each, glancing over at each other.

"You guys going to ever tell me about those people he was hallucinating?" Diggle questions as he packs the herbs back up in their crate.

"I gathered one was the previous partner he was telling me about when that thing happened with Gaynor. The other two…" He trails off to complete silence from Oliver and Sara as they continue to observe their friend.

"Did that remind you a bit of…" Sara starts as Oliver nods.

"Yes. Yes it did." Oliver mutters.

"He was hallucinating her wasn't he?" She states.

"Yep." Oliver all but groans as Sara tilts her head.

"When you were with her on the boat and Slade and I were with the others, that toxin caused him to hallucinate then, wasn't this bad though." She murmurs.

"You never mentioned this before." Oliver looks up at her in surprise.

"I thought he must have told you." Sara looks at him in confusion.

"Nope, is all new to me." Oliver replies.

"We were trying to get onto the boat, trying to negotiate something and Slade was getting stressed, which we all know wasn't good when he was on that stuff! He left and I followed him and he was out there in the forest, he was talking to someone. It was a hallucination obviously but he said you were there, Ollie. He was convinced you had gotten off the boat…" Sara trails off, wiping a tear for her eye as Oliver just looks at her in shock at the revelation.

"He told me the hallucinations were just of her…" Oliver trails off.

"They weren't. One was of you and that one of you I think, saved him from loosing his mind to that stuff. It helped us all, we were both so worried about you but that hallucination of you apparently said that you were ok and that the only worry was that you were going to end up annoying her to death! And even though it wasn't real, it kept me and Slade going until finally got to you." She admits, using her other hand to hold Oliver's.

"He loved her so much, she told him to join her and I honestly thought he was going to. I still don't know why he didn't it would have been so easy for him…"

"Because of you and Sara." Diggle calls from the corner of the room having heard every word said.

"From what I've gathered about Slade Wilson, he might be insufferable but he's fiercely loyal especially to you and Sara. I don't know what happened on the island. I don't know who this women you keep referring to is and you guys can tell me whenever your ready but he loved her didn't he?" He questions as Oliver and Sara nod.

"We don't really talk about it." Sara murmurs as Diggle nods.

"And I accept that but whatever went down, something must have happened for him to choose his friendship with the two of you over her. I don't need to know but for whatever reason, it was probably fuelled by the fact that he does care about the two of you. He might not be good at emotions from what I've seen from him but there's no denying how much he cares for you two." Diggle murmurs as Oliver and Sara smile sadly down at their friend.

Their friend, who's been through so much pain, heartbreak, some which they shared between the three of them, yet despite all they went through they came out of hell with each other.

They wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

 _The Foundry: Next Morning_

His eyes snapping open and the headache from the depths of hell hitting him instantly, Slade regains consciousness, when he tries to sit up finding his hands chained down to the table and two hands holding his.

"Hey, hey you're ok. You're ok." Oliver says softly as Slade looks at him and Sara as the events hit him like a ton of bricks.

The Count had hit him with Vertigo, it had plagued his mind with memories, memories of people he never expected to see again, yet it was like he saw them in person.

Like they were standing in front of him…

He looks to Oliver and Sara again, his eyes falling on Sara's bruised lip and the almost deep red finger marks on Oliver's throat from where Slade had strangled him under the Vertigo's control he had hurt them.

He hurt Oliver and Sara.

Instantly he rips his hands out of their grasps.

"Slade it's ok." Oliver says gently as he rests a hand on Slade's arm who shrugs him off.

"I could've killed you." Slade murmurs almost inaudibly.

"I almost killed both of you." He murmurs again, his eyes closing again in horror.

"You didn't. You didn't though, it's ok. It was just the Vertigo, Slade." Sara reassures him.

"I saw her." Slade mutters as he tries to sit up, only to groan at the pain in his head as Oliver gently pushes him back down.

"I know." Oliver murmurs back as Slade shrugs his hand off his shoulder again.

"I'm so sorry, kid." He whispers, his voice soft, filled with sadness.

A tone of voice Oliver has only heard once from Slade before, when he had lost his son and Oliver had almost been killed in the aftermath.

"Morning." Diggle calls abruptly from the stairs, causing the three of them to look at him.

Rolling his eye Slade attempts to sit up again only to notice the handcuffs.

He isn't angry that they're there, instead they make him shudder at the thought that it got to the point where they had no other choice but to restrain him and judging by the injuries he hand inflicted upon the three of them he throughly understands why.

"Diggle you got the key? He's not going to kill anyone." Sara calls as Diggle raises an eyebrow at her and Slade before chucking her the keys, instantly using them to free Slade from the cuffs, whom stands instantly, gripping the table momentarily for support, Oliver and Sara reaching out to help him but he shrugs them off and limps as far away from them as he can get in his predicament.

"You're walking? That's pretty impressive for someone who's just come down from probably the worst high I've ever seen and he only hit you with half a dose." Diggle comments.

"He's stubborn." Oliver mutters as Slade practically hobbles around to get a clean shirt.

"The Count. Do you think there is any chance our friends in the SCPD took him down?" Oliver questions, both he and Sara still glancing at Slade worriedly as he closes his eyes and rubs his probably aching head from the crap he just went through.

"None at all I'm afraid but we did manage to get this." Diggle holds up the syringe they retrieved from Slade.

"Think we should analyse it." He adds as the three of them nod and begin to head for the stairs, Slade following them slower than usual.

"Slade, I know I risk my life saying this but don't you think you should give it a few hours? Leave Sara and Oliver to do this one? A near drug overdose isn't something you just walk away from." Diggle is mutters as Slade just glares at him.

"Neither is Thea and it's not the first drug overdose I've overcome in a short space of time." Slade murmurs in response.

"Yes but Oliver and Sara can sort this." Diggle replies.

"I'm fine." Slade growls.

"No, Slade he's right. You need to take it slow." Oliver adds, stepping toward Slade again.

"You are about as far from fine as can be!" Diggle folds his arms.

"I said I'm fine! You're getting as bad as them two." Slade grumbles as he all but stumbles toward the stairs.

"Oliver, he is going to end up killing himself at this rate." Diggle warns him as Oliver sighs.

"He's very, very stubborn." Sara says with a roll of her eyes.

"It's not just his physical state I'm worried about either. You two saw how he was when he was under that stuff! Those hallucinations! Is he even stable enough to be in the field right now with you guys? I saw how he reacted around you two when he came round." Diggle mutters quietly as Oliver nods.

"He thinks he hurt us."

"Well, he did!" Diggle protests as Oliver rolls his eyes and buries his face in his hands.

"I know what happened Diggle!" Oliver snaps, his memories of the island returning to both he and Sara, who slides her hand into Oliver's at almost the same set of memories.

Diggle glances at them for a moment before saying.

"I ain't gonna say anymore on the matter guys but if I were you two, I'd keep a close eye on him. I don't think he's out of the woods yet…"

 _Queen Mansion_

The four of them journey to Queen Mansion in silence, Slade sitting in the car as far away from Oliver and Sara as he can get, his pained head pressed to the cool glass window throughout the journey as Oliver and Sara observe him worriedly, more memories then ever before hitting them as they see their friend in this position.

Yet they have to remind themselves, they're not on the island anymore.

This is something completely new entirely!

"What's wrong?" Oliver questions with a worried expression as he and Sara enter the living room to find Quentin, McKenna and Moira sitting upon couches looking up at them with stern expressions on their faces.

"Is everything ok with Thea?" Oliver adds as Quentin rises from the couch to pull Sara into his arms.

"Daddy what's going on?" She queries as he pulls back to glance at her.

"This isn't about your sister Oliver, this is about the three of you! What the hell were you guys thinking? Last night we got a call from a CI busted up a drug sale big time dealer and a freakin Russian mob and the drug deal went south but what is most puzzling about this whole goddam thing is that there are eyewitnesses placing Oliver and Slade at the scene and if those two were there I bet you weren't far behind!" Quentin cries to Sara as he glances at Oliver with a horrified expression or worry and fear.

"I saw you Oliver and I haven't met Mr. Wilson but apparently he wears an eyepatch and the guy with you definitely was wearing one." McKenna sighs.

"Sara please tell me what the hell this is about?" Quentin begs as Moria turns to Oliver.

"Is this true?" She hisses.

"We couldn't get anything from Slade's contacts so I decided to look into The Count because he's the guy who sold drugs to Thea and I figured that if I could find out what he looked like, then I could give your sketch artists something to go on. So I paid a low life with a Russian accent an obscene amount of money to arrange a meeting and Slade wouldn't let me go alone which is why he was there but Detective Lance, Slade and I didn't tell Sara about this until after the event because we didn't want her getting put in harms way. I'm apologise." Oliver bows his head to Quentin, whom has to admit is a little bit more reassured now he knows that Sara wasn't a part of this and that Slade and Oliver had lied to her to protect her.

"Did you get eyes on him?" McKenna is the first to say something.

"No." Oliver replies quietly.

"All right! Are you pressing charges against my son?" Moira buts in.

"Of course not! But I told you two to leave this alone and I expect this time for you to listen to me! Tell that to Slade when you see him as well! I know you guys wanted to help Thea but we are doing all that we can. I do not want to be in a situation like this again, do you hear me?" Quentin practically yells as he hugs Sara again and moves to shake Oliver's hand.

Both Oliver and Sara noticing then that Slade isn't in the room with them at Quentin's words and immediately start to panic, epically when they see Diggle's anxious face by the door.

"Did you get eyes on the thief that stole your money?" McKenna questions.

"Oliver!" Moria snaps.

"I had to make it look convincing mom! And no, unfortunately not but didn't he get hit though? I swear to god I thought he'd been shot." Oliver says upon remembering the thief in the blue parka who had taken the opportunity to swipe the bag of money.

"He did but he got away. If we find him hopefully we can return the money but we might have a problem if it's who we believe it to be." Quentin murmurs.

"Who do you think it is daddy?" Sara questions as Quentin raises an eyebrow at her.

"After what's just happened do you really think I'm giving any of you information like that again? God knows what you'd do next!" Quentin rolls his eyes at them before departing with McKenna leaving them alone with a very angry Moria Queen.

"What were you thinking!" Moria yells once Quentin and McKenna are gone.

"We were just trying to help…"

"By what? Running around with the Russian mob and murderous drug dealers? Are you out of your minds? Or was this him again? Slade! Did he decide that this was a good idea and since you seem to think he walks on water decided to follow his idea?" Moria snarls.

"Mom…" Oliver starts quietly, both he and Sara itching to escape the room out of worry for Slade.

"Because I cannot for the life of me think how you could be so stupid unless he orchestrated this like the barbarian he is!" She spits venomously.

"Mom! This was my idea. I planned it I wanted to help Thea, because he's my best friend I convinced him to join me, not the other way around because despite how much you don't want to see it he cares for Thea as well!" Oliver sighs.

"But the money Oliver! How much was stolen? You could have been killed!" Moria says quickly and furiously.

"Mom, look I think the real reason that you're upset is because we told Thea the truth about dad." Oliver folds his arms.

"She never needed to know that! And it appears that you would rather listen to your friends then I as I doubt without Slade and even you Sara!" Moria turns on her as well.

"You wouldn't have told Thea! Because she didn't need to know!"

"Yes I did." Thea's voice abruptly causes the three of them to look to the other door where Thea is standing with her arms folded.

"I'm old enough to know the truth mom and I'm so glad Sara and Slade convinced Ollie to tell the truth because you never would have!" Thea sighs sadly as Oliver glances over at Moria expectantly who sighs and turns to Thea.

"It wasn't about your age. It was about preserving your memory of your father, he loved you. No matter his faults he loved you." Moira sighs as Thea's eyes well with tears.

"I said that I wished you had died instead of him but you still didn't say anything. Why?" Thea whispers as Moria places her hands gently on her daughters shoulders.

"One day, I hope you're lucky enough to have a daughter and you'll know why." She replies before pulling Thea into her arms.

"I'm so sorry for what I said." Thea sobs as Moria holds her.

"I know, I know." Moria replies soothingly as she holds her daughter.

"I'm still moving in with Ollie, Sara and Slade." Thea sniffs as Moria argues.

Oliver and Sara smile for a moment at the scene, laughing momentarily as Moria and Thea start silently squabbling about where Thea wants to live! Before heading quickly toward the door, anxious to find their friend, who currently they are worried out of their minds for!

 _Out In The Hallway_

Diggle stands, looking worriedly at the stairs where Slade is gripping onto the bannister for almost dear life, Oliver and Sara believe as they approach him.

"Are you ok?" Sara rests her hand on his arm causing him to flinch and close his eyes as he avoids her touch, Diggle giving them both a warning glance.

"You need to lie down. It's ok, we've got this." Oliver says carefully as Slade, even in his weak state manages to roll an eye at them!

"I'm fine, kid. I leave this to you two and god knows what would happen." He grumbles.

"Slade. You know we know that you're not going to hurt us again. That was just the…"

"I almost killed the both of you." He hisses before running a hand through his hair.

"Now what?" He practically snaps.

"We go and analyze the Vertigo. It's in liquid form, which means it contains water so maybe we can trace it back to when in the city it was made." Oliver explains as they make for the door.

"Where that bastards cooking up this…" Slade trails off as he suddenly stops and stumbles, Oliver and Sara at his side in an instant as he collapses…

 _They were at the very top of a waterfall, Fyers men having dragged Oliver's unconscious form up there assisted by Yao Fei, whilst Fyers had a tight hold of a struggling Sara who he also drags to the waterfall so she can witness what is about to happen to Oliver._

 _"No! No please don't hurt him!" Sara cries as Fyers grips her hair painfully._

 _"We're not going to hurt him dear girl, no we're going to kill him and you've got a front row seat." He hisses in her ear as she fights pointlessly to free herself as Yao Fei suddenly begins to speak in Chinese to Fyers, who nods him over._

 _"Don't do this!" Sara screeches pleadingly as Yao Fei makes his way over to Oliver's unconscious form._

 _"You psychopath! He helped you, we came back to save you! Don't kill him please don't kill him." She whimpers as Yao Fei ignores her and promptly pushes Oliver off the cliff…_

 _"OLLIE!" Sara continues to yell as tears run down her cheeks, her sobs turning into shrill screams as Fyers and his men drag her back through the forest…_

 _Queen Consolidated_

The elevator opens, allowing Oliver, Sara, Slade and Diggle to enter the top floor of Queen Consolidated, Slade still stumbling due to the effects of Vertigo having passed out twice now due to it, threatening to kill anyone who dared to sideline him or tell him one more time to take it easy!

"We need to get him to a hospital." Diggle mutters to Sara and Oliver.

"If you think that would happen without one of us losing our lives or limbs then you'd be mistaken." Sara murmurs yet with worry in her voice.

"Most certainly." Slade grumbles as he practically grips at the wall for support, all but pushing Oliver and Sara away again when they try to help him.

"Guys, god knows what was in that drug. It could be causing permanent damage!"

"Felicity!" Slade calls her name, cutting Diggle off as she turns to face them.

"They said you'd be up here." Sara smiles as Felicity smiles at them before glancing worriedly at Slade.

"Woah! You look like something the cat dragged in. Not that there are cats in the building. Well, well once a cat did get in, but a guard tazerd it. Smelled like fur and static in here for like a week… God you really do look like crap. I mean you don't look like crap in general, you look great but I meant right now you look terrible and I really need to shut up." Felicity babbles as Slade tries to smirk at her, but finds he can't as the brightness from the window behind her makes everything even more disoriented…

"Would you mind stepping away from the window for a moment Slade and I have awful hangovers." Oliver says, putting a rough voice on to try and convince Felicity he and Slade are hungover and his best friend is not suffering from Vertigo!

Slade mutters something then, nearly inaudible but Oliver and Sara hear it.

Her name…

Luckily, Felicity doesn't hear it and Oliver and Sara move closer to Slade just in case, wondering worriedly if he's hallucinating again.

"Sounds like the both of you need Bloody Mary's and a pretzel, not the IT department but it is normally dark in my office and I have a chair. I mean I have two chairs, incase one of you wants to come sit down there with me." Felicity babbles again before burying her head in her hands in despair at herself.

"And why would either of you want to do that." She mutters to herself as Oliver, Sara and even Slade manages to smile at her.

"Actually Oliver's friend is starting an energy drink company. He says it's fantastic for curing hangovers and none of us want to risk it unless we know what's in it." Sara explains as she hands over the vial of Vertigo in the syringe.

"Could you please do a spectroanalysis of the sample and find out exactly where in the city it's made?" Oliver requests as Felicity glances at the syringe skeptically.

"If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?" She queries.

"We ran out of sports bottles." Sara covers quickly with a smile as Felicity raises an eyebrow at them before glancing worriedly at Slade again.

"Hope you guys feel better soon." She nods to both Slade and Oliver as the three of them head away from her, Oliver gently leading Slade until he pulls away.

"Do I look like an invalid, kid?" Slade growls as they head toward the elevator.

"Did you see her again?" Sara asks to silence, confirming their suspicions as he grips onto the side of the elevator.

"Your BS stories are getting worse by the way." Diggle comments.

"Well aware!"

 _The Foundry_

"Looks like Felicity came through. The solvent used in the Vertigo sample was run off water originated within a ten block radius of where East Glades meets by the bay." Diggle explains as Sara leaves Oliver and Slade squabbling between one another to go to the computer where he pulls up a map.

"Nothing there except for an old juvenile detention center abandoned about three years ago, cutbacks." Diggle says softly as Sara nods and turns to grab her gear, Oliver and Slade copying her move.

"He's not going out there with you guys right?" Diggle folds his arms as Slade grabs his vigilante uniform.

"That's what we've been arguing about. I personally don't think he should." Oliver starts.

"No one asked for your opinion, kid. I've been through worse. You heard that basted, he's taking the drug citywide and we need to stop it from becoming an epidemic and to do that it's gonna take all three of us." Slade grumbles.

"And we're not going to be able to do that if we're looking after you!" Sara snaps back.

"I don't need looking after." Slade snarls.

"Slade, Oliver could probably beat you in a fight right now!" She protests.

"Ohh I doubt that greatly!" He growls as he grabs his sword only to turn to face Oliver who shoves him lightly to see if he'd stumble back which due to the Vertigo after effects he does.

"Touch me like that again and I'm gonna kill you slow, kid." He hisses.

"Yeah? I'm kinda hoping you're able to!" Oliver folds his arms before sihing and taking a swing at Slade, who deflects him a lot slower than normal.

"You're staying here." Oliver reaffirms only for Slade to twist his arm around and push him into the desk harshly.

"You were saying, kid?" Slade mutters, letting Oliver go in an instant before storming toward the stairs…

 _Starling City: Later_

The three vigilantes make their way up various flights of stairs. The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black watching The Man In The Mask anxiously as they go as he grips to the stair rail as they climb each step.

A guard of The Count approaches them, The Man In The Mask taking him out easily with a single flourish of his sword as The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood take out the other three.

With them all gone, they turn back toward the stairs, The Man In The Mask stumbling after the brief attack the other two vigilantes moving to his side in an instant.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" He snarls as they continue to make their way up the stairs, taking out more of The Counts men, The Man In The Mask, throwing one of them off the side of the staircase whilst the other two are swiftly dealt with by The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black who eye their partner with worry again as he stumbles up the steps…

 _Meanwhile…_

"My CI swears this is the place." McKenna Hall says to Quentin as the SCPD arrives on the scene of the old Juvenile Detention Center where The Count supposedly resides.

"Bring your men up on the flank, ok this way!" Quentin commands as the SCPD race toward the building…

 _Meanwhile…_

"They're here!" One of The Counts men hell as they approach him as he sighs.

"Them who?" He replies boredly.

"The vigilantes!" One guard yells as one of their men are thrown to the floor by the three approaching vigilantes. Workers of The Count eagerly making their escape to avoid death by the vigilantes.

Another guard firing upon them as they leap down, taking cover as The Man In The Mask takes out one firing a gun at them with one of his daggers, that he surprisingly manages to aim well and kill his intended target.

The Man In The Hood firing an arrow at another guard who crashes into a glass panel, the three of them then approaching The Count.

"You three should have stuck to your depraved ellites! I am merely providing people with what they want. I am providing public service!" The Count yells.

"So are we." The Man In The Mask snarls as he throws a knife in The Counts direction, knocking a device out of his hand as the three move to attack him, The Man In The Mask ahead of them all as he battles The Count in hand to hand combat for a few mere moments, not even allowing The Man In The Hood and and The Woman In Black a chance to help before stabbing an injection of Vertigo into The Count.

"Enjoy the fruits of your labour." He snarls as he pushes down the plunger.

"FREEZE!" Quentin calls as he and the SCPD enter the room, aiming their guns at the three vigilantes and The Count.

"Put down the needle! Or I will shoot the three of you!" He threatens as they all make their way into the room, advancing on the three of them.

"He deserves this!" The Man In The Hood growls.

"He deserves a lot worse." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"He's a killer, who's hurt so many people and he needs to be stopped. One way or the other." The Woman In Black snarls.

""Not according to the law! The people who think you're heroes, people like my daughter. If they could see the three of you now, you're no heroes. You three are what I always said you were. Killers!" Quentin hisses as with a slice of his sword The Man In The Mask slices off the hands of The Count, throwing him toward the SCPD as the three vigilantes make their escape, leaving The Count behind…

 _The Foundry_

"How was it?" Diggle calls as soon as Oliver, Sara and Slade slam the door and walk down the steps, shedding their vigilante uniforms as they go.

"He won't be making any more Vertigo in a while." Oliver mutters as he puts his bow away.

"Considering he has no hands I agree with you there!" Sara snorts as she pulls off her wig.

"Do I want to know?" Diggle asks with a smile.

"Slade's pretty good with that sword." Sara smiles at Slade who pulls off his mask.

"Yep and that's the last time we doubt him! Even after suffering a near overdose he still manages to take out The Count." Oliver laughs lightly in amazement.

"I'm just that good." Slade grins.

"You are never going to let us forget this are you?" Sara smirks.

"Nope." Slade replies as Diggle rolls his eyes at them.

"I was right, you are insane." Diggle glances at Slade who merely shrugs and moves toward the stairs.

"So what next? Gonna track down that thief who stole the money?" Diggle asks.

"Those two can. I'm gonna lie down." Slade mutters as Diggle looks at Oliver and Sara in disbelief as he folds his arms.

"Jobs done now." Slade calls in explanation.

"You are kidding me right?" Diggle glances at Sara and Oliver who laugh.

"He's insane." Oliver smirks.

"Heard that, kid! I'll remember that next sparring session!" Slade threatens as Sara sniggers.

"So the thief?" Diggle queries as Oliver shrugs his shoulders.

"Who knows Diggle! The Queen's have a lot of money, I'm sure it won't be missed. If he strikes again we take him down, but for now Sara and I better go make sure Slade actually gets home!" Oliver says with another smirk as the sound of someone tripping on the stairs proves their theory!

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

"Ok, we're nearly there." Oliver says with a smile as he and Sara help Slade up the stairs, Slade practically giving up resisting their help being absolutely exhausted and all!

"I'm not helpless. If I could take down The Count I can master these stairs." He still mutters stubbornly as Sara and Oliver laugh at him.

"Yeah keep believing that." Sara smiles as Oliver adds.

"Don't worry, you can kick my ass up and down The Foundry all day when you're back on your feet." Oliver says with a smile.

"I'm gonna hold you to that one kid." Slade murmurs and as soon as they get to the apartment he doesn't even bother trying to climb the stairs to his room just promptly passes out on the couch, Oliver and Sara trying not to laugh.

"Would he kill us if we took a picture?" Oliver sniggers.

"Slow and painfully." Slade murmurs.

"Ohh come on admit it! Sometimes you need us to look after you. It's not always the other way around." Sara says gently as Slade just grumbles something inaudible in response.

"Think he's gonna be ok?" Sara looks to Oliver.

"Hey, he's threatening death to us again, he's gonna be fine." Oliver smirks.

"You do realise he's gonna remind us that he took down The Count almost single handedly whilst getting over Vertigo pretty much forever." Sara smiles as Oliver laughs.

"Sounds about right." Oliver smiles as Sara gently drapes a blanket over Slade's sleeping form, before she and Oliver leave him be with smiles, Oliver especially.

"Come on, let's make the most of the peace and quiet!"

 _CNRI: Next Day_

Having left Slade at the apartment to recover, Oliver and Sara go to Queen Mansion to pick up Thea for the beginning of her community service at CNRI with Laurel.

"Slade ok?" Thea asks concerned when they reach CNRI, having not really spoken much during the journey, her thoughts still occupied with having to do this community service for her crimes.

"Yeah he's just getting over one hellva hangover." Oliver lies causing Sara to nudge him, knowing that Slade would probably have Oliver's head on a spike if he had heard!

"Am I still moving into yours soon?" Thea practically pleads.

"Mom ok with this?" Oliver says with a raised eyebrow.

"No but after everything she really doesn't have the right to comment." Thea says with a slight smile as Oliver and Sara nod with wide smiles as Laurel approaches them.

"Juvenile delinquent reporting for duty." Thea smirks causing Laurel, Oliver and Sara to laugh as Laurel embraces her sister.

"Since you lost your driver's license, we'll pick you up at five." Oliver starts.

"Six. We have a lot of work for her to do." Laurel reaffirms.

"Well let's say seven just to be safe." Oliver smiles.

"Is it too late to choose jail?" Thea winces at the thought of staying till seven.

"Yes." The three of them say simultaneously as Laurel turns to Thea.

"I need you to go through these files and pull out all the documents dated March 2007. Do you think you could do that?" Laurel hands Thea the files.

"I think I can." Thea replies before leaving the three of them, heading toward the desk Laurel had already laid out for her, turning around to face them just as she gets there.

"Look, I know I messed up. I really appreciate this Laurel." Thea smiles warmly.

"We are going to make an upstanding citizen out of you yet, Speedy." Laurel smiles back before leaving Thea to her work.

"Thank you." Oliver says to Laurel.

"It was no bother. I'm just glad she's here and not in jail right now." Laurel sighs.

"This will be good for her, having a role model. Somebody better than me, Sara and Slade." Oliver adds with a smile.

"Oh you three are not so bad and Slade definitely isn't! Besides, it'll be nice to have her around. Sara, sure I can't convince you to come work here as well?" Laurel turns to her sister as Sara laughs.

"Like that would work! I've got a job anyway a nightclub is much more my scene." Sara replies as Laurel smiles sadly just as Oliver's phone rings.

"Hello?" Oliver says upon answering the phone, Sara stepping closer to him so she can listen in as well.

"I got The Count! Busted up his lab, got him on everything from drug trafficking to homicide. He'll be gone for a long while." McKenna informs Oliver.

"That's great news, thanks for letting us know." Oliver smiles.

"I'm just glad you're sister isn't in jail. Take care Oliver." She replies before hanging up, Oliver smiling at Sara at the thought of The Counts predicament, taking her hand as they leave CNRI

 _Starling City General_

"He's still critical." The doctor informs Quentin as they look at the strapped down writhing body of The Count, missing two hands courtesy of The Man In The Mask.

"I've never seen anyone OD on this much Vertigo and live. There's just no way of knowing what kind of damage has been done to his brain and nervous system, or if it's irreparable." She explains as The Count is dragged away…

 _With a start, Oliver comes around whilst under the icy surface of the waves that he must have been pushed into by Fyers or one of his men after Yao Fei beat the crap it of him! They think he's dead, he believes but he survived. He survived the fall, he realizes upon looking up to see the cliff he must have been pushed from._

 _Sara…_

 _Sara's still with Fyers. She's still there, he's got her! Is Oliver's instant thoughts as he paddles toward dry land._

 _He needs to get her back, he needs to rescue her._

 _She thinks he's dead…_

 _The thought almost kills him, Sara believing him to be dead, that she's alone and probably getting tortured by Fyers and his men._

 _No doubt about it, he needs to rescue her and maybe them thinking he's dead could work to his advantage, he can provide the element of surprise, sneak into the base camp and save Sara from them._

 _Feeling something in his pocket, Oliver is surprised when he pulls out a map._

 _Someone must have put it there before they 'killed' him._

 _Yao Fei. It could only have been Yao Fei! Oliver wonders to himself as he opens the map, the map of the whole island._

 _He can save Sara, he can find her now._

 _He murmurs something in Chinese, the only word he knows in Chinese!_

 _Survive_.

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

"Slade?" Oliver calls out as he and Sara enter the apartment.

"What." Comes Slade's grumble as Sara and Oliver smirk to themselves, heading into the living room where Slade is sitting on the sofa looking miserable.

"Apparently Felicity has something to tell us, I told her she could come here and tell us instead of us going to her this time." Oliver explains as Slade nods briefly as Sara sits beside him, folding her arms.

"Now what's up with you?" She asks kindly.

"Nothing. Why'd you ask?" He replies.

"Because you look even more miserable then normal and yesterday you went through hell and back due to that Vertigo crap!" Oliver rolls his eyes as he joins his friend.

Slade is silent for a moment but soon realises that Sara and Oliver are not just going to go away so he decides to tell them what's on his mind.

"I saw them. I saw her and it was like she was standing right in front of me, that she was alive, reminding me of what I've done, what I did to her over and over again. I know, I know it wasn't her but it was so real." Slade trails off before looking up at Oliver and Sara.

"And then I hurt you. I hurt both you."

"Hey Slade sometimes I've thought you were going to kill me in our training sessions, it's ok. What you did whilst under that crap doesn't mean a thing." Oliver tries to reassure him.

"Yes it does! I almost killed the both of you and him! Just like I nearly killed you both almost five years ago." He murmurs.

"That wasn't your fault either Slade and anyway we're still here. We're still alive and we're not going anywhere." Sara reassures him.

"I've lost so many people that I have loved. I can't. I can't lose either of you to." He admits, looking up at both Sara and Oliver.

"Don't think you'd ever lose us that easily. Remember what you told me on the island? No one kills Sara and I but you? Because we certainly do and as long as we've got you around and because of everything you've done for us, taught us I think we're very hard people to get rid off. I'm gonna be around to annoy you for a very long time." Oliver practically laughs.

"You know it scared us too when you got hit by that goddam Vertigo. Reminded us of a memory we wanted to forget, you know when you first got that awful stuff and we thought that it had killed you?" Sara reminds him.

"We can't lose you either Slade." Oliver finishes with a warm smile as both Sara and Oliver embrace their friend, who smiles slightly.

"You pair better not be going soft on me. You know I won't stand for that!" Slade threatens as Oliver and Sara laugh and just hug him tighter just before the door bell rings.

"That'll be Felicity." Oliver leaps off the couch, to open the door.

"Hey Felicity, come in." Oliver smiles at her as she nervously enters the apartment.

"Hey." Sara calls from the couch as Felicity smiles at her before sitting down across from her, Slade and Oliver, who had soon moved back to the couch.

"Got over that hangover Slade?" She asks kindly.

"Yes, it is almost non existent, Felicity." He replies with a half smirk, Felicity trying not to blush as she looks up at them again, silence passing for a moment.

"Ok. The thing is I've been debating whether or not to share this with you guys for weeks. Can I trust you guys? I'm not an idiot. You guys have dropped some fairly ridiculous lies on me and yet I still feel like I can trust the three of you. Why is that?" She questions with a nervous laugh.

"Yes. You can trust us." Slade replies as she looks down again.

"Then I have something to show the three of you." She says before delving into her bag, removing a small notebook Oliver, Sara and Slade are sure they recognise.

She holds it out to them, Oliver taking it from her and flicking through the pages with Slade and Sara, realising that it is the notebook.

A complete exact replica of Robert Queen's notebook of names.

"Have you guys ever seen this before?" She questions as Oliver shakes his head.

"No. Where'd you get it?" Slade questions.

"From Walter, your stepfather." She eyes Oliver as the three of them look up at her in an instant a million and one thoughts going through their heads at the revelation.

"Where did he get it?" Oliver mutters.

"He said he found it at Queen Mansion. That it belongs to Moira Queen." She reveals.

"Walter thought she was hiding something. Something more and he wanted me to look into it but then he vanished." She explains as she looks down and closes her eyes.

"I think. I think this list might have cost Walter his life."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and to those of you who have so kindly reviewed, followed and favourited it means the world that people like this story. Next update should be very soon as I've literally just started work on it because it's one of my all time favourite Arrow episodes 'Betrayal' and I can't wait to write my version of it so it should be updated soon, please tell me what you think of this and thanks again for reading!**


	38. Betrayal (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Thirty Eight**

 _Iron Heights Prison_

In the dead of night a black van arrives at the desolate entrance to Iron Heights prison.

A man, Cyrus Vanch, exists the prison calmly walking over to a blonde woman standing beside the van, pulling her into his arms and a passionate kiss…

 _Next Morning_

"Hiya George." Vanch speaks as he knocks upon the front door of a man named George's house, the blonde woman still at his side.

"Vanch." The man replies in an ominous tone.

"Surprised to see me? I imagine you would be, seeing as how you botched my trial and from what Viv here tells me, protecting my interests." He says in a dangerous voice.

"Um, there were contingencies that couldn't be anticipated." George stutters nervously.

"Yes. Yes, Vivian told me. The head of the Triad getting ventilated, Bertinelli getting collared and um, these vigilantes. The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask." He lists boredly.

"E—exactly. What am I supposed to do in the face of something like that?" He stutters again in response.

"Absolutely nothing, Georgie. Tell you what, all is forgiven. Give us a hug." Vanch offers with a smile, noticing George's hesitation.

"Come on." He edges him on as the men embrace.

"You know I could use a place to stay while I'm getting my sea legs back under me, George and you've got a nice place here. What do you say George?" He questions as he releases him, dropping his dead body to the floor having stabbed him in the side.

"I hope George has been food shopping." He smirks to Vivian.

"I'm famished."

 _The Foundry_

"So what you guys are trying to tell me is that this book contains a list of the names of the guys the three of you have been hunting and this book, Oliver your mother's that's the same list of names." Diggle questions having heard the story from Oliver, Sara and Slade about how the sweet IT girl, Felicity Smoak had revealed this book to them and the knowledge that it was Oliver's mothers and that it may or may not have been the cause of Walters disappearance and possible murder!

"It's identical." Oliver snarls in between angered punches at Slade, sparring with his best friend to keep his mind straight after the revelation.

"So where'd Moria Queen get her copy?" Diggle queries as Sara shrugs her shoulders whilst watching Oliver and Slade duel.

"Who knows! I don't know if I want to find out." Sara murmurs truthfully.

"I have my opinions." Slade mumbles.

"Ohh I bet you do." Diggle replies as he watches Slade take Oliver down as per usual.

"She's my mother Diggle. She's not the kind of person who would…"

"Have her husband disappear? Because I can believe that. I always thought there was something off about that woman from the moment I met her." Slade growls.

"Slade." Sara sighs softly in slight restraint.

"No. I have always thought there was something not quite right about Moira Queen and this is just proving my point." Slade mutters.

"You don't know her Slade." Oliver protests, Slade taking Oliver's distracted moment to put him on the ground.

"I think I see more sides to her than you do, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver gets to his feet, picking up the pace with Slade again.

"You're too trusting, kid." Slade retorts.

"And you don't trust anybody! You seem to believe that everyone's got some kind of agenda! You've always been like that. Look how long it took you to trust us!" Oliver cries.

"You two earned my trust. Trust is earned, you're mother certainly hasn't earned my trust and until this matter is resolved she never will do." Slade growls.

"Because you already think that this is going to end badly." Oliver shoots back.

"Oliver, she has the book identical to the one your father gave to you and Sara right before he died. She had it hidden and as soon as your step father finds it he disappears! I don't see anyway how this won't end badly." Slade hisses as he deflects probably a genuine punch from an upset Oliver.

"Guys please, fighting isn't going to help." Sara sighs sadly.

"No it's not. Listening to me kid is gonna help." Slade responds.

"Right now, I doubt that." Oliver mutters petulantly.

"That is really the question though isn't it Oliver. Did she make Walter disappear. I understand why you would want to believe your mother over your stepfather but I tend to believe the innocent party is whoevers missing and presumed dead and Slade. Well he believes everyone's guilty until proven innocent!" Diggle folds his arms as Oliver snorts and rolls his eyes whilst throwing an attack at Slade.

"Ohh don't I know it!"

 _Oliver had walked for hours, following the directions on the map to a place Yao Fei had marked upon it, trying to keep his mind focused and not on Sara…_

 _Sara, whom is still being held captive by Fyers, or possibly dead too…_

 _No, Oliver commands himself not to think like that._

 _Sara is alive, Sara is with Fyers and he's doing god knows what to her…_

 _Those thoughts are possibly almost as bad as believing her to be dead!_

 _No, he needs to get to whatever this location is and when he's there work out just exactly how he is going to infiltrate Fyers camp and save Sara from his evil clutches._

 _He continues to walk before stopping as he comes across a field, a field of various greens from the grass and the trees._

 _The clearing would be considered beautiful but as Oliver walks through it some more he sees pieces and pieces of metal scattered around the field and then at the far corner a plane, a crashed plane more specifically._

 _Crashed, broken up into pieces and lying there as if it were a corpse._

 _It is a corpse, a corpse of a plane and it's freakin eerie!_

 _Popping his head nervously around a green net of leaves to look inside the main body of the plane, Oliver tentatively enters._

 _Looking around the plane, he sees that it appears to be kitted out as if someone had been living here or is living here, he doesn't know!_

 _Taking a few steps to look around, his eyes fall on several belongings, belonging to who knows but if this place is just deserted then it could be a great place to hide and plan out a strategy to save Sara! Oliver thinks to himself as he takes a step forward, unaware of the agile man leaping down from an opening in the roof of the plane, like an acrobat, landing swiftly on his feet behind Oliver, barely making a single sound. He had watched this intruder enter his plane and believes now that it is his obligation to show this intruder just who this plane belongs to and what happens to those who choose to trespass._

 _With no sound being made by the man, Oliver suddenly feels a strong arm trapping him in place and the cold metal kiss of a sword or even a very long knife again his neck._

 _Nope, this place was not deserted, Oliver figures as he struggles against the man, whom takes no notice and tightens his strong grip, hissing in Oliver's ear._

 _"Twitch and I will open your throat!" He snarls, his voice deep, low, gravelly and accented._

 _Oliver doesn't even get a chance to reply before the man is snarling at him again._

 _"How many more with you?" He hisses._

 _"What?" Oliver cries cluelessly as the strong man leans closer to him, hissing sharply in Oliver's ear._

 _"You have ten seconds to tell me something I believe before I cut out your voice box." The man threatens slowly, tightening his hold and almost breaking the skin on Oliver's neck with his sword._

 _"Wait, wait, wait! Yao Fei sent me here and I'm pretty sure it wasn't so you could kill me!" Oliver replies, to no use as the man only presses the sword tighter to his neck._

 _"I escaped from these people, they were completely nuts and captured us both, but something happened there and they think I'm dead. They've got my girlfriend, she's still there, I don't think they've killed her but, but they're going to kill her unless I do something! I have to save her, she'll die if not! Please don't kill me, we just want to get home!" Oliver cries pitifully, choking under the mans iron like grip on his throat just as the man suddenly releases him, grabbing him roughly by the arm so that Oliver faces him._

 _The man, who had only seconds ago held a knife to Oliver's throat, which turns out to be a sword Oliver realises upon glancing at it! Is a man roughly the same height as Oliver, except with raven black hair, deep brown eyes and a powerful build, a scowl at his lips._

 _"What?" The man hisses, Australian, Oliver guesses from the thick accent as the man continues to hold the sword in Oliver's direction, the tip almost reaching Oliver's nose as the two men stand opposite one another, Oliver trying to find his voice again, grateful that there's not a sword pressed to his throat!_

 _"Yao Fei. He gave me directions to your plane."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this. This is actually one of my favorite Arrow episodes, this one and The Odyssey and I have loved every second of writing my own version. Next update should be soon. I've had the cold from hell and haven't been able to write anything sadly. Thank you to all of you who have favorited, reviewed and followed this story.**


	39. Betrayal (2)

**I don't own Arrow, all rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Thirty Nine**

 _SCPD_

"Frank you've got to be kidding me, you can't thrown me another assignment now!" Quentin protests in annoyance as he follows Frank, a lieutenant, down a corridor.

"It's Lieutenant." Frank reminds him sharply.

"And I'm pretty sure that's what gives me the authority!"

Quentin rolls his eyes in frustration as Frank turns his back to him.

"Look, I'm drawing in on the vigilantes investigation. I am going to get those bastards!" He replies determinedly.

"You know has it not occurred to you that no one wants you to?" Frank sighs as Quentin raises an eyebrow in shock.

"What?"

"The Man In The Hood saved the Christmas hostages. The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask took down an arsonist and the three of them took down those armoured car thieves and just last weeks they busted the Vertigo drug ring when we couldn't! What was urban legends are becoming heroic." Frank mutters before moving past Quentin.

"If these people are heroes, I don't know what my life in the city as a cop means." He growls in frustration.

"Let me suggest you find meaning in following orders…"

"Frank, listen!" Quentin snaps to cut him off.

"I'm close. If my lead comes to something more…"

"Come to me with something real, Quentin and we'll talk." Frank folds his arms before adding firmly.

"In the meantime though, I'm assigning you to another case."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Ohh my god, you guys are like my heroes!" Thea cheers as Sara, Oliver and Slade arrive at Queen Mansion with boxes for Thea's things so that she can move all her stuff into their place, her new home.

"We figured we'd help you move." Sara smiles, wrapping one arm around Thea's shoulders.

"Thank you! Can we get started. I've got a lot of stuff and mom's going out so I want to do this before she can change her mind or even really realise that this is actually happening!" Thea chuckles with a defiant grin.

"I'm sure she'd come up with a million and one reasons why she thinks this is a bad idea." Sara replies with a role of her eyes.

"Ohh don't I know it!" Thea mutters.

"I don't really think we require her opinion on the matter." Slade folds his arms.

"Exactly! At least I know that you'd go up against mom and probably win if she suddenly decided to forbid me from doing this!" Thea laughs.

"Ohh I don't know if I'd win. I'm sure Moira Queen has more fight in her than people believe, yet not necessarily the good kind." Slade murmurs with a glance at Oliver, who just shakes his head at him.

"I think you're probably right there as well. God knows what she's planning to do to you guys for this!" She smiles before turning to them.

"Come on!" Thea grins happily, Oliver nodding.

"Yeah, I actually wanted a world with mom, you guys go ahead. I'll meet you up there." Oliver smiles to the three of them, Slade raising an eyebrow to Oliver, whom ignores him completely as Thea squeals happily, grabbing both Sara and Slade's hands and dragging them toward the stairs as Oliver heads in the other direction to his mom's room, noticing her pulling on her boots as he reaches the door.

"Hey. Heading out?" He questions as she sighs.

"Yes, a meeting with the financial planner's. Are you alright?" She questions worriedly upon looking over at her son.

A moment of silence passes between mother and son for a moment before Oliver speaks.

"There was something that I wanted to talk to you about." He starts.

"What about Thea moving in with you and your friends? Oliver I still do not approve of this course of action but it has been made apparent to me that I don't have much of a say in matters considering that Thea's eighteen!" Moria shakes her head in dismay at the whole affair as Oliver shakes his own head before removing the small notebook of Walter's from his pocket. The notebook of his mother's.

"No. I wanted to talk to you about Walter." Moira's immediately land on the small notebook in Oliver's hands.

"Right around Christmas when he disappeared, he gave me this." He lies as she all but snatches it from him, flicking through the pages.

"This is your father's notebook." She states causing Oliver to freeze as he waits anxiously for the rest of Moira's words on the matter.

"He kept a list of all the people in Starling City who owed him favours. I had no idea there were so many of them." She flicks through the pages rapidly.

"We've been researching some of those names on that list online and they're not good people." He folds his arms as she shakes her head.

"We? So you and your friends have been discussing this have you?" She frowns.

"I don't keep secrets from them." Oliver replies bluntly as Moira sighs.

"Oliver, look, I have no idea what your father was involved in or with whom. You and your sister and apparently your friends know as you couldn't keep it to yourself, that he wasn't exactly the man he said her was, or exactly honest with me." She reminds him.

"Then we should look into this then…"

"No!" She snaps abruptly, cutting Oliver off and causing a surprised look to cross his face at his mother's ferocity.

"If what you say is true and this list is filled with bad people and Walter was looking into it and now he…" She trails off as she looks down at the book in her hands before subsequently tossing it into to crackling fire.

"The only way to keep this family safe is for everyone in it to stop asking questions, including you Oliver and I'd mention this to your friends if I were you! Stop asking questions Promise me! And this time Oliver, keep your promise!" She growls, the small notebook slowly melting away…

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

"I think that's all the boxes." Oliver smirks as he drops the final box down into Thea's room.

"You weren't lying when you said there was a lot of stuff." Sara smiles, the four of them having spent a few hours moving Thea's things after Oliver returned from talking to his mother, something Sara and Slade hope to discuss with him later!

"Thanks guys, you're the best!" Thea beams happily as she starts to put a few things in draws and cupboards.

"This is for you!" Oliver holds out a key to her as Thea smiles even wider.

"Aww thank you Ollie! I've literally got the best keyring to go with this." Thea grins as she smirks at Sara, who frowns for a moment.

"Certain picture." Thea smirks as Sara remembers and bursts out laughing at the memory as Oliver and Slade look between them with confused glances.

"What is this picture you speak of?" Slade decides to question.

"Ohh nothing!" Thea smirks mischievously before pulling the three of them into a close embrace as she eyes the clock resentfully.

"Urghh! I've got to be at CNRI! And thanks to me losing my drivers licence I can't get there myself." Thea moans defeatedly.

"Come on, you can unpack later." Oliver wraps an arm around her shoulders as the two of them make it for the door.

"Won't be long!" Oliver calls to Sara and Slade in farewell before heading for the door with Thea, Slade shutting it behind them, waiting until he hears their chatter and rescinding footsteps before turning to Sara.

"So what should we do about Moria Queen?"

Sara stands with her arms folded, sighing as she looks up at Slade, a few moments of silence passing between them before she decides to answer.

"We trust Oliver on this one, it's his mother." She replies as Slade snorts.

"What if there is the risk of Oliver's judgement being clouded?" Slade mutters.

"We trust him, like we've always done before." Sara sighs.

"I do trust him. I don't trust her. Ever since I met her there was something not right." Slade folds his arms.

"She's always kinda been like that from what I remember. I've never been the biggest fan of her Slade even before the island she is a very difficult woman but I don't think she'd be capable of something. Of something awful." Sara admits.

"There have been a lot of people I've believed not capable of doing something awful who have! People close to me, people whom I have loved and trusted with my life. You know that Sara, both you and Oliver do." He replies.

"I know, I know that Slade but despite being a bit of a dragon at times I don't think she's some sort of monster. I can't picture her being involved in this stuff and we haven't even heard about what she told Oliver." Sara folds her arms.

"Lies. Most probably." Slade retorts.

"Slade…"

"If she could lie to her own son and daughter so convincingly about one thing who knows what else she's lied to them about? To others? I honestly don't see how any of you can trust a single word that comes out of her mouth!" Slade mutters angrily.

"Look Slade I know you and Moira don't exactly get on. You never have but do you think maybe that's why you're so instant that she's the villain here?" Sara decides to question bravely as Slade raises an eyebrow at her before shaking his head in dismay.

"I'm insistent because of the evidence stacked against her." Slade retorts.

"And Oliver and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt..."

"No, you and Oliver are a softer judge of character then I am." Slade grumbles as Sara falls silent, honestly unsure of what to believe right now.

 _CNRI_

"So this is really happening?" Thea comments after being dropped off at CNRI by Oliver.

"Four hundred and ninety eight hours of community service to go." She groans pitifully as she follows Laurel into the main office room.

"Four hundred and ninety nine." Laurel reaffirms.

"This orientation doesn't count." Thea rolls her eyes.

"Tell me how this is not cruel and unusual punishment?" Laurel smiles back before introducing Thea to one of the workers at CNRI.

"Anastasia, I'd like you to meet our new intern, Thea Queen." Laurel pats her arm kindly.

"Interns get school credit. I'm more like a court ordered slave!" Thea glares at Laurel.

"Ohh, I can relate." The woman, Anastasia replies.

"Anastasia is on a one year pro bono sabbatical from her law firm." Laurel explains.

"And apparently from my six figure salary!"

"The experience of helping others is in its own reward." Laurel cuts her off with a smile.

"I have yet to see any evidence of that." Anastasia smiles with a glance at Thea, whom decides there and then that she's likes this woman.

"And speaking of lack of evidence. Cyrus Vanch was released from Iron Heights!" She announces causing a panicked look to cross Laurel's face who darts to her desk as Anastasia turns to explain things to Thea.

"We represent a victims advocacy group who's trying to keep Vanch locked up."

"I'm calling Kate Spencer." Laurel cuts her off.

"I already did. She said there's nothing the DA's offices can do without further evidence." Anastasia turns to Laurel who slams down the phone.

"Then I'm going to her office."

"And she also said not to show up at her office." Anastasia sighs as Laurel shakes his head in horror at the situation.

"Vanch is connected to human trafficking, drug running, racketeering and at least fifty two different homicides!" Laurel protests.

"Ok, so what's the plan?" She questions.

"Because, Laurel, unless you have access to some private police force. Vanch will stay free to roam the streets!" Anastasia reminds her as Laurel's phone abruptly starts to ring.

"I have to get this." Laurel says quickly as she sees that it's Tommy calling, trying not to smile when she sees his number.

Tommy's always just what she needs when things aren't going the way she wants them to.

"Hey." She says with a warm smile, even though she knows he can't see her.

"Honey how does a night with me and a dozen famous chefs sound?" Tommy questions causing Laurel to laugh and shake her head at his random question, one of the things she loves most about Tommy, his sudden unexpected queries!

"Like an episode of The Bachelor." She grins as she hears Tommy's soft laughter.

"I'm auditioning potential chefs for the club tomorrow night. I've arranged a tasting and I one hundred percent doubt very much that Oliver and Slade want to be a part of this. If they do god help us! I've arranged a tasting and I could use an extra set of taste buds. Again Oliver and Slade not being my first choice as after spending five years on a deserted island I bet anything, even if it's really crap cooking would taste good to them! And I was thinking it could be something for me and you to do." Tommy beams on his end.

"Ohh Tommy, I've been trying to figure out how to get a vicious criminal back in jail. I can't." Laurel murmurs in disappointment, having actually wanted to do this with Tommy.

"That's perfect! It sounds like hungry work." Tommy replies, hopefulness still in his voice which saddens Laurel.

"Tomorrow night?" She suggests.

"Maybe we could do it early? Look I've got to go. I need to make some calls." She admits sadly, hoping Tommy can hear the misery in her voice so he knows just how much she really just wants to drop everything to spend time with Tommy. But she's Laurel Lance, she can't!

"See you at home?" She bites her lip.

"Yeah, I'll see you later honey, bye." Tommy replies, hanging up with a smile to his lips.

 _The Foundry_

"You've got to be kidding me." Slade shakes his head and gets to his feet upon he, Sara and Diggle getting the recount from Oliver about what he talked about with his mother and the fact that Moira burned the book.

"You don't find that a little convenient her just so happening to have burned the book?" Diggle questions with his arms folded.

"I'm with you there. Can't you see that she's lying to you, kid? Are you honestly telling me that you cannot see this!" Slade cries angrily.

"She did it out of concern for my safety!" Oliver snaps.

"Or her own! I don't think you see it, either of you." Slade glances to Sara as well.

"She has some kind of agenda here, whether you can see it or not and we should be thinking of ways to figure out what exactly she knows and what she's planning!" Slade folds his arms in annoyance.

"Or she might not be planning anything!" Sara cries.

"No, Oliver you said it yourself. Whoever complied that list is involved with something very dangerous and if your mother is lying to you, which from what I've gathered she's done before with ease!" Diggle cuts in as Oliver shakes his head.

"She didn't know any of the names on the list!" Oliver protests as Slade scoffs.

"She said she didn't. I wouldn't take her word for it, or on anything for that matter!"

"For the love of god Slade my mother's not a criminal!" Oliver snaps.

"What then? We ignore the evidence that's pointing right in her direction? That's not what we do." Slade growls.

"We do when there is substantial evidence that she's not involved." Oliver mutters.

"What might that evidence be then, kid? Her word on the matter?" Slade replies, deep sarcasm in his voice as Oliver shakes his head at Slade in disbelief.

"Oliver, I hate to say it but I think Slade has a point here. If this was anyone else you three would have all suited up, right now I honestly think Slade is probably thinking of doing this and have been on your way to have a three vigilantes chat with them! Tell me I'm wrong?" Diggle replies with a kind glance to Slade.

"Have to agree." Slade folds his arms.

"No." Sara says firmly.

"Perhaps I should make my own uniform and go with you?" Diggle suggests.

"I'm not saying no." Slade retorts causing Sara to widen her eyes at them.

"I can't believe you two are discussing this but it's good that you two are finally finding common ground with one another." Sara moans.

"I can't believe you two are discussing this at all! This isn't just anyone else this is my mother and I know her!" Oliver yells to silence them.

"And we see try to see the best in people before condemning them." Sara adds in Oliver's defence who squeezes her hand.

"And the people you think you know can sometimes be the most dangerous." Slade mutters, Oliver glaring at him.

"I know that from experience."

"Well my mother isn't like your old partner Slade! Just because people in your life betrayed you doesn't mean that my mother's betraying me!" Oliver snaps without thinking, only after thinking of the hurt he may have caused Slade from his hasty comment and opens his mouth to say something again when Slade holds his hand up.

"Don't. Just don't." Slade growls, both he and Oliver glare at one another just as the phone beings to ring.

The Vigilantes Phone.

"What's that?" Diggle queries as Sara crosses the room to grab it.

"That is the phone we gave to Lance so that he could contact the vigilantes." Oliver explains.

"He asking you guys to turn yourselves in?" Diggle frowns.

"He gave it to Laurel." Slade supplies, without even a glance at Oliver as Sara answers it.

"Hello." She says plainly.

"I need you three to help me with something." Laurel's voice replies.

"Well that's why you're on the phone." The Woman In Black responds.

"Cyrus Vanch was just released from prison on a technicality. Living large in his lawyers house." She explains as Sara eyes Oliver who begins to type in commands to their computer to pull up information on Vanch.

"There's no evidence of foul play, but I know he's just Vanch's first victim and he won't be his last." Laurel explains as Sara sighs.

"What about the police?" She questions as The Woman In Black.

"They can't move on him without evidence of new criminal activity." She replies.

"Laurel, attaining evidence isn't what we do." The Woman In Black reminds her.

"I know but Vanch is dangerous!" Laurel protests.

"Hold onto the phone we'll call." Sara promises before hanging up, putting the phone back down on the desk, nodding to Oliver with a smile.

"Laurel needs our help." She speaks to the three of them.

"We running to help her or away from the truth about your mother?" Slade folds his arms.

"You don't have to come!" Oliver snaps viciously as he and Sara head for the stairs.

"But if you are, we have work to do!"

 _SCPD_

"Hey detective?" Kelton questions upon crossing the room to get to Quentin's desk where he sits with his head in his hands.

"What? I'm busy Kelton." Quentin murmurs boredly, frustration evident in his voice.

"I'm pretty sure you're gonna want to hear this." Kelton says quickly as Quentin looks up at him, taking a long sip from his coffee.

"Yep?"

"The bug I put in that phone from the vigilantes just lit up. Your daughter's playing Maid Marian to Robin Hood and his Merry Men again." He reveals as Quentin instantly gets to his feet after the revelation.

"Where are you going?" Kelton questions as Quentin looks back at him with a slight smirk.

"Lieutenant Pike's office. If she's meeting with the vigilantes then there's going to be a task force there when she does."

 _Vanch's Place: Night_

Four security guards stand with guns outside Cyrus Vanch's lawyers place.

These guards are instantly taken out by arrows and well aimed knives.

"You see, we've got to look at this as an opportunity." Vanch speaks as he takes a bite from his food, during a dinner with his right hand Vivian.

"The Triad and the Bertinelli organisation are leaderless and the giant sucking sound you're hearing is the current power vacuum in Starling City, one that I plan on filling." He explains as two other of his men are taken down by arrows and knives by the three vigilantes, each guard they take out allowing them to move in closer to Vanch.

"How are you going to convince the Triad and Bertinelli's crew that they should sign up with you?" Vivian questions as from somewhere in the distance The Man In The Hood fires an arrow which flies past Vanch and Vivian and into the wall, Vanch turning around at the sound, dismissing it after a moment, unaware of the recording device attached to the arrow imbedded in the wall.

"Well, that's an excellent question. I need to do something spectacular to get their attention and earn their respect." Vanch replies, something that is heard by The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black.

"Maybe we should plant one of these devices in your mother's office." The Man In The Mask hisses as Vanch drones on.

"Perhaps you need to have more faith in people." The Man In The Hood mutters.

"Ohh I have faith in people. I rescued your sorry arse on the island didn't I? I had faith in you." He snarls back.

"You have faith in me? Well that's news to me considering you don't trust my judgement now." The Man In The Hood growls.

"Because I see more sides to people than you do."

"No you don't! Just because you've been screwed over in the past! Newsflash we've all been screwed over at least once but at least, unlike you I have an open mind!" The Man In The Hoods snaps angrily.

"Stop this! Stop this right now you two!" The Woman In Black starts just as they are discovered by another guard who begins to fire upon them, The Man In The Mask running him through in an instant, the commotion however, alerting Vanch and Vivian who stare around in shock as Vanch's eyes fall upon the arrow imbedded into the wall.

With a smirk he rips it out.

"What I learned in prison was that if you wanted to be respected then you find the biggest guy and you put him down permanent. I think I just found the biggest guy, or should I say guys?"

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

With a beaming smile at seeing him, Laurel all but races toward Tommy, grabbing his hand tightly as he laughs softly and places a kiss on her cheek.

"This is going to be fun!" She cheers as she pulls him close.

"I even wore my fat pants." She chuckles as Tommy laughs back.

"I don't want to know what those are, do I?" He questions innocently.

"Nope." Laurel smirks as Tommy laughs out loud just as they approach the door, yet before they can exit the apartment Laurel's phone interrupts them.

"Ohh, this is work. It'll just be a second." Laurel promises upon looking at her phone, standing on tiptoes to kiss Tommy's forehead, squeezing his hand one last time before letting go to go and answer the call.

"Hello?" She calls.

"It's us." Comes the voice of one of the vigilantes.

"We have something. Can you meet?" They inform her, presenting her with a question which makes her sigh sadly, she really wanted to enjoy and nice evening with Tommy but that wasn't in the cards for her tonight it seems.

"Yeah where?" She sighs almost resentfully, wanting to fight the crime and save innocent people and all but be able to do that and not miss date nights with Tommy!

"Rooftop, Winnick Building, parking lots…"

 _Meanwhile In The SCPD_

Quentin and Kelton having heard the words from the vigilantes from the bug planted in the phone, Quentin looks at Kelton gratefully.

"Good work Kelton." Quentin murmurs before facing the task force he had been finally allowed to assemble due to the planted bug.

"Ok everybody, rubber bullets. This is my daughter here, she cannot come to any harm. I have some proper bullets if I get a close enough opening to get one of them but apart from that you guys so whatever needs doing to bring these guys down!" Quentin commands as the group disperses, Pike approaching Quentin.

"Are you sure about this?" He questions.

"Look, she knows I'd do just about anything to catch these bastards and this is the best, this is the only option I've got!" Quentin protests.

"And I want to get these guys just as badly as you do. I just don't want to see anything come between you two, especially when you've just got Sara back." Pike says in a warning tone.

"And I warned her to stay away from these lunatics. She didn't. You don't think that turns a knife in my back? I'm doing this to make the city safer, to keep Sara and Laurel safe from these menaces." Quentin growls determinedly.

Pike simply sighs and walks away.

"Well I hope Laurel sees it that way."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

With a sad expression upon her face Laurel hangs up with the vigilantes to face Tommy.

"Hmm put those adorable puppy dog eyes away." Tommy smirks as Laurel moves into his arms, snaking her arms around him as she pulls him close, hating to just leave him like this, wanting to stay more than ever.

"Something's come up at work." She admits.

"That can't wait until tomorrow?" Tommy questions with a sad expression on his face.

"It'll only be an hour. I can meet you at the club?" She suggests as he strokes her face lovingly, with a gorgeous smile.

"One hour." He agrees as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Might be an hour and a half, tops." She promises as Tommy grumbles, yet pulls her in for a loving kiss as she hugs him close, knotting her fingers in his hair whist he kisses her cheek, trailing his lips down her neck.

"Tommy." Laurel whines as he keeps kissing her neck.

"Mmhh?" Tommy replies, Laurel feeling him smirk as he continues to place soft kisses on her skin flirtatiously.

"Tommy I need to get going or this is going to take longer." She moans, biting her lip when Tommy's hands trail down to much more suggestive places as he keeps kissing her.

"I'm not going to be able to go to work without thinking of you the whole time." She continues to whine as she hears Tommy chuckle softly.

"Perhaps that was my intention." He murmurs as Laurel laughs.

"I bet it was Merlyn!"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Ricky has been driving me for six years now and I can't remember the last time he missed a day. Thank you for offering to fill in Mr. Diggle." Moira thanks Diggle, whom happens to be the one driving her to where she needs to be.

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Queen, believe me." Diggle replies with a smile.

"Are you sure my son won't miss you?" She raises an eyebrow.

"He said he was staying in for the evening with Sara and Slade." Diggle responds.

"And you believed him? And that friend of his?" Moria mutters.

"It's been my experience that when your son wants some alone time with his friends, there's not much I can do to stop him unless I'm prepared to go up against the three of them." Diggle explains.

"Much to my chagrin." She grumbles.

"It's not like I've left him alone, he's got someone to make sure he comes to no harm." Diggle chooses to add as Moira frowns.

"You refer to Mr. Wilson?" She questions.

"Indeed I do. You know when you actually get to know him he's quite a decent guy." Diggle says in Slade's favor.

"Well I have yet to have seen evidence of that!" She mutters sharply as she looks out of the window quickly before back at Diggle.

"You can stop just up ahead." She commands as Diggle pulls in for her, helping her out and passing her and umbrella as she turns to face him.

"No need to escort me inside, I'm fine on my own Mr. Diggle."

"Of course Mrs. Queen." Diggle nods as she heads through the doors...

Waiting for a few minutes until she has gone in Diggle follows, surprised when he enters to see Moira having a drink with a group of women similar age to her, looking to be at a birthday party, nothing suspicious at all.

"Mr. Diggle." She says turning to face him.

"Mrs. Queen I was jut looking for the restroom." He explains as she points in the direction.

"Happy birthday." He add before heading that way, perhaps Oliver was right about his mother and that Slade always suspects the worse from people.

He shouldn't be surprised considering it's taken this long for Slade to accept him!

Perhaps Moria Queen is innocent after all.

 _Later On A Rooftop In Starling City_

Quickly, Laurel Lance races up the stairs to the roof to find the three vigilantes.

Get the information, go to Tommy. Should be simple.

"Hello Laurel." The Woman In Black calls as she approaches with The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask.

"Thank you guys for helping." She replies softly as she walks closer to them.

"We couldn't do much. Vanch's position is too heavily fortified, but we did get this." The Man In The Hood passes her the recording.

"Evidence he's trying to take over the positions vacated by Frank Bertinelli and the Triad." The Man In The Hood explains quietly before The Man In The Mask suddenly moves to stand closer to The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

"What? What's wrong?" Laurel asks softly.

"We're not alone." The Man In The Hood realizes.

"What?" Laurel starts but she is cut off at the arrival of the SCPD led by Quentin.

"SCPD GET DOWN!" Quentin yells as The Man In The Mask reacts instinctively and pulls Laurel against him, keeping his sword near her throat.

Not to hurt her or anything but for the safety of The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black and Laurel considering the amount of guns pointed at them!

"Hands where we can see them!" Quentin bellows as The Man In The Mask continues to keep his grip on Laurel as the three of them step backwards.

"Dad!" Laurel protests in shock at the whole affair.

"Do it now!" He yells as they continue to back up.

"If you so much as leave a bruise on her I swear I will drag the three of you down to hell myself!" Quentin growls as The Man In The Mask moves his sword an inch away from Laurel's throat.

"Laurel, we're sorry." He mutters before pushing her toward the SCPD, the three vigilantes making their escape, leaping over the side of the wall.

"Quentin don't!" Hilton cries as he pulls Laurel away from the danger, Quentin following the vigilantes, gun outstretched as he follows them down a flight of steps, firing at them as he sees the three of them making their escape, getting a good shot at The Man In The Hood he fires a bullet, only for The Woman In Black to interfere, the bullet hitting her in the shoulder. Yet before Quentin can fire again The Man In The Mask slams the but of his sword into Quentin's head sending him into unconsciousness…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this, sorry if this chapter hasn't been its best I'm a bit nervous about it. Next chapter is in the works, could be a while though considering all the work I am putting into writing the next island flashbacks as they were my favorite bits of the episode and I really want to make them awesome. Thank you all again for reading!**


	40. Betrayal (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty**

 _The Foundry_

Not waiting a second longer after knocking out Quentin Lance, the three vigilantes return to The Foundry, The Man In The Hood carrying The Woman In Black most of the way.

"Sara? Sara!" Oliver cries worriedly as he removes his hood, noticing that Sara hasn't said anything at all the whole journey back and is worried that she's passed out from blood loss but as he quickly removes her mask and wig both he and Slade are relived when they see her conscious but sobbing quietly.

"It's a'right, you're safe now." Slade murmurs as Oliver presses his lips to her forehead, mostly in relief that she's ok but also to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry Sara." Is all he can say as she shakes her head and uses her other hand to wipe the tears away as she leans into Oliver. Oliver knowing that this whole mess must be devastating for her as she has just been shot by her own father.

"It's ok, I'm just relived you two didn't get hurt. I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you." She nods, trying to stop the tears from falling as Oliver moves to get the med kit.

"You don't think Laurel knew, do you?" She asks in a small voice as Slade helps her out of her leather jacket.

"Thanks." She murmurs through the pain.

"She looked to be unaware but who knows. A lot of people who look unaware of something know more than they're letting on." Slade mutters as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Ollie, Slade please. I'm in pain, I'm upset I don't need you two arguing." Sara begs, noticing the expression on both Oliver and Slade's faces.

"I can't believe you grabbed Laurel like that." Oliver mutters.

"What else was I gonna do kid? We wouldn't have made it out there otherwise and it wasn't like I hurt her or anything." Slade growls in response.

"Yeah Ollie. We weren't getting out of there without something and I'm sure Laurel understood and I don't blame you for knocking my dad out either Slade, it was the only way to escape." Sara sighs sadly as Oliver helps get the bullet out of her shoulder.

"Surprised you're not trying to convince us that Laurel had a secret agenda." Oliver murmurs under his breath as Sara sighs in frustration.

"Because I don't think she did. Sara's father, he must have planted something on the phone and that's how he knew where we were." Slade guesses.

"I wouldn't put it past him. When he's fixated on a case he becomes obsessed with it and he'd do anything to catch his targets, unfortunately his targets are us. He must have given the phone back to Laurel with a bug on it, like you said. She's going to be pissed." Sara mutters, wincing as Oliver pulls another fragment out of her shoulder, rubbing her back comfortingly in response.

"He probably thought he was protecting her somehow." Oliver murmurs.

"Yeah, probably." Sara sighs sadly as Slade grabs a chair to sit across from her.

"Protecting her from us." Slade murmurs as Sara wipes a tear from her eyes again.

"I know. I know I should understand this that to them as the vigilantes that's all we are, criminals and dangerous people but she's still my sister and he's still my dad and I'd never hurt either of them and I just wish that they'd know that." Sara whispers.

"I think Laurel was beginning to believe that she wouldn't have come to any harm with us but your father. I don't think he ever will see the vigilantes as anything but criminals." Slade admits as Sara closes her eyes.

"I don't think he will either, unless one day he found out that it was us all along."

"Honestly I don't even want to begin to imagine his reaction to that if he ever found out. He won't though Sara, you know that." Oliver murmurs softly.

"But what if he did? What if they all found out?" She cries.

"Don't think like that Sara." Slade says gently as Sara shakes her head.

"No. If they ever found out it wouldn't end well. They'd still see us as criminals, they wouldn't get passed all that we've done even though it was all for them, to keep this city safe." She sighs as Oliver continues to bandage her arm, closing her eyes momentarily before looking at them both.

"We'll never be seen as heroes. No matter what we do."

 _SCPD_

As Quentin holds an ice pack to his head, having been knocked out by The Man In The Mask, awakening to find that all three vigilantes have escaped and a beyond furious Laurel, who he'd reunited with upon returning to the SCPD however, upon reuniting with her he had received a slap from her. Too stunned at her action to say a single word.

"I don't know what's worse. The fact that you lied to me or nearly got me killed!" Laurel yells at her father fiercely.

"You were completely safe." Quentin states when he finally finds the words.

"I was on a rooftop with an army of men pointing their guns in my face!" She snaps.

"Well you shouldn't have been on that rooftop in the first place…"

"No!" Laurel yells to cut him off.

"You wanted me on that roof. Wasn't that the whole point of your little trap?"

"We're trying to catch a bunch of killers." Quentin says to justify his means.

"You manipulated me." She hisses.

"Manipulated? You practically ran to these three psychos! I told you, I said stay away from them and you did not!" He yells back furiously.

"That was before you gave me the phone!"

"What!" Quentin bellows.

"That was before you realized you could use me as bait. Your own daughter." She shakes her head in dismay.

"Yeah but you wouldn't listen to me!" He growls.

"You are so blinded by your hate for them that you don't realize the damage that it's doing to your own life to your family. So what happens when you catch them? What happens then dad? You gonna find another psycho to fixate on? Use Sara to catch the next one perhaps? What the hell do you think she's going to say when she finds out about this? What you've done? You're going to lose us both forever if you let this obsession with catching them continue! You got Sara back you have both of us but what? Catching criminals is more important to you than family?"

"That's enough Laurel." He snarls.

"Yeah!" She retaliates.

"You're damn right it is!" She mutters before storming off.

"Laurel!" Quentin calls her back.

"The phone. Give me the phone." He murmurs as she turns back, slamming the phone onto the desk shaking her head in dismay.

"All I've done. All this was about was about protecting you and Sara from these maniacs. Making this city safer for the both of you." Quentin calls but Laurel is already gone.

 _The Foundry_

Diggle returns to The Foundry, surprised to see Oliver and Slade still putting away their vigilante uniforms and Sara sitting on a chair bandaging around her shoulder.

"What happened?" Diggle cries as he approaches them.

"Minor altercation with the SCPD and my dad with a gun and hatred for the vigilantes." Sara murmurs as Diggle's eyes widen.

"You mean that he?"

"Shot me? Yes. Thinks I'm The Woman In Black after all." Sara sighs.

"Sara I'm sorry." Diggle shakes his head sadly as he looks to Oliver and Slade.

"We went to Laurel. Turns out that there was probably a bug in that phone we gave her and we were ambushed." Slade says in explanation.

"Laurel could have been hurt or worse!" Oliver shakes his head.

"Suppose this was all Lance's fault then." Diggle mutters as Oliver turns to face him.

"What's your point, Dig?" He growls.

"It's that you don't really see straight when it comes to Laurel or your mother." He sighs.

"This is not the time to bring this up again!" Oliver snarls menacingly.

"I'd agree with you but I'm certain myself Laurel had no idea what was going to happen." Slade murmurs as Oliver shakes his head.

"You two are unbelievable." Oliver hisses.

"He has a point, kid." Slade mutters.

"Ok! Ok! Oliver cool it man!" Diggle holds up his hands as Oliver looks about ready to attack Slade at the rate this is going!

"Guys!" Sara groans for what it feels like the umpteenth time.

"I do have something I think I should tell you and it's better that I tell you now than later Oliver. I've been driving your mother around for a few days…"

"You're spying on her?" Oliver growls as Slade looks at Diggle with what appears to be admiration, shocking Diggle.

"Good thinking." He nods his approval as Oliver shakes his head in horror.

"I'm just doing my due diligence Oliver, see if she meets with anyone we might be interested in we need to keep a close objective look at her." Diggle explains.

"She's not a suspect! She's my mother!" Oliver snarls.

"Yes she is, kid and your so clouded by that, that you're not seeing that she's involved in this and she's not the woman you think she is!" Slade snarls back.

"Because you know her so well?" Oliver growls.

"Because I've seen the evil people are capable of and to me, she looks to be the kind of person capable of some sort of evil!"

"You are such a freakin hypocrite Slade! Helena! Your remember her? Helena Bertinelli. Diggle tried to warn us she was a criminal and none of us saw it. Especially not you! You defended her to the hilt and you think that you have the right to tell me not to defend my mother? Because you're so convinced she's such a terrible person?" Oliver shakes his head as Sara and Diggle look nervously at one another, waiting for Slade's reaction, both ready to intervene at anytime.

"Don't say another word." Slade snarls venomously.

"Why? Because I'm right? I get you have raging trust issues Slade and that you always see the worst in people because that's who you are and that's who you've always been. You don't trust people! Even me! The man you once called your brother and you don't trust me!" Oliver snaps.

"I trust you more than anyone, kid…"

"Then show it! Trust me now! Stop comparing my mother to the people who've betrayed you! My mother isn't your old partner, she isn't Helena! You are so blinded by your hatred for my mother and your need to always be right! That you can't see any other explanation to all of this!" Oliver hisses as Slade folds his arms.

"You done, kid?" Slade growls to silence from Oliver who buries his head in his hands for a few minutes before looking up at Slade, realizing that he may have just gone too far.

"Look Slade…" He starts but Slade shakes his head at Oliver before heading for the stairs.

"Slade!" Oliver groans, Slade's response being the basement door slamming shut.

"That went well." Diggle murmurs as Oliver glares at him too.

"Just don't Diggle." Sara sighs as she runs her good hand through her hair.

"He is so frustrating!" Oliver grumbles.

"You're just as stubborn Ollie!" Sara reminds him.

"Where do you think he gets it from?" Diggle mutters as Sara nods in agreement.

"I wasn't wrong." Oliver folds his arms.

"Oliver, something's going on in this city. You know it. Slade knows it and arguing with Slade isn't going to change that!" Diggle sighs.

"Just because something's going on in this city doesn't mean that she's involved." Oliver mutters as he moves to Sara's side, sliding his hand into her free one.

"Then there's no harm in me driving her around for a few days is there?" Diggle replies as he grabs his coat, turning to the stairs.

"And in my opinion Oliver, Slade wasn't wrong either in that argument and I think you hurt him and if, like you said you consider him as your brother then I'd think about talking to him if I were you before this escalates any further between you two." Diggle mutters as he exits the basement, leaving Oliver and Sara behind.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I still can't believe it." Laurel growls as she paces back and forth, Tommy watching her as she does so.

Tommy being the first person Laurel called after all. She hadn't told him anything yet about what went down, she just told him to come and get her from the police station and since he's Tommy, he came running.

"He used me as bait!" She growls as Tommy looks at her confused.

"Who?" He asks softly.

"My father. He was trying to catch the three vigilantes. He eavesdropped on my phone conversation with them and then lied in wait!" She cries.

"This was tonight?" Tommy frowns.

"Yes!" She snaps.

"While you were working." Tommy sighs, realizing that he's been lied to by Laurel. The one person who he believed would never lie to him.

"This was work!" Laurel stops to face Tommy.

"So you met up with these psychos knowingly?" He gasps in shock and concern.

"They've contacted me before. They helped me with the Declan case and Joanna's arson investigation." She admits, noticing the stern look that has formed on Tommy's face.

"The Declan case was months ago." He mutters.

"Look I know. Tommy. I. I've been wanting to tell you…"

"Laurel they're murderers!" He cries.

"You sound like my father." She shakes her head at him in disbelief.

"Well I hate to break it to you but he's right." Tommy replies quietly.

"Are you seriously taking his side? He's been lying to me for weeks!" She cries as Tommy just glares at her and it scares Laurel. Tommy never glares at her, never.

"Yeah it feels like crap doesn't it." He mutters before shaking his head at her and turning away leaving her behind.

"Tommy!" Laurel cries but he's already long gone.

 _Vanch's Place: Next Morning_

"A sting operation to catch the victorious Starling City vigilantes wreaked havoc last night. Despite the police's failed attempt to apprehend the three vigilantes police have continued to insist that their warnings remain. These vigilantes are considered to be armed and dangerous. Should you find yourself in harms way as always call 9-1-1." The Tv reporter reports, Cyrus Vanch switching off his TV soon after, whilst pouring himself a drink.

"Interesting. Using deception and intimation to make names for themselves." Vanch says to himself before laughing.

"These guys stole move." He comments as Vivian walks into the room.

"I have news from my friend in the police department. I think I figured out a way to get these vigilantes out and into the open." She smirks as Vanch turns to her.

"Astonish me." He replies as she beams gleefully.

"Remember that attorney, Laurel Lance?"

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"You ok?" A familiar voice from behind him startles Slade out of his thoughts and slightly drunken state having been at the bar for quite a while now.

"You look like crap." Leonard adds as he limps toward the stool beside Slade, groaning slightly as he sits down.

"Come on, talk to me. Queen or Merlyn? Which ones driven you up the wall this time?" He smirks as he orders himself a drink. Slade raises an eyebrow at Leonard.

"You a'right?" He questions.

"Ohh delivery gone wrong. Hailstorm of boxes fell on me and broke a few of my ribs, happened before. Back to you." Leonard smirks, Slade falling silent, not knowing exactly how much he should tell Leonard without him suspecting something.

"Disagreement with Oliver about someone he's close to. I don't trust them and he's adamant that he's right about them and that I'm clouded by my dislike for this person. He's so stubborn and opinionated at times." He mutters as Leonard smirks.

"Yeah he sounds like the opinionated type." Leonard replies before raising an eyebrow.

"This person are they dangerous or something?" He queries.

"Oliver and I are off different opinions. I want to investigate and find the truth before it goes any further and someone gets hurt. Oliver's already made up his mind on the matter that this person is in the clear because he always sees the good in people." Slade mutters.

"Tried that. Doesn't work. It's hard to always see the good in people when you've been screwed over too many times in the past." Leonard replies coldly as Slade nods in agreement at Leonard's words.

"I know what you mean. Oliver is of the opinion I don't trust anybody. If that were true I wouldn't have saved his arse on that island, or Sara's." He growls.

"I trust my sister, a guy who once saved my ass. I don't trust people easily. We're quite alike you and I." Leonard murmurs as silence falls between the two of them.

"If it were me, I'd investigate this person without Queen knowing. You find anything that proves your point confront Queen about it and wipe the smug smile off his face." Leonard replies after a moment of silence as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"I'll be your partner in crime if you want a hand?" Leonard smirks, Slade giving him another eye roll in response as Leonard laughs.

"Seriously, we'd make a good team." Leonard adds as Slade shakes his head at him in disbelief before downing the rest of his drink.

"I'd also suggest that if you're right about this person and you still can't get through to Queen that you confront them yourself. Even though we've never met, I have a feeling you'd be a lot more useful in a confrontation than Queen." Leonard suggests as he downs his drink with another smirk.

"Just a thought."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Hey what's wrong with this picture?" Tommy questions upon entering Queen mansion to find Oliver on a couch looking through some papers with a stern expression upon his face, appearing to be actually working on something, whilst Sara rests on top of him, his hand in her hair. Tommy is surprised at the absence of Slade and slightly pleased as well, not in the best of moods what with Laurel and all so Slade being absent helps with his mood significantly!

"You look like you're working." He smirks as he approaches them.

"I'm going over resumes for the chef's position at the nightclub and Sara's helping me with that as Slade and I. Let's just say we've had a disagreement." Oliver mutters as Tommy's eyes widen and he smiles at the fact Oliver and Slade appear not to be on good terms, finally! He thinks to himself, with Slade out of the way for the time being things are looking much brighter! He may be having his problems with Laurel but he might have gotten his best friend back! He smirks as Sara lifts her feet to let Tommy sit on the end of the couch.

"This disagreement about the club? Is he giving up on it and letting command fall to you and me?" Tommy questions with a smile as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"No Tommy, Slade and I are still running the club." Oliver responds.

"Pity. Are you sure he even knows what he's doing?" Tommy queries.

"Stop being mean to Slade, you two really need to try and get to know one another better." Sara sighs from Oliver's lap.

"Yet if you actually are going to give it a few weeks he is in an incredibly difficult mood as of late!" Oliver grumbles as Tommy raises an eyebrow.

"What's new there?" He replies as Sara hits him with her foot, Oliver returning to work.

"This guy looks pretty good. He won 'Top Chef' season six." He chucks a resume at Tommy.

"At this point is basically a culinary prerequisite to be on that show." He smirks before looking down at his feet.

"Can I talk to you guys about something?" He murmurs as Oliver smiles at him.

"Tommy, every time you want to talk to me about something and that something is Laurel you look like you're about to tell me someone's died." Tommy smirks as Sara laughs to.

"Sara do you know what happened last night?" Tommy questions softly.

"I know enough to know what you're probably about to tell us." Sara murmurs, looking up at Oliver who nods to Tommy to continue.

"She's been working with the vigilantes." He mutters.

"And I can't believe you're letting her work with those crazy people." Oliver shakes his head.

"She could get hurt Tommy." Sara adds with a sad look at Oliver.

"I'm not letting her do anything ok. I only just found out about it because she accidentally slipped up on one of her many lies." Tommy murmurs.

"What? She's lying to you?" Oliver gasps in surprise.

"That doesn't sound like my sister." Sara frowns.

"Lying, keeping secrets about who she's spending time with. Does that remind you two of anybody we all know?" Tommy sighs.

"Me in every relationship I've ever been in except this one." Oliver squeezes Sara's fingers.

"Again, that doesn't sound like Laurel. Sounds like me, I'm that sister, the one who lies and keeps secrets." Sara smirks slightly.

"Me too except this one. This relationship it's different. It's real." Tommy mutters sadly as he gets to his feet.

"There's some sort of infatuation thing going on here. We both know that she has a pretty strong track record of being attracted to guys who are dangerous, who. Who break the rules. Show me a more dangerous rule breaker then those vigilantes. The Hood, The Mask!" Tommy paces up and down.

"I just think that you need to have an honest chat with her. Find out the real reason that she's keeping secrets." Sara suggests softly.

"I just can't believe that Laurel of all people would lie to my face." He murmurs as he glances at Oliver and Sara sadly.

"I guess that's how it is with the people that your closest to."

"I know but talk to her anyway and fix this." Oliver commands.

"Before it becomes something that's unfixable." He adds as Tommy nods and disappears, Sara looking up at Oliver skeptically.

"What?" He questions.

"Nothing. Just wondering if you're going to take your own advice. You know, with Slade?" She suggests as Oliver just sighs…

 _After keeping his sword trained on Oliver for just a little longer, just to make him just that extra bit uncomfortable. The mysterious man allowed Oliver to give him the map that Oliver had acquired from Yao Fei and is currently looking at it._

 _He mutters something in Chinese as he reads two words from the map, a smirk at his lips as Oliver stands nervously in the background, unsure what to make of this man, who did just hold a freakin sword to his neck, threatened to kill him several times._

 _This guys a psycho! He thinks to himself but keeps quiet as he knows that one wrong move with this guy will result in the man killing him without a second thought Oliver believes._

 _"It's Chinese." Oliver decides to say something eventually._

 _"It. It means…"_

 _"Survive." The Australian cuts him off, looking up from the map to practically glare at Oliver, a grave look upon his face, Oliver coming to the realization that, that is probably just his usual facial expression from what he's gathered from this man in the short times they've know each other, again Oliver expressing the fact that this man has just been holding a sword to him and looks about ready to murder him at any given moment!_

 _"What do you think he meant? You know, besides not getting killed." Oliver speaks when he finally finds the words, regretting it for a moment as the man starts to move away from where he was at the map._

 _"There's an air field ten clicks from here. It's key of this island." He mutters walking behind Oliver, whom turns quickly in honest fear of being stabbed in the back by this guy._

 _"Yao Fei and I had been observing it for months, familiarizing ourselves with their operations. We were supposed to get off this island together, but then Yao Fei was compromised and we were separated." The Australian sighs as he turns away from Oliver again, moving toward a crate which he opens, pulling out a sword and walking back over to Oliver, tossing it at him almost halfheartedly._

 _"What's this for?" Oliver frowns in confusion as he grabs the hilt before he can drop it._

 _"I think Yao Fei sent you here because he knows I cannot take the airstrip alone." The man replies sharply as Oliver rolls his eyes._

 _"Sounds like Yao Fei." He mutters, he didn't want this. He didn't want to help this psycho guy take an airstrip! He wanted to save Sara._

 _Save Sara and survive, this wasn't part of any of Oliver's plans._

 _"He is a softer judge of character than I am." The Australian replies, an evil glint in his eyes._

 _"If you're going to have my back, I need to know you can cover it." He mutters._

 _"Look, I just want to save my girlfriend they've got her…" Oliver is cut off by the man suddenly aiming an attack at him with his own sword, Oliver only just managing to deflect him before the man could actually kill him!_

 _In a swift motion the man knocks Oliver's weapon aside, moving his own so that once again holding a sword to his throat!_

 _This man has got a thing about holding swords to Oliver's throat! Oliver thinks to himself as the man all but shakes his head at him._

 _"What are you doing? Fight back!" He hisses as Oliver really does try to launch an attack at the crazy man but misses said man, whom catches him in the waist with his sword painfully, sliding the sword across his skin as Oliver groans in pain as he tries to scramble to his feet, knowing that if he couldn't it would mean certain death and he can't die. He needs to survive for Sara. To save Sara._

 _"Keep your blade up." The man snaps as he circles Oliver like a predator about to pounce on his chosen prey._

 _"Always stay behind your sword." Oliver aims another failed attack at the Australian, whom simply steps aside, allowing Oliver to fall into the boxes he had stacked at some point, sliding his sword across Oliver's leg, wounding him for a second time._

 _"You have no skill. No strength. No training." He mutters as Oliver regains his footing, almost losing it again when the man advances on him with a venomous stare._

 _"To say you fight like a girl would be a compliment!" The Australian hisses._

 _"I told you. I'm not a soldier. I just want to save my girlfriend, we were shipwrecked here, we got separated and then we got captured and they've still got her! I don't care about some airstrip I just want to save her from them! They tortured us both, they kept us in cells and they think I'm dead! Look I killed the guy who was wearing this uniform by accident!"_

 _"Where was Yao Fei?" The man growls, having already had enough of Oliver speaking._

 _"He told me to run and I did but I need to save her I need to…" Oliver is cut off by unconsciousness as the man slams his fist into his face…_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Hey it's Tommy hit me on the beep!" Comes his voice from his voicemail for the umpteenth time Laurel having tried to call him multiple times, knowing that she's hurt him and that she needs to make this right. She can't lose Tommy, no matter what she can't lose him because of all this and she wants to blame it all on her father for what he did but she knows that she needs to accept some of the blame for her actions, the fact that she lied to him.

She shouldn't have lied to him, not Tommy, he would have trusted her, he would have told her but she couldn't tell him and because she couldn't tell him the truth she is now suffering from those consequences.

"Hi. Its me again, please call me back. I think we should talk." She sighs as the door buzzes.

"I was just leaving you a message!" She calls as she moves toward the door before adding with a slight smile, hoping that this could help break the ice if they are about to have a row.

"Forgot your key again?" She smirks as she opens the door only for someone to grab her and slam her against her own door, raising her elbow she elbows her attacker in the face before turning to the other one still hovering in her doorway pushing them away and slamming the door on the persons leg before racing back into her apartment, knocking down drawers to try and slow them down, one of them grabbing her again but she smacks them with her umbrella, using it as a weapon to attack both of her attackers, slamming one of them into a glass cabinet of hers before turning to the door, only to find her doorway blocked by none other than Cyrus Vanch.

"I love a girl who can take care of herself." He comments before violently tasering her, causing Laurel to drop to the ground unconscious.

"But you can't block the taser!"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Calmly Diggle drives Moria Queen once more to her chosen destination.

"Ohh no need to get out of the car, Mr. Diggle. It's just my accountant. The only threat is boredom!" She smiles as she climbs out.

"It's no problem at all, Mrs. Queen, it's my job." He reminds her.

"Yes well then take the night off?" She suggests.

"I'm quite alright." She says before walking away, Diggle staring after her, unaware that there is someone else watching her as well as him.

Noticing Moira climb out of the car, Slade hopes is being driven by Diggle, his theory confirmed when Diggle gets out to follow her in once he's waited a few moments.

Having nothing to do, Slade had decided to follow Leonard's advice about getting his own proof against Moria Queen, or at least an answer to whether he is right or wrong about her!

"So. Who we following then?" A familiar voice causes him to turn around. He rolls his eye.

"Leonard." He growls as he steps out of the shadows of an alleyway.

"Did you follow me here." He adds with a slight snarl.

"What? You really excepted me not to be here after this afternoon?" He smirks.

"No I didn't. You don't need to be here. This really is a matter between Oliver and I…"

"Ohh come on! You made this my business as well when you brought this whole matter up earlier. I did say I'd be your partner in crime." Leonard reminds him with a smile as Slade just rolls his eye at him again before crossing the road, Leonard following him.

"This is gonna be fun!" He smirks as he and Slade enter the building, moving down corridors and up sets of stairs.

"So, I figure I deserve to know now, who we following?" Leonard questions as they climb another set of steps, Slade had viewed Moria climbing from the glass windows, this being the level she had stopped upon.

"Moira Queen." Slade mutters, realizing that Leonard is probably going to find out now anyway sooner or later.

"As in Queen's mother? Wow now I see why you two had a difference in opinion!" Leonard replies with smirk as Slade gives him yet another eye roll.

"What terrible thing has she done?" Leonard questions with a smile.

"We don't know. We're not sure if she's done anything. I suspect she is planning something, Oliver disagrees, which is why we are here." Slade sighs as he holds up a hand, hearing muffled whispering from behind a door down a corridor.

"There." Leonard nudges him upon spying a 'staff only' door only one door down.

Nodding, Slade moves toward it, trying the handle and finding it locked.

"Allow me. Never met a door I couldn't get open." Leonard smirks.

"I think I know how to pick a lock." Slade grumbles.

"Not like I can. Locks, my specialty." Leonard replies with another smirk as the door opens to reveal Diggle, standing by the wall about to attach a device to it, almost jumping five feet at the appearance of Slade and Leonard.

"Slade? What the hell are you doing here? You follow me? Who the heck is this guy?" Diggle exclaims in a hushed tone.

"I told you, I approved of your decision, thought I'd come gather my own evidence, if there is any." Slade shrugs as he eyes the device in Diggle's hand, whom attaches it to the wall.

"Names Leonard." Leonard whispers as he joins Slade and Diggle by the wall.

"What the hell are you playing at Slade?" Diggle raises an eyebrow.

"He followed me." Slade mutters in response.

"Yeah we all followed each other end of story shh!" Leonard sighs as Diggle switches on the device with a roll of his eyes in Leonards direction.

"I've taken care of it. Carl Ballard will not be a problem anymore." Moira promises.

"Given your propensity for squeamishness, I'm assuming that Mr. Ballard remains in good health." Malcolm responds with his arms folded.

"I made it clear to him persuasively that his plans endanger The Undertaking. I didn't have to make the usual threats." She replies.

"Excellent. Now, one more matter to attend to. I need you to have the contents of this address removed and disposed of thoroughly, the warehouse where you're storing the remains of the Queen's Gambit." He commands as he passes her a piece of paper.

"I already told you I know Robert's yacht was sabotaged." She mutters.

"And I don't think it serves for anyone to find evidence of that." Malcolm replies, unaware that the whole conversation has been heard and recorded by Diggle, Slade and Leonard…

"Ohh my god." Diggle mutters as he switches the recording off.

"You were right." He looks to Slade who shakes his head.

"I thought she had an agenda of some kind but the Queen's Gambit? She knew it was sabotaged, how long do you think she's known this? Before it even happened maybe? Do you think she knew what would happen to Oliver? Sara? His father?" Slade snarls angrily.

"Slade…"

"Save it." Slade snaps as Leonard turns to him.

"I have no idea what any of this was about Slade and I don't know if I even want to know but what I suggested earlier about you dealing with her yourself. That plans looking better." Leonard folds his arms as Slade nods and Diggle just frowns.

"I know you from somewhere. I can't place it." Diggle trails off looking at Leonard.

"One of them faces. So, Slade. What about it? Want a partner in crime for a second time?" Leonard smirks as Slade shakes his head.

"No. If I confront her it will be done alone." Slade mutters as Diggle turns to him.

"I think first we need to work out how we're going to tell Oliver…"

"What the hell are you three doing in here?" A voice from the door growls.

"Nothing, just hanging. I work for Mrs. Queen." Diggle speaks for all of them.

"And I work security for the man she's meeting with." The man mutters.

"Guess that means we're on the same team." Diggle smirks.

"I don't think it does and I'm going to need to see what you put in your pocket just then." He commands as Diggle raises an eyebrow.

"What are you man, the police?" He questions.

"Show it to me. Do it now." The man commands as Diggle reaches into his pocket to remove a lighter.

"Just thought the three of us could come in here and ruin our lungs a little bit." Diggle explains as Leonard removes a packet of cigarettes from his coat.

"Dirty habit I know." He smirks as the man glares at them for a moment longer before stepping out of the way to let the three of them past.

They make it to the door before Diggle turns to face them.

"The recorder, where is it? I thought I had it…" He trails off as Leonard holds it up.

"Here. Figured I'd get it out of the way what with the untimely interruption. Now, I must be going, promised I'd take my sister out tonight, unless of course you need a hand with Mrs. Queen?" Leonard eyes Slade who shakes his head.

"I can handle things from here. Thank you, Leonard." He replies, Leonard nodding.

"You are very welcome. See you around Slade." He smirks before disappearing down the street as Diggle glances at Slade.

"Who the hell is that guy? I ask again." Diggle sighs.

"Someone I met in a bar. No he is not aware of our secret, this is the closest he's come."

"And you think he's just going to let this go? Not ask questions?" Diggle cuts him off.

"He is not your concern." Slade mutters, a sense of finality to his words and Diggle doesn't question him any further.

"So what are we going to tell Oliver, now he's our concern!" Diggle rolls his eyes.

"You show him the proof we have against his mother." Slade murmurs.

"Then what? We leave it up to him to decide what happens next?" Diggle questions.

"Exactly." Slade replies, starting to walk away. Diggle grabs his arm.

"Ohh no, no, no not so fast. You think I actually buy any of that crap Slade? What is really going to happen?" Diggle queries.

"You heard me." Slade grumbles.

"You show him the proof we have against his mother." He repeats as Diggle's eyes widen.

"Whilst you go and confront her. Slade don't do that to Oliver, let him decide what we do. It's his mother…"

"You've seen how he's been handling this! Unlike him I have no attachment to Moria Queen and I'm the kinda man who does what needs to be done without hesitation. We need to know what she's involved in, what The Undertaking is and who else is involved. That is what needs to happen and it is probably for the best that Oliver is not present when I confront her. Learning the truth is gonna kill him and he won't be thinking straight." Slade explains as he continues to walk away from Diggle.

"You really do care about Oliver don't you." Diggle says with a slight smile as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"You're trying to protect him from this, you're doing this so he doesn't have to. It's a bad idea Slade to not involve him but she's involved in something bad and I always thought that The Man In The Mask is probably the best vigilante when it comes to getting information out of someone." Diggle admits as Slade sighs.

"I see Oliver as my brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect him." He admits as he walks away, Diggle watching after him. Oliver is going to hate him for doing this, that Diggle is certain about but perhaps he might somehow understand Slade's reasons behind it as to Diggle, they somehow make sense…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Arriving at her door, Tommy Merlyn stands outside for a moment as he prepares to do what Oliver and Sara suggested: talk to Laurel before things can get any more out of hand and before he loses her forever as loosing Laurel would be devastating for Tommy and it is something he doesn't even want to comprehend.

Without even fishing his keys out of his pocket he knocks on the door softly.

"Laurel its me. Can we talk?" He sighs as he knocks, except when he knocks the door creaks open, with a slightly worried expression Tommy slips inside of the apartment.

"Laurel?" He calls her name again as he soon realises that the place has been completely trashed, broken furniture, glass everywhere.

"Laurel?" He whispers worriedly as his eyes fall on something, an arrow sticking into the wall, he moves over to it and rips it out instantly, noticing that it's flashing, it's a message from Vanch and as Tommy listens to it tears form in his eyes...

 _SCPD_

"Make sure this message finds its way to the vigilantes and do it fast because at sunrise I'm going to leave pieces of this girl all over Starling City unless they pay me a little visit, you know gives us a chance to get to know each other better."

Tommy plays the recording to Quentin who shakes his head in horror at what's he's had to listen to and Tommy who's had to hear it again for a second time.

Dropping to his chair he drops the arrow onto the table, burying his head into his hands as Tommy rubs at his eyes.

"What do we do?" He whispers in a shaking voice.

"Can your CSI'S um… I don't know. Can they track this or trace it or something?" Tommy asks quickly in a frightened voice.

"How did he know about Laurel?" Quentin mutters.

"What!" Tommy shakes his head in dismay at Quentin's questions.

"How does this guy know Laurel is connected to the three vigilantes?" Quentin whispers.

"No idea. I. I only found out about it myself last night. She, she said that you knew and I told Oliver and Sara." Tommy shakes his head.

"Ohh god Sara! Do you know where she is?" Quentin cries worriedly.

"I don't last I saw her she was with Oliver and if she's not with him she's gonna be with that Wilson guy." Tommy replies quickly as Quentin nods.

"I need someone to get a hold of her. What if he goes after her to?" Quentin says quickly.

"Sara wasn't connected to the vigilantes I don't think he'd go after her." Tommy reasons as Quentin raises an eyebrow at him in response before sighing.

"I just hope to god she's with Slade right now. If anyone went after her I think he could probably take them." Quentin admits as Tommy rolls his eyes at him, wondering why people have so much faith in this guy, he's an asshole!

"So did anyone else know of this?" Tommy cries.

"No it was just me, me and…" Quentin trails off, looking at the other officers in the precinct.

"Mr. Lance this maniac has got Laurel. You, you've got to call in the posse or something. I don't know! SWAT teams!" Tommy protests.

"I can't." Quentin murmurs as he suddenly starts to rummage through a drawer.

"Mr. Lance?" Tommy looks at him in surprise at his reluctance to do anything.

"I've got to go make a call."

 _The Foundry_

Not even acknowledging Slade as he enters the room, Oliver moves toward where Diggle is sitting with his head in his hands, glancing over at Slade, whom is standing by his vigilante uniform, getting ready to go and do something highly questionable.

"Thanks for coming." Diggle speaks up as Oliver approaches him.

"Didn't seem like a good idea to talk about this at your house." Diggle murmurs.

"Yeah it would have been a little awkward for you to explain to my mother that you're spying on her!" Oliver snaps.

"No I'm not. Where's Sara?" Diggle looks around for her.

"Had to take a call." Oliver mutters.

"Ok then, awkward parts coming up." Diggle reveals the small memory stick.

"You bugged my mother?" Oliver hisses.

"We both did." Slade speaks up as Oliver glares at him.

"How dare you. How dare to go behind my back like this!" Oliver snarls at Slade as he approaches Oliver tentatively.

"Just listen to it, kid." Slade sighs as Oliver glares at him again before pressing play.

"It's been taken care of. I've taken care of it. Will not be a problem anymore." Comes Moira's voice followed by a disguised one.

"Given your propensity for squeamishness I'm assuming that Mr. Ballard remains in good health."

"I made it clear to him that his plans endangered The Undertaking. I didn't have to make the usual threats."

"Excellent. Now one more matter to attend to. I need you to have the contents of this address removed and disposed of thoroughly, the warehouse where you're storing the remains of The Queen's Gambit." Oliver almost drops the whole freakin recorder.

"I already told you I knew Roberts Yacht was sabotaged." Is Moira's last words before the recording cuts off, Slade taking a few more steps toward Oliver.

"I'm sorry man." Diggle murmurs as Oliver stares off into the distance.

"The yacht was sabotaged?" He whispers.

"Somebody tried to kill my father."

"And somehow your mother was involved. Kid I am so sorry." Slade moves to put his hands on Oliver's arms in comfort but Oliver pushes him away sharply.

"You do not know that she was involved Slade! And I don't see how you can talk right now considering the fact that you lied to me and went behind my back to get this when it could be a misunderstanding!" Oliver yells at him.

"It's not a misunderstanding Oliver this is how it is. We both know that she kept this as a secret and why would she do that if she didn't have something to hide? Say that I'm too harsh that I don't trust anybody but it doesn't change this Oliver and you know this!" Slade snarls back as they both stand facing one another, neither of them knowing how to respond, the buzzing of a phone cutting into their argument.

"Is that?" Diggle starts quietly.

"Yeah." Oliver snaps as he pulls out the phone, surprised that moments later Sara comes racing down the steps, a distressed look upon her face that makes Oliver want to drop the phone and go to her side and find out what's wrong.

"What's wrong?" Slade moves toward her as she looks at him in bewilderment.

"I think you're about to find out." She whispers upon seeing Oliver with the phone in his hand, whom continues to look worriedly at his girlfriend.

"You have ten seconds before I have this line permanently disconnected!" Oliver snaps down the phone.

"It's Laurel. She's been kidnapped." The voice of Quentin reveals causing Oliver to almost drop the phone as he looks toward Sara, holding out a hand to her and pulling her into his side, holding her close to him in comfort whilst Diggle and Slade look on worriedly.

"Listen, whoever this is, is going to kill my daughter, please believe me." Quentin begs…

 _Oliver's eyes snap open as he comes out of unconsciousness._

 _In a second her remembers the events leading up to unconscious, finding a plane, a plane owned by some psychotic Australian man who packs one hellva punch. Seriously! Oliver senses that, that punch is going to haunt his thoughts! Considering how much his face hurts from it and he has been punched before but never that hard!_

 _Looking around dazedly, Oliver realises that he's tied to chair and that the psychotic man is standing a few feet away from him with his back turned, said psychotic man is no doubtedly the one responsible for putting Oliver in this chair!_

 _"Sorry." The man says gruffly, breaking the uneasy silence as he turns around._

 _"It's nothing personal." He adds as he takes a step toward Oliver's struggling form on the chair as he tries to break free from the rope wrapped around his hands._

 _"The airstrip is a very heavily fortified position. I've been there and I cannot take it on my own." He admits as he removes his sword from its holder, holding it out toward Oliver, for what he thinks is the umpteenth time since they first met! In Oliver's mind this guy has either got a thing for swords or is a complete and utter psychopath._

 _He chooses the latter._

 _"So what? You're just going to kill me?" Oliver cries but is cut off by the sword pressing against his throat again._

 _"Like I said it's nothing personal, but if you're alive, they will find you and if they find you they will torture you until you give up my location and I cannot allow that to happen!" He hisses venomously as Oliver pulls himself to his feet._

 _"No, no please don't do this all right? I'm not going to say anything to them! What about my girlfriend you can't just kill me I need to rescue her from these people please!" Oliver protests only to be pushed back down to the chair by the sword._

 _"Don't make it more difficult upon yourself. If it's any constellation to you if I locate her I give you my word I will rescue your girlfriend if I know I have a hundred percent chance of getting off this island." The Australian growls as Oliver looks down, trying to escape the rope on his hands but knowing that even if this man kills him there is a chance that he'd rescue Sara, but Oliver can't take that chance that he won't._

 _He needs to survive._

 _"I can do this in a way that you will not feel it at all." The man mutters as Oliver continues to move his hands to free himself from the rope when he manages to dislocate his thumb, yelling out in absolute agony, his eyes streaming from the pain as he somehow manages to get to his feet, throwing his fist outwards into the Australian's face, landing a punch of his own, prepared to escape whilst the man is distracted despite the pain._

 _Yet before he can the Australian recovers and punches him back before his deep laughter fills the air and he catches the collar of Oliver's jacket to stop him from falling to the floor from the punch, Oliver opening his eyes, his face stinging from the recent punch and looks in complete bemusement to see that the Australian is smiling at him._

 _Smiling and laughing._

 _Oliver is honestly terrified._

 _The man continues to laugh as he steadies Oliver before shaking his uninjured hand a lot more gently then Oliver thought this guy capable of._

 _"Slade Wilson." He introduces himself._

 _"Oliver Queen." Oliver replies shakily, still in complete disbelief at the whole affair._

 _"Well, Oliver Queen. There might be fighter inside of you after all."_

 _The Foundry_

Having hung up on Quentin, Oliver closes his eyes briefly before pulling Sara into a tight embrace, rubbing her back soothingly as she tries not to cry.

"It's not a trick. Tommy called me, he's been trying to get a hold of you and he wanted to make sure that I was safe as dad had asked. I told him I was and that I was with you and Slade. Ollie, this guy has got my sister." Sara whispers as she pulls back, fixing Oliver with a determined expression.

"If he hurts her I am going to leave pieces of him all over Starling City." Sara hisses, her anger flaring up as she tears away from him to grab her vigilante uniform.

"I'll give you a hand with that." Slade growls in response as he to grabs his uniform, sharing a glance with Diggle.

For now, well that is until after Laurel is safe and sound, confronting Moria Queen about her wicked ways shall have to wait!

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Quentin waits anxiously on a rooftop in Starling City, praying to god that the vigilantes show up sometime soon for Laurel's sake.

"Detective." The voice of the female vigilante calls out as he spins around to face all three vigilantes standing side by side.

"If this is another trick you will not like the consequences." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Shooting one us should require some sort of consequence but if what you say is true, we can let that matter slide." The Man In The Hood can't help but add.

"Yeah right now, no hard feelings as I'm not particularly happy right now. I hate you three. I hate everything the three of you stand for but this lunatic has one of my little girl's and I'm terrified that he's going to take the other one as well." Quentin looks down.

"He left this behind as some kind of ransom note." He adds showing them the arrow.

"His name is Cyrus Vanch." The Man In The Hood mutters.

"Geez! He'll kill her if he doesn't get the three of you…"

"He'll kill her anyway, so why come to us?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"It's a pretty tight circle that know about the three of you and my daughter working together. If Vanch knows, it because someone at the precinct talked. There isn't anybody else I can trust." Quentin admits regrettably.

"Vanch is holed up on a mansion. It is a heavily fortified position. Without Laurel getting killed in the crossfire I don't think we can take it without help." The Man In The Hood mutters he turns to Quentin.

"What do you want me to do?"

 _Vanch's Place_

"Time is running out and still no visit from your three friends. I might have overestimated their fondness for you." Cyrus Vanch says as he walks around the table where Laurel is sitting on a chair, he grabs her by her hair and pulls her head up violently before holding a knife to her throat as she glares at him.

"Assault with intent and kidnapping." Laurel hisses through her pained tears.

"You're going to rot in prison for life this time." She whispers as Vanch laughs.

"That's assuming your vigilante BFF's save you and their chances of getting in here without you dying are not so great." He releases her.

"They're going up against trained men with their fingers on the trigger of guns that fire up to six hundred rounds per minute. Now I'm no Einstein but that's a lot of bullets. There's three of them." He explains, unbeknownst to him that said men are currently being dealt with by the three united vigilantes, shooting arrows, hitting them with batons and throwing knives at the armed men, who desperately try to fight back to no effect against them.

"And even if they were to take them out. I have three sharpshooters on the roof…"

Said sharpshooters are where Vanch believes them to be, yet with a simple fire of an arrow to distract them the vigilantes are able to deal with them as well.

"Even if they were to get by them, what are they going to do against the veritable army of sons of bitches I've got waiting for them?"

The three vigilantes race into a room, coming up against a group of Vanch's men, who are soon stabbed, shot by arrows and mutilated by the vigilantes, who duck to avoid gunfire. The Woman In Black ahead of them all, finishing off the last guard in that particular room.

"Now, as I said I'm no Einstein, but I bet that the three of them against all I've got won't last. At least one of them would be killed if not all and guess what? You'd be dead before any of them even manage to reach you! And it looks as if two of them have been killed." Vanch chuckles as from behind him a guard enters the room, his weapon trained on The Man In The Hood, who enters the room, having being stopped by the door by the sudden mass of guards. The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black had not been found, presumed dead

"Lose the bow Merida." He smirks frowning.

"Where's your entourage? They dead already? Pity I thought it would be The Mask guy who'd be the survivor!" He smirks as his guard is suddenly decapitated.

"Looking for me?" The Man In The Mask growls as he enters with The Woman In Black and behind them Quentin, who sighs in relief upon seeing Laurel alive.

"My daughter. My little girl!" He bellows as he rushes to shoot him, only for the gun to be knocked out of his hands by a flying knife from The Woman In Black

"We're the vigilantes. You're the cop." The Woman In Black hisses.

"Doesn't mean I have to read the bastard his rights though!" Quentin growls before The Woman In Black advances forward and punches Vanch, slamming him into a wall so his nose breaks before throwing him to the floor, smashing one of her batons into his side to cause some sort of internal damage, about to deliver the killing blow when The Man In The Hood grabs her to pull her off as Quentin beings to approach them, the vigilantes fleeing the scene as they leave Quentin to arrest him, who hadn't moved.

Not really caring that the vigilante he had shot only the other day almost beat the life out of the scumbag who had kidnapped his daughter!

"Laurel!" He calls to her.

"Laurel are you ok?"

"Yeah." She nods as she sits up.

"Yeah I'm ok."

 _SCPD_

Only a few hours later Laurel sits in the precinct, a mug of hot water in her hands and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she processes what happened to her, one thing she knows for certain.

She wants Tommy.

She wants him here, she wants him to hold her and comfort her after this ordeal but after their argument she doubts that happening at all.

"All right you're good to go. I'll. I'll take you home now." Quentin murmurs to Laurel as he grabs his keys.

"I can take a cab." She replies.

"No, Laurel you've had a trauma. I'll drive you home. I've told Sara that you're ok, she's very worried about you…"

"No." Laurel mutters.

"What?" Quentin frowns.

"I'm going to need you to keep your distance for a while." She folds her arms.

"Laurel…"

"Dad. I love you. I'll always love you but what I can't do right now is trust you." She admits.

"I was just doing my job. I. I thought you'd understand at least that."

"That part I do understand. The lying to me, lying to me. It's going to take longer. I won't say anything about all this to Sara for her sake and I'll be civil when she's around but I can't be around you anymore. At least for now." She mutters before walking away.

Slightly freezing, Laurel walks through the car park, surprised to see The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood there.

"Are you alright?" The Woman In Black asks softly.

"What would you think if I said I didn't know?" Laurel whispers.

"That you were being honest." The Man In The Hood replies.

"My father has the phone now and I don't think he'll be giving it back any time soon." She admits, folding her arms.

"Maybe that's good. We didn't see how this would put you in danger…"

"I'm a big girl. I knew the risks!" Laurel cuts The Woman In Black off.

"Now, we know them and we're not willing to take them with you." She reveals.

"What does that mean?" Laurel cries.

"It means goodbye." The Man In The Hood admits.

"Laurel!" Tommy's voice calling her name fills the air as she spins around in shock at hearing his voice, watching as he races toward her, stopping for a moment when he sees her alive and well.

"Laurel." He whispers again as Laurel turns around, surprised that Tommy hasn't reacted to the presence of the two vigilantes only to find that they have vanished.

"Ohh god Laurel, Laurel!" Tommy calls as he finally gets to her side, turning her so she faces him and is practically in his arms.

"Tell me that you're ok, please…"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Laurel cries as she shakes her head, tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She whispers as he strokes her face lovingly.

"No, no. It doesn't matter just as long as you are ok." He murmurs as he pulls her into a close embrace, kissing the side of her head as he holds her close, unaware of the two vigilantes standing hand in hand watching over them.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Ohh Tommy I'm so sorry." Laurel can't help but say again as she and Tommy arrive at her trashed apartment from earlier.

"It's ok, its ok." Tommy reassures her sweetly as he unlocks the door for her, Laurel looking at her trashed apartment in horror as she remembers her abduction from earlier and shudders, something which Tommy notices and pulls her back into his arms in response, almost as if to shield her sight.

"Ohh don't think about it honey. I'll tidy up in here, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." Tommy vows as he leads her through the mess to her bedroom, where he switches her lamp on and cupping her face in his hands.

"Now I'll be right back. I'm just going to make us some tea yeah?" He smiles softly as Laurel clutches to him, almost afraid to let go.

"I won't be long, I promise." He murmurs as he presses his lips to her forehead comfortingly before moving out of the room to make a cup of tea, starting to clean a few things up whilst the water is boiling so that Laurel doesn't have to do as much the next day, so she's not furtherly reminded of the horrors today had brought her.

Returning to Laurel, he smiles when he sees her in her comfy clothes and curled up on the bed, several blankets around her, holding her arms out for him when he approaches, sliding into bed beside her, he places a mug of tea in her hands and wraps one arm around her.

"I didn't think you'd be here." She admits.

"Where else would I be honey?" Tommy asks softly.

"I lied to you Tommy. What I did was awful, I thought you were still mad…"

"I was." Tommy admits pulling her closer.

"I even talked to Oliver and Sara and they told me to talk to you and that's what I had planned to do. I got here and the place was completely trashed and I found the arrow…" Tommy trails off as Laurel puts her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to lose you Laurel." He admits.

"And I don't want to lose you either Tommy. I worked with those vigilantes purely because they helped me out with cases when no one would. I know it was dangerous of me but I really didn't see any other options at the time and it wasn't like I could tell anyone about it but I promise, total honesty from now on." She promises as she looks him in the eye.

"Total honesty?" She questions as Tommy nods.

"Total honesty." He replies as she puts her mug down and moves so that her head is resting on Tommy's chest and that her arms are around him.

"I care about you too much to lose you Merlyn." She murmurs sleepily as Tommy presses a kiss to lips.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you Laurel." He admits as she smiles softly and closes her eyes, feeling even better when Tommy's arms tighten around her and finding it easy to fall asleep knowing that she's safe in Tommy's arms and that he's going to stay with her all through the night.

 _"You know this does not change anything between you and I." Slade Wilson says much later on once they are sitting beside a fire the man, Slade had made for them both, during which Oliver had put his hand in a sling due to his dislocated finger, which Slade had, had to help him with, Oliver being useless at even putting his own hand into a sling after all!_

 _"It takes to men to take the aircraft and I give you my word we'll try and rescue your girl but if you compromise my getting off this island, I will kill you." He threatens as he takes a seat across from Oliver, glaring at him, making Oliver wonder if he is actually glaring at him or its his natural facial expression!_

 _"You've had your second chance." He mutters, Oliver daring to look up at him._

 _"You need me just as much as I need you." Oliver replies, causing an annoying smirk to appear on the man's face._

 _"So what's our next step. How are we going to save Sara." Oliver questions._

 _"Turning you into something that won't get us both killed." Slade replies plainly._

 _"Choose a weapon."_

 _"We're starting now? There's not enough time for this we need to save Sara before Fyers can kill her or do god knows what to her! What the hell is wrong with you?" Oliver snaps, regretting it instantly as Slade doesn't say a word but leans forward, a murderous expression upon his face, causing Oliver to say no more words and comply with the instruction given._

 _He walks over to the create, opening it and nearly dropping the lid when he sees what is inside of it._

 _The mask. The mask identical to the one the man wore._

 _The man who tortured him and Sara._

 _"That's mine." Slade mutters as Oliver turns to face the man._

 _"You are the lunatic who tortured me and Sara!" Oliver spits._

 _"No, that was another guy…"_

 _"Bull!" Oliver cuts him off._

 _"This mask. It's my operational equivalent to a balaclava. My partner and I wore them to keep our identities classified during our missions." He explains gruffly._

 _"You're lying. Fyers told me that this nutcase is a prisoner on the island." Oliver cries._

 _"And Fyers is such a trust worthy individual? Isn't he the man who is currently holding your girlfriend captive? He lied to you. My partner and I came here to free Yao Fei and get him off this island. We're ASIS, Australian Intelligence." Slade says to silence from Oliver._

 _"Now, you're going to find yourself a weapon. You are untrained, you are a liability. You are no help to your girlfriend like this. You try and rescue her as you are and both of you are going to end up being killed." He folds his arms, causing Oliver to look away, afraid to admit that this man probably speaks the the truth._

 _"Have you considered a sword?" Slade questions, another smirk appearing at his lips._

 _"I like swords."_

 _The Foundry_

"I made it clear to him persuasively that his plans endangered The Undertaking. I didn't have to make the usual threats." The voice of Moria says clearly from the recorder Oliver and Sara are listening to, Sara on Oliver's lap as he holds he close whilst he hears his mother's words.

Words of betrayal.

"I've listened to this fifteen times." Oliver admits as Diggle enters The Foundry.

"It's definitely here voice you and Slade were right." Oliver murmurs as Sara squeezes his hand tightly in hers.

"I just. I just can't believe that it's her." He mutters.

"We all have blind spots when it comes to family. Look at me and Gaynor. I was just like you Oliver, not trusting a word you guys said against him." Diggle sighs.

"Laurel's almost got her killed tonight, my own father almost killed me. Vanch never would have known about her connection to us if my dad hadn't have lied to her." Sara sighs.

"I guess the lesson here is that blind trust can be dangerous." Diggle murmurs as Oliver clicks the recorder again.

"I made it clear to him that his plans endangered The Undertaking. I didn't have to make the usual threats." Oliver cuts it off again.

"What's The Undertaking?" Sara questions.

"I don't know but with all this talk about threats, it can't be good. Slade warned me that if she was lying it would be to cover up her involvement in something dangerous. We need to know what The Undertaking is." Oliver mutters.

"What are you going to do?" Diggle asks.

"I need to have another chat with my mother but before that Slade. I need find him and apologise. I was such a dick to him. I know he lied to me about following her but he was right to." Oliver shakes his head in dismay of how he treated Slade, what words he used against him.

"He'll forgive you. You're brothers remember." Sara smiles slightly.

"Brothers. Yeah he's my brother and I didn't trust him. I pushed him away and I hurt him." Oliver sighs as he buries his head into his hands as Sara looks around.

"Where is Slade anyway?" She queries, noticing that his uniform isn't lying about anywhere.

"I don't know. Last time I saw him it was when we rescued Laurel." Oliver replies looking to Diggle, who looks down at his feet.

"You haven't seen him have you?" Sara asks as Diggle looks up at them.

"No but I think I know where he is." Diggle murmurs as it suddenly dawns on Oliver who shakes his head in shock and horror.

"No. No he wouldn't…"

"You weren't listening to reason Oliver!" Diggle protests.

"How could he do this. How could you do this! You knew what he was doing didn't you? That he was going to confront my mother? You're the distraction." Oliver shakes his head as Sara catches on and groans.

"You hurt him Oliver. You said so yourself and…"

"He isn't thinking clearly. Ohh I'm going to kill him!" Oliver snarls cutting Diggle off as he grabs his bow and arrows, pulling up the hood once more.

"He's doing this because he cares about you Oliver." Diggle tries to explain.

"If he cared about me as much as you think he does he wouldn't have done this!" Oliver snarls angrily as he storms toward the stairs.

"He wouldn't hurt her Oliver." Sara starts as she turns to grab her uniform.

"This is Slade Wilson we're talking about here!" Oliver growls.

"Still, he cares about you too much to cause her any harm." Diggle sighs as Oliver scoffs and races toward the stairs.

"Ollie wait!" Sara calls after him as he turns around, a furious expression on his face.

"I'm going alone. Don't follow me. This is between me, my mother and Slade." Oliver snarls angrily before vanishing from sight…

 _Queen Consolidated_

Moira Queen is in her office in a meeting, quite a boring one if that.

"I'll need the Unidac merger finalised by the end of the week. We're on something of a clock here." She says but is cut off by something smashing through the window.

Not something, someone.

The vigilante. The Man In The Mask, whom slices through the security with his sword as he approaches the desk of Moria Queen, throwing a knife at her lamp shattering it instantly as he holds his sword out toward her, mirroring the same action he did so many years ago upon meeting Oliver Queen.

"Moira Queen. You have failed this city."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, this chapter was meant to be done ages ago but my cold came back with a vengeance and once again technology is a let down! Thank you to all of you who have followed and favourited this story and for your incredibly kind reviews. Next update should be soon, it's one of my fav Arrow episodes 'The Odyssey' so the update should be sooner than later. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter thanks again for reading!**


	41. The Odyssey (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty One**

"Moira Queen. You have failed this city!" The Man In The Mask snarls as Moira backs away from him fearfully from him as he advances on her with his sword outstretched.

Moria makes the first move, moving toward the phone, only for The Man In The Mask to drive his sword through it.

"Stand still and don't move or I will cut off a limb." He hisses as she backs away, holding her hands up in fearful surrender.

"Please don't kill me." She begs as suddenly an arrow zooms past her into the wall as another vigilante enters the room.

The Man In The Hood, whom looks poisonously at The Man In The Mask.

"Ohh my god." Moria whispers frightenedly.

The Man In The Hood doesn't even look at The Man In The Mask as he keeps his bow up, pointing it reluctantly in the direction of his mother.

They're here now, if he likes it or not and getting some answers is probably a better path to chose right now then actually physically fighting his so called partner for lying to him and coming here and terrorising his mother! Moria starts to move again.

"What did I just say!" The Man In The Mask hisses as she looks down, anywhere but at the two vigilantes and the sword and arrows facing her way!

"Do you know anything about your husband's disappearance?" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"What." She lowers her hands.

"Is Walter Steele still alive!" The Man In The Hood snaps before thinking. He shouldn't be doing this, it's his mother. Yet she lied to him, she lied so is all this somehow justified? He wonders to himself as Moria backs into the wall.

"I don't know where my husband is. I swear." She whispers as The Man In The Mask continues to advance on her, The Man In The Hood moving to stop him, but one flick of his sword to keep him back keeps The Man In The Hood from moving.

If one thing wasn't already certain he is going to kill Slade for this later!

"Do you know anything about The Undertaking!" The Man In The Mask yells as Moria suddenly twists to face the wall.

"I thought I told you not to move." The Man In The Mask bellows as he advances on her, Moria falling to her knees as he does so.

"I'm I'm a mother!" She holds a picture out of Oliver and Thea standing side by side. The Man In The Hood stopping to look at that for a moment, about ready to knock his partner out and drag him back to The Foundry for this!

"I have a son. Oliver. A daughter, her name is Thea. She's just a teenager please don't take me from my children." Moria begs tearfully.

"They're lost their father. They can't lose me too." She whimpers as neither vigilante moves, just stands where they are, their weapons still raised up high and in her direction.

"Please, whoever you people are, please." She begs as The Man In The Hood lowers his bow and arrow.

"Ok. Ok." He mutters, holding out his hand to lower The Man In The Mask's sword for him, who turns to glance at The Man In The Hood.

"We're not going to hurt you." The Man In The Hood promises as Moira suddenly turns and races for her bookshelf, pulling out a concealed gun and firing at the two vigilantes wildly, glass shattering as her bullets make contact with it, causing both vigilantes to duck, The Man In The Mask moving to retrieve his sword giving Moria a perfect target...

"No!" The Man In The Hood yells as Moira fires the bullet, pushing The Man In The Mask out of the way, unfortunately taking the bullet himself...

Moira continues to fire as The Man In The Mask moves toward his fallen partner, Moira ducks under her desk, grabbing her phone as The Man In The Hood writhes in agony as The Man In The Mask falls beside him.

"What did you do that for? How could you be so stupid, kid!" The Man In The Mask growls almost inaudibly to The Man In The Hood.

"This is Moria Queen. I'm on the thirty ninth floor I need help. There's an intruder. Two of them, please!" Moira yells down her phone as she lifts her head bravely, expecting to see two very vengeful vigilantes, yet all she sees is several pools of blood and broken glass…

 _Somewhere In Queen Consolidated_

"It's gonna be ok kid, I've got you." Slade mutters as he supports a heavily bleeding Oliver, who is finding it hard to walk though the immense pain and has one arm slung around Slade's shoulders for support as they attempt to escape Queen Consolidated.

"This brings back memories." Oliver grumbles.

"Tell me about it kid!" Slade snaps.

"Other way round remember when you got half your face almost blown off. Did I ever apologise to you for that?" Oliver mutters before hissing in pain, causing Slade to glance at him worriedly as they walk.

"If I didn't I'm sorry." Oliver adds with a slight smile as he moans in pain causing Slade to roll his eye worriedly.

"What we're you thinking, kid?" He adds as Oliver groans.

"She has a perfect line of shot. It would have killed you." Oliver whispers.

"Thought you'd want that after a our difference in opinions recently, most recently in fact." Slade mutters.

"Don't say that. I may be very angry at you Slade but I'd never want anything bad happening to you." Oliver murmurs before coughing, his eyelids drooping.

"You stay with me kid. Don't you dare close your eyes." Slade snarls.

"Might have to disobey you there." Oliver manages to chuckle.

"No one gets to kill you but me, kid. Don't you forget that. You're gonna be fine." Slade grunts as he supports Oliver, who pulls Slade to a stand still.

"We're not going to make it." Oliver murmurs.

"Don't talk like that kid. We're going to get out of here." Slade tries to smile.

"No. Not like this, we need a car we can't get to The Foundry on foot." Oliver moans.

"You want me to steal a car now do you?" Slade questions as he looks around at the selection of cars, the two of them having entered the parking garage.

"Take your pick." He mutters as Oliver shakes his head.

"No, another idea. You're not going to like it…"

 _Queen Consolidated Car Park_

Clicking the unlock button on her beautiful deep red car. Felicity Smoak slides in to her car, chucking her handbag onto the passenger seat with a smile.

She can go home now, the day is done! She slides her keys into the ignition, almost having a heart attack when a groaning sound comes from behind her, turning around and gasping fearfully at the sight of two vigilantes on her back seat.

Two vigilantes.

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask, his sword and his partners bow and arrows propped up against the window.

Fearfully, Felicity takes another look to see that The Man In The Hood is lying down across The Man In The Mask and that he's bleeding.

"I'm not going to hurt you Felicity." The Man In The Mask's deep voice sounds.

"How do you know my name?" She whispers.

"You know mine." He replies, removing his black and orange mask to reveal Slade Wilson.

Felicity gasps loudly at the revelation as she tries to piece it together in her mind.

Slade Wilson is The Man In The Mask.

"Slade." She finds herself whispering as she looks down at The Man In The Hood.

"You know my name to." The Man In The Hood mutters weakly as he reveals himself to to be Oliver Queen.

"Slade, Mr. Queen, oh wow. Everything about the two of you just became so unbelievably clear. Is Sara the third vigilante?" She questions only to receive an eye roll from Slade as Oliver briefly shuts his eyes.

"No, no, kid stay with me." Slade growls.

"He's bleeding." Felicity whispers in even more shock.

"I don't need you to tell me that." Oliver murmurs as he sort of comes to.

"You need a hospital." She cries.

"No!" Slade snaps causing Felicity to jump, Slade closing his eye as he realises that he and Oliver are probably scaring the crap out of her.

"Sorry." He mutters hastily.

"My father's old factory in The Glades." Oliver mutters..

"Oliver you need a doctor not a steel worker." She says quickly as Oliver groans in pain, Slade looks briefly at him again in worry before at Felicity again.

"Felicity you have to promise us that you're going to take us to his father's factory and nowhere else." Slade replies as Felicity nods quickly.

"Yeah. Yeah I promise." She says softly.

"Now drive." Slade mutters as he turns back to a bleeding Oliver.

"Something tells me blood stains are not covered under my lease." She laughs lightly as she drives away.

 _The Foundry_

Boredly waiting for Oliver and Slade. Sara and Diggle sit by the computers in silence until Diggle decides to break it with a question.

"You think Oliver and Slade are having the fight of the century right now?" Sara sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"Ollie is not happy with him for this. It's gonna get loud down here when they both come back." She smirks.

"He did it for Oliver you know" Diggle states.

"Yeah I gathered as much. Both Oliver and I weren't seeing the truth until it was right in front of us about Moira. Slade was right. Reminds me never to doubt him again he normally always is right about these things." Sara smiles slightly.

"We had to know what she was planning Sara and Slade thought that if he went and confronted her and got the answers then Oliver wouldn't have to do that to his own mother as we expected him to be reluctant about it." Diggle explains.

"Yeah he probably would have been. Slade's better at getting information out of people and he doesn't have any attachment to Moria. He wouldn't be hesitant to push for that information." Sara murmurs.

"He cares for Oliver a lot. It surprised me I didn't think him capable of caring that much about someone, he's quite closed off." Diggle notes.

"Took five years for me and Oliver to break past his defences. He cares for both of us more than he lets on sometimes I believe, Oliver especially as…" Sara stops as she remembers something, looking down at the thought.

"What?" Diggle looks at her in confusion.

"Remember when we said we weren't on the island that whole time." Sara sighs, they really do need to open up more to Diggle.

"You gonna tell me about that?" Diggle frowns.

"No but I will tell you this, we were separated for quite a significant amount of time because of something I don't think we can really ever tell you about and if we can I'll leave Oliver and Slade to explain it. Slade was the one mostly effected by what happened that caused us to be separated." Sara explains softly.

"So you guys were separated?" Diggle raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I was in this awful place, a place I never really want to think about ever again and I fear it because I'm always afraid it's going to come back to haunt me but I was there and Slade and Oliver were somewhere else. Luckily they found each other and they went through hell and back but somehow they managed to escape it together and we all found each other again. They didn't tell me what had happened to them during the time we were separated for a while, they never really said much at all to me at all and I to them, there would be a disturbance on the island and even if it was just a tree snapping Slade would automatically move to protect Ollie and me. What happened during time apart traumatised Slade, he mentioned to you that he lost his son…" Sara trails off.

"That happened during that space of time? Ohh good god." Diggle looks away in disbelief and sympathy for the man who he had always given him such a hard time.

"Yeah. Like I said we didn't talk to one another for at least a month and if we did it would only be something simple like Oliver used to just say he loved me, not much else. He would talk to Slade when the memories of that time used to hit him, comfort him, we both would. It used to scare me seeing Slade like that, he's the one who pulls me and Oliver together, who looks after us but this time it was the other way around. Oliver could always get through to him. I could too but Oliver was better at it. After a month of silence we sat down by a fire and just talked. I told them what had happened to me and they told me everything that had happened to them." Sara admits to Diggle who just looks amazed at everything Sara has told him.

"My point is that no matter how angry Oliver is at Slade and they'll forgive each other. They may not be brothers by blood but they are brothers and they would both do anything to protect one another and me. Slade is closed off I agree but not to us and even though he has really pissed Oliver off by doing this to him he did because he cares about Ollie." Sara reveals as Diggle nods.

"Do you want me to not mention this to them?" He queries.

"I haven't exactly told you the gory details Diggle, only scratched the surface there." Sara sighs sadly as the computer suddenly flickers to life.

"The hell?" Diggle frowns as a recent news video comes in.

"So fat the police are unable to comment but unsubstantiated eyewitness reports claims that two of the Starling City vigilantes, The Hood and The Mask attacked Mrs. Queen in her office earlier to tonight." The news reporter confirms as both Sara and Diggle hold their breath's as they wait for the rest nervously.

"She was unharmed in the assault…"

"Excuse me!" A voice calls from behind causing Diggle and Sara to whirl around, Diggle with his gun and Sara with one of Slade's knives.

Felicity Smoak. Covered in blood.

"Can you help us?" She cries as Diggle and Sara drop their weapons.

"Sara! Diggle! Could use a bit of help here!" Comes the angry yells of Slade only moments later as to Sara and Diggle's utmost horror he races down the stairs, holding a bleeding unconscious Oliver.

"Ollie!" Sara cries as she and Diggle race to help Slade.

"What happened!" Diggle yells as they help Oliver onto a table, Slade moving to grab some cloth to press it against Oliver's bleeding gunshot wound.

"She shot him. It was supposed to be me, he thought he'd play hero!" Slade snarls as Sara strokes Oliver's face briefly.

"Ollie! Ollie it's Sara, please wake up come on Ollie!" She whispers hurriedly as Slade and Diggle move to deal with his wound, Felicity still hovering beside them.

"He just missed a carotid. It's a zone two wound." Diggle comments as he move to grab something whilst Slade puts pressure on the wound.

"Slade we should have taken him to a hospital." Felicity cries.

"No, Felicity you did the right thing listening to Slade that's why they asked you to bring him here because the police would want to know how and why he got that wound." Sara reassures her as Diggle reappears with a trolley of medical stuff.

"I'm guessing how and why are you fours most hated question." Felicity whispers.

"Yeah, well, there's also the when and where we're not too fond of either!" Diggle murmurs as Felicity looks between them all rushing around to help Oliver.

"So we can't bring him to the hospital." She comments.

"We are bringing the hospital to him." Sara replies as Diggle appears with a bag of blood.

"Is that?" Felicity trails off.

"Yeah. His blood, he stored it for a rainy day and right now it's pouring!" Sara mutters as Diggle moves back to Oliver.

"I've got it." Slade growls.

"Do you even know what your doing?" Felicity whispers.

"I've had to sort him out with a lot worse than this!" Slade mutters.

"Yeah and I have some medical training in the army. I just hope our combined efforts are enough." Diggle adds as he moves to help Slade.

"You ever played operation as a kid?" Sara asks Felicity as they pull on gloves.

"Yeah, it never made me want to throw up!" Felicity closes her eyes, only opening again when someone grabs her hand. Slade.

"Felicity. He's gonna be a'right he's been through a lot worse than this." Slade assures her as Sara nods as well.

Both of them having personally witnessed Oliver going through a lot worse!

"Slade can you just grab me that over there?" Diggle indicates to something on the trolley. Slade eyes Diggle for a moment before Oliver, reluctant to move before complying.

"You're gonna be a'right, kid." Slade murmurs to Oliver's unconscious form as Sara smiles up at him gratefully as Slade moves a way.

Walking over to the trolley, unbeknownst to the others, Slade stifles a groan of pain as he presses his hand to his bleeding side, the blood the others must believe belong to Oliver. It doesn't. It's his own.

Oliver is the priority right now. Oliver must survive are Slade's thoughts.

The fact that Slade himself was also shot in the side by Moria Queen's shooting frenzy isn't important right now…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Technology has finally begun to work hallelujah! Next chapter should be soon this is my all time favourite episode of Arrow In the world because it is just so epic so updates should be sooner than later! Thanks again for all your kind reviews and for reading.**


	42. The Odyssey (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Two**

 _Oliver moves to dodge Slade Wilson's punch, he gets turned around sharply and thrown to the forest floor for the umpteenth time, which is soon followed by Slade's knife at his throat. Again!_

 _Slade Wilson and his freakin knives are really beginning to do Oliver's head in!_

 _"Dead." Slade hisses._

 _Oliver tries to disarm him for a second time, the outcome is the exact same._

 _Then Slade decides to try the escrima sticks against Oliver, who had in all fairness lasted a lot longer then Slade has expected him to before Slade's inevitable win, which he makes quite clear by smashing the escrima stick into Oliver's face, which to him feels like one million slaps all at once and even more painful then a punch from Slade, which is saying something coming from Oliver and Slade's punches are brutal._

 _Much like Slade in general! Oliver thinks to himself as he falls to the ground from the hit, hisses and gritting his teeth, suppressing the urge to punch Slade Wilson right in the face, but he knows that would only end with either Slade deflecting him, or if he were lucky to actually land said punch then he'd end up on the ground with a face full of dirt once again and on top of that Slade would have probably punched him back meaning his face, once again would feel deeply pained!_

 _He keeps going because he knows he needs to be strong enough to save Sara._

 _Wilson was right on that count. The way he is now he has no chance of saving Sara, or infiltrating that goddam airstrip that Wilson keeps banging on about! That he doesn't care about as much as he does rescuing Sara which tells him something._

 _He would give up his probably one chance at freedom to save Sara, to get her home to her family, to make her safe again._

 _No matter what happened to him Sara needs to survive and for that to happen Oliver needs to do his bit and survive this brutal maniac determined to make him into a solider._

 _Freakin psycho! Oliver thinks about Slade as he regains his footing, Slade currently circling him like a dangerous predator about to attack his prey, Oliver being said prey knows that is what is probably about to happen!_

 _"How did you and your girlfriend survive here for six months?" He questions gruffly as Oliver sighs and thinks of many words of profanity to say to Slade._

 _He restrains himself, his face hurts quite enough already as it is._

 _"I know Girl Scouts who had more fight in them!"_

 _"Fighting Girl Scouts now Slade, hu?" Oliver bites back, beyond fed up of Slade's insults,only for a pissed off look to cross Slade's face before he slaps Oliver's hand sharply with the Escrima stick._

 _Oliver groans in pain and rubs his hand to try and dull the pain._

 _"What the hell?" He spits at Slade as he faces him with an incredulous look._

 _"I thought these sessions were supposed to train me not to beat the crap out of me!" Oliver whines as what had been training sessions had morphed into, what Oliver believes to be just outright abuse than actually teaching fighting techniques!_

 _"Listen, kid." Slade starts sternly whilst he glares at Oliver._

 _Kid, Slade refers to him as 'kid' another thing that really pisses Oliver off as he is certainly no 'kid' yet that appears to be the nickname Slade has chosen for him and if he complained Oliver is certain he'd receive another beating or something similar!_

 _"We have ten days until the supply plane lands. Ten days to turn you into at least half a solider so you can save your girlfriend and get the hell off this island without getting yourself killed. So stop whining and start taking it seriously!" He snaps angrily, causing Oliver to launch back into the attack with the Escrima sticks._

 _Probably his worst attempt yet as it lasts for mere seconds before Slade smacks him several times in the side with his sticks and Oliver groans and tries not to fall to the ground in agony and crawl into foetal position!_

 _"What is the point of this! How is this going to help me fight and save Sara hu?" He cries as Slade just glares at him, or looks at him normally! As Oliver considers Slade's glares to just be his usual facial expressions!_

 _"These soldiers don't carry bamboo, they have guns! So what am I supposed to do if one of them jams a gun in my face, hu? Threaten them with my stick!" Oliver yells, all patience gone with Slade._

 _Not really even caring right now if his outbursts is going to cause him to get his ass handed to him once more by Slade!_

 _Slade doesn't say anything, much to Oliver's delight and fear as Slade being quiet is, from what Oliver's gathered in the short days of knowing the man is a dangerous thing! Oliver's delight is due to the fact he is wondering if Slade's silence is because Slade knows that Oliver is correct and that he is wrong._

 _Oliver would love it if Slade was wrong about something!_

 _Instead of words, Slade pulls his gun from his holder._

 _Oliver freezing for a moment due to the belief that Slade may actually shoot him!_

 _Not putting it past the man for a moment, but if Wilson were to kill him, Oliver would have believed he would kill him with his sword! Unless he really is just done with Oliver's shit and wants to just end him where he stands._

 _However, instead of shooting him, he thrusts the gun at Oliver._

 _"Jam this in my face!" He hisses as Oliver looks at him meekly, liking the sound of aiming a gun at him and actually pulling the freakin trigger on Slade Wilson! But is fearful of what it is that Slade is actually going to do to him if he accepts the gun and tries his hand at aiming a gun at Wilson._

 _Deciding to go through with it. Oliver snatches the gun out of his hand and after a moments thought where he wonders to himself if he should just shoot this guy and have done! Wilson looking at him expectantly, Oliver raises the gun shakily in his direction only for Slade to grab his arm, twist it around and throw him face first into the grass, where he lies for a few minutes, glancing side ways he sees Slade still holding the gun in his direction._

 _This is never going to work! He's never going to beat this guy, and if he can't beat this guy then he isn't going to be able to beat the guys who have got Sara._

 _"I give up!" Oliver rolls onto his back, holding his hands up._

 _"I give up!" He says again, only for Slade to grab him by the collar of his jacket and pull him forcibly up, forcing Oliver to look at him in the eye as he continues to hold the gun in his direction, a furious expression upon his face, more so than normal!_

 _"There is no giving up to these guys! No crying or buying your way out of it!" He bellows as he holds the gun to Oliver's face._

 _"You have two choices. Escape and rescue your girlfriend, or die and Fyers kills her. So choose!" He spits._

 _"Escape." Oliver replies determinedly as Slade lowers the gun, his grip on Oliver's jacket still unrelenting._

 _"Then let me show you how not to die." He hisses before releasing Oliver at long last, pushing him backwards, giving him one last look of what Oliver guesses is hate, before pocketing his gun and grabbing the Escrima sticks, throwing one to Oliver._

 _Oliver attacks first._

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Putting a map upon a surface, Oliver and Slade look at it, Oliver beyond relieved for the training to be done with for the day, Slade is too hard on him, he pushes him too far._

 _Oliver hates Slade Wilson beyond words but if working with him means saving Sara and getting the hell off this island then, at least for the time being Oliver realises that no matter how much he hates this violent, possibly psychotic man in order to save Sara and survive then he's just got to deal with the fact that he has to work with this guy._

 _Pulling Oliver out of his thoughts is Slade pointing to something and muttering._

 _"Lian Yu."_

 _"It's the name of the island. I know." Oliver replies, glad to know at least something!_

 _"It's mandarin for purgatory." He adds when Slade raises an eyebrow in disbelief and shock that the kid actually knows something._

 _"It is, wonderful." He mutters sarcastically._

 _Sarcasm, Oliver believing to be Wilson's second language, using it quite a lot in Oliver's presence when commenting on Oliver's fighting skills._

 _"Is that the airstrip?" Oliver decides to ask as Slade moves away from him so he can view the other side of the map._

 _"ASIS took satellite images of the whole island. This is Fyers' main camp, where I was held for almost a year and is probably where your girlfriend is being held now." He comments._

 _"You. You really think she's still being held there and that's where Yao Fei is now? Cuz we could get a message to him, tell him we found a way off the island and he could grab Sara from Fyers and bring her to us!" Oliver suggests his plan of action, one look at Slade confirming that the man disagrees already!_

 _"Forget about him. We take the airstrip and in the short space of time we are waiting for the plane we make our way to the camp and save your girlfriend. In and out then we go back to airstrip with plenty of time to spare. My guess is that he'll have your girlfriend in one of them cages on the outskirts of the camp." Slade replies sharply, the authority tone in his voice telling Oliver that this is not up for discussion._

 _Happy that Oliver isn't going to give him backchat, he points once more to the map._

 _"This is the airstrip and these infrared images show that there are at least ten soldiers guarding the parameter at any given time." He explains._

 _"Too many of them for ya?" Oliver decides to joke, not a good idea he realises soon after when he is fixed with a murderous look from Slade._

 _"No." Slade whispers dangerously, starting to walk over to Oliver, subsequently scaring the living daylighting out of him as he does so as Oliver expects him to cause him some harm for cracking a joke, he's gathered Slade's not the humours kind of guy._

 _Yet when Slade points to the map, Oliver is slightly more reassured that Wilson's not about to kill him with some out of sight concealed weapon, which Oliver has placed a bet on him having at least several weapons on him hidden out of sight._

 _"My problem is the guy here in the tower. There's a PATC, a portable air traffic control channel. The U.S. Government set up these for disaster zones, like Thailand after the tsunami." Slade comments as he glances at Oliver, who frowns._

 _"So what's the problem?" He decides to ask._

 _"The glass is bulletproof. I can't take out the tower guard with my sniper rifle and if he suspects anything's wrong he'll radio Fyers and we're cancelled." Slade mutters._

 _"It'll be up to you to take him out." He reveals._

 _"Up close and personal. Are you ready for that?" He questions._

 _"Do you think I'm ready?" Oliver murmurs, anxious for the answer._

 _"What I think is that there is only one supply plane every three months. We leave tomorrow or we die soon afterwards. I pick leaving." Slade grumbles as Oliver reluctantly nods._

 _Leaving this godforsaken island, saving Sara and going home. They need this plane._

 _"So get some sleep. We leave at 0600. I'll keep watch." Slade mutters as the two men head separate ways. Oliver to his small makeshift bed, where he sits and removes the picture of Laurel, which he glances at sadly, making a silent promise to her that he'll rescue Sara tomorrow and that they'll be home and he'll apologise for everything he did, explain to her just how much he cares for Sara and that its she he wants to be with and make things right so at least he'll have a somewhat friendship with Laurel and a relationship with Sara._

 _A perfect thought, Oliver thinks to himself as he lets himself imagine that world._

 _He and Sara, reunited with his best friend Tommy Merlyn, his family especially Thea and have a friendship with Laurel and be as far away from Slade Wilson as he can get!_

 _Perfect! Oliver smiles to himself._

 _"Don't worry, we'll rescue your girlfriend soon enough!" Slade's gruff voice calls from the entrance to the plane. Oliver opens his mouth to correct Slade and tell him the truth that the girl in the picture is his now probable ex girlfriend and that they're rescuing her sister Sara, whom he's fallen for and Oliver suspects can be counted as his new girlfriend._

 _Yet does Wilson really need to know all the gory details? No he does not! Oliver decides as he wraps the only threadbare blanket around him and easily falls asleep._

 _Oliver dreams that he's in bed, a proper one and beyond comfortable, sensing someone beside him he turns to see Laurel, the covers wrapped around her reminding him of some of the mornings they shared together back in Starling City before everything went to shit._

 _"Morning." She says softly._

 _"Please don't hate me." Oliver says in his reply._

 _"Why would I hate you?" She asks._

 _"For cheating on you with Sara. We were moving to fast and she was there and I fell for her Laurel. I'm so sorry I did this to you but she's the one I want to be with, I just still hope we can salvage a friendship." Oliver says quickly, knowing it's only just a dream but it feels so real and saying what's on his mind makes him feel considerably better._

 _"Did it hurt Ollie?" She replies._

 _"Did what hurt?" He replies._

 _"When they killed you!"_

 _A hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently pulls Oliver out of his nightmare and awakens him to realise that the person who had awoken him is Slade and he is surprised at that as Slade had awoken him gently and being gentle Oliver didn't think was something Slade Wilson was at all capable off!_

 _Well they should be leaving the island soon so perhaps that thought has brought out the kinder side of the man._

 _If such a side to him exists that is!_

 _"Rise and shine." Slade mutters, actually having woken Oliver up earlier, upon entering the plane to see him obviously suffering from a bad dream, he had decided to awaken him._

 _He's not a monster, despite that's what he's sure Oliver's opinion of him is!_

 _Upon getting out of his makeshift bed and shaking off the nightmare, Oliver heads over toward Slade who takes no haste in throwing two heavy backpacks at him with ease before heading toward the create and removing the mask, taking a moment to glance at it as memories of his partner who betrayed him hits him in an instant._

 _"Come on!" He snaps at Oliver as he turns towards the entrance to the plane._

 _"We're moving out."_

 _Walking side by side through the field they walk in silence, the moment they reach the forest Slade opts to go first and jogs a few feet away from Oliver, who with most the their equipment struggles to catch up with him._

 _Suddenly Slade raises his hand Oliver stopping in his tracks, holding his breath as he awaits to be attacked by something_

 _"All clear." Slade growls moments later causing Oliver to sigh with relief._

 _"Hey, can we, uh, can we rest for a second?" Oliver questions nervously, exhausted already from the journey._

 _"You can rest with your girlfriend on the plane!" Slade mutters, walking on and Oliver knows if he stops Slade would leave him behind so reluctantly he follows him._

 _"Yeah, just as well. Really looking forward to that inflight movie, that's if they have one. I've missed movies. You used to like movies Slade?" Oliver decides to make conversation to silence from Wilson._

 _"Not gonna talk to me? Ok this mission can be done in awkward silence." Oliver mutters._

 _"I'm not much of a conversationalist." Slade grumbles._

 _"No! I never would have guessed." Oliver murmurs snark in his voice as suddenly his foot comes into contact with something._

 _Something that clicks._

 _Slade whirls around as Oliver freezes in horror at the realisation that this may just be a bomb he has just stepped on._

 _"Don't move!" Slade commands quickly, dropping his weapons to the floor quickly as he races toward Oliver._

 _"Is it a mine?" Oliver whispers as Slade walks toward him, holding up a hand as if an attempt to calm Oliver, whom doubts that fact very much! Before dropping to the ground and taking a look at the device under Oliver's foot, scraping the mud from around it carefully not to set it off before wincing._

 _"Yeah." He mutters gruffly._

 _"The soldiers mined the island?" Oliver cries in disbelief._

 _"No, it's probably Japanese left over from World War Two. It's still active and impressive." Slade can't help but comment._

 _"Because only Slade freakin Wilson would find an active mine that I am currently stood on impressive!" Oliver grumbles sarcastically._

 _"Whose also trying to disarm it for ya kid. I'd keep your thoughts to yourself if I were you." Slade retorts as he continues to look at the device._

 _"Can you disarm it?" Oliver asks as Slade suddenly rises to his feet._

 _"Without disarming you?" The two men look at one another for a moment as Oliver's thoughts run wild at the disconcerted look on Slade's face as if he doesn't know how to disarm this thing, Oliver is more than certain that he's going to end up dead one way or another and if Wilson's realizing this Oliver fears that the man will realize that Oliver's a lost cause then he's going to leave him to his fate to ensure he gets himself off the island._

 _Oliver doesn't put that past him at all!_

 _Suddenly Slade's eyes widen as distant voices fill their ears._

 _"Soldiers!" He hisses as Oliver automatically turns around to see that in the distance are three approaching soldiers. Fyers' men he's betting._

 _"They're going to see us!" Oliver whispers panicked as Slade moves forward and in an instant and to Oliver's horror snatches away his backpack and weapons._

 _Oliver was right on his theory._

 _Wilson will abandon him._

 _"No. They're going to see you." He says with a slight smirk._

 _He's smirking. He's freakin smirking! One wrong move and he could be blown up and somehow this is amusing to Wilson? Freakin psycho! Oliver thinks as he glares at the man moving quickly away from him into the trees._

 _"Wait! Stop!" Oliver protests, hissing through clenched teeth as Slade vanishes from view._

 _Thinking quickly, Oliver pulls on a balaclava as the soldiers approach him, circling around him in an instant of spying him._

 _"What are you doing so far from camp?" The first asks as Oliver clenches his fists before, replying calmly._

 _"I got separated from my unit." The solider glances at him for a moment before nodding._

 _"Come with us." He says to Oliver's protest, who indicates to his foot._

 _"I. I can't. Um, I'm kinda having a bad day, you know." He stumbles on his words nervously as the group of soldiers instantly swarm around Oliver, all eying the device just as from deep within the forest comes something which can only be described as a battle cry as basically out of nowhere Slade Wilson charges through the trees and slices through all the soldiers present with his sword with quick, efficient movements._

 _He destroys all of them in a matter of seconds, trying not to laugh at the cowering Oliver whom, still with his foot on the mine, has basically curled up into a ball to avoid getting stabbed by what he can only describe as 'Slade on a rampage!'_

 _Upon hearing nothing but silence except from Slade's movements, Oliver relaxes from his position, looking up at him nervously as he still is standing on a mine!_

 _"Be still." Slade suddenly looks up at him and before Oliver even has a chance to question or protest; Slade rolls one of the body's of the soldiers he cut down toward Oliver, so he falls backwards and off the mine and the body covers the mine instead._

 _Oliver looks up in shock when he realizes what's happened and that the mine didn't go off and even more shocking is the fact that Slade is still hovering over the mine as if he'd actually considering putting own life at risk to save Oliver's! Who's eyes widen as Slade, certain that the mine isn't about to go off, gets to his feet._

 _"Thanks." Oliver mutters from the forest floor._

 _Pulling Oliver to his feet and tossing the equipment at him, Slade says nothing._

 _Meanwhile At Fyers' Camp_

 _Confidently, Yao Fei marches into Fyers' tent, where Fyers himself sits at his desk, seemingly writing a couple of documents. He looks upon seeing him._

 _"Yao Fei, come in. Sit." He commands as Yao Fei complies, trying to ignore the cries from the girl, Sara, who sits locked in a cage in the corner of the tent like a caged bird._

 _She's on her knees when Yao Fei enters and he glances at her, honestly surprised to see that she's still alive._

 _"Please! Please help me. You helped us before. Please!" Sara begs hoarsely from dehydration as she weakly tries to crawl to the very front of the cage. Yao Fei trying not to look at the various injuries on her face from where Fyers must have brutally tortured her, he's guessing, knowing not to put anything past Fyers at this stage._

 _"Ohh ignore her. She's like a parrot, keeps repeating the same old thing over and over. It's entertaining." Fyers glances at his prisoner with a smirk as he approaches the cage where Sara resides, reaching past the bars to touch her bruised and blooded face._

 _"She's like our pet here." He smirks, gripping her chin painfully as he pulls her face up to the very front of the cage as in retaliation Sara spits right in his face, growling in annoyance, Fyers pushes her backwards sharply and due to her weakened state she instantly falls unconscious as Fyers turns back to Yao Fei._

 _"I'm sure I'll find a use for her sometime soon. Now, down to business!" He sits back at his desk, glancing down at something on his desk. Yao Fei's bow._

 _"Now when I first saw you with this contraption I thought you looked utterly ridiculous." He comments as he glances down at it._

 _"That is until you took out three of my best men with it. Twenty five compound bows will be arriving on tomorrow's supply plane. I'd like you to train a few of my men on how to use them." He requests as Yao Fei frowns._

 _"Archery can take years to master." He warns._

 _"I trust you'll be a proficient instructor. That'll be all." He snaps as Yao Fei gets to his feet, taking another glance at Sara's unconscious form within the cage as he turns for the exit, stopping when he sees the man who tortured both Sara and Oliver blocking his path._

 _"I hope your steadfast in your commitment to our cause Yao Fei. For her sake." Fyers adds, bringing up the one thing keeping Yao Fei aligned with Fyers and his team._

 _Her. His beloved daughter._

 _"Yes I am." He snaps before exiting the tent, leaving Fyers, the man and Sara behind…_

 _Meanwhile In The Forest.._

 _Slade had told him to set a fire when darkness had began to fall and even Wilson had, had to admit that they needed a break and a bit of a rest before taking the airfield then going on to rescue Sara and possibly Yao Fei before getting off the island and returning home! And setting a fire is a task Oliver thought he would be able to easily, which is why, what feels like hours later he's still sitting there rubbing two sticks together over Slade's quickly crafted pile of sticks which he is supposed to be igniting._

 _"Obviously you were never a Boy Scout." Slade comments whilst he cleans his beloved swords with a small rag._

 _"Yeah?" Oliver mutters as he continues to rub the sticks._

 _"What tipped you off?" Slade just smirks at him, which is really getting on Oliver's last nerve! Before putting his now cleaned sword down._

 _"You'd better hurry." He comments as he picks up a knife._

 _"The wolves come out at night."_

 _"There are wolves here?" Oliver stops instantly in disbelief._

 _"Of course there are! What would the worst place on earth be without wolves!" He whines._

 _"The only thing that will keep them out is fire." Slade mutters unhelpfully in Oliver's mind who, having had enough of Slade just sitting there polishing his weaponry snaps._

 _"Well you know your welcome to help!" Slade smirks in response before swiftly removing a lighter from his pocket, flicking on a flame and igniting the pile of sticks himself whilst Oliver looks on in horror, disbelief and fury as he drops the sticks._

 _"Seriously?" He growls as Slade flips the cap on his lighter, ignoring Oliver's angry looks._

 _Oliver has never wanted to kill someone in his life as much as he wants to kill Slade Wilson right here, right now!_

 _"I've got the worst blisters known to man and god and you had that goddam lighter this whole time?" Oliver whines._

 _"I think." Slade starts as he pockets another weapon._

 _"I many have to give you a lesson on not to whine so much!" He grumbles._

 _"I think it's pretty justified! I've been working on this for two hours!" He cries pitifully._

 _"I know. I was watching you." Slade replies calmly._

 _"Thank you for the entertainment!"_

 _Later…_

 _Sitting by the campfire in silence, Oliver can't help but look at the picture of Laurel again as he makes silent vows to the picture of his ex girlfriend that he'll save Sara. That she'll be safe and he'll get her home even if it mean him loosing his own life._

 _"You're gonna wear that thing out just by looking at it! Don't worry, she'll be waiting for flowers when we rescue her!" Slade speaks up after a long period of him being silent._

 _"I doubt it. This isn't the girl that we're rescuing." Oliver admits, upon the realisation that he probably should explain this to Slade and considering right now the only thing keeping them being civil to one another is seemingly this conversation he should take advantage of that and actually talk to the man he can't wait to get away from!_

 _"Care to explain, kid? Who on earth we rescuing then?" Slade frowns._

 _"Remember, how I told you me and Sara were shipwrecked here? Well Sara, the girl who was on the boat with me is the sister of the girl in the picture. I used to date her and then I. I cheated on her with Sara and invited her on the boat and well you know the rest." Oliver admits sadly as Slade glances at him._

 _"That's funny, I never took you as being the bad boy. You seem to lack the spine." He mutters with another one of his smirks._

 _"That's why I've got to rescue Sara because I. I realised that Laurel, the girl in the picture, Sara's sister isn't the one I wanted to be with. I want to be with Sara but I need to save her from Fyers and I need to get her home to make this right with Laurel, explain to her that my feelings for Sara are stronger than they ever were for her and try and salvage some kind of friendship with Laurel and make things right between us." Oliver admits as Slade leans forward, a look of utter disbelief upon his face._

 _"Do you think you can sleep with your girlfriends sister, put her through all this worry that you and she are dead with the knowledge that you left with her sister, come back to her and tell her that you actually care for her sister more than you ever did for her and still somehow manage to salvage a friendship with her?" Slade gives Oliver a tight smile._

 _"Then you're dumber than I thought and believe me when I tell you. That is saying something!" He states plainly as Oliver rolls his eyes._

 _"Yeah, well you don't really strike me as the type of guy who accepts apologises so…"_

 _"Everybody is in this life for themselves." He cuts Oliver off._

 _"What? Learn that at Australian spy school?" He mutters sarcastically._

 _"No. I learnt that here. Do you remember that I told you I had a partner?" He questions._

 _"Yeah." Oliver replies, actually curious to know something about the man he's currently and most unfortunately stuck with as he is a bit of a puzzle._

 _"Do you remember the guy who tortured you and your girl?" He adds grimly as Oliver freezes, remembering the slice of the knife the man had sliced across his skin. Sara's screams of agony as he did the same to her…_

 _"That. That freak show who almost killed Sara and I was your partner?" Oliver growls._

 _"His name's Billy Wintergreen."_

 _"Oh, ok!" Oliver mutters sarcastically as he rolls his eyes at Slade._

" _Our mission was to exfiltrate Yao Fei and to find out why Fyers and his men were so interested in him but our bird got shot out of the sky before we even saw the airstrip!"_

 _"That's where I found you." Oliver cuts him off to momentary silence from Slade._

 _"When Fyers took us prisoner, he asked if we would join him and his men. Billy accepted Fyers invitation and I declined." He looks down with almost a sad look in his eyes._

 _"He was the godfather to my son, Joe and yet, he turned his back on me without even thinking twice about it!" He rises to his feet so he's basically standing over Oliver, before snarling and storming away._

 _"Everybody is in this life for themselves."_

 _Later…_

 _Under the deep cover of nightfall Slade and Oliver race toward the airstrip, having finally reached it at long last. Slade directing them to a place hidden from sight before pointing to the tower._

 _"If you let him radio camp, we're done!" Slade hisses chucking Oliver a knife._

 _"What about the others?"_

 _"You worry about your one. I'll worry about my ten."_

 _The Foundry_

Oliver lies still motionless on the table whilst Diggle, Slade, Sara and Felicity stand over him whilst Diggle and Slade work to stitch Oliver's wound.

"Good job. I think." Felicity speaks up as Sara and Slade look up at her, Sara passing equipment to Diggle and Slade whilst also holding Oliver's hand in her free one, both Sara and Slade's with stony expressions upon their faces. Slade in particular who looks scarily on edge almost as if he would snap at any given moment but both Diggle and Felicity know that they are both just deeply concerned about Oliver.

"His heart rate is elevated but at least the bleeding stopped." Diggle comments as he pulls off the gloves, watching as Sara and Slade stay like statues by Oliver's side.

"He should be ok." Diggle mutters as Sara and Slade let out an unmistakable sigh of relief.

"Of course he's going to be ok!" Slade snarls almost viciously.

"We didn't go through five years of hell to lose him to a bullet wound by his own mother." Sara murmurs darkly herself.

"Thanks for your help." Slade murmurs as he abruptly moves to remove his own gloves.

"Kept your head on." Diggle adds as Felicity sighs.

"Well. I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot, bleeding and sitting with his best friend in my car! Not that I helped because he's my boss. I'd help anyone who was shot and bleeding in my car." She comments.

"I was thinking that all of this would be more of a shock. What are you saying? You called this all along?" Sara asks from beside Oliver.

"I'm not saying anything except the three of you brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, Slade had me trace a black arrow and research a company involved in armoured car heists. I may be blonde but not that blonde." Felicity smiles.

"Oliver's never been brilliant with cover stories." Slade murmurs.

"Neither are you because also the two of you with that whole energy drinking hangover cure? Please. What was really in that vial anyway because Slade you looked awful. I mean I honestly thought Oliver was putting it on but you..." She trails off, looking to Slade who stands by a desk.

"Vertigo. Slade almost OD on it in a confrontation with The Count." Sara murmurs.

"I knew it. I mean I didn't know it was Vertigo for sure but I definitely knew it wasn't something to cure a hangover!" She folds her arms.

"Yeah we needed it analysed so we could take down The Count." Sara sighs.

"That was you, Oliver and Slade?" She turns to face her.

"And you Felicity." Slade murmurs as she takes a step toward him.

"Without you we never would've found him." He admits.

"But why come to me?" She asks softly.

"Hard as it is for them to probably admit even they need help sometimes. All three of them!" Diggle glances to both Sara and Slade who say nothing.

Hearing a sharp hiss from beside her, Felicity looks to Slade with curious eyes.

"You ok?" She asks with concern in her voice as he turns to face her.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He growls through the pain of the bullet wound on his side which has only gotten worse but cannot be dealt with until Oliver is in the clear.

Oliver first. Just like all those years ago when there was a mine and Slade pushed a body upon it and was even prepared to be blown up himself to save Oliver.

He never knew why then. He does now and it's always been that way. Both Oliver and Sara before him every time. He wouldn't allow it to be any other way.

Felicity, meanwhile can't help but glance at all the blood on Slade's clothes but passes it off as Oliver's as Slade was mainly tending to him and basically carried him down to this place. Yet for some unknown reason she still feels an uneasy feeling, like something's about to happen. Some thing bad, but pushes it off nether less despite her feelings that something's very, very wrong as a sudden movement from Oliver on the table causes Slade to race over to him, keeping his hand discreetly placed against his side as the blood from his own wound continues to seep through his fingers.

Both he and Sara hovering over Oliver worriedly, who goes back to being motionless again, Diggle and Felicity watching silently as Sara runs her fingers through his hair as both she and Slade murmur, inaudible to both Diggle and Felicity, words of comfort in an attempt to soothe their unconscious friend.

The love of Sara's life and the brother to Slade...

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be soon, sorry if this ones terrible I'm not all too confident on it. Please tell me what you think and thank you to all of you who followed, favourited and reviewed this story! See you all next update.**


	43. The Odyessy (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Three**

 _Holding the knife Slade gave him tightly in his hand Oliver waits and watches as he spots a few guards going down, courtesy of Slade and his spot on sniper skills._

 _At this, Oliver races to hide behind another set of bins as more soldiers walks by._

 _Any day now would do it Slade! Oliver thinks to himself as he watches another solider go down quickly followed by another._

 _Getting to his feet again, Oliver is taken off guard when he comes face to face with a surviving solider, whom doesn't remain alive for long as just as Oliver begins to panic and shakily hold the knife outwards as if to attack a bullet from Slade's sniper takes the man down. He may not like the man but even Oliver's got to admit. He's a pretty good shot._

 _He races to another stop point where he has a good view of the tower, which a solider is descending the stairs of, taken out quite quickly by Slade though, leaving one last solider looking around for where the shots had come from, only to receive a fatal one himself, allowing Oliver time to race toward the controls tower._

 _Eying Oliver climbing the steps from his position, Slade sighs exasperatedly before grabbing his sniper and yanks his sword out of its holder._

 _Reaching the very top of the steps, Oliver dares to take a look through the glass panel on the door to see inside the room, one guard._

 _One guard that he has to take down. One way or another. Wilson had made his instructions pretty clear! The consequences to of not following his demands!_

 _Unbeknownst to Oliver, behind him follows Slade, who catches a bunch of soldiers off guard slicing through the four of them with his sword in a single turn, bending down to stab the last one before removing his sword and racing after Oliver._

 _Grabbing the door handle nervously, Oliver opens the door as quietly as he can, slipping slowly and discreetly into the room, Slade's knife held behind him as he enters._

 _The man at the desk sees him and without thinking Oliver thrusts the sword in the man's direction only to have it knocked out of his hand and to receive a punch to the face. The man removing a gun, which Oliver immediately tries to disarm him of only to fail dismally, getting thrown back into the desk, turning to look back at his attacker Oliver sees that he is still armed and the gun is aimed in his direction._

 _One thing Oliver knows for certain is this._

 _Slade's gonna be pissed._

 _The Foundry_

Without warning, the somewhat calm is violently shattered by the sudden blaring of Oliver's heart monitor as he suddenly starts to thrash around on the table! Pulling himself quickly to his feet Diggle races toward Sara and Slade, who are standing over Oliver, checking him over rapidly, whilst the the two of them hiss words of profanity.

"Ollie! Ollie! It's ok. It's ok!" Sara whispers worriedly to her boyfriends still unconscious form as Felicity joins the three of them, glancing from face to face realizing that what is happening is nothing good. Nothing good at all due to the looks of actual fear upon Sara and Slade's faces for their friend.

"What's happening?" She whispers.

"There's a syringe labeled Ativan it should stop the seizure, go!" Diggle growls as he moves towards the cart.

Oliver flatlines.

"No, no, no, no! Stay with me, kid don't you dare die on me!" Slade snarls to Oliver, more worry in his voice than actual anger as Diggle announces the one thing none of them ever wanted to hear.

"His heart has stopped."

"I'm calling nine one one." Felicity grabs her phone. Sara and Slade are too distracted by this sudden turn of events to answer as they both race over to the cart.

"No wait you can't!" Diggle commands to Felicity as Sara and Slade rush back over to Oliver, Sara placing two shock pads on Oliver's chest as Slade moves to turn the dial.

"Do you know how to use those?" Diggle asks worriedly.

"No idea we'll find out." Sara growls as she places the shock panels on Oliver's chest.

Nothing happens.

"No. No why didn't it work. Why isn't it working!" Sara cries desperately, waves of grief and despair settling over both she and Slade.

"Give it to me!" Slade hisses in retaliation as right now every second counts.

"Wait. I heard a charge, that's good news." Felicity suddenly speaks up as she races over to the machine, pulling out a scalpel as she does so and pries open the casing with ease.

"How's that?" Diggle growls as Sara and Slade look at Felicity with frantic eyes.

"That means it may not be the machine, it could be the wiring." She answers as she sets to work on them as quick as her fingers will allow her.

"Hurry Felicity!" Slade bellows at her as both he and Sara eye Oliver's motionless form and the still flatlined heart monitor.

"Fight this! Ollie fight this!" Sara cries through her sudden tear filled eyes.

"Ok. Try again!" Felicity calls as she closes the casing on the monitor.

Without a seconds thought, Sara places the shock panels back onto Oliver's chest and this time instead of doing nothing they send a jolt through Oliver's body.

His heart still remains unbeating.

"Come back to us, kid. Don't you dare. Don't you dare give up!" Slade growls as Sara repeats the process and to everyone, especially to Slade and Sara's utmost relief Oliver's heart restarts and the heart monitor returns to a normal paced bleeping. Slade lets out a sigh in utter relief at the positive turn in events. That Oliver survived. Oliver's still alive.

Dropping the shock panels to the floor, breathing heavily, tears of relief, fear and sadness stream down Sara's cheeks as all her defenses come tumbling down at the realization that she almost just lost the love of her life. Oliver almost died. Seconds ago for all intents and purposes Oliver was technically dead.

Tears streaming down her cheeks as she starts to cry, deep emotions that no one but Oliver and Slade have seen from her. Sara numbly moves a few steps to the other side of the table that Oliver lies upon where Slade stands, frozen in place as he too reels from what he has just witnessed. The fact that they so nearly lost Oliver hitting him hard as well as he closes his eye, reopening it again when he feels someone grab his arm with shaking hands, Sara. Neither of them saying a word as Sara tearfully embraces Slade.

Diggle and Felicity look upon them, Diggle in shock. He knows of course how much they mean to one another but never before had he seen either Sara or Slade, especially Slade express this much emotion as he watches them basically holding onto one another for dear life, tears falling from Sara's eyes, he believes as they stare at Oliver's still unconscious, but alive form. Even though he understands why. Oliver basically died in front of them and in Diggle's personal opinion he thinks it would have mentally ruined both Slade and Sara if Oliver had died.

However, Diggle doesn't believe that Oliver's out of the woods yet.

Turning to Felicity he smiles at her gratefully.

"What the hell did you do back there? Whatever it was you saved his life. Thank you." Diggle says kindly to her as she turns to him.

"I've been building computers since I was seven, wires are wires." She answers softly.

"What do we do now?" She looks to where Sara, Slade and Oliver are. Sara and Slade now standing either side of Oliver again, both of them holding Oliver's hands, murmuring words that Diggle and Felicity cannot hear but appear to be of comfort. Diggle sighs.

"Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves!"

 _Standing still as a statue in front of the man with the gun, Oliver tries to calculate his next move as he thinks of his training and Slade's words of what would happen if this went south and that is definitely what's happening, Oliver realizes as with the gun still trained on him the man reaches for the phone._

 _'If he suspects anythings wrong he'll radio Fyers and we're cancelled.' Were Slade's words and if it wasn't already clear, Oliver really has royally screwed up!_

 _Yet before anyone can do anything, the man holding the gun to him is suddenly run through by Slade's sword from behind, Slade himself having appeared behind the man undetected, upon pulling his sword out of his latest victim he looks at Oliver with an incredulous and angry stare. Oliver all but expects him to run him through where he stands._

 _"One job to do and you manage to screw up even that." He murmurs before reaching down and grabbing the phone as Oliver removes his balaclava._

 _"I'm going to go and make sure that everything's clear. Stay here, keep the door locked." Slade turns to Oliver as he places the phone upon the table again._

 _"Do not let anybody in except for me. You got that?" He commands._

 _"Yeah." Oliver nods quickly as Slade bends down to grab the gun from the floor._

 _"Here, keep this." He thrusts it at Oliver._

 _"And try not to shoot yourself by mistake." He says before leaving, Oliver soon realizing that he wasn't joking either when he said that and feels slightly offended!_

 _Putting the gun down, he rubs his face with his hands. Slade will return, they'll summon the plane then whilst they're waiting for it they'll go and rescue Sara from Fyers and possibly Yao Fei, everything seems to be falling into place! Oliver thinks to himself as he spies next to where he put the gun down, a phone…_

 _An actual, legitimate phone! He reaches for it with shaking hands before quickly jabbing the only number he can think of into the keypad._

 _"Hello?" Comes the unmistakable voice of Laurel Lance, shaking his head in dismay and placing one hand against his mouth in shock at the sound of her voice._

 _He didn't think she'd pick up, that it would work but it has._

 _"Hello?" She says again._

 _We're alive! Oliver wants to scream. Sara and I are alive! We're stuck on an island called Lian Yu with a bunch of psychos. I'm so sorry! Is what he wants to say more than anything, more than the world…_

 _"Is anybody there?" She asks and just before he is finally able to speak, say everything that's on his mind, that he wants to say there is a loud noise and the phone is disconnected as Oliver spins around to find Slade stabbing at the phone with his sword manically._

 _"Have you lost your mind?" He hisses._

 _I'm not the one currently stabbing a freakin phone! Oliver wants to snarl._

 _His way off the island, his and Sara's way off the island. His chance at letting someone know that he is alive and where he and Sara are so they can be found and rescued properly has been subsequently ruined by Slade freakin Wilson!_

 _If he didn't have a plan to get them off the island and save Sara, Oliver honest to god would have grabbed that gun off the table and repeatedly shot Slade Wilson!_

 _"They might be monitoring the calls. How stupid can you be, kid!" Slade snarls, his rage cut off by sudden voices coming from a radio._

 _"Island Tower, this is Skyhawk 801 foxtrot. We are 700 meters southeast of your position, ETA, three hours, twenty two minutes. Over."_

 _Wilson grabs the radio the instant the man has finished talking._

 _"Island Tower, Skyhawk 801 foxtrot, acknowledged." He growls only for there to be silence on the other end for a few considerable minutes._

 _"Skyhawk 801 foxtrot, acknowledged!" He snarls again and Oliver wonders to himself if they've been found out somehow._

 _"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth." Comes the voice again as Slade closes his eyes in evident frustration as he looks around, a lost look in his eyes, startling Oliver, who frowns himself._

 _"What is it?" He decides to asks when he's sure Wilson isn't about to kill him._

 _"It's a challenge code. They're trying to verify our identity." Slade snarls as he shakes his head before sighing and returning to the radio._

 _"Skyhawk 801, please repeat." He practically grumbles._

 _"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth." Comes the voice as Oliver suddenly has a lightbulb moment, Slade noticing the look upon Oliver's face and frowning in even more confusion as Oliver suddenly touches Slade's hand before he can use the radio again, which is what Oliver believes to be about to do._

 _"Wait." He smiles._

 _"What?" Slade snarls, wondering absentmindedly if he should cut Oliver's hand off._

 _"I know this. I know this!" He continues looking like a raving mad lunatic in Slade's eyes._

 _"They pick. They picked the one book that I read in college."_

 _"What the hell are you talking about?" Slade spits, despite being genuinely surprised at the revelation that Oliver Queen has in fact read one book in his life!_

 _"It's a quote from The Odyssey!" Oliver smiles before looking down as he tries to remember exactly what the book had said, he remembers reading it with Laurel and Tommy, Tommy taking the absolute piss out of it!_

 _"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing… Nothing is born that is weaker than man." Oliver remembers, looking smug when he remembers it all as Wilson continues to glare at him._

 _"Are you sure about this? Because if you're wrong this plane will turn around!" He snarls._

 _"Yes! Yes I'm positive. Nothing is born that is weaker than man. Say it." Oliver commands as Slade looks at him skeptically with a stony expression as he lifts the radio once more…_

 _"Wait, wait, wait!" Oliver suddenly grabs Slade's arm again, who glares at him venomously. If Oliver continues to keep grabbing him then he really is going to cut his hands off! And if he's wrong about this whole thing now then it will be his head Slade cuts off!_

 _"Sorry, sorry. It's. It's bred, not born. Bred. Nothing is bred that is weaker than man. Say it." Oliver whispers confidentially this time. Wilson still glaring at him when turns to the radio._

 _"Nothing is bred that is weaker than man." Both Slade and Oliver hold their breath as they wait for the response._

 _"Roger that." Oliver begins to do a happy dance as Slade just stares at Oliver in disbelief at what he's currently witnessing._

 _"See you in a few hours out." Comes the voice as Slade drops the radio in amazement._

 _"The Odyssey."_

 _"Yeah!" Oliver stops doing his happy dance to face Slade once more._

 _"Well it's a story about a guy who's trying to get home. So…" Oliver trails off happily._

 _"Well after a few days at Landstuhl Air Base. You'll be on your way home." He says before turning away from Oliver who continues to smile._

 _"Me and Sara… Wait, you sound like you're not coming with me." He frowns._

 _"Ohh I'll be coming with you after I radio in an air strike on this location. I'm going to send Fyers and all his men straight back to hell." He reveals as Slade turns to walk way._

 _"Wait we need to go and get Sara and you can't just blow it up, Yao Fei…"_

 _"He is not my concern!" Slade snarls back._

 _"Really? He's the only reason you came here. Rescuing him was your mission and we're going to rescue him when we rescue Sara!" Oliver cries as Slade turns to face him._

 _"The mission has changed. Edward Fyers is mercenary and he is not on this island by a mistake. He has plans for Lian Yu that involve Yao Fei and whatever they are, they must end!" Slade growls._

 _"Yao Fei saved my life and we can grab him when get Sara, now let's go!" Oliver cries._

 _"That is your debt to repay, not mine." Slade snarls as Oliver turns away from Slade, marching towards the door, expecting Slade to follow him, except he doesn't. Instead, he grabs Oliver's arm viciously pulling him to a stand still._

 _"Where are you going?" He bellows._

 _"We're going to get Sara! That's what you said, you said we'd get here then we'd go and rescue Sara and whilst we're there, we're grabbing Yao Fei!" Oliver reminds him as Slade looks down. Oliver freezing in place._

 _"What?" He whispers in confusion._

 _"What!" He snaps when Slade doesn't answer._

 _"The mission has changed." Is all Slade says._

 _"You just told me that. Come on, we've got three hours!"_

 _"No, no our mission. The plane is arriving in three hours we are going to leave on it…"_

 _"Yeah. You, me and Sara because we're going to rescue her. That's what you said. If I got you here then you'd help me rescue Sara…" Oliver trails off as he suddenly realizes what Wilson is getting at._

 _"You're not going to help me save Sara, are you? You lied to me!" Oliver whispers, wondering to himself how could he have been so stupid, believing Wilson's words to be genuine. No one else on this island has been genuine. He should have known Slade to jabs been the same._

 _He was right. Slade Wilson is a complete and utter psychopath._

 _"You gave me your word!" Oliver snarls._

 _"Kid, Oliver." Slade calls him by his name._

 _"Look at me. Look at me!" He growls, pulling Oliver to face him._

 _"You told me that you fought Yao Fei and they believed you to be dead, yes? They disposed of your body and that's how you managed to come and find me, your girlfriend remained with Fyers. Oliver, Fyers is a mercenary, like I said before and he and his men they would have no need to keep your girlfriend alive once they disposed of you. I know that this is hard for you to accept this but you need to see the reality of the situation here kid. As soon as they disposed of your body they probably put a bullet though her head. They wouldn't have kept her around…" Slade doesn't get to finish his sentence as Oliver cuts him off by violently punching Wilson in the face._

 _"You psycho! You utter psychopath! What if she is alive hu? What then you lying bastard?" Oliver cries not wanting to believe in even the possibility of Wilson's words being true and waits for the punch back that never comes._

 _"I never intended to deceive you kid but the reality of the situation is that she is most likely dead. This I believed from the start and if I had told you that we wouldn't be here right now. I genuinely am sorry Oliver." He murmurs in response._

 _"No. No. I don't believe that. I refuse to believe that she's gone." Oliver pulls out of Slade's grasp to continue on to the door, except before he gets there he turns back to face Slade Wilson, who had turned to face him as if to try and stop him again._

 _"All my life, all that I've ever thought about is myself. I took my family and friends for granted. I betrayed people that I loved and I'm not going to be that person anymore. I am not going to give up on Sara, I don't care what you thinks happened to her I am not leaving this island without either proof that your words are true or with Sara. I am not leaving her here to die, nor am I leaving Yao Fei here to die. I won't. Sara is the one who needs to get home, she is the one who needs to survive and if I give my life ensuring her survival then so be it! I betrayed Laurel, her sister. I cannot leave here and return to Laurel without Sara. I've screwed things up between us as it is. I meant what I said about wanting to mend fences with her and I'm not going to be able to do that if I don't bring Sara home." Oliver growls determinedly, still glancing at the gun on the table and wondering if he should shoot Wilson for everything he's said and done._

 _Slade, whom is currently glancing at Oliver with a dangerous look upon his face._

 _"The plane leaves in three hours. If you and your girlfriend are not on it I am going to leave without you. Don't be stupid kid. Think this through." Slade snarls venomously._

 _"I have thought this through. I promised that I would save Sara and that's what I'm gonna do and thanks to all the torture you've put me though I'm confident I might be able to do just that. Unlike some people I keep my promises." Oliver mumbles, almost expecting a punch from Slade whom says nothing just simply turns away from Oliver, who heads over to the door again, only to stop last minute…_

 _"If we don't make it back on time and you get outta here. I want you to call my family. Call my family." Oliver commands as Slade raises an eyebrow incredulously at him._

 _"Sure, kid." He murmurs as Oliver turns to go again only to stop one last time, determined to get everything out that he's currently feeling before he leaves._

 _"Call Sara's family and when you do that I want you to tell them exactly how you said that you would help me rescue her and that you lied to me and had no intention of rescuing her because you had already given up on her. Let them know I tried to save her and that you abandoned both of us because you could not open yourself up to the possibility that she could still have been alive. Tell them exactly that." Oliver snarls as he moves to the door again this time leaving through it, leaving a bemused Slade Wilson behind as Oliver shuts the door behind him, turning to look back at Wilson once more._

 _"I hate you."_

 _The Foundry_

Oliver flatlines again, or so Sara, Slade and Diggle think.

"He's going into cardiac arrest again!" Diggle yells worriedly as Felicity races over to where Sara and Slade are standing by Oliver's motionless form.

"No. The lead's just came loose." Felicity murmurs as Sara and Slade reluctantly let her past them to get to Oliver where she soon fixes one of the wires and the blaring noise stops.

"Ahh! It's less stressful when the three of you are jumping off rooftops!" Diggle buries his face into his hands as Sara and Slade, shaken up once more from believing Oliver to have 'flatlined' turn back to their unconscious friend before looking up at one another, Sara running her fingers gently through Oliver's hair.

"When he wakes up I'm gonna kick his ass up and down this place for the next year for putting us through this!" Slade snarls, using anger to cover up his evident worry as he pats Oliver's none injured shoulder gently.

"Want a hand with that?" Sara looks up at him genuinely.

"Be my guest." Slade grumbles back.

"If he pulls through." Diggle adds under his breath, still not convinced that Oliver is going to be a hundred percent ok yet until he wakes up, however realizing his choice of words may have been a mistake as in that instant Slade and Sara turn to glare at him.

"He's gonna be fine. He's not going anywhere under my watch." Slade mutters as Sara nods, glad for Slade's confidence that Oliver's going to be okay as that's what she wants more than the world.

"Slade he's bleeding again!" Sara suddenly cries upon noticing the blood still seeping from Oliver's wound ever so slightly, reaching her side in an instant, Slade nods.

"It's just excess blood. I'll get him another bandage." He murmurs before heading off in the direction of wherever they put the bandages, whilst Sara, still incredibly tensed up, continues to stroke Oliver's hair.

"I'm sure he's going to be ok Sara." Felicity smiles reassuringly from beside her.

"I know. I know, I've seen him face worse. I've seen Slade face worse, much worse and survive. I'm just…" Sara trails off.

"You love him, it's understandable both you and Slade care about him so much because you've obviously been through so much together I mean Slade looks like he's about to blow a gasket if Oliver doesn't wake up soon both of you do." Felicity says gently.

"I think you may be right Diggle, jumping off rooftops is less stressful than this and even days on the island are less stressful than this!" Sara admits.

"These weapons have dealt with quite a few people haven't they." Felicity says suddenly as she looks at all the vigilantes discarded weapons, left scattered all around The Foundry due to Oliver's condition.

Unable to stop herself she lifts up Slade's sword, feeling the weight of it, all expecting him to start yelling at her for touching his sword.

"Yeah bad people." Sara murmurs.

"You've probably done Starling City a favor." She looks to Sara kindly before adding.

"It doesn't bother you?" Felicity replies, before looking at Sara and Diggle, Diggle in particular as she lowers Slade's sword.

"Spend five years in hell and you get a new perspective on things." Sara sighs as Felicity nods,

"But you Diggle, and I mean this in a good way, you seem like the kind of guy it would bother." Felicity glances at him.

"When I was in Afghanistan, my unit was tasked with protecting this local warlord, Gholem Qadir. Qadir was less than human. He sold opium, sold children. One day we were accompanying him to Mazui when my convoy was ambushed by insurgents. We had them outgunned. The fire fight didn't last more than a minute. When the smoke cleared I moved in on their position. They're all dead, I knew which one I killed." Diggle admits as Sara glances at him sadly, having not heard a story from Diggle's past like this before, Felicity wears a similar expression as she wraps her arms around herself.

"When I pulled off his kafei, he was just a kid, no more than eighteen. I shot him in the throat." Diggle murmurs before falling silent.

"I killed this kid to protect this human piece of garbage and I thought am I still good?" Diggle reveals sadly.

"Am I still a good man? Doing this with Sara, Oliver and Slade, doing what we do I feel good again and for the first time in a long time." Diggle admits as he looks to Sara who gives him an understanding nod as he approaches Felicity.

"And that's worth all the collateral damage?" She frowns.

"I haven't killed anyone of that is what you're asking..."

"But they have." Felicity cuts him off as Sara looks up at her.

"Unfortunately there are always casualties when you're fighting a war and that's what we're in the middle of here. Starling City is a war zone and Ollie, Slade and I want to fix it. End the war before any innocents can get hurt. We've lost people that we've cared dearly for to get here. I know what we do Felicity but I don't want you to think of us a murders." Sara explains plainly as she nods quickly.

"I don't think that you're… Oh my god Slade?!" Felicity suddenly cries as from where she is currently standing she's got a good view of the rest of The Foundry and by the table where the bandages had been lies Slade, seemingly unconscious as he is slouched upon the ground, his head bowed…

"Ohh my god." Diggle gets to his feet.

"Slade!" Sara all but screeches as the three of them race over to where Slade is lying, Felicity getting there first covering her mouth with her hands when she sees all the blood Slade is covered in. The blood she had believed to be Oliver's…

"What's wrong with him?" Felicity asks quietly as Diggle and Sara reach him, Felicity gasping when Sara carefully moves Slade's hand from his side to reveal a deep, heavily bleeding wound, blood still pouring out of it as they speak.

"Ohh god." She whispers as she sees the wound.

"I thought all that blood was Oliver's. I didn't think he was hurt too he never said anything. I thought something was bothering him but he shrugged me off." Felicity admits.

"It's not your fault. It's his. Slade. Slade!" Sara cries worriedly as she tries to wake him.

"That's one hell of a gunshot wound. How the hell did this even happen?" Diggle questions hurriedly as he attempts to assess the damage done.

"Moira. She must have shot him too, must have shot them both. Slade please wake up!" Sara continues to cry, hoping that this is all a nightmare as now not only is the love of her life at deaths door but also her best friend is wounded.

"But he was fine how did we not notice this? Why didn't he say anything? This wounds almost a bad as Oliver's! How was he still standing all that time?" Diggle cries in amazement at the whole situation.

"Because he's a stubborn bastard!" Sara hisses angrily, knowing exactly the reason why.

Oliver. He's always been like this, putting herself and Oliver before himself and they wouldn't even know he was hurt until after they were safe as he would keep going, keep ignoring it until he was either satisfied that they were safe and the crisis was averted or he passed out, which is what Sara believes has happened here!

"If he doesn't want us to know he's wounded we won't know." She growls as she and Diggle move to pull him up from the floor.

"Sara." Slade suddenly hisses as he sort of regains consciousness.

"Slade?" Sara gasps, feeling relived that he's regained consciousness and grips his hand before glaring at him.

"What the hell were you playing at!" Sara hisses back.

"Oliver… I had to get the kid to safety. He was worse off than me someone had to get him back here." He murmurs almost inaudible as his eyes begin to close again.

"I'm going to kick both of your asses for this." Sara whispers as she and Diggle try to help Slade to his feet, moving him carefully over to another table which they lay him on, Felicity following behind them completely lost for words at this sudden change in events.

Sara winces as she carefully moves Slade's vigilante uniform out of the way so they can get to the wound but knows that Slade's been through worse.

Much, much worse.

"He's lost a hell of a lot of blood. No wonder he passed out." Diggle comments as Sara closes her eyes at the very thought.

"How you were still standing all that time I never know. You should have told us about this Slade." Diggle mutters.

"I was gonna sort it out afterwards, after Oliver was stable." He murmurs, groaning in agony as Sara and Diggle start to extract the bullet.

"Did Oliver know about this?" Sara asks.

"He didn't. He had no idea." Slade admits as he snarls when they remove a fragment of the bullet agonizingly.

"Your lucky, there's no internal damage." Diggle adds.

"I think I would have known if there was." Slade replies before growling in agony again, Sara tightening her grip on his hand in comfort.

"Knowing you, you'd ignore that as well!" She growls as he suddenly grips her hand tighter.

"Oliver. Go to Oliver. Don't worry about me." He murmurs.

"Slade I'm not leaving you like this. Oliver would kill me! He's probably going to kill you when he wakes up at this rate!" Sara replies.

"Yeah and I'll kill you if you don't go back to Oliver! Forget about me Sara, go to Oliver and

stay with Oliver. I'm fine…"

"You are far from fine." Diggle adds un helpfully.

"Listen to me. Diggle and Felicity can see to me, I'll be fine. No ones with Oliver, go to him now, promise me you'll go. Promise me!" Slade commands through the pain.

"I promise." Sara nods as she releases Slade's hand before racing back to the other side of The Foundry where Oliver lies still unconscious, but alive tears streaming down Sara's cheeks once more as she takes Oliver's hand in her blood stained one, both Oliver and Slade's blood on her hands

"You pair are never going to hear the end of this." Sara threatens as she squeezes Oliver's hand praying that both he and Slade pull through now...

"That's about all of it." Diggle comments as he pulls the last fragment from Slade's wound, noticing that Slade looks to be falling unconscious again from blood loss Diggle expects.

"Don't fall asleep on us." He jokes causing Slade to hiss something and roll his eye.

"Believe me. It's harder than it looks." He grumbles.

"I'll say this again, you should have told us before it got this bad..."

"You know why I didn't." Slade replies.

"Yes I do because you were so worried about Oliver but didn't you stop and think for a moment Slade what it would have done to Oliver if anything terrible were to befall you?" Diggle retaliates quietly.

"Kid would have been fine..."

"What if Moira had killed you?" Diggle shakes his head as he starts to stitch the wounds. Slade is silent from that point on.

"Felicity!" Diggle calls Felicity from where she is currently standing in the corner of the room, not knowing what to do in the current situation.

"Come help me patch him up." He says as Felicity nods and moves to join them, taking a damp cloth as she does so to wipe some of the blood off of Slade, glad to be making herself useful as she approaches him, almost unconscious again, her eyes widening as despite all the blood Felicity couldn't help but admire not only Slade's physique but also his evident strong control as she expects he must be in an awful amount of pain. She, like Diggle cannot believe none of them noticed this, that he never said or did anything that would indicate to the fact he was shot to by Moira Queen, he just went on, helping them save Oliver.

Stayed by Oliver's side the whole time, not caring about his own injuries to ensure everyone's efforts were focused on helping and healing Oliver…

Felicity nearly jumps five feet when she realizes that Slade's been watching her, having noticed her looking at him and despite being on the very edge of passing out, smirks a knowing smile at her.

"My eye is up here." He murmurs as Felicity blushes crimson, biting her lip nervously.

She thought he was unconscious! When in fact he had been awake the whole time and from the smirk, obviously noticing that Felicity was staring! Who quickly tries to cover for herself.

"I've never seen so much blood before; there's so much. How did we miss this? I mean I saw the blood earlier but I didn't ask because I thought it was Oliver's and…" Felicity babbles as Slade continues to smirk at her.

"I keep thinking I should have asked why there was so much blood but I just didn't think because Oliver was in such a bad way that." Felicity continues to nervously babble.

"I would have denied it." He states plainly.

"From the conversations I've been hearing I sort of gathered that." She replies with a smile as she notices Slade's eye closing again.

"You wouldn't have let us helped you until we helped Oliver." She says quickly to try and keep him awake, worrying that he's passing out from blood loss and she doesn't want him to end up in the same position as Oliver, or possibly worse!

"I wouldn't. Oliver and Sara. They're all I've got left. I don't care much for what happens to me as long as they survive. No matter what they survive." He says sharply.

"You protected them for all those years didn't you?" She asks carefully.

"As much as I could, I'll never not protect them." He responds.

"Well after five years of looking out for them that doesn't just go away, especially with the jobs you three have allocated yourselves." She murmurs.

"It isn't much worse from the danger we used to face on the island. If anything being what we are is easier than some of the situations we got into on that island." He grumbles as Felicity looks a way for a moment, trying not to think of the pain and suffering they must have endured those five years on that island if it caused them to become these vigilantes. "Did you and Oliver have a fight about something to do with all this that time when we had coffee?" Felicity decides to ask after a moment of silence.

"Kid decided to recruit Diggle and at this point Diggle and I didn't exactly see eye to eye." Slade murmurs as Diggle rolls his eyes.

"You could say that again!" He replies as Felicity smirks.

"I was fine with it just being the three of us." Slade mutters.

"Yet you came to me?" Felicity frowns.

"Your abilities with a computer are beyond even me. You've helped us take down some of our more challenging targets." He says in explanation.

"The Count did you say?" She queries.

"Yes, from the help you gave us Oliver, Sara and I were able to put him down."

"Killed him?" She cuts him off suddenly.

"Should have done. However he still paid for his crimes, I took his hands." He mutters. "You've taken a lot of lives with that sword." She comments.

"Yes. Yes I have, yet no one who didn't deserve it though, like Oliver with his bow and arrows, Sara with her batons. I've always used a sword. I like swords." He murmurs before wincing in pain when Felicity wipes the blood from around the wound.

"Sorry. I'm not used to dealing with bullet wounds. Never thought I'd have to either." She nibbles at her lip again nervously.

"You're handling this a lot better than first time Oliver and Sara ever faced a wound." He murmurs as she gently tries to wipe the blood away whist trying not to hurt him at the same time, she even manages a smile at Slade's words.

"You get hurt then as well?" She queries curiously.

"I got shot in the shoulder. Oliver and Sara had to get the bullet out. Give Sara her due, she didn't puke unlike Oliver." He murmurs with a slight smile as Felicity smiles herself.

"You have a habit of getting shot don't you?" She sighs

"I've lost count of how many times." He murmurs before growling in agony.

"Sorry, sorry!" Felicity says quickly, placing her hand gently on his shoulder in comfort, he raises an eyebrow in pain before eventually closing his eyes again as he slips into unconsciousness.

"Slade. Slade!" She shakes him gently to no response, no response at all.

"Diggle." She looks to him as she notices Sara across the room on her feet as well, her face a mask of worry.

"He's fine, he's still alive!" Diggle calls to Sara who just shakes her head and squeezes Oliver's hand tighter.

"I'm surprised he's stayed conscious this long to be honest." Diggle comments.

"Stubborn!" Sara chimes from across the room.

"You can say that again and I was saying you and Oliver were stubborn." Diggle sighs.

"I blame Slade for that." She responds as Felicity looks down at the now unconscious Slade, her hand still resting on his shoulder from where she had tried to comfort him.

"What do we do now?" She asks, for what she feels like the umpteenth time today.

"Wait." Diggle mutters.

"Wait for both of them."

 _After leaving Wilson behind Oliver breaks into a determined run as he races away from the airstrip and back into the forest again, which he had been in hours before running through it with Wilson, yet this time he's alone because Wilson turned out to be a lying bastard like the rest of them._

 _He's no better than any of them; Fyers, his partner Wintergreen._

 _They're all freakin psychos! Oliver thinks to himself as he races through the forest, careful where he puts his feet, knowing one wrong move and he could come face to face with a mine again and without Wilson here, Oliver is certain he'd get blown up!_

 _Pushing all thoughts of mines and Slade Wilson from his head Oliver focuses on running, running to get to Fyers camp, to get to Sara._

 _To save Sara; because he won't except that Fyers simply murdered her._

 _He just can't and he won't, that he promises._

 _Fyers Camp_

 _Reaching the camp, daylight had just begun to break when Oliver slips in somehow undetected from all the soldiers he manages to sneak past._

 _He wonders to himself where they are keeping Sara._

 _If they're keeping Sara… A part of him reminds him, the part of them that fears Wilson's words to be true…_

 _No. He can't afford to think like that, Sara's alive. Sara's alive and he's going to save her._

 _Oliver thinks to when they were both trapped on this camp, when they were in those cages and Oliver wonders to himself if that's where Sara is being held, still in a cage._

 _If only he could remember where those cages were! He had only been in them and conscious in them at nightfall, never during the day so he never got a good look at the surroundings around those cages._

 _Deciding that's what he should be aiming to look for, knowing that he needs to find them fast if he's going to be able to save Sara, possibly Yao Fei and get back to the plane in time otherwise Wilson made it clear if he wasn't back in time he would leave without him and even though Oliver does not trust a single word that comes out of that mans mouth anymore this he believes!_

 _Jogging quickly behind a van, Oliver stops abruptly and crouches down as a group of soldiers walk past, sighing in relief when they don't notice him before swiftly moving to run along side another van, stopping behind this one as well as a car parks just in front of it, filled with soldiers. Oliver grits his teeth and turns away in hopes he is not caught as the men begin to get out of the vehicle._

 _He watches as each one of them disperse, thankfully not noticing him, though Oliver remains tensed up and holding his breath until the very last one has vanished, which is when from behind a tent appears none other than Yao Fei…_

 _Noticing him entering that very same tent. Oliver, taking advantage of his empty surroundings, races toward said tent._

 _Yao Fei is working over a map when Oliver bursts into the tent, his shock evident at seeing Oliver, who all but stumbles into the tent._

 _"How did you…"_

 _"Let's go. Where's Sara? I'll explain everything on the way just get me to Sara. She's alive, please tell me she's alive!" Oliver cries breathlessly._

 _"You should have never come back!"_

 _"Sara! Where is she!" Oliver cries._

 _"She is beyond our help!" Yao Fei growls causing Oliver to falter, his blood running cold._

 _"He killed her?" He manages to choke out._

 _"No, the girl is alive but there is nothing you can do for her!" Yao Fei snaps._

 _"No we've got to save her, we've got to get her out of here! Look I found Slade Wilson and despite being the biggest asshole I have ever met in my life he has found a way for all of us off the island. I don't care how we do it, we have to get Sara and go right now!" Oliver explains briefly, pleadingly._

 _"No!" Yao Fei snaps indignantly._

 _"What? What do you mean no? Please we've got to save her, we can't just leave her here! This our chance to escape this place. What, what reason could you possibly have for staying here and letting a innocent girl suffer!" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief._

 _First Wilson and now Yao Fei. Is there no one here he can trust?_

 _"No! Not what. Who." Yao Fei reveals at the very moment Fyers enters the tent._

 _Instantly Yao Fei raises his hand and punches Oliver straight in the face, knocking the man to the floor instantly as Fyers approaches them._

 _"Now, Mr. Queen, I think it's past time you left this island." He comments as he looks over Oliver's almost unconscious form, Yao Fei by his side and just before Oliver slips into unconsciousness he sees the man who tortured him and Sara._

 _Wilson's old partner._

 _Billy Wintergreen._

 _"Permanently." Fyers snips as Oliver falls prey to unconsciousness…_

 _Meanwhile At The Airstrip…_

 _"Island Tower, this is Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. We are five thousand feet and holding. Over." The pilot says into the radio, which transmission Slade Wilson receives._

 _"Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot, this is Island Tower, you are clear to land." He commands with a slight smile at the prospect of getting the hell off this island after so much pain and horrors he's faced from this god awful place._

 _He can go home, home to his son Joe and this place will soon become a distant memory for him. Slade likes the thought of that._

 _However, something makes him stop and check his watch as his thoughts go to the kid, Oliver Queen as time is running out for him to complete his suicidal mission to save his girlfriend, whom is most likely already dead and Yao Fei and return._

 _A part of him believes that the kid is probably dead. Having not gotten within an inch of that hellhole and gunned down on sight._

 _Sacrificed his life on the idiotic notion that his girlfriend, or whatever she is to him is still alive, despite the fact Fyers probably already killed her! He thinks again, not wanting to think of what he and Billy and their men did to that poor girl…_

 _Unless she really is alive and Oliver has succeeded in infiltrating that place, that he doubts very much! The kid is quite possibly the biggest idiot he has ever come across and doesn't even deserve the right to be called a man he's that useless!_

 _But he has had training, minimal success mind but he has had some training and knowing just how hard he pushed that kid, he expects at least one of those moves he taught Oliver sticking in his mind and he's managed to apply those fighting techniques and actually done something useful for once! Saved both his girlfriend and Yao Fei. Unbelievable, but there is a remote possibility that could be the case._

 _The most likely one though is, they're either all dead. The other one, Oliver had gotten himself captured along with his girlfriend and he too is now being subjected to torment from Fyers and Billy._

 _Slade doesn't want to believe either of these things are true. He wants to believe the kid succeeded and is on his way back here now so he too can go home to his family…_

 _Wait. Why does he care what happens to Oliver Queen? The most selfish brat probably to walk the earth? Annoying, useless forever whining Oliver Queen?_

 _No, Slade thinks to himself._

 _He can leave this island now without even caring about Oliver's fate._

 _Or can he?_

 _Can he just leave without knowing for certain Oliver and his girlfriend is dead for certain and then seal their fates by ordering an airstrike on this place?_

 _'I hate you' was Oliver's final words to him before he ran. Slade remembers the exact look on Oliver's face, hear the way he said those three little words with such distaste because of what he has said._

 _He had told the kid he would help him rescue that girl to convince him to get to this place, to infiltrate it and summon the plane. This they had done._

 _He gave Oliver his word and he broke it, having truly never believed that the girl survived, doing this purely to keep the kid going so they could both escape…_

 _No. No that wasn't it though as deep down Slade knows that wasn't the real reason why he had done this he just doesn't think he can admit it._

 _He did this so that he could escape, knowing that the kid was the only person left to help him get off this island so he could go home._

 _He acted out of complete selfishness._

 _What has happened to him? What has this island turned him into? He wonders to himself._

 _He remembers Oliver's words again. The kid begging him to come and help him, the look upon his face when he realised that Slade had lied to him, how he had then told him to call his family, call the girl's family and tell them what happened here and why their loved ones were not coming home, because of him, is what Oliver had implied before expressing his hatred for him because of his betrayal._

 _That's what Slade's done, he's betrayed Oliver and if he leaves this island now without Oliver or even his girlfriend and Yao Fei then he would have betrayed the kid who had blindly followed him in hopes of returning home with his girlfriend and if he betrays him then he's just like Billy._

 _Billy betrayed him and now he's betraying Oliver and like it or not and Slade really didn't like to admit this at all but the kid has been his partner during this mission._

 _Everybody is in this life for themselves..._

 _That is what he said to Oliver when they had sat by the fire, when he had told him of Billy._

 _Slade then thinks of Joe, his beloved son who he would do anything to be reunited with._

 _He's done all of this to be reunited with Joe but then he thinks how could he ever look his son in the eye again with the knowledge that to get back to him he betrayed Oliver and that he and his girlfriend would then be dead because of him._

 _How could he tell Joe that this is the reason he escaped this place? How could he ever admit this to him?_

 _He thought earlier that he believed Oliver thought of him as a monster already. He really would be a monster if he left this island without a second thought as time is still passing by and the kid still hasn't returned._

 _He's dead, leave it. Go home. That is what you've wanted for so long now. One part of him commands sharply as he looks at the radio in his hand._

 _But what if he's not? What if both of them are alive and are suffering and shall continue to suffer if he just leaves them in this godforsaken place? The other part of him reminds him. He wouldn't wish this place on his worst enemy and Oliver is no enemy of his._

 _They're strangers to one another but Slade believes that if he makes the choice to abandon him then it will haunt him forever._

 _He's annoying, he's useless, he does his head in and practically every time he opens his mouth to say something Slade wants to run him through with his sword but he gave the kid his word._

 _The Slade Wilson before this island would never break his word…_

 _With a loud snarl and one look at his watch to know that there is a possibility that by doing this he's going to miss the only chance he has to get off this island he turns and grabs his sword, gun and various other pieces of weaponry._

 _"If you're dead, kid I will personally bring you back from hell and kill you again!" He threatens under his breath as he storms out of the tower._

 _He gave the kid his word and when he makes a promise he intends to for fill it because no matter what, he keeps his promises..._

 _Outskirts Of Fyers Camp_

 _Following the kids tracks, Slade races through the forest to get to Fyers' main base of operations._

 _It isn't hard to see the path Oliver has taken, the path in question looking like a herd of elephants have stampeded through it after all!_

 _The kid would never survive in the military._

 _He doubts the kid even knows what the word stealth means! Let alone knows how to be stealthy, which has already been made apparent to Slade during the time he's known Oliver!_

 _Finally reaching Fyers base._

 _A place that reminds of him of dark times, where he was captured and held in one of those cages, the torture they put him through…_

 _All the memories hit him in an instant but he keeps moving, remembering when he and Billy sat in cages beside one another, Fyers offering them the option to join him._

 _Billy accepting and Slade refusing, calling out to his friend, begging him not to join Fyers._

 _He did it anyway and as time went on for Slade, Billy became one of his tormentors as well, some of the many scars that litter his body are from Billy from when he had tortured him during that period of time, using his own sword to wound him._

 _The man that was his partner. The godfather to his son. The man he had once called a brother after that he knew he'd never be able to trust someone as much as he had trusted Billy again. Never again._

 _Fyers Camp_

 _It surprises Slade to say the least when he makes his way through the mainly deserted camp, there being no soldiers in sight._

 _Something must be going on, he thinks as he remembers moments like this from when he was prisoner here and he expects that whatever is going on has something to do with the kid! That surprisingly reassures him of the knowledge the kid may still be alive and that he hasn't come here for nothing!_

 _Making his way through the camp he passes Fyers tent, remembering the place distinctively from his time here. It drags up all the pain again. All those memories as he approaches it, stopping when he hears a noise from within it._

 _A faint noise, but a definite sound of someone in there._

 _If it's Fyers himself, Slade decides he shall disembowel the man! He concludes as he charges into the tent, sword outstretched..._

 _It's not Fyers he finds in the tent. It's a girl sitting in a cage, placed in the far corner of the tent. Her blonde hair is messy and all but drenched in blood, her bare arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises, some deep from knives Slade guesses as he rolls his eyes in disgust he recognises Billy's work when he sees it and her face is a mixture of cuts and bruises, her eyes widened in complete terror when Slade approaches the cage._

 _This has to be her. Oliver's girl. He thinks as some of her facial features remind him of the girl in Oliver's picture, her sister._

 _She's been alive this whole time, causing the inevitable to hit Slade. The knowledge that if he had just gotten on that plane and left then he would have been responsible for her demise as well as Oliver's. Yet if she's been alive this whole time Slade would hate to even imagine what Fyers, Billy and their men have put this girl through._

 _"Hey, hey it's a'right. I'm not gonna hurt ya." He says as gently as he can for him as he lowers his sword, realising that he's probably scaring her._

 _She probably thinks he's going to hurt her, like evidently Fyers, his men and Billy had considering the state of her._

 _"Sara isn't it?" He asks as he makes his way to the cage, in an instant she fearfully backs up to the very back of the cage slowly from exhaustion and malnutrition._

 _He knows her name, but so does everyone else on this place thanks to that monster Fyers. She doesn't know what to do, she cannot escape that's for certain and does she believe that this Australian guy is not going to hurt her? No she doesn't._

 _"My name is Slade Wilson. Oliver found me after he escaped from here, the two of us have been working together we separated when he came back and tried to rescue you himself but he managed to screw even that up I'm guessing." He states in explanation as Sara looks up at him with wide eyes, unable to believe what she's just heard._

 _"Ollie's alive?" She manages to croak out, her eyes brimming with tears having gone through all this pain and torture the past god knows how long believing Oliver to be dead only for this Australian guy, Slade Wilson, to tell her that he isn't._

 _If this a a method of psychological torture organised by Fyers. Sara is positive if that's what it turned out to be it would kill her._

 _"For now. However that's not going to be the case for very long unless we do something fast." Slade murmurs as he breaks the lock on the cage, holding his hand out toward her._

 _"Haven't got all day. Neither does Oliver you want to get back to your sister don't you?" He sighs sharply. It is when he mentions Laurel that she believes him._

 _He is here to rescue her and Oliver is alive._

 _Instantly she crawls toward the entrance of her cage, grabbing hold of his hand to pull herself out, wrapping her arms around his neck without thinking._

 _"Thank you, thank you." She whispers, tears falling from her eyes as Slade tries not to choke to death as he attempts to free himself from Sara's vice like hold!_

 _"Don't thank me yet." He mutters as she finally releases him._

 _"Can you walk?" He all but snaps at her as she looks up at him nervously before attempting to walk a few steps only to fail and fall right back down again due to the agonising pain in her legs from being cramped in that small cage, the deep gashes from where Fyers men had sliced into her legs and the pain in her ribs from where they had beaten her. Slade grabs her instantly before she can hit the floor and supports with one arm, holding his sword in his other hand as they head toward the opening of the tent…_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _Breaking out of unconsciousness, Oliver is dragged from the tent and out into the open where many of Fyers men stand, each watching him as he is shoved into a circle of men._

 _"Simply to satisfy my own curiosity. Why aren't you already dead?" Fyers questions as he takes a step toward Oliver._

 _"I saw Yao Fei choke you to death."_

 _"I guess he's not as strong as he looks." Oliver snaps back causing the men in the circle to laugh in amusement._

 _"Still you returned for him?" Fyers raises an eyebrow._

 _"Sara. I came back for Sara, for both of them." Oliver growls._

 _"Ahh the girl! Yes now I was going to drag her out here to watch the show but honestly, it would take a considerable amount of time to move her cage and I really just want to kill you but, you know what I'll bring her back a souvenir. Your head perhaps?" Fyers smiles evilly._

 _"What the hell have you done to her you psychopath!" Oliver snarls._

 _"Ohh don't worry Mr. Queen she's very much alive. She's been rather entertaining…" Oliver cuts Fyers off by racing over to attack him, only to be stopped by one of Fyers men and is thrown to the ground._

 _"Still the fact you also returned in hopes to save Yao Fei. You're either a fool or is it possible you now think yourself a hero? Coming here to save Yao Fei, save the girl?" Fyers taunts._

 _"I'm not a hero." Oliver murmurs in response._

 _"No of course not. It's not possible to be a hero when there's nobody worthy of saving and you can't even save your own girlfriend." Fyers sighs as he turns away from Oliver, silence descending for a few moments as Oliver glares at them all._

 _"Is this what you want? Did you want me to fight him again?" Oliver cries as Fyers begins to walk away from him._

 _"Oh no, Mr. Queen. I'm sorry you're mistaken. This is not a match. It's an execution." Fyers smiles psychotically._

 _"I'm sorry." Yao Fei murmurs as Oliver hears footsteps behind him, turning he already knows who will be there before he does._

 _The man who tortured him and Sara._

 _Only fitting though. The man who tortured him gets to finish him off but Oliver isn't going to be executed without a few words._

 _"It's Wintergreen, right? Bill Wintergreen?" He slams his fist into Oliver's face, Oliver groans and looks away but recovers fast as honesty Wilson's punches were harder._

 _"I know all about you. I know you worked for the Australian government and that you used to fight for your country that you used to stand for something!" Oliver yells as Wintergreen begins to punch him repeatedly, pushing Oliver to the floor._

 _"I know you abandoned your partner! Betrayed him! The man who made you godfather to his son!" Oliver cries, Wintergreen removing his sword, striking Oliver with it, slicing into his arm painfully causing Oliver to cry out in pain before dropping to the floor once more, Wintergreen gripping him painfully by the throat._

 _"Whatever Fyers is paying you, I'll triple it!" Oliver uses his last attempt at getting through to the man who will kill him._

 _Yet before anyone can react an explosion from near by happens, causing everyone to scatter in shock at the unexpected explosion before gunfire begins and several soldiers drop as yet another explosion happens, Fyers yelling out instructions as he and Yao Fei move to take cover as his men fire into the explosions to take out whatever it is that caused these sudden explosions, Oliver crawling away from a distracted Wintergreen, moving to hide behind a van undetected so he can witness what is going on from a far and in a place where he won't get caught in the crossfire as he wonders what the hell could be going on._

 _However, his question is soon answered and the answer freezes him in place due to the shock from the unexpected appearance of Slade Wilson walking out from near the explosions, his explosions and even more unexpectedly, Sara walking behind him, holding on to Slade for dear life as they approach Wintergreen._

 _Oliver Queen, for once in his life is speechless._

 _Sara's alive. Sara's ok. Is his first thought._

 _Wilson came back for him and Sara is his second thought._

 _Slade Wilson. The man Oliver had told he hated has come back to save Sara and him and that's when it hits Oliver._

 _Wilson has probably given up his one chance at getting off this island to save him and Sara._

 _Oliver has never been so confused._

 _"Slade." Wintergreen snarls as Slade pulls out his sword before turning to the terrified Sara._

 _"Go to Oliver. Go now!" He yells to her before pushing her in Oliver's direction, out of danger from what is about to happen next. Sara's eyes widen as she sees Oliver alive and well coming from behind the van to grab her as without Slade supporting her she begins to stumble as she tries to move towards Olivier, who races out from behind the van, pulling her into his arms in a second before dragging her to safety, hugging her tightly the minute they take cover, she cries out in pain though due to her injuries._

 _"Sara. Ohh god Sara I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Oliver apologises as he takes in her injured state for the first time and is lost for words when he sees to the extent she's injured._

 _"You're alive. You're alive." Is all Sara can say as she wraps her aching arms around Oliver, leaning into him for support._

 _"I said I'd come back for you. I was coming back no matter what." Oliver murmurs into her hair as he presses quick kisses to the top of her head, beyond relieved to have her alive and in his arms as they both turn to see the fight between Wilson and Wintergreen._

 _"Slade. Come back to die?" Wintergreen hisses as both men go after one another with their swords, both at the same level of fighting expertise as they clash swords, aiming punches and kicks at one another, Slade getting the upper hand and slamming his fist into Wintergreens face, whom stumbles backwards. Slade glaring at him._

 _"Was it so easy to betray me, Billy?" He murmurs as Wintergreen recovers and aims his sword at Slade again, the duel between them picking up as Wintergreen slams his foot into Slade's face, knocking him to the ground, something that Oliver and Sara watch in worry for the man who has seemingly saved both of their asses._

 _Wintergreen seems to have the upper hand then, bending down to stab Slade, only for Slade to deflect him, punching Wintergreen several times in the face, whom tries to fight back, yet doesn't even get the opportunity to as Slade keeps attacking him before finally getting Billy Wintergreen in a choke hold._

 _Oliver, seeing this happening pulls Sara into him so she'll be spared the sight of however Slade chooses to end his old partner, Oliver already guessing it won't be pretty._

 _"Well Billy, you always had a good kick." Slade snarls as he takes Wintergreens sword before stabbing it to the hilt in Wintergreens eye, killing the man who was once his partner, his brother before dropping his body to the floor as it hits him what he's just done._

 _He just killed his old partner, the godfather to his son and somehow he feels relived that the man is now dead._

 _Having witnessed the whole thing and believing the danger to have been averted whilst holding Sara close to him so he can help her walk, Oliver moves carefully toward Wilson._

 _He killed the man who betrayed him, the man who was his partner and he rescued Sara and him, probably loosing his his chance of getting off the island for a reason Oliver cannot understand after everything Oliver said against him._

 _It confuses him, it really does. Why would Wilson return after all he said and all that he believed that Sara was a lost cause and that Oliver was dumb for thinking he could rescue her. It's a mystery to Oliver. It really is._

 _Slade turns to face Oliver and Sara, moving towards them that's when a shot rings out and a searing pain goes through his arm from a bullet and he goes down._

 _"No!" Sara cries as she and Oliver race over to Slade's side, Oliver grabbing the gun left on the floor as he looks around to see who had shot Wilson, realising it to have been Fyers, Oliver begins to shoot yet Fyers moves before Oliver can kill him._

 _"Come on, come on!" He commands to Slade before helping him to his feet, helping him and Sara to walk as he tries to fire the gun with his one free hand as he leads both Sara and Slade to safety away from the shit storm they have left in their wake, whilst basically becoming a crutch for both of them._

 _"Never thought I'd become a crutch!" Oliver murmurs as they walk._

 _"Knew you had your uses, kid." Slade manages a slight smile as they stop upon seeing one of Fyers men blocking their path a gun raised at them._

 _Passing Sara on to Slade, Oliver moves toward the man, grabbing the gun off him before throwing the man to the floor, almost mirroring the time when Slade had done that to Oliver in training whilst Slade looks on, a proud smile upon his lips and honestly a look of shock at seeing Oliver actually capable of something like this as he sees that at least one of his lessons sunk in as Oliver holds the gun to the man's head, who stands there with trembling hands before slamming the butt of the gun into the man's head sending him into unconsciousness as he turns back to Slade and Sara, moving to pull Sara close to his side again just a sound overhead pulls their attention._

 _The plane..._

 _"There goes our ride." Slade murmurs as Oliver just pulls Sara closer to him as now they are stuck on this island and now have no way off of it._

 _Slade's plane_

 _Slade writhes and groans in pain as Oliver uses his knife to dig the bullet out of his shoulder, this having gone on for several agonising minutes since they eventually got back to the plane. It taking them a while to get back considering Sara could barely walk, whom is now resting where Oliver had slept during his time here, Oliver keeping an eye on her whilst he digs the bullet out of Slade's shoulder, whom had also instructed him to tie him up._

 _Eventually Oliver manages to get the bullet out and Slade sighs in utter relief, trying to catch his breath from the pain._

 _"I'm impressed. Neither of you puked." Slade mutters._

 _"I swallowed it. Actually…" Oliver trails off as he covers his mouth with his hands._

 _"Don't do it in here! You're cleaning it up if you do." Slade murmurs as Oliver races outside to throw up causing Slade to chuckle._

 _Even more so when Oliver returns still looking a little bit green._

 _"You ok?" Sara asks gently as Oliver nods, moving to take her hand in his, still in amazement that she's here and alive with him right now._

 _"You know you can untie me now." Slade mutters as Oliver complies, removing the rope he had tied around Slade's hands._

 _"Why'd you want us to tie you up in the first place?" Sara asks softly as Slade glances at her once before looking at the wound on his shoulder._

 _"A man in pain is unreliable. I was afraid I might kill him." He looks to Oliver before back at his wound again._

 _"Thanks." He mutters to Oliver, who almost passes out in shock at hearing Slade actually thanking him before something comes to mind and he laughs out loud, both Sara and Slade looking at him in confusion._

 _"What?" Slade snaps in mild frustration._

 _"We're trapped on an island and our only friend is named Wilson." Oliver sniggers as Sara and Slade roll their eyes at him._

 _"Ollie this really isn't the time for movie references." Sara sighs yet smiles at Oliver as he sits beside her, stroking her cheek gently as he looks at the various injures upon her face from where she had been beaten, she hasn't said a word about what happened to her there yet and Oliver doubts she will for a while, instantly glad that Slade killed one of the men who had tortured her. That Billy Wintergreen._

 _"I like her, kid. She talks sense." Slade smirks as he gets to his feet walking over to them before holding his hand out to Sara._

 _"Good to officially meet you Sara Lance." He shakes her hand._

 _"You too thank you for rescuing me." She smiles gratefully as Slade moves to the other side of the plane as Oliver rolls his eyes at them._

 _"Hey I helped!" Oliver protests as she smiles and kisses his cheek._

 _"I know, you came back for me." She says tearfully as she clutches his hands tightly._

 _"Kid, you were on the wrong side of the camp for starters!" Slade smirks at Oliver who just glares at him before Slade returns, tossing a blanket at Sara. Oliver's eyes widen._

 _"What the hell? How come I didn't get a blanket?" Oliver cries in disbelief._

 _"There's only two and unlike you she doesn't whine much." Slade responds as Sara can't help but smile a triumphant smile at Oliver's look of complete horror as Slade smirks again before turning to his weapons._

 _Muttering curses under his breath, Oliver shrugs off his jacket to have a look at the deep slice on his arm from Wintergreens sword._

 _"Ollie what happened?" Sara asks, her voice full of concern, even Slade looks up._

 _"That psycho cut me before you two got there, lucky you did apparently it was my execution." Oliver murmurs as he moves to sit near Slade, grabbing a rag to clean off some of the blood and dirt._

 _"He was always good with a sword. When it came to fighting we were much alike." Slade states as he glances at Oliver before at the slice on his arm._

 _"You're lucky it wasn't too deep, you got away lightly kid." Slade notes._

 _"I'd be dead if you hadn't have showed up." Oliver admits before deciding to ask._

 _"Why did you do it? Come back for us after everything you said. After everything I said to you. You had the plane right there ready to go home yet you came back for us? What changed you're mind? Decided life would be boring without me?" Oliver smirks._

 _"Never you mind, kid." Slade replies after a few moments of silence._

 _"No, I'm curious why?" Oliver presses._

 _"If I had left you kid I would have been no better than him. Billy, if I had left I would have betrayed you and I am a man who keeps his promises. Happy?" Slade snaps, rolling his eyes at Oliver before moving away from him to put away weapons._

 _"So what now? We've missed out on getting out of here so what do we do?" Oliver asks after a period of silence._

 _"We hope my fireworks show set Fyers back, maybe enough for those who hired him in the first place to call things off." Slade grumbles as he glances at his painful wound once again._

 _"Hired him?" Sara frowns in confusion at Slade's words._

 _"Well Fyers is a mercenary and he follows the money. So he's on this island under someone's employ." Slade explains as he faces the both of them._

 _"Well what do we do then?" Oliver questions._

 _"We have to make sure that neither of us three die on this godforsaken island." He replies._

 _"I thought you said if we didn't get on the plane, we weren't gonna make it." Oliver reminds him, Slade stepping toward him in response._

 _"Well that dumb kid that I trained, he would never have made it. You? You and Sara when I start training her too." Slade looks to her too before holding out his hand to Oliver, who takes it immediately._

 _"You might just have a chance." He smirks, Oliver nodding as Slade releases his hand, turning away from Oliver once more who sighs._

 _"Hey Slade?" Oliver calls._

 _"What?" Slade mutters as Oliver smiles slightly._

 _"I don't hate you."_

 _Fyers Camp_

 _"Yeah it's Fyers." Fyers snaps as he marches through his heavily damaged camp from the attack of Slade Wilson._

 _"Satellite show multiple heat blooms on the island. What the hell's happening there?" The man on the phone growls._

 _"There was a complication." Fyers starts._

 _"Slade Wilson?"_

 _"I'm handling it!" Fyers mutters._

 _"Handle it better. I've worked too hard and planned for too long to have complications arrive so close to the end." The man replies._

 _"I assure you it won't happen again." Fyers sighs._

 _"What of Yao Fei?" His boss questions._

 _"I've assured his cooperation." He responds._

 _"Good. I've paid you a lot of money, Fyers. I expect a return on my investment." He boss growls before Fyers hangs up just as Yao Fei appears behind him._

 _"You sent for me?" He mutters._

 _"I'm a man of my word. You made the right call today turning in your young castaway and despite the fact I lost my pet I'll grant you five minutes." Fyers grumbles, Yao Fei moving past him in an instant toward the tent beside him where, lying on the floor, hands tied together, seemingly unconscious, his daughter is._

 _"Shado!" He cries as he races toward her._

 _"Shado! Shado!" He calls her name repeatedly as he reaches her side, she sits up when she sees him, tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _"Father?" She whispers in a different language._

 _"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Yao Fei repeats twice as he holds his daughter._

 _"Father what's happening?" She cries back as he shushes her._

 _"It will be over soon." He promises as she nods, holding onto her father for dear life, dreading the moment she has to let go…_

 _The Foundry_

Oliver's eyes snap open, all the events hitting him as he stares up at the ceiling.

Getting shot by his mother, Felicity and Slade getting him back to The Foundry.

"Ollie!" He hears Sara's voice from beside him before feeling a sharp pain in his cheek when Sara slaps him.

"Never, ever worry me like that again, you hear me Ollie? Never again." She cries, tears streaming down her cheeks again as she strokes his face repeatedly, Diggle and Felicity moving toward them as well upon realising Oliver has finally regained consciousness.

"I guess I didn't die, again. Cool." Is all Oliver can say, receiving another slap from Sara as Diggle just sighs and rolls his eyes at him.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was Ollie?" She whispers as Oliver just smiles at her.

"I love you." Is all he can say.

"Ohh don't start that when I'm mad at you and I am furious right now… Ohh thank god you're ok." She kisses him suddenly, Oliver moving a hand to stroke her face lovingly.

"You gave us all a right scare man." Diggle mutters from beside Felicity. Oliver nods, suddenly noticing the absence of one person in particular.

"Slade. Where's Slade?" He frowns, before glancing at Sara's face when she sighs.

"Guys where's Slade?" Oliver repeats.

"Before you start, he's ok. Well he is now." Diggle murmurs as Oliver scans The Foundry at Diggle's words in worry, his eyes falling on Slade's unconscious form on a table on the other side of the room.

"What the hell happened?" Oliver cries as he tries to get up, gripping the table for support when he tries to stand, Sara moving to support him in an instant.

"He's an incredibly stubborn man." Diggle mutters as Oliver looks to Sara.

"We didn't know until he passed out from blood loss that he had been shot too…"

"What! What do you mean he was shot?" Oliver cuts Sara off.

"As it turns out it wasn't just you who was wounded by Moira." Diggle explains as Oliver shakes his head in dismay.

"He never said anything." Oliver sighs.

"He was too busy trying to save you. He wouldn't even let us help him before he knew someone was making sure you were ok." Felicity says in explanation as Oliver rolls his eyes before looking to Sara.

"Yeah I'm mad at both of you." She grumbles before Oliver pulls her into a hug, trying to ignore the agonising pain in his shoulder as right now he just needs Sara in his arms, despite the pain.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." Oliver murmurs.

"Worried me? Oliver I was terrified that I was going to lose you. You scared both me and Slade. We almost had to watch you die Ollie!" She cries as Oliver just holds her tighter and murmurs more apologies to her in an attempt to soothe her ruffled feathers.

"She speaks the truth Oliver. Thought at one point that Slade was about to blow a gasket if you didn't pull through, both he and Sara." Diggle adds as Sara nods and all but glares up at Oliver, who doesn't say a word just presses a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you." He says after a moment as Sara sighs.

"Love you too." She murmurs before kissing him softly, Oliver suddenly wincing at the pain in his shoulder, glancing at the stitched up wound.

"It's not bad. So how am I going to explain this one?" He looks to the three of them.

"Hickey gone wrong?" Diggle suggests causing Oliver to laugh.

"Yeah now that's actually kinda believable!" He smirks at Sara, who rolls her eyes at him just as a groan from the the other side of the room pulls their attention toward Slade, who they realize has regained consciousness.

"Ohh thank god." Sara sighs as she and Oliver move toward him.

"Oliver?" Slade murmurs, his eye widening as Oliver approaches him before sighing in relief.

"Thought we'd lost you for a moment back then kid." He mutters, growling in pain as he tries to sit up.

"I had no idea my mother had shot you as well. I cannot believe you didn't say anything." Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"You were worse off, kid." He replies.

"Slade, what I said before you went to confront my mom. I went too far. You were just trying to look out for me. I'm so sorry." Oliver apologizes finally for all the hateful words he had said to Slade during their disagreement about Moira's either innocence or guilt.

"It's a'right kid. It doesn't matter I'm just glad you're a'right." Slade admits.

"You too." Oliver smiles, moving forward to embrace Slade, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he does so.

"Don't you ever worry me like that again kid." Slade grumbles as Sara glares at him.

"You can talk! You scared the crap out of me passing out from blood loss like that! Both of you put me through hell! Never do that to me again." She growls at them before wrapping her arms around both of them.

"I don't know what I'd do without either of you." She sighs, whilst Diggle and Felicity smile at the three of them reunited just as Felicity remembers something.

"Ohh by the way, the police collected a sample of blood at Queen Consolidated. I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed." Felicity hits a few keys onto the brand new computers Oliver and Slade have yet to discover.

"Oops." She smiles, turning around in her chair to face Oliver and Slade, whom have both limped towards her upon seeing the new stuff.

"I hope it's alright. That system looked like it was from the eighties and not the good part of the eighties like Madonna and legwarmers." She babbles as Slade raises an eyebrow at the sight of the new set of computers lined up on their desk.

"That's a lot of work." He murmurs.

"Does that mean your in?" Oliver adds hopefully.

"You mean in as in I'm going to join the three of yours crusade?" Felicity smiles.

"Well you're practically an honorary member of the team already." Sara replies.

"No." Felicity shakes her head after a moment.

"Then why'd you upgrade our system?" Oliver queries.

"First because seeing a network that poorly set up hurts me, in my soul and second, I want to find Walter." She reveals.

"My step father?" Oliver questions.

"He was nice to me and Mr. Diggle and Sara told me whilst you and Slade were out that the notebook the three of you use to fight crime is the same notebook that got Walter abducted." She reveals as Oliver and Slade turn to glare at Diggle who just smiles back, for once not caring that Oliver and Slade may be pissed for him talking as he's honestly just glad to see Oliver and Slade alive and agreeing with one another again.

Them pair arguing with one another, Diggle realizes never ends well if this situation has taught him anything it is that!

"Look I'll help the three of you rescue him but that's it. Then I want to go back to my boring life of being an IT girl. That's my offer." Felicity smiles.

"Ok." Oliver nods as Sara and Slade nod also in agreement.

"So. I've been meaning to ask, is there a bathroom? Because I've had to pee since I got here." She bites her lip nervously.

"Same! It's upstairs I'll show you." Sara replies as she Felicity follows her to the stairs.

"Felicity." Slade calling her name makes her stop and turn around again.

"Thank you." He murmurs, holding out his hand towards her, she takes it instantly.

"Yeah you're welcome." She smiles back before following Sara up the stairs leaving Oliver, Diggle and Slade, whom moves to sit down again due to the pain in his side, standing up not being ideal right now.

"Guys I know you don't want to hurt this girl and neither of you had a choice in telling her who you three really were but we're asking her to get involved in some pretty dangerous stuff." Diggle starts.

"We can protect her." Slade mutters, Oliver nodding in agreement.

"How? Oliver your mother just shot you and Slade. You two can't even keep yourselves safe!" He protests. Slade looking personally offended by Diggle's words.

"What happened last night was an unfortunate disaster. It is very, very rare events like that occur. We can look after ourselves fine." Slade growls.

"And she was scared Diggle. She was defending herself and she is my mother, neither of us were going to hurt her." Oliver sighs.

"Yeah there's that or maybe she was hiding something like maybe her involvement in Walter's disappearance or worse!" Diggle folds his arms

"Diggle we don't always know why people do what they do but what I do know is that when Slade and I were standing in her office with arrows and swords aimed at her heart, she begged us to spare her all on behalf of me and Thea. Now we've taken down a lot of bad people, none of them brought up their kids Dig." Oliver mutters.

"Oliver she has the list. Now she may not be in charge of whatever it is but she's definitely involved. Slade you see what I'm getting at here don't you?" Diggle turns to him.

"Involved in what!" Oliver snaps.

"We don't even know what it is and until we do she is off limits!" Oliver growls for the benefit of both Diggle and Slade before he can voice his opinion on matters.

"Am I clear?" He says in a dangerous tone.

"Yeah man but I'm not sure about Slade. What do you think?" Diggle looks to Slade.

"I don't trust her. I never have and with what we know I trust her even less but until we know more and have concrete proof that what she is doing requires us to take her down. I suppose we need to keep an open mind." Slade mutters as Oliver nods, he hadn't expected Slade to change his opinions but this. This he can accept and moves over to sit beside him.

"Thank you." Oliver smiles as Slade nods briefly. Diggle still looking at them both.

"But Oliver are you saying this because you truly believe she's innocent or because you don't want to face the fact that your mother might be guilty?" He glances to Oliver first before to Slade.

"And are you, Slade suddenly backing down because you don't want to cause a rift between you and Oliver?" He adds, in response Slade looking like, if he wasn't exhausted and injured about ready to punch Diggle but before either of them can say anything Diggle heads up the stairs and away from them just as Sara and Felicity reappear before either Slade or Oliver can say anything to one another.

"I probably really need to go see my mom." Oliver sighs after a moment.

"Good point Ollie." Sara nods as Oliver gets to his feet, Slade doing the same.

"Slade I think it's probably for the best that you stay here." Oliver turns to him as Slade raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"You can barely walk and my mom is actually quite observant and on top of things she hates you so if she had an opportunity to accuse you of anything she'd take it." Oliver sighs as Slade nods his agreement.

"You have a point, kid. I was planning to head home anyway." He murmurs as he limps towards the stairs, ignoring the pain as he goes.

"Wait. I'll drive you, I haven't got anything to do and you can't exactly walk back." Felicity offers quickly, Slade flashing her a grateful glance as he continues on to the stairs.

"Good luck with your mother kid." Slade looks to Oliver, whom nods.

"We'll see you later yeah?" Oliver and Sara smile as Slade leaves with Felicity.

"You know your mask is still in my car right?" Felicity states as they reach her car, Felicity moving to pick up his mask from the backseat before handing it to him.

"Thanks." Slade replies.

"And so are a lot of bloodstains, it looks even worse in the light." Felicity winces, nibbling at her lip as she drives.

"Oliver and I'll ensure your cars cleaned for you Felicity." He looks to her.

"Ohh you don't have to its fine. I'm just glad I got both of you to that place before one of you died or something!" Felicity says quickly as Slade nods.

"Thank you for what you did for us. If you hadn't have been there Oliver would have died you helped save him. I owe you one Felicity." He murmurs.

Felicity just smiles.

 _Queen Mansion_

Oliver and Sara hear talking the minute they enter Queen Mansion, recognizing Moira and Quentin's voices instantly.

"One was 6'1, the both had deep voices. I…"

"Hey what's going on?" Oliver cuts his mother off as he enters the living room with Sara.

"Sara sweetie!" Quentin instantly pulls his daughter into an embrace when he sees her.

"Where have you guys been? I've been calling the three of you all night!" Thea cries upon Oliver and Sara entering.

"We were at the club. We've got zero reception there." Oliver says in explanation.

"Maybe it's time then that the four of you invest in a landline!" Thea sighs before looking around having noticed the absence of Slade.

"Where's Slade?" She queries as Moira raises an eyebrow.

"Yes where is Mr. Wilson?" She asks coldly.

"He and Tommy were in this meeting with some of the workers for the nightclub. He couldn't get away." Oliver lies easily, Thea nods however Moira still looks suspicious.

"How unfortunate." She starts yet Quentin cuts her off before she can say anything else.

"Oliver your mother was attacked last night by two of the vigilantes." He reveals.

"What?" Oliver and Sara say simultaneously, faking shock and worry.

"They came after me at the office." Moira sighs.

"Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" Oliver cries.

"Actually she hurt them. She shot at both of them point blank with a gun hidden in her office." Quentin explains.

"That should help with your investigation did you get any evidence, like blood samples?" Sara questions as Quentin shakes his head.

"There was a screw up at the lab." He explains.

"That's too bad." Oliver notes as Quentin nods before turning to Moira.

"We'll be in touch." Quentin says kindly before turning to Sara.

"I was just about to head to lunch wanna join?" He asks her, she looks at Oliver who nods discreetly, Sara not particularly wanting to leave Oliver after the event just passed but with Laurel not really on speaking terms still with their father Sara sees the importance of joining him for lunch.

"Sure. See you at home Ollie." Sara kisses his cheek in farewell before heading toward the door with Quentin leaving Moira, Thea and Oliver alone.

Moira who moves to hug Oliver instantly.

"Oh sweetheart, I was so scared." She hugs him tightly, causing Oliver to grit his teeth when she squeezes his wounded shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're ok." Oliver replies through the pain.

"I thought they were going to kill me." She whispers as Oliver pulls away.

"I promise you, they're never going to bother you again." He vows, meaning every single word as she releases him finally.

"Now I must go and make a phone call. I love you both." Moira says to both her children before exiting to make a certain phone call to someone about a new suspicion of hers…

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

Deciding, as he is exhausted from his recent ordeal, Oliver returns home after speaking with Moira and Thea, knowing that Slade will be there, well he said he would be anyway!

"Slade?" Oliver calls as he enters the apartment.

"In here kid." Slade calls back from the living room where he is sitting on the sofa, his feet propped up on the wide foot rest.

"Can I join?" Oliver requests.

"Be my guest." Slade murmurs as Oliver sits himself down beside Slade.

"You know I really am truly sorry for what I said to you." Oliver glances to Slade.

"You weren't wrong about some of it kid, I need to trust people more. I always do see the worst in people." He admits.

"Not always." Oliver smiles as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"You know when I was unconscious I was thinking about when we first met." Oliver reveals as Slade looks to him.

"I'm still surprised I didn't kill you back then kid." Slade smiles.

"No you trusted me. Despite all that went on with Wintergreen you found you could trust me enough that you lost your only chance to get off the island, get back to your son to save Sara and me back then. I told you I hated you and yet you came back for us." Oliver reminds him as Slade smiles.

"You never told me why. I know you said it was because you didn't want to be like Billy but I always thought there was more than that." Oliver adds.

"Because despite the fact I hated to admit it you were right, kid. Everything you said back then. I never could have left without knowing for certain about your fates. I couldn't just abandon you. You know I didn't hate ya either kid." Slade smirks.

"You know I also remember a time when you trusted someone completely and I didn't. I never got a chance to throw it into the argument before." Oliver reveals.

"Go on then kid I'm all ears." Slade sighs.

"The psychiatrist! Remember her? You were adamant you and I could trust her and she turned out to be a complete insane psychopath!" Oliver reminds him not even waiting for Slade's response before adding more.

"I mean come on, it was obvious she wasn't involved with some kinda crap, no psychiatrist would know all that about explosive devices and you so brought her story that those nut cases were keeping her prisoner! And you thought I was crazy for believing my mom to be innocent. Even I thought that woman was guilty!"

"Kid I never trusted her." Slade cuts him off as Oliver rolls his eyes.

"Slade you defended that woman to the hilt!" He sighs.

"She said she could save you Oliver!" Slade reveals.

"I know but what we did. We set a mass murderer on the world!" Oliver reminds him.

"Oliver. I would have given my allegiance to anyone who said they could save you and she did, despite everything she fixed you. It was all my fault you were in that position in the first place kid. They tried to control me by threatening your life. At that time you were all I had left Oliver. I was not going to lose you to." Slade mutters before adding.

"We're brothers remember?" Oliver smiles.

"Brothers."

 _A Few Hours Later…_

Returning from her lunch with her father, Sara returns to the apartment finally about ready to rip Oliver and Slade a new one for worrying her.

"Ollie? Slade?" She calls when she enters the apartment, trying to hold back laughter when she sees them both fast asleep beside one another on their couch, Oliver seemingly trying to hug Slade in his sleep, the main cause for Sara's laughter. If Slade woke up now she is one hundred and one percent certain Slade would punch Oliver so hard he'd need nose surgery! Yet they are both wounded and evidently exhausted so maybe Slade wouldn't punch Oliver so hard! Smiling to herself she grabs a blanket and tosses it over them both before sitting beside Oliver, trying to wake him as she too closes her eyes and surrenders herself to sleep.

Most certainly well deserved sleep!

It isn't until much later that Thea returns to the apartment to find the three friends fast asleep on the sofa, wrapped around one another, laughing herself at the scene she takes a quick picture! This definitely isn't a moment Thea Queen wants to forget in a hurry!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, so sorry it has taken so long to update. The Odyssey is finally concluded this is still my favorite Arrow episode in the whole world! I think this has been the longest chapter so far so sorry if it was boring, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and thank you to those of you who have reviewed, followed and favorited it continues to make my day! See you all next update. Thanks again for reading xxx**


	44. The Dodger (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Three**

 _Starling City_

In a tall glass case bathed in sunlight sits a priceless ruby, shimmering in the light.

It's breathtaking...

Two security gaze at it, captivated by its magnificent beauty.

"Jerry?" One security guard says to the other, approaching the man stood fixated by the priceless jewel.

"Jerry, you ok? You look a little piqued man?" He questions hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm. I'm ok. It's… Mrs. Hill wants us to move the Sherwood into the vault." He replies.

"Now? It's midday." The other security guard frowns.

"I know. I know she says it's a security threat. It's all the robberies lately." He laughs shakily as the other man nods and together they place their fingers on the fingerprint trey beneath the case, watching as the glass lifts away from the jewel.

Without a warning, Jerry knocks the other security guard out unconscious before lifting the precious jewel just as an alarm sounds.

Making his way out of the room, Jerry mutters instructions into his radio as alarms continue to blare, alerting people about the now stolen jewel as he races to where a man stands behind a wall, a sinister man if that.

"Take this thing off me all right!" He begs, revealing a collar around his neck that flashes several red lights.

"I got it like you asked! Here!" He throws the jewel at the man.

"Take it off me!" He begs as the man sighs and takes the jewel before pulling out a small device and pressing a few buttons causing the collar to unlock.

The security guard removes it hurriedly.

"Were. Were you bluffing? What if that thing had detonated?" He whispers fearfully.

"Violently." The man replies sharply before smiling.

"Don't worry though. You did exactly as I asked so it's just unconsciousness for you." The man reveals.

"Unconsciousness?" The security guard frowns as the other man whips out a taser, sending the guard into unconsciousness before simply walking away…

 _The Foundry_

The rhythmic sounds of Escrima sticks hitting a dummy fill The Foundry basement as Sara slams them repeatedly into a dummy whilst Oliver and Slade have basically taken to throwing each other around the room!

"Watch your stepping kid!" Slade growls as he knocks Oliver off his feet and into a wall.

"I was!" Oliver grunts as he deflects another punch from Slade before landing one of his own, feeling quite proud of himself for the two seconds before Slade knocks him down again with a wide smile.

"Who'd have thought that kid I trained five years ago would be able to do that!" Slade says proudly as Oliver laughs lightly before Slade trips him up again.

"Still brilliant at getting yourself distracted though, kid." He grins.

"I think I've made progress in that area." Oliver murmurs as he uses his feet in a surprise attack on Slade.

"Good try kid!" Slade comments in retaliation before aiming a blow at Oliver, who dodges it and knocks Slade into a table.

"Sara wanna come help me finish him off?" Oliver calls to her.

"I think I'll let you have the victory all to yourself Ollie. You've only been waiting five years!" She laughs softly.

"Ohh come on! Bring a camera too! I'm about to put him on his ass!" Oliver chortles merrily as he dodges yet another attack from Slade.

"I'll join you both in a minute." Sara says breathlessly from where she is mercilessly attack her target with the sticks.

"Love to see you try, kid. You ain't there yet." Slade mutters before aiming an attack at Oliver, who deflects it quickly.

"I'm close." Oliver hisses as Slade gets the upper hand and tackles Oliver to the floor.

"Don't forget who taught you how to fight, kid!"

"Might want to take it easy if you three plan on taking someone off of that list tonight." Diggle comments from where he is stood by a set of computers where Felicity Smoak sits, trying to do some work on said computers but unable to keep her eyes off of Slade and Oliver's sparring session.

"This is us taking it easy!" Sara breaks her Escrima stick in half, stepping away from the dummy running her fingers through her hair as the next sound is what they believe to be a battle cry from Oliver as he attacks Slade, who sends him flying across the room!

"So who's the lucky guy tonight?" Diggle asks Sara as she drops the broken stick and pulls a clean shirt on, glancing to where Oliver and Slade are attacking one another at a rapid pace.

"Ken Williams." Sara informs him as Felicity pulls his profile up on the computer.

"His pyramid schemes stole millions. People didn't just lose their homes, their lives were ruined." She explains as Oliver and Slade continue to fight it out, now on the other side of the room.

"Why don't you two call it in early for tonight? We're not expecting much trouble, well excerpt for those two." Sara smirks at Slade and Oliver.

"Probably have more of a chance of getting injured here then out there." She comments as she moves to grab her gear, pulling on her leather jacket.

"Come on guys, you two can use this energy on Ken Williams." She rolls her eyes at Oliver and Slade, who pulls Oliver to his feet.

"Impressive kid." He pats his shoulder as they move to grab their own uniforms.

"I won." Oliver smiles.

"Keep on thinking that kid. I distinctively thought it was you on the ground last." Slade smirks at him as Oliver rolls his eyes.

"One day. One day I am gonna put you on your ass." Oliver vows.

"That I'd love to see." Sara smiles at Oliver.

"I'm curious to see that one myself." Diggle comments as Oliver chuckles before grabbing his arrows and Sara's hand before the three vigilantes move toward the door.

Glancing up from her computer and at the interesting thing she was reading on it, Felicity types in a few commands.

"I sense tonight's gonna be uneventful, might continue that fight when we get back." Slade comments as they head up the steps.

"Even if it takes me all night, I'm going to win." Oliver says determinedly.

"I'm joining this time if you do, who knows Slade you really might get defeated tonight." Sara grins.

"After seeing the way you defeated that Escrima stick. Oliver's got no chance." Slade smirks as Sara laughs.

"Can you pair not make plans to beat me up tonight?" Oliver begs.

"Where's the fun in not doing so?" Slade chuckles.

"It's not fun for me!" Oliver whines.

"But it's so entertaining for me and Sara, kid!" Slade replies with a grin.

"Have to agree with Slade on that one Ollie." Sara shrugs as Oliver rolls his eyes at them both before putting the key code into the door, pulling on the handle when it rejects it.

Oliver frowns.

"What's up kid?" Slade questions.

"Door won't open." Oliver attempts to put the key code in again only for it to be rejected once more.

"Can't open a door now? You really have no hope tonight!" Slade smirks.

"It's not me it's the door!" Oliver protests.

"Yeah whining about it ain't gonna get it open!" Slade replies.

"Why won't it open?" Oliver growls as he tries again.

"Please tell me you haven't forgotten the code." Slade can't help but smile.

"One job Ollie. One job." Sara laughs along with Slade.

"Well if you two would like to help instead of standing there laughing at me." Oliver growls.

"Comes here, kid you're embarrassing yourself." Slade sniggers as he pushes Oliver out of the way to put the code only for it to reject his attempt.

"So. The mighty Slade Wilson has finally been defeated by a door?" Oliver grins as Slade punches in the code again.

"There's something wrong with it." Slade growls.

"Are you sure it's the door?" Oliver can't help but add.

"I'm gonna kill you kid." Slade grumbles at yet another failed attempt.

"Wanna let me show you how it's done?" Sara smiles.

"It's been tampered with." Slade growls before it hits him.

"FELICITY!" He bellows ferociously, who at her desk jumps at the sound of Slade's very angry sounding voice as she hears the three of them storming down the steps.

"Did you just?" He growls as they approach her desk, Felicity feeling brave decides to face the fury of the three vigilantes and turns in her chair so she's facing them.

"Computer override your lock? Maybe a little." She admits as she spins around in her chair. Slade sticking out a hand to hold her chair still as he glares at her.

"What are you doing?" He murmurs quietly, dangerously quiet.

It slightly unnerves Felicity to say the least, all three of them are currently unnerving her with their vicious stares and holds her hands out almost in surrender.

"I pulled up some information on Mr. Williams. Did either of you know that he's a widowed father of a ten year old boy?" She reveals as the three vigilantes continue to glare at her.

"Look I told you, I'm only in this to help Walter, not to be an accessory to orphaning little kids." She says quickly as Diggle smirks in the corner of the room.

"We're just giving him a warning." Sara comments sharply.

"What with arrows, batons and swords? The three of you aren't exactly in the most calm mood right now. Honesty Slade I thought you were going to kill Oliver at one point…"

"Sara's words were true. That was us taking it easy, like we will be taking things easy tonight when we simply warn this man. Never try something like this again." Oliver grumbles.

"What? Lock you in your own damn base to stop the three of you hurting someone who has a kid to take care of?" She protests.

"Felicity. The people on this list are there for a reason and they are all villains. Every single one of them. Perhaps Diggle could enlighten you!" Slade glances to Diggle.

"Inform Felicity about Ted Gaynor perhaps!" He snaps causing Diggle to look away.

Slade has a point. All the people on that list are there for a reason and he believes that this is a lesson Oliver, Sara and Slade are going to ensure Felicity learns fast.

"Has it ever occurred to you Slade, any of you that you three could do some real good in this city? Beyond just recovering the people's stock portfolios and their saving accounts?" She cries to silence from the three of them before Slade leans over her to reach the computer, typing in a few commands of his own.

"You're not the only one who knows how to reboot our system." He murmurs quietly.

"I made a mistake." She replies.

"Getting in our way? I don't disagree." He snarls.

"No!" Felicity snaps back, pushing her chair away and getting to her feet, all but standing on tiptoes to face Slade, fearlessly and in Diggle's opinion very bravely who watches slightly concerned at Felicity now, knowing what happens to those who attempt to get in the three vigilantes way, especially Slade and watches cautiously to see what happens next.

"Signing on with the three of you even provisionally!" She snaps before shoving past him, Oliver and Sara and storming out of The Foundry...

 _Slade's Plane_

" _Ollie! He is not getting any better." Sara whispers from where she is sitting beside a shivering, coughing Slade riddled with infection from the bullet wound he had received from Fyers that Oliver had had to dug the bullet out from his shoulder._

 _The infection had set in a few days later._

 _Slade had tried to ignore it for as long as he could and had filled the plane with all the food he had hunted for them hurriedly, knowing that without doing that Oliver and Sara would probably starve and not like he cares about them or anything but he needs them to get off the island!_

 _He had done this before he could no longer remain on his feet which had both Sara and even Oliver scared._

 _Slade's the one in charge. If he goes down they're both screwed._

 _"Don't. Need. You to point that out for. Me." Slade croaks back._

 _Oliver rolls his eyes, even on his last legs Slade Wilson's an insufferable asshole._

 _Even more so! He thinks as he kneels down beside him._

 _"Hey. Hey drink." He commands as he passes him a bowl of water._

 _"Tastes like dirt what the hell did you do to it?" He growls._

 _"Great! Now you're blaming me for the water tasting like crap?" Oliver mutters as Sara glances at him before resting a damp rag against Slade's forehead, who wants to push her hand away but fears even moving right now._

 _"Don't. Need. You. Mothering. Me." He grumbles at Sara as Oliver carefully attempts to pass him some more water._

 _"You get that stuff away from me or I swear to god I'm gonna kill you slow." Slade hisses._

 _"You've got to stay hydrated, ok!" Oliver commands._

 _"Hydration is not my problem." Slade snarls._

 _"My problem is getting a bullet dug out of my arm with a dull blade!" He murmurs._

 _"Don't blame me for that one!" Oliver protests._

 _"If I was blaming you kid. You wouldn't be still be standing." He growls._

 _"Seriously? You're threatening me when right now I could put you on your ass?" Oliver rolls his eyes at him as Slade closes his._

 _"Ohh just kill me now!" He mutters gruffly when he realizes Oliver is probably correct._

 _His threats for once not scaring the crap out of Oliver as he knows he could actually have a chance at taking Wilson down if he did try to attack him in his condition._

 _"Let's see it then." Oliver sighs as he glances toward Slade's bandaged covered wound._

 _"Sure you don't want to let Sara do that kid? I distinctly remember you puking when you dug that damn bullet out." He murmurs. Oliver actually taking Slade's word on that one and glancing at Sara._

 _"She has more balls than you kid." Slade hisses at him before glancing to Sara, who carefully lifts the bandage, almost throwing up herself at the sight of the infected wound, the bandage sticking to it the infected skin as she lifts it._

 _"Ohh that is freakin gross." Oliver murmurs as he turns away trying not to throw up again as even Sara turns green as she gently puts the bandage back in place._

 _"Wow that's infected." Oliver comments._

 _"Go figure." Slade mutters sarcastically as Oliver backs away._

 _"We've got to stop that before it spreads." He murmurs as he turns away, still trying not to throw up as he grabs his knife._

 _"When you swing past the drugstore for those antibiotics you want to get me a copy of 'maxim' or maybe a 'sports illustrated'?" Slade growls, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm, smirking slightly as he tries to sit up a little bit to glare at Oliver, before glaring at Sara who gently restrains him from moving anywhere._

 _"Yao Fei had these super herbs back in the cave that would heal anything." Oliver reveals to a disbelieving Slade._

 _"I'm gonna go get them and Sara's going to stay and keep you company." Oliver comments as he moves towards the entrance to the plane._

 _"Be careful Ollie." Sara whispers, moving from Slade's side over to Oliver, kissing him. Slade rolls his eyes at the both of them._

 _"We. Have. Gotta, lay down some rules. Bout you pair doin' that when I'm around." He growls as Oliver releases her._

 _"I won't be gone long. Look after him." He nods to Slade._

 _"You're not going to last an hour out there." He whispers as Sara sits back down beside him._

 _Oliver turns to them both, a determined look upon his face._

 _"Well I guess then that you better hope I'm back in forty five minutes then!"_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for following and favoriting and reviewing this story and for reading this chapter. The next update is in the works, I honestly completely forgot this episode existed! Please tell me what you think. Thanks again for reading.**


	45. The Dodger (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Five**

 _Queen Mansion_

Moria Queen stands by the window as Malcolm paces behind her.

"Are you one hundred percent certain about the identity of one of those vigilantes being Slade Wilson?" He question after a moment.

"My son came to see me after he heard of the attack. He and Sara were present. Mr. Wilson wasn't. Is there anymore proof we need to prove that one of those vigilantes is the man posing as my sons best friend?" She shoots back.

"Then if it is Mr. Wilson who is one of the vigilantes, what about the other two? Oliver, Sara perhaps? The three of them are inseparable Moira." He reminds her.

"My son is not one of those vigilantes." She murmurs.

"Really? You can be really certain on that?" He retorts.

"I know my son! He has been corrupted by that man I know but he is not one of those vigilantes. I wounded them, wounded them with both with my gun. Oliver hugged me when he returned and he didn't flinch once. I repeat, Mr. Wilson wasn't there and if he was wounded then he wouldn't be. I would have seen right through him." She protests.

"If Mr. Wilson is as dangerous as I believe him to be it is possible he taught your son how to hide his pain Moira." Malcolm reveals.

"Perhaps you'd aught to enlighten me on what Mr. Wilson is capable of considering you seem to think you know something about that man I don't from the so called 'research' you've been doing and how we put an end to him. Or at the very least find enough evidence about him being a vigilante that the police won't be able to ignore! He needs to be taken away from my son!" She snaps as Malcolm turns to face her with a stern expression upon his face.

"What Mr. Wilson is capable of I believe to be rather problematic to us if he did decide to put a stop to us. The information I uncovered showed that the man who I believe him to be is a monster. If you are right about Oliver and Sara being innocent in all of this then they are in great danger around that man and if I'm correct on my assumptions it's going to take more than bullets to take this man down. I have not been able to decode all the information yet but when I do and it turns out to be Slade Wilson…"

"Then information like that can be leaked somehow?" Moria cuts him off as Malcolm nods.

"Possibly." He mutters.

"We reveal him for who he is I save and get my son back." Moira adds as Malcolm shrugs.

"Or we reveal Mr. Wilson and in turn Oliver is revealed to be involved somehow."

"Never." Moira cuts him off as Malcolm heads for the door, stopping for a moment to turn back to glance at Moria.

"Figured you should be prepared for the worst."

Moira glares after him once he's gone.

She wants that man dead.

Both Slade Wilson and Malcolm Merlyn. In her mind there's enough against Slade Wilson to have him killed and her not even care about it. She can even picture it now.

First she'd reveal Mr. Wilson for who he really is with the information she will get from Malcolm. One way or another, she will see what he has found.

Second, upon reveal her son will turn against him and then she would play the role of loving mother, comforting her son when Mr. Wilson is taken from him and Sara and then she would have her son back to hopefully the man he was before the poison more commonly known as Slade Wilson.

These actions would be Oliver's antidote.

Yet she deeply fears what plans Malcolm has for her family still. Yes she wants him to go after Mr. Wilson but at what cost? Oliver's safety? Oliver's life?

Moira cannot allow that to happen because if her hurt Oliver that's one step away from Thea. It's unavoidable.

Malcolm Merlyn has to die. His life for her children.

A knock on the door pulls Moira out of her thoughts as she moves quickly to the door, smiling when she opens it.

"Thank you for coming!" She greets her friend.

"It is so good to see you, Frank." She embraces him.

"It's been far too long." She adds.

"Yes. My interests in China have kept me away more than I like." He comments as they link arms, heading towards the living room

"But with The Undertaking approaching, I thought a return to Starling City was in order." He replies as Moira gives him a tight smile.

"Actually Frank, it's The Undertaking that I wanted to ask you about." She reveals as she pulls him to a standstill.

"I want to get out." She admits to silence before Frank finds the words to respond.

"Is this because of what happened to Walter?" He asks softly.

"With Walter, with Robert. Last week two of the vigilantes nearly made my children orphans. I've reached my limit Frank." She sighs as he takes a few steps away from her, pacing nervously.

"That's a lot to confide in me, Moira." He admits.

"Robert did." She murmurs as he looks to her.

"I know that he reached out to you whether I was supposed to know it or not. He had misgivings. He sought you out because he knew you did too!" She folds her arms.

"But then he was murdered." Frank reminds her.

"And that should be a cautionary tale for both of us."

"Yes, I know and I've gone along with this for as long as I can stomach it." She hisses as he begins to walk over to her.

"We started this to fix The Glades, Frank. To cure the city. Not lay it to waste. You got into this because of what happened to your daughter." She reminds him softly as he looks away from her, a sad expression crossing his face.

"Frank, what would Amanda want you to do?" She asks, playing her cards well as after a brief chunk of silence. Frank nods.

 _Queen Consolidated_

Entering the IT Department of Queen Consolidated, Diggle enters first followed by Oliver, Sara and Slade to find Felicity in an attempt to talk to her about what happened the previous night which had ended with her storming off.

"Well maybe we should come back later." Oliver suggests.

"Second that." Slade mutters.

"No guys, maybe we should wait. This is really serious." Diggle replies.

"The three of you need to apologise to this girl for what happened last night, especially you Slade." Diggle glances at him.

"He really isn't the type of guy to give apologies." Oliver murmurs.

"Especially something for which I was in the right. She found out about us purely for the purpose of saving Oliver's life and because of what she did for us and what she's done for us before in order to assist us, we chose to allow her the option of working for us. Her role is not to question what we do or get in our way." Slade growls out an explanation as Oliver and Sara nod to back up his point.

"What is her role then? You three all but threatened her last night! What if her next attack of conscience leads her right to the police?" Diggle grumbles.

"No she wouldn't say something, Ollie and I had to make that calculation when you found out about us." Sara replies, Oliver clutching her hand as he looks around the room.

"I wasn't consulted. Would have been most likely a different outcome if I had been involved in the decision." Slade murmurs.

"Let me guess, you would have left me to die?" Diggle sighs.

"No. Would have saved you. Wouldn't have involved you." Slade replies.

"But Sara and I mutually agreed adding you to the team would be beneficial." Oliver states.

"And what would the three of you have done if you were wrong?" Diggle hums.

"What if I had decided to make a call to Detective Lance?" He questions.

"I would have put an arrow in you." Oliver replies bluntly causing Slade to smirk and pat Oliver's shoulder proudly as Diggle laughs before realising the cold demeanour of Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"But really? Really you really would have done that? Really?" Diggle frowns worriedly.

"I would have cut out your voice box." Slade mutters in such a threatening tone that even unnerves Diggle, believing every word he says.

"Or we would have left you to Sara." Oliver looks to her as she gives Diggle a cold look, who shudders slightly just before Felicity Smoak enters the room

"Hm. If I had a bet on how quickly the four of you would visit, telling me not to reveal your secret." She puts a file on her desk before sitting down.

"Looks like I would have won."

"Actually, Felicity, we were hoping to get you to change your mind." Oliver manages a smile.

"You saw me and Slade last night, we were all worked up on adrenaline last night and we didn't exactly out our best foot forward." Oliver notes.

"We were hoping that you'd give us the opportunity to do that now." Sara adds as Felicity glares at the three of them.

"How about you start with Ken Williams. Did he also get to enjoy Oliver, Sara and Slade's adrenaline last night?" She mutters sarcastically.

"He returned the money that he stole just in time to put his son to bed." Sara replies.

"It was like we said Felicity it was just a warning." Oliver reaffirms just as the sound of the news report on TV cuts him off.

"We'd like to remind the public that we are coordinating our efforts with Interpol as the Dodger operates primarily in Europe and they have advised us to warn the public that he is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous." Says McKenna Hall from the TV.

"You know I've heard about this guy. They called him the Dodger because he avoids getting his hands dirty." Diggle speaks over the TV.

"He uses hostages to do his stealing for him." Diggle reveals.

"How?" Slade questions.

"Puts a bomb collar around their necks…" Both Oliver and Slade tense up and the mention of bombs and necks, a haunting memory hitting both of them.

"To control them." He adds causing Oliver and Slade to think of the memory again, Slade automatically glancing toward Oliver.

"Last year a guy in Madrid didn't steal what the Dodger told him to and it took his head off, literally." Diggle mutters as Felicity winces.

"And now this psycho is in Starling City. It's too bad his name is not in that notebook."

"You know not all the people we target are on the list." Slade murmurs.

"Every once in a while we make an exception." Oliver nods.

"Hostage taking jewel thief, for example." He adds as Slade steps forward.

"So why don't you assist us in taking him down?" Slade offers.

With a tight lipped smile, Felicity nods.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"He's late." A man growls to a circle of men venomously.

"Never." The voice of the Dodger says from behind him as he walks forward, placing a silver briefcase upon a desk opening it to reveal the stolen ruby.

"I maintain a Swiss account for financial transactions. He's the number." He holds out a piece of paper toward the man.

"Thanks." He mutters.

"I'll wire you the money." He notes.

"Assuming I don't misplace the numbers. My bookkeeping method is a little sloppy." He tosses the card behind him haphazardly.

"Really?" The Dodger responds.

"Clearly you're under the impression that you can have the Sherwood ruby for a steal." He says as the other men in the room close in on him, all holding guns to his head.

"Well, you're new here in town. We're not as refined in Starling City."

"I am getting that impression." The Dodger replies calmly before removing his stick and taking down the three men with the guns, before taking one in hand.

"Don't worry." He says as the last man standing holds up his hands.

"Your men are merely unconscious. In about seventeen minutes they'll wake up with the ability to tell every other fence in this town." He threatens.

"That I am not a man to be trifled with."

"What about me?" The other man responds.

"Uh?" The Dodger comments before shooting said man.

"What about you indeed."

 _Big Belly Burger_

"So to catch this guy we need to either figure out where he is or where he's going to be." Oliver speaks first beside Slade whilst Felicity sits across from them beside Sara, having decided to accept their offer to help work on taking the Dodger down.

"Is this really how you guys figure out how to get your target?" She questions.

"Over burgers and shakes?" She frowns.

"Not my idea." Slade murmurs as Carly Diggle moves over to them.

"Sorry it took me so long I'm waiting on a bunch of particularly rowdy customers." She sighs.

"You need me to handle that?" Diggle questions as Slade looks up at the prospect of 'handling' people.

"I appreciate it but I'm a pro by now." She smiles.

"I'll be here if you need me." Diggle responds as she walks away with a grin.

"And I'll handle it! Your assistance is not required Slade." He glances to Slade.

"They'd never bother her again." Slade mutters.

"Or anyone because you probably would have killed them!" Diggle rolls his eyes at him.

"She your girlfriend?" Felicity queries.

"No, no. That's my sister in law. Sort of." He murmurs.

"Carly was married to Dig's brother and he passed away." Sara informs her.

"Well, looks like she's hot for you." Felicity smiles at Diggle.

"Can we get back to crime fighting please?" Diggle begs.

"Could've have put it better myself." Slade adds.

"Actually dude, I was thinking you probably should ask her out." Oliver backs up Felicity.

"This has got nothing to do with the case. I care about taking this man down, not Diggle's personal life." Slade grumbles as the others ignore him.

"Yeah and I'll do that just five minutes you and Sara actually act like a normal couple and go out on dates yourselves!" Diggle folds his arms.

"What? You mean you two don't go on dates?" Felicity gasps in surprise.

"Uh Sara and I go on dates! We went on one the other month!" Oliver smiles.

"Um Ollie that was a double date with Slade and Helena, which then turned into a triple date with Tommy and Laurel and kinda didn't go exactly to plan considering Slade and Tommy nearly killed one another!" Sara reminds him.

"Good meal." Oliver comments.

"Purely because I want to get on with the case and hand this scumbags arse to him, have you and Sara actually ever been on a proper date kid?" Slade turns to Oliver.

"What do you mean by that?" Oliver cries indignantly.

"Well you and Sara were fooling around behind Laurel's back. When did either of you actually get to go on an official date?" Slade frowns.

"We dated on the island. I mean remember that day you went hunting on the other side of island and me and Sara had the whole day to ourselves?" Oliver reminds him.

"You think that was a date?" Diggle rolls his eyes at them.

"We did that a few times. We'd swap over to let Slade and…" Oliver trails off as he glances at Slade sadly.

"Not a proper date man." Diggle murmurs.

"Well it was a real as we could get in the circumstances!" Oliver sighs.

"So you two have never actually been on an official date that wasn't a triple one?" Felicity looks between Oliver and Sara who shake their heads simultaneously.

"Ohh my god. You need to!" She cries.

"If you hadn't noticed we're kinda busy with the whole you know, being Starling City's vigilantes!" Oliver rolls his eyes at her.

"He's right. We haven't got the time." Sara smiles.

"I think you should." Slade comments causing them to look to him.

"You can't speak man! I mean when was the last time you went out with a woman who wasn't a complete psycho!" Diggle reminds him, causing Slade to glare at him poisonously as Oliver and Sara watch him worriedly, Diggle's words not being the best words to use in talking to Slade.

"There's three of us. You two want to do something together. I think I'm perfectly capable of completing a mission alone. Probably get more names off the list that way." Slade murmurs.

"It's not his worst idea Ollie." Sara breaks through the descended silence.

"It's actually a really good idea and like he said more names out of your dads journal, Oliver." Diggle comments his opinion.

"I don't see you asking out Carly." Oliver retorts as Diggle just glares at the four of them before promptly getting out of his seat and moving toward Carly.

"Now back to work. Felicity, this guy is targeting a very specify type of jewel. We all figure out why and that'll give us the how to catch this man." Slade explains.

"I have an idea. Earlier on TV, McKenna said that they were working with Interpol. We said we'd all catch up remember after the Vertigo situation remember? We could give her a visit and whilst we're there see what she knows about the case. Or invite her out for a drink, I remember McKenna she was a right light weight!" Sara smirks at Oliver, whom nods.

"That's actually not a half bad idea." He agrees as Felicity smiles.

"Well then why don't I work up a little tech, you two distract her, slip said tech into her phone. It'll turn into a microtransmitter and boom! We'll learn everything she knows." Felicity suggests.

"I'm glad we've got you around." Sara grins as Slade raises an eyebrow.

"This isn't our typical way of getting information." He murmurs.

"And how do you guys typically get information?" Felicity questions.

"We find the person and then we put the fear of God into them until they talk." He replies.

"But that's not what's happening this time. We're not facing McKenna as the vigilantes for starters." Oliver cuts him off with a smile.

"Of course not." Slade grumbles, evidentially annoyed at this new direction already!

 _Meanwhile…_

Seeing Diggle in front of her, Carly moves toward him with a beaming smile.

"You know, Carly, I don't. I don't want this to, um. You know, to come off weird of anything." Diggle starts yet stops.

He can't believe he's doing this, just to prove Oliver Queen wrong and actually get him to go on a date with his own girlfriend!

"It's just would you like to have dinner?" He says hurriedly.

"How about tonight?" Carly replies suddenly.

"Tonight?" Diggle all but chokes out.

Carly gives him another beaming smile.

"What, we haven't waited long enough?"

Now Diggle's the one smiling.

 _Somewhere In Starling City..._

"Mmhh!" Thea Queen grins as she takes a bite from her burger.

"Who knew street meat could taste so good?" She looks to Laurel, who had come to her desk at CNRI and wondered if Thea wanted to have lunch with her, considering just how hard Thea had been working at CNRI these past weeks.

"I mean it's almost as good as some of the meat Slade cooks up for us and trust me when I say this. For a man who's been on an island for the past five years or more. I think Slade was on there for longer from what Ollie said. He's one hell of a cook." Thea says as Laurel smiles at her.

"We should have you and Tommy over for dinner." She suggests.

"That would not be a good idea." Laurel says quickly.

"Why ever not?" Thea frowns.

"Slade and Tommy hate each other with a passion." She replies.

"Ahh yes, well perhaps just you then. That would be great." Thea smiles.

"It would be, thank you for offering." Laurel replies.

"It's ok. Honestly I wish Slade got on with Tommy then we could all have dinner together." Thea sighs.

"I don't even think a peace treaty could ever happen between those two. Tommy has this notion that in an actual fight he could beat Slade." Laurel winces.

"We are talking about Slade Wilson here. He'd kill him!" Thea bites her lip.

"That's what I said! Tommy's stubborn." Laurel shakes her head in dismay.

"They're both stubborn. You should see it when Slade and Oliver disagree. It can go on for hours." She smirks.

"I have no doubt about that one." Laurel replies.

"It's even better when Sara joins in. She's just as stubborn."

"Ohh agreed! I would know after all we grew up together!" Laurel laughs with Thea.

"Well thank you for this anyway." Thea smiles after a while.

"I had a feeling you needed a break from the office. Hank was my first client. I kept his son from being sent away for a mugging that he didn't commit." Laurel murmurs with a smile.

"And how did that not score you free hot dogs for life?" Thea frowns.

"CNRI gives low income people access to the legal system. Without them his son could have gone to prison forever." Laurel explains.

"I could have gone to prison to!" Thea reminds her.

"He couldn't afford a dream team of super lawyers." Laurel adds.

"So I'm supposed to feel guilty because I'm lucky enough to have a rich family? Even though I think moms still angry about Ollie moving out and me deciding to join them." Thea questions as Laurel shakes her head.

"No. You are lucky and hopefully CNRI will show you that. Also is she still not pleased about that?" Laurel asks softly.

"Well I don't think she cares too much about us moving out. I think it's more the reason why and the people we moved in with." Thea sighs as Laurel nods.

"She still has a problem with…" Laurel is suddenly cut off by someone running past Thea and subsequently snatching her handbag from her.

"Hey!" Thea cries as both she and Laurel take off after the man in the red hoodie.

Laurel and Thea have him cornered when he reaches a fence.

Gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes, he turns to face the two furious women.

"Give us the purse and we won't press any charges." Laurel bargains as the man looks at both she and Thea before running up a set of wooden planks, throwing himself over the fence expertly, dropping down the other side, glancing at Laurel and Thea one last time before racing out of sight.

"Yeah. You're right. I really do feel lucky." Thea mutters sarcastically as Laurel walks over toward the fence upon spying something silver and shiny.

"This got snagged as he wilted over the fence." She pulls a chain free from where it had gotten caught in the fence.

"Looks like a chain from his wallet." She throws it to Thea, who sighs.

"Like I said. I'm so very lucky!"

 _SCPD_

Hand in hand, Sara and Oliver walk over toward McKenna's desk, knocking on it when they reach it, smiling at their friend.

"I thought you two had given up crime fighting." She smiles.

"What?" Oliver frowns.

"Well the business with Thea. I figured that you'd stay out of police precincts Oliver. If I remember rightly you and law enforcement never used to go well together. Unless of course Sara wanted to visit her dad." She smirks before adding.

"It's great to see you both by the way." She grins before hugging Sara.

"You to. We saw you on the news earlier and realized that we never thanked you for everything that you did and we did say we'd all catch up at some point." Sara replies.

"You two are very welcome." She nods.

"So you got promoted?" Oliver asks.

"Major Crimes and they assigned me to The Dodger case. He extorts people into stealing for him." She explains as Oliver and Sara give her curious glances as their cover.

"How's that going?" Sara questions.

"Slow. Almost as slow as the last robbery thing we had. Guy in a blue parka, he escaped to Central City before we could even identify that one! Figured out his identity eventually, another criminal it's going to take forever to catch!" She rolls her eyes at them before moving away from her desk.

Whist she's absent, Sara removes the bug Felicity created and slips it into the back of McKenna's phone.

"Good job." Oliver kisses the side of her head as McKenna returns.

"Like we said we must all catch up sometime soon! Get drinks perhaps?" Sara suggests as McKenna laughs.

"Like old times. Except the PG version. Don't think parties are such a good idea as they used to be. We all used to have a lot of fun back then." She reminds them of the carefree pre island days, big parties that Sara remembers sneaking into to try and hang out with her sisters friends. McKenna used to be a lot of fun herself then.

"Something that's been missing from my life lately." McKenna adds.

"Drinks then the three of us?" Oliver suggests kindly to his friend.

"Possibly the four of us." Sara adds as Oliver nods.

"Yes I would love that and definitely the four of us. I have yet to meet that hot Australian friend of yours." McKenna grins as Oliver and Sara start laughing.

"I'm free tonight if you guys want?" She suggests as Oliver and Sara nod.

"Sure! We'll see you later." Sara beams at their friend as she and Oliver walk away, hand in hand once more as they depart the precinct.

 _Finding the cave Yao Fei had kept both Oliver and Sara in. Oliver races inside quickly, looking around the place briefly as memories hit him of being here with Sara after Yao Fei had shot them both with arrows and then healed them with said plants he's trying to locate._

 _He soon does so and smiling at them, rips a load out and shoves them into his pockets just as the abrupt sound of movement causes to Oliver almost jump half a freakin mile._

 _"Who's there?" He cries as a bloodied and bruised man suddenly reveals himself to Oliver, who shines his torch on him as the man croaks._

 _"Help me."_

 _A Bar In Starling City_

Having left Sara and Oliver to talk to their friend, Slade decides it's been awhile since he's gone for a drink and after some of the memories that had hit him today.

That drinks most certainly needed!

"Wilson!" A familiar voice calls his name as he approaches the bar.

Leonard, whom is walking over to him.

"Haven't seen you around here in a while. Wondered what had happened to you." Leonard comments as he and Slade head into the bar, ordering drinks instantly.

"Haven't seen you since the thing with Queen's mother." He comments.

"Been busy." Slade murmurs.

"How did that go?" Leonard smirks.

"It's a work in progress." Slade puts.

"Do tell. I'm intrigued." Leonard replies.

"She's a suspicious woman." Slade mutters.

"I agree. Having troubles with her son about your opinions on his mother?" He asks.

"We are still of different minds about it. We've come to a truce. Unless we receive anything else that worries us that she is up to something we're putting it to one side. For now." Slade murmurs, saying no more on the matter.

"Not doing your own research still?" Leonard smirks mischievously.

"Promised Oliver I wouldn't." He mutters.

"And you keep to those promises?" Leonard frowns.

"Ones to Oliver. Yes I do." Slade responds as he takes a long sip from his drink.

"Here in Starling City just to drink?" He glances at Leonard a few moments of silence later.

"No actually. A delivery job has suddenly come up here in Starling City. A delivery job both me and my friend are most deeply interested in." He explains with a smirk.

"Promises better money than a job in Central City." He adds as they both glance toward the TV which is once more showing a news article on the Dodger.

"Now that's one hellva robbery!" Leonard comments.

"I don't agree, he gets others to do his work for him." Slade replies.

"I said the robbery was good not the thief himself. You want something so terribly you should be prepared to take it yourself. Getting others to do the dirty work? Cheating!" Leonard smirks before adding.

"Sloppy as well, what if those others decided to take the prize from themselves? Heard that Sherwood Ruby was one hellva jewel." Leonard notes.

"He controls them." Slade murmurs.

"Agreed! Or threaten someone close to them." He adds as Slade nods.

"Probably would work as well. That's why this guys so good at what he does." Leonard says.

"Without power over others he would fail." Slade replies.

"There's only one person in the world I would do just about anything for."

"Your sister?" Slade mutters.

"Exactly! I'd do everything the person wanted then the moment I knew she's in the clear. I'd kill them." Leonard comments as he downs his drink.

Thoughts of Oliver and Sara come to mind as Slade nods in agreement.

"Sense we're on the same page." Leonard adds.

"We are. Because there is nothing in the world we wouldn't do for the only family we have left."

 _The Glades_

Deciding to return to The Foundry after a few hours spent drinking with Leonard, who had to deal with his delivery job. Slade walks back through The Glades to get there, passing CNRI on his way, walking into Thea and Laurel as he does so, Laurel smiling at him momentarily in greeting before turning back to her phone as Thea sighs miserably.

"What's wrong?" Slade frowns at her.

"Laurel and I were out and some asshole thief in a red hoodie stole my freakin purse!" She grumbles sadly as Slade fixes her a concerned look.

"Did he hurt either of you?" He growls, fully prepared to go all Man In The Mask on this guy if he had laid a hand on either of them, wondering if he should do that anyway. Oliver would agree to that when he learnt said person robbed Thea.

"Nope. But he took my purse." Thea mutters.

"Know who he is?" Slade questions.

"No. Laurel's calling it in." She sighs.

"You learn who it is you tell me." He growls.

"You'd beat him up for me? I could live with that." She replies with a slight smile.

"For going after you? Son of a bitch wouldn't bother anybody again." Slade threatens menacingly and that's a promise!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading, next chapter should be up soon as it's in the works! Thanks to all of you who have favorited, reviewed and followed this story, please tell me what you think of this chapter. See you all next update!**


	46. The Dodger (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Six**

 _The Foundry_

The sound a phone ringing arrives through Felicity's computer, she hits a few buttons to connect to the call so she, Diggle, Oliver and Sara can listen in through the device in McKenna's phone.

"Sergeant its Detective Hall. I have an update on the Dodger case. A body was found at an art gallery shot point blank. There were three other men all rendered unconscious by a highly focused electric current to the heart." She reveals.

"Same MO as that guard at the museum. You got an ID on the vic?"

"His name is Cass Derenick." McKenna replies.

"Pause." Oliver murmurs.

"Who's Cass Derenick?" Sara asks.

"Arrest, possession of stolen goods. Arrest conspiracy, conviction attempted sale of stolen goods." Felicity reads off the list of crimes committed by this man.

"This guys a fence. The Dodger is looking to unload the Sherwood Ruby." Diggle mutters.

"Which means he'll be in the market for a new fence. One he hasn't, you know, killed." Felicity winces.

"So we find the fence and we find the Dodger." Oliver turns to face them.

"Exactly. How we do that is another matter." Felicity replies.

"It'll be done." Sara notes almost menacingly.

"Where's Slade?" Diggle questions as Oliver frowns.

"That's actually a good point haven't seen him since Sara and I went to talk to..."

"Missed me, kid?" Slade's voice calls out as he appears from the top of the stairs.

"Where have you been?" Sara queries.

"Out. We might have a side job. Some worthless son of a bitch thought it would be a good idea to steal Thea's stuff." He grumbles as Oliver gasps.

"What! Is she ok?" Oliver cries.

"Thankfully. If he had hurt her there would be pieces of that guy all over Starling a City by now. Still wondering if we should hunt him down anyways." Slade mutters.

"She get a name?" Oliver growls.

"Not yet. Told her to tell me if she did." He replies.

"Good idea. No one messes with my sister and should live to tell the tale." Oliver murmurs, strangely reminding Slade of his earlier conversation with Leonard!

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

"Anyway, I saw online that you sell a chain wallet with an eight ball on the chain?" Thea asks on her phone from the couch when Oliver, Sara and Slade enter the living room, she smiles at the three of them.

"I was wondering if you could give me a name of one your customers if I gave you a description? Yah sure you can call me back." She nods as she hangs up.

"You and every other used clothing and leather good store I've called today!" She puts her phone down.

"That about the guy who robbed you today?" Oliver questions.

"Slade tell you about that?" She sighs.

"Yeah. Find the guy?" Oliver asks.

"Work in progress." She grumbles before looking to them again.

"Where you there off to tonight?" She asks.

"Drinks with an old friend, someone Ollie and I knew before the island." Sara reveals.

"You mean you three actually go out with friends?" Thea sniggers.

"Surprise to me, considering I only found out about this half an hour ago." Slade glances to Oliver and Sara.

"Yes contrary to popular opinion we do have a life. We don't just hang out with each other." Oliver laughs as Thea's phone begins to ring, she instantly looks at it.

"I've got to take this, very important purse snatching case." She rolls her eyes.

"Be careful Thea." Oliver warns her.

"Don't worry, I will be. Soon as I get a name I'm telling the police." She reassures them.

"Good we don't want you getting yourself in danger." Sara says gently as Oliver and Slade nod in agreement.

"I won't. You three go and have fun!" She smiles as she picks up her phone.

"Hello? Yeah he might have been wearing a red hoodie. Kind of Abercrombie looking. His face, not body." Thea bites her lip as she is given an answer.

"Really? You wouldn't happen to have his name?" She waits a moment, pen poised.

"Thank you so much." She notes before hanging up and ringing another number.

"Hey, Laurel. Does your dad still like, arrest people? I found the dirtbag." She glances down at the name she wrote down on the paper.

"His name is Roy Harper."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I can't remember the last time I was here. It's so beautiful." Carly comments as she walks alongside Diggle on their very first date.

"Yeah this was the place to take a girl in high school." He replies.

"Yeah I was never lucky enough to experience that. I had braces and terrible bangs back then." She laughs.

"I'm sure you looked amazing." Diggle smiles.

"You know I'm glad we finally got around to doing this." She admits.

"Me too." Diggle grins as a silence passes between the two of them momentarily.

"You know, Andy set a pretty high bar when it came to first dates. He faced down armed gunmen for a living but I've never seen him as scared as he was before that first date with you." He explains before realizing the mistake he made and closing his eyes in frustration.

"Carly I'm sorry. That wasn't first date etiquette, was it?" He says noticing Carly's face.

"Bring up Andy when we are having a romantic night? Probably not." She murmurs.

"Carly, this is difficult and complicated. It's not like there's a manual..."

"You know for a moment I felt like a girl who likes a boy and nothing else mattered. If this is too hard for you or too complicated then please just get out now because I've already been hurt too much."

"Carly listen I…"

"Can you just please take me home." She mutters as Diggle sighs in complete defeat.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"McKenna!" Sara calls her over to where she, Oliver and Slade are sitting in a bar.

"Hey guys." She smiles back as she heads over toward them.

"Great to see you again for a second time today." Oliver notes.

"You to! And you must be Slade Wilson. Great to finally meet you." She shakes hands with Slade, smiling at him as she sits down beside Sara.

"Likewise, Oliver and Sara say great things about you." He replies.

"Do they now." She smirks at Oliver and Sara as they get drinks.

"So I'm guessing you're not from around Starling City." She looks to Slade again.

"I'm not but it is my home now." He reveals.

"Never wanted to go back to where you were from before the island?" She questions.

"There's nothing there for me anymore everyone that's important to me is right here." He looks to Oliver and Sara, who smile back as silence passes between the four.

"So you three must have missed alcohol." McKenna notes after awhile.

"What do you mean?" Oliver questions.

"Five years on an island away from civilization?"

"Ohh there was some alcohol there. Well one whole bottle which I managed to almost finish in a few hours before a certain someone caught me." Oliver remembers as Slade rolls his eyes at him.

"Can't believe you found that, kid." Slade murmurs.

"Can't believe you thought I wouldn't." Oliver smirks.

"That was an interesting evening." Sara chuckles.

One of the incredibly rare moments that was enjoyable on that island.

"What did the three of you do on that island all that time? What did you three eat? Where did you three sleep?"

"McKenna!" Sara whispers to cut her off as she bites her lip.

"Sorry." She murmurs.

"I didn't mean to drill the three of you." She apologizes.

"It's ok." Oliver smiles reassuringly.

"It's just I haven't had a conversation with people in a whole without it resulting in me reading someone their rights. So, but those years they must have changed the three of you. I mean I've only just met you Slade but Oliver, Sara. It's changed you two."

Hand in Sara's, memories hit Oliver in an instant, he and Sara being shot by arrows by Yao Fei. The pain and fear of Sara being killed in that moment.

"From the two people I used to party with to who you two are now." McKenna continues.

"Yeah." Oliver replies as he remembers his one sided fight with Billy Wintergreen. The punches he gave him as Oliver yelled his wrongs at him.

"Because we had to make some tough choices. The people they were wouldn't have been the people who survived. They had to be forged a new." Slade murmurs as more memories hit Oliver, so many memories...

The man in the cave begging Oliver to help him. Her, the final battle, watching Sara slip away from him, falling to his knees, breaking down whilst holding his fallen brother with an arrow through his eye as he prepared to give up surviving…

"You're right, he's right. It changed us." Oliver murmurs before anymore memories come to the surface.

"What kind of tough choices?"

"We don't want to talk about those experiences, McKenna." Slade growls cutting her off in an instant as Oliver and Sara look at him gratefully.

McKenna looks to be about to reply when her mobile begins to ring.

"Saved by the cell." She smirks as she reaches for it.

"Hall. Ok put what the CI told you in the warrant application. I'll be right there." She says quickly before hanging up, looking at the other three apologetically.

"It's work. I got to go." She notes to silence from the Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"Ok." She nods before disappearing.

"Well she's certainly persistent." Slade mutters before glancing to Oliver.

"You ok, kid?" He questions concern in his voice as Oliver nods.

"Yeah. Yeah just memories." Oliver replies as he squeezes Sara's hand, patting Slade's arm before reaching for his phone, dialling a number.

"Felicity. Listen, please. I need you to activate the bug in McKenna's phone. I think the police just got a lead on the Dodger. Ok." Oliver mutters before hanging up, surrendering himself to memories…

 _"Who are you?" Oliver asks the man, shining a torch at him as he does so._

 _"My names Alan Durand. I'm an exchange student. I was on a fishing excursion with my class. We got lost and our boat caught fire." He explains quickly before looking away._

 _"We… It was a mechanic malfunction. We had to jump ship…"_

 _"When?" Oliver snaps._

 _"Two days ago." The man replies._

 _"It was awful. I thought I was going to die." He whispers._

 _"Where are. Where are the other students?" Oliver questions._

 _"Where's the boats crew?" He snaps again._

 _"I think I'm the only one who made it. I managed to get to shore. I thought I was lucky…"_

 _"What? Somebody found you?" Oliver continues to question him._

 _"Soldiers or…"_

 _"Yes! Yes! Man, this mass came on me, attacked me and beat me. They left me here! Who are they?" He cries desperately as Oliver falls silent._

 _"You can untie me at any point by the way."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Nice place you have here." The Dodger comments.

"Oh, thank you." A woman named Claire Abbot replies.

"Tell me, does every fence in this town hire muscle?" He questions at her security team.

"I did as soon as I heard about what you did to Cass Derenick." She mutters.

"Ah, yes Cass. God rest his soul." He comments respectively.

"He wasn't a very nice man. He tried to steal from me. I've heard that you have a better sense of judgement and that you have no trouble in moving this." He opens his briefcase.

"No. It's only recession for some people." She lifts the Sherwood Ruby.

"I take a fifteen percent commission off the top." She murmurs.

"Let's call it twelve percent, shall we?" The Dodger responds as she lowers the Ruby.

"Obviously I don't have to remind you about what happened to the last person who tried to screw me over." He murmurs.

"SCPD! Get on the floor!" Comes the sudden yell of McKenna Hall as she and the SCPD arrive on the scene, the men firing upon the SCPD, who fire back.

The Dodger escaping during the shootout, diving behind a car to hide whilst Claire Abbott makes a break for it, only to be tackled to the floor by McKenna.

It is then The Dodger sees a door labeled exit, which he races out of and away for, the building only for an arrow to go soaring past his head, turning back to face The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask, upon a rooftop.

"Come quietly!" The Man In The Hood yells.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline." The Dodger replies cockily.

"Then I'm afraid you won't be going to jail." The Man In The Mask throws a knife expertly in the Dodger's direction, whom ducks and races away as the three vigilantes set off after him. The Dodger then, hidden from sight removes a collar from his pocket, clicking a few buttons he throws it behind him in the path of the three vigilantes, where it explodes causing the three of them to scatter, flames everywhere, hitting The Man In The Mask in the arm and The Man In The Hood on his shoulder when he moves to throw The Woman In Black clear of the flames…

 _The Foundry_

"Are you pair ok?" Sara asks hurriedly as she Oliver and Slade walk down the steps side by side. Slade and Oliver haven't said a word since they put the flames out, other then the swear out many words of profanity. Oliver simply nods, but Sara knows he isn't.

They both aren't. They're remembering.

She doubts said memory would have hit them so badly if McKenna hadn't have dragged most of the others up earlier.

"I heard in the news that the Dodger got away, hopefully the night wasn't a complete waste and… Are you pair ok?!" Felicity suddenly yelps as she sees Oliver and Slade removing their vigilantes uniform's to reveal burns from the explosion.

"Man that is nasty." Diggle winces as Oliver shakes his head.

"We've…" He stops and looks to Slade, who's already busy cleaning his burns.

"We've had worse." He murmurs as Sara presses a quick kiss to his lips in comfort before taking the medical resources off him and turning to his wound.

Felicity takes a few steps towards Slade tentatively.

"Do you need any help with that?" She asks softly.

"I'm fine." Slade mutters dismissively, glancing up at her sharply when she places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Why are your hands shaking then?" She whispers, looking down to where Slade's hands are visibly shaking. He controls them in an instant.

"It's ok. You don't have to tell me." She tries to smile as she turns to look at the four.

"So hopefully tonight wasn't totally awful. I mean Diggle what about your date and you three managed to go out didn't you? How it all go?" She questions kindly.

"Great."

"Awesome." Are Diggle and Sara's responses as Felicity glances at them all.

"You guys suck at lying." Felicity responds.

"The police and we busted it up before the Dodger could get himself paid." Sara replies as she carefully dresses Oliver's wound.

"No changing the subject." Felicity cuts her off.

"Is the hacker chip still working?" She asks.

"You guys are no fun." Felicity sighs as she moves away from Slade to sit at her desk.

"Yeah. Still getting a strong signal." She beams at them.

"You should pull up the police records. Everything the Dodger has stolen so far." Oliver finally speaks causing Sara to sigh in relief, pressing a kiss to his head.

"We know the Dodger has a taste for a very specific type of antiquity." He adds as Felicity pulls up a few records on screen.

"Yeah, these don't look like they're from the ominous decade. Last ten years of King Ferdinand's reign." She murmurs.

"And she says we have no lives." Diggle snorts.

"Are there any other places that sell or display items from the ominous thing?" Oliver replies as Felicity glances to him.

"Decade." She corrects him.

"Not really. I guess people in Starling City prefer the Elizabethan era." She glances at a few things on her screen.

"Starling City Cancer Society. It says right their that they are holding a fundraising auction tomorrow night. We could lure him out into the open?" Sara suggests.

"With what? A fake?" Felicity questions.

"No. The Dodger clearly has a trained eye for this sort of thing. He's not going to fall for anything less than the genuine article." Oliver responds. Felicity scoffs.

"Yeah and where are we going to get our hands on a rare Spanish antiquity?" She looks at them all in disbelief.

"You really have no idea how rich Oliver's family is do you?" Diggle folds his arms.

"Oh." Felicity nods as Oliver and Sara smirk at her.

"Rich enough." Slade mutters from his seat on the table as wordlessly, Oliver crosses the room to embrace him and Slade lets him.

They both remember that explosion, racing through the flames. Slade yelling Oliver's name, being engulfed in flames...

 _SCPD: Next Morning_

"Roy William Harper, Jr." Quentin Lance states as he enters the interrogation room where the thief of Thea Queen's purse, more commonly known as Roy Harper, sits.

"Where's your senior?" Quentin questions.

"Norris Cemetery." He murmurs as from behind the glass Thea and Laurel watch as Quentin sits in front of him.

"Sorry to hear that." He replies.

"You and and army of bookies. Can I go?" Roy responds.

"No. You've been ID'ed as a suspect in a purse snatching. It's quite a resume you complied here. Petty theft, BE, robbery, petty theft, stolen car. Well it's nice to change things up once in a while." Quentin notes sarcastically.

"And petty theft. You got some thing against banks?" He looks up at Roy.

"Well it is hard to run with one under your arm." He mutters.

"Well maybe you'll learn a few new skills in prison." Quentin snaps.

"Look, I don't want to steal. Ok I don't have any other choice." Quentin scoffs in disbelief.

"My mother, she. She has a problem." He reveals.

"Yeah he sons a moron." Quentin mutters.

"No. Vertigo." He admits causing silence to descend, Thea biting her lip at the revelation.

"She got hooked on Vertigo last year. She kicked it but I guess she'd done enough that it messed her up." He sighs.

"Hm." Quentin hums in a way that translates to 'I don't buy your bullshit'

"She hasn't been the same and her medical bills… I'm just trying to help her get out from under. Look we're not privileged enough to have as much as other people, ok?"

"Fine. Let him go." Thea says from behind the glass.

"It's just a damn purse right?"

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira takes the piece of paper offered from Frank Chen, reluctant to hand it over at first but does eventually.

"They'll meet with you. It has been arranged." He admits to Moria.

"Thank you for this. There's one more thing I need you to do for me. Malcolm is the only one who knows where Walter is being kept. I just. I just need a clue. Some lead to follow." She says quickly as she turns to face Frank.

"If our plan works, I can't let it damn Walter to hell." She reveals.

"No. That's the fare that's in store for us, I'm afraid." He sighs before simply walking away…

 _The Auction_

At night the auction commences, the priceless piece donated by the Queen family sitting upon a table as Oliver glances at it, Sara and Slade beside him as they look around the busy room for Diggle who joins them.

"Hate these things." Slade grumbles, adjusting his eyepatch grumpily.

"Have to agree." Sara murmurs back, hissing slightly at the pain in her feet from her way high, silver high heels matching her silver mini dress.

"Hopefully we get to put a definite end to this guy very soon." Slade growls.

"We will, don't worry." Oliver mutters as Diggle joins them.

"I'm not worried we won't. I just don't want to be here!" Slade replies.

"Police are here too. Your baits attracted them at least." Diggle murmurs.

"It's not exactly who I'm looking to catch." Oliver mutters as from a distance away they all spy Felicity, walking forth in a beautiful gold dress, blond hair freed from its usual ponytail and unlike usual she isn't wearing her glasses.

Slade, Sara, Oliver and Diggle move over toward her she smiles when she looks up at them.

"So I'm getting a good signal from the GPS I put in your family's broach. I can track it on my phone. Speaking of, have you given any thought to what might happen if this doesn't work and the Dodger absconds with your family jewels?" She questions as the others stop and stare at her, Slade smirking at her choice of words, causing it to hit Felicity.

"Sorry, that came out very wrong." She winces.

"Let's just keep our eyes open Felicity." Slade murmurs as she smiles at him nervously before disappearing leaving the four.

"Wait isn't that the cop from the TV? Your friend?" Diggle questions as they spot McKenna.

"I'd rather take my chances with a deadly jewel thief then someone who asks constant questions like she." Slade grumbles before moving elsewhere as Oliver and Sara also depart.

Neither of them really wanting to talk to her currently thanks to her constant questioning about memories better left unsaid.

Having left Sara and Oliver, Slade moves through the auction room in an attempt to spot them again, or even Felicity. Yet instead, he sees someone unexpected.

"Leonard?" He questions as he approaches the man he had only seen the other day.

"Slade! Now this is a surprise! Queen drag you here?" He smirks.

"You don't seem the type of person to be here." He adds.

"I'm not. I didn't strike me as the type of person either to be here." Slade responds.

"I ain't either. Told you I had a delivery job? Well that job entailed me bringing half the valuables here. So I figured I'd stick around." He explains before asking.

"Queen auctioning something?" He questions.

"Yes he is." Slade mutters.

"Decided to drag you into it? Well I can't say much considering…" He stops as a rather glamorous woman with curly brown hair in a pretty black dress walks toward them.

"Lenny you said this was going to be fun." She murmurs as Leonard puts his arm around her shoulders as she smirks at Slade.

"Slade Wilson meet my sister. Lisa." He introduces them.

"Ahh so you're Lenny's new friend that has him keep coming back to Starling City." She smiles as they shake hands.

"He mentioned me?" Slade raises an eyebrow at Leonard, whom smirks.

"He did. Had to tell us why he kept disappearing to this city didn't you." She looks to her brother who glances at her.

"Thought she'd might like a trip to Starling City so I invited her on the delivery job with me. Figured you pair should meet. I was gonna bring her to the bar tomorrow." Leonard says to Slade as Lisa nods.

"Now that would have been more enjoyable than this." She smirks.

"Agreed." Slade mutters, causing Lisa to smile at him again.

"Think you would have preferred that island to this." Leonard replies.

"Ohh I would." Slade murmurs with much distaste.

"Yeah I heard you were stuck on an island for five years with that Oliver Queen guy and his girlfriend who my brother has the hots for." She grins at him.

"Lisa." Leonard growls at her, rolling his eyes at Slade who simply glances at him.

"He the reason you're here?" She asks.

"Yes. His family have donated an antique of some kind." Slade replies.

"What kind?" Leonard queries.

"Some rare Spanish antique." Slade shrugs.

"Interesting." Lisa smiles as Slade rolls his eye in response.

"I assure you it's not. I better find out where he and Sara have gotten to." Slade replies.

"Bar tomorrow?" Leonard questions.

"I'll see what I can do. It was a pleasure to meet you Lisa." He glances to her.

"Likewise." She smirks back as Slade heads off to find Oliver and Sara.

"You never mentioned he was handsome." Lisa murmurs approvingly as she watches Slade go. Leonard just rolls his eyes at her.

 _Meanwhile…_

Unbeknownst to anyone but a certain blonde with a phone. The Dodger has swiped a certain piece of jewellery donated by the Queen's right under everyone's noses.

With her phone bleeping, Felicity looks around hurriedly to see if she can see where the person, who has evidentially stolen the broach has gone, spying a man walking past her with the broach in hand…

"Hey. That broach was donated by the Queen family. If you want it, you're going to have to bid." She hisses threateningly. The Dodger turns to face her.

"Actually, love, I thought I'd just take it…"

 _Meanwhile..._

Walking through the crowds, Diggle heads over to where Oliver and Sara are talking to one another, watching them smile when Slade rejoins them.

"I think I'm gonna check if the security guard is having any problems." Diggle murmurs.

"That's a good idea. We're going to go and check on the bait." Oliver comments as he, Sara and Slade head in one direction, Felicity crashing into Slade as she races toward them.

"Felicity?" Sara frowns as Felicity touches her neck fearfully where a collar is attached.

Same collar used to control the Dodgers men.

The one he had tried to kill the three vigilantes with.

"I think we have a problem." She whispers before backing away quickly as Slade tries to steady her to get a look at the device.

"Get away from me. If this thing blows…" She backs into a wall.

"That is not going to happen." Slade murmurs as he gently touches the collar, assessing it.

"The Dodger. He said if I call the police he…" She trails off.

"It's definitely an explosive device. Need something to get the casing open." Slade hisses as Diggle races around for something to pry the casing open with.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Diggle turns to Slade. Felicity pales.

"Ohh I'm going to get decapitated aren't I?" Felicity whimpers.

"No you're not." Slade reassures her.

"Again you know what you're doing?" Diggle frowns.

"Former Australian military remember." He growls as Diggle passes him something sharp, Felicity's phone bleeping, she lifts it carefully.

"Tracker is on the move." Oliver notes.

"If we can find him then we can get him to disarm it." Slade mutters.

"Talk us in." Oliver looks to Felicity.

"I've got this, you take her phone." Slade growls to Diggle, who complies, Slade turning back to Felicity and the bomb collar around her neck, placing a hand brief on her shoulder.

"Stay calm. I won't let this go off." Slade murmurs as Felicity winces.

"Too late to stay calm." She whispers as Slade opens a small panel.

"Go. Go now!" He shouts to Oliver and Sara, who with one anxious look at Felicity, race away quickly as Felicity frowns.

"Why. Why aren't you going with them!" She cries.

"They can take this guy down themselves. I'm not leaving ya." He smiles at her reassuringly.

"Thank you." She whispers.

"Don't thank me yet." He murmurs as he returns to face the collar...

 _Meanwhile…_

"Talk to us Felicity!" Sara cries through her phone as she and Oliver jog outside.

"Talk to us." She repeats to silence as Diggle lifts the phone up for Felicity to see whilst Slade continues to try and do something about the damn collar.

"He's headed toward Adams and O'Neal. At the clip he's going he's got to be in a vehicle." She gulps as Slade sits her down carefully, whilst Oliver and Sara look around, their eyes falling on a guy standing beside a motorcycle.

"Hey we need your bike." He states.

"You kidding me?" The man replies.

"No." Sara responds as Oliver knocks the man to the ground, before grabbing the helmet, getting on to the bike as Sara joins him, curling her arms around his waist as he sets off.

"We're mobile where is he?" Oliver yells.

"Talk to us Felicity!" Sara cries as Felicity, glances at Slade.

"Can I move?" She asks nervously as he nods, moving all tools away from the collar as she pulls her tablet out of her bag.

"First time anyone's ever been grateful for traffic cameras." She bites her lip.

"He's one block away. If you two cut through Harris Plaza you'll end up right behind him." She says quickly as Oliver speeds off in that direction, driving down flights of stairs to get to another road.

"Where is he now?" Sara calls.

"I got him. I got him. I got him." Felicity replies before adding.

"Grey sedan driving north at the light ahead of you both. Dead ahead, good." She comments as Oliver directs himself in that direction.

"Good. Hard right." She calls.

"Got him!" Sara calls as Oliver attempts to drive up the side of him, zooming past and turning back, causing The Dodger to hit several road works as he goes, Sara pulling something out of Oliver's pocket to throw expertly at the car, causing it to smash into a wall, flipping over onto its roof.

The Dodger crawls out of the wreckage as Oliver and Sara climb off the motorcycle.

"Don't do anything stupid. I had the foresight to collar up a particularly inquisitive blonde. I assume she's a friend of the two of you?" He questions.

"Destroy him." Slade hisses through the phone to Oliver and Sara.

"Touch one hair on my head and she loses hers." The Dodger threatens.

"You two have got quite the choice to make, haven't you?" He says smugly as a memory hits Oliver of another choice.

A choice so long ago between women…

"Not this time." Oliver replies as Sara throws a dart at the Dodgers wrist.

"Your median nerve has been severed. You couldn't push that button if you tried." Oliver mutters as back at the auction the collar suddenly releases from Felicity's neck and falls into Slade's hands.

"Oh thank god." She whispers as Slade carefully moves it away from her.

"Why are you two doing this?" The Dodger questions.

"I'm exactly like the three of you. I only steal from the rich." He says, trying to pull his taser out of his sleeve, only to have it grabbed by Oliver, who strikes him with it causing the Dodger to collapse whilst Oliver looks to Sara.

"We're not Robin Hood and his Merry Men."

 _"I don't know when these men are coming back! You have to believe me, untie me please!" The man protests furtherly to Oliver, who still doesn't move._

 _Standing as still as a statue as he thinks over his options._

 _Save this man, bring him back the plane only for him to turn on them, after Wilson's location? That's a possibility._

 _The other possibility is that his words are true and if they are can Oliver really leave this man here to die?_

 _This isn't him thinking. He's thinking like Wilson would._

 _"You think these men planted me in here as some kind of trap or something?" He cries._

 _"Well. Well then why'd they tie you up like that and just leave you? Why not just kill you?" Oliver tries to reason._

 _"They were going to! They got called away! Some, some altercation somewhere else on the island. If they come back they will kill both of us. Please you have to believe me! Please!" He cries as Oliver sighs._

 _"All right. All right, turn, turn around."_

 _"Thank you." The man whispers before turning around._

 _"Thank you." He says almost tearfully, as Oliver bends down beside the man, placing the knife against the rope..._

 _'What are you doin' kid?' Wilson's voice says within his head._

 _'You bring him back to us? He could be working for Fyers! You can't trust anyone here' he hears what Wilson would do in his head._

 _He'd do anything to survive._

 _"I'm sorry but I can't." Oliver whispers as the man turns to face him with a broken look._

 _"What? Why? Why not!" He cries as Oliver heads for the exit._

 _"Because I don't know you." He replies simply, clicking the torch off._

 _"Are you out of your mind? Please! You can't do this you can't just leave me here!" The man begs but Oliver's already gone._

 _The Foundry_

"Well nearly getting my head blown off by some bomb collar was certainly a new experience." Felicity comments as she, Slade, Oliver and Sara enter The Foundry.

"At least it didn't." Sara pats her shoulder gently when Felicity sits down at her desk.

"No it didn't thanks to you, Oliver and Slade." She smiles warmly as Oliver packs his small darts away before turning to Sara.

"We did good tonight Ollie." She murmurs as he kisses her forehead.

"Oh, perhaps we should have stayed a bit longer." Felicity winces upon seeing a recent news article upon her screen.

"What?" Oliver turns his head.

"Well apparently there's just been a robbery, half the auction items have been stolen by a bunch of thieves. They haven't managed to identify anyone." She explains.

"One wore a blue parka." She reads off the rest of the information as Oliver frowns.

"Guy with a blue parka? Isn't that the same guy who stole the money in that Vertigo case?" Sara comments as Oliver nods.

"Yeah. You almost took him out." Oliver reminds her.

"Any record of this guy in Starling City? Perhaps the three of us need to deal with him." Sara murmurs as Felicity types in the information they have.

"No not really, there's record of him here in Starling City. Yet they haven't managed to identify him yet because he only appeared one or twice. However, in the last few months he's kept returning here. Something must have appeared worth returning for." Felicity replies as she turns to face them.

"Something valuable." She adds.

"We find that something perhaps we'll find the thief." Sara suggests.

"And if we get that something we can use it to drag him out of the shadows." Oliver decides before adding.

"Keep a record on what this guy does, perhaps he'll leave some clues behind as to what he keeps coming here for." He says before turning to Sara, talking to her briefly before the two of them head for the stairs leaving Felicity with Slade.

"Thank you, for what you did earlier." Felicity looks to him.

"You're welcome. I wouldn't have let it kill you Felicity." He murmurs she smiles as he heads toward his uniform, she watches as he trails his fingers over the fabric that had been burnt away from earlier.

"Was it a bad explosion?" Felicity finds herself asking.

"Not really, been through worse."

"No. That's not what I meant." She replies.

"It was. Oliver…" He stops as he adjusts his eyepatch.

"I thought Oliver was going to get himself killed, I went after him. He blames himself for what happened after that." He mutters as Felicity just looks at him sadly.

"It's not a pleasant story." He adjusts his eyepatch again.

"You know you can take that thing off if you want. It doesn't look very comfortable." Felicity smiles reassuringly as Slade glances at her.

"Trust me Felicity you don't wish to see what lies beneath." He murmurs.

"I don't care. You don't have to hide from us." She replies softly.

Slade manages a smile in response.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"You know last night all I could think about was how pissed off Andy would be, how hurt he would be if he saw us together." Diggle says to a silent Carly as she walks beside him.

"But that's nothing compared to how he'd be if I did something to hurt you, Carly. You believe me when I tell you that war is easier than dating?" He questions as she actually smiles at him.

"In war. You act or you die. No time to think, no time to second guess yourself."

"Maybe that's your problem. With me, you're thinking, not feeling." Carly speaks.

"You're right." Diggle murmurs.

That's when he kisses her, definitely with no time to second guess himself!

 _The Glades_

Being mindful of where she is and which neighbourhood she's found herself in. Thea Queen knocks bravely upon the door of Roy Harper.

He opens it, only to suddenly shut it again upon seeing her face.

"How'd you know where I live?" He calls through the closed door.

"A little thing called the Internet." She replies sarcastically.

"Look, can we not do this with a door behind us?" She murmurs as he opens it again, Roy sticking his head out to look around his surroundings.

"No cops? Thought you might have changed your mind." He mutters.

"Ohh if I was here about my purse then I would have sent my brothers friend to meet you. He's ex Australian military and he's very interested in meeting you after what you did. Yet that's not why I'm here." She folds her arms.

"So I guess you're not pressing charges because you feel like you can change my life? So you can run and tell your rich prep school friends what a saint you are and how you're helping the disadvantaged?" He mutters sarcastically as Thea scoffs.

"You don't know a thing about me."

"Thea Queen. Trust fund brat. Totalled a car which you got as your birthday present." He replies as Thea closes her eyes and sighs at him in deep frustration.

"Loves designer labels and is usually in the tabloids for partying too much. Did I. Did I leave anything out?"

"Yeah! Dead father, missing stepdad, damaged brother and his friends and ohh almost served jail time for that car accident. Plus she does actually really want her purse back yet restrained herself from sending backup." Thea folds her arms.

"You know you showed some real sack coming down here. The Glades in the middle of the night. Perhaps you should have brought your brothers friend to help you." He retorts.

"You honestly must not know the value of a vintage purse and like I said. I felt like being fair. I send my brothers friend and he would probably have killed you." She mutters as Roy scoffs before shutting the door in her face, Thea rolls her eyes before the door reopens and Roy hands her the purse, she searches through it hurriedly.

"Don't worry it's all there. You don't need to set your brothers friend on me. I've seen a picture of that guy and I think I'd prefer to be arrested then in a fight with him! So it's all there. Except for these." He holds up a packet of cigarettes.

"You know that's a really filthy habit you got there." He comments.

"Yeah tell me about it." She murmurs before turning to go.

"Hey can I give you some advise?" He calls to her. She moves back.

"First, stay out of The Glades." He murmurs.

"And second?" She snips.

"Don't fall for every sob story a guy like me tells the police." He smirks as Thea shakes her head in disbelief.

"You have a great evening now."

 _SCPD_

"You ever take time off McKenna?" Sara calls her name from where she's standing by a cupboard full of files.

"I do. In fact last night I went out for drinks with friends." She comments as she turns back to face the three of them.

"And I'm sorry for pushing you three like I did. I shouldn't have asked those questions. I was just curious." She apologizes.

"It's ok." Sara nods with a smile.

"McKenna, we didn't just lose five years on the island. We lost the part of us that enjoyed being alive. Even the last time we tried to do something with other friends of ours. It literally ended in Slade and Tommy Merlyn nearly killing each other." Oliver folds his arms.

"What he's trying to say is we don't get out much. We don't talk to people and when you asked us about that island it reminded us of all the hard things and the hard choices that we all made that will always stay with each of us." Slade murmurs as she looks up at him.

"Made us question who we could trust a lot yet we managed to trust each other and we really need to get better about trusting people." Oliver finishes.

"Your not wrong, but again. I'm sorry I pushed like I did." She notes.

"Like Sara said. That's ok. So perhaps the four of us could go get drinks again and not have cut short?" Oliver offers. McKenna smiles at the three of them.

"I would love that." She replies.

"McKenna! Glad you're still here. Sara, Oliver, Slade. Good to see the three of you! What are you doing here?" Quentin calls from across the room as Sara moves to embrace her father.

"Catching up with a friend." Sara smiles.

"And I'd like to take the evening off, is everything ok here sir?" McKenna asks politely.

"Yeah, I'd like you to work with me on the three vigilantes investigation." He offers as Sara, Oliver and Slade abruptly freeze.

"Yes sir!" McKenna smiles widely.

"Well don't worry we'll bring them in."

"Yeah we will! Now go enjoy yourself! Keep an eye on my daughter." Quentin smiles back.

"I'm not a kid." Sara folds her arms as Quentin departs with a smirk.

"So? You guys wanna go now?" McKenna asks kindly. Oliver nods.

"Yep!"

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Sara." Slade calls out for her, his voice barely a whisper as she awakens from a doze._

 _"He's. He's not back yet." He murmurs. Sara smiles slightly._

 _"Help me up. Need to go find him." He says before coughing._

 _"You worried about him?" She asks, trying to hide her own worry for Ollie being gone, out there on the island basically ran by Fyers and his band of psychos and her worry for Slade's current condition._

 _She isn't going to lie. She kinda likes Slade and he seemingly prefers her to Oliver as it is._

 _"Kids useless. Don't. Don't want him giving Fyers. Our. Our location." He shudders as Sara smiles again before resting a damp cloth back on his forehead._

 _He doesn't even snap at her this time._

 _"Don't worry. I won't tell him that you actually care about us."_

 _Slade's unconscious before he can even respond._

 _Later..._

 _Minutes after returning to the plane, Oliver stands anxiously by Slade as he drinks the concoction of plant, whilst Sara has her arms around him, grateful to have him back and safe and seemingly unharmed._

 _If he'd been any longer Sara was actually worried Slade may have tried to get up and find him in his condition which would not have been a good idea!_

 _Oliver watches Slade worriedly as he drinks the stuff. Wait. Why is he worried? This is Wilson he's thinking about here. The man who would more than happily slit his throat in his sleep!_

 _"It tastes like an ashtray but it does the job." He smirks. Sara sighs in relief._

 _"I owe you one." He admits to Oliver, whom simply just smiles at him, kinda relived himself that Slade's pulled through and at the notion that Slade Wilson owes him one!_

 _"You didn't get into any trouble out there, did you?"_

 _"Hm?" Oliver responds, his head else where. In that cave where he left that man, guilty or innocent. He didn't take the chance to find out…_

 _Slade looks at him worriedly._

 _It honestly terrifies Oliver the sight of Slade looking at him worriedly._

 _Infection must have been bad its made him delusional! Oliver thinks._

 _"No. Not a bit." Oliver lies with a smile as he tugs Sara closer._

 _Slade continues to glance at him and Oliver just rolls his eyes in mostly confusion and slight fear._

 _"Eat your plant!"_

 _Starling City: Night_

"Frank Chen recommended you. He said you could help with our problem." Moira Queen stands bravely in front of China White.

"He appreciates you agreeing to meet with me." She notes.

"Anything for a friend." China White replies.

"So. How can we be of assistance?"

"Malcolm Merlyn. I want you to kill him for me." She reveals as China White nods.

"It shall be done."

"And one more person." Moira calls her back.

If Malcolm's going to be dead then she needs to deal with this problem herself.

"A man named Slade Wilson." She notices how China White stops in her tracks.

"You mean." She says that name. That name Malcolm had mentioned.

The name that he said if it turned out to be one in the same with Slade Wilson then it meant he is the masked vigilante.

"Yes. I want you to kill Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and thanks very much to all of you who have followed and favorited this story. Please tell me what you think of this chapter. The next one should be in the works soon, see you all next update.**


	47. Dead To Rights (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Seven**

 _Starling City: Night_

The peaceful ambience of night is rudely interrupted by the sound of a helicopter landing upon a roof, whilst on the streets police car upon police car zoom down roads, sirens blaring as they go.

"What do you mean the choppers about to touch down?" McKenna Hall yells through her phone angrily.

"The flight log doesn't have him due for another twenty minutes." She waits for a reply.

"Then lock down the heliport!" She yells again as upon the roof top the helicopter does in fact land and a man walks out of it, pulling out his phone as he does so.

"I've just landed in Starling City. We agreed, half on arrival, the other half when the job is done." The man says, smirking when he sees the transaction going down on his phone.

"Gracias." He thanks the man on the phone.

"Don't worry. The man's as good as…" He is cut off by an arrow zooming past, knocking the phone from his hand.

Turning, he sees the three vigilantes standing side by side.

"Guillermo Barrera." The Woman In Black hisses.

"You have failed this city." The Man In The Hood finishes.

"You three have built quite a reputation." The man responds.

"And you should have stayed overseas!" The Man In The Mask growls as he aims his sword.

"I thought about it. But then I remembered, I've got a reputation too." He removes two knives from his sleeves, The Man In The Hood firing an arrow to intercept them as The Man In The Mask races forward with his sword.

The four of them engaging in combat, going back and forth as each of them attempts to land attacks. Quickly finished by The Man In The Mask, who runs the man through with his sword. The Woman In Black picking up the phone of the man as the sirens come closer as the SCPD finally arrive on the scene, McKenna exiting the car as she races forward to where the body of Guillermo Barrera lies near the helicopter.

There are arrows only a few feet away…

 _The Foundry_

"Ow!" Felicity cries in pain as she hits the floor for the umpteenth time during tonight.

Reaching for her hand, Diggle, who had been trying to teach Felicity what to do if she were ever in a fight or confrontation after that bomb collar incident with The Dodger, pulls Felicity to her feet.

"Now the trick is to keep your weight evenly distributed." He instructs as Felicity rubs her aching shoulder.

"I thought the trick was to avoid getting into fights!" She growls.

"Yeah, well Starling City's not the kind of place where you can talk your way out of trouble." He throws her a towel.

"Besides, if you're going to be working with the four of us. I'll sleep a lot easier knowing that you can handle yourself. At least a little bit." Diggle smiles as he hands he water.

"And anyway. It's either me who teaches you now or I'm betting either Oliver, Sara or Slade will bring it up and seriously you don't want that! Especially not Slade." Diggle shudders at the very thought of Slade trying to teach Felicity how to fight.

Especially after all the times he's watched Oliver and Slade spar!

The door opening and slamming to causes Felicity and Diggle to look up at the stairs which Sara, Oliver and Slade are walking down, pulling off pieces of their vigilante uniforms as they do so, Oliver chucking his bow onto the table.

"How'd it go?" Diggle questions.

"For him? Badly." Slade mutters when he removes his mask.

"Who him?" Felicity questions.

"An assassin for hire with a love for knives. His name was Guillermo Barrera." Oliver explains as the three of them move toward the computers.

"Was?" Felicity pales.

"Yeah that's what happens when we have a former ASIS agent with a love for swords." Sara nudges Slade with a smile before raising an eyebrow at Felicity.

"Why you wearing that?" She asks with her arms folded.

"Oh Diggle was teaching me what to do if I ever got into a fight, considering I'm sort of working with you guys now." Felicity replies.

"Good idea. How did it go?" Slade questions.

"Um, it was good I guess." Felicity lies.

"Just need to keep your weight evenly distributed." Diggle comments as Slade raises an eyebrow at them both before shaking his head.

"You can show me what you've learnt." Slade flashes her an 'I like swords' smirk as Felicity bites down hard on her lip nervously as Diggle all but buries his face in his hands.

"Ohh dear god no." Oliver replies.

"What? See if his lessons were of any use." Slade retorts.

"After five years of you teaching me and Ollie. Just leave it to Diggle." Sara winces.

"Taught you how to fight though." Slade shrugs as moves to put his vigilante uniform away, grabbing one of his black training vests.

"And if I can teach the two of you. I can teach her." He glances at Felicity, who had been casually looking over at him, only to look away quickly.

"Slade she isn't about to go out there with the three of you. I was just teaching her self defense." Diggle protests.

"I know and I'm gonna teach her my way." Slade retorts.

"Felicity just run." Oliver advises.

"Run fast and far." He adds as he glances down at the computer.

"So back to business. We can't ask this guy about his intended target?" Diggle frowns as Oliver swiftly crosses off a name in his father's journal.

"No, which is why we need you to hack his phone." Oliver turns to Felicity.

"Barrera's world class. He kills high profile targets and whatever job he was hired for isn't finished." Sara explains as she passes the phone to Felicity.

"We need to figure out who he was here to kill and fast. They are probably still in danger. Ok?" Oliver instructs before looking to Sara.

"We have to go meet Tommy and Laurel. It's Tommy's birthday and we need to go grab McKenna as they invited her as well." Sara says as she takes Oliver's hand

"Good thing she didn't meet you three at the heliport." Diggle comments.

"It might not be good to befriend the cop that's hunting the three of you down." He adds.

"Well it's slim pickings for us vigilantes." Oliver calls back as he and Sara take to the stairs.

"Aren't you going with them?" Felicity asks Slade.

"Going with them involves an evening with Tommy Merlyn so I most certainly am not." Slade murmurs as he turns to Felicity.

"Let's see what you've learned." He circles her like a predator about to claim its prey. Felicity looks at him nervously.

"Come on." He commands as Diggle rolls his eyes as he watches them, nervous himself watching this!

Moving towards him, Felicity launches an attack at him, like Diggle had taught her, yet Slade intercepts and knocks her down instantly pulling her to her feet only a second later.

"Again." He growls as Felicity tries to come at him from a different angle in an attempt to even land an attack on Slade, whom instantly sees what she's trying to do and grabs her, she once again ends up on the floor.

"Go easy on her." Diggle warns from the corner of the room.

"This is me going easy." Slade growls back as Felicity tries to get in an attack when she believes him to be distracted. It doesn't work and he holds her in a position much similar to when he had first ever met Oliver on the island, except unlike with Oliver, he isn't holding a sword to her throat.

"Nice try. You thought I had my guard down and that might have worked on anyone else. It won't on me." He murmurs in her ear before releasing her.

"Keep your guard up. Don't get distracted. Oliver still finds that a challenge." He smirks as he aims an attack at Felicity, who manages to dodge it.

"Might be a problem for me to. I always get distracted someway or another." Felicity gasps as Slade shakes his head.

"Not a good trait. Not in a confrontation." Slade growls as he catches her again, yet instead of putting her on the ground again her puts her in her chair.

"You have a phone to decode. We'll revisit this when you're done." He murmurs as he heads over to where his various swords and knives lie, his back to Felicity, who tilts her head as a thought comes to mind whilst she nibbles on her pen, which she tucks behind her ear as she gets to her feet.

Diggle, watching her quickly shakes his head at her but it's too late as Felicity, tiptoeing like a cat tries to land a surprise attack on Slade from behind whom instantly realising what she's trying to do flips her onto the ground, pinning one of her hands above her head.

"I'm impressed. Neither Sara or Oliver ever attempted something like that when I began training them." He comments with a smirk, as without even thinking it through, Felicity uses her free hand to grab the pen she put behind her ear and holds it against Slade's back as if to stab him with it whilst he's crouched over her. Felicity bites her lip and squeezes her eyes tight shut as she waits for his reaction.

Slade laughs in response, causing Felicity to open her eyes.

"Is that a pen?" He raises an eyebrow at her as Felicity nods meekly.

"Trying to stab me with a pen now?" He grins.

"Points for originality." Diggle calls from across the room.

"Quick thinking. I'm even more impressed. Using whatever you had on hand to your disposable. Good technique. You'd be better of with a knife, sword even." He smirks.

"I don't see myself carrying around a sword Slade." Felicity replies. Slade chuckles.

"A knife would do." He replies.

"Oliver or Sara ever try something like that?" Felicity can't help but ask.

"No. That's something I would do." He smirks, a look crossing his face when a memory hits him of when he had done something like to a certain someone in the name of training… Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind he smirks again at Felicity causing Felicity to blush as he pulls her to her feet again.

"Now you're not going to attack me again are you?" Slade questions as Felicity sits back down at her desk.

"Keep your guard up." She smiles sweetly at him. Slade smirks back.

"I like your thinking. Oliver would just whine at me." He reveals.

"He whine at you a lot?" Diggle questions with a smile. Slade glances at him.

"Ohh you have no idea!"

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Oliver grunts, groans and moans as he tries to complete a pull up on a metal bar, lifting his legs and everything trying to complete it before falling pointlessly to the floor beside Sara._

 _"Four!" Slade snaps, sitting shirtless and in a relaxed position upon a chair._

 _"Even Sara did more than that!" He adds as Oliver rolls his eyes at him before glancing to Sara, who just quickly looks away from Oliver's death glare._

 _"Well I'm more of a runner!" Oliver growls back as in response Slade promptly gets up from his relaxed position, moving across to the metal bar himself, leaping up and doing several pull ups rapidly and with much ease._

 _Show off. Oliver thinks to himself as he moves out of the way in case Wilson does decide to drop down and land on him! Knowing that wouldn't end well for either of them._

 _Sara lets out an almost inaudible wolf whistle as she watches Slade work out._

 _"What are you… Why!" Oliver splutters in disbelief at Sara as she moves past Oliver, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she goes to sit down._

 _"Should be taking notes Ollie." She comments quietly._

 _From the bar, Slade chuckles._

 _Oliver just rolls his eyes at her before glancing back at Wilson._

 _"Why the sudden desire to work out?" Oliver questions with folded arms._

 _"What else is there to do?" He mutters back._

 _"Well the three of us can try to think of another way off the island!" Oliver cries._

 _"There is no other way." Slade replies._

 _"If there was, I would have found it." He states._

 _"Well the three of us can't just sit here and wait for Fyers to come and kill us!" He snaps as Wilson finally drops from the bar with a resounding thud._

 _Oliver was correct in thinking if he hadn't have moved Wilson would have landed on him!_

 _"I did have one idea." He breathes as he steps toward Oliver._

 _"If you go into the forest and gather as much bamboo as you can find."_

 _"Yeah?" Oliver looks at him with curious eyes._

 _"We could build ourselves a boat like they did on 'Gilligan's Island'!" Wilson mutters sarcastically as Oliver glares at him._

 _"Sara! We sparring?" Wilson looks toward her as she scrambles to her feet._

 _"You should take notes from her too, kid. She doesn't whine half as much as you do." He mutters as Sara manages a half smile at him as Oliver just rolls his eyes at them before spying something on a table._

 _Something that looks a lot like a radio…_

 _"That's broken." Wilson mutters as he and Sara circle one another._

 _"It got busted during the crash." He adds once he's knocked Sara down once already._

 _"Well did you try to get it to work?" Oliver cries._

 _"I'm better at pulling things apart!" He replies as Sara tries to get the upper hand, only for Slade to basically throw her across the plane._

 _"Can you not beat up my girlfriend?" Oliver hisses at him as Sara scrambles to her feet._

 _"I'm teaching her how to fight. She's doing better than you already!" Wilson snips back as Oliver moves toward the other side of the device._

 _"Seriously, kid. It doesn't work." He adds._

 _"You know, my father was a pilot and he used to do his own maintenance." Oliver replies._

 _"So you're hoping aircraft maintenance is genetic?" Wilson retorts sarcastically._

 _"No. I used to help him and I liked it!" Oliver replies with an affronted look upon his face._

 _"Then I got pretty good at it." He adds._

 _"He's not lying. Laurel used to complain to me he spent more time helping his dad with plane maintenance then he did with her." Sara reasons with Slade._

 _"Sure he wasn't spending that time with you?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her as she attacks him, well attempts to._

 _"No, you ass!" She growls as he puts her down again._

 _"What I'm trying to say is, I might be able to make the radio work." Oliver replies as Slade glares at him._

 _"You should be taking a page out of Sara's book and training for the inevitable fight that's looming!" He snaps, moving back to the metal bar to do more pull ups._

 _"He ain't wrong Ollie." Sara says in a quiet voice as she waits for Slade to be done so they can swap over._

 _Oliver shakes his head._

 _"I think I have a better chance of making the radio work."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing hope this chapter was ok, please tell me your thoughts. See you all next update!**


	48. Dead To Rights (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Eight**

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Outside the apartment of Laurel Lance's, McKenna pulls her high heels on just as Oliver and Sara appear.

"Hey sorry we're late." Oliver apologises as they reach her.

"No I am. I just got caught up at the office. I think your father's trying to kill me." She rolls her eyes as Sara who laughs.

"You look great." She smiles at McKenna.

"You to. Thought Slade would be with us? You know I like him." McKenna smiles.

"This is for Tommy and Tommy and Slade don't exactly see eye to eye remember." Oliver smirks as McKenna winces.

"You said they almost had an actual fight once. I bet Slade would win." She comments.

"Without a doubt Slade would win." Oliver reaffirms.

"Ohh I bet he wouldn't! Welcome!" Comes the voice of Tommy when he opens the door.

"Happy birthday buddy!" Oliver grins, passing Tommy a bottle bag before wrapping his best friend in a tight embrace.

"Ooh this feels like a Chateauneuf-du-Pape?" He guesses as he embraces Sara before throwing an arm around Oliver's shoulders.

"It's going to taste like one to." Oliver murmurs.

"You are a true friend!" Tommy replies as he hugs Oliver tighter.

"Nice to see you again McKenna. It has been way to long since we last saw each other." He adds as they head into the dining room.

"Ohh I know! Feels like the old gang reunited!" McKenna replies as she pats Tommy's arm.

"It most certainly does." Tommy beams as they enter the dining room to see Laurel, whom he immediately puts his arm around.

"Sara, Ollie!" Laurel pulls them both into hugs before turning to McKenna.

"Great to see you to detective." Laurel smirks.

"You to, counsellor." McKenna grins back.

"Isn't it great? The gang reunited! Without a certain one eyed Australian psychopath as well! It really is my birthday." Tommy beams as the others roll their eyes at him.

"Tommy!" They all chorus as he laughs.

"I'm going to crack this open." He heads off with the bottle.

"Such a nice apartment, so much space." McKenna comments as she eyes a picture on a table with a smile.

"Oh this is adorable! How old are you here?" She looks to Laurel, who instantly wraps an arm around Sara's waist, tugging her close.

"That's actually Sara." Laurel replies as Sara rests her head on Laurel's shoulder.

"You looked so cute there." Oliver comments.

"I still don't know why dad brought you that damn Canary." Laurel looks to her sister, who falls silent at the word, glancing at Oliver and almost as if guessing Sara's sadness, Laurel tugs her closer.

"That thing chirped night and day. It drove us all nuts but not Sara." Laurel explains as she puts the picture down as Tommy passes Oliver a glass.

"A toast!" Tommy calls as he passes everyone a glass of the wine as he wraps an arm around Laurel and Oliver wraps one around Sara, still thinking of the Canary…

"To the first birthday I have enjoyed in a long time. I got my best friend back." He looks to Oliver with a warm smile.

"A beloved friend." He looks to Sara.

"No Slade Wilson." The others all roll their eyes at him.

"And I've finally figured out why poets have been in business for the last few thousand years." He looks finally to Laurel.

"Happy birthday baby." She captures his lips with her own.

"Thank you honey." He kisses her back as they all clink glasses, just as a persistent knocking pulls them all out of their thoughts.

"Think that's the food." Laurel admits as she kisses Tommy's cheek.

"Oh, ok." He replies as he releases her so she can go over to the door.

"Oh thank the lord she didn't cook." Sara whispers under her breath to Tommy.

"Amen." Tommy murmurs to the others, who snigger as Laurel opens the door to reveal none other than Malcolm Merlyn.

"Mr. Merlyn." She says politely when in reality she wants to slam the door in his face.

"Laurel. Can I come in?" He asks as she reluctantly moves to let him in. She moves quickly to Tommy's side, wrapping an arm quickly around his waist and pressing quick apologetic kisses to his cheek as Malcolm comes into view.

"Oliver, Sara." He looks to them.

"Mr. Merlyn." They say simultaneously.

"Without your accomplice I see. You must be happy Tommy. I've been trying to get in touch with you." He turns to face a stone cold Tommy.

"What are you doing here dad?" Tommy says in a cold voice as Malcolm reveals a small wrapped package.

"Happy birthday, Tommy." Tommy turns to face the others.

"Just give us a second." He murmurs.

"Of course." Laurel replies as Malcolm chucks the parcel at Oliver before he and Tommy moves out into the corridor.

"We're about to eat." Tommy says once they're alone.

"I can't stay." Malcolm responds.

"Well that works out because you weren't invited. You know I would have rather it have been Wilson then you at the door." Tommy snarls venomously.

"Strong words Tommy."

"I meant them."

Silence passes between the two before Malcolm removes an envelope from his coat pocket.

"Look. I'm being honoured by the Starling City Municipal Group. They're bestowing me with their annual humanitarian award…"

"What? They ran out of actual humans to give it to?" Tommy mutters.

"I would like you to be there if you could." Malcolm replies.

"I am one hundred percent certain that I'll be busy." Tommy nods before turning to go back into the apartment to his girlfriend and friends.

Malcolm grips his arm before he can go anywhere.

"You might not believe this, but all I ever wanted for you was happiness. If it will allay this tension between us, I'll turn the switch back on…"

"Save your money dad." Tommy cuts him off.

"I don't need it anymore." He reveals.

"I'd still like you to come to the event." He puts the invite into Tommy's hand.

"It would mean a lot to me." He walks away.

"You know what dad?" Tommy calls him back as they face one another once more.

"Some times the people that you want there the most aren't. You taught me that." He notes before passing the invite back.

"Multiple times." He shuts the door and doesn't look back…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking past a place called 'the Bludhaven' a man with a metal leg enters, pouring a drink for himself upon entry.

"Hello Lawton." China White appears in front of him.

"I see your edge has dulled." She comments.

"I knew you were there." Floyd Lawton replies.

"I just didn't care if you killed me." He says before a laugh of insanity.

"What do you want?" He mutters.

"My organisation has been contracted to eliminate two individuals. A certain high profile individual, a very well guarded target and a monster of a man who goes by two identities. One being a man in a black and orange mask, whom if I'm not mistaken took your leg and assisted in taking your eye." She explains.

"Well forget it! Look I'm retired."

"To drink and smoke your life away?" China White frowns.

"Hey, we all gotta die sometime." He responds.

"Well I need two people to die at the right time and no one does it better than you." She replies as he walks into the light, revealing his face and messed up right eye.

"My vision ain't exactly what it used to be." He growls.

"No." She opens a briefcase.

"It's going to be better." She reveals as he lifts an eyepatch with a device of some kind over where it should cover the eye.

"So. Who are the two who need four bullets in their chests?"

 _Starling City_

"Moira is it happening?" Frank Chen calls her name as she walks down a corridor.

"Yes. The humanitarian award ceremony." She murmurs.

"Isn't that a little public?" He responds.

"No one will expect it." She replies, unbeknownst to Frank that it is in fact two who are destined to die at the hands of the assassin as they enter the boardroom, where Malcolm Merlyn stands by a wide window.

"I have very welcome news to share with all of you. Thanks to Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences Division and the recent acquisition of Unidac Industries. The Undertaking, which we set for ourselves is only months from fruition. There's hope on the horizon for everyone in Starling." He smiles widely at the group of people.

"We won't fail this city." He nods as Moria smiles widely.

"And I think I speak for everyone here when I say we're all with you Malcolm."

 _The Foundry_

"Jeez this is one paranoid assassin." Felicity sighs as she quickly types in commands to her computer in an attempt to access the phone, whilst Slade sits beside her.

"Barrera's got cobalt level encryption on this phone." She notes.

"It's not going to be easy to break." She admits.

"Ohh thank god you're alive!" Oliver sighs in relief as he and Sara enter The Foundry to see Felicity sitting by the desk.

"Slade actually went easy on you? No I don't believe it. Diggle stopped him before he could hurt you right?" Sara smirks as she comes to sit beside Diggle and Oliver.

"She actually did quite well." Slade retorts.

"Are you feeling alright? Did you just pay someone a compliment?" Oliver touches his friends shoulder in mock concern.

"Tried to stab me with her own damn pen. She thinks quicker than you kid." Slade retorts as Felicity smiles widely.

"I was just saying. This encryption is wicked." Felicity mumbles before quickly adding.

"But code breaker is my middle name. Actually it's Megan…"

"Felicity. Can you get anything off it?" Slade cuts her off mid babble.

"Just the last number he dialled." She replies as she types in a command.

"Which was?" He growls.

"A restaurant in Chinatown. Jade Dragon." She looks to him.

"I guess even hired killers enjoy the city's best chow mien." She murmurs.

"Yeah, Jade Dragon is a front for the Chinese Mafia." Diggle mutters in response as Felicity winces and bites her lip.

"Call the restaurant and make a reservation for two tonight. Bout time I had a meal with my best friend." Oliver smiles as he gets to his feet.

"You need to decrypt that phone." He commands to Felicity, who nods as Oliver gets to his feet, Slade automatically following him.

"Where are you going?" Oliver frowns at him.

"With you, kid. You just said." Slade folds his arms as Oliver suddenly clicks.

"Ohh I didn't mean you. I meant Tommy."

"Of course you did." Slade murmurs under his breath.

"You stay here with Sara and help Felicity with the phone, see you later." Oliver smiles at him before racing off as Felicity spins in her chair to face him.

"You know. I'm kind of in the mood for Chinese now."

 _Jade Dragon_

Tommy had just finished laughing at something Oliver had said when their meal arrives. The man saying something in Chinese with a smile as Oliver and Tommy laugh to one another.

"That is. That is one big, big fried fish." Tommy smiles.

"I was told this was the most authentic Szechuan in town. Whatever, I wanted to make sure that your birthday celebration got its due celebration. Just me and you." Oliver smiles back.

"I know, I was a little surprised when you called me earlier to say it was just you and me, not even Sara and definitely not Wilson. I feel really honoured." Tommy beams.

"We haven't done much together since I got back and I'm sorry for that. This is me trying to make up for the neglect and also because it was a little bit, um tense last night." He comments as Tommy rolls his eyes.

"Yeah well trust my dad to run all the smiles out of the room." Tommy murmurs.

"He did come by." Oliver leans forward.

"And it seemed like he was trying to act a little but dad like." Oliver says carefully.

"Dad like? That sums my father up perfectly!" Tommy sighs.

"I know the two of you have never been close but it couldn't have been easy for him after your mom was killed." Oliver says in a quiet voice.

"Yeah I guess he forgot that there were two of us in that club." Tommy grumbles.

"I'm not defending him Tommy. It's… With everything that I've been through, people that I've lost. I nearly lost Sara and Slade more times then I can count so I know how hard it can be." Oliver sighs as Tommy glances at him, evidently not believing him so Oliver adds more.

"Sara, Slade and I weren't always together on that island. The three of us once got separated." He admits as Tommy looks up.

"What? What happened?" Tommy asks.

"There was an incident and I thought I had lost them both forever. Sara was gone and Slade. When I first met him he had both of his eyes but after that incident he only had one and we got separated and I can't even describe what I felt when I heard his voice for this first time after that incident. I freakin hugged him for the first time Tommy. I didn't care that he may have decided to punch me for that. I didn't care what he did I was just beyond relieved that he was alive. Then we reunited with Sara and hearing her voice again was probably even more indescribable then when I was reunited with Slade. So I know that it's hard." Oliver explains as Tommy looks at him sadly.

"You probably don't remember this. We were eight but after her funeral, he left for like two years and when he did come back he was, he was so freakin cold. He barely spoke and that's why I spent so much time at your house." He admits as Oliver nods.

"From the outside it always looked like I had a father. He paid my bills. He, he lived in the house. He bailed me out." He stops before looking up at Oliver.

"But your dad took me to my first hockey game. Your dad taught me how to fly fish. Your dad took us to our first R-rated movie!" Tommy smiles as Oliver smiles back.

"But he wasn't perfect." Oliver murmurs.

"My dad made mistakes as we haven't talked about this. I've said this to Sara and Slade but not you but I need to. I have a lot of anger towards him but still I would give anything to have him back because at the end of the day, your dad is your dad." Oliver sighs as Tommy looks down before placing his hand on Oliver's arm.

"I meant what I said last night. I am really glad that you're back." Tommy murmurs as Oliver smiles widely at him just as a certain someone passes their table and Oliver flinches.

"I gotta hit the restroom." Oliver comments as he gets to his feet…

The man having head into an office, handing a package over just as the lights suddenly blow and something hard lands on him from above.

Oliver, who grabs a can and sprays the stuff into the other peoples eyes as they race off. Oliver grabbing the person he needed before pushing him against a wall and whispering words in Chinese, translating into.

'The Triad out a hit out on somebody. I want to know who.'

'I don't work for the Triad!' The man tires to protest.

'Well you're not making Dim Sum back here' Oliver hisses back.

'I don't know who it is!' The man cries back.

'But you know something. Tell me!' Oliver growls in Chinese.

'Tomorrow! Whatever it is. It's supposed to happen tomorrow!' He reveals as Oliver releases the man before vanishing.

'Who was that man?' He cries once Oliver is gone.

'I don't know. He spoke with a perfect accent. Definitely Chinese!' The man yells as he races back out into the restaurant, passing the table where Oliver and Tommy sits. Oliver smiles.

"Check please!"

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Days go by of Oliver trying to fix that mutilated radio and Slade's really on the verge of losing his temper with Oliver._

 _Even Sara isn't too happy, considering Oliver works on that all night long as well always waking them both up to the point when Slade and Sara started sleeping outside!_

 _On one of those days Slade soon realised that they needed to go hunting for more food, meanwhile Sara sits boredly by Oliver's side trying to get his attention._

 _"Ollie it's not going to work please just stop." She begs to silence, except from when he swears when something blows._

 _"Kid you're gonna get electrocuted at this rate." Slade folds his arms to more silence._

 _"Oliver I'm taking off all my clothes." Sara mutters sarcastically._

 _"Hm?" Oliver looks up from the radio._

 _"Of course he hears that." Slade grumbles as he marches off to the other side of the plane to pick up a few pieces of weaponry._

 _"Right. I'm off huntin'. Sara, ya coming with me?" He offers to Sara, who with one last glance at Oliver, still paying no attention to her as she rolls her eyes at him and nods._

 _"I'd love to come with you Slade." She replies as Slade grins at her._

 _"Good to see you're taking an interest! Come on, grab a knife. Let's go." He commands as Sara gets to her feet as hurries over to where Slade stands beside his weaponry._

 _"You're gonna want to take those ones." Slade informs her, pointing to the weapons as Sara picks them up gingerly, a little nervous if to be completely honest._

 _She puts on a brave face though, for Slade. Knowing that he wouldn't take to kindly to her being a chicken about this._

 _"We'll be back soon Oliver." Sara calls to only a murmur from Oliver._

 _"Yeah I wouldn't count on that. This ain't just a huntin mission this is a lesson for ya Sara." Slade replies as they exit the plane together, leaving Oliver behind with his radio…_

 _The Forest_

 _"How much further are we going?" Sara can't help but as after an hour of walking, keeping closely behind Slade in case something attacks them._

 _"Not complain' now are ya?" Slade turns his head to her._

 _"Just curious." She replies._

 _"Not much now." He notes._

 _"So you really don't think Ollie will get that radio to work?" She decides to asks after a few moments of silence between them._

 _"If I couldn't then he won't be able to." Slade retorts._

 _"You know, Slade. Ollie isn't completely useless." Sara says in a small voice._

 _"News to me." Slade mutters back._

 _"Slade." Sara sighs._

 _"I know he ain't completely useless Sara but he ain't gonna get that damn thing to work."_

 _"Did you just pay Ollie a complement?" Sara smirks._

 _"Nah I just remember when I met him." Slade replies._

 _"When you apparently threatened to cut his throat open?" Sara frowns._

 _"He tell you bout all that?" Slade glances at her._

 _"With animated hand gestures and everything."_

 _"Think I would have heard that." Slade raises an eyebrow at her._

 _"Ohh he did it when you were out that first night getting water." Slade nods._

 _"He stayed up that whole night. I know I was awake to." He comments._

 _"Yeah I think I know why that was." Sara winces._

 _"Watching me." She adds quickly. Slade snorts._

 _"More like he was afraid I was going to kill him in his sleep." He smirks._

 _"You wouldn't have though." Slade says nothing._

 _"So. Why don't you think Ollie's completely useless?" She asks after silence._

 _Sara doesn't like silence. It unnerves her, especially with Slade._

 _"Well kid did prove to me his usefulness by breaking his own damn thumb to get out of his restraints and managed to punch me in the face before I punched him back…"_

 _"You punched him back?" Sara frowns._

 _"Course I did." Slade mutters._

 _"Ollie must have left that bit out." She comments._

 _"Out of curiosity, what did he tell you?" Slade mutters._

 _"Well he told me he got out of the chair you restrained him to and that he punched you in the face and knocked you down…" Slade laughs loudly._

 _"I was a bit skeptical about that part." She replies._

 _"You were right to be."_

 _"Honestly I think he was trying to turn me against you." Sara can't help but smile._

 _"Did it work?"_

 _"No. No of course it didn't. I'm honestly grateful we found you. You're not the easiest person in the world but you're kinda keeping me and Ollie alive. I mean you got me out of thar cage which I thought I was never going to be allowed to leave. I wouldn't want Ollie and I to be on this island without you." Sara notes as Slade glances at her again, not saying anything but flashes a smirk at her in response._

 _"Ollie's grateful to you to." She adds._

 _"He might not show it but he is."_

 _Slade holds up his hand to cut her off. Fearful of an attack, Sara cowers behind Slade._

 _"We've got to stop you doin' that." He mutters, turning to her._

 _"What is it? Why are we stopping?" She replies nervously._

 _"Good position to hunt. We're climbing." He pats the tree near by to them._

 _Sara gulps._

 _"Um… Slade that's kinda high."_

 _"You coming or staying down 'ere?" He snaps sternly._

 _"Coming." She nods quickly._

 _"Good." He growls before starting to climb._

 _"Ok. I can do this." Sara tells herself as she looks at the tree nervously, which Slade is already climbing expertly._

 _Seriously! Is there nothing this man can't do?_

 _"Sara!" Slade bellows at her, which causes her to begin climbing rapidly, trying to remember the days of daring Laurel and Tommy to see who could climb the tree in their garden the fastest. She remembers getting to the top of it and her mom and dad yelling at her for getting to the very top. Yet somehow on the island of Lian Yu this tree is much more fearful to her then that one._

 _Just imagine you're home. She tells herself as she climbs after Slade, who's already quite a far way up it._

 _Luckily for Sara, when she gets near to the top Slade reaches down and grabs her hand to pull her onto the branch he's positioned himself on._

 _"Good vantage point to hunt." He comments as she tries not to look down as she grips onto the branch for dear life._

 _"Stop that. You don't want to get splinters." He advises._

 _"You have a point. None of us want another infected wound. I don't think Ollie could take another trip to Yao Fei's cave after last time." Sara winces as she remembers what Oliver had told her about what really happened, again when Slade was out. About the man he had to leave behind because he had followed, what he had said. 'Wilson' would have done._

 _"He said that went a'right." Slade fixates on the last part of her words. Sara freezes._

 _"Did he say something differently to you?" Sara shakes her head quickly._

 _"Sara!" He barks causing her to jump and if Slade hadn't have grabbed her arms sharply to steady her she's sure she would have fell out of said tree._

 _"What happened?" He growls._

 _"I really shouldn't be telling you this. I don't think Ollie wanted me to but when he got to the cave there was someone there. Apparently he said he was a student and he was on a fishing trip and got shipwrecked and that the rest of his crew were gone and that Fyers and his men had attacked him, questioned him, and tied him up in the cave and left him there for days. He wanted Ollie to untie him and probably bring him back to us but Ollie said he decided not to trust him and left him there because he wasn't going to take the risk that the guy was working for Fyers." Sara explains remembering how she'd eventually managed to get Oliver to admit to all that lying beside one another one night._

 _"Kid made the right choice." Slade mutters gruffly, unsure really of what to say other than that as the fact Oliver chose not to tell him plays on his mind._

 _Kid really not trust him at all? He's not sure he wants that answer or if he even cares._

 _"Did what I would have done." He grumbles._

 _"Or not." Sara murmurs._

 _"What do you mean by that?" He growls._

 _"I meant you trusted Ollie. You trusted me." She replies._

 _"I had good enough proof." Sara decides not to ask what that proof was but decides to ask something else what she believes to be equally as dangerous._

 _"Does it bother you that Ollie didn't tell you?"_

 _"No." Slade snaps instantly._

 _"I'm sure it was just because Ollie could probably tell how concerned you were about him and didn't want to worry you further…"_

 _"I was not worried." Slade growls._

 _"Slade…"_

 _"I. Was. Not. Worried about Oliver Queen." He hisses._

 _"Keep saying that to yourself." Sara smirks as Slade contemplates pushing her from the tree!_

 _Silence passes between them for a good half hour then._

 _"So you were an ASIS agent before the island?" Sara tries to make conversation._

 _"Yes." Slade replies curtly._

 _"It's just we don't know much about each other. I mean Ollie told me what happened with Wintergreen, the freakin psycho who tortured us. Said you had a son?"_

 _"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Oliver. I'm not much of a conversationalist." Slade cuts her off with a glance basically warning her to shut up. She doesn't._

 _"You probably want to get back to him as much as I want to get back to Laurel…"_

 _"And what? Try and make things right with her? Try and salvage a relationship with her? Save it. Kid already gave me his rendition of his plans with your sister." Slade mutters._

 _"What plans were they?" Sara freezes, a million and one thoughts racing through her head._

 _"Wants to make amends with her. Told him he was stupid if he thought he could make things right with her and try and build a friendship with her."_

 _"Friendship? He just wants a friendship with Laurel?" Sara whispers._

 _"From what he told me. Look I'll work with the pair of ya but don't drag me into your drama." He grumbles as he looks down at the ground beneath them in hope to catch something he can kill and later cook for them._

 _"I do want to make things right with Laurel and my family though." Sara murmurs._

 _"Bet you do. Won't be easy mind." Slade glances at her._

 _"I don't think it will be. We get off this Island can you face them for me?" Sara laughs shakily as Slade rolls his eyes at her._

 _"No. Like Oliver you're gonna have to grow a pair and face them yourself."_

 _"I have a feeling my sister is going to slap me." Sara sighs._

 _"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll hit Oliver harder." Slade smirks as Sara shakes her head._

 _"Your sister isn't going to be happy with either of you and I'll tell you this now. After what the two of you did forgiveness is not going to come easy. If you really want it both are you are gonna have to work like hell to get it. You betrayed her." He retorts._

 _"I know…"_

 _"No you don't. You betrayed her. Betrayal is something I cannot abide. The last person who betrayed me took a knife to the eye!" Slade hisses._

 _"So you don't think Laurel would just be so happy to see us she'd work around her anger, which Ollie and I would try to redeem ourselves to rid her of?" Sara folds her arms._

 _"I wouldn't. Yet like I said. I don't take betrayal very well." He mutters._

 _"Yet you're her sister by blood so I'd say you have a better chance of redeeming your actions then the kid does." He comments._

 _"It's not just Laurel either it's my parents. They probably all know by now that I was with Ollie when the boat went down…" She trails off._

 _"Despite their initial fury they're your parents. Take time but they'd forgive you." He replies._

 _"I hope so." Sara nods before glancing to Slade with a hopeful expression._

 _"Not looking forward to their initial fury. Sure you can't face them for me?" She whispers as Slade glares at her._

 _"We get off this island, which I do doubt highly! You two can return to your Starling City, grow a pair as I said and face up to your problems with your families. I'm going straight back to Australia!" He grumbles as he appears to be making a spear of some kind._

 _"Won't visit us in Starling?" Sara smirks, he glares at her._

 _"I'd rather not." He mutters._

 _"Sure you won't miss us?" She continues to smirk._

 _Slade just glares at her before eventually responding._

 _"I won't miss anything about this island." He murmurs._

 _"Neither will we. I think we've all seen enough crap here to last us a lifetime." She sighs. "Don't think Oliver would survive seeing another wound again." She can't help but smile and smiles even wider when Slade laughs back, genuine laughter as well that almost has him falling out of the tree himself!_

 _"Glad I've taken you huntin' instead of him. He'd probably puke at the sight of what we have to do." He chuckles before fixing Sara with one of his half smiles as he eyes movement from below from unaware prey that they are about to become three castaways food source!_

 _"Now. We huntin' or what?"_

 _Slade's Plane: Six Hours Later..._

 _Oliver sits messing with the wires on that damn radio, twisting them one way and the other, letting basically the world go by around him, barely even acknowledging Slade and Sara's return, both of them having gone out hunting Oliver really doesn't know how long for, he didn't even remember them leaving! He thinks he heard Wilson say._

 _'Off huntin'! Sara ya coming with me' and them both departing but Oliver was too busy in the depths of his head as he slaved over the radio._

 _"Hope you like barbecue!" Slade had called as he had entered the plane with Sara and their dinner hanging from Slade's shoulders._

 _"Well don't fall over yourself thanking me for spending six hours up a tree with 'er so you can eat!" Slade bellows ferociously causing Oliver to jump and looks over at Wilson and Sara in confusion, smiling when he sees that there's food._

 _"Great! You two cook it I'll eat later." Oliver turns back to wires soon afterwards. Sara sighs and rolls her eyes at him as she sits down on a chair._

 _"So you expect us to not only catch your food but cook it as well? Sara and I'll eat. You get your own. You've been at that for days. Give it a rest!" Wilson snaps angrily._

 _"That's because I can do it." Oliver says determinedly._

 _"Sure, kid." Slade replies._

 _"When pigs fly!"_

 _The radio switches on._

 _Oliver smiles._

 _Slade drops the whole sodding food. It hits the ground with a thud._

 _"You've got to be kidding me." He hisses as he practically drags Sara with him across to the radio beside Oliver, who smiles up at them both as Sara promptly throws herself into Oliver's lap and kisses him._

 _"Can you stop kissing your girlfriend for a moment and clean this up?" Slade hisses at Oliver._

 _"I. I don't know." Oliver smiles still giddy from accomplishment._

 _He actually freakin did it!_

 _He actually did something Wilson couldn't!_

 _"I don't know. I don't how I got this far!" Oliver cries happily as Sara hugs him tight._

 _"Ollie I'm so proud of you." She kisses him again._

 _"Continue approach, 463 heavy." Comes the voices from the radio as Slade lifts the piece._

 _"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is wedgetail 325. Pilot and passengers down." Slade speaks as they wait for the response._

 _"463 heavy cleared to land runway 27 right, wind 260 degrees, 10 knots." Comes the reply._

 _"I repeat. Pilot and passengers down on the island of Lian Yu. Request immediate rescue." Slade hisses through the radio._

 _"Cleared to land runway 27 right. 463…" The reply is cut off by Slade slamming down the radio furiously, both Oliver and Sara jump nearly five feet, worried that he might be about ready to attack them due to the angry look upon his face._

 _"They can't hear us and we can't call out." Slade snarls at Oliver._

 _"We're still trapped."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this chapter, thanks to all of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited this story, please tell me what you think. See you all next update!**


	49. Dead To Rights (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Forty Nine**

 _SCPD_

At his desk, Quentin Lance is surprised when he hears the buzzing of the three vigilantes phone and picks it up with a glare.

"What?" He hisses.

"The Triad have hired a contact killer." The Man In The Hood answers.

"Yeah and the one you put in the morgue? Congratulations you three are the talk of the station again!" Quentin snarls in response.

"They hired one, they're going to hire another, detective." He retorts.

"Who's this target?" Quentin questions.

"We don't know, we're trying to find out. We've been hitting dead ends. We need you to put your people on it." The Man In The Hood commands.

"My people don't work for the three of you and actually come to think of it, neither do I!" He spits angrily.

"It's not about the four of us detective. It's about saving a life." The Man In The Hood says. Quentin rolls his eyes in annoyance.

"Call me back when you have a name." He mutters before hanging up.

"Hall." He turns to McKenna as she passes.

"Yes sir." She says as Quentin glares at her.

"You and me. We're going to catch those three vigilantes."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"There are five exit routes from the main floor that need to be cut off." China White explains as she stands in front of a large majority of the Triad on the quest to take out both Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson, the latter to be dealt with after Merlyn.

"Once the fire alarm goes off we'll have less than thirty seconds to disable Merlyn's private security and force him outside with the others." She notes as she paces around the room.

"Once he's outside, the rest will be up to Mr. Lawton. We then focus our efforts on Slade Wilson." She reveals as she turns to face Floyd Lawton, who walks into the room, all suited up with the new eyepatch gadget.

Deadshot again.

"Roger that." He smirks.

 _The Foundry_

Upon returning to The Foundry, Oliver sees Felicity, Slade and Diggle in the exact same position as before all glaring at the screen as Felicity types rapid commands into the computer in an attempt to decrypt the phone.

Moving away from the computer, Sara greats Oliver by pulling him into a tight hug, holding her close he kisses her lips lovingly.

"How was your evening with Tommy?" She asks with a sly smile.

"Tommy was great. We had a good talk you know. On the other side of things Jade Dragon was kind of a dead end." Oliver explains as he throws an arm around Sara.

"Would have thought both parts of it would have been a dead end." Slade grumbles as Oliver and Sara roll their eyes at him.

"What's all that about?" Felicity frowns as she sees their reactions.

"Tommy Merlyn. Oliver's best friend? Well he and Slade don't exactly see eye to eye." Diggle explains which seems to be the go to response to describe Tommy and Slade's relationship! Felicity bites her lip.

"That must be kinda awkward considering you all hang out…"

"Yeah we don't do that anymore remember we said about the time we all went out together and Slade and Tommy nearly killed each other? Yeah that's why." Sara looks to Felicity who winces.

"That was never going to end well from the minute Tommy said he could beat Slade." Oliver sighs he stands behind Slade.

Felicity snorts in response.

"Wow. Your friend isn't that bright." She murmurs.

"Thanks." Slade smirks at her as Oliver rolls his eyes at them.

"No Oliver I didn't mean he wasn't bright at all. I meant if he thought he could beat Slade because I think that's basically impossible." Felicity babbles.

"Except with a pen." Diggle murmurs.

"What?" Oliver and Sara raise eyebrows at them.

"Ohh Felicity tried to stab Slade with a pen during training" Diggle says in a matter of fact tone as Oliver and Sara try to hold back laughter, failing miserably.

"Seriously?" Oliver's eyes widen.

"Well kid, she proved herself more resourceful in five seconds than you did in five months!" Slade retorts as Felicity blushes only to groan when the computer reminds her that her access is still denied.

"Again." Slade murmurs.

"They've been working on it for hours." Diggle glances to Oliver.

"Apparently stuff was easier to decrypt during Slade's time in the ASIS then this." Sara murmurs as she rests her head on Oliver's shoulder.

"It was. This is doing my head in." Slade growls at the computer as an exhausted Felicity buries her head in her hands tiredly as another attempt fails.

"Again."

 _Queen Mansion_

Sitting at her mirror, Moria Queen attempts to make herself look pretty for the nights event.

The event which will see the end of Malcolm Merlyn.

All her worries will be over. Walter could be freed and allowed to come home.

Or Walter could be killed upon Malcolm's death…

She'd still be free.

Slade Wilson would also be the next to go as well. Once Malcolm has been dealt with so would Mr. Wilson.

The Man In The Mask without a doubt. Even China White new him by that name Malcolm had discovered. They would get rid of him and soon her son would be free of that malevolent barbarian who controls him.

She'd get her son back to the way he was before the island.

Yes he'd be sad but she'd be there as his mother to comfort him. The truth only remaining with her that she had the man her son sees as his brother killed…

The earrings slip out of her fingers Moira's hands are shaking so much.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Siting on their bed, Tommy looks tiredly at one of the only photos of himself as a kid, his mom and his dad, who has his arms around them both, smiling.

Yeah his dad used to smile. No, even more surprisingly his dad used to love him! His dad actually used to act like a parent to him.

"Why are there tears?" Laurels voice pulls Tommy from his thoughts as she moves quickly over to his side, where she throws her arms around him tightly.

He hadn't even realized there was any until she pointed it out.

"Is that your mom?" She asks softly as she takes the photo from him.

"Yeah. One of the rare photos I have of our family the way it used to be before she died and my dad became a self obsessed jackass!" Tommy mutters as he groans.

"Yet I talked to Oliver and he reminded me that, that man is still my dad, like it or not he's my dad." He grumbles as Laurel nods.

"I don't really know what to tell you Tommy. If you don't want to go to that event of his no ones going to blame you. He's treated you like crap and even if I do think Ollie is kind of right. It's your choice. I'm don't really know what to say on the matter because there are valid reason for, for and against…" He cuts her off by kissing her.

"You don't have to say anything honey." He murmurs softly as he continues to kiss her.

"Just be here is all I ask." He whispers as Laurel nods and kisses his jaw sweetly.

"Of course. I'm not going anywhere. Anywhere at all." She promises in between kisses, neither of them ever wanting to stop...

 _Few Hours Or So Later…_

Heading back into their bedroom wearing Tommy's shirt, Laurel leans against the door frame as she watches her boyfriend dress into a clean suit.

"Wow. You look handsome." She grins widely as Tommy beams whilst fixing his bow tie.

"I try not to it just keeps happening." He smirks as Laurel laughs lightly.

"So what's the occasion baby?" She asks sweetly.

"I actually think I should go to my dad's thing." He admits as Laurel frowns and walks towards him, sliding her arms around his waist.

"Really, are you sure?" She replies as she releases him so he can put on his jacket.

"Oh mostly." He sighs as she strokes his face.

"I mean, did you want me to go with you?" She offers.

"No, no, no honey I know you have work to do…"

"Which I would abandon all for you." She cuts him off mid sentence as he responds by taking her hands and kisses them.

"I promise I will be fine." He kisses her lips then.

"I expect you to call me if you need me." She says sternly as she releases him.

"I'll see you later, honey!" Is Tommy's last call before he leaves the apartment.

Laurel watches him go before hearing her phone ring again, picking it up she sees that the person who is calling her is none other than her mom…

She declines it without thinking.

 _Starling City Appreciation Gala_

Standing nervously in the middle of a crowd, Moria tries not to think about how this event is truly going to go.

"You look beautiful." Malcolm's voice rings out causing Moira to turn around to see him standing behind her, an evil looking smile upon his face.

"Thank you." She replies as he walks toward her.

"If you're free, maybe after the ceremony, we could have dinner and talk like we used to." He offers with a secret smile that implies something else entirely then dinner and a chat!

"I'd like that." Moira replies, knowing full well Malcolm won't be there for that dinner.

A high pitched whining pulls Malcolm away.

"That's my cue." He grins before leaving Moira to take the stage.

"I've been trying to avoid him all evening." Frank murmurs from beside Moira, who quickly grabs two glasses of champagne.

"If we didn't show we'd look suspicious." She replies.

"How can you talk to him that way? As if nothing's about to happen." He mutters.

"I've been living this lie for five years, five more minutes won't matter." She replies as lieutenant pike begins speaking.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Now tonight's honoree needs very little introduction. It is neither his wealth nor his name that we celebrate here tonight. But it is his efforts in making Starling City a better and safer place to live in. So please help me welcome Starling City's humanitarian of the year. Mr. Malcolm Merlyn!" They all applaud as Malcolm takes to the stage, waving at the crowd as he does so, before shaking Pike's hand as he accepts his award with a beaming smile and a 'thank you'.

Unaware completely that a beautiful Chinese woman in a white dress with long brown hair is in fact China White. The rest of the waiters in fact members of the Triad.

The true waiters have already been murdered.

For all intents and purposes, Malcolm Merlyn is clueless of his upcoming fate…

 _The Upper Foundry_

Neither one of Oliver or Sara being very good at computers, or waiting for that matter decide to call up McKenna for a drink, which they have on the upper level of The Foundry so that incase Diggle and Felicity decrypt the phone they're already there!

They even manage to convince Slade to have a break and join them.

"Right. So that's a stage. Most nights we'll have a band, somebody cool. Is Fall Out Boy still cool?" Oliver questions as he tries to image a band on their stage when the club opens.

"They broke up." McKenna reveals before rolling her eyes at them.

"And never!" She adds.

"So somebody else will pick the bands." Oliver smirks.

"Who also isn't Slade either. Lord knows what he'd have playing here! Perhaps Tommy should be left to that task." Sara pipes up.

"Something he'd actually probably be good at." Slade mutters. Oliver gasps.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother Slade Wilson?" He sniggers.

"You just payed Tommy a complement." Sara looks shocked herself.

"I didn't let you hire him for no reason, kid. I figured he'd know more about clubs than I. I would never have agreed to him working for us if he didn't." Slade mutters in response.

"You know I could sing one night."

"No. No Oliver I draw the line at that." Slade growls quickly as McKenna laughs.

"Come on Slade! I ain't that bad." Oliver replies.

"I wanted to gouge both of my eyes out kid it was atrocious!" Slade mutters.

"He has a point Ollie. It wasn't the best singing in the world." Sara smirks.

"I was bored ok and I was trying to keep everyone's spirits up!"

"Oliver I wanted to kill you." Slade retorts seriously.

"I remember we had to confiscate your weapon collection to stop you from killing Ollie." Sara murmurs as Slade rolls his eye at them.

"You know I agree with Slade and Sara. I can't remember you being much of a singer Oliver." McKenna smiles as Oliver and Sara look off into the distance as they think of Felicity down below still trying to hack into that phone.

"What's wrong with you three? You look miles away." McKenna smiles.

"Something bothering the three of you? Don't say no either because two of you are terrible liars." She adds.

"Really?" Oliver queries.

"Thought we were getting better at it." Sara smiles.

"No way. What's wrong?" She looks to them sweetly.

"It's just that there's a lot of stuff going on in our lives. Work and friends and we're having a difficult time trying to figure out how to fit it all in." Sara explains.

"I've been struggling with some of those thoughts as well." McKenna replies.

"Got any good ideas?" Slade murmurs.

"I think friends just have to be really honest to one another about what's going on in our lives." She reveals as Oliver, Sara and Slade look to one another because really.

How honest can they ever truly be with their friends? Especially this one sitting right in front of them.

 _The Foundry_

"Come on. Come on. I could have really done with Slade staying. Come on!" Felicity cries sadly to her computer as she quickly types commands in before the unthinkable happens.

"YES! I'm in!" She cheers.

"YES! Yes! Yes!" Diggle cheers as well as he sits down beside her.

"Way to go Felicity Smoak!" He grins as she winces at something on her computer screen.

"You don't happen to speak Spanish, do you?"

"Arabic." He replies.

"Oh, le sigh!" She says as she reaches over to type in another command as the contents of the phone become available to them.

Diggle and Felicity stare at the screen in shock.

"Oh my god…"

 _Upper Foundry_

"Excuse me Mr. Queen, Miss Lance, Mr. Wilson. The IT department has that item that you three requested." Diggle enters the room, putting on the show due to McKenna's presence.

"One sec." Sara says quickly as the three of them move toward Diggle.

"You find the target?" Oliver asks quickly.

"Oliver now I need you guys to stay calm here. It's not just one target." Diggle starts.

"What? How many!" Sara hisses.

"Two. Target one is Tommy's father. Target two. Target two is Slade Wilson." He reveals as the three of them freeze.

"What!" Oliver hisses.

"Oliver we don't know why all we know is the targets and that they're planning to get Malcolm Merlyn at the awards ceremony which is where Tommy is." Diggle murmurs as Oliver and Sara shake their heads in dismay before turning to McKenna.

"Um, McKenna, Mr. Diggle is going to take you home. We have some really unexpected business." Oliver turns to her.

"Oh it's ok." She smiles as they head off down the stairs…

 _The Foundry_

The three race down the stairs in an instant.

"Why. Why would someone be after you?" Sara looks to Slade as they reach Felicity, who gets to her feet in an instant.

"Was there anything? Anything to suggest why on that damn phone?" Oliver yells to her as she shake her head.

"No just the names and location." Felicity whispers as she looks at Slade nervously.

"You don't think someone knows Slade's The Man In The Mask do you?" She asks.

"Who knows, I have a lot of enemies." Slade shrugs his shoulders.

"It's the freakin Triad Slade!" Oliver yells at him before resting his hands on Slade's arms.

"Yeah kid, they ain't after me then are they. They're after…" Slade trails off.

"The monster." He murmurs as Oliver shakes his head quickly.

"No. No. Slade what you did. You were not a monster."

"They labeled me one." He reminds him.

"Slade. You were a hero under that name, not a villain and certainly not a monster." He says gently as Felicity looks anxiously around trying to figure out what the hells going on.

"But they're after Slade Wilson." Sara glances at the screen.

"So unless they know he's one and the same with The Man In The Mask then this is some thing else entirely." She folds her arms as Slade rolls his eye at them.

"Ok. Look we need to call your father. Sara?" Oliver chucks the phone toward her on his way over to a desk.

Sara dials in the number quickly.

"Lance." Quentin picks up the phone reluctantly again upon seeing it ring.

"The target is Malcolm Merlyn. Establish a perimeter but keep your distance. We don't want the police getting caught in the crossfire." The Woman In Black murmurs before hanging up.

"That done? A'right lets get suited up." Slade commands only to feel a stinging pain in his arm and an instant feeling of dizziness.

"Oliver!" He growls as Oliver catches him, a syringe in hand.

"I'm sorry. It's for your own good." He murmurs as drugged unconsciousness claims Slade.

"Ollie what are you doing?" Sara whispers as she races forward to help Oliver with Slade.

"We can't. We can't take the risk they know who he is. We don't know what assassin they have. He can't come with us, this is the only way to stop him." Oliver murmurs as he and Sara help Slade onto a table, Oliver making sure to handcuff him down.

"No matter what he tells you. If he wakes up do not release him. Not until we have gotten back and are releasing him ourselves." Oliver commands to Felicity, who just looks honestly shellshocked at the last five minutes.

"You can't just leave him here like that." She bites her lip nervously.

"To save his life." Sara turns to face her as they grab their equipment.

"We need to."

 _Starling City Appreciation Gala_

"The true humanitarian in the Merlyn family was my wife, Rebecca." Malcolm continues with his acceptance speech, as within the crowd. Tommy looks away sadly at the mention of his mother.

"Many of you here knew her. She tirelessly devoted herself to helping those less fortunate in The Glades. I'd like to think if the man who murdered her knew her, knew the work that she did, knew the person that she was. He would have helped to her car, made sure she was safe instead of stealing her purse and shooting her." He notes as Tommy looks up at him from within the crowd, as Malcolm looks to his son before looking back at the podium.

"The truth is I haven't done enough for this city, my city. I failed it. But I promise you I am not finished yet." He reveals causing Tommy to smile widely at his dad, for the first time in forever believing his father's words.

From the crowd, Moria still watching Malcolm nervously follows his gaze to where Tommy stands in the crowd. She freezes.

Tommy will watch his father be killed. It shakes Moria to her core, she couldn't imagine either Thea or Oliver watching her be killed and Tommy will have to experience this in a few short moments. He's already one parent down.

She's making him an orphan.

"I promise you that this city will be better for all of us and on that day I will look at this beautiful award and feel that I have earned it! I thank you." He smiles as the applause begins, Tommy even raising a glass to his father as he walks offstage.

Then the fire alarm begins to blare with a click of a button controlled by China White.

"Ladies and gentleman please exit calmly and quietly to the glass sliding doors." Someone commands as everyone begins to head that direction, except Malcolm, whom watches as one of the waiters kills a member of his security, another waiter doing the same thing.

This is an attack. He soon realizes.

An attack at the place his son presently is.

"Tommy!" He whispers as he races into the crowd.

 _Outside_

Meanwhile, outside on a distant rooftop Deadshot sits, gun primed and ready to fire, watching as the people move outside trying to spy his target. Moira and Frank exit the building, keeping close to one another knowing what is about to happen.

Deadshot continues to watch for his target, which he does not.

"Merlyn's not taking the bait. Change of plans." He murmurs.

"I do not like improvisation." China White growls.

"Drive him upstairs to his penthouse office. I'll need to switch vantage points."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Tommy. Tommy!" Malcolm cries as he pushes his way through the crowd to find his son.

"Tommy." He sighs in relief when he sees his son, grabbing his arm tightly.

"Tommy come with me." He pulls him along.

"Ok there's an exit on the second floor. I wasn't leaving until I knew you were safe." He reveals as the father and son race up the stairs together.

Upon reaching a corridor, Tommy and Malcolm are met by two men firing guns at them, Malcolm shields Tommy from the gunfire as suddenly The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black smash through a window, The Man In The Hood shielding her as he fires arrows at the two gunmen.

Malcolm and Tommy watch the scene in front of them, both noting the absence of one vigilante. The Man In The Mask.

I wonder why! Malcolm thinks to himself as his thoughts go instantly to Mr. Wilson.

"Go somewhere safe we'll hold them off!" The Woman In Black cries.

"Go now!" The Man In The Hood bellows as Malcolm looks to Tommy.

"Come on!" He commands as he and Tommy escape into a corridor.

"Where are we going?" Tommy questions.

"Up!" Malcolm replies.

"Who are those guys?" He asks.

"I don't know." Malcolm responds as they race up a flight of stairs.

"They were trying to kill you!"

"Yeah it seems that way."

"And we're going up without any of your bodyguards?" Tommy looks at his father in complete disbelief.

"Dad, we need to get out of here!"

"Tommy." Malcolm says as they stop at a door which he unlocks.

"Take a deep breath and trust me. Upstairs, in my office is a panic room." He pushes Tommy into a lift.

"We get there. We seal it off."

 _Meanwhile_

"Merlyn's headed to the penthouse." China White calls as she takes to the stairs, Deadshot maneuvering himself into place.

Elsewhere, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black take on members of the Triad. Side by side until all members are on the floor.

Turning around, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black spy China White standing behind them.

"Why do you want Slade Wilson and Malcolm Merlyn dead?" The Man In The Hood growls.

"I'll settle for the two of you." She retorts as they all advance on one another, the three engage one another in battle, China White getting the upper hand and knocking The Man In The Hood to the ground, who recovers quickly as The Woman In Black drags China White back by her hair, slamming her face repeatedly into a wall.

No one lays a hand on her partner and gets away with it!

 _Elsewhere…_

Upon reaching the top floor, Malcolm and Tommy exit the elevator only to be met by two Triad members who prepare to fire at them instantly.

Without even a second thought, Malcolm attacks both men, knocking both down to the floor, grabbing one of their guns.

"Wait!" Tommy cries but he's too late as Malcolm shoots the man through the head.

"Let's go!" He bellows at Tommy, who is frozen in place after what he had just witnessed.

"You. You killed them." He stammers.

"Surely as they would have killed you." Malcolm murmurs as he puts a code into the door before grabbing his sons arm again.

"Come on! Move, move, move!" He pushes Tommy into the office before locking the doors behind them both once he's certain his son is safety inside.

"Electromagnetic locks." He states with a glance at Tommy.

"What if they cut the power?" Tommy questions.

"This floor is on an entire separate grid."

"The glass?" Tommy throws in.

"Lexan. Bulletproof. It's over." He assures Tommy who shakes his head.

"How did you know how to do that?" He whispers.

"What?" Malcolm looks at him in confusion.

"Fight. Kill?" Tommy whispers as Malcolm steps away from him, both Merlyn men unaware that a few rooftops away sits Deadshot, who has just slotted in to his weapon a very special bullet. A bullet that could easily break through 'Lexan'

Glancing once more at Tommy, Malcolm moves toward the wall of pictures where under one he reveals a small keypad.

"Dad?" Tommy frowns as Malcolm keys in the code, the wall moving to reveal, only to Malcolm at this point.

The uniform of the Dark Archer.

Yet just as he is about to call Tommy over toward it, to reveal to his son the truth an explosion happens in the office from a weapon fired by Deadshot.

Malcolm shuts the door to the Dark Archer's uniform before Tommy can even notice it.

 _Meanwhile…_

Grabbing China White sharply, The Woman In Black launches her into a glass cabinet, which subsequently shatters. The Man In The Hood slamming her up against a wall.

"Why are you after Slade Wilson? Tell us now!" He snarls to silence as China White attacks back, grabbing a shard of glass, which she prepares to stab The Man In The Hood with, which she does manage to slice across his arm, only though for The Woman In Black to strike her across the face with one of her batons, who recovers to attack The Man In The Hood again who hisses something in Chinese, which China White replies to, causing The Man In The Hood to throw her half way across the corridor, grabbing his bow and arrow, ready to finally finish her off…

"Freeze!" McKenna's voice interrupts them.

"SCPD. Put the bow and batons down." She aims her gun at them both, walking toward The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and China White, whom sits weapon less on the floor, The Man In The Hood still aiming his arrow at her heart.

"Turn around slowly. Both of you!" McKenna takes a few steps toward them.

Glaring once at China White, knowing he could truly end this with her for good, but cannot if he wants to escape here. The Man In The Hood fires his arrow at the fire extinguisher. It explodes causing enough smoke for The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood to flee through as McKenna fires off into the smoke.

Clearing, she finds the two vigilantes and China White gone.

"Damn it!"

 _In Merlyn's Office_

Pulling his head up slowly from the glass covered floor, Malcolm looks around hurriedly for Tommy, who also tries to lift himself up from his position.

"Tommy, you ok?" Malcolm asks worriedly, Tommy nods.

Yet the moment Malcolm gets to his feet, his is shot twice by Deadshot, still concealed on his rooftop.

Malcolm falls back onto the floor in an instant.

"Dad!" Tommy cries as from the rooftop Deadshot smiles.

"Dad?" Tommy whispers worriedly as he reaches his father seemingly unconscious form before dragging him to safety.

"Dad, dad I'm so sorry." He whispers as Malcolm suddenly grabs his arms, groaning.

"Oh I'm ok. I'm ok." He pulls back his shirt to reveal a bulletproof vest underneath.

"Oh, you're bleeding." Tommy notices the blood.

"You're bleeding." He repeats, realizing that despite the vest Malcolm was in fact hit once.

"I'll be fine. I'll be fine." Malcolm pats Tommy's hand.

"I'll…" He trails off as his eyes begin to close.

"No, no, no! Dad! Dad!" Tommy yells desperately as glass shattering behind him causes him to spin around to see two of the three vigilantes standing behind him.

The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

In an instant, Tommy removes the gun from his father's coat, aiming it at the two vigilantes.

"Stay back!" He hisses venomously.

"We're not here to hurt you or your father." The Woman In Black starts.

"I said stay back!" Tommy growls as they take a few steps forward.

The Man In The Hood holds up his hand in almost surrender as he kneels down to pick up the bullet Deadshot had fired.

He freezes.

"It's curare…" He whispers as The Woman In Black to freezes, knowing exactly what that means and makes them both beyond relieved that they left their partner back at a The Foundry. Deadshot is still alive.

"Don't come any closer!" Tommy continues to threaten them both with the gun.

"Your father's been poisoned. An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare. We've dealt with this before. We need to dilute the poison in his bloodstream…"

"I said stay the hell back!" Tommy yells, cutting The Woman In Black off.

"In three minutes he's paralyzed. In four minutes he suffocates. If you don't let us help you now he's dead before anybody gets here!" The Man In The Hood yells.

"Help?" Tommy hisses.

"How?" He growls.

"Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital." The Woman In Black reveals as Tommy tilts his head toward his father.

"A blood transfusion? That's insane!" He yells.

"It's the only way." The Man In The Hood says softly.

"He's needs your blood!" He snaps as Tommy doesn't put down the gun.

"You're out of time. You need to make a decision right now."

"Why should I trust you?" Tommy cries angrily as The Man In The Hood closes his eyes, looking once at The Woman In Black before reaching for her hand.

She nods and takes it before they each switch of their voice modifiers, holding out their free hands toward Tommy in surrender.

Then, whilst still holding on another's hands. The Man In The Hood removes his hood and The Woman In Black, her mask and wig.

Tommy nearly drops the freakin gun.

"Because you always have." Oliver replies.

"Oliver… Sara…" Tommy whispers as he does actually drop the gun.

Within seconds of Tommy doing just that, Oliver races to grab the first aid kit, racing back over to the unconscious Malcolm and Tommy, who stands crouched over his father like a statue, a million and one thoughts running through his head at once as he stands frozen.

Oliver and Sara are The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

The two vigilantes.

There's usually a third…

The Man In The Mask. Has to be Wilson. Tommy thinks to himself as Sara suddenly grabs his arm, he pulls out of her grasp instantly, as Oliver fishes around in the first aid kid for a needle and tubing, he uses one of his arrows to make a small hole.

"Hey, ready?" He turns to Tommy, who nods.

"Do it." He whispers as Oliver stabs the needle into his skin, Sara wrapping a bandage around his wrist to keep it in place whilst they fix the tubing, clipping it with a pair of scissors quickly.

"Not bad." Oliver notes, holding Tommy's hand until the blood begins to flow from Tommy.

"Hold his arm." He commands to Sara, who does so as Oliver stabs the other needle into Malcolm's arm, Sara carefully passing Malcolm's arm over to Tommy.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on." Oliver whispers, waiting for Malcolm to respond.

"You two are the vigilantes." Tommy murmurs.

"Slade the third?" Oliver and Sara nod solemnly.

"Why?" Tommy whispers.

"Later." Oliver replies.

"He's still going to need medical attention to fully clean out his system do you understand?" Sara places a hand of comfort on Tommy's back, he shakes her off and nods.

"Ok. Thank you." Tommy glances at them both, they nod in response as Oliver grabs Sara's hand as they get to their feet.

That's when Malcolm grips Tommy's hand.

"Tommy…"

"I'm right here dad." Tommy sniffs, looking behind him to see the two vigilantes gone.

Oliver and Sara. Gone.

 _The Foundry_

Felicity sits nervously at her desk, what with the unconscious Slade lying upon the table, chained down to stop him from going anywhere.

She had tried to find the reason why Slade was being targeted. She could not find the reason why, only his name.

She can imagine a person like him has many enemies. Many enemies, probably the person who hates Malcolm Merlyn hates Slade too and has decided to kill two birds with one stone. She believes Oliver and Sara probably did the right thing by knocking the guy out to stop him from getting himself killed as she already knows Slade's a really stubborn guy. She remembers well the time Oliver got shot, the first time she had discovered Sara, Oliver and Slade were the three vigilantes. Slade hiding the fact he too was severely wounded because he: A) wanted them all to save Oliver first. B) because he is very, very stubborn.

This time wouldn't have been any different and could have ended in him being killed!

"Oliver! Sara!" Slade suddenly yells from the table where he has woken up, groaning as he does so, looking at the handcuffs on his wrists.

"I'm gonna kill that kid slow." He snarls as he tries to sit up.

"My head." He growls at the annoying ache that makes him feel queasy as he tries to sit and free himself from his restraints. It is then he notices Felicity.

"Felicity!" He bellows furiously at her, she jumps at that and nervously turns to face, what she expects to be the wrath of Slade.

"I didn't have any part in this! Swear I didn't." She whispers.

"I know, get these damn things off me!" He snarls.

"I can't. Oliver and Sara told me not to." She replies.

"And I am telling you to get these things off me now!" He growls.

"Trust me. You're gonna want to listen to me more than Oliver and Sara!" He snarls as Felicity groans and buries her head in her hands.

"I would if I didn't think you'd go after them." She admits.

"That I am not. Thanks to Oliver I have the headache from hell. I ain't going anywhere!" He mutters honestly, Felicity is skeptical.

"I'll get you some aspirin. You can wait until Oliver and Sara comes to be released. I ain't falling for that." She notes as she gets up from her chair to head towards her handbag to retrieve painkillers for Slade.

"Felicity. I won't go anywhere." He gives her a half smile she doesn't know if she should trust or not as she returns with the water and painkillers before sighing.

"You're right. This is ridiculous." She sighs before grabbing the keys Oliver had tossed to the other side of the room before retrieving them and unlocking Slade's restraints.

"You try to escape or anything and I'll attack you." She threatens as he laughs.

"Love to see that." He replies with a smirk.

"Hm. I'd stab you with my pen. That would stop you in your tracks." She replies sternly as she passes him the water and pain relief for his aching head.

"If I didn't have a headache. I'd teach you a few more moves." He mutters and Felicity find herself feeling kind of glad he has a headache, knowing Slade would probably kick her ass again and she really doesn't feel like being thrown to the floor today multiple times. It would be even worse as well, she thinks to herself as she looks at Slade. He's in a bad mood and has a headache. It really wouldn't go down well!

"So. Why does the Triad hate you?" She asks after a while, perching on the table beside Slade as he sits up to face her.

"You really don't want to know why." He murmurs.

"Was Oliver and Sara there?" She presses.

"Oliver. Not Sara, she was elsewhere at that point." He replies.

"Would Oliver tell me why?" She asks, he glances at her.

"No." He retorts before sighing.

"I built up quite a reputation during that time I was with Oliver. A lot of people know me then by the name that. Those people branded me with. The name of a monster." He mutters as Felicity shakes her head.

"Oliver said you were a hero under that name, whatever it may be…"

"I wasn't. The people who thought I was a monster are correct. I was one. I had something that made me something different. It would have destroyed me if Oliver hadn't have been there. He stopped me from making a lot of terrible decisions. Yet we made one together that unleashed something bad on the world." He mumbles.

"What?" Felicity whispers.

"Because of what I became. To control the monster I was they. They hurt Oliver. They did something to him that meant if I did anything to them they could kill him without a moments notice. Oliver was all I had left at this point Felicity. There was someone who said they could help Oliver, fix him and they did. That person saved Oliver because of a mistake. Because they thought I was a villain just like them they helped us out. In return I had to set that person free. A killer, a dangerous one at that and I did."

"But you did it to save Oliver, Slade that doesn't make you a bad person…"

"I was selfish Felicity…"

"No. You saved Oliver's life."

"I repeated the same mistake again of being selfish in the face of losing someone I loved." He admits as Felicity opens her mouth to say something in response.

"No more questions." He growls dangerously.

Felicity knows better than to test him.

 _Starling City_

"What did the vigilantes say to you?" McKenna asks as she and Quentin follow Tommy along side his dad, who is being sent to the hospital.

"They didn't say anything." Tommy mutters.

"You let two homicidal maniacs talk you into a homemade blood transfusion instead of calling the paramedics?" She looks at him in disbelief.

"My father's life was at stake." Tommy responds as he stops to face Quentin and McKenna.

"So first the vigilantes rescue you, Oliver and my daughter from those kidnappers. Now they save your old man? But they've taken down every other one percenter out there." Quentin comers before stepping towards Tommy.

"Are these guys friends of yours Merlyn?" Tommy turns to face him.

No. He wants to shout.

It's your daughter, my best friend and their psychotic friend.

Who has turned out to be a psychopath! Just like Tommy believed him to be.

It's only been confirmed now.

He shakes his head instead.

"I don't know who the hell they are." He retorts before continuing to follow his father, his living father being loaded into the ambulance as they spoke.

Moira Queen watching as he is loaded inside, alive. Only realizing there and then just how screwed she really is.

From the distance, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black look on. Their thoughts on Tommy.

What have they just done?

 _Slade's Plane_

 _The static on the radio continues as Wilson messes with it, having pushed Oliver out of the way after his few minute rage about the radio not working as they had hoped._

 _Oliver casually reminding him that it wouldn't have worked at all if not for him had resulted in Wilson punching him._

 _Again when Oliver had requested to help with the radio again to at least get it onto a music channel if it was useless for calling out!_

 _"If they can't hear us then what is the point?" Oliver growls from the corner of the plane, Sara lounging on his lap, his hands gently combing through her hair._

 _"Perhaps he really is trying to get the music channel to work." Sara smiles._

 _"Now that would be a productive use of our time. Some music to accompany us training. I could deal with that." Oliver smirks back._

 _"I was joking Ollie." Sara sighs._

 _"I wasn't."_

 _"Would you two shut up!" Slade snarls._

 _"Would you stop being a dick?" Oliver murmurs discreetly as Wilson just glares at him._

 _"If you hadn't have done us some good I would have cut off one of your limbs for that comment." Wilson hisses back as he twists a few buttons on the radio again._

 _"0500 hours from my mark. Final deployment is five by five." Comes the voice of…_

 _"Fyers!" Oliver cries as he and Sara race toward where Slade stands by the radio, which now emits Fyers voice._

 _"I'm tuned into the soldiers' frequency." He murmurs._

 _"That's good right?" Sara replies as another voice responds._

 _"Scylla is in route. ETA 0600 hours at the southwest bay." Says the voice._

 _"I'll call you when Scylla is in my possession. Fyers, out."_

 _"Who was Fyers talking to?" Sara asks Slade nervously, who then moves away from the radio before turning to face the couple._

 _"I don't know. It sounds like someone off this island, maybe his benefactor. More importantly, who or what is Scylla?" He growls._

 _"The Scylla and Charybdis. It's The Odyssey. From one of the four nightmare chapters. Scylla was a monster." Oliver reveals from memory, feeling proud of himself for remembering, even earning a smirk from Wilson._

 _"The Odyssey." He murmurs as Oliver can't help but smirk back as Sara looks on confused._

 _"I'm missing something here." She replies as Oliver chuckles._

 _"The Odyssey's kinda mine and Slade's thing."_

 _"We don't have a 'thing'." Slade growls as he slides both his swords into their holders._

 _"But I want to meet this monster." He mutters before heading toward the entrance and exit to the plane, Sara moves to grab a few knives of her own before standing bravely beside Slade, shoving one of her knives into her boot._

 _"Is it just Sara and I going?" They both glance to Oliver, who picks up a small knife of his own before following after Sara and Slade…_

 _The Foundry_

"Who's going first?" Sara murmurs to Oliver as they head toward the steps.

"He's less likely to kill you." Oliver reminds her as she sighs as heads down the steps nervously, both of them revealing themselves to Slade, who they find no longer chained up and actually sitting on the table they left him on with Felicity, who appears to have been chatting to him.

"Felicity what did I say about unchaining him?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Look he didn't go anywhere did he?" Felicity rolls her eyes at him as Slade glares at them.

"I'm gonna kill you slow!" Slade hisses as he moves to get off the table.

"Slade I did it for your own good and it was very fortunate I did because Malcolm Merlyn almost died tonight." Oliver sighs.

"That is no excuse kid!" Slade snarls.

"If you'd just let us explain." Sara sighs.

"Yeah go on. Explain I'm all ears." He growls as Felicity winces.

"So. How did it feel to save a one-percenter?" She decides to ask.

"Looks like Malcolm Merlyn is going to be ok as well. They took him to Starling General. Good thing he was wearing a bulletproof vest, I just looked it up." Diggle moves from the computers.

"This ain't explaining anything kid." Slade snaps.

"It is because he's not in the hospital because he was shot. He was poisoned by curare." Oliver admits as Diggle freezes and Slade nods, anger fading slightly.

"It explains why you were a target. He must have figured out you were Slade Wilson under the mask." Sara looks to Slade. Diggle though, looking between Oliver and Sara with a distraught expression as he moves to the other side of The Foundry.

"Lawton's alive." He murmurs as Oliver turns to him.

"I'm sorry John." Sara says as Diggle simply walks away. Felicity frowns.

"This Lawton kick his dog or something?" She whispers.

"No. He killed his brother." Oliver reveals to her before sighing.

"Would have killed mine to if I hadn't have left him here." He turns to Slade.

"We almost lost Malcolm. We had to... If Lawton had still been there and knew The Man In The Mask and Slade Wilson were one in the same he would have killed you too.." Oliver reminds him as Slade raises an eyebrow.

"What's Lawton got against Slade?" Felicity queries.

"Slade cut his leg off in our last encounter."

"You put an arrow through his eye though Oliver. Wouldn't you have been on his list you'd have thought?" Slade turns to him.

"You think there's something else at play?" Sara bites her lip.

"Lawton is a contract killer. Someone wanted Slade gone. That person probably still does and Lawton's still out there so Slade's still at risk." Sara sighs.

"Who ever they are they're still after him. Yet they wanna get to him they're going to have to go through us and if we figure out who they are. They are going to rue the day they decided to put a target on my brother." Oliver growls determinedly as Slade gives him a half smile in response.

"Well that may be, I have a question of my own. What did you have to do Oliver. You and Sara? You're holding something back." Slade folds his arms as Oliver simply groans.

"Right. Ok Slade please just stay calm…"

"Oliver!"

"To. To save Malcolm we had to. We had to tell Tommy the truth." Oliver admits.

"The truth?" Slade hisses.

"The whole truth." Sara bites her lip as she leans into Oliver.

"My cue to like, go." Felicity races off back to her computers.

"It was the only way…" Oliver starts as Slade moves away from him.

"I'm absent for one mission and you mange to screw up that badly?" Slade growls.

"We had to help Malcolm. Tommy wouldn't let us near him." Sara starts.

"He ain't joining us." Slade snaps.

"Oh. Oh no of course not. He isn't going to say anything either." Oliver reassures him.

"You sure about that kid? Don't want me to have a little chat with him?"

"No. No. Leave Tommy to us." Oliver sighs as Slade runs a hand through his hair.

"He's gonna say something, kid!"

"He won't! We can trust Tommy!" Oliver cries as Sara backs him up by nodding, Slade glaring at them both in turn.

"Well on your head be it." Slade mutters before walking away...

 _"Damn." Wilson hisses from their position, hidden behind a log, over looking a base of operations, that Slade is checking out through binoculars._

 _"What?" Sara whispers._

 _"What is it?" Oliver chimes._

 _"You were right, kid. Scylla is a monster." Wilson reveals._

 _"It's a Russian made S300 anti aircraft missile launcher." He growls as he passes the binoculars on to Sara and Oliver._

 _"It can simultaneously track up to one hundred targets while engaging in at least a dozen. It's one hellva monster." He murmurs._

 _"Can't remember this being in The Odyssey." Oliver winces._

 _"Wow The Odyssey really is you two's thing." Sara smirks as they both glare at her._

 _"I mean from here it could shoot down a commercial airliner, or start a war."_

 _Oliver just stares at him._

 _Starling City General_

Having left Slade in a considerable bad mood, who actually would have come with them if he could have gone in his vigilante uniform to confront Tommy that way! Oliver and Sara go to Starling General to find Tommy. Just to say something to him, anything…

"Hey guys." McKenna calls them over.

"Hey McKenna. You okay? We heard that you were there." Sara asks worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine." She smiles.

"Sorry for us having to go like that. We must reschedule." Oliver apologizes.

"It's ok. I mean our lives are complicated but we're friends. We can work this out. Willing to do that?" She grins as she embraces them both.

"Willing and able." Sara and Oliver chime.

 _Meanwhile..._

Malcolm groans as he awakens from his state of unconsciousness.

"Hey dad." Tommy moves over to him quickly, having not moved from his bedside.

"Take it easy." He warns him.

"You were shot. The bullet was laced with poison." Tommy explains gently.

"I should be dead." Malcolm murmurs.

"I gave you a blood transfusion. Actually it was the two vigilantes idea. They saved you. Well two of them did. Seems one decided to take a vacation." Tommy grumbles.

"They did?" Malcolm frowns, thoughts running through his head at the thought of the vigilantes helping him.

"I was worried I was going to lose you…"

"I'm not going anywhere." Malcolm reassures him.

"You said that after mom died, but you left." Malcolm puts his hand over Tommy's.

"I wasn't a very good to you after your mother passed away. I was so lost." He admits.

"You never told me where you went." Tommy says to silence for a few moments before Malcolm grips his hands again.

"I found myself in a place called Nanda Parbat. I met a man there. He helped me makes sense of things. He helped me to find a purpose for my life. To make this city a better place for everyone. Especially for you." He admits as Tommy just glances at him.

"How are you going to do that?"

"Malcolm!" Moira's voice cuts him off before he can even answer.

"Tommy." Malcolm pats his arm gently.

"Can I talk to Moira for a minute?" Tommy hugs him tightly before leaving, letting his hand go last before moving to the door, Moria hugging him and kissing his cheek before letting him leave, moving quickly to Malcolm's side.

"Thank god you're alright." She grips his hand tightly.

"We have a traitor in our midst. I want you to find out who." He growls as he squeezes her hand tightly.

"He just made his last mistake."

 _Meanwhile…_

Tommy stands outside his father's room, aware of Sara and Oliver approaching him from the other side.

"My dads going to be okay thanks to the two of you." He murmurs.

"It was thanks to you." Oliver replies as Tommy turns to them.

"I once asked you what happened to the three of you out on that island. You said a lot that doesn't quite cover it."

"Tommy…"

"I saw you and Sara kill those guys who kidnapped us when you guys first got back didn't I?" Oliver and Sara say nothing.

"He did this." He murmurs.

"Tommy." Oliver starts.

"Wilson he did this to you two. He turned you both into these people who…"

"Tommy I know you must have a lot of questions."

"Yeah, yeah but for now just the one." He turns to them both.

"Were either of you ever gonna tell me?" He whispers.

"No." Oliver replies after a brief interlude of silence.

At that Tommy walks away, he doesn't look back…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Tommy, I saw it all on the news. I'll be there as soon as I can. Ok bye." Laurel hangs up her mobile, racing toward the door, opening it to reveal none other than her mother...

Silence passes between the two Lance women as Laurel begins to tremble.

"Hello Laurel."

"Mom. What are you doing here?" She whispers.

"I know I've made mistakes and I couldn't get away before because of work but…"

"I don't care. Yes, you have made mistakes. Look, I've got to go, why don't you send us all an email or a postcard sometime. Just get out of here. If you really wanted to be here you would have come home the minute you knew Sara was alive…"

"I couldn't get away. I had work Laurel but I'm here now and I. I want to see Sara."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be very soon, thanks to all of you who have followed and favorited this story. Sorry if this chapter hasn't been the best, not too confident with this one please tell me what you think. See you all next update.**


	50. The Huntress Returns (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty**

 _Starling City_

In a club deep within Starling City, men watch with captivated looks as scantily dressed women swing around poles.

Meanwhile at one table, a certain woman name of Helena Bertinelli appears.

"Hey mister. You feel like a dance?" She walks over to one man in particular.

"Absolutely." The man replies before following her away from the table into one of the private rooms as his dishes out money.

"Tonight your first night?" He questions.

"First and last, Gus." She growls as she lifts her foot and presses her heel into his chest sharply, fixing the man with a glare.

"Helena." He gasps upon realsing her identity.

"I'm looking for my father." She growls wickedly.

"I figure if anybody knows where he is, it would be his attorney." She smiles.

"I don't." He says quickly as she removes her foot from its position before promptly raising a crossbow in one hand.

"Helena, I swear." He holds his hands up instantly.

"I'd tell you where the FBI is keeping Frank. But after your father and I made his plea deal to testify, the Feds, they stopped telling me anything. Please!" He begs.

"You have to believe me!"

"I do." She replies.

Moments later, Helena exits the club, moving quickly toward her motorcycle, she mounts it, putting her helmet on with a glare.

"Hey Gus, songs over man." A man knocks upon the door Helena had exited from.

"You still in there?" He walks in to find Gus, two darts embedded in his chest…

With a coy smile underneath her helmet, The Huntress drives off into the distance.

 _The Upper Foundry_

"Ohh my gosh! It looks amazing!" McKenna cries as Oliver and Sara lead her around the recently completed club.

"You, Tommy and Slade have done wonderfully." Sara beams, accepting a kiss from Oliver.

"Yeah." Oliver smiles as he releases an excitable Sara from his side, who leaps toward the bar, stroking the surfaces lovingly.

"This is where I'll bartend." She whispers with a grin as Oliver pulls her back into his arms.

"Steve Aoki's going to DJ right there." He points to a stage as McKenna gasps.

"What? How did you get Steve Aoki?" She cries.

"I dated his sister." Oliver reveals.

"Oh." Sara raises an eyebrow at him.

"A million years ago." He promises her.

"Good answer." She pats his arm as he kisses her hair.

"So. Will you come with us to the opening tomorrow tonight? Oliver queries.

"Certainly! Anything for my two most awesome friends!" She has Oliver and Sara in a hug before any more words can be said.

 _Meanwhile In A Café The Other Side Of Starling City_

Laurel Lance sits calmly at a table when Quentin arrives.

"Laurel. I'm so glad you called." He moves toward her.

"Two months. That's too long for us to go without talking." He says as he sits down.

"Dad I have to tell you…" Laurel starts.

"No, Laurel listen before you say anything I got to apologize. I should never have used you. To catch the three vigilantes and I'm sorry. Laurel, I'm just. I'm sorry." He murmurs.

"Thank you." Laurel nods.

"I owe you an apology to." She winces.

"For what?"

"Hello Quentin." Laurel's mother appears beside them as he gets to his feet.

"How are you? You look well." She asks politely.

"What are you doing here? Why, why, why are you here." Quentin mutters.

"I'm here because I want to see my daughter."

"What? You. You think you can just come back here now after all these months and just expect to see Sara just like that?" He growls.

"I had work. I couldn't just drop it all at the time. I would have lost my job…"

"Well so what? What does it matter you lose you job? Your daughter is home after we all thought she was gone and you can't get away for five minutes?" He snarls.

"Dad." Laurel lays her hand on his arm.

"No. No! Go back to wherever you came from because you ain't wanted her. Sara is alive and Sara is fine. She home with her family and she knows! She knows that you couldn't come home for her when she first got back. She knows that and she also knows the rest!"

"She's my daughter Quentin. Our daughter. I thought she might be living with Laurel which is why I stopped there first. Is she living with you? Can you call her." She requests.

"No. No she does not live with me. She lives with her friends and don't ask for the address because you're not getting it from me." He growls as she then turns to Laurel.

"No. No mom I'm not letting you show up to her unannounced. We ring her first. Or we could all just drop in on her…" Laurel folds her arms.

"Laurel." Quentin growls.

"I don't agree with this. You showing up like this mom but dad, she does need to see Sara. We could ask her to meet us, discuss it with her first…"

"You've got some nerve showing up here after three years, no phone calls, no emails, nothing. Just one email saying you couldn't get here for Sara just yet and you show up now? Do you know how fragile your daughter is mentally? She is barely around Laurel and I. It is rare she ever leaves the sides of Oliver Queen and their friend Slade Wilson…"

"Quentin." Dinah Lance holds her hands up in almost surrender.

"You know something Dinah I was there the first night she came home. We brought her home without Oliver, without Slade and we sat up with her all night whilst she sobbed from nightmares and where the fuck were you during that? Doing some job that's more important than your own freakin daughter? No you listen to me here. Go. Go and don't come back." Quentin snarls before storming off, not looking back once.

 _The Glades_

"So I told Chris and Shane they could be our plus ones tonight to Oliver and Slade's club. If they're lucky." Thea's friend smirks to Thea as they walk though The Glades.

"We both have plus ones right?" She glances to Thea, who notices something. More importantly, someone.

Roy Harper.

"Um, I. I don't know. Hold on just a second." She stammers before moving over toward Roy.

"Didn't know purse snatchers took coffee breaks." She smirks.

"You know for a stuck up rich bitch, you seem to spend a lot of time here in The Glades."

"My jobs around here." She cuts him off.

"You have a job?" His eyes widen in genuine surprise.

"You know, you should try it sometime. Instead of hanging out on a street corner waiting to boost somebody's handbag." She retorts.

"Sounds good. Know anyone who's hiring high school dropouts with a couple of priors, no references and a history of violence?" He takes a sip from his coffee.

"Actually, I might. You know that new club opening in the Glades, Verdant? My brother and his best friend owns it."

"Would this best friend be the ex Australian military man, name of Slade Wilson you threatened to set on me? And possibly kill me?" He glances at her.

"The very same but you're not trying to steal my purse are you? You won't have anything to worry about there if those ain't your intentions. You know I think they might be hiring valet attendants." She smirks.

"You think it's a good idea? Me taking the keys to strangers cars?"

"I think it's time you put up or shut up. Anyways, you try and steal them cars. I set my brothers friend on you." She reminds him with another smile as he rolls his eyes at her.

"Talk to your brother and his friend." He sighs as with another smile Thea walks away with her friend, unaware that Roy Harper actually smiled back.

 _The Foundry_

Resting his head on his hands, Diggle looks at the news article upon the computer about Floyd Lawton 'Deadshot'. Who's now alive and kicking and probably trying to still assassinate Slade.

"Yo!" Oliver calls as he enters with Sara.

"Hey man." He turns to face them as Oliver tugs Sara closer.

"Where have you three been?" He asks, noticing then Slade's not with them.

"Well we thought we'd give ourselves a rare morning in. Don't look at us like that!" Oliver grins as Sara pats his side.

"The club is opening finally. Sara and I are actually going on our date tonight, which is significant since it's just well. The first proper date we've ever had." Oliver looks to her.

"Thanks to you and Felicity for bringing it up." Sara notes.

"Thanks for telling me to take chances with Carly." Diggle smiles at them.

"And you know, we decided it seemed like a good dat to give the bad guys a rest." Oliver beams as Diggle nods.

"Well it's the bad girls that I'm worried about. Where's Slade?" Diggle asks finally.

"Oh he's… Actually where is Slade?" Sara frowns as Oliver nods.

"I haven't seen him since this morning at breakfast. Actually was he at breakfast even?" Oliver frowns.

"Yeah he was; he made breakfast for all of us. Remember? Thea questioned if he was in fact human for getting up at five in the morning! Even you were still in bed! He went out I think." Sara smirks as Oliver remembers, smirking when he remembers Thea smacking Slade with her pillow as she dragged herself out of bed.

"Guys, not to break up the good mood or anything but." Diggle pulls up a picture causing Oliver and Sara to stop and stare.

"Helena…" Sara whispers in complete shock at seeing Helena's picture.

"Yes. Or as I like to call her, Slade's psycho ex girlfriend!" Diggle mutters as Oliver buries his head in his hands as he tries to imagine Slade's reaction to this.

Nothing good comes to mind, nothing good at all!

"This was taken at Alley Cats, the strip joint. The police report lists the stiffs name as Gus Sabatoni." Diggle explains as Oliver nods.

"It's Bertinelli's lawyer."

"Why would she come back to Starling City just for him it's not like he did a good job?" Sara questions as Oliver paces the floor.

"Her father's serving consecutive life sentences without parole." He murmurs.

"Come on Oliver, we all knew this was just a matter of time. You three tried to help her and you guys couldn't. Except Slade fell for her and he fell for her hard, you both know he did, which is what's worrying me here because he isn't exactly know for his stability and at the time Helena appeared to fill some kind of void for him left by whoever that person was he lost on the island. Then she went to the darkness and nearly dragged him down into it with her. How much more temptation is it going to take before he caves Oliver, Sara?" Diggle folds his arms as Oliver and Sara stay silent, throughts running through their heads. They don't get a chance to say anything before Diggle cuts in once more.

"That's not the only question here either, there another and that is how long do you think it's going to take before she drops a dime on him, you two, me and this whole operation?" Diggle grimaces as Oliver nods.

"Ok. I want you to get in touch with mine and Slade's contacts in the Bratva. Talk to anyone on the street. Figure out where Helena is and why she's back." He hisses as he grabs Sara's hand to leave.

"Ok, but Oliver, Sara. Slade…"

"Dig if she's here then she's here for a reason and if that's not Frank Bertinelli then we need to know what she has planned." He sighs.

"Ok." He nods as Oliver turns to Sara.

"Oliver if she's back we need to talk to Slade. We need to find Slade now." She bites her lip.

"I know. I know, where the hell could he be? Do you think he's home? I mean where does he go when he's not with us?" Oliver folds his arms.

"You know. I really don't know but we need to find him and we need to find him sooner than later because what if Helena decides to go straight for Slade? You remember last time just as well as I do." Sara murmurs.

"I know we can't let him get hurt like that again."

"Oliver she was the first woman he opened up to since…" Sara trails off.

"We can't think about that right now. Right now we just need to find Slade…"

 **Authors Note: thank you all so much for reading this. Next chapter is in the works and should be updated sooner than later. Thanks again for all the reviews and follows and favorites see you all next update!**


	51. The Huntress Returns (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty One**

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"Urgh! Got to go back to Central City in an hour and I'm one hundred percent certain I'm gonna be drunk on the job!" Leonard smirks at Slade, who had spent most of his day off in a bar with Leonard, having agreed to meet him here only the day previous for a longer period of time then they had shared the day previous drinking.

"Might be a problem if you're driving back." Slade smirks himself.

"Hm luckily I'm not. Very good friend of mine said he'd pick me up for the job. Let's hope it's an interesting one today considering I don't even wanna move from here!" Leonard glances to Slade before asking.

"What have you got today? Still working on your club?" He asks.

"Yes. Leave Oliver and Merlyn in charge of it things soon start to fall apart." Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Ain't it like opening tonight?" Leonard frowns.

"Ohh yes. Days like today makes me miss the island." He grumbles.

"Not gonna lie must be pretty cool having your own nightclub, even if you do share leadership with Queen and Merlyn."

"That's where you wrong, I share leadership with Oliver. Merlyn works for us." Slade grumbles, Leonard smirking in response.

"Yes from everything you've told me I'm surprised Merlyn even works for you. I'd have thought that friend of yours, Sara. Doesn't she have a leadership position?" He questions.

"She refused. Wanted be a bartender and hiring Merlyn was Oliver's idea." Slade retorts.

"Wow. You really would do anything for Queen wouldn't you?" Leonard smirks again as Slade takes a sip from his drink.

"I should hire you to get my own back on him." Leonard laughs in response.

"You offering me a job?" He raises an eyebrow at Slade.

"If you want it." Slade murmurs.

"Nightclubs aren't really my scene." Leonard replies.

"They aren't mine either but Oliver was persistent that we were gonna open a nightclub." Slade rolls his eye at Leonard.

"Then he went that extra mile and hired Merlyn?"

"Don't remind me." Slade grumbles.

"I can think of a few advantages of the nightclub." Leonard comments.

"Name one." Slade mutters.

"Free alcohol?" Leonard smirks.

"You have a point." Slade murmurs before adding.

"Well like you said. It's opening tomorrow; you want to be there for the opening?" He queries as Leonard smiles.

"Sure." He nods.

"Who knows. It could be our new drinking location." He notes.

"Don't know about that. I quite like it here." Slade says with a quick look around at his surroundings.

"As do but I'll give your place a go." He grins.

"Tonight then?"

"Tonight." Leonard agrees before glancing to Slade.

"I might bring Lisa along with me. She quite liked Starling City the last time we were here." He reveals as Slade nods.

"Please do. I liked your sister." He replies.

"Yeah she liked you to." Leonard murmurs with a half smile, half grimace at remembering his sister's comments on Slade!

"I'll see you then." Leonard notes as he gets to his feet.

"My job is calling." He grins before departing, leaving behind Slade, for one of the first times since he's got to this place feeling actually rather relaxed.

He really doesn't want that feeling to change.

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

The sound of laughter fills Slade's ears as he jogs up the steps toward his, Oliver and Sara's apartment. For a moment, he wonders if Oliver and Sara are home, but soon remembers Sara mentioning that she and Oliver were spending the day together. So he assumes it must be Thea, he thinks as he unlocks the door.

"Thea?" He calls out for her upon entering.

"Oh we're in here!" She calls back as Slade moves toward the living room, where Thea is sitting on the couch with…

"Look who's back!" Thea grins as Helena Bertinelli turns to face him.

Helena...

Slade stops a few feet away as he tries to register the fact that Helena Bertinelli is in their living room, in their apartment, back in Starling City and talking to Thea…

"She was just telling me about your guys' first date." Thea beams with a cheeky smile.

"Hello, Slade." Helena murmurs softly, Slade opens his mouth to say something but Thea begins to talk again before he can say a word.

He needs her out of here. Out of harm…

"Oh, Slade, I kind of have this pseudo friend that's looking for a job. I'd explain who my friend is but you really don't need to know about that. I was wondering if the clubs still hiring…"

"Yes of course. Talk to Oliver, or Thomas." Slade cuts her off instantly.

"Why don't you go upstairs and call one of them right now?" He suggests almost forcibly as Thea grins widely at him.

"Great! You rock!" She leaps up from the couch, patting Slade's shoulder affectionately on her way to the stairs as Helena and Slade are left to face one another.

"Where have you been?" He mutters as he approaches her slowly, circling her.

"Um, Barcelona, Monaco, Budapest. I just needed to forgot who I was and how much I missed you." She flashes a fake smile in his direction.

"What are you doing here." He growls viciously.

"My father…"

"I thought you were done with his organisation. Helena, because I can recall that he's serving consecutive life sentences in Iron Heights Prison. You got your revenge…"

"He just cut a deal with the Justice Department to testify against the East Coast family Slade! In forty eight hours, Witness Protection will give him a new name, a new life and he'll be off the grid forever! Untraceable." She snarls.

"I'm sorry." Slade murmurs in response.

"My father doesn't deserve a second chance, a second life and I can't. I can't take on a phalanx of US Marshals. Not without help." She whispers.

"No. It's murder." Slade growls.

"Ha! I remember a certain tale someone told me about a woman, a woman this man loved very much and when an individual put a bullet in her. The man murdered the individual who shot her but there was more to the story then that because the woman wasn't even dead! Or was she? Or did she come back to the man who loved her insane and the man he called his brother had to put her down? I think that's how the…"

"Oliver? Oliver are you home?" Moira Queen enters the apartment, stopping when she sees Slade and Helena.

"Mr. Wilson, where is my son?" She mutters, annoyed the man is still alive but the triad vanished after the failed attempt on Malcolm's life. Unless they're planning to get to Mr. Wilson another time.

She can barely even look at the man her son calls his brother, knowing the monster he is…

"Mom." Oliver appears at the top of the stairs, Sara by his side.

The two of them look to have been running, which Slade confirms when they look between him and Helena and they appear to look horrified.

Horrified, not shocked. That makes Slade wonder if they knew of Helena's return and had been searching for him.

One look at his phone confirms that as he then notices all the missed messages and calls. He wonders for a moment why it didn't ring before remembering that he has a terrible phone and has long thought about running his sword though it!

"Oh there you are." Moira turns to face Oliver.

"I have a question about your opening tonight." She glances at him as Helena greets Oliver and Sara with fake smiles.

"Nice to see the two of you again." She beams fakely.

"Who's your friend?" Moria glances to Helena.

"This is Helena. She a. Friend of ours." Oliver says through gritted teeth.

"Nice to meet you." Helena shakes Maria's hand.

"Helena was just leaving." Slade growls.

"Yes. I have a family engagement." She nods.

"Could you excuse us for a moment." Oliver starts as Helena and Slade head toward Sara and Oliver, away from Moira.

"Like I said. So good to see the two of you again." Helena folds her arms at Sara and Oliver.

"I really must be going. I guess I'll just have to be more persuasive next time. Don't worry, I'm sure Slade will fill you both in on anything you've missed." She glances to Slade.

"Fortunately you have people you care about too." She stands on tiptoes to press a kiss to Slade's cheek before vanishing from sight to who knows where…

 _Later…_

Once Moria had left the apartment, Slade turns to Oliver and Sara.

"You two knew she was back?" He questions.

"We were trying to find you. She put a few darts in her father's lawyer last night. We thought she might go to find you first. Thank god you're alright." Sara places her hand gently on Slade's arm in relief.

"Did she say anything to you about why she's here?" Oliver questions.

"She did but what worries me more, kid is that when I got here she was talking to Thea…"

"What! Is Thea ok? Where is she!" Oliver cries.

"I sent her upstairs to phone you or Merlyn about some friend of hers working at the club. She's fine but Helena knows her now and you heard what she just said!" He growls.

"She won't get anywhere near her. We won't let her." Oliver mutters.

"Oh she won't, don't worry about that but the thought that she'd use Thea and we can't be there to watch her twenty four seven..." Slade trails off at the very thought of something happening to Thea, shaking his head in dismay before sighing.

"So why is she here?" Sara bites her lip nervously at the reveal.

"Her father."

"The father who's spending consecutive life sentences in Iron Heights?" Sara frowns.

"Yes well apparently that's not the case anymore." Slade grumbles.

"What?" Oliver queries.

"He's made a deal to testify against this family that will allow him to start a new life. He'll be untraceable and Helena isn't too pleased about this." Slade mutters as Oliver runs a hand through his hair.

"Well Diggle was right. It was only a matter of time…"

 _The Foundry_

"She was in our apartment. She made a not so little threat. I want extra security around my mother and sister." Oliver snarls to Diggle as he, Sara and Slade stand near him.

"I'm way a head of you man." Diggle murmurs on his phone.

"Thank you." Oliver sighs.

"It's my job…"

"For not saying. You told us so." Sara looks gratefully at him, even Slade does.

"The nights young." He responds with one suspicious glance toward Slade.

"He doesn't trust me now?" Slade queries.

"He just doesn't trust Helena." Oliver pats his arm reassuringly as Sara nudges him toward the bar where Tommy is setting up.

Tommy Merlyn. Their friend who now knows their vigilante secret!

"Where have you been? The club opens in four hours." Oliver comments.

"I've been dealing with the vendors." Tommy murmurs as he looks up.

"No you haven't." Sara folds her arms, moving to stand beside him behind the bar as Tommy doesn't even look in her direction.

"Tommy." She tries to put her hand on his arm but he chucks her off.

"Don't." He hisses as Slade moves over to them and Tommy glares up at him.

"You. You did this to them! You turned them into these vigilantes. Who the hell are you really? And what the hell did you do to them!" He snarls yet before Slade can say anything Tommy slams his fist into Slade's face.

"TOMMY!" Oliver growls as Slade takes no haste in punching him back, grabbing Tommy by the arm and slamming his face into the surface of the bar…

"SLADE! SLADE STOP!" Oliver and Sara protests as they try to intervene, only for Slade to ward them off as Tommy tries to recover.

"You psychopath!" Tommy snarls as Slade twists his arm painfully behind his back.

"What did I do to them? What did I do? I helped them survive. They became fighters to survive all the shit we went through during those five years! I helped them get home to the people they loved, home to you, you ungrateful son of a bitch!" Slade hisses venomously.

"Slade let him go!" Sara cries as Oliver bravely grabs Slade's arm.

"Let him go Slade. We'll deal with this." Oliver sighs.

"Like you did such a good job last time!" Slade snarls.

"Slade. Let Tommy go now!" Sara growls as eventually with one last look at Tommy and one look at Sara and Oliver, he releases him.

"You say anything and I'll finish what I started!" Slade glares at Tommy as Oliver pushes him off in the direction of the basement.

"Go and cool off. Go!" He growls sternly as with one more shove from Sara, Slade rolls his eye at them before departing.

"Are you ok?" Oliver chooses to ask Tommy, who is holding his now probably broken wrist.

"He's a freakin psycho!" Tommy hisses.

"He's just working out some stuff right now." Oliver starts.

"Stop making excuses for him Oliver!" He growls.

"Tommy, we just need to talk." Sara says softly.

"We're sorry but we kept this a secret to protect the people that are closest to us…"

"Do you think that's what I care about?" He cuts Oliver off.

"What that my feelings are hurt?"

"Tommy. I know this is hard." Sara starts.

"No. No you don't get to say what's hard Sara because what's hard is dating a woman who's little sister is a freakin murderous vigilante and she's none of the wiser and I can't say anything to her that her own sister has been lying to her. Her sister and her ex boyfriend and you know, Wilson's probably broken my freakin wrist so I'm going to have to get this seem to and probably put in a brace and Laurel's bound to ask and I can't say a word of truth to her! So don't you try to tell me what's hard Sara. You have no clue!" Tommy snarls as Oliver stands between them before Sara could possibly attack him like Slade had.

"Tommy don't. We need to talk about this…"

"No we don't! We don't need to talk." Tommy snaps as he takes a step back from them.

"You three are murderers. Three killers. Oliver, you were my best friend in life but now it's like I don't even know you." He hisses.

"You or Sara." He adds as he shakes his head at them.

"You're right. We have changed. Listen, buddy, now we can explain it to you. We can explain to you how and why. Slade's gonna object but Sara and I can talk to him…"

"What would be the point?" Tommy whispers as Oliver and Sara fall silent.

"I wouldn't believe a word of it anyway."

 _Oliver jigs up and down nervously behind the log he, Wilson and Sara are currently hiding behind as Wilson glares at him._

 _"I will stab you if you don't keep still." He snarls viciously before looking through the binoculars again._

 _"One of those missiles has an effective range of up to 2,400 kilometres. The three of us ain't going anywhere until we figure out what Fyers is planning." He explains as Sara winces._

 _"Nothing good." She notes._

 _"Wild guess? He's planning on blowing something up." Oliver comments as Wilson glares venomously at him._

 _"Well, one of those could do that job! But this. This is about starting a war." He snarls._

 _"With who?" Sara asks softly._

 _"Does it matter? We have to stop Fyers before he kills thousands of innocent people." He murmurs as Oliver glances over the log again._

 _"There are a tonne of soldiers down there. Even if we get through all of them, we can't just steal a whole missile launcher." He reasons as Wilson lifts his binoculars again._

 _"Well, who said anything about stealing it?" He retorts as Sara and Oliver stare at him._

 _"What's our plan?" Sara asks._

 _"Ambush?" Oliver suggests._

 _"That's impossible. We can't take out all six without one radioing for backup." He replies._

 _"It'd be good if we could get all the soldiers in one place." Oliver sighs as Wilson looks to him as an idea comes to mind, saying words Oliver never thought Wilson would ever direct to him!_

 _"You're right."_

 _SCPD_

Quentin slams his stapler onto the desk repeatedly in a mild haste of fury.

"What is with this damn thing?" He growls.

"What did the stapler ever do to you?" Laurel frowns as she enters the SCPD to find her father attempting to commit a murder to a stapler!

"What is it Laurel? I'm busy the vigilantes girlfriend is back." He mutters.

"Dad. I'm sorry about this morning but if I had told you the real reason to come and see me you wouldn't have shown up."

"Damn right I wouldn't. Sara doesn't need that woman around in her life." He hisses as Laurel sits down across from him.

"Maybe we should let Sara make up her own mind?" She suggests.

"Do you really believe this garbage from your mother? She wants something Laurel. If she was too busy not to be here when Sara came back to us why is she bothering now? After three years of nothing and months of nothing except an email stating she just couldn't get away to give Sara any of her 'precious time'!" Quentin growls.

"I know. I know dad but what would it hurt to call Sara ourselves and explain that moms back and wants to see her? Even if it's just so Sara agrees to calling mom or meeting up at least once?" Laurel sighs.

"Laurel, Sara's fragile right now. She does not need her mother's drama. I don't want her drama! I want her gone! Not bothering us anymore and certainly not bothering Sara with her crap! I'm purely looking out for my daughter here." He snarls.

"Dad. She's Sara's mom and I know what she's done to this family but she's here now. At least let me call Sara. Unless you want to?" Laurel sighs as Quentin puts his head in his hand.

"I'll call Sara. Tell your mom I'm not making any promises." He mutters.

With a triumphant smile, Laurel walks away.

 _Verdant_

Loud club music pours out of the brand new club owned by Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson and with assistance from Tommy Merlyn.

Verdant is its name.

People and dance and rave to the music, equipped with smoke and lasers and so much colour from the many lights.

"To Verdant!" Moira Queen announces as she, Thea, Oliver, Sara, McKenna and Slade hold their glasses up.

"Now I know I haven't always been supportive of this venture, or its management but I have to admit this nightclub is quite an accomplishment! I'm proud of you Oliver, you Sara and Tommy." She comments as she rests a hand on Oliver's arm.

"Your father would be proud of you too." She adds.

"Thank you." Oliver smiles as he hugs Sara closer.

"I should be bar tending." She murmurs.

"No you're staying here with us." Oliver kisses her cheek.

"Yeah congratulations Ollie, Slade. The club doesn't totally suck!" Thea grins.

"Thanks Speedy. Thank you very much, all of you for coming." Oliver replies as he looks over the balcony to where Tommy is standing by the bar, reminiscing about earlier, keeping one hand behind his back when Laurel approaches him, considering the fact it's now in a freakin brace thanks to Slade fucking Wilson!

"Oh there you are." Laurel breathes as she approaches him, running her hand up his arm.

"This place is amazing. I'm so proud of you, Sara, Ollie and Slade." She smiles.

Yeah your proud of the three vigilantes actually Laurel, The Woman In Black is your sister did you know? Tommy wants to say, yet doesn't as he takes a long gulp from his drink.

"Thanks." He mutters, not even looking at her.

"Is everything ok?" She asks softly as he faces her then.

"I'm great!" He replies.

"Well breakfast was disaster." She murmurs as Tommy frowns at her.

"Breakfast with my parents?" She folds her arms.

"Right. That was this morning. Uh, sorry." Tommy apologises upon realising his mistake.

"Are you sure everything ok? Because you seem completely off." Tommy grabs one of her hands in his.

"I'm fine. I promise." He replies quickly.

"Tommy! Tommy! Did you call Roy yet?" Thea joins them abruptly.

"I left him a message. He starts tomorrow." Tommy nods before sighing.

"Uh, which reminds me I have to go check in with the office. Excuse me." He says before departing, leaving Laurel and Thea behind which is when Slade approaches them.

"Slade this place is fantastic I was just saying to Tommy. You four have done amazingly." Laurel smiles at him as Thea grins.

"And Tommy's gotten my friend a job, good call telling me to ask Tommy." Slade nods to her with a slight smile before he notices Leonard in the distance.

"I'll see you both later." He smiles to them before heading toward Leonard.

"Nice place I've got to say." Leonard smirks at him as he looks around.

"Prefer our bar in The Glades?" Slade questions.

"Most certainly!" Leonard chuckles as he is joined by Lisa.

"Slade. It is great to see you again." She smiles prettily.

"Now Lenny, this is more fun then that freakin auction you dragged me to." She nudges him.

"The auction was eventful in its own way." Leonard sighs.

"Not as eventful as all this! This place, pretty cool." She notes as she looks to her brother.

"That bar must really be something to beat all of this." She comments.

"It has character." Leonard smiles.

"More character than this?" Lisa frowns.

"Less crowded." Slade agrees with Leonard.

"Well I think this place is awesome." She smiles at Slade.

"So where is Queen and his girlfriend? Thought you would have introduced them to me by now?" Leonard glances at Slade.

"I would if I knew where they had gotten to." Slade looks around for Oliver and Sara, who are both no where to be seen.

"Well I'm gonna get drinks." Leonard smiles at both his sister and Slade before heading toward the bar.

"So how long did it take for Oliver Queen to convince you into making this place with him?" Lisa questions as Slade smirks.

"I wasn't really consulted, he just said this is what he was planning and wondered if I wanted to run it with him." He replies, Lisa takes another step towards him.

"Well then, how long is it going to take me to convince you to dance with me?"

 _Meanwhile..._

Leonard looks on, taking a long sip from his drink when he spies his sister with his friend, rolling his eyes at her as she appears to be talking to him about something that makes him smirk at her.

It was a bad idea bringing his sister here, that Leonard guesses already! Especially when Lisa moves to where all the other dancers are! He makes a mental note to talk to her about this later, her and possibly Slade to! He thinks to himself as a stunning brunette walks into him.

"Well hello." Leonard speaks to her as she gives him a beaming smile.

Leonard just smirks…

 _Elsewhere…_

"This place really is amazing Ollie and now we have a cover for where we spend our nights." Sara smiles as she wraps her arm around his waist as they descend the steps.

"Holy shit." Sara stops suddenly.

"What?" Oliver frowns as Sara directs him to where she is looking to and that is Slade with a woman neither of them recognise, whom definitely isn't Helena either.

They appear to be talking and the woman moves them over to where the other dancers are.

"Wow." Is all Oliver can say.

"Well he's in a better mood than this morning." Sara states.

"Should we be worried?" Oliver frowns.

"Come on guys lets dance!" McKenna calls as she zooms past them, pulling them out of their thoughts in an instant.

They can deal with Slade's crazy another time!

 _Meanwhile…_

"Come on." Lisa pulls Slade toward her as she dances happily, Slade smirks at her as she does, moving toward her…

"Mr. Wilson?" Someone calls his name, he turns around wanting to bury one of his concealed knives in whoever interrupted this.

"Your timing is just wonderful." He mutters sarcastically.

"They said it was urgent." The person passes a note to him.

'Meet me in the basement, now.' Is what it reads, signed by Helena Bertinelli…

"You okay?" Lisa's voice pulls him out of his thoughts as he turns to her.

"We ran out of Cristal. I'll be right back." He murmurs as she smiles at him.

"Well hurry back. I'll be waiting." She replies as she heads back toward the dancers, Slade smirking at her once before heading off to the basement.

 _The Foundry_

"Kid? Sara?" Slade calls as he races down the steps. Stopping dead in his tracks as he sees Helena standing with her crossbow aimed at a tied up Leonard.

"Slade. Mind telling me who this is?" Leonard growls as he tries to break free of his restraints, fumbling with the handcuffs at the back his eyes never leaving Helena's crossbow aimed directly at him.

"Let him go." Slade snarls.

"He has nothing to do with any of this." He growls.

"What even is this? You date psychopaths Slade? I ain't surprised I've got to say. Even I fell for this one." He smirks.

"Shut up." Helena growls.

"But I have a question." Leonard retorts.

"Leonard I wouldn't." Slade holds his hand out.

"What exactly are your intentions with my sister?" He frowns with another smirk.

"He asks a valid question. One I'm curious about hearing the answer to as well!" Helena hisses as Slade moves toward her.

"One more step and he dies!" She snarls.

"I told you. Slade, I warned you…"

"Helena. This isn't you." He growls as he walks slowly toward her.

"My father is a mobster and a murderer! It is not like you haven't killed men like that before!" She cries.

"Now I really am curious about what the hell is going on here?" Leonard cuts in.

"Leonard shut up. Helena, I tried to teach you to obtain your objective without killing!"

"By applying leverage. By exploiting someone's weakness!" She clicks the dart into place.

"There is a whole club full of leverage above our heads. Oliver, Sara. That pretty woman you were dancing with, Thea. Please Slade, don't make me do something that both you and I will regret!" She growls just at the moment Leonard breaks free from his cuffs and knocks the crossbow out of Helena's hands, knocking her to the ground as she tries to fight back.

"Go!" Slade growls to Leonard who doesn't move.

"Leonard I'll join you later. Go. Go to Lisa." Slade mutters as with one last look Leonard departs as Helena regains her footing and her crossbow, firing a dart which only narrowly misses Leonard as he heads up the steps.

"More leverage upstairs just waiting. Perhaps I'll go for Thea next? Wait somewhere discreet and put a dart through Oliver, Sara? Or that woman. Her names Lisa right? You can call my attack off you know. I won't go after them if I get what I want." Helena glares at him.

"Never. I would never do anything to help you." He growls.

"You Sara and Oliver can't watch all the people you love forever. I'll get to one of them eventually. You know it to be true and unless your prepared to kill me here and now. I think I'll finish what I started with Leonard…"

"Ok, you win. I'll help you except you stay away from anyone I care about in return." He snarls as Helena smiles.

"Now, that wasn't so hard now was it?"

 _Later…_

"Don't say it." Oliver hisses at Diggle after Slade had finished explaining what had happened with Helena whilst he and Sara were absent, unaware of everything that had been going on whilst they had carelessly danced with McKenna, enjoying themselves whilst Slade had been dealing with Helena, alone.

"Ok but let's talk about Helena." Diggle turns to face them.

"If Slade didn't still have feelings for this girl the three of you would have thought of a different solution by now then letting her extort Slade into killing someone." He sighs.

"Which is what we are most certainly are not doing."

"We have no choice, kid." Slade murmurs.

"No. Slade there's always another choice. Another way." Sara starts.

"She threatened Thea. Two of my friends, you and Sara. I will not allow anything to happen to any of you!" He growls.

"But you're the three vigilantes of course there's another way. You just don't want to see it because you still have feelings for this woman Slade. You would have killed this woman a long time ago if she looked like me instead of the T-Mobile girl! She's a stone cold killer guys." Diggle folds his arms.

"She's not evil. She's been lost ever since her father killed her fiancé in cold blood. Are you really gonna sit there and tell me you don't know what it's like to want revenge! What would you do if it were Floyd Lawton stood in this room." Slade growls.

"Nothing that would involve blackmailing any of you into hunting him down! She is a monster Slade. You don't want to see it and I think I know the reason why…"

"John." Oliver holds his hand up in almost restraint as Slade steps toward him.

"What reason would that be now?" He growls dangerously.

"Whoever it was you lost on the island! Whoever that woman was you lost. Whatever happened there is the reason you are so adamant about not killing Helena for what she's done because of something you did to whoever you lost on the island too. Lose her to darkness Slade? Is that what happened? Did she turn against you the way Helena has? Or did something terrible happen to her that caused you to want revenge like Helena does? There someone you want dead Slade? Or maybe is this woman of yours still out there? She a stone cold killer too…" Diggle doesn't get to finish his sentence as Slade pulls his sword off the table and aims it at Diggle's throat.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare speak of things you know nothing of!" Slade bellows dangerously as he advances on Diggle, holding it so close to his throat it practically breaks the skin.

"Slade put the sword down now." Oliver walks toward him quickly.

"Stay out of this kid!" He snarls, shaking with rage.

"No Slade just put the sword down." Oliver walks in between him and Diggle.

"Get out of my way kid!" He growls.

"No!" Oliver snaps trying to lower the sword himself only for Slade to slice it across his palm, he hisses in pain as still shaking Slade lowers the sword at seeing the blood pooling from Oliver's now sliced open palm, a memory hitting him. One similar to this situation…

"Kid, I'm sorry." He murmurs as the sword drops to the table.

"You see what I mean?" Diggle mouths to Sara who folds her arms.

"I see that you are an idiot." She shakes her head in despair at him as Oliver nurses his wounded hand.

"Come here, kid. Let me see." Slade moves toward him as Oliver unclenches his fingers to glance at the would.

"It's deep. You'll need stitches. I'm so sorry, kid." He apologises as he moves to get the first aid kit as Sara moves to Oliver's side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Neither of them are mad at Slade. Diggle crossed a line.

Sara and Oliver are just glad they managed to stop Slade from killing him.

"This hasn't answered our questions about Helena though." Diggle murmurs.

"Diggle just not now." Oliver sighs as Slade returns to his side.

"We can't kill her and we can't take her to the police and risk her exposing all of this." Sara folds her arms as Slade carefully begins to stitch Oliver's hand.

"At least if I'm involved I can contain her." Slade growls as Diggle looks on in disbelief.

"Think before you say anything." Oliver holds up his non injured hand to cut Diggle off before he even starts.

"We can minimise the collateral damage." Sara reveals as footsteps behind them pull their attention to where Helena is casually walking in.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something? Ooh Oliver that looks deep. You and Slade have a row?" She smirks as Slade doesn't even glance her way as he continues to fix Oliver's hand.

"We were just talking about you." Oliver replies.

"Aww Slade tell you what happened? Here I thought none of you cared much for me."

"Still don't." Diggle snaps. Slade glances at him as if to tell him to shut up before turning back to Oliver's wound.

"I haven't been able to locate the safe house where the FBI is keeping him…"

"I can help with that. I've been dying to hack into the FBI's security system." Felicity Smoak is the one who cuts Slade off as she walks in, stopping upon seeing the grave expressions upon everyone's faces.

"Get out." Slade hisses as Felicity frowns.

"GET OUT!" He bellows at her, only to keep her safe but Helena's already laid eyes on her.

"Listen to Slade, this is a private thing Felicity, please." Oliver sighs.

"Oh, ok. See you. I guess." Felicity replies in a small voice as she heads back where she came from not to incur the wrath of Slade any further.

"So Slade." Helena turns to face him once Felicity has gone.

"How many girlfriends do you have exactly?"

"Like I said. We don't know where the safe house is. What we do know is that the Marshal Service is taking your father to a hearing at the Justice Department tonight. There's an issue, Helena. There are two vans and one of 'em vans are a decoy." Slade warns her.

"Well then it's a good thing there's four of us then."

"It's not too late to call things off." Oliver starts as Slade finishes with his hand.

"I think you all know me better than that." She says before smirking at Slade.

"Especially you Slade. I don't take prisoners…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, next update is already in the works and should be updated soon, thanks for all the follows and favourites and the reviews it means a lot. See you all next update.**


	52. The Huntress Returns (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Two**

 _A Bar In Starling City_

Slade is sitting calmly at the bar when Leonard finds him.

"Figured you'd be here." Leonard comments as he sits beside him.

"You a'right?" Slade glances at him.

"I've had worse, being attacked and held at dart point by my friends psycho ex girlfriend was a new one, have to admit but not the worst." He smiles wryly at him.

"You did a good job getting out of those handcuffs." Slade murmurs.

"What can I say? I'm resourceful." Leonard smirks as Slade rolls an eye at him.

"What was all that about anyway?" He questions.

"Her father ran one of the main crime organisations here. He also killed her fiancé, she wants her revenge on him." Slade replies.

"And she wanted you to help her?" Leonard frowns.

"I'm resourceful to." Slade retorts.

"She said you killed men like that before. Mind telling me what she meant about that?" He raises an eyebrow at Slade.

"Well I'm ex ASIS. That's probably what she was referring to." Slade shrugs.

"Hm. You know if you need any help in dealing with her. I could back you up." He smirks.

"No. What you need to do is go back to Central City for a few days until this all blows over. She's unstable Leonard and she knows she can use you against me."

"I can handle myself." He folds his arms.

"Lisa. She knows about her." Slade growls as Leonard nods.

"Let me worry about my sister. If your ex comes anywhere near Lisa. You won't find the body." Leonard mutters threateningly.

"I don't want to see either of you getting hurt because of me." He replies. Leonard sighs.

"Alright but I'm only going for my sisters sake. I'll be back." He murmurs as he gets to his feet, smirking to Slade as he goes.

"Anyways you kinda owe my sister a dance."

 _With a balaclava over his face, Oliver makes his way toward the guards near the missile launchers, pushing Wilson and Sara forward with the butt of his gun._

 _This is a terrible plan. He thinks to himself._

 _Sara could get killed! He had protested but Sara thought they should go along with Wilson's plan, whom had assured them both no one was getting hurt except for the soldiers they are going to face._

 _Then, still unconvinced about Sara's safety, Oliver wondered if he should go and discreetly take them himself out to which Wilson had replied with much sarcasm._

 _'You? The king of duck and dive' ignoring Oliver's idea instantly and reaffirming that they are doing it his way._

 _Oliver doesn't trust Wilson one bit when it comes to this plan and Sara's safety! But, with some persuasion from Sara he goes along with it nethertheless._

 _"Hey!" He calls the attention of the soldiers towards them, who instantly turn to face him, believing him to be one of them of course, due to his stolen uniform._

 _"I found two intruders whilst I was circling the perimeter." He shouts as he reluctantly pushes Sara and Wilson forward._

 _"It's Wilson and that bitch Fyers had back at camp." One solider states as all six soldiers approach them._

 _"You killed a few of my friends you son of a bitch!" One growls at Slade, who straightens up and smirks._

 _"And I'm gonna kill a few more!" He smirks before, pushing Sara behind him, pulling out two guns and expertly firing upon all the soldiers in the vicinity whilst Oliver cowers behind him and Sara moves quickly to Oliver's side as Slade shoots, no one even getting a chance to fire back._

 _Once all soldiers are vanquished, Slade turns and simply smirks at them._

 _CNRI_

"I'll talk to one of our lawyers and have them call you right back." Thea smiles as she hangs up, happy to be doing her job as Tommy saunters past, waving his injured hand at her.

"Cut yourself shaving?" Thea smirks as Laurel approaches him.

No more like your brothers 'best friend' broke my freakin wrist! Tommy thinks to himself.

"Hey." She smiles as Tommy smiles back.

"You got a minute?"

"Sure." She nods as they move somewhere more discreet.

"How was Roy's first day?" Thea calls to him.

"Kid never showed." Tommy replies as Thea buries her head in her hands as Tommy moves back toward Laurel.

"Um, I just. I came by to apologise for last night." He murmurs.

"Instead of an apology why don't you try the truth?" She retorts sharply before looking down at his hands.

"You can start with your wrist."

"I. I. I got into a fight with a blender at the club. It was stupid." He laughs it off.

"I thought I asked for the truth." She folds her arms.

 _I want to tell you honey, it's killing me keeping this from you_. He wants to say, especially with the look upon Laurel's face.

"I know something's up. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" She snaps.

 _Ohh honey I'm so so sorry, Oliver, Sara and Slade are the three vigilantes. Sara's been lying to you this whole time. Your own sister! They've murderers, killers, they've almost gotten you killed before! Their lying to all of us, they wouldn't even have told me but they had to because it was a matter of compete urgency and my father would have died if they hadn't have told me the truth, because I probably would have shot my best friend and your sister. I can't accept it. I don't want to accept this. Wilson did this to them I'm sure of it, he turned them into who knows what on that island and ohh he broke my hand!_

"Uh because I can't." Is the true words that come out of his mouth.

"Why not?" She cries.

I want you to be safe.

"I can't tell you that either. I wish that I could, Laurel I'm sorry." Tommy ends up saying, lying to her, just like Oliver is, just like Sara is…

"So am I. I really need you right now Tommy. My mother shows up after three years begging to see my sister, whom doesn't even know she's back yet. My father is furious with me that I'm suggesting they even meet. I don't know who to listen to! I feel like I'm falling apart…"

"Laurel, honey I'm still here for you." Tommy moves to hold her yet she steps out of his grasp in an instant.

"No, you're not. You're a million miles away and the worst part is. I don't even know why! I'm sorry." She snaps before walking away, never once looking back.

 _The Glades_

Knocking rapidly on Roy Harpers door, Thea waits impatiently for him to open it.

"Wow." He rolls his eyes upon seeing her at her his door.

"Stalker much?"

"You didn't show up for the job I got you." She folds her arms.

"Yeah, I had second thoughts about parking your brother and his friends Bentley." He murmurs as Thea frowns at him.

"What, being a valet is beneath you?"

"No, but accepting charity from some rich girl is." He retorts.

"Why are you so obsessed with the fact that I have money? You know money isn't everything." Thea cries.

"Ha. Spoken like someone who's got it. Now uh, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my life of crime." Roy gives her a cocky smirk before slamming the door shut.

With a sigh, Thea turns to walk away, heading down into the streets alone only to be stopped by a thug. Thea freezes

"Yo. Can you help me out? I think I'm lost." He smirks at her as she backs away nervously.

"Where's downtown at?"

"I. I don't know." Thea stammers another thug appears behind her.

"Maybe you can give us some directions, or better yet some money." Yet before either thug can do anything to Thea, they are taken down by a guy in a red hoodie.

Roy… Thea thinks to herself as she backs into a wall whilst Roy goes up against the thugs, flipping off the side of the wall before landing perfectly on his feet, punching the crap out of one of the thugs who had harassed Thea, knocking him unconscious before staggering to his feet, breathing heavily as he clutches his bleeding side.

"You ok?" He immediately whispers to Thea.

"You're bleeding!" She cries as she races over to Roy.

"Yeah you know that kinda what happens when you get stabbed!"

 _Starling City: Night_

In the dark of a Starling City night, three motorcycles are parked beside one another. The Man In The Mask on one, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood on another, The Huntress on the third.

"Just your father. Anyone else gets hurt and I'll run you through." The Man In The Mask hisses threateningly.

"That's sweet. Now I know how you charmed that pretty woman you were with last night." The Huntress replies with a smile as they all put on their helmets…

As the two trucks take two different roads so does the three motorcycles, keeping behind each van as they drive by, The Man In The Mask launching a knife at one of them causing the doors to open. The three vigilantes stop their bikes to look inside, finding that the van is in fact empty…

Meanwhile, on the other road after the other van, The Huntress zooms along side it, firing a dart at the front of the car causing the front to break off.

Smirking as she does so, The Huntress climbs off her bike before holding her crossbow up high at the closed van doors.

"Give me Frank Bertinelli!" She yells as the van doors burst open to reveal two members of the SCPD, equipped with guns…

Sirens from behind The Huntress as well cause her to freeze in shock.

"Your father's not in the van but he sends his regards!" Quentin Lance snarls from behind her with his gun raised.

"Where are the vigilantes?" He shouts as she turns around with her hands up in surrender as McKenna comes from behind her.

"Helena Bertinelli, you have the right to remain silent…"

Meanwhile, the three vigilantes zoom toward the scene, stopping a road away to witness Helena getting arrested by the SCPD

Both vans had been decoys.

"Dammit!" The Man In The Hood hisses as Helena is taken away.

"What the hell do we do now, kid?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"Get the hell out of here." The Woman In Black replies as the two motorcycles drive away…

 _SCPD_

Helena sits boredly with her hand cuffed to the table in the interrogation room as she waits for something to happen.

"Nick Salvati, Gus Sabatoni. You are quite the hunter, Ms. Bertinelli." Quentin comments as he and McKenna enter the interrogation room, taking seats across from her.

"Well, I guess I should make that Huntress. You've been systematically taking down everyone in your father's criminal organization. When Gus Sabatoni turned up dead, we knew it was just a matter of time before you tried to murder your old man. Do you want to tell us why?" Quentin questions.

"Not particularly." Helena sighs.

"You should reconsider."

"We got you but the three vigilantes got away before ESU could move on them. You know who they are. Who they really are, don't you?" McKenna folds her arms as Quentin laughs.

"Ms. Bertinelli, you're going away for all day. We can't change that." Quentin reveals.

"But things can be better. Or they could be worse. You tell me their names and I will do everything I can to make it better." He bargains.

"Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson." Helena smiles.

"You're friends with them right?" She turns to McKenna.

"I saw you at the opening of their club last night. Oliver and Sara are together but Slade's free and he's handsome. You know we used to be lovers?" She taunts.

"We want to know about the vigilantes not Slade's Wilson's personal life." McKenna folds her arms.

"Let me let you in on a little secret. Your friendship with them three it will never last. You see Oliver, Sara and Slade are talented. There talented at using people. They used me..."

"You have no right to speak of my daughter." Quentin snarls at her. Helena smiles.

"I would give up on that friendship before they hurt you, just saying…" Quentin slams his hands on the table.

"Last chance. Their names!" He growls as Helena leans forward.

"The three vigilantes…" She is cut off by the lights suddenly flickering out and alarms beginning to ring.

"What the hell is going on?" Quentin gets to his feet.

"I don't know, let's go." McKenna suggests as they exit the interrogation room, leaving Helena behind as everyone else in the SCPD precinct try to escape the approaching smoke from an unknown source as inside the interrogation room The Man In The Mask reveals himself, moving towards Helena and unlocking her restraints before forcibly dragging her toward the door to help her escape.

"Freeze!" Quentin yells from behind the door, his gun outstretched, only to drop it when The Man In The Mask throws a tranquilizer dart into neck, Quentin falling to the floor as The Man In The Mask and The Huntress disappear into the smoke…

 _Starling City General_

"Sounds like quire the daring rescue." The doctor comments as he cleans Roy's stab wound.

"You're very lucky to have a friend like Roy, Thea." He adds as Thea smirks at Roy.

"Ohh don't I know it!"

"We're not friends." Roy retorts.

"Well let me get you stitched up and then you two can decide what you are or aren't." The doctor smirks as he heads toward the table to grab a needle.

"You are such a jerk. Perhaps I should set my brothers friend on you." Thea shakes her head at Roy, who's eyes aren't leaving that needle.

"Roy." Thea pats his shoulder as she sees his white a sheet face.

"What's the matter?" She follows his gaze.

"Nothing I just don't see why I need a shot." He looks away as Thea chuckles.

"Oh, don't tell me a tough gang banger like yourself is afraid of a tiny little needle."

"It doesn't look so tiny." Roy growls.

"Well just think about something else. Besides the needle." She suggests.

"Like what?" He faces her as the doctor returns.

"Ok now this could sting a little." He approaches him with the needle and just as it is about to enter Roy's skin, Thea cups his cheek and kisses him deeply, kissing him twice even.

"Done." The doctor smirks at the two as Thea kisses Roy once more.

"Now, that wasn't so bad was it?"

On A Rooftop In Starling City

"Thanks for the save. Where's the other two?" Helena comments as Slade removes his mask, glaring at her.

"Elsewhere. We couldn't risk you telling the police about us." He mutters.

"Is that the only reason?" She replies before putting her hands on her hips.

"Why can't you just admit that you still have feelings for me to Slade?" She questions as he passes her an envelope.

"What is it?" She glares at him.

"Plane ticket to Rome and a passport. You can start a new life somewhere else." He reveals as she looks away from him.

"Police know you're tracking your father Helena. You won't find him so give up now and get out of the city." He growls as she takes the envelope from him, saying nothing to him as he heads over to his motorcycle and drives away…

 _Wilson slamming a wooden box down causes Oliver and Sara to look up at him as he moves around one of the missile launchers quickly, ripping open the wooden box._

 _"Place these around the launcher." He tosses equipment to Oliver and Sara, who do as they're told and move to different places around the missile launcher._

 _"Do it quickly!" Wilson commands as he too moves to another side of the launcher._

 _"Their backup will be arriving any second." He growls._

 _"You're sixty seconds out from the launcher." Soldiers voices come from the radio._

 _"Guys…" Sara looks to them both worriedly._

 _"Set the final charges and we'll blow it." He shouts bending down again as Oliver and Sara open two compartments._

 _"Ollie what are you doing?" Sara frowns as Oliver drags open a drawer._

 _"I think I have a better idea." He replies, a lightbulb moment hitting him as Wilson sticks his head up to glare at him._

 _"What are you doing?" He snarls as Oliver fiddles around with the compartment._

 _"I'm taking the circuit board. Computers won't work without them and neither will this." Oliver holds it out as Sara throws her arms around his neck._

 _"You're a genius Ollie." She kisses his lips quickly, pulling back as to grab the radio as Slade races over to Oliver grabbing his arms in an almost embrace causing Oliver to be very shocked and even worried at Wilson's reaction!_

 _"Leverage!" Slade smiles at him warmly and proudly before racing away, Oliver and Sara following quickly after…_

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

Candlelight illuminates the living room of the apartment as Oliver and Sara sit on the sofa beside one another, both holding glasses of wine.

"I know we were supposed to go on our first official date…"

"Ollie. Helena's promised to unleash a whole load of fury upon the people we love if she doesn't get to kill her father, has managed to get herself arrested and Slade's gone to break her out of the SCPD where McKenna and my dad are. I think we made the right choice about staying in for the night." Sara replies as she sips her wine.

"Perhaps we should have gone with Slade…" Oliver sighs.

"I know I'm worried about him too, I really am but getting in his way when he told us to stay away, I don't think would be wise recently." She murmurs as Oliver groans.

"I know he can handle himself but he's so unstable right now. He's gonna end up doing something he regrets."

"Already done that." Sara cuts him off, lifting his injured hand gently.

"It bothered him hurting you I could tell." She bites her lip nervously.

"I'm more concerned that he's gonna kill Helena or she's going to hurt someone. If he kills her it's gonna mess with his head and if she hurts someone..." Oliver buries his head in his hands at the very thought of the fallout if Helena dared to hurt someone they cared about.

"As much as I want that bitch dead, Ollie. I don't think it should be him who does it... Ok we need to go after him." Sara moves to get up but Oliver grabs her arm.

"We're overreacting. I was just thinking about him when he was under all that crap back on the island." Oliver sighs.

"When he held that gun to your head?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yep." Oliver murmurs as Sara shakes her head.

"It ain't that bad yet. Diggle shouldn't have brought up all that stuff about her. He was out of line." She rolls her eyes at him.

"I do plan to have words with him about that." Oliver murmurs.

"You and me both." Sara agrees as Oliver closes his eyes tightly.

"What?" She lifts her hand to stroke his face.

"It's. It's just that I feel like I'm letting everyone down. Slade, Tommy. I can't seem to do right by either of them right now. I mean Tommy's just…"

"Ollie. Ollie your being way to hard on yourself. We can deal with Tommy, well you and I can. We better not let Slade anywhere near him for the next few days, weeks and we can help Slade. We did it back then on the island…"

"You did it. I wasn't there remember? I was on that freakin boat!" Oliver groans.

"No we both did. Ollie I told you about what happened whilst you were gone and don't forget when I wasn't there you managed to cure him of that crap! And if we could get him through all of that, we can get him through this." She sighs.

"How?" Oliver whispers.

"Together because together you and I can do anything we set our minds to." Sara smiles as she leans in to kiss him softly, squeezing his free hand lightly, staring into one another's eyes with so much love and adoration…

Dropping the wine glasses, wine going all over the carpet, something Oliver recalls might not be the best thing to happen! They fall into each other's arms, Sara wrapping her arms around Oliver's neck as she kisses him deeply as he chucks her against the sofa, pushing their clothes out of the way as she wraps her legs around his waist…

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Hey. I was multitasking and I managed to intercept a place report. A local sporting goods store just got robbed of one high powered crossbow." Felicity reveals on the phone as she leaves Slade, Oliver and Sara voicemails, neither of the three picking up their phones.

"Now it could be a crazy coincidence or Slade's psycho ex girlfriend… Digg's words. Not mine, is still in town. I'll let the three of you know if I learn anything more. In the meantime please just be careful…" She trails off as she turns in her chair only to face Helena Bertinelli.

"Hi. I don't think we had a chance to be probably introduced this morning." Felicity instantly freezes as she backs away in her chair as Helena approaches her.

"Be a good girl and hack the FBI database for me." Helena commands as Felicity simply touches her glasses nervously as she reaches for her phone, only for Helena to cross the room and knock it from her hand, pushing it away from her.

"Want me to rephrase that request, Felicity?" She hisses as she suddenly wraps her hand around Felicity's throat, choking her, until Felicity throws her legs out and kicks Helena hard away from her, who is startled to say the least at Felicity fighting back and releases her grip on Felicity's throat, who tries to grab something to aid her.

"Not so defenseless!" Felicity whispers as Helena reaches for her dagger out of her boot, yet remembering something Slade had taught her, Felicity ducks and somehow manages to knock the dagger from Helena's hands, who in response, throws back her hand and punching the girl hard in the face, knocking her glasses off and knocking her to the floor at the same time, Felicity groans in pain and tries to scramble to her feet, yet Helena grabs her by her hair and drags her back up to her desk, slamming her face into the surface, making Felicity's nose bleed.

"You got some fight in you. I'm surprised. Slade teach you some of those moves? I bet he did didn't he? He taught me a few." She hisses in Felicity's ear before pointing at the computer.

"FBI database. Hack, now." She growls, placing a hand on the desk as Felicity begins to type with one hand.

"You need to find the address to the safe house." She snaps.

"Slade. Slade taught me something else you know." Felicity whispers whilst typing.

"And what would that be? Because I believe he taught me things you could only dream of." She taunts her as Felicity shakes her head quickly.

"Distractions." Felicity replies before stabbing Helena hard in the hand with the pen concealed in her other hand, who growls in pain, Felicity getting up from the chair and racing toward the door only for Helena to recover fast and drag her back by her hair again, throwing her to her chair and holding her dagger so close against Felicity's throat it breaks the skin ever so slightly.

"You know Slade gave me this dagger, pretty isn't it? Pretty and deadly. Good gift for me." Helena laughs before looking to the computer.

"Now hack. Hack or I'll open your throat…"

 _Sometime Later…_

With a furious expression upon his face, Slade bursts into the IT department of Queen Consolidated as he looks around frantically for Felicity.

"Felicity?" He growls, unable to keep the worry from his voice at the thought of Helena killing Felicity.

"Slade?" He hears her soft voice whisper quietly as looking down at her desk, Slade spies her feet sticking out from the side of it.

"Slade?" She cries again, yet it is more of a whimper this time as he races to the other side of the room to find Felicity on the floor, her feet and wrists bound.

"I'm here." He murmurs as he kneels down to her, cutting her restraints off with a knife he retrieves from his coat pocket.

"Are you a'right?" He growls quickly as she scrambles off the floor, Slade kneeling down beside her, stroking her tear stained face gently as he quickly checks her over for any serious injuries, wiping the blood he finds away from her nose, moving a scarf from her neck he realizes Helena must have gagged her with, freezing when he sees the slight cut on her throat.

"What did she do to you?" He growls.

"I tried. I tried to fight back Slade…" She cries as he checks her bleeding nose.

"It's not broken." He murmurs glancing at the cut on her throat.

"I'm probably gonna need that scarf back." She whimpers.

"I'm gonna kill her." Slade snarls as he helps her carefully to her feet, Felicity wrapping her arms around him tightly before she can fall over.

"It's ok. It's a'right. You're safe now." He mutters as he holds her as Diggle, Sara and Oliver race in.

"What the hell happened we got your call?" Sara asks worriedly.

"Helena." Slade growls as Diggle shakes his head in dismay.

"She's gone too far this time. I'm gonna leave pieces of that woman all over Starling City." Slade hisses venomously with a glance at Felicity still in his arms, whom Helena had harmed.

"Why was she here in the first place?" Diggle questions.

"She wanted the address of the safe house where her father's being kept. She made me hack the FBI's database. I'm so sorry guys." Felicity whispers as Slade shakes his head, trying to move out of Felicity's hold, so far unsuccessfully!

"It's not your fault." He assures her kindly, smirking at her briefly when she eventually releases him, Slade storming toward the door.

"Slade what are you going to do?" Diggle glances to him.

"What I should have done in the first place." He snarls, Oliver and Sara following behind him as he exits the IT department…

 _The Safe House_

Two guards are shot down with four quick darts from The Huntress's crossbow as she marches toward the Safe house. Smiling when they drop to the ground, making her way up the path and to the porch of the house, throwing the door open and putting darts in everyone in the hall before anyone even has a chance to fight her, duck, anything.

With them down she turns her attention to taking out everyone playing cards and drinking in the dining room.

The guards in the living room, the corridors.

No ones a match for The Huntress and her crossbow.

As she approaches the stairs, one of the guards bravely shoots at her, she dodges all the bullets and waits a moment before shooting him to with a dart, racing up the steps and taking one more out.

A man from behind her also decides to fire upon her but the individual is soon taken down by her with another dart as she climbs the rest of the stairs, shooting yet another dart into someone waiting for her on the landing, just as an arrow intercepts her from The Man In The Hood as the three vigilantes appear, just as Helena picks up a shot gun, firing a bullet at the three vigilantes only to make a hole in a door behind The Man In The Hood, only narrowly missing him as the three take cover.

Smirking to herself, Helena shoots a hole through another door, walking through it only to find it empty, a man jumping from the roof.

Her father...

Quickly, Helena follows him, leaping off the roof herself, rolling down the hill after her father, watching as he races away into the distance.

"Helena!" The Man In The Mask snarls as she turns to face the three vigilantes, holding her shotgun out toward them...

 _Meanwhile…_

In her car, McKenna Hall sits with her radio.

"Code three Bertinelli safe house."

"This is Detective Hall, I'm on site." She calls back as someone else replies.

"Wait for backup Detective, that's an order!"

An order McKenna doesn't obey…

 _Meanwhile…_

"You won't kill me Slade." Helena says coyly.

"Neither of you will. You're not murderers remember?" She smirks.

"You are and if we let you go that blood will be on our hands." The Man In The Hood replies.

"I'm sorry but you harmed one of our own." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"The blonde girl? Felicity is it? You know she surprised me, fighting back the way she did." Helena smirks as without a second thought The Man In The Hood fires an arrow at Helena, which she dodges and catches before it can kill her.

"I practiced that move. I had a feeling I might need it some day. You would have killed me Oliver and Sara, Slade you would have let him. What? So you didn't have to do it yourself? Seems to be a pattern with you Slade, getting Oliver to do the killing for you, just like with her right? Oliver killed her for you and now he's trying to kill me for you? You want to kill me Slade? Do it yourself." She snarls before kicking the bow out of Oliver's hand, stabbing him in the side with his own arrow before Slade and Sara can even move.

"Oliver!" Slade snarls as Oliver falls, Sara grabbing him before he can hit the ground.

"Go! Go now! I'll finish this." Slade hisses advancing on Helena.

"No Slade…" Oliver croaks though the pain.

"Sara get him out of here! Go!" He shouts as he attacks Helena, knocking her to the ground.

"Ooh I stabbed him pretty hard didn't I? Shame if he bled out before Sara got him anywhere. I warned you I'd hurt the people you care about. Who better than Oliver Queen." She smirks as Slade throws her halfway across the field, pulling out his sword, Helena tries to kick it out of his hands, yet almost loses her foot in the process.

"Really gonna kill me are you Slade? Considering Oliver wasn't up for the task. Good luck." She spits as he throws her to the ground again.

"It's over Helena." He hisses as he positions his sword to run her through.

"You can't do it can you?" She taunts him.

"You couldn't do it to her and you can't do it to me now…" He cuts her off by stabbing her in the side, like she'd done to Oliver. She chokes in pain and surprise.

"You hurt Felicity." He rips out his sword.

"You hurt my brother." He snarls, preparing to run her though to finish her off…

"FREEZE! Put the sword down." McKenna approaches them with her gun raised.

"Turn around. Slowly." She moves toward The Man In The Mask, who lowers his sword slightly, as she cocks her gun, the distraction causing Helena to retrieve her weapon and shoot at McKenna, succeeding in doing so before getting to her feet, wrapping her arm around her now bleeding side, biting her lip before racing away despite the pain. Slade moves to chase after her, but cannot when he sees McKenna lying there on the lawn in a pool of her own blood.

He could go after Helena and stop her, kill her even but McKenna's life could be the cost of putting his sword through Helena and if both of them perished then both of their blood will be on Slade's hands.

He chooses to save McKenna's life over revenge.

 _The Foundry_

"Kid? Oliver!" Slade yells the minute he arrives back at The Foundry, racing down the steps to find Oliver sitting up on the table, Sara dressing his wound.

"Are you a'right kid? I am so sorry." He says as Oliver shakes his head and puts his hand on Slade's arm.

"It wasn't that deep. My jacket intercepted most of it." He winces as Sara touches a particularly sore part of the wound.

"Did you kill her?" Sara looks to him.

"No." Slade mutters.

"Really?" Sara's eyes widen in disbelief.

The woman who just stabbed the man he calls his brother Slade hasn't killed? It confuses Sara to say the least.

"I intended to. I stabbed her but before I could finish her off. McKenna intervened and Helena shot her before escaping. If I'd have gone after Helena, McKenna would be dead." He reveals, running a hand though his hair as Oliver looks at him worriedly.

"What? Is she ok?" He cries.

"It was bad, kid. I stayed with her until others managed to get to her but she was in a bad way when I left." He murmurs.

"I should have killed that woman." He hisses.

"Slade if you had killed her, McKenna could have died. You did what me or Ollie would have done." Sara reassures him as Oliver nods.

"You did the right thing."

"Did I now? I let her go and she's not done killing by a long shot."

"You saved McKenna, that's all that matters." Sara cuts him off as Slade glances at her skeptically as she finishes with Oliver's wound, pressing her lips to his forehead.

"You did good tonight." She looks to Slade, who doesn't even look at her.

"Are you two gonna be alright down here? I'm going to the hospital, see how McKenna is. Someone needs to go." Sara looks at them sadly as Oliver nods and kisses her softly as she heads up the stairs, leaving Oliver and Slade.

"Sara ain't wrong. You were a hero tonight Slade, even if we didn't catch Helena." Oliver starts but is cut off by Slade.

"No I should have put her down long before this! I should have destroyed her when she went after Leonard but I didn't and because I didn't she then nearly killed Felicity…"

"Slade."

"She stabbed you kid." Slade cuts Oliver off instantly.

"If I'd have killed her back then none of this would have happened!" He growls as Oliver tightens his grip on his arm.

"And what would that have done to you? You couldn't kill her Slade because you're better then her. You're not a murderer…"

"Oh really?" He mutters.

"If you were a murderer you would gone after Helena and finished her off instead of staying behind and helping our friend, which is what you did." Oliver sighs.

"You were nearly killed tonight kid trying to do what I couldn't. Diggle was right at the time I couldn't kill Helena." He admits.

"Which wasn't your fault. She was the first woman you opened up to since." Oliver stops when Slade looks at him.

"Which is why you couldn't kill her, no matter what she'd done." He sighs.

"I thought I could save Helena, I thought I could teach her our ways and I ignored the consequences. Not the first time I've done that when it comes to a woman." He murmurs as Oliver shakes his head.

"None of us knew that was going to turn out like that. You did everything you possibly could to save her…"

"But I couldn't save her Oliver. I couldn't save Helena either from the darkness."

"I really don't think anything we could have done would have changed the outcome when it comes to either of them." Oliver reminds him.

"I could have let her go. I could have chosen to let her be at peace then poison her and turn her into what she became before you had to put her down. I couldn't even clean up the mess I had made. That fell to you."

"Slade. I took her down because I thought Sara and you were dead. You had an arrow in your eye. It was my decision. I wouldn't have let you kill her yourself." Oliver admits before adding carefully.

"I wouldn't have let you kill Helena either. Sara and I were worried about you as it was earlier after your confrontation with both Diggle and Tommy…"

"Now he was asking for it, both of them were!" Slade mutters indignantly.

"Well it happened to worry me and Sara because it reminded us of back then on the island." Oliver reveals causing Slade to freeze, knowing exactly what Oliver refers to.

"I'm sorry, kid." Is all he can murmurs.

"Don't be. Remember what I told you then? I meant it then and I mean it now. You never have to go through anything alone. I've got your back for life." Oliver smiles at him.

"I always will."

It takes a few moments but eventually Slade gives Oliver a half smile in return.

"As I you kid."

 _Starling City General_

Knocking slowly on McKenna's door to get her attention, Sara smiles at her friend lying in the bed, whom smiles back at her sweetly.

"Hey Sara." She croaks.

"How are you feeling?" Sara moves to her side.

"Uh, numb." She murmurs as she tries to sit up.

"Hey don't move. I saw your doctor, he tells me your lucky to be alive." She smiles.

"Yeah. He also said I have a shattered femur and it's going to take at least a year in rehab. I loved being a cop." She whispers through tears eyes.

"McKenna, you're still a cop. An incredibly brave one at that. You have one more surgery, then you can go home…"

"I'm not going home." McKenna cuts her off as she slides her hand into Sara's.

"I'm moving to Coast City to live with my sister. They have the best physical therapy facility in the country there." She reveals.

"Ollie and I will visit, promise." Sara smiles sweetly.

"Thank you. You two are great friends, I'm really gonna miss you both." She admits.

"So will we." Sara replies as McKenna squeezes her hand in response.

"So call from time to time?" McKenna manages a smile. Sara nods.

"Whatever you need."

 _SCPD_

With a sigh, Quentin boxes up the last of McKenna's things off her desk.

It's never easy, losing a member of the team and he's beyond grateful that despite the loss it wasn't a fatality.

"Cleaning out your desk?" The voice of his ex wife pulls him from his thoughts.

"No, a friends." He mutters.

"Um, you asked to see me." She replies.

"Take a seat." He moves over toward his own desk, Dinah following him before sitting across from him.

"We'll talk to Sara." He mutters reluctantly as Dinah smiles beyond grateful.

"Thank you."

"Yeah well don't thank me yet. Whether Sara wants to meet with you or not it's her choice. I'm leaving this up to Sara now and whatever she wants is what will happen." He grumbles as Dinah nods quickly.

"Sara's choice."

 _Verdant_

"Think it would look suspicious if we stuck a lift in for the basement?" Oliver groans as Slade helps him up the stairs and into the club.

"Not your brightest idea, kid, even though it would be more convenient for the inevitable times when we get wounded." Slade mutters as he helps Oliver sit down on a stool.

"Hey... Ohh my god what happened?" Comes the voice of Tommy as he stops himself from racing over to Oliver.

"Hell of a night. Got stabbed with my own arrow." Oliver tries to smile as Slade rolls his eye at him and glares at Tommy.

Their altercation from earlier far from forgotten.

"Hey, Slade why don't you go back home or something. I'll be fine here with Tommy." He smiles as Slade raises an eyebrow at him but decides to take the opportunity to escape!

"I'll see ya later, kid." He murmurs to Oliver before heading as far away from Tommy as he can get, who glares after him.

"I. I heard about McKenna." Tommy says once Slade's gone.

"Yeah it's awful. Sara's visiting her now actually." Oliver replies.

"Are you ok? I mean besides from the wound." Tommy questions gently. Oliver shrugs.

"Look, I know that I have been a jerk lately. I just couldn't understand how you could keep such a huge secret from me. I'm still blaming Wilson for all of this because honestly Oliver of it had just been you and Sara. Even if you became the vigilantes anyway you would have said something to me if he'd not been there. But I'm not here to rant about Wilson. I'm here because I just wanted to tell you that despite my dismay that you could keep this from me I never considered the toll it must take on you and Sara." Tommy reveals.

"Lying to the people that are closest to us. It's the hardest part that's why we lean on each other so much because no matter what we have each other and that's all that matters considering no one else we love can know the truth about who we are." Oliver replies.

"I get that." Tommy nods.

"We were wrong to think that we could have it both ways. That we could do what we do and still have normal lives with our friends and family." He sighs.

"Except if the three of you are alone in this with no one else then none of you are ever gonna be happy." Tommy states plainly.

"Which is why we have each other." Oliver murmurs.

"That's not what I meant Oliver." Tommy sighs.

"Its what I meant. Us being happy isn't what's important right now. There's no one else we need. We have each other and that's enough. Anything else is impossible for us."

 _In the dark of the night, back behind the log once more, Oliver, Sara and Slade sit crouched down again beside one another._

 _"Your plan, your call." Wilson states plainly as he hands the radio over to Oliver, both he and Sara watching Oliver intently to see what happens next._

 _Kid better not crack under pressure. Slade thinks to himself as Oliver looks down at the radio, moving around nervously._

 _"Fyers." He calls quietly as Sara takes his free hand in hers in almost reassurance._

 _"Mr. Queen, I thought I might be hearing from you and your girlfriend sometime soon. How is your Sara anyway?" Fyers replies as Oliver grits his teeth, glancing at Sara's horrified face as memories of her imprisonment with Fyers hit her instantly, shaking as she remembers how he and Wintergreen and his men tortured her, Oliver wraps his free arm around her, even Slade puts his hand on her shoulder to comfort her._

 _"We have the circuit board." She ends up speaking bravely into the radio. To show Fyers he doesn't intimidate her. He has no power over her anymore. Oliver tugs her closer in response and Slade pats her shoulder._

 _"You two are making a grave mistake. My men are scouring the island for you and your girlfriend as we speak. When they find you both, they will kill you." Fyers explains as Oliver and Sara glance at Slade anxiously._

 _"Very slowly I'm afraid." He adds, Oliver deciding to bite back._

 _"If your men kill us then you'll never find the circuit board and after that we all know that all you'll be left with is a really ugly piece of modern art!" Oliver snaps sarcastically, earning a beaming smirk from Wilson in response, whom if Oliver isn't mistaken looks actually proud at Oliver snapping back at Fyers!_

 _Oliver looks at him smugly._

 _"Then what do you two propose?" Fyers replies after a moment._

 _"A trade." Oliver responds._

 _"And what exactly do the two of you want in exchange?" Fyers grumbles._

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade all exchanging a glance to one another._

 _"We want a way off the island."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and for reviewing, favoriting and following this story thanks ever so much! I apologize if this chapter came out bad, I worry about this one. Next update should be soon, thanks again for reading.**


	53. Salvation (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Three**

 _The Foundry_

"Lawyers for John Nickels spoke to the press today." Says the TV reporter from the TV that is being watched by Felicity Smoak and John Diggle, whilst behind them Sara and Oliver spar off against one another noisily and Slade does pull ups on a bar high above their heads.

"They say they're pleased the DA declined to indict their client on charges stemming from the recent fire in one of Nickel's buildings…"

"John Nickel is one of the wealthiest real estate developers in Starling City." Oliver calls from where he's sparring against Sara, only narrowly missing an attack from her Escrima stick.

"He's also one of the deadliest." Slade grunts from the bar above as Felicity causally gazes up at him.

"That building that burnt down last night, the wiring was not up to code." Oliver explains as he knocks Sara to the floor.

"Nice one Ollie." She smirks, Oliver looking smug for all of five seconds before Sara kicks her leg out, pulling Oliver down to the floor beside her.

Slade chuckles at the result.

"No. I am not being beaten tonight!" Oliver protests as he gets back to his feet, launching at Sara with an Escrima stick.

"Put him down, make me proud Sara!" Slade smirks as he lets go of the bar with one hand, still hanging on with the other.

"Hey!" Oliver cries indignantly as he dodges an attack from a determined Sara.

"What can I say kid? There's something entertaining about watching you getting your ass kicked on a daily basis!" Slade retorts.

"You get down from there and I'll show you what ass kicking looks like!" Oliver growls, only for Sara to knock him down from behind.

Slade bursts out laughing.

"Sure, kid. When pigs fly!" He smirks, grabbing the bar with his other hand, alternating so not to get hit in the head when Oliver throws his Escrima stick in Slade's direction before turning on Sara.

"What the hell! I wasn't even ready." He protests as she tries to conceal her laughter.

"Should always be ready kid." Slade replies as Oliver looks around for something else to throw at Slade, only to have Sara attempt to tackle him.

Reacting quickly, Oliver flips her onto her back, with a triumphant smile.

"Perhaps you should start on Slade next." Sara sniggers as Oliver kneels down beside her.

"Please! He'd never get close to anything like that with me."

"Or me." Sara wraps her legs around Oliver's waist then, moving so she's trapping him against the floor.

"Stop getting distracted." She laughs.

"You know in an actual fight I don't get this distracted like this because the people I fight against out there aren't the woman I love and my brother! You pair put me off!" Oliver protests as he helps Sara to her feet.

"We put you off now?" Slade frowns.

"Yeah you do because you're forever insulting my techniques!" He cries with a smile.

"Hey I don't insult you." Sara smiles back as they head over toward Diggle and Felicity.

"Oh I know. He does enough insulting for the both of you!" Oliver glances at Slade, who just smiles back as he turns to his bar.

"You're staring. Enjoying the view?" Sara murmurs with a smirk in Felicity's ear, who almost jumps half way across The Foundry at the disruption, blushing madly as she almost falls out of her chair.

"Jeez Sara don't creep up on people like that!" Felicity cries as she adjusts her glasses.

"Don't worry about it. I used to stare when I first met him!" She whispers with a smirk.

"You know, maybe this guy didn't know about the wiring not being up to code." Felicity says quickly, trying to change the subject matter really, really quickly.

"I guess he also didn't know about the seven people who've frozen to death in his other buildings over the past three years." Oliver comments as he moves to grab his uniform.

"Yeah, he's a real man of the people." Diggle murmurs sarcastically as without warning, Slade leaps down for the bar, landing perfectly on his feet. Felicity's eyes widening just that little bit again before he turns to face them.

"Not for long." He smirks, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"The DA ignores this and the police can't do anything because all these slums are in The Glades." Sara explains with a sigh as she zips up her leather jacket as Slade picks up the journal off the table beside Felicity.

"So tonight, we cross Mr. Nickel's name off the list." Oliver adds as Slade finds the page and places it in her hands.

"You a'right with that?" He glances at her as she switches the news feed back on.

"The scene outside of the courtroom where Nickel was released this afternoon was not surprisingly, intense…"

"One hundred percent." She replies as Slade departs, fingers still flickering through the journal with the mysterious symbol...

 _Meanwhile In Starling City_

Lying lazily on his bed, TV on and a glass in one hand. John Nickel is startled when he hears glass breaking in the distance.

Switching off his TV, glancing worriedly at the window. Nickel gets to his feet, moving toward the stairs when he hears the familiar sound of footsteps from beneath him.

Heading down the stairs, he quickly arms himself with a knife, before looking around for any hint of there being an intruder, turning around quickly upon hearing another noise yet is instantly grabbed by the person from behind and thrown to the floor.

As the person stands over him, Nickel tries to grab his knife again only for the attacker to stand on his hand, the sickening crack of broken bones sounding out as he screams out in pain before being dragged away...

 _Meanwhile…_

The three vigilantes take no haste in landing on the balcony of John Nickel, moving quickly toward the balcony door, The Man In The Mask entering first as the other two follow behind him. Finding the bedroom empty, the three vigilantes move toward the staircase, racing down discreetly, all ready to remove their weapons to aim at Nickel when they realize that the downstairs has been trashed.

"What the hell." The Woman In Black murmurs as they look around, something evidently having happened.

"This is recent, something must have happened. Probably tried to arm himself." The Man In The Mask comments as he spies the discarded knife.

"Think he's been abducted?" The Woman In Black mutters. The Man In The Hood sighs.

"Yep!"

This just made their jobs harder.

 _The Foundry_

"What? He was just gone?" Felicity cries incredulously after the abrupt return of Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"No not gone. Taken." Oliver growls as Diggle gets to his feet.

"Looks like Nickel was on somebody else's list too."

"Well after the fire last night it's not entirely surprising, not sure I blame the person who's done this either." Sara folds her arms.

"Felicity, we need you to get us everything you can on Nickel." Oliver commands.

"Focus on his tenants anyone who might have filed a formal complaint against him, or people that lost something in the fire." Sara requests.

"Well it's gonna be some list." Felicity comments as she turns to her seat.

"I mean, slumlords aren't generally known for their popularity. Plus…" Felicity trails off.

"What?" Slade folds his arms.

"Nothing, it's just, you three went over there to be all, grr stop being bad or I'll stab/arrow/ bash you head in and now the three of you want to rescue him."

"We don't like the idea that somebody dangerous is out there." Oliver replies as Felicity simply turns in her phone to face them.

"Somebody else." Slade growls as Diggle raises an eyebrow at him.

"Says probably the most dangerous person I know." He retorts as Slade approaches them.

"Typically they don't show our level of restraint." He murmurs.

"You show restraint?" Diggle eyes widen at Slade.

"You'd be surprised how much." Oliver comments from the other side of the room as Slade chucks him his father's journal.

"So you three are going to cross Nickel off anyway?" He frowns.

"No, we're finding someone else who needs a talking to." Slade replies as he grabs his sword, Sara fixing her wig, Oliver grabbing his arrows.

"Wait, wait, you three are going out again?" Diggle looks at them in surprise as Oliver flicks through the journal for a new name.

"Why don't you three go home and spend some time with Thea or something? Got any friends to go and have a drink with?" Diggle suggests kindly.

"That's when the job is done Diggle." Sara replies.

"Ok then I'll take the three of you out to dinner."

"We're not hungry." Oliver grumbles as Diggle snatches the journal from his hands, pocketing it himself.

"I'm not asking."

 **Authors Note: Thank so much for reading, following, favoriting next update should be soon, see you all next chapter :)**


	54. Salvation (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Four**

 _"Simple exchange." Oliver mutters back into the radio as Sara and Wilson watch him, Wilson in particular keeping a close eye on the conversation, ready to step in if Oliver screws something up._

 _Something that's more than likely to happen! He thinks to himself._

 _"You get us a way off the island and we'll give you the circuit boards." Sara chips in._

 _"So that you're missile launcher isn't just furniture!" Oliver reaffirms._

 _"You two have grown up quite a bit, Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance. I'll give you that." Fyers replies, falling silent for a moment before sighing._

 _"I can get you a boat but I need time." He reveals._

 _"You've got an hour, Fyers and then you're never…" The radio is instantly ripped out of Oliver's hand by Slade._

 _Kid was getting too cocky. Slade thinks, having stepped in before Oliver could screw things up by getting big headed about the matter._

 _Oliver glares at Wilson sulkily._

 _"What?" Oliver snaps at Wilson like a petulant child._

 _Slade ignores him and turns to the radio himself._

 _"We understand that it might take you longer than an hour to get a boat." He mutters with a glare of his own at Oliver._

 _"What we mean is you need to move with some dispatch." He states._

 _"Oh Wilson, still in command there, eh?" Fyers smirks his end._

 _"I thought your two little pets had staged a coup d'etat." He replies as for a moment Oliver wonders to himself what it would be like if he and Sara were in charge of things._

 _Wilson just rolls his eyes before snapping._

 _"Just get us the damn boat!"_

 _The Glades_

On his couch in his small home, Thea and Roy make out heatedly, well that is until the sound of knocking upon Roy's door makes Roy instantly pull away.

Thea tries not to look disappointed.

"Oh, now you want to stop?" She smirks, annoyed at whomevers knocking at the worst time they possibly could be trying to interrupt!

Should have taken Roy to her place, but the worry of either Oliver, Slade or Sara accidentally walking in on them was too great.

"Well we don't all have butlers!" Roy gets to his feet.

"You know, some of us actually have to answer our own doors." He comments as Thea chuckles mercilessly.

"You'll find considering I now live with my brother and his friends I do have to answer my own door." She retorts.

"You never cease to amaze me Thea Queen." Roy smirks as he heads for the door, opening it and immediately pushing whoever it is answering back outside before said person can see Thea with him.

He isn't quick enough.

"You look familiar." Roy's associate smirks at Thea.

"I see you on TV or something?"

"Probably." Thea smiles.

"I'm Thea Queen." Roy's associate laughs in disbelief.

"Yeah right." He comments before turning to Roy.

"Did you get it?" Roy murmurs with his hand held out.

"Tomorrow night." He is passed a package.

"Joe wants us there at eleven PM." At the guys words, Thea looks on nervously.

"He said to be on time, Harper." He warns him, giving Thea one last look before leaving, Roy slamming the door shut behind him before jogging over to Thea.

"What's happening tomorrow at eleven?" She questions as he drops the package to the table before rejoining her on the couch.

"You know, I'm actually find of focused on what's happening right now." He smiles.

"Ohh ok." Thea grins as he kisses her again, picking up where they left off. Thea happily kissing him all up until the moment she moves to grab the package off the table.

"No. No, Thea. Thea don't!" Roy protests as Thea opens the package to reveal a gun.

Instantly he pulls it from her hand as she leaps forcibly away from him.

"Why do you have a gun?" She cries in outrage.

"Because I'm no good with knives." He murmurs as Thea's eyes widen at him.

"Look, it's just a liquor store. The guys a creep. Trust me, he deserves it." Roy explains.

"Look, if it'll make you feel any better." He empties the gun of its bullets in front of Thea.

"I won't be armed." He murmurs as he pushes the bullets away from him.

"And of course the owner won't know that, but…"

"I got you a job and my brother and his friends club. You have choices. You don't have to be a criminal!" Thea protests.

"I'm not talking about phone bills. I owe people, people with much bigger guns than this. Look, here in The Glades, this is pretty much the only solution." Thea shakes her head.

"No, lots of people in The Glades live honest lives. Obviously not you!" She snaps as she grabs her jacket to leave.

"You're just a waste." She spits as she heads out.

"Thea, Thea!" Roy climbs off the couch to chase after her.

"Let me make sure you get home ok."

"Don't bother." She hisses walking away from Roy and never looking back at the man once as she storms off into the night.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Upon arriving home, Laurel is surprised to see her mother sitting looking at the phone nervously upon the couch.

"Hi sweetheart, how was your day?" Her mother asks, causing Laurel to freeze at the words, having not heard her mother ask her anything like that ever before really.

"Fine, thank you." She responds as she puts down her work bag.

"Hey, honey." Quentin greets Laurel as he arrives from her kitchen with two mugs, one for himself and one for her mother.

"Here you go." He hands one to Dinah, who looks at him gratefully.

"Want me to make you one Laurel?" Quentin smiles at her.

"I'm fine thanks, dad. What's going on?" Laurel asks as her mother looks up at her.

"Well I thought. We thought." She glances to Quentin.

"It was time I called Sara." Dinah says in a small voice as Laurel nods.

"Yeah, I wondered when you were going to do that." Laurel sighs.

"Thought if she's up to it and agrees, she could perhaps come over here. We could order in Chinese. Eat dinner possibly, you know together. The four of us." Quentin smiles hopefully.

"Yeah I doubt that." Laurel murmurs as Quentin and Dinah look at her in shock at her words, slight worry in their eyes.

"I mean, even if Sara does agree to come over she isn't going to come over here alone." Laurel smiles kindly at her mom.

"Yeah Sara doesn't really go anywhere without Oliver Queen and their friend Slade. You know, he's actually a great guy." Quentin comments.

"Well if that's what it takes to see my own daughter then I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm also curious in meeting that friend of theirs." Dinah replies.

"As I said, great guy. Probably the reason how Sara and Oliver actually survived that island and got home to us was because of him." Quentin says as the three of them look to one another for a moment before Dinah reaches for the phone.

"I think it's time." She smiles as Quentin even puts his hand over hers.

"It's time."

 _Big Belly Burger_

In the Big Belly Burger rather quietly, Sara, Oliver, Slade and Diggle sit around a table eating burgers, Sara practically devouring hers.

"Hungrier than you thought?" Diggle questions with a smirk.

"I was always hungry. Oliver was just speaking on behalf of himself back there." She nudges Oliver who smiles back.

"But I would have waited until we crossed off another name." She notes as they all turn back to their food, Oliver looking up at Diggle moments later.

"Diggle. Are you waiting for us to finish before giving us a lecture or something?" He questions with a sigh.

"Oh please save it for someone who cares." Slade grumbles as Diggle just smiles at them.

"Guys, you've been spending an awful lot of time in those uniforms for the last couple of weeks." He comments.

"Hood keeps my ears warm." Oliver protests with a smirk.

"Masks warmer, kid." Slade retorts.

"Are you pair really gonna argue about who's headgear is warmer?" Diggle raises an eyebrow at them.

"Wig keeps the top of my head warm." Sara throws in with a smile.

"Hell, you three really need that lecture. Especially you Slade, do you even leave The Foundry anymore to go home?" Diggle questions.

"Oh he does. He just arrives back home at some ungodly hour in the morning." Oliver replies as Slade raises an eyebrow to him.

"How do you know?"

"You aren't exactly quiet about it!" Oliver folds his arms.

"He's right Slade, sounds like someone's broken in every time you get back home at who knows what time in the morning." Sara backs him up.

"So you made this decision to avoid entanglements?" Diggle questions. Slade doesn't answer. Oliver and Sara do though.

"For their protection. The people who get close to us get hurt. I mean Helena shot McKenna, the only friend we've all really hanged out with like normal people. She threatened Thea's life and Tommy…" Oliver trails off as Diggle sighs.

"What's the problem?" Sara replies.

"Do you think we're losing our grip?" Oliver adds.

"No, it's just the opposite really. The three of you seem calm, scary calm. I mean you three, what do you do. You guys pull on those uniforms, go home. Well you and Sara do anyway and then you repeat." He retorts before turning to Slade.

"As for you, I get that things didn't end well with Helena…"

"With anyone I've ever been with." Slade murmurs.

"But you shouldn't shut people out." He finishes.

"I don't. Got all I need right her. I never shut them out." Slade retorts as he glances at Sara and Oliver who smile back.

"Then what are all those missed calls from that Leonard guy I met? Someone called Lisa?" He questions as even Sara and Oliver look at Slade in confusion.

"Yeah Slade, who actually is this Leonard guy who keeps getting mentioned?" Oliver queries as Slade says nothing.

"I thought he was a friend of Slade's. Yet now I'm not so sure considering you've been ignoring his calls since that thing with Helena, he and that Lisa as I said." Diggle explains.

"Leonard is someone I've know a few months now. Helena decided to use Leonard as leverage against me and it nearly got him killed. She also threatened Lisa, Leonard's sister. They are just two ordinary people I met and because they knew me that almost got them killed. So forgive me for trying to stop anything like that happening again!" Slade mutters as Oliver and Sara nod in understanding at Slade's words.

"He's right. The lives we lead right now doesn't leave much room for us to have actual lives and we don't need one, we've got each other." Oliver replies.

"Wow, that's a pretty bleak future you three plan on spending…" Diggle starts, yet is cut off by the sound of everyone's phones ringing all at once, all over the restaurant. The all ignore it though, thinking it irrelevant.

"We're used to isolation. Just the three of us, other people we let in get hurt. It's better this way." Sara murmurs.

"And that's exactly what worries me. You three have been home for eight months guys and I don't think any of you have left that island yet." He replies.

"I think we're fortunate if you ask me because we've got one another." Slade mutters.

"That's not the point…"

"It is because there was a point in time when neither of us had one another." Slade cuts him off with a glare that advises Diggle not to press any further, who looks to object when more mobile phones begin to ring.

"What the hell is going on?" He looks around as even Oliver, Sara and Slade frown just as their mobiles begin to ring as well.

"Felicity." Slade picks up his phone.

"Guys I found Nickel. Click the links I just sent the four of you." She says quickly as Oliver, Sara, Slade and Diggle look at the attachment Felicity sent through.

"This came up on every screen with an IP address originating from The Glades." She says quickly as they all turn the volumes up on their phones.

"If you make The Glades your home, you know who this man is, John Nickel." Says a disguised voice from everyone's phones under a video entitled 'Glades Betrayed'

It shows Nickel tied to a chair.

"He owns your tenements, manages your slums, provides the leaking roofs over your heads, the lead in your pipes, the asbestos in your walls. Basically, he makes money off of our suffering. But the police aren't interested in helping us, they may have let us down, but I won't." The man growls as he aims the camera and a bound and gagged John Nickel.

"John, I want to give you the chance to state your case. Why shouldn't you be punished?" The man says on the camera, ripping the tape away from Nickel's mouth.

"I knew there was bad stuff in my buildings." He admits to the camera as Oliver, Sara and Slade watch in disgust at the whole affair.

"Felicity, track him." Slade growls.

"I'm looking!" She cries back as she hits her keyboard rapidly.

"Ok, yes, I made a little profit." Nickel continues to admit.

"At least they had a place to live. Without me, people like that would end up on the street."

"People like… That's all we are to guys like this." The man replies before stepping back with the camera.

"John, I find you…" The lights begin to flicker on and off.

"I find you guilty." The man declares before gunshots are fired and Nickel is killed, all captured on camera, everyone with a phone having witnessed this as well.

"There are plenty more people who need to answer for their crimes against us." The man who executed Nickel continues to speak.

"So. Who's next?"

 _The Foundry_

"Anything new?" Oliver sighs as he crosses the room to where Sara and Slade are sitting beside Felicity whilst she types ferociously on her keyboard .

"This guy's definitely got more than a subscription to 'Wired'. His website's protected by some very serious encryption." She mutters.

"Use the air magnet. You mentioned it…"

"Slade! No offense but do I tell you how to sharpen your swords?" Felicity cuts him off with a slight glare Slade's direction.

"Spoke to my friend at NSA. The website code matches a cyber crusader who's been on their radar." Diggle calls as he enters The Foundry.

"He backs into fringe sites under the username The Saviour. NSA believes he's a former resident of The Glades." He informs them.

"Former?" Oliver glances up.

"Yeah, well a year ago he hacked himself right off the radar. Erased all traces of his existence." Diggle replies.

"So what happened to this guy a year ago?" Sara queries, eying her phone which keeps lighting up with calls she's been ignoring for hours now after picking it up the first time, only to hang up a few moments later as the caller was none other than her mother.

Her mother has finally come wanting to see her after eight months of Sara being alive.

Sara fears she knows the reason behind the delayed visit was more than just 'work'

The reason that keeps Sara herself from reuniting with her mother...

 _"Can't believe that actually freakin worked!" Oliver practically cheers as he, Wilson and Sara make their way through the woods._

 _"Well nothing's happened yet, kid. Too easy if you ask me." Wilson mutters._

 _"Of course you'd be the one to point that out." Oliver mutters under his breath._

 _"I'm being realistic." He retorts._

 _"Your such a pessimist." Oliver sighs._

 _"Surprised you even know what that word means." Wilson grumbles._

 _"You know, despite what you might think, I'm not stupid. I mean if it wasn't for me we wouldn't even be in this position." Oliver proclaims._

 _"Keep believing that kid." He replies, sarcasm heavy in his voice._

 _"Can't remember you coming up with the idea to steal the circuit board! Considering you're so much more clever than me!" Oliver replies with equal sarcasm.._

 _"Can you pair give it a rest." Sara groans abruptly as Oliver and Slade glare at one another before Oliver decides to change the subject._

 _"Imagine in a few hours we could be on a boat on the way back to Starling City and wherever it is you're going." Oliver glances to Slade who just ignores him._

 _"Back to family and friends." Oliver trails off as he images it, hugging his little sister, hearing his best friends voice again, reuniting with his mom as Sara thinks of her parents, he sister, none of them probably welcoming her home with open arms, her dad maybe but not Laurel after what she's done and probably not her mom because…_

 _The memory Sara never really wanted to remember hits her, her last memory of her mom before she left._

 _She wonders if Laurel knows what happened between herself and their mom before she left on the Queen's Gambit._

 _Laurel would never forgive either of them if she knew._

 _When they stop for the night in a part of the forest, Sara offers to keep watch for the night whilst Oliver and Slade sleep, Oliver by her feet and Slade in a freakin tree!_

 _She offers to keep watch to distract herself from the thoughts that bother her about what happened between she and her mom. That her mom actually in fact new she was going on the Queen Gambit with Oliver and had let her go, despite everything let her go._

 _Laurel would turn against both of them…_

 _Sara shudders and moves to take a sip from the water, only to find it basically empty, knowing a stream ain't so far from their position and that she needs to clear her head, Sara quietly gets to her feet and heads off in the direction of the stream. Thoughts running wild as she bends down to fill up the water, only to hear footsteps from behind her._

 _Grabbing her knife from the inside of her coat she whirls around._

 _"It's me! Put that thing down, you're gonna have my eye out at this rate!" Slade growls making himself known as he joins her._

 _"Nice to see you prepared though." He comments as Sara rolls her eyes at him._

 _"You're supposed to be keeping watch." Sara gives him a skeptical look._

 _"Yeah like you weren't awake that whole time." She folds her arms, he doesn't deny it._

 _"I'm probably gonna regret asking but what's up?" He asks when she begins to walk back to where Oliver is, who she finds already awake._

 _"What he said." Oliver yawns as he sits up._

 _"Nothing. It's nothing. You were just mentioning going home and I was thinking about Laurel." She sighs as Oliver nods and moves to take her hands._

 _"We'll face her together. It's gonna be just fine and lets face the facts here; it's more likely she's gonna punch me then hurt you." Oliver tries to smile._

 _"Inevitable, I believe." Slade grumbles as he sits on a log across from them. Oliver glares at him before turning to Sara._

 _"We'll handle Laurel and if everything else fails we can send him in there first to try and soften things to minimise the risk of violence!" Oliver beams as Slade scoffs._

 _"Don't drag me into your mess, kid. Besides whilst your facing your ex I'll be on my way back to Australia." Wilson smirks before frowning._

 _"Then I'm probably gonna have to face my own ex."_

 _Oliver can't help but smirk as he turns back to Sara._

 _"We're gonna be fine, it's all going to be oka…"_

 _"My mom knew I was coming with you on the Gambit." Sara cuts him off, burying her head in her hands soon after, when Oliver freezes and even Slade glances up at her._

 _"And she just let you go? She didn't try and stop you?" Slade's eyes widen._

 _"I told her I was following my heart that I knew what I wanted." She looks to Oliver._

 _"That I wanted you Ollie. She didn't say anything after that." She admits as Oliver takes her hands in his, unable to speak a word._

 _"Because of what I did I've probably ruined not only my relationship with Laurel but my mothers too because I begged her not to say anything to Laurel and now we're missing they're bound to find out. They're all going to hate me." She cries as Oliver draws her into an embrace._

 _"It's ok. It's ok, they're not going to hate you Sara." He whispers comfortingly as he kisses her forehead and holds her close as Slade finally decides to speak his mind on the matter._

 _"What I cannot get my head around is the lack of parenting here. If it had been my kid then there would have been no chance in hell I'd have let him go on some secret boat trip with someone's else's girlfriend to who knows where!" He mutters as Oliver turns his head to glance at Wilson._

 _"Not helping." He growls._

 _"If she'd done her job as a parent you might not have ended up in this mess your in now. She should have told your father and stopped you from going. Honestly, Sara. I don't think it's you your family is going to be inflicting their rage upon the most." He comments as neither Oliver or Sara say a word as they know Wilson is probably right in what he says on the matter._

 _"Well no matter what they say when we get back, which we will. I promise you…"_

 _"Don't make promises you can't keep, kid." Wilson butts in._

 _"Will you shut up?" Oliver snaps briefly before turning to Sara._

 _"We'll face it together." He vows as she tightens her grip on his hands._

 _"From here on out we'll face everything together." He says as she moves to rest in his arms._

 _"I don't know how I'm going to face any of them." She sighs._

 _"With bravery. There's been a betrayal here. A betrayal like this will take a lot of forgiving, but at the end of the day even if Laurel and you two never mend your difference…"_

 _"Pessimist." Oliver grumbles under his breath as Wilson glances at him but chooses not to start another argument with him._

 _"Sara, perhaps your family will be more lenient in forgiveness because at the end of the day they're your family." He continues._

 _"And a bond like family is very hard one to break."_

 _The Foundry_

"Are you ok?" Oliver puts his hands on Sara's shoulders as her phone buzzes again and she glances at it with a look of dismay again.

"We can deal with it later." She shakes her head as Oliver bends down and cups both her cheeks in his hands.

"Sara. What's wrong." He asks again as she sighs.

"It's. It my mom. She's back in Starling City and she's trying to contact me with dad and Laurel and…" Sara trails off as Oliver kisses her forehead.

"You haven't seen her since we left on the gambit." He remembers as she nods.

"What kind of mother doesn't come see her daughter when she's been presumed dead for five years only to come home again?" Diggle glances at Sara who looks down, before up at Oliver and Slade, who knows probably the reason why. Both he and Oliver do.

"Can we just figure all this out later when we don't have some internet hacker to stop from killing people?" Sara sighs as Oliver looks to say something else when Sara's phone buzzes again but both are cut off when the computer flickers to life.

"We're back." The voice of the 'Saviour' comes from the computer, dragging the fours attentions toward the screen in an instant.

"I have with me Assistant District Attorney Gavin Carnahan." He reveals his victim to the camera and to all those watching.

"Now, DA's are supposed to go after bad guys but this one can't even be bothered to bring them to trial." He comments as the man struggles against his restraints.

"Like the ones who killed my wife in a bodega…"

"Felicity." Sara nudges her.

"On it." She replies quickly as she types rapid commands into her computer.

"You said there wasn't enough evidence. You think, the evidence would've turned up if she'd been killed in one of Starling City's nicer neighborhoods?" The Saviour questions as Felicity pulls up the news report on the murder referenced.

"Emma Falk, grieving husband is Joseph Falk. What do we have on him?" Oliver reads as Felicity begins typing again.

"Not much. Forty two, former city worker, Department Of Transportation, computer technician. Left his job when she was killed one year ago today." Felicity looks behind her to the four of them.

"No current phone, no current address." Diggle mutters as they continue watching the video

"Gavin, you're a lawyer. You're used to making a case, so go ahead. I'm gonna give you ten minutes to deliver the closing argument of your life." The Saviour continues.

"Come on." Slade glances at Felicity.

"Trying to get a lock on his wireless signal." She replies as the video continues.

"Ten minutes to convince me not to blow you away." The Saviour finishes before putting the camera down on a table, in front of his watch…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the pouring rain, Moria Queen stands looking over Starling City from a balcony, an umbrella overhead as Frank Chen makes his way over to her.

"What did Malcolm want with you at the hospital?" He questions as he joins her side.

"A target for reprisal. He wants justice and he's not going to stop until he gets it." She replies simply.

"Besides, this is good." She adds as Frank Chen looks at her as if she's lost her mind.

"I think your definition of good requires an adjustment." He murmurs truthfully.

"No he came to me, which means he doesn't know that we're responsible for the attempt on his life." Moria nods.

"Yet." Frank winces as she turns fully to face him.

"What are the chances of Malcolm discovering who paid The Triad to assassinate him?" She frowns worriedly.

"Well considering you also organized the assassination of another? I may not know the name of the other man you wanted taking down but if he found out there was another he'll immediately suspect you." He retorts as Moria shakes her head haughty.

"Luckily the other man I wanted gone is a monster that has a lot of enemies, including a Triad member I met with. Even if I had not requested it I think they wanted it done." Moria replies as Frank looks at her nervously before trying to put both of their minds at rest.

"I was very discreet. I wired the money for both of the assassinations through a shell corporation I own from an offshore account."

"Offshore?" Moria cuts him off before nodding.

"Good, that's good." She notes before turning back to look off into the distance.

"I'm sending Amanda to London for a few week, just as a precaution." He grabs her arm.

"Perhaps you should do the same for your family." He advises her.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect my children, Frank. Both these assassination attempts are to protect them from forces that may cause them harm. No matter what my children will be safe again." She vows before walking away.

 _The Foundry_

Felicity continues to type rapidly as she tries to locate the signal, raising her hands briefly when she finally gets somewhere eventually.

"Shut it down!" Slade growls.

"Can't." She replies shortly as she types rapidly.

"He has a firewall protecting his wireless signal but he's working off an IPX located at 23rd and Mira." She informs them as in a flash, Sara, Oliver and Slade race to grab helmets from the table nearest the stairs.

"You three gonna suit up?" He queries. Oliver rolls his eyes.

"It's the middle of the day!"

 _Starling City_

Each with helmets, Sara, Oliver and Slade race to the two motorcycles, Sara climbing on behind Oliver as the three zoom off into the city...

Whilst they drive, the video continues, time is almost up for the district attorney.

"Look listen. Listen to me." The district attorney says quickly in protest.

"Ok. I have fifty three cases on my desk right now. I don't always have time…"

"You should have made time!" The Saviour growls

"Yes I know!" He cries back as Felicity and Diggle watch from the screen, Felicity biting the living daylights out of nails.

"How's Carnahan?" Sara calls to them.

"Not making a very persuasive argument." Felicity admits as Oliver and Slade continue to floor it in order to get to the location.

"We're almost there." Slade yells to Felicity and Diggle as they eye the map, whilst currently at the very same location, Oliver, Sara and Slade have arrived and are running toward the building hurriedly, running through the open door only to come face to face with a locked one that Oliver quickly punches the glass out off before reaching his hand through to open up the door from the inside as the three of them take to the stairs.

"See anything?" Felicity calls.

"We're only on the first floor." Oliver replies.

"Well just six more to go." Felicity winces.

"We need to split up." Sara suggests as she, Oliver and Slade nod to one another before racing off in different directions, to different floors, the three of the, kicking open any locked or shut door as the video and time continues to pass.

"There aren't the resources. I tried." Carnahan pleads to The Saviour who cooks his gun in response. Carnahan panics.

"I'm sorry!"

"Guys you need to hurry!" Felicity says quickly after she and Diggle watch the last segment.

Meanwhile, Oliver, Sara and Slade despite being on different floors cannot find anything behind any closed door they kick open.

"We can't find him!" Slade snarls as the three of them continue to move up the stairs separately from one another as they go down each corridor, breaking through each closed door they come across before finally reuniting with one another on the roof.

"Nothing." Sara looks to Oliver and Slade, who nod in response before the three of them head onto the roof, looking around at the empty space.

"He's not here Felicity!" Slade yells to her ferociously causing her to jump a little bit at his ferociousness before looking at the computer in confusion.

"What?" She frowns.

"We searched every office on every floor! He's not here!" Oliver snarls, with almost the same ferociousness as Slade.

"Is this even the right place?" Slade growls.

"Yeah." She says quickly as she types.

"Are you sure about that now?" He adds.

"Yeah, yeah. I… Oh crap." She types before coming across something that's changed.

"What?" Oliver questions.

"How is this possible? This can't happen he's…" Felicity suddenly trails off after her outburst.

"Talk to us!" Sara yells.

"Wait. He moved just north of the three of you, Ocean and Grand." She informs them.

"On our way." Slade replies as he, Oliver and Sara begin running, running so fast and jumping from the roof to another one several yards across, regaining their footing quickly when they roll across the roof before racing off that one onto yet another one, landing the same way before facing the next…

"I thought the… That I thought that I could…" Carnahan stutters.

"Win?" The Savior hisses.

"Yes." He whispers as watching it, Felicity nibbles on her nails again and Diggle puts his hands behind his head.

"I'm sorry." Carnahan whispers.

Using the railings, Oliver, Sara and Slade leap down each stage of steps until the three of them finally land on the roof of a moving van, waiting there for a few moments before the three of them leap over a bridge onto a road, which they race across, cars swerving in order not to hit the three as they run, each of them scaling a fence in a matter of seconds.

"Gavin Carnahan. I find you guilty of crimes against The Glades." The Saviour reveals as Diggle and Felicity watch.

"Don't do this! Don't do this!" The man begs as The Saviour takes no notice.

"And I sentence you to death…"

Oliver, Sara and Slade stop as they reach the location Felicity located for them.

"We're at Ocean and Grand, Felicity and it's just a vacant lot." Oliver explains as Felicity shakes her head at her computer rapidly.

"How is this possible? This can't happen, he's…"

"No!" Gavin Carnahan yells his last words before being filled with bullets…

"Felicity, find the right address now!" Slade yells to her. Felicity, however is oblivious to everything but the murder she has just witnessed right in front of her on screen and rips the communication device from her ear before racing away as fast as she can.

Watching her go, in shock himself really, Diggle takes it upon himself to sit at the computer himself, retrieving the ear piece Felicity had left behind so hastily.

"Guys, it's over. Carnahan's dead." He murmurs solemnly as Oliver, Sara and Slade stand by the vacant lot.

They have failed.

 _The Foundry_

Whilst twisting her pen in between her fingers, Felicity just stares blankly into space, barely acknowledging the three sets of feet racing down the stairs.

"Where's Diggle?" Oliver questions the minute they enter.

"I asked him to leave me alone, in my loud voice." She whispers through her tears as she continues to look at the pen in her hands.

"None of this is because of you." Slade states.

"I was the one who was supposed to find Carnahan." She murmurs, not even looking at him.

"And I was the one who sent the three of you to that bogus location." She sniffs as Sara moves to put her hands on her shoulders.

"It's not your fault." She assures her as Oliver nods.

"Whatever he's got set up Felicity… Carnahan wasn't killed because of you. You did everything you could to get us to him."

"It wasn't enough." She cuts Oliver off, who cannot find any words to say next, he moves to Sara's side soon after as Felicity takes a few steps away again, looking down as a few tears slide down her cheeks.

"I've never seen anybody die." She whispers.

"This is what happens with what we do." Slade retorts as he steps toward her.

"Sometimes we lose. Sometimes the price is a heavy one to pay." He murmurs as Felicity continues to look down.

"Maybe it is better being alone. I'm not seeing anyone currently, but if I were." She eventually looks up at him.

"I don't know how I'd tell them about today." She says through tears as Slade walks the rest of the way over to her and takes the pen from her hands…

 _When morning arrived, Slade, Oliver and Sara set off for the meet with Fyers. Oliver still brimming with optimism about being finally free from the island as and Sara walk ahead, Slade following close behind them as they begin to hear more footsteps and from the distance they see a bunch of Fyers men, all armed and lead by Fyers himself and Yao Fei._

 _"Welcome." Fyers is the first to speak as they all finally come face to face again, Sara looking anywhere but at Fyers after all the torture he put her through, the pain and grips Oliver's arm tightly as Slade just glares at the group, with an almost expression of boredom upon his face as he keeps a tight grip on his various weapons._

 _"So happy we're able to reach an accord…"_

 _"Oh good, small talk." Slade mutters with deep sarcasm, cutting off Fyers, who looks to Sara._

 _"You're passage off this island is most certainly secured if I get the circuit board and the girl. She made a nice decoration in my tent." Fyers smirks to Sara._

 _"Like a caged bird…"_

 _"We're going to get on with this?" Slade growls viciously as Oliver pushes Sara behind him so she is behind both Oliver and Slade after Fyers comments._

 _"As you wish, straight to business." Fyers folds his arms as he turns to Oliver._

 _"The circuit bored. Where is it?" He questions._

 _"Somewhere safe." Oliver snaps._

 _"So get us to the boat and then we'll tell you where it is." Oliver bargains, glancing at Wilson in the corner of his eye for guidance, who nods reassuringly._

 _"And of course the three of you'll be honest about its location?" Fyers questions again._

 _"Well I wouldn't be, but this one's got some strange hang up about principles and integrity." Slade half smirks half glares at Fyers and his men._

 _"Always imagined as much, which is why I'd like to make a counter proposal." Fyers replies before turning to face his crew._

 _"Men!" He summons them with his hand, Slade visibly frowning when two of Fyers men drag a woman from behind a tree forcibly._

 _A woman with raven black hair…_

 _She is thrown to the ground in front of the group, Fyers's men circling around her with their guns as Yao Fei looks on horrified at the sight._

 _"No." He whispers._

 _"No!" He cries as he tries to go over to the woman, his daughter only to be knocked down by one of Fyers men._

 _"Hey!" Sara cries in his defense as Yao Fei is pushed to the ground and handcuffed as Fyers turns to face the three._

 _"You three will deliver back to me the circuit boards or I will kill Yao Fei's daughter." He indicates to the woman on the ground as Oliver finally has a lightbulb moment._

 _"That's why he wouldn't leave." He glances to Sara and Wilson, whom is casually looking around at the scene._

 _Fyers steps towards them again._

 _"I can't imagine you want the death of an innocent young woman on your hands." He looks to Oliver and Sara, who tightens her grip on Oliver's hand._

 _"Not with your. Principles."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, please tell me what you think of this chapter and big thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Next update is in the works so hopefully that will be completed soon. See you all next update.**


	55. Salvation (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Five**

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

Having decided to go back home after the failed mission to save Carnahan a bit before they go to their normal jobs at Verdant. Sara sits on the couch whilst glancing at her phone whilst trying to decide what to do.

"You can't avoid the woman forever." Slade comments.

"Watch me." Sara murmurs.

"They'll be showing up here next, just call, say hello and leave it at that." Oliver suggests kindly as Sara glances at him.

"Yeah like that's gonna work." She groans just as Thea walks through the front door.

"Hey. Didn't think any of you would be home." Thea greets them as Oliver smiles at her from the kitchen.

"Making food, want any?" He offers as Thea nods before glancing to Sara.

"Hey can I talk to you about something? Almost woman to woman?" She asks quietly as Sara nods in an instant before patting the seat next to her for Thea to sit down.

"What's up?" She asks kindly.

"I could use some advice. I'm sort of…" She stops and waits until Oliver is seemingly arguing with Slade about cooking before moving closer to Sara and whispering.

"I'm sort of dating this guy who could definitely be described as a bad boy…"

"How much of a bad boy?" Sara winks at her as Thea looks down.

"From The Glades, he's kinda the guy who stole my purse…"

"Thea. You are dating the guy who stole your purse?" Sara cuts her off with a stern expression as Thea shakes her head.

"Well I went back for my purse and then we kinda got to know each other, I got him a job at the club…"

"Wait. You're telling me Ollie and Slade know about this guy?" Sara frowns in disbelief, remembering Oliver and Slade's threats to release the wrath of the vigilantes on the person who stole Thea's stuff.

"They know he's working at the club, I might not have mentioned who he actually is to them considering they never would have hired him." Thea reminds her.

"Damn right they wouldn't. I'm guessing Tommy had no idea either?" She looks to her as Thea nods quickly before taking Sara's hands.

"Can you not mention this to them, please?" Thea begs as Sara raises an eyebrow at her.

"Why'd you want my advice anyway? Did you just need to tell someone about this because Thea I don't particularly approve myself of you dating a guy who robbed you." She folds her arms as Thea bites her lip.

"He did give the stuff back and he saved me from these thugs down in The Glades. Got himself stabbed for me." She reveals as Sara's expression seems to soften a bit.

"Wow, ok. What did you want to ask me?" She smiles slightly.

"Well I figured as someone like you who's dated like a gajillion of bad boys…"

"I haven't dated a gajillion, a few though. A fair few." Sara smiles as she glances back to the kitchen where Oliver stands.

"Ok, you want some advice. Run, as fast as you possibly can. Dating bad boys only got me into a hell of a lot of trouble and whilst the love of my life is now an ex bad boy it's because of reckless decisions that I ended up on an island for five years. Now I'm not saying that would ever, ever happen to you Thea." Sara pats her arm reassuringly.

"Yeah, see that was my first instinct too, but he's…"

"Who's 'he'?" Oliver questions as he arrives with lunch, Thea shutting up quickly at the sight of her brother, who really doesn't need to know about any of this.

"Ohh no one Ollie. Thanks." She takes a plate from him as Sara's mobile rings again.

"Either you answer that or I'm gonna stab it." Slade growls whilst he butters some bread.

"What with a butter knife?" Sara rolls her eyes at him as Oliver and Thea laugh as Sara glances at her phone again with a grim expression before answering it.

"Sara?" Quentin questions.

"Hey daddy, Sorry I've been really busy today and…"

"It's ok. It's ok sweetie. I'm just glad you've called back. You didn't have to." He notes.

"I know moms back." Sara replies.

"Yeah, do you. Do you want to meet up with us?" He asks carefully as silence passes whilst Sara glances at Oliver and Slade.

"You don't have to Sara. You can say no." Quentin says quickly as Sara bites her lip.

"No it's ok, I'll meet you guys." Sara replies after a few minutes.

"Really?"

"She is my mom." Sara sighs.

"Ok, great then. Want to meet at Laurel's tonight?" He offers.

"Yeah sure." She nods.

"You don't have to come alone, you can bring Oliver and Slade if you want to." He adds as Sara smiles.

"Thank you daddy. I'll see you later then." She notes before hanging up, Oliver taking her hand in an instant, Slade giving her a reassuring smile as she looks to the two before frowning at the absence of Thea.

"Where did Thea get to?"

 _The Glades_

Walking calmly over toward the house of Roy. Thea manages a slight smile as Roy remerges from his home, sighing when he sees her.

"I was waiting for this." He mutters as he storms past her.

"Waiting for what?" Thea frowns in confusion.

"The whole 'you can change' I can see the real you speech." He mutters she follows him.

"Look around Thea. This is home sweet home for me. You either starve or you do things that mean you're lucky enough to make it to twenty one!" He snaps.

"I can't accept that." Thea shakes her head.

"No, you can't accept me." He starts only to be interrupted.

"Roy Harper?" A man asks as he turns to face him.

"Yeah?" He raises an eyebrow before being stabbed in the neck with a syringe.

"Roy!" Thea cries as she attempts to fight against the man who has Roy in his grasp only to be thrown forcibly to the ground, hitting her head hard on the pavement as the man, who in fact is 'The Saviour' walks toward Roy, who removes the gun he had been given from his pocket, attempting to fire it at the man, only for nothing to happen.

It's his own fault, it's because of what he did to reassure Thea.

He emptied the freakin gun of all its bullets!

The Saviour moves towards him, kicking the useless gun out of Roy's hands before dragging the now unconscious Roy to his van…

 _Verdant_

After their small break before work, Oliver, Sara and Slade arrive back in Verdant.

"Do you want us to come with you later? I heard your dad saying that is was ok." Oliver asks Sara as they walk in hand in hand.

"I don't know." Sara sighs, sadly as Oliver squeezes her hand tightly.

"We could do what we said we'd do five years ago, send Slade in there first!" Oliver smiles as Sara chuckles, leaning into him.

"I think he'd kill us if we did that to him." She notes as Oliver tugs her closer.

"You don't think Laurel knows you're mother knew you were coming with me do you?" He questions as Sara shrugs.

"I don't know. If she does it explains why apparently they haven't heard from her in three years but I thought Laurel would have mentioned that to me if she had known." Sara stops as she closes her eyes.

"I don't know what Laurel would say if she knew." She admits.

"She'd be mad with your mother, not you." Oliver comments as Slade joins the two.

"Kid's right, whilst it may open old wounds for Laurel remembering the event. The fact her own mother let you go with her boyfriend at the time and you ended up going missing for five years. That's worse. Remember what Oliver and I said five years ago, you're not to blame for what your mother decided to do on the matter. She could have said something to your father or someone to stop you, she chose not to." He folds his arms.

"They won't blame you for that." Oliver reassures her. Sara is about to reply when she hears the sound of the TV being turned up.

"More on the story out of The Glades. The kidnapped seems to have another victim and is broadcasting the feed to his website. A warning to viewers, this is live footage so we're not sure what we're a our to see." Tommy Merlyn, who had been standing in the corner of the room moves slowly over toward it when he recognises the face of the kid on the TV.

"Meet Roy Harper." The Saviour speaks as Tommy puts down everything in his hands to face the TV in shock as he sees the boy who works at Verdant, friend of Thea's as the maniacs next victim.

"Arrests, larceny, robbery, aggravated assault, and yet you're out in the street. Another gang banger in The Glades running free, like the ones who killed my wife. I grew up in The Glades too, and it didn't turn me into a criminal." The Saviour comments as whilst Tommy watches the TV he walks a few steps back to Oliver, Sara and Slade who had been watching the whole thing a few feet away.

"I know that kid." Tommy whispers to them.

"How?" Oliver starts.

"Ollie, Sara, Slade!" Thea crying their names cuts Oliver off as she races toward them, tears streaming down her cheeks as she reaches their sides.

"What happened to you?" Oliver looks to his sister, seeing dirt on her clothes from when The Saviour had knocked her down. Thea doesn't reply, glancing at the TV, more tears streaming down her cheeks as she covers her mouth with her hands at the sight of Roy.

"Oh god, no." She sobs.

"Thea." Oliver draws her attention back to the three of them again.

"I. I didn't know where else to go." She sobs as Oliver puts a hand on her arm as Sara wraps one arm around the crying girl.

"You know him?" Slade puts a hand on her shoulder as she nods rapidly.

"Roy, Roy, he's my friend. Sara." Thea glances to her and in an instant Sara knows who this Roy guy is and if she's right, he's the boy Thea was telling her about earlier.

"We were in this stupid fight and some guy came out of nowhere and just attacked us!" She cries as Oliver checks her over for injuries.

"He hurt you?" He growls as Thea shakes her head.

"No. No I'm fine. Roy, he doesn't deserve to die!" She sobs.

"He's going to be fine. We promise." Sara vows as slowly she moves her arm from around Thea, she and Slade moving away yet Thea grabs hold of both of them.

"Wait where are you going?" She cries as Oliver places his hands on her shoulders.

"Stay here with Tommy, all right?" Oliver commands sternly, Thea nodding quickly as Sara, Oliver and Slade race away…

 _Queen Consolidated_

Moria's mobile ringing as she walks toward her office makes her stop and answer it.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Moria, it's Malcolm. I've learned a high ranking member of The Triad was just arrested." He informs her and on her end she frowns.

"Well, I should have a word with him." She replies.

"I already have." Malcolm says causing Moria to stumble violently.

"He's agreed to find out who hired his organisation to assassinate me, in return for a reduced prison sentence. By tonight we should know the name, or names of the people who tried to assassinate me." He explains.

"Good." Moira notes as the line goes dead.

Malcolm smiles and looks out at the view of Starling City.

Moria sinks slowly to the floor in despair.

 _The Foundry_

"Anything?" Sara snaps at a once again typing Felicity.

"I've been going through all the video we got, trying to see if there's anything that'll tell us where this guy is and I've got nothing except sound buried in the ambient noise, almost rhythmic." She groans as she rests back in her chair.

"Here, I've isolated it." She plays the sound through the computer.

"What is that?" Slade questions.

"Sounds like a car driving over lane markers." Oliver comments.

"Has to be bigger than a car." Felicity turns to face them.

"Bigger than a car, what a bus?" Oliver suggests as he looks to Sara and Slade.

"I know this." Diggle suddenly speaks as he holds his hand up for the others to be quiet.

"I know it." He whispers.

"Come on, guys." Oliver snaps suddenly.

"Felicity, show us a map, sites of the abductions and where we've seen the signal so far." Diggle requests as Felicity types quickly.

"Right… Right there, right there." Diggle points to the screen.

"23rd and Mira, Locksley and Adams. Whale Street down by CNRI. Those are all subway stops." He cries.

"Starling City doesn't have a subway." Oliver retorts.

"Like you'd know, kid. Bet you've never seen a subway in your life!" Slade comments.

"Yeah they used to have one. When I was a kid my dad used to take me down to the Rockets game by subway." Diggle explains.

"For fourteen minutes I leaned against a window feeling the rhythm of the train moving…"

"That's how he did it." Felicity cuts him off.

"What?" Sara frowns.

"He was at 23rd and Mira but he was underground." She turns to face them again.

"He used to work for the Department Of Transportation, so there why he knows all the old subway stops." She reveals as she buries her head in her hands.

"That's why I couldn't trace the signal, he was moving. He was in a subway car." She cries as Oliver, Sara and Slade move to grab their vigilante uniforms.

"Where is he now?" Oliver calls.

"He's on the old cross tower line. If he continues on this route, he'll be at the Spring Street stop in fifteen minutes." She informs as they grab their weapons…

 _Slade raises his gun to Fyers in an instant, the other men copy his action._

 _All of them ready to put Wilson down at a seconds notice in order to stop him killing Fyers._

 _Oliver and Sara glance at him nervously as he smirks dangerously at Fyers._

 _"Let the girl go." He says in a low voice, a smirk still at his lips._

 _Oliver wants to roll his eyes, even though he refrains from doing just that._

 _Only Slade Wilson would smirk in the face of danger._

 _Silence passes as Fyers glances to Slade, who never lowers his weapon for a second, unfortunately neither do Fyers men._

 _Yao Fei, looks nervously between Slade, Fyers and his daughter._

 _"No deal?" Fyers questions, glancing at his men and Slade still holding the gun._

 _"Very well." He takes a few steps back before looking to his men._

 _"Kill her!" He commands, turning his back to them, Slade dealing with the two men holding guns beside him whilst Yao Fei looks on in horror._

 _"No!" He yells as the main bunch of Fyers men turn on the woman, cocking their guns ready to finish her off before, with her hands held up she surprisingly turns on the guards herself, knocking the weapons quickly from their hands as they try to grab her._

 _She doesn't let them, knocking one to the ground as she tries to break the neck of another._

 _It is at that point Slade begins to fire upon Fyers men, taking down several expertly as, moving from behind him Oliver and Sara engage the others in hand to hand combat, Oliver mainly pushing all the men away who aim for Sara to protect her as she pulls her knife out of her pocket in order to defend herself from the men as Oliver knocks one out._

 _Oliver and Sara landing many punches between them as they try to take down all those coming toward them, which actually isn't many. Most of Fyers' men are focused on Wilson._

 _"Ollie!" Sara cries as one of the men grab him, but luckily Oliver manages to break free, sending the man into unconsciousness before turning to face more._

 _Yao Fei also joins the fight, having broken out of his restraints, dealing with the men who had kept him captive, strangling one to escape before moving to his feet to take on more._

 _Meanwhile, as Fyers tries to discreetly escape from the fight, which he hopes ends with Oliver, Sara, Wilson, Yao Fei and his daughter being killed he is attacked by Yao Fei's daughter herself, who punches him hard in the face as he tries to shoot her with the gun in his hand._

 _Yet not even giving him time to even get his finger on the trigger, she punches him again before wrapping her legs around his throat and flipping him over so he lands on the forest floor._

 _With his guns held high, firing his last round, Slade looks on at the woman attacking Fyers, Yao Fei's daughter, in somewhat awe as he slowly lowers his now empty guns._

 _Knocking the last guard around he and Sara. Oliver punches the last one hard in the face before looking to Sara and grabbing her hand._

 _Meanwhile, Yao Fei's daughter hasn't yet finished with dealing with her captors, punching Fyers rapidly in the face several times over before racing away from them toward Slade._

 _"Well that was unexpected." He leans his head to the side with a smirk as she passes him._

 _She smiles at him, her eyes trailing over him as she passes him._

 _Slade follows her, rather intrigued if he were being honest._

 _However, despite the quite savage beating he had taken from the woman, Fyers manages to still get to his feet and retrieve a weapon which he aims at Wilson, whom now has his back to him as the five begin to walk away._

 _"SLADE!" Oliver cries upon seeing Fyers about to shoot him from behind, Slade quickly grabbing a gun to fire back as Fyers shoots at them all rapidly as they try to flee. Yao Fei's daughter stopping to help her father to his feet, pulling him along with her as she follows after Oliver and Sara, both of them turning back for a second to make sure Slade's following them, whom is at the very back of the group, firing his weapon at Fyers._

 _Stopping for a moment to keep on shooting in order to give the other four a head start as he fires at Fyers and some of his men who are still conscious from the fight._

 _However, whilst they try to escape, one of Fyers men manages to shoot Yao Fei in the leg, who drops instantly, Oliver and Sara turning back to grab him._

 _"Come on, come on!" Oliver and Sara and his daughter supports him as they continue to try and escape, each of them dropping behind a log._

 _"Slade come on!" Sara cries to him as she sees him a few feet away still shooting as Yao Fei turns to Oliver and his daughter._

 _"Get her to safety, now." He begs Oliver and Sara._

 _"No." She whispers as Oliver and Sara shake their heads also._

 _"I'll only slow you down." He protests as Slade finally joins them behind the log._

 _"Go!" Yao Fei yells as his daughter protests._

 _"Go, you've got to go!" He cries to her._

 _"Go!" Even Slade snaps at her as Oliver and Sara help the woman to her feet, pulling her away and racing to safety as Slade continues to shoot behind them before Sara bravely turns back and grabs his arm to drag him with them as they all race away..._

 _Starling City: Subway_

The three vigilantes race toward the Starling City Subway without a second to spare.

The Man In The Hood shooting an explosive arrow at the grid, which causes it to explode and knock the grid from its locked position, allowing the three vigilantes to zip-line in, hitting the ground quickly.

The Woman In Black pulling free a torch to illuminate the way as the three, crouched down to fit in the small tunnels, race through them as quickly as they can.

The Man In The Hood coming out at the other end to almost end up being hit by a train.

The Saviours train no doubt and holds his hand out to stop The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask from moving any closer whilst the train passes.

"What's happening?" Felicity calls to them worriedly as meanwhile, the video of Roy's case continues to play.

"I'll give you ten minutes to state your case, Roy. So tell us, why do you get to live?" The Saviour thrusts the camera in his face as Roy closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"I shouldn't." He admits as he looks bravely into the camera.

"Just do it." He mutters as watching, Felicity looks anxiously to Diggle.

"Kill me." Roy closes his eyes again for a moment whilst the train continues to move.

"Just go on!" He cries.

"Kill me!" He growls as The Saviour moves the camera down a few inches to look at his victim with mild curiosity.

"You really don't care if you live or die?" He questions in shock.

Roy shakes his head.

"No one's gonna miss me." He states as, whilst watching, Thea sniffs and bites her nails nervously as tears fall from her eyes.

"I'm just a waste." Roy mutters as Thea closes her eyes and cries even harder as Roy repeats her words from earlier in their stupid, stupid fight.

If only she could take them back.

She can't though. Can't and never will.

"Well then, we agree on something." The Saviour continues as Thea looks down, still biting her nails as Tommy glances at her worriedly.

"This world would be better of without you in it." He comments as he raises the camera once more and the gun.

A sudden sound on the roof of the train above causes The Saviour to turn around sharply.

Dropping the camera in the process…

 _Verdant_

To everyone watching, all they see, including Tommy and Thea is the camera hitting something, crackling before shutting off all together.

"We seem to have lost the feed." The news reporter reports as Thea turns to Tommy, her eyes alight with fear as she starts to sob as Tommy moves closer to her, stroking her tear stained cheeks comfortingly.

"We will stay on this story and keep you updated on any developments." The TV continues as Thea looks at Tommy with even more panicked eyes.

"Shh. Shh it's ok. It's ok." He whispers soothingly as she sobs, pulling her instantly into his arms, holding the sobbing girl in his arms, stroking her hair as she cries.

Come on guys, come on. Tommy thinks to himself, his thoughts going to the three vigilantes, who he now fears may be too late.

 _Starling City: Subway_

Meanwhile, in the train. The Saviour makes his way away from Roy, moving through the train with his gun outstretched.

The lights flickering on and off rapidly as he moves to the source of the sound.

Roy looking in confusion as The Saviour continues to wave his gun around the place in an attempt to sort out the source of the noise, just when the three vigilantes leap through the windows rapidly.

The Man In The Hood sending a dart at one side of Roy's restraints, The Man In The Mask, a small knife at the other to free him.

Roy looking on in shock at his three rescuers as The Woman In Black turns on The Saviour punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

It isn't long before he regains his footing, yet when he does finds The Man In The Hood with his arrow pointing at him and The Man In The Mask with his sword trained on him.

"Let the kid go." The Man In The Mask growls as The Saviour regains his weapon, which he holds out at the three vigilantes.

"If you kill this kid, he'll never get an opportunity to change!" The Man In The Hood snarls.

"You can give him a second chance." He bargains.

"We're the only ones who can save this city. We can't stop now…"

"We're not the same!" The Man In The Hood yells as The Saviour keeps his gun aimed at them as Roy watches on.

"You three have killed people for this city, so have I. What's the difference between the three of you and me?" The Saviour questions as The Woman In Black nods to Roy.

"Emma never got a second chance." He continues to protest.

"You three have no idea how lonely it is." He cries as Roy tries to move the small knife and the dart down the restraints to cut them off.

"Joseph, Joseph!" The Man In The Hood growls when he looks away from the vigilantes to glance at Roy.

"We understand being alone. We each know how it feels but it doesn't give you the right to kill people in cold blood." The Woman In Black speaks up.

"He deserves it!" The Saviour yells.

"He's just like the gang bangers who gunned her down. He's no different then them." He states as Roy finally frees himself.

"And now, I get to gun him down." The Saviour turns to Roy with the gun, who ducks.

"Don't do it!" The Man In The Hood yells, firing an arrow at the man just as he's about to open fire upon Roy, whom is now hiding in a corner of the train as The Saviour turns to face the three vigilantes, the arrow imbedded in his chest, the gun falling from his hands.

Crawling out of the corner, Roy tries to get to his feet as he eyes the body of The Saviour.

However, when he looks up the three vigilantes are gone…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

After returning her uniform to The Foundry, Sara had decided to leave Oliver and Slade behind and face her mother and family by herself.

Yet both Oliver and Slade had reminded her that they are only a phone call away if she needs them at any time, she had then assured them she probably wouldn't and told them to go back to make sure Thea and Roy are ok.

However, Oliver may have asked her if that conversation Thea had, had with her had been about Roy, to which Sara had just decided it was best to just say nothing to and leave Oliver to puzzle over that one!

Reaching the front door, Sara takes a deep breath as she prepares herself for whatever happens next.

She both wants to do this and doesn't at the same time but it's her mom.

Her mom whom she hasn't seen in five years.

She knocks loudly on the door, hearing footsteps race over toward it, Laurel opening the door with a wry smile.

"Hey Laurel, I'm sorry I'm later then I thought I'd be. Thea's friend. Well he's kind of her boyfriend, that's what she told me anyway…"

"I know, it's ok. Come in." Laurel takes her hand and pulls her inside.

Keeping a tight hold of Sara's hand as she leads her toward the living room slowly where Sara can see her father and mother sitting on the couch, not facing her as Laurel slowly leads Sara toward them.

"Hey honey." Quentin smiles warmly to his daughter, a smile of reassurance Sara believes it to be as Dinah gets to her feet, turning slowly to face her youngest daughter.

"Sara." Is all she can whisper as she looks upon the daughter she had lost for five years.

"It's me mom." Sara replies, a moment of silence passing between the four of them as Dinah's eyes well with tears as she races towards her daughter, pulling her into her arms tightly, sobbing freely as she holds Sara, stroking her blonde hair as even tears appear in Sara's eyes as she lets herself be held by her mom, who sobs as she presses frantic kisses to her daughter's head.

"You're really here, you're home." She whispers as she holds her, Sara nodding as her mom pulls back to stroke her cheeks before embracing her again.

"I'm so sorry Sara. I'm so sorry." Dinah whispers as she cries, Sara freezing at her mom's apologies fearing what's coming next.

"It's ok. It's ok." Sara says quickly.

"No. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have let you go, I should have stopped you when I caught you. I'm a terrible mother." She cries as Sara shakes her head, Quentin and Laurel turning still as statues in the background.

"No, no. It was my choice. I wanted to go. I wanted to follow my heart. You couldn't have stopped me." Sara whispers back as she pulls back.

"I was in love. I still am." She admits as Dinah just looks at her daughter, Sara taking her hand as they finally turn to face Quentin and Laurel.

In the words of Slade Wilson five years ago: she's gonna need bravery to face this one.

 _Later_

Sometime later, but not too much later the four sit on Laurel's couch, Sara beside her mom and Quentin beside Laurel.

It is in fact Dinah who chooses to speak first.

"I came home early that day and Sara." She trails off, voice trembling, Sara clutches her hand in reassurance.

"I saw her packing…"

"You knew Sara was going with Oliver?" Quentin speaks up slowly.

"She told me not to." Sara speaks for her mother as she remembers the moment exactly.

"She told me not to do this to you Laurel." Sara looks up at her sister, who has a vacant look on her face as she tries to process the recent information.

"I told her that I was in love with Ollie and had to follow my heart even if what I was doing was so wrong, to you Laurel. What I did was awful to you but I couldn't change my feelings and I betrayed you despite everything, despite how much I loved you, my sister." Sara stops as Laurel looks up at her, still saying nothing.

"I had told her once that is what I once did. That I followed my heart too and I, I let her go. I condemned her to that fate. I should have said something but I didn't. I couldn't live with the guilt of what I had done and so I ignored you Quentin and Laurel for all that time and again Sara I'm so sorry you went through…"

"No! No mom don't apologise for what I went through because I shouldn't have even gone in the first place, nothing is going to change that, ever but despite everything I came home. Laurel…" Sara turns to her again only for Laurel to race toward her and pull her into an embrace of her own.

"Thank you." Laurel whispers as she holds her young sister.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." She murmurs as Sara just holds her back.

"I thought I'd killed you Sara. I'm so sorry Laurel, Quentin." Dinah whispers tearfully as Sara shakes her head.

"No. No I'm still here. I'm home." She manages a teary smile before Sara pulls away slightly from Laurel to put an arm around her mother.

Laurel doesn't move to include her mother in the embrace just yet but instead pulls Quentin, who remains silent, into the embrace.

The four of them holding onto one another for dear life as a family.

For the first time in five years they stand together as a family...

 _Verdant_

Thea sits at the bar with tear stained cheeks as she looks off into space, trying to ignore the blaring music of the club where everyone goes about there normal lives until her phone buzzes, looking down at it she sees that the message is from…

Roy. The message is from Roy.

'Turn to your left.' It instructs, which is what Thea does in an instant, only to see Roy walking toward her, hands in his pockets, head down but alive.

Laughing in pure disbelief, Thea gets to her feet and throws herself into Roy's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he holds her, not saying a word.

"I thought you were going to die." She cries as he holds her tight, stroking her hair once.

"That makes two of us." He murmurs as she buries her face into his shoulder, hugging him even tighter before eventually pulling away, keeping her hands on his shoulders though as he wraps his arms around her.

"I probably look like a mess." She sniffs, he smiles at her and shakes his head.

"You're beautiful." Roy believes he says in his head.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom and freshen way, way up." She winces, he smiles again as she moves out of his arms, but before she does she races back to kiss him.

"I'm sorry for what I said." She whispers as she turns to go again, only for Roy to pull her straight back into his arms so he can kiss his girlfriend properly, keeping her in his arms for a few moments longer. Not wanting to let go for a long, long time.

 _Elsewhere_

"Want to go suit up?" Oliver says through gritted teeth to Slade, who can't help but chuckle as they stand on the balcony overlooking the bar, more specifically Roy and Thea.

"I think my father just rose from the grave and wrote that kids name in his journal." Oliver mutters, folding his arms, watching as Thea walks away from him.

Unbeknownst to all of them Roy pulling both the small arrow and knife from two of the three vigilantes from his coat pocket...

"He's alone now. We could go get our stuff." Slade suggests.

"Find someway to get him outside…" Oliver ponders.

"Quite crowded tonight, kid. I'm assuming he lives in The Glades. Get Felicity to track him."

"Works to our advantage, we'll know where he lives then." Oliver notes.

"I'll grab a few swords." Slade comments as they glance toward steps.

"I'll get some new arrows. Let's go put the fear of god into him." Oliver states as they turn to the steps only to come face to face with Diggle, who is blocking their path.

"Oh come on you only just rescued the kid." He folds his arms.

"Don't know if we should have bothered now." Oliver can't help but mutter as Slade nods and Diggle just rolls his eyes at them both.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

A few hours later after the four of them had in fact shared take a way between them, Quentin was called back to the precinct, leaving Laurel, Sara and their mom alone with one another, during which Dinah packs to head back home to Central City.

"Better get going to the airport, that red eye to Central City." Dinah comments as she heads to the door with her cases, looking at her two daughters sitting on the couches.

"I should be home in a flash." She smiles as Sara gets to her feet.

"And I should be heading back to the club." She adds as she embraces her mother.

"Club?" Dinah questions as she hugs her daughter.

"Yeah Ollie, Slade, Tommy and I have this club in The Glades called Verdant." Sara says as Dinah smiles at her.

"Are you happy?" She asks her daughter. Sara waits for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. Yes I am." Sara smiles as Dinah releases her to turn toward the front door.

"Wait mom." Laurel crawls to her feet before moving to her mother and Sara.

"Call us sometime. I'd really like that." Laurel takes her hand.

"You would?" Dinah looks surprised.

"Of course I would. You're my mother." Laurel replies as Dinah hugs her, pulling Sara into the embrace as well.

"I love you both so much." She whispers.

"We love you too." Laurel says as after one last look at both of her daughters, alive and well she departs, leaving the two sisters alone once more.

"I'm going to Verdant. Do you want to come with me?" Sara looks to Laurel whom nods.

"Yeah I could do with a drink right now, let me grab my coat." She replies as Sara waits by the door for her sister.

The walk side by side in silence through most of the way down the corridor and stairs of the apartment building.

"Are you mad at me?" Sara says quietly as they reach the last staircase.

"I was." Laurel sighs as she turns to look at her.

"Once upon a time I was very mad at you, didn't think I could ever look past what you had done but you're my sister, Sara. I love you, nothing could ever change that. Did you think if I found out about mom I'd be mad at you again?" Laurel frowns.

"You're not?" Sara raises her eyebrow at her sister.

"Well. Today, it reminded me of all those feelings I'd felt at the time of your disappearance but mom…" Laurel trails off, running a hand through her hair.

"I want to say it's her fault, that she helped you betray me and that she should have stopped you but…"

"She couldn't. I was gonna do what I wanted to do." Sara sighs.

"You ended up in that hell for five years Sara." Laurel whispers.

"You know Laurel, I realised something recently. As much as I hated that island, the stuff we went through all the pain, heartbreak, utter despair. If it hadn't have happened, things would be so different now. I mean, honestly I feel closer to my whole family then I did before the island now and Ollie and I never would have met Slade. So I think in a way it did me some good. Made me a better person than I was before the island and for that I'm grateful in a way." She admits as Laurel just looks at her sister unable to say a word, but reaches out for her sisters hand, grabbing her fingers as Sara entwines her hand with Laurel's as the two sisters walk on.

 _Verdant_

Standing outside side by side, to get away from the loudness of the club, Oliver and Slade continue to discuss their thoughts on Roy Harper and their theories about him, Oliver contemplating whether or not he should discuss another plan with Slade to confront Roy as the vigilantes without Diggle disrupting them this time when they notice a car pull up and Sara and Laurel getting out of it, heading towards them.

Sara jogs most of the way toward them both, neither of them saying anything she abruptly hugs both of them at once.

"How was it?" Oliver decides to speak first.

"Ok. It was ok. You two were right five years ago." She smiles up at them as Laurel approaches them.

"Hey guys. Sara told me Thea's friend was ok." Laurel smiles.

"Yeah that worked out ok." Oliver nods before folding his arms.

"This Roy, he's more than just a friend isn't he?" Oliver looks to Sara who shrugs.

"Bad boys, they hook you every time." She smirks as Oliver puts his arm around her.

"He's certainly a bad boy." Laurel murmurs.

"You know much about him?" Slade questions.

"Yes. I don't think Thea would appreciate me telling either of you what I know about him though." Laurel winces as Sara smiles again. Oliver not looking amused in the slightest.

"Yeah, you could say that again! We'll keep an eye on her." Sara notes.

"You three really should." Laurel agrees before adding.

"Where's Tommy?"

"I think Tommy actually went home for the night." He replies as Laurel nods at the three of them as Sara grabs her hand.

"Do you want to have dinner or coffee with us sometime?" Sara asks softly as Laurel looks at the three of them in mild confusion for a moment.

"We don't want to be on an island anymore." She admits as she smiles at the three of them.

"Of course I would. I could do with a drink right now to be honest." She admits as Oliver laughs lightly.

"Come on." He nods as he, Sara and Laurel head toward Verdant.

"Coming Slade?" Sara calls to him.

"You three go on ahead. There's something I have to do." He replies as he walks away to do something he has ignored now for far too long…

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"And here was me thinking you'd disappeared off the face of the earth!" Leonard smirks as he sits beside Slade at the bar.

"Deal with that crazed ex of yours?" He questions.

"Yes." Slade replies curtly, not really wanting to say much more on The Huntress.

"Got to admit. One hellva woman, even I was fooled." He comments.

"I didn't mean for you to end up in the middle of that." Slade turns to him.

"I've faced worse before now." He says before raising an eyebrow to Slade.

"That the reason you've been avoiding me?" Slade doesn't reply.

"Me and my sister to be more specific? Because she's been asking about you." Leonard glances to him with a slight roll of his eyes.

"As I said. It wasn't my intention for you or Lisa to end up in the middle of that." Slade mutters gruffly.

"Main thing is that she's been dealt with. Want to tell me how you did it?" He asks, Slade says nothing again for a few moments.

"What I did has no relevance. What matters is I don't believe she'll be returning to Starling City any time soon." He grumbles.

"Whatever you did I appreciate it. She was crazy and threatened my sister. If you'd have let me I would have assisted you in dealing with her." Leonard murmurs, glancing to Slade.

"I offered. Last time we saw each other actually." He reminds him as Slade looks to him.

"I have lost many people I have known. Known, cared about. The list is a long one and I didn't want to you to be added to it. You or Lisa. Thought it was best to ignore you both then either of you end up in danger because of me." He replies as Leonard raises an eyebrows at him..

"Yet you've come back here. So what changed your mind about ignoring Lisa and I?"

"When I decided I didn't want to be on that island anymore." Slade reveals.

"Good choice." Leonard smirks and for once even Slade smiles back.

" _Slade?" Oliver says in a quiet voice as he turns to face him, Sara and Yao Fei's daughter from where he stands by the tree he had concealed the circuit board in._

 _Lowering some of his weapons, and raising his torch; Slade looks over at Oliver with a smile. A smile that Oliver is one hundred percent certain is going to turn into a venomous glare once he's admitted the truth about what he's just discovered ._

 _"Circuit boards gone." He whispers grimly as Sara's eyes widen and as he'd predicted, Slade's smile vanishes in a matter of seconds as he races toward the tree behind Oliver, shoving him out of the way in the process._

 _Scrambling around the small hole in the tree for the circuit board, Slade sees that Oliver is indeed correct when he says that the circuit board is gone._

 _"Damn." He hisses._

 _"Fyers played us." He states as he glowers at the empty crevice._

 _"Whilst he was screwing us around, his men were combing the woods for it." He gets to his feet, marching toward Oliver, grabbing him by the collar._

 _"Now his missile launcher is fully operational!" He snarls angrily._

 _"He was never going to let us off the island. I get it! This isn't my fault!" Oliver cries as he tries to break from Wilson's hold, who only grips harder._

 _"Ohh isn't it now?"_

 _"You can talk Wilson! Perhaps Fyers would have been more willing to deal with us if you hadn't decided to be a sarcastic asshole throughout that whole exchange!" Oliver fights back, sick and tired of everything being his fault when this time he's certain it was more Wilson's fault than his._

 _"There was never gonna be an exchange are you seriously that stupid to believe there was going to be one?" Wilson snarls as Oliver raises his hand to punch him, Wilson twisting his hand behind his back before Oliver can land his punch._

 _"Both of you stop it!" Sara starts to move toward them before they can start fighting._

 _"Stop it!" She glares at them both._

 _"Of course he wasn't going to help you!" Yao Fei's daughter suddenly snaps, causing Oliver and Slade to separate as the three off them look to her in surprise at hearing her speak, and in Oliver's case, surprise she speaks English._

 _"There was never going to be an exchange. Fyers couldn't chance you three warning the mainland what he has planned." She cries._

 _"She speaks English." Oliver murmurs as he glances to Wilson, who raises his torch in the woman's direction, who turns away from the three._

 _"Yeah, well, guess what. Neither of us have any clue about what his plans are." Sara folds her arms as the woman turns to face them._

 _"I do."_

 _Starling City: Night_

"Thank you for coming Frank." Moira greets him when he exits his car.

"Meeting like this is dangerous, Moria. Particularly now." He comments as he straightens his suit jacket.

"Yes, I know." She nods before looking at him straight on.

"Malcolm knows." She reveals.

"What?"

"I had no choice but to turn over what I discovered. The evidence of a wire transfer, the money that you paid The Triad to assassinate him." She says plainly as Frank looks at her with a horrified expression.

"The money I…" He is cut off by an arrow ripping through his chest, a second one only seconds later.

"Moria." He croaks out his final words before hitting the pavement.

"Mr. Merlyn thanks you for your loyalty." Comes the deep voice of the Dark Archer, whom had been the one to fire the arrows.

"You've done well." He comments as Moria looks at him shell shocked.

"Now Chen's family will share his fate." The archer proclaims.

"Chen betrayed us, but his daughter didn't. Tell Mr. Merlyn I want her to live." Moria begs.

"Amanda nearly lost her life in The Glades. Now, she's lost her father. I think she's suffered enough." She protests.

"We must send a message." The Dark Archer growls.

"We have!" Moira cries as she turns to the body of Frank Chen.

"Very well." The Archer murmurs as Moria sighs in relief.

"Oh thank you." She turns to face him but he's already gone.

Climbing into her car, Moira looks at the fresh blood of Frank Chen on her hands.

She scrubs at hurriedly with a tissue as she breaks down in sobs…

 _The Foundry_

After a pleasant drink with Laurel; Oliver and Sara head back down into The Foundry, only to be greeted by Diggle and Felicity.

"Thea's friend is still alive upstairs."

"We saw." Oliver mutters.

"You guys probably saw that they were very happy to see each other, if you know what I mean, which none of you probably want to talk about, especially you Oliver because she's your baby sister." Felicity babbles before turning back toward her computer.

"I'm impressed you two listened to me about not terrorising the kid." Diggle smirks as he looks around.

"Wait, where's Slade?" He frowns.

"Apparently there was something he needed to do." Sara replies as Oliver looks around puzzled for a moment.

"Diggle. Where's my bow and arrows?" He folds his arms.

"Promise you're not going to terrorise that kid?" Diggle raises an eyebrow at Oliver as Sara tries not to laugh.

"You didn't confiscate his weapons?" She bites her lip to stop herself laughing.

"Might have done, might not have done." Diggle shrugs.

"Where are they?" Oliver growls before sighing.

"I'm not planning on going after him." He says through gritted teeth as Diggle smiles.

"Good to hear. Felicity!" He calls as sliding away from her computer, Felicity reaches down to pull out a box filled with Oliver's bow and arrows, Sara's batons and Slade's sword.

"You do realise we have spares right?" Sara chuckles as she retrieves hers.

"Who's to say we didn't hide them as well?" Diggle retorts as Oliver takes back his bow and arrows, shaking his head at Diggle and Felicity.

"You can't blame us for being concerned. Apparently you and Slade were discussing tactics to confront him, well that's what Diggle said. Wow this is heavy!" Felicity comments as she lifts the sword into her hands.

"Ollie." Sara folds her arms as she turns to face him.

"What. I was just being a concerned big brother." Oliver holds his hands out in surrender.

"Don't worry I would have joined you." Sara nudges him as he wraps an arm around her as they both watch Felicity attempting to lift the sword before dropping it.

"Aw crap." She murmurs as she moves to pick it up.

"You are very lucky he's not here right now. I honestly think he'd chose his sword collection over all of us." Oliver comments as Felicity picks it up, twisting it around in her hands.

"How does he fight with this thing?" She queries as she accidentally swings it around due to the weight, almost throwing it into Oliver!

"What are you doing?" The familiar voice of Slade calls as he jogs down the steps towards them, retrieving his sword from Felicity before anyone comes to any harm!

"They don't trust us not to go and talk to Thea's friend." Oliver explains as Slade glances at Diggle and Felicity.

"So we kinda confiscated all your weapons." Felicity finishes bravely, Slade snorts.

"We don't need weapons." He smirks wickedly as nervously, Felicity moves to sit back at her computer quickly. Slade follows her.

"Teach you how to use a sword properly if you want." He offers.

"Me and swords that's probably not a good idea. I am beyond clumsy."

"You don't say? Nearly throwing that thing at me." Oliver mutters in the background with a smile as Felicity winces as Sara and Slade chuckle, Felicity trying not to smile as she turns back to her computer.

"Felicity." Slade pulls her attention back toward him for a moment.

"If you ever need to talk to someone about your day. You can talk to me." He murmurs, placing a hand on her shoulder as Felicity beams up at him.

"Thanks." She says in a small voice as she smiles softly at him.

"Any one of us." Oliver reassures her kindly as Felicity smiles at him and Sara too.

"What's that?" Oliver questions as he glances at the maps on her computer screen.

"Felicity pulled that up." Diggle notes.

"It's an old map of the decommissioned subway line, rides underneath the low rent district of the city." Diggle explains.

"I've seen that map before." Oliver whispers as he slowly opens up his father's journal to the back page, to the symbol etched on the very back, showing to to Sara and Slade.

"Ohh my god." Sara whispers.

"I'll be damned." Slade mutters as Felicity picks up the journal

"It was right in front of our faces the entire time." Oliver growls as he snatches the book out of Felicity's grasp.

"My father, the other archer, The Undertaking." Oliver lists as he looks to Sara and Slade.

"Whatever the plan is its all connected to The Glades..."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, sorry if this chapter hasn't been the best. I'm not that confident on this one but thanks for reading and for following, favouriting and reviewing this story, see you all next update. New chapter should be up soon.**


	56. Unfinished Business (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Six**

 _Verdant_

Loud music plays from the popular Glades club, Verdant on one Starling City night. People dance to the different mixes played by the DJ of the club.

A woman in the centre of it all dances to the music almost rhythmically, swaying to it and moving her hands above her head as she goes, captivated by the smoke and lasers, lights and ravers, immersing herself in it all as she dances in a hazy whirlwind…

That is until she's hit by a car.

She wasn't in Verdant at all that was all an illusion.

She was standing in the middle of a very busy road.

She never even knew it.

 _Actual Verdant_

"How we doing?" Oliver Queen questions as he enters his club.

"We're in the black and the green." Tommy calls back as he passes his friend.

"I like how we've gone from throwing money at clubs to catching it." Oliver smiles.

"Strangely, it feels kinda good doesn't it." Tommy comments.

"I know. Good idea of mine this was." Oliver says with a brief look around at his, Slade's and Tommy's club.

"Shame it ain't just you and me running it and then it would be literally heaven on earth." Tommy sighs as he puts an arm around Oliver briefly who laughs.

"Did he even want to do this with you?" Tommy wonders.

"It took some persuasion." Oliver tilts his head to the side as he remembers trying to convince Slade to run this place with him at the very start.

"You should have just brought it straight to me because Oliver. I would have actually have loved to create this place with you and enjoyed every minute of it." Tommy replies.

"Surprisingly, Slade's good when it comes to business." Oliver comments.

"Which is why we're down here and he's sorting out some of the paperwork upstairs." Tommy smiles happily at the lack of Slade.

"Even more surprisingly. Slade's quite patient when it comes to paperwork." Oliver smiles.

"Oh look at these!" Sara calls from the bar, where she'd been bar tending that evening, smirking at Oliver and Tommy as she holds up several pieces of lingerie.

"What sort of business has a lost and found that's just filled with women's underwear?" She questions as Tommy laughs.

"The best business ever?" He sniggers as Sara rolls her eyes at him whilst wiping down the surface of the bar.

"What would you do for me to not tell Laurel you just said that?" She raises an eyebrow at him as Tommy pales in worry.

"Kidding." She smacks his arm playfully.

"You know I was genuinely worried then you were going to tell Laurel I just said that." Tommy laughs shakily.

"Scared of my sister Tommy?" Sara glances at him.

"Who isn't scared of your sister?" Oliver smiles as he leans over the bar to kiss Sara.

Tommy looks around, sighing contently.

"Oh, having this much fun should be against the law!" Tommy beams.

"Oh, if wishing made it so. Hey Sara, Oliver." Quentin Lance calls as he enters Verdant, glancing at Tommy with distaste.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Sara smiles at her dad as he approaches them.

"Is Laurel ok?" Tommy asks suddenly, worry hitting him in an instant as even Sara looks concerned then.

"She's fine." He mutters curtly to Tommy before turning to Oliver and Sara.

"Unfortunately, this visit is about something else." He reveals.

"What's going on?" Comes the voice of Slade as he, upon seeing the three crowded around the bar, walks down the stairs from the main office to join them.

"Oh hey Slade." Quentin nods in greeting before pulling out his phone.

"A girl just got mowed down a couple of blocks from here." He clicks a few buttons on his phone to pull up a picture.

"On the Starling Bridge." He shows the picture to them.

"Ring any bells with you two? Did you see her at all tonight Sara? She was in the club." He asks, pulling out an evidence bag with a Verdant wrist band inside of it as Sara glances down at the picture.

"No." Tommy shakes his head.

"I haven't seen her dad. There were several other bartenders on tonight. One of them might have seen her." Sara suggests.

"Thanks." Quentin nods kindly toward his daughter.

"A lot of people were in the club tonight." Tommy mutters.

"You think someone murdered her?" Slade questions.

"No, not someone. Something." Quentin sighs before pulling a packet of green pills from his pocket, placing them on the bar surface as well. Oliver, Slade and Sara try not to react.

"Vertigo." Oliver murmurs, Slade attempting to push the sudden memories of their last experience with Vertigo from his mind; remembering what Thea had gone through, what it had felt like to be infected with the stuff himself. The hallucinations…

"Yeah. You ever had a problem with that in this club? Got to ask, sorry." Quentin looks to Oliver, Sara, Slade and Tommy, who shakes his head.

"Not that I'm aware of." He says quickly.

"We don't allow drugs in here." Oliver replies.

"That's amendable and all and I trust the three of you that that is so." He comments before glancing to Tommy.

"Just you know, control your clientele before anyone else wanders into traffic." He says, with the feeling that most of the last part was somehow aimed at Tommy.

"Sorry I had to drop in under these circumstances." He looks to Oliver and Slade.

"It's fine. Vertigo's an issue we know about all to well." Oliver sighs as Quentin nods.

"I'll see you later Sara." He smiles to his daughter wryly, who smiles and waves once at him before he departs. Tommy still watching after him.

"Is there a chance she could have scored the drugs in here?" Slade hisses at Tommy almost in accusation, Oliver gives him a glance anyway.

"You know I do try not to hire too many drug dealers!" Tommy mutters sarcastically, with a glare at Slade.

"Get us a list of employees and we'll have Felicity cross reference it for drug arrests." Oliver commands as he, Slade and Sara, followed by Tommy head toward the basement.

"That includes the four of us, you know." Tommy murmurs as Slade rolls his eye at him as he puts the code in the locked door.

"I thought the three vigilantes finished off The Count." He adds as the three of them turn back to face Tommy.

"We did."

 _Starling City Mental Institution_

"I just need to ask him a few questions, doc." Quentin requests as he and a doctor of the mental institution walk down a corridor.

"Well, you're welcome to try, detective but I'm not sure you'll get very far with him."

"What does that mean?" Quentin frowns.

"Is this a load about doctor patient privilege?"

"No far from it. The unrefined Vertigo overdoes he suffered caused damage to the caudal portion of his anterior cingulate." He explains.

"Well, you'll probably be shocked to hear that I didn't go to medical school." Quentin mutters sarcastically.

"I've been working with him for months now and all I've gotten out of him is word salad and the occasional spit in the face. Best of luck to you." The doctor notes.

"Yeah, thanks." Quentin murmurs as they pass a window, unaware of the three vigilantes passing it also from the outside…

 _The Count's Cell_

"Here I was born and there I died. It was only a moment for you. You took no notice." The Count hisses from his position in his cell, sitting cross legged, his prosthetic hands from where The Man In The Mask had savagely sliced off his hands, positioned in his lap.

Within seconds he is thrown against a wall by The Man In The Hood, the three vigilantes moving to face him.

"A woman died tonight from your poison." The Woman In Black spits angrily.

"Lots of women die. Lots at night for lots of reasons." The Count hisses causing The Woman In Black to punch him across the face as The Man In The Hood slams him into the wall again.

"Someone is selling Vertigo again." He snaps.

"Where is it coming from?" The Man In The Mask snarls as The Count glances to him.

"I remember you three. The three vigilantes and The Man In The Mask, the one who took my hands." He snarls as he lifts a piece of paper with one prosthetic hand, revealing a very messy, scrambled drawing.

"You three are never far from my thoughts." He snaps as the three vigilantes here the key turning in the lock, dropping The Count and disappearing quickly to avoid capture.

"You three will fail this city!" The Count yells as Quentin and the doctor enter the cell.

"You'll fail this city!" He yells, repeating it over and over again before hiding against a wall. Quentin scoffs with a roll of his eyes.

"You could have just said he was nuts." He mutters as he walks away, whilst outside the institution, the three vigilantes stand on a rooftop side by side, facing away from the building whilst trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

 _Slade's Plane_

 _The sound of grunting, yelling, swearing and the sound of punches being thrown can probably be heard by anyone within a few mile radius of Slade's plane as within in it, in the name of training whilst Oliver and Sara watch. Slade and Yao Fei's daughter, who's name they found out is Shado are trying to beat the living crap out of one another!_

 _Best fight Slade's probably had in a long while, considering Shado is almost equally matched in fighting skill to Slade, almost._

 _Oliver rolls his eyes at them as he sips his water as he and Sara watch as Slade and Shado throw punches at one another, kicks and blows as they move across the plane._

 _It almost looks like some kind of dance of violence._

 _Slade gets the upper hand when he flips Shado over, only for her to land on her feet perfectly kicking him in the side, whilst Slade tries to land his own punch as Shado jumps at him, Slade catching her just in the right time to throw her to the floor, yet she turns them around at the last moment so she's on top of him, her fist raised, ready to punch him in the face (which Oliver sincerely hopes she does!) whilst Slade pulls out a pen knife on her, holding it against her as she keeps her hand on his shoulder to hold him down._

 _"You're teaching me that one." He smirks, both of them breathing heavily._

 _"Only if you show me where the knife was." She smiles back as he pushes it sharply into her back with an even wider smile than before._

 _Climbing off Slade, Shado gets to her feet before offering him her hand, which he instantly takes as she pulls him to his feet._

 _"Who taught you how to fight?" Slade gasps._

 _"My father wanted a son." She retorts as she heads over to where Oliver and Sara sit. Oliver messing around with a bow he found, Slade staring after Shado as she approaches them._

 _"He got one." He smirks as Shado raises an eyebrow at Oliver._

 _"Careful the tension in that bow's one hundred and fifty pounds. Snap it, you'll end up with carbon fibre shrapnel in your eyes." She takes a sip from her water as Oliver puts it down._

 _"She's right. You're not strong enough, kid." Slade glances to Oliver whom glares back, Wilson taking no notice of him at all though as he looks back over at Shado._

 _"Go again?" He requests._

 _"Minute." Shado calls back as Oliver just rolls his eyes at them both._

 _"You know, it's pretty exciting that both of you are such badasses but do you think that maybe we should be making a plan to stop Fyers and I don't know, save your dad?" Oliver looks to Shado, who frowns before looking back to Slade._

 _"Does he always whine this much?"_

 _"This is one of his good days." Slade replies as Shado approaches him again, ready to take him on again._

 _"Can they fight?" She asks as Slade tilts his head to side, readying for the fight against Shado part two._

 _"I've tried. Limited success…"_

 _"Hey!" Sara decides to speak up then indignantly._

 _"We're sitting right here." Oliver mutters._

 _"Well I haven't tried yet." Shado replies, Slade laughs genuinely._

 _"No I'm being serious. Who's better?" She questions._

 _"Ooh now that's a tough one." Slade replies as he glances at Sara and Oliver._

 _"We'll train them up…" Slade laughs again._

 _"Yes. We will." Shado folds her arms as she looks to Oliver and Sara, who both smile at her, already kind of liking how she deals with the nightmare which is Slade Wilson._

 _"We'll take one each." She states._

 _"Well I recommend you take Oliver. He is just an utter delight to teach, receptive, always listens." Wilson lists causing Oliver to glance at him in surprise, confusion and more._

 _"What's going on?" He whispers to Sara, who's trying not to laugh at Slade's attempt not to get lumbered with training Oliver._

 _"Perhaps I shall." Shado replies causing both Oliver and Sara's jaws to drop open in shock, even Oliver realising the serious amount of sarcasm in Slade's words._

 _"I'm fine with that. Hundred percent." Slade holds his hands up._

 _"Oh we will be swapping over. This is just for the first time." She reaffirms._

 _"Wonderful." Slade mutters._

 _"How about we take this one outside?" Shado suggests as Slade nods, the two following each other out of the plane door, the sound of them battling each other once again filling the air as Oliver rolls his eyes at Sara._

 _"He does my head in." Oliver murmurs as he gets to his feet._

 _"He's such a dick." He grumbles, moving around._

 _"He isn't that bad. I know he can be a bit extreme and you two don't exactly see eye to eye, but at the end of the day he is trying to help us survive." Sara shrugs as Oliver glances toward the door whilst walking around the plane._

 _"What do you make of her?" He questions._

 _"She seems ok. I mean she can hold her own against Slade."_

 _"Yeah, never thought I'd ever see someone almost take that guy down until she came along." Oliver smirks at the fond memory of the first sparring session between Shado and Wilson, whom had been a little taken aback, Oliver and Sara believe when Shado had really given him a good fight. A really good fight._

 _Sara and Oliver had even considered placing bets on which one would win._

 _Oliver was team Shado. He'd be grateful toward anyone who could put Wilson in his place!_

 _"She seems calmer in a way, perhaps she'll be more gentle at training than Slade." Sara shrugs as Oliver smiles._

 _"That would be great! I don't see why she wants to swap around, I'm fine with never having to train with him ever again." Oliver mutters._

 _"I don't mind, I don't really have a problem with Slade. He's offensive and brutal but he's not exactly here to be our friend." Sara shrugs again._

 _"Yep, definitely not our friend. What's this?" Oliver murmurs upon seeing something glass like lodged behind a crate, pulling on it to reveal a rather large bottle of rum._

 _"Alcohol. He's had alcohol in this place all this time and never offered us any?" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief as he looks at it with longing eyes, having believed he'd probably never again lay eyes on alcohol, it only existing in his dreams in which he's home, at the parties drinking with Tommy. Yet part of the dream has actually become a reality right here, right now on the terrible island of Lian Yu._

 _"It doesn't look opened." Sara notes._

 _"Yeah well that's going to change." Oliver murmurs as he opens it._

 _"Want some?" He offers. Sara looks at it longingly, wanting to do nothing more than snatch the bottle from Oliver's hand and drink the first alcohol she's seen since being marooned on this stupid island, but unlike Oliver she doesn't have a death wish!_

 _"Ollie don't. That is not a good idea." Sara protests as Oliver shakes his head at her._

 _"What? Wilson will never know. Besides I'm only gonna have one sip!"_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favouriting, following and for all of your kind reviews it means a lot. Thanks again for reading, next chapter should be up soon, it's in the works. See you all next update :)**


	57. Unfinished Business (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Seven**

 _Carly Diggle's Place_

Sitting on the couch at Carly's. John Diggle glances at the news paper reporting the murder of the senator, an assassination by Floyd Lawton.

Deadshot.

The man who killed his brother Andy and appeared to have Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson on his hit list for some reason. Someone wanted them both taking out and Lawton was the guy they chose. Yet after screwing up the hit on Merlyn, Diggle wonders if that's why he hasn't shown up to finish the job with both Merlyn and Wilson…

"Uncle John." The sound of his nephews voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

"Hey buddy." Diggle puts on a wide smile as he puts the paper away as his nephew comes to sit on his lap.

"Will you read 'Logan Bogan' to me?" He requests.

"Sweetheart, get into bed and mommy will read to you in a minute." Carly calls.

"But I want uncle John to read to me." He whines as Carly smiles at her son.

"Uncle John's had a long day. He'll read to you next time." She smiles, pushing him off in the direction of his room before turning to her brother-in-law-turned-boyfriend.

"Hey, I'm sorry I've been someplace else today." He apologises as Carly sits on the couch beside him, putting an arm around him as he rests his hand on her knee.

"What's going on with you?" She smiles as he squeezes her hand tightly.

"I'm just trying to figure some stuff out." He murmurs as she smiles at him.

"If you need to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you." She nods as he strokes her face gently, only to be cut off by the sound of his phone buzzing, he gets up from the couch and crosses the room to retrieve it.

"It is Oliver Queen and his friends with an emergency." He grumbles with a shake of his head as he grabs his coat.

"I gotta go."

 _The Foundry_

"Got her as quickly as I could." Diggle announces as he walks down The Foundry steps to find Oliver, Sara and Slade in the basement.

"Is this about the glyph in the journal?" He questions.

"Felicity is still working on that we all have another problem." Oliver explains as Sara sighs and switches on the computer, more specifically the news.

"Starling City is once again at war with the drug known on the streets as Vertigo." Diggle flinches at the word and glances to the three, remembering how Vertigo had gotten Thea Queen into a load of trouble and when attempting to take down The Count, Slade had nearly OD'd on the stuff and began hallucinating to the point that he nearly killed, Diggle, Sara and Oliver under that crap.

Not one of Diggle's fondest memories in the slightest.

"It used to be the City's most lethal vice but the purple and green pill was nowhere to be found through the last few months." The report finishes as Sara switches it off.

"Over the past few days, the city has been flooded with a new version of Vertigo." Oliver explains as Slade folds his arms.

"This time it's more addictive, more unstable." Slade mutters, thoughts of his haunted of unstable drugs for a moment of time.

"And it kinda killed a girl in our club." Sara adds as Oliver freezes.

"Just like it almost killed Slade and Thea." He murmurs, glancing to Slade momentarily, thankful in that moment to still have him here after that unfortunate incident, as Diggle turns to face the three them.

"Ok, what are you three thinking? That we should all pay The Count a visit? Didn't Slade cut off both his hands?" Diggle looks to Slade.

"Should have done more than that." He mutters gruffly, no one objects.

"The Count was out first visit." Oliver looks to Diggle.

"Complete waste of our time." Slade finishes as Oliver nods before speaking in another language, causing Slade and Sara to smirk yet Diggle to look confused.

"Crazy, basically. Insane." Sara clarifies.

"Wasn't he insane before?" Diggle retorts.

"Another level of insanity and since he was the only one who knew the formula for Vertigo, we don't. We don't even know where to begin." Oliver sighs.

"Good you three are here. Of course you three are here. Where else would you three be. You all clearly love it down here!" Comes the lively voice of Felicity Smoak as she makes her way to the computer, sitting down.

"You guys have got to see this." She comments before typing a command into the computer quickly, pulling up a new video.

"I'm here at the scene where the police say a disturbed patient escaped only hours ago." Oliver, Sara and Slade glancing at the screen in an instant.

"Authorities issued an immediate lockdown at the Starling City County Institute For Mental Health, following the breakout. Police are warning people to avoid contact with the drug dealer known as The Count…"

"Not so crazy after all, huh?" Diggle speaks over the TV with a glance at Oliver, Sara and Slade. Oliver and Sara who are glaring at the computer whilst Slade paces the room, destroying a table in his path.

 _Starling City Mental Institution_

"I was administrating his meds. He was babbling." The doctor explains to Quentin and Hilton the breakout of The Count.

"His usual ranting then he was ice cold. He overpowered me. He forced me to take him out through the maintenance exit…"

"Though he was handless and harmless, basically a vegetable, you said." Quentin cuts in.

"I know, which means… I've interviewed him dozens of times in the past few months. To be deceived by a patient so completely…"

"Don't worry." Quentin mutters to shut him up.

"We'll find him." He turns to Hilton.

"And he's going to find prison a lot harder to break out of."

"Detective, he's dangerous."

"He's got two fake hands and is one crazy son of a bitch. We'll be fine." Quentin mutters.

"Just don't underestimate him." The doctor warns him as they exit.

"You got anything from the security cameras?" Quentin looks to Hilton.

"Not according to the orderly here. Due to budget cuts, the cameras were the first to go." Hilton explains as Quentin just looks at him incredulously.

"That is unbelievable." He mutters as the door is unlocked for them.

"But there is another angle. Veronica Sparks the dead girl from Verdant?"

"Yeah?" Quentin raises an eyebrow at Hilton.

"I checked her LUD's. The last person she texted before she was killed was Tommy Merlyn." Hilton reveals.

"He said he didn't know her. Stood right in front of me, Sara, Oliver, Slade and said he didn't know who she was." Quentin informs him.

"Merlyn has two collars for possession. One with intent." Hilton reminds him.

"Yeah, well that was over five years ago." Quentin retorts.

"Maybe he's just better at not getting himself arrested!"

"Well, Laurel says he's changed ever since his father cut him off. Sara said the same thing." Quentin says actually for the first time in forever in Tommy Merlyn's defence.

"Yeah, leopard and his spots, you know?" Hilton mutters.

"Maybe pushing Vertigo at his new club is a way of maintaining his old lifestyle. Perhaps him and Queen are doing it together." Hilton suggests.

"Hey, now I don't think so. Oliver's really devoted to that club, my daughter works at it. It's run by both Oliver and Slade Wilson, Merlyn works for them and they seem to be really making something out of it so I don't think even Merlyn would screw that up for them and certainly not Oliver." Quentin says in their defence again.

"I don't know Quentin. Merlyn and Queen have always had a history of…"

"You do realise that going after Merlyn is a great way to get my daughter to stop speaking to me again and possibly my other one if she even thinks we think Oliver's a suspect, which I'm pretty sure he's not. Hilton." Quentin mutters.

"Look, Quentin, you know I get that but here's the thing, on a hunch, I subpoenaed the club's bank accounts." Hilton reveals as Quentin turns to glare at him.

"There's ten large missing from their operating expenses." He admits.

"You think Merlyn's spent that money on Vertigo?" Quentin frowns.

"I think I can't explain how that much money just gets misplaced. That to me puts Merlyn, Queen and Wilson all as suspects here." Quentin just glares at him.

"Look, I'll take a run at it. Keep you out of it." Hilton decides.

"No. No I should do it." Quentin decides.

Better it be him then the full force of the SCPD after all.

He does still want to maintain a relationship with both his daughters after all!

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the dark of night in a bad area of Starling City, a man approaches a door, waiting as a man wearing a black hoodie walks in, his head down.

"Whatcha need?" A man asks beside a cash counter.

Looking at the guy on the desk, the man places a wad of cash into the desk guys hand, who in turn passes the man a small packet of Vertigo pills.

Pocketing them, the man then moves to another door which is being guarded by a blonde man with a gun.

Pulling down the hood, the drug dealer reveals himself to be none other than John Diggle…

 _The Foundry_

"All right. Person of colour has successfully purchased your drugs." Diggle mutters with a glare at Oliver, Sara, Slade and Felicity.

"For the record, I offered." Felicity reminds him.

"That was never gonna happen." Slade reaffirms.

"It wasn't like either me, Ollie or Slade could do it either. Too well known with the public." Sara says from where she sits by Felicity as Diggle nods.

"How do we know when the tracker is active?" Oliver questions as he pulls on his jacket.

"It already is." Felicity informs them before turning back to the computer.

"I'm getting a good signal off the monofilament strips we placed in the bills." She informs them as Sara moves to grab her wig and Slade his mask.

"Drug money's like a pigeon that always finds his way home." Diggle murmurs.

"We can follow the money all the way back to The Count." Oliver states as he glances to Felicity, whom nods.

"Ok." She whispers as the three head for the staircase.

"Keep tracking it!" Slade commands, following behind Oliver and Sara, leaving Diggle and Felicity alone, who with the packet of Vertigo in hand turns to Diggle.

"So what are you going to do with all the Vertigo you brought?" She smiles.

"Plan on having a party, Felicity?" Diggle smirks at her as Felicity shakes her head.

"My only experience with drugs was an encounter with a pot brownie in my freshman year. By mistake." She says quickly as she sits at another desk.

"Which would have been fun, except I'm allergic to nuts." She picks up her iPad.

"Ok. Deadshot kills again this time a U.S. Senator." Diggle places the paper he had been reading at Carly's in front of her.

"Where are you with tracking him?" He asks.

"Not very far. I've ran his Floyd Lawton alias though every conceivable law enforcement database. He's made a series of calls to an Alberto Garcia." She explains as Diggle hums in response as she turns to him.

"According to NSA, Garcia's a reputed underground talent scout." She notes, clicking a few keys to pull up some more information.

"He books all of Deadshots hits. It's not much to go on…"

"Yeah, but it's something, Felicity, thanks." Diggle murmurs.

"It's ok. I want this guy off the streets as well. I mean he has Slade on his hit list, probably still does and almost killed Malcolm Merlyn." Felicity says looking at Diggle.

"Yeah and if you ask me he ever ran into either Slade or Malcolm he'd finish what he started. Someone really wanted those two gone." He comments.

"And we're no where near close to finding out who put the hit on them." Felicity sighs as she looks up at him.

"Don't you think you should tell them? Oliver, Sara, Slade? Don't you think they should know?" She asks softly.

"No, this is personal." Diggle murmurs.

"I kinda beg to differ. I mean he wants to kill Slade." She reminds him.

"They go after him, what if he knows Slade's The Man In The Mask and he gets caught in the crossfire? No, Lawton's my problem to deal with." Diggle mutters as Felicity bites her lip nervously at the thought, nodding at Diggle, who glances at her one last time before simply waking away.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Hey, what brings you by?" Laurel asks sweetly as she lets her father into the apartment.

"Hey, would you like some dinner?" Tommy greets him politely for Laurel's sake as he appears from the kitchen with a forced smile.

"Your daughter ordered way too much Thai food." He smirks at her.

"Uh, no thanks." Quentin replies as Tommy shrugs and places the plates on the table, smiling when Laurel pats his shoulder when she passes him.

"This is a business visit, actually." Quentin murmurs as Tommy and Laurel crowd around their table, looking at Quentin at his words.

"I have some follow up questions on the Sparks girls death." He sighs.

"Sure." Tommy nods as he looks to Laurel when she grabs his hand.

"Uh, the girl was in the club before she got run over." He explains.

"You said you didn't know her." Quentin comments before sighing as he looks at his daughter, and the happy look upon her face whenever Tommy looks at her.

This is going to be a hard one.

"But, um, but the last test of her phone was to you." He reveals as Tommy frowns at him, putting down the bottle in his hands.

"Really?" He queries before reaching for his mobile.

"Because, uh, well. I'll be damned." Tommy stutters when he looks at his phone and actually finds the text from the girl. 'Wanna hook me up?' the text reads.

"Huh, well I didn't reply." Tommy notes as he shows Quentin the phone, approaching him.

"I get over a hundred texts like these a night, people wanting to get into the club." Tommy explains as Quentin looks at him skeptically.

"So that's what you meant by, uh, you know, can you hook me up?" He folds his arms.

"Yeah, I mean what else would it be about?" Tommy frowns. Quentin sighs.

"Ten thousand dollars is missing from your club's bank accounts." He reveals, Tommy freezing and even Laurel stopping to look over at them.

"What are you spending the money on?"

"No idea. There must be some sort of bookkeeping error." Tommy shakes his head.

"Ok, let me put this another way. If you spent that money on Vertigo so that you could 'hook up' your clientele…"

"Dad!" Laurel snaps, crossing the room to Tommy's side to cut her father off, whom subsequently ignores her.

"Then the best thing for you right now is to cop to it, ok? Get out in front of this Merlyn. This is your club, Oliver's and Slade's club as well. Do you want them to be implicated in this because of a mistake you made?" Quentin folds his arms.

"Don't say anything." Laurel cuts in again, putting an arm around Tommy.

"Laurel I am trying..."

"To do your job? Yeah I know. This is me doing mine." Laurel says sternly.

"Laurel, I know I look like the disapproving father again but I came down here so another cop wouldn't. You understand?" He looks to both Tommy and Laurel.

"Yet here you are interrogating me and not Slade Wilson? You know he does at least half of the paperwork at the club. Why don't you ask him about the money?" Tommy mutters.

"Not helping Tommy." Laurel groans as Quentin looks at them both before leaving.

Laurel turning back to Tommy the minute he's gone.

"Tommy I…"

"I'm not hungry anymore." Tommy murmurs before he departs to.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Behind a metal fence, the three vigilantes stand side by side as they wait for coordinates from Felicity.

It's raining in Starling City tonight and The Man In The Hood can't help but glance at a puddle of water on the pavement as he thinks about memories involving water…

 _One sip for Oliver from the bottle he had found had literally turned into drinking over half of it! He had missed alcohol after all and after being apart from it for so long the effects hit him pretty quickly._

 _"Slade's gonna kill you." Sara winces as Oliver stumbles across the plane uncoordinatedly toward the place he had found the bottle, sliding it back into its hidden place where it hits the surface with a loud thump._

 _"He's not going to find out." Oliver murmurs as he sits back down where was, feeling actually more relaxed than before._

 _"I wouldn't bet on that one Ollie." She bites her lip worriedly as he slouches against the wall._

 _"Do you think we're ever getting home?" He sighs. Sara is silent._

 _"I. I want to think we have a shot at going home."_

 _"Last attempt worked out so well didn't it?" Oliver sighs before burying his face in his hands._

 _"Perhaps Slade and Shado were right. It was never really gonna happen back then. It was never Fyers intention to set us free." She murmurs._

 _"Or Wilson screwed up by being an ass." Oliver mutters._

 _"I don't know why you two are insistent on blaming one another for what happened back there. At least we saved someone." Sara folds her arms._

 _"Suppose." Oliver sighs before groaning._

 _"And now we're back to this place, stuck with Wilson banging on about how crap I am, that we're useless. Limited success?" Oliver shakes his head in slight drunken disgust._

 _"Well now that was harsh." Sara nods._

 _"It's not like I don't try, I do. He's just impossible!" Oliver mutters as Sara sighs._

 _"I mean if he wanted results from us perhaps instead of insulting us twenty four seven he should be encouraging us but no! He's always telling me that 'I'm week' that 'I've seen Girl Scouts with more fight in them'." Oliver rants in a poor imitation of Slade's accent._

 _"Nothing I do is ever going to be good enough for him."_

 _Sara looks to Oliver to say something in response when Shado and Slade reappear, Sara giving a quick glance to Oliver, whom gives Shado and Wilson a wry smile to not hint toward the fact of anything being awry, for example Oliver drinking over half of Wilson's rum!_

 _"Now as planned; Sara you're with me." Slade indicates for Sara to follow him._

 _"See you later." Sara sighs as she gets up, patting Oliver's shoulder lightly before turning to follow Slade._

 _"Enjoy." Wilson smirks to Shado on his way out, who rolls her eyes at him before turning to Oliver, who winces at the cold look in her eyes and is momentarily fearful about what will happen next._

 _Shado surprises Oliver by placing a wooden bowl in front of him and filling it up to the brim with water. Oliver looks at it thirsty for moment, wondering if Shado's doing this a kind gesture or something and that he can drink the water and avoid the probable hangover he's going to be gifted with in a few hours._

 _"Hold your hand up." Shado commands, which is what he does half heartedly._

 _"Palm facing me." She adds as she stands with her hands behind her back in front of him._

 _"Hit the water." She states._

 _"What?" Oliver frowns in confusion, he really shouldn't have drank that much, he's hearing things now! He thinks to himself as Shado fixes him with a stern expression._

 _"Hit it." She snaps more firmly, Oliver rolls his eyes at her before hitting the water, most of it spilling out of the bowl._

 _It a waste, they could be drinking this or something. He thinks as Shado glances to him._

 _"Again." She commands and with a look of disbelief at her again, Oliver repeats the action._

 _"Again harder!" She shouts as Oliver looks up at her._

 _"If the point of this is to make me feel like an idiot, it's working." Oliver mutters._

 _"Bet Sara ain't doing this out there with Wilson." He grumbles under his breath._

 _"I doubt that too. Don't worry you'll be in her position another day." Shado replies._

 _"You're gonna get her to slap water when we swap over?" Oliver raises an eyebrow at her._

 _"Haven't decided. Right now I have you. Again." She sighs as he slaps the water again, closing his eyes tiredly, he hears her sighing._

 _"Perhaps I should tip that water over your head! You're half asleep. Eyes open, fully!" She commands as Oliver does so reluctantly and with great difficulty._

 _"Again." She snips as Oliver sighs like a petulant child._

 _"The journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step."_

 _"Confucius, great. Starting to see the family resemblance." Oliver sulks, slapping the water with a bit more force this time._

 _"Lao-tzu, actually. Again!" She snaps, Oliver slapping the last of the water out of the bowl._

 _"Now what?" He looks to her._

 _"Fill the bowl, start again." She commands as Oliver just glares at her._

 _"Well at least you're not beating the crap out of me like Wilson does." He mumbles._

 _"He's trying teaching you how to fight. When you make progress it will probably feel a lot less like he's trying to, what did you say now? 'Beat the crap' out of you." She says in a calm voice as Oliver looks at her as if she's gone mad._

 _"No I'm pretty sure he just wants to beat me up." Oliver mutters._

 _"You'll thank him the next time you're in a fight." She sighs before glaring at him again._

 _"Fill the bowl." She orders. Oliver doesn't move._

 _"I'm not about to fill it for you, now go!" She shouts, Oliver growling several words of profanity as he uses the side of the plane to pull himself unsteadily to his feet. He can feel Shado's suspicions glare fixated on him as he stumbles the whole way to new water!_

 _Starling City_

The sound of an incoming call pulls Oliver out of his memories as he hits his ear piece.

"What have you got?" He asks Felicity, Sara and Slade moving to listen in as well.

"The end of the money trail." She replies.

"Sending the dealer's location to you three now." She explains as seconds later a location appears on a map on Oliver's phone…

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

In one of the rougher parts of Starling City, a group of possibly homeless drug addicts huddle around a bin emitting a fire from it.

This is until two cars drive up toward them, the group instantly moving towards these cars as they stop and two men exit.

"Hey, yo. Who's looking to party?" One asks as he reveals a bag of Vertigo in his hand, the group chatter instantly in excitement as the man walks around the group as they all hold money out toward them, whatever money they have to score these drugs.

"That's not enough man." The dealer says to one man.

"You don't pay, you don't play." He comments as the window of the car rolls down.

"That's ok. It's good for business." A voice says from the car as the dealer turns back to the person wanting the drugs.

"The boss seems to like you, G." He hands the guy the drugs, the man racing away with them as the dealer turns to face the rest of the group, accepting a large wad of cash from one of them.

"All right. That'll buy you a brick one, man." He smiles as he pockets the cash, heading back to the car, giving the hidden man inside the money before taking a brick of Vertigo, throwing it to the buyer, yet just before it gets there an arrow is shot right through it, sending the green and purple pills scattering everywhere.

The three vigilantes stand on a rooftop, The Man In The Hood firing arrows at the car, which zooms off into the distance and the dealer makes a break for it.

The three vigilantes race after them, jumping down from their vantage point as from one of the cars a man exits and begins to open fire upon the trio, The Man In The Hood firing an arrow when the car suddenly explodes, another one zipping past, straight toward the three vigilantes, someone still shooting at them as the roll under a container to avoid getting hit.

Yet when they get back up again, the criminals are gone.

 _Starling City Aquarium_

"Don't forget to breathe." The man who had been given the Vertigo earlier says to the fish in the aquarium.

"He won't. I won't." He laughs deranged.

"Congratulations. You're officially the creepiest person I've ever met." A woman in his path rolls her eyes at him.

"I don't. I don't feel so good."

"Get away from me you creep!" She cries as he stumbles toward her.

"Hey, we got a problem here?" A security guard asks.

"Are you ok?" He turns to the woman as the man on Vertigo pulls the gun from his belt, smashing the security guard in the face with it before aiming it everyone in the aquarium, who all begin to scream…

 _The Foundry_

"All units, all units, code ninety nine. Four one seven in progress, Starling Aquarium. All available units..." An operator speaks from the police scanner Felicity has set up on the computers. Oliver, Sara and Slade stopping to listen to it.

"This just came over the police frequency. I hacked the aquarium security system to get a better look." Felicity explains as she types into her computer, pulling up a video.

"You want to hurt with me, hu?" The man screams on the video as he shoots wildly into the air as everyone in the room screams.

"Bystanders said they saw him pop some green and purple pills." She informs them as Oliver suddenly moves toward the crate, pulling a load of stuff out of it before heading over to a table, pouring herbs and a substance into a bowl. Felicity looks on in confusion before looking to where Slade and Sara stand next to her, all three still in their vigilante uniforms.

"There's a lunatic high on Vertigo who's taken hostages and you're making, making tea?" Felicity says upon eying the herbs.

"They're medicinal herbs from the island that counterbalance the effects of certain drugs and poisons. It should counteract the effects of Vertigo." Oliver explains from across the room as he sticks the mixture into a blender.

"Worked out alright last time." Sara sighs with a glance at Slade.

"Is that what you guys did to you know, save him from the Vertigo?" Felicity looks to Slade.

"Yeah and like Sara said, it worked." Oliver murmurs.

"So the three of you aren't going to…"

"What?" Slade turns to her.

"You know." She makes a beheading gesture.

"My sister got high on this garbage she could have killed someone. She didn't deserve an arrow in the heart." Oliver explains as he puts the liquid into a syringe.

"This guy didn't fail the city, the city failed him." Sara says.

"So did we." Slade mutters.

"What's happening now isn't any of you three's fault." Felicity whispers as Slade gives her a glance as he gets to his feet.

"Neither of you made that guy take the drugs." She reminds them.

"No but we did fail to put The Count in a grave so deep that he couldn't go back and hurt anyone again. I sliced off his hands, should have been his head." Slade grumbles as he grabs his mask again.

"You three caught him, locked him up and like you said Slade you did cut off his…"

"And now this city is on fire, so clearly wasn't the right decision!" Oliver yells at her as he, Sara and Slade head for the stairs.

"Get in touch with Diggle." Sara commands.

"We want the security feed downloaded. People on Vertigo are unpredictable and it could take all three of us to take this guy down without killing him. We're going to need another set of eyes at the aquarium." Oliver explains as they race away…

 _Meanwhile On The Other Side Of Starling City_

As his phone rings, Diggle glances at it and seeing that it's Felicity, he declines the call.

"Glad I caught your state side." Diggle calls to the woman he had planned to meet across from where he parked his car.

"Just barely. I leave in two days for Pyongyang." The woman replies with a smile.

"It's that classified?" Diggle frowns.

"I figured an old army buddy can keep a secret." She smiles wider at him.

"I was glad to get your call."

"Lyla, that's not why I called." Diggle admits.

"There's something else you'd like me to do for you then." Lyla replies as they cross sides with one another.

"Well, actually. I think there's something I can do for you. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that Deadshot is on ARGUS' most wanted list." Diggle reveals.

"What do you know about him?" She asks curiously.

"Well his name for starters. Floyd Lawton." He tells her as Lyla stares at him in amazement.

"We don't even have that. Where'd you get it?" She questions quickly.

"Same place I got this." He holds a memory stick toward her.

"It's everything you need to locate who's giving Deadshot his targets." He hands it to she, she takes in in an instant.

"What's your interest in this?" She inquires.

"Lawton came up in connection with some things I'm working on. I thought you were the right person to pass it on to." He explains as Lyla smiles at him.

"I remember you being a better liar than that, Johnny." Diggle smiles back.

"Listen, Lyla, Lawton is a very dangerous man and your people are the most qualified to take him down. It's that simple…"

"Nothing in our business is simple. I mean the last we heard about Deadshot, quite recently actually was that there's a possibility he's been after someone else on ARGUS' top most wanted list. I think my bosses were hoping he could take they guy out then we'd take Deadshot off the streets. Kill two birds with one stone, you know." Lyla explains.

"Who's this?" Diggle questions.

"Ohh Johnny, you know I shouldn't really be telling you that…" She smiles at him again.

"Ah come on Lyla. You know I can keep a secret." Diggle replies.

"The guy Deadshots supposedly got on his hit list is even further up on ARGUS' top most wanted list than Deadshot himself. We're calling him Deathstroke." Lyla reveals.

"Who in the heck is 'Deathstroke'?" Diggle raises an eyebrow at her as she shrugs.

"Even I don't have high enough clearance to know the actual name of the guy, yet. If Deadshot takes him out he's doing all of us a favour I tell you that." She folds her arms.

"So why's he so bad then? And I'm gathering he must be pretty damn evil to be higher on ARGUS' list than Deadshot." Diggle questions.

"He's a monster, Johnny." Lyla states.

"How so?" Diggle queries.

"Like I said, I don't have clearance to know the full details about it but Deathstroke is a monster. ARGUS had him in their possession a couple of years back. There was something about him that made him different, deadly. ARGUS saved his life, tried to rehabilitate him and it apparently it was working until one day, for no reason whatsoever he snapped." She explains with a grave expression upon her face.

"And when you say snapped?" Diggle presses.

"He wiped out half of ARGUS, he went crazy and massacred loads of innocent men, women, workers of ARGUS for no reason. He became a monster. ARGUS had helped him and he just massacred them. From what I've been told, at the time because despite everything he'd done ARGUS still needed him because of his enhanced abilities. So they apparently exploited this guys only weakness." She sighs as Diggle looks at her to continue.

"Even the most villainous of monsters have weaknesses Lyla." He folds his arms.

"Apparently this one did. Someone else that ARGUS had saved when they had saved Deathstroke. They had no choice but to use this person against him."

"So you find that person again you find your Deathstroke." Diggle suggests.

"Apparently it's not that simple." She shrugs her shoulders.

"If ARGUS had both of these guys, how did they escape?" He questions.

"Again, I don't know the full details but another one of our top most wanted banded together with Deathstroke and his friend and with this one they managed to free Deathstroke's friend from ARGUS' control. The three of them then escaped, two monsters unleashed on this word." She rolls her eyes at him.

"Well hopefully you catch them both." Diggle looks at her kindly.

"Yeah. Yeah I hope so, especially Deathstroke, he killed ARGUS members, wiped them out for no reason, I think I even worked with a few of those people at one time." She murmurs as Diggle nods in understanding.

"Wish we weren't bringing him in, because if it were me leading the charge, after what he did to the innocent people working at ARGUS I wouldn't hesitate to put a round in that monstrous son of a bitch. Some people just are not worth saving." She shakes her head.

"Agreed." Diggle murmurs as he thinks of Deadshot.

Some people, Deadshot and this Deathstroke specifically, are just not worth even locking away.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing and favouriting. Next chapter should be updated soon, thanks again for reading please tell me what you thought of this chapter. See you all next update!**


	58. Unfinished Business (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Eight**

 _Verdant_

"You come to ask for my help again, Mr. Lance?" Tommy Merlyn calls loudly as he sees Quentin getting out his car.

"Eric Mezner?" He calls as Tommy is silent for a few moments as Quentin approaches him.

"Who?" Tommy calls back.

"He's the zoning commissioner for Starling City. Notoriously corrupt one at that." Quentin explains as Tommy doesn't even look at him.

"You're missing ten grand. You paid him to skip the inspection of your nightclub. Why'd you do that Merlyn? What didn't you want him to find?" Quentin questions.

"We've got nothing to hide here and I say again, how about you talk to Slade Wilson? He probably knows more about the ten grand than I do and probably what happened to it, considering like I said he does quite a large chunk of the paperwork, I'm betting the finances comes under some of that, yet here you are interrogating me." Tommy folds his arms.

"Well he's not here right now, you are and if you don't have anything to hide, like you tell me you don't, then let's just take a little look around." Quentin states as he passes Tommy.

"Absolutely." Tommy agrees for a moment.

"Yeah. Good choice." Quentin replies, glad to finally be getting somewhere…

"When you come back with a search warrant." Tommy declares.

"You sure this is how you want to play this?" Quentin turns to face him as Tommy looks at him with much distaste.

"Apparently." He retorts curtly as Quentin glares at him.

"Doesn't my daughter know how to pick them."

 _Starling City Aquarium_

"Stop laughing at me!" The man on Vertigo yells as he aims the gun at the innocent bystanders deeply trapped in a Vertigo state.

It is then that the lights all shut off, he fires rapidly into the air.

"Shut up! Shut up!" He yells, firing the gun mindlessly once more before reaching into his pocket for more Vertigo pills, which he swallows.

Suddenly an arrow slices him in the hand from above, he looks up to see the three vigilantes before racing away fearfully, holding his bleeding hand as he races up a flight of stairs.

"Stop, we don't want to hurt you!" The Man In The Hood growls as The Man In The Mask throws a knife at a pipe above the man's head causing it emit water, causing the man on Vertigo to drop to the floor, as the three vigilantes land near him.

"Hey, easy." The Man In The Hood moves over to him.

"We're here to help you." The Woman In Black affirms, but just as The Man In The Hood is about to give the man the antidote. The Vertigo kills him.

 _Oliver watches in slight confusion as he tries to work out exactly how Shado is doing some sort of handstand for so long with her legs crossed, completely still and unmoving._

 _He rolls his eyes at her whilst rubbing at his now aching head from all the drink._

 _"My mom does yoga." Oliver comments as she opens her eyes to glance at him._

 _"Hey, remember when me, Sara and Wilson rescued you?" He questions._

 _"You two rescued me?" Shado raises an eyebrow at him upside down._

 _"Fine!" Oliver murmurs as leans back against the wall._

 _"When we all rescued each other. You said you knew why Fyers wanted Yao Fei and how he was forcing him to help him. Feel like sharing? I'm almost out of slapping water and I have no idea when Sara's gonna get back and honestly, we don't really know much about each other and Sara and I are probably the only ones willing to have an actual conversation that doesn't involve mindless violence." Oliver murmurs tiredly as he watches her get gracefully out of her 'yoga posture'._

 _"You worry about her. I'm sure she'll be back soon." She notes._

 _"Hope so." Oliver sighs, missing Sara already._

 _"I'm sure she's perfectly safe." She adds as Oliver scoffs._

 _"You two really need to trust each other more." She sighs._

 _"She's the only person here I do fully trust." Oliver frowns at her choice of words._

 _"I wasn't referring to Sara."_

 _"Perhaps talking wasn't a good idea." Oliver murmurs putting his head against the wall. Shado smiles for a moment, but she knows she has a point._

 _Oliver and Slade need to start trusting one another more, especially in this place when they are all relying on one another now in order to survive this island._

 _"My father was a Shangjiang in the People's Liberation Army, a general. I didn't hear the details of Fyers' plans, but he wanted my father to be the face of it." She explains to Oliver's surprise, he hadn't expected her to actually talk to him about her father, perhaps the drinks making him hear things!_

 _"A scapegoat to take the blame and conceal their own involvement."_

 _"Why was Yao Fei on the island in the first place?" He murmurs as she walks away from him._

 _"Fyers said he murdered people." Shado stops and turns to face him._

 _"No. He didn't." She says in a cold voice._

 _"The Chinese military committed a massacre. Someone had to take the blame, they chose him. Sent him to this island for life." She explains as she sits down._

 _"I spent years looking for him. Few months ago, a man came to my apartment. Said he had information about my father's whereabouts." She explains._

 _"I'd given up hope. Let my guard down. Didn't see the taser until…" She sighs and fills Oliver's bowl up with water again._

 _"When I woke up, I was here. I'm worried. This island, what he must have had to do to survive. That it changed him." She murmurs._

 _"He saved mine and Sara's lives. He's still a good man Shado." Oliver assures her._

 _"Yeah Slade said that, perhaps I should start believing it." She sighs again as Oliver raises an eyebrow at her in confusion._

 _"You actually had a conversation with him? An actual conversation?"_

 _"Told him exactly what I told you. He's a good listener." She comments._

 _"Now that I don't believe one bit. Are we talking about the same person?" Oliver retorts._

 _"As I said. You two need to trust each other more." She notes._

 _"Got any tips on how to do that?" Oliver wonders._

 _"Well, you could start by actually calling him Slade."_

 _"Yeah and he could start actually calling me Oliver instead of 'kid' for once!" Oliver mumbles as Shado roll her eyes at him._

 _"And I'd say you both need to be patient with one another. The trust between the two of you will come eventually." She sighs as Oliver looks at if she's gone crazy again. She glances to the bowl._

 _"Again!"_

 _Later..._

 _Sunset has arrived and Oliver has just completed his one thousandth water slap, his head feels fuzzy from the alcohol still, he's not really sure where Shado's gone and Sara still isn't back yet but he feels kind of content sitting there, resting against the wall slapping the water alone with his thoughts…_

 _"Hey buddy." A familiar voice from beside him almost causes Oliver to have a heart attack as, next to him sitting across from him is none other than Tommy Merlyn._

 _Tommy Merlyn, his best friend who's currently in Starling City._

 _"What the hell." Is all Oliver can whisper as he looks at Tommy, who smiles._

 _"I'm freakin hallucinating now or something?" Oliver exclaims as he rolls his eyes._

 _"Because of course only Slade freakin Wilson would have freakin hallucinogens in his drink." He grumbles as Tommy laughs._

 _"Or perhaps you're just dreaming?"_

 _"Um, you haven't met this man. Even I don't know everything he's capable off. He's insufferable." Oliver grumbles before sighing._

 _"Nah, you're dreaming. I mean, come on you're sitting here slapping water out of a bowl? And you've been drinking, so proud by the way. Only Oliver Queen, my best friend in life could find alcohol on the deserted island from hell!" Tommy grins widely as Oliver manages a small smile._

 _"Hey if you were really here, you would have sniffed it out the minute you got here."_

 _"So true, so true." Tommy sniggers in response before knocking the side of the bowl of water with his hand._

 _"So what's this for?" He tilts his head to the side._

 _"I have no idea. I've been here for hours. I don't get what she's trying to achieve here." Oliver grumbles as Tommy frowns._

 _"What if it's giving you ninja reflexes or something?"_

 _"Tommy. I'm slapping water. Doubt it's giving me 'ninja reflexes'." Oliver sighs._

 _"You never know." He comments as Oliver rolls his eyes at him._

 _"So Sara's still out." He notes._

 _"Yep. Probably actually doing something productive as well." He murmurs._

 _"You're telling me you want to be where she is instead of here? Isn't she with that 'Wilson' guy. The dude you seemingly hate?" He queries._

 _"Yeah and he's probably beating the crap out of her or something and she's ok with that because she actually thinks his mindless violence is helping us become better fighters."_

 _"It isn't?" Tommy retorts._

 _"No. No of course it's not. He just keeps pushing us and pushing us and nothing happens and it's probably because instead of encouraging us to do better he insults us, beats us up then complains that we're not even trying. I mean, I am trying Tommy!" Oliver groans._

 _"Well then you're lucky I'm here to encourage you then." He replies._

 _"You're not even here Tommy!" Oliver cries._

 _"Might not be, doesn't stop me from encouraging you though." He shrugs._

 _"So what's you're advice? Kill Wilson in his sleep? That would go down well, he'd probably wake up and start critiquing my execution!" Oliver says with a roll of his eyes._

 _"No, that's not what I was going to say, but if it made you feel better I'd say go for it. But I think you pair might need each other if you want to escape this island. You might not be thinking about it now but working with him instead of against him could work in your favour." He suggests as Oliver just glances at him in disbelief._

 _"But that wasn't the point I was trying to make. The point I'm making is this. Sit up, slap the water, keep doing it because that chicks got you doing this for a reason and whatever reason it's going to help you in some way. Keep fighting back, Wilson knocks you down, get up. Get up and give him everything you've got Oliver and keep going, just keep going until that day when you put that guy on his ass! Keep going until you and Sara are on you're way home. Keep fighting until you get back to us, to Thea, your mom. Me. I'm right there waiting for you and I promise you the party of the century when you get back because you are coming home. You and Sara. You're both going to survive this Oliver. I believe in you. I always have and I always will. Now get up and slap that goddam water." Tommy demands as Oliver just smiles at his friend._

 _"I miss you Tommy." He beams._

 _"And I you. Now. Slap. That. Water."_

 _A freezing cold sensation pulls Oliver out of his dream as his eyes instantly snap open to find Shado standing over him having poured the bowl of water over his head._

 _"What the hell?" He groans as she glares at him._

 _"What is wrong with you?" She shouts as Oliver shudders and rubs his eyes._

 _"Nothing. Nothing." Oliver murmurs as she drops the empty bowl in front of him._

 _"Fill it up and start again."_

 _"You're kidding me right?"_

 _"Ollie." Sara's groans as she enters the plane, looking like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards and then dropped in a swamp!_

 _She drops to the floor beside him, practically curling into foetal position by his side._

 _"You're having him tomorrow." She moans as Oliver moves one hand to stroke her arm, relived for her to be here safely._

 _"I saw Tommy." He admits to her suddenly._

 _"You what?" She even moves to look at him when he says those few words._

 _"I don't know, I was dreaming…"_

 _"Oh god you are drunk." She murmurs._

 _"We're gonna do this. We're gonna get home." He rubs her shoulder affectionately. She raises a sleepy eyebrow at him before dropping her head back to the floor just as Wilson strides in, looking completely unaffected from his day training Sara._

 _Yet before he can address Shado, or anyone, he stops for a moment._

 _Standing completely still, statue like almost._

 _"A'right. Who's been drinking?"_

 _Verdant_

"So there I am, sitting at our favourite sushi restaurant, a bottle of Saki and the only thing that's missing is my boyfriend." Laurel's voice pulls Tommy from his thoughts as he leaps up from his seat at the bar in an instant.

"God, I'm so sorry, honey." Tommy pulls her into his arms when he's at her side.

"I just have a lot going on here." He admits.

"Tommy, whatever's going on with you, I want you to know I believe you." She rubs his arms comfortingly, as he puts his hands on her hips.

"I'm here for you." She murmurs as they share a kiss.

"Get a room!" Sara's voice calls as she Oliver and Slade jog down the stairs.

"Sorry." Oliver adds as they pass them.

"Guys. What's wrong?" Laurel pulls away from Tommy and turns to face them.

"Bad day." Oliver replies.

"And I'm afraid it's probably about to get worse." Comes the voice of Quentin as he enters Verdant with a crew of police officers.

"First thing I wanna say is, Sara, Oliver, Slade. I'm sorry." He looks to them before marching towards Tommy.

"Second. Mr. Merlyn, as requested, a warrant to search these premises." He holds a piece of paper out toward him, which Laurel instantly snatches from his hands.

"I can't believe you're doing this." She whispers.

"Believe it." He retorts.

"Dad!" Sara snaps.

"I'm sorry Sara. I really am sorry to the three of you as I said but he left me with no choice." He glares at Tommy.

"Detective, I'm not an attorney but on what grounds are you searching our club?" Oliver questions as calmly as he can.

"Oliver your general manager bribed a government official to keep him from inspecting the entirety of the building."

"What?" Oliver's gives him an incredulous look.

"Because there's a possibly that he's selling Vertigo out of this club. That's where the ten grand went wasn't it Merlyn? You either used it for the bribe or the Vertigo which was it."

"What ten grand?" Slade questions.

"Oh you didn't know about that? The clubs missing ten grand."

"Must be a bookkeeping error or something." Slade folds his arms as he looks to Oliver and Sara, who are staring at Tommy.

"No there's definitely ten grand missing. Merlyn, I thought you told me Slade was the one to talk to about the finances. That a lie as well? You been hiding from Oliver and Slade that you've taken ten grand from the club to use for your bribe?" He glares at him as Slade even turns to Tommy to fix him with a glance that if looks could kill Tommy would be six feet under by now.

"Guys this is valid." Laurel steps in.

"Thank you." Quentin nods as he moves past them with the other officers, Oliver and Slade shooting glares at Tommy as the five of them follow the officers and Quentin.

"A sub level is not listed on the inspection's floor plans, however, I pulled the county records. There's something down there." Quentin notes as he heads toward the door that leads down into the basement.

"I'm going to see for myself what it is." He comments as he turns a corner.

"Ohh look at that." He knocks on the door to the basement.

"Open the door please." He requests as Oliver, Sara and Slade move to stand beside it.

"Dad you're making a mistake." Sara begs, grimaces upon each of their faces knowing exactly what this door leads to.

"Please don't make this any harder then it already is." Quentin sighs as he looks to them, silence passing between the group for several moments.

"Come on guys just open the door." He requests as with gritted teeth, Oliver turns to put the code in, opening the door.

"Thank you for cooperating." Quentin notes politely as Oliver, Sara and Slade have no choice but to stand aside to let him and his officers past. The three all glaring at Tommy as he passes with Laurel.

Looking to Slade and Sara, taking her hand. Oliver follows on, the three preparing for all hell to be unleashed in a matter of seconds, preparing to run at a moments notice as the group moves down The Foundry steps into the basement.

Tommy is the one to flick the light switch on.

With the lights illuminating the basement, all that can be seen is boxes and boxes of crap, plastic chairs, tables etc.

Oliver, Sara and Slade are frozen in place in complete shock.

"Place is kind of a mess. I've been using it to store the bulk of our inventory." Tommy states plainly as Quentin takes a look around.

"What's in the boxes?" He questions.

"Why don't you have a look?" Tommy makes a gesture with his hand as Quentin opens one of the boxes, pulling out a bottle of alcohol.

"Well, if prohibition were still in effect, you might actually have the basis of a criminal complaint." Laurel mutters sharply.

"Would you like to open the rest of the crates?" Tommy offers as Quentin does so, pulling out another bottle of alcohol, putting it back down before turning on Tommy.

"So if you don't have anything to hide, Merlyn. Why didn't you want the inspector down here?" He questions as Tommy looks to Oliver, Slade and Sara for back up.

They just let him continue.

"Well, the ventilation system in this place hasn't been updated since the '60s. I mean, we shouldn't even be open." Tommy concludes as Quentin glares at him before looking to Oliver, Slade and Sara once more.

"Again, I apologise for the inconvenience." He nods to them before leaving with the officers.

"I'm sorry." Laurel apologises to Tommy once they exit the basement.

"I thought he was ok with us being together."

"He wasn't wrong." Tommy murmurs.

"I bribed a guy."

"That's not why he brought out his jack boots." Laurel reminds him carefully.

"It's all going to be fine. I'll see you at home." He manages a smile as Laurel leans into kiss him gently before heading toward the door, holding Tommy's hand until the very last minute she has to let go.

"Good night." She calls to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Night." Oliver and Slade call back as Sara sighs.

"I'm just gonna go talk to my dad. See you soon Laurel." Sara calls to Laurel before kissing Oliver's cheek and heading off after her father, leaving Oliver, Slade and Tommy alone.

"Is there something you two want to say to me?" Tommy growls the minute Sara and Laurel are gone.

"Thank you." Oliver nods as even Slade gives him an appreciative look, both of them though still trying to puzzle out how Tommy managed to do all that to The Foundry.

"No, Oliver. I meant the thing that you were thinking when Lance accused me of dealing out of the club." Tommy mutters.

"You weren't?" Slade murmurs.

"No of course I wasn't." Tommy hisses at him.

"How were we meant to know what you were using that money we knew nothing about for? That you didn't think to tell us about." Slade snarls at him as Oliver holds his hands up, trying to keep the peace between the two.

"Guys, calm both of you please just calm down." He says before turning to Tommy.

"I just don't understand why you wouldn't just tell us about the bribe." Oliver says gently.

"I run the club Oliver. I don't tell you guys a lot of things." Tommy snaps.

"But you should have done. Don't you see how suspicious that looked? Considering Slade and I had no clue about it before he brought it up and we couldn't say anything to defend you because we had no idea why." Oliver folds his arms.

"How about I ask you a question, pal." Tommy slaps something hard down on the bar.

"What have I done in the last six months since you've been home that would lead you to believe that I would sell drugs? Or is this all him placing thoughts in your head about me? because that I can believe." Tommy snaps as Oliver turns to face him, moving in the middle between Slade and Tommy before either can attack one another as Slade currently looks furious and as if he were about to commit a murder!

"In the last six months? Nothing. But before I left, you played hard. You played with bad people who were into bad stuff…"

"Yeah, so did you, Oliver!" Tommy turns on him.

"But I changed, just like you did. Now you with Sara and him. You kill people. You put arrows in people who do illegal things. Last time I checked bribing a city inspector was not legal." Tommy growls at Oliver and Slade.

"Do you actually think that any of us could hurt you?" Oliver asks quietly.

"Him? I think he would quite happily kill me where I stand."

"Good, we're finally on the same page." Slade growls as Oliver puts a hand on his arm in restraint as Tommy turns to them again.

"You and Sara? Truthfully, I have no idea what the hell you two would do. You three are a complete mystery to me. I've got no idea how you and Sara find it so easy to kill people. The next time that you decide to think the worst of me." He pushes Oliver away from him.

"Imagine what I now think of you." He snarls.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Slade growls as he pushes Tommy's hand away from Oliver.

"You destroyed him." Tommy snaps.

"Oliver makes his own choices." Slade says in a dangerously quiet voice.

"I suppose he does. One of his worst choices? Coming back from that island with you. Trusting you because I doubt very much if he didn't trust you they way he did he ever would have lied to me, ever would have suspected me of anything. It's all you planting seeds of doubt in his head about me. It's because he trusts you that he allows you to turn him into a cold hearted killer!"

"Do not speak of things you do not understand." Slade growls menacingly.

"Ohh I understand plenty. I understand that you are a complete unhinged, manipulative psychopath."

"Tommy!" Oliver snaps as he steps in.

"Enough." He moves to put a hand on his friends shoulder in restraint, yet Tommy pushes him violently off, it's unsure if he would have actually punched Oliver if Slade had not restrained him from doing so in an instant. Tommy moving his other hand to attempt to punch Slade, which works out just as well as it did the last time he attempted it, probably worse considering he doesn't even manage the punch as Slade deflects him in an instant. This time, however Tommy fights back, launching another attack at Slade, whom can't help but smirk at the attempt as he deflects Tommy again, knocking him hard into a pillar.

"Trying to get yourself killed?" Slade snarls as Tommy moves to attack again.

"Stop, guys stop!" Oliver moves in the middle of them as Tommy is about to try and punch Slade again, only to end up hitting Oliver, whom moves just at the wrong time.

"Ohh you had that coming." Tommy murmurs as Oliver just glances at him, which is when Slade swiftly punches Tommy hard in the face, causing him to stumble due to the force of Slade's punch, getting to his feet only for Slade to shove him hard into the bar, so hard he almost ends up flying over it!

"Guys what the hell?" Sara cries as she races in.

"He's a freakin psycho." Tommy gasps as he pulls himself to his feet, blood dripping from his nose where Slade had punched him.

"Tommy just stop." Oliver growls, his eye looking slightly bruised from where Tommy had incidentally punched him. Slade notices and advances on Tommy slowly.

"You ever lay a hand on Oliver again and you will suffer. I promise." He threatens as Tommy looks at him with complete distaste as if about to attempt to punch him again.

"Tommy go now." Sara growls as he glares at her.

"I said go!" She snaps as Tommy shoots glares at both Oliver and Slade and even Sara before storming off toward the door, which Diggle is currently walking through.

"What's his problem?" Diggle queries.

"What's yours?" Oliver hisses as he, Sara and Slade head toward their now thanks to Tommy crap filled basement.

"Excuse me?" Diggle frowns as he follows them.

"We asked Felicity to get in touch with you." Sara reminds him.

"There was a hostage situation down at the aquarium." Oliver grumbles.

"Sorry, I didn't get that message until it was over." He replies.

"Why?" Slade snaps as Diggle is silent for a moment for approaching the trio.

"Because I was busy doing something else." He admits as Oliver gestures at him to expand.

"Lawton." He reveals.

"Guys, you didn't end up needing me."

"You couldn't have known that." Oliver retorts as the three head to the basement.

"In other words, find your brothers killer, oh and the same man who has Slade on his hit list on your own time, right?" Diggle responds.

"Vertigo is tearing this city apart Diggle!" Oliver shouts loudly as he turns to face him.

"So yeah, maybe now is not the best time to indulge a personal vendetta." He growls.

"You're actually going to stand there and tell me that three of you going after The Count is not personal? And that the there if you don't want to put Lawton down as well?" He snaps.

"Lawton isn't the problem right now. Vertigo is. Priorities Diggle." Sara folds her arms.

"Priorities, ha! So tell me this Sara, Oliver what would your 'priorities' be if Lawton decided to follow through with the hit on Slade?"

"Like to see him try." Slade mutters as Diggle looks at them incredulously.

"He wouldn't get very far." Slade snarls, glancing to Oliver.

"You heard him." Oliver shrugs.

"Still be saying that if Lawton puts a bullet in his head? If the man you call your brother is bleeding out beside you. Thought you'd do anything to protect one another." Diggle snarls as Oliver holds up a hand.

"Don't." Oliver hisses.

"I can look after myself." Slade growls.

"He never misses his shot remember?" Diggle adds as Sara glances at him.

"Neither does Slade." She mutters as the three turn away from him once more.

"Guys, listen I cannot read a book to my nephew without knowing that Lawton took his father from him. I can't move on with Carly. I can't move on with my life, knowing that he's still out there." He cries as the door opens, Oliver, Slade and Sara turning to look at him.

"I thought if anybody got that it would be the three of you."

 _The Foundry_

Sometime later, Felicity walks into The Foundry with a confused expression as she sees all the boxes and chairs and tables invading the space, all her computers and the vigilantes equipment all disappeared.

"What happened here?" She cries in shock as she comes across Oliver, Sara and Slade appearing to be attempting to tidy it all up.

"The Ethernet cable still works." Oliver comments as he chucks her a cable.

"Plug in your tablet for us please." Sara requests as Felicity accepts the cable and looks around once more at the mess.

"Did the three of you decide to remodel?" She questions.

"Long story." Slade grumbles as he gets a chair for her.

"Thanks. Where's Dig?" She queries as she sits.

"Long story." Oliver calls as he moves another set of chairs.

"Ok." Felicity winces as she opens her tablet.

"The hostage taking junkie is the only lead to The Count we've got left." Sara explains.

"What type of information are you three looking for?" She asks.

"Anything that will give us a line on The Counts location." Oliver sighs.

"Has the ME performed the autopsy report yet?" Sara asks.

"Yeah, just pulling it up now." Felicity replies.

"Check the toxicology to see if it's something related to the Vertigo he was on." Slade requests as Felicity types.

"He didn't die from a Vertigo overdose…" Slade slams the chairs down.

"We were there. We saw it Felicity." He mutters gruffly.

"Well according to the coroner, cause of death was severe anaphylaxis. He died of an allergic reaction to Chlorpromazine."

"That's an anti psychotic." Oliver comments.

"Pull up the Veronica Sparks autopsy. Did she have Chlorpromazine in her system?" He asks.

"Yes." Felicity says after a few moments as she gets to her feet.

"How did you know?" She frowns.

"The Count must have added it as a new ingredient in his latest iteration of Vertigo." Sara responds as she and Oliver push more of Tommy's crap out of the way.

"But wouldn't the amount he would've needed to manufacture enough for circulation be huge? Where would he get that much?" She implores.

"A mental institution." Oliver replies as suddenly Slade smacks a load of chairs down on the floor again before looking at the three.

"What if we're looking at this all wrong?" He says.

"How so?" Felicity frowns as Oliver drops the stuff he's holding onto a desk as well.

"He's right. Don't you see it? Everybody is looking for him outside the asylum, but what if."

"He never left." Slade finishes Oliver's sentence.

"What if. What if he faked his escape somehow." Oliver continues. Sara folds her arms.

"The same way that he faked being insane."

 _Starling City Mental Institution_

As a grate falls to the floor with a crash. The three vigilantes leap down, The Man In The Hood snapping a massive green glow stick in half to get it to work.

The three of them racing down the corridor, their weapons held out in front of them as they go down several old passages, The Man In The Hood ahead of them all.

"Kid." The Man In The Mask hisses as he stops beside a half opened door.

"Lights." The Man In The Hood comments as he sees a slight illumination from under the door, The Woman In Black pushes it open as The Man In The Hood enters first, the three of them walking into some kind of lab.

"The Cape man returns." Comes the voice of The Count as the three vigilantes move toward a set of clear blinds.

"Never forgets. Always back for more." He continues as vigilantes find a door, entering it their weapons held up high as their eyes fall upon The Count, sitting on a chair with his back facing them.

"We should have killed you when we had the chance!" The Man In The Mask hisses, going sword first into the room.

"Turn around." He growls, his sword sticking into The Counts neck, drawing a slight amount of blood.

"I said turn around." He snarls.

"Slade." The Man In The Hood murmurs as he walks around The Count, bow and arrow raised up until the moment he sees The Count, sitting in the chair a vacant expression upon his face, linked up to monitors.

"He's a vegetable." The Woman In Black comments as even The Man In The Mask lowers his sword at the sight of The Count.

Suddenly out of no where a bat appears, about to strike The Man In The Hood in the head, knocking off his hood and could have possibly knocked him out if not for The Man In The Mask quickly dispatching the attacker with his sword, whom turns out to be an orderly.

"You ok, kid?" The Man In The Mask hisses as The Man In The Hood nods, moving to put his hood back up.

"Oliver Queen." A voice calls, the voice of The Counts doctor from the door, seeing Oliver's face just before he puts the hood up.

"All those years on that island, bet you really did go crazy." He comments as he stands facing the three vigilantes, who all aim their weapons at him.

There's no escape for this guy now. Not alive anyway.

"The other two. No don't tell me, let me guess. Your girlfriend and the Australian? Who would have guessed." He taunts them.

"The Count didn't fake losing his mind did he?" The Man In The Hood growls.

"It was you the whole time." The Woman In Black hisses.

"Out of curiosity. How'd you get him to give you the formula for Vertigo? Doubt chemistry is his best subject right now." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"He couldn't tell me if he wanted to. I ordered a biopsy on his kidneys. The tissue was suffused with the narcotic after his OD. When I got the results, I realised I could reverse engineer the chemical compound of the drug, produce a synthesised version myself using the facilities here…"

"And made a few improvements, like adding Chlorpromazine." The Man In The Hood growls.

"So that's how you three found us." The doctor comments.

"Cops came around and started asking questions. You take The Counts disappearance to draw attention away from yourself. It's clever." The Man In The Hood notes.

"I wasn't trying to be a criminal mastermind. I just needed the money. Something I'm sure that a billionaire like yourself Mr. Queen wouldn't understand." He continues.

"Believe me, I understand you perfectly." The Man In The Hood hisses.

"Well this has been enlightening." The Man In The Mask smirks sarcastically.

"You want the honour kid, or shall I?" He glances to The Man In The Hood whom has his bow aimed ready to shoot the guy down.

"Honours all yours." The Man In The Hood replies as The Man In The Mask advances on the doctor with his sword.

Unbeknownst to him that the doctor has in fact a syringe of Vertigo hidden in his hand…

"No!" Comes a growl from behind the doctor before The Man In The Mask can even put his sword through the guy as in an instant Diggle appears, shock pads in hand, which he places on either side of the doctors head, causing an electric shock to take the man down.

"Clear." He mutters as the syringe which would have stabbed The Man In The Mask falls from the doctors hands as the three vigilantes stare at Diggle in surprise.

The surprise also caused by the realisation that their partner could have been infected with the Vertigo if not for Diggle's arrival.

"You're welcome." Diggle smirks as the three vigilantes look down at the doctor

"He knew our secret." The Man In The Hood replies as Diggle nods.

"Lucky I showed up when I did then." He murmurs.

"Looks like I'm the last one standing." The voice of The Count causes all three of them to turn around in an instant to face him where he sits, vegetable like on the chair.

"Sitting." He mutters as the three vigilantes approach him.

"Spinning." He murmurs as they pass him.

"Something to do… What was I going to do?" He wonders as The Man In The Mask raises his sword, he started it. It's only right he finishes the job.

"Memory not what it once was." The Count mutters as The Man In The Mask steps closer.

"Nothing what it once was." He adds as The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black watch as their partner aims his sword.

"Is there a name on the gravestone? No. It's new and clean and waiting." The Count murmurs as after several moments of silence and anticipation, The Man In The Mask lowers his sword, glancing to The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood, whom both nod at him before turning to Diggle.

"We're finished here."

 _Verdant_

"Hey. How we doing?" Oliver questions as he jogs down the steps upon seeing Tommy, whom looks to have a broken nose as a split lip from the earlier disagreement.

"In the black. Nice to see you without your pet." Tommy grumbles as Oliver sighs.

"I'm sorry about earlier Tommy."

"Don't bother Oliver. I know what you're going to say. You're just going to defend him again. Wish I had a best friend who'd do that for me." Tommy mutters as Oliver sighs once more.

"Tommy…"

"Did the vigilantes get their man?" Tommy cuts him off, his back to Oliver.

"Well. We won't be having any problems with Vertigo anymore." Oliver says gently as Tommy still faces away from him.

"Look, Tommy I really am sorry…"

"I've caught up the bookkeeping and all my notes on the inventory are in there. Wilson can deal with the rest. Along with a list of suppliers that we use." Tommy comments.

"Ok." Oliver frowns.

"I don't see what you've telling me that."

"This club is important to me. But for you and Wilson, it's just a front. You want me to keep the secret, help you and Sara be this thing you two have become, but you refuse to see me for what I've become." Tommy aims the papers at him.

"I've got just a bit too much self respect for that. I quit!" He declares before exiting, an unmistakable sound of approval sounding from behind Oliver as Slade approaches him.

"Best thing I've heard all day." He comments as he looks to Oliver.

"Just me and you then kid." He smirks as Oliver looks to him and sadly smiles…

 _As soon as the words are uttered, Wilson storms over to where Oliver had found the rum and pulls out the half drunk bottle._

 _Oliver turns away in an instant and slaps his water quickly as Sara closes her eyes if in an attempt to block out the upcoming argument._

 _"Well that explains everything!" Shado folds her arms, Slade turning to her._

 _"Wondering why he was stumbling all over the place, falling asleep on me." She mutters as she glares at Oliver, who just keeps slapping his water as Wilson marches over to him and knocks the bowl to the floor._

 _Getting to his feet, Oliver all but stumbles toward the plane exit in an attempt to escape the wrath of Wilson, yet ends up tripping over his own feet and landing on the floor in front of Wilson, whom had easily cut him off!_

 _"Ohh come on it was just lying there what did you expect was gonna happen?" Oliver protests as Wilson smacks him hard around the head, causing Oliver to yelp due to the ache in his head._

 _"Ow!" He whines as Wilson grabs him by his collar and drags him to his feet._

 _"I should leave pieces of you all over this island, kid." He snarls._

 _"You do not go near my stuff. Do you understand?" He shouts as Oliver nods quickly, just wanting Wilson to quieten down._

 _He gets smacked around the head again much to his chagrin._

 _"We swapping tomorrow. I'm having him all day." He growls._

 _"No objections." Comes Shado's reply._

 _"Shado!" Oliver can't help but whine._

 _"You brought this on yourself." She sighs._

 _"We'll be out there first sign of light." Wilson snarls as he lets Oliver go._

 _"And if ya really lucky, kid." He continues to growl as he moves around the plane._

 _"I won't kill ya."_

 _Later…_

 _"Dinner." Slade calls as he enters the plane with Sara, causing Shado to look up at them, having sent both Slade and Sara out hunting after Slade sending a few more threats Oliver's way. That wouldn't have bothered her. However, when Slade started sharpening his swords. Shado came to realise it was probably best he and Oliver were on two separate parts of the island all together!_

 _Wilson walks by Oliver, who doesn't even look at him as he passes, slapping water._

 _"You're still doing that." He comments as he approaches Shado._

 _"Fyers better be careful with his bowls of water." He smirks as Sara can't help but snigger._

 _"Can I do this tomorrow as well." Oliver looks up at Shado._

 _"We're swapping over." Shado murmurs._

 _"Start at first light remember." Wilson chimes in._

 _"Please no." Oliver looks pleadingly at Shado._

 _"Don't look at me. You've only got yourself to blame." She comments as Slade passes her and Sara their share of the dinner._

 _Oliver looks over at them._

 _"Ohh you want some?" Wilson glances to him._

 _"There was only half the amount of prey as there has been other days." He smirks with deep emphasise on the 'half'_

 _"Now this isn't fair." Oliver whines._

 _"You think this ain't fair kid? Just you wait until tomorrow." Wilson mutters._

 _"Are we doing actual training tomorrow Shado? Or is this what you want me to do?" Sara questions with a look to Shado._

 _"There once was a young boy…" Oliver buries his face in his hands in despair._

 _"Whose father dropped him off at a Shaolin monastery to study Kung fu." Shado explains._

 _"Good. A story." Oliver groans._

 _"After a year, the boy came to visit his family. When asked what he'd learned the boy hung his head in shame. All the monks had him do is slap water in a barrel for a year…"_

 _"Well we don't have a year!" Wilson growls as he storms past her._

 _"So I hope your training regimen's a bit faster. At least with her tomorrow." He glances to Sara as Shado looks up to him._

 _"The family didn't believe him, so he showed them. He raised his hand and hit the table they were eating on. It broke in half." She finishes her story._

 _"If it concerns you this is not what I have planned for Sara tomorrow." She reassures Slade, who mutters something in approval as Sara groans after the savagery from today._

 _"However, despite being beneficial in a training sense. It can also be good for stress reliving, I should get you a bowl of water Slade." She says with a smile in his direction as Sara and even Oliver laugh at the look of pure horror upon Wilson's face._

 _"So what you're basically saying is that I'm going to be able to break a table?" Oliver smiles._

 _"Better." She gets to her feet and picks up the bow, Oliver groans._

 _"Ok." He murmurs as she holds or out toward him and he gets to his feet._

 _Shado positions it for him when she puts it in his hands before moving to stand behind him._

 _"Draw the bow." She commands._

 _Oliver does so perfectly, without shaking, perfectly still._

 _"Wow Ollie." Sara smiles as she nudges Slade sharply so he too looks to Oliver._

 _"I'll be damned." He smirks himself as Oliver turns to face them._

 _"What's next?" He questions._

 _"We teach you to shoot." She smiles as Oliver draws the bow again._

 _"Yet not tomorrow." She notes as Oliver groans and drops the bow._

 _"You do realise I might not survive tomorrow right?" He mutters._

 _"Well you'll have a better shot at it if you don't whine about it and get some sleep. First light wasn't it?" Shado turns to Slade with a smile._

 _"Great." Oliver murmurs as he heads toward his part of the plane as Shado grabs his wrist._

 _"Tip for tomorrow. Remember what I said, patience with each other will go a long way." She glances to him then to Wilson as if making her point._

 _"Start building that trust." She adds before releasing him sharply as Oliver moves to crawl into his corner of the plane, feeling Sara lie down beside him, smiling when she slings one arm around his waist and puts her hand in his._

 _He falls asleep with Sara at his side, nightmares of tomorrow and with his prayers that there will be no hangover when he awakens!_

 _"You were right." Shado comments as she lounges by the fire._

 _"About what? I'm right about everything." Slade replies with a smirk. She smiles, laughs and rolls her eyes at him momentarily before glancing to Oliver's sleeping form in the far corner of the plane with Sara._

 _"He is an idiot." Slade chuckles._

 _"Hey!" Both Shado and Slade can hear the faint whine of Oliver._

 _"With good hearing apparently." She comments._

 _"And a wonderful new found talent for slapping water…" Shado cuts Slade's sarcasm off by slapping his arm playfully._

 _"I'm only joking. I'm impressed." He murmurs as Shado raises her eyebrow at him._

 _"High praise indeed. You come across to me as the kind of guy who's not very easily impressed by things." She notes._

 _"I'm not." He agrees._

 _"What changed your mind?" She smiles curiously._

 _"Well, kid didn't look half bad few minutes ago. Anyone who can make progress with him I'm impressed with." He replies._

 _"Wait till he learns how to shoot. You'll be even more impressed with him." She comments._

 _"Ohh it's not him I'll be impressed with." He mutters. Shado looks down at the fire and smiles again._

 _"But getting that kid to shoot anything would be a minor miracle." He smirks._

 _"I get him to shoot straight and you'll be eating your words." She smiles._

 _"Ha! Keep believing that." He chuckles, Shado rolls her eyes at him and smiles once more._

 _Just you wait Slade Wilson, Shado thinks to herself, just you wait and see._

 _Starling City_

Quentin Lance sits boredly at a bar with a glass in hand, staring off into space when Laurel enters the bar.

"Drinking alone?" She comes up behind him, startling him whilst doing so.

"Well, no. Not anymore." He states as Laurel steals his drink.

"Just soda?" She smiles at him.

"Bartender forget the scotch?"

"I didn't really feel the need for it." He admits as Laurel beams at him proudly.

"So, um, the girl who was killed, turns out that she got her Vertigo from a co-worker. Guess I owe your boyfriend an apology." He murmurs.

"He has a name you know." Laurel mutters.

"Yeah, I just can't seem to bring myself to use it." He drinks his soda.

"Baby steps." He mutters before looking to Laurel.

"Did I screw things up between us again?" He asks worriedly as Laurel smiles.

"No." He sighs in relief.

"Look, I really wasn't looking to jam up Merlyn, ok? I knew by pursuing him that I could throw a wrench in…"

"Then why'd you do it?" She sighs.

"There was evidence, Laurel, and I had to follow it. I had to." He admits.

"Look your mom was right, you were right, like you said about being a vigilante. I can't let things go. I like closed cases. It's what I do, anyone else be damned." He reveals.

"Well maybe the fact that there's no scotch in there means you're ready to work on that." She looks at her father.

"People can change."

 _The Foundry_

"Hey." Diggle calls as he walks into The Foundry to see Oliver, Sara and Slade lounging out on the chairs.

"Hey, you had our back." Oliver comments as he gets to his feet.

"You three needed me."

"We would have be fine…"

"Hey, let's not forget I saved your life." Diggle cuts Slade off.

"Yeah right." Slade smirks.

"You know, I think he did. I mean I didn't see the syringe, did you Sara?" Oliver smiles.

"I didn't." Sara agrees, both grinning at Diggle.

"You owe me one." Diggle smirks.

"Ohh dear god." Slade grumbles.

"How did you know where we were anyway?" Sara smiles.

"Felicity told me where you guys were headed." He reveals.

"You ok?" Oliver asks him.

"We're the killers remember."

"I've killed before guys. It's just been a while." He replies as Oliver looks to Sara and Slade.

"Wanna go home?" He asks.

"Certainly, kid." Slade agrees, moving to his feet, the three heading for the stairs.

"But if you guys are the killers why isn't The Count down too?" Diggle calls them back.

"Sure it must have been tempting to take him off the board for good."

"People change." Oliver comments.

"People like The Count?" Diggle wonders.

"No. I meant us. Not so long ago Slade would have put that guy down for good, not even conferred with me and Sara and we would have been fine with it. Would have been a race to see who could kill him first." Oliver reveals.

"Yet looking at him, all vacant. There didn't seem to be a post." Slade murmurs his reason for why he didn't kill The Count.

"But. Not everybody deserves mercy." Sara comments.

"For example." Oliver pulls up a picture of Lawton.

"I thought he wasn't a priority to either of you." Diggle retorts.

"He's a priority to you." Sara smiles to him.

"And like it or not he had Slade on his hit list, may still have." Oliver looks to Slade, his brother in all but blood.

Diggle was right. No matter how much Slade would protest against it and be the most stubborn person on earth about it. If there was even a remote possibility that he could lose the man he calls his brother, Oliver would do anything to protect him.

"We all have unfinished business with Floyd Lawton." Oliver growls. Diggle smiles.

"Where do we start?"

 _Starling City_

"I prefer we skip the 'I told you so's' but the nightclub wasn't really working out." Tommy Merlyn admits turning away from a window to face none other then his father.

"I guess I need something more boring, stable, nine to five, go home, kiss Laurel. That sort of thing. I guess what I'm saying is I want a job." Tommy states as his father just gets to his feet and pull him into a tight embrace.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing it means a lot. Next chapter hopefully should be coming soon. It's in the works. See you all next update**


	59. Home Invasion (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Fifty Nine**

 _Somewhere In Germany_

Sitting on a far away roof top sits Deadshot, aka Floyd Lawton. Aka the man who's about to assassinate a U.S. Ambassador,

He sits patiently for his target to get in position.

It won't be long.

"Welcome to Germany, Mr. Ambassador." Someone from within the building greets the soon to be assassinated man.

"Henrick, you're looking great." He responds, probably his last few words.

Deadshot smirks at his victims as he aims the sniper.

He fires, the bullet soaring through the window, through a glass, zipping at lightning speed past a woman's head hitting the American Ambassador in the chest.

Mission complete.

 _The Foundry_

Oliver holds up two boxing pads as Diggle punches them with persistence, anger and rage fuelled by his hatred for Floyd Lawton.

"Feel better?" Oliver questions.

"I'll feel better once we end Deadshot." He growls before punching again.

"Ow." Felicity grumbles as she is knocked to the floor for the thousandth time in the last half an hour by Slade, who's determined on teaching her self defence.

"I think we'll all feel better once we end Deadshot." She winces as Slade offers her his hand and pulls her to her feet.

"I mean, at least there will be no one out there trying to kill you anymore." She gives Slade a kind smile.

"You mean there'll be one less person out there trying to kill him." Sara smirks from The Salmon Ladder.

"I'm sure there's others." Oliver grunts as Diggle keeps punching at the pads.

"Let's not forget whoever put the hit out on you probably still wants you gone." Diggle comments as Oliver nods.

"And we're still no closer to finding out who that is."

"Perhaps it's Tommy." Sara jokes.

"Nah, he ain't that bright." Slade replies.

"I can't believe you guys are even joking about this. There is actually someone out there who wants you dead Slade." Felicity shakes her head at them in dismay as she attempts an attack, which results in her on the floor again.

"Someone who's going to have to go through me and Sara to get to him and even if they do that then they've got to face Slade." Oliver notes.

"Basically end of story at that point." Sara smiles.

"Unless you have a guy who never misses his shot." Diggle mutters as he continues to punch hard at the boxing pads.

"We have to end this guy before he makes any more widows out of wives." Diggle growls.

"We will. Diggle, we'll stop him. We promised you we'd help take him down and we keep our promises but at the moment he's in another continent." Oliver says carefully as the computer suddenly bleeps.

"Of you go." Slade pulls Felicity to her feet once more as she heads over toward it, sitting at the desk, typing rapidly.

"About Deadshot being on another continent." Felicity calls as she pulls up new information.

"What?" Oliver moves away from Diggle to face her as Sara drops down from The Salmon Ladder to join them.

"Well, thanks to Diggle telling me about this connection he's got with ARGUS. I thought it would be helpful to track ARGUS's manhunt for Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, so I decrypted their communication logs, which means I just hacked a federal agency. Kinda makes me a cyber terrorist which is bad, because I really don't see myself fitting in well at Guantanamo Bay." Felicity babbles.

"Don't worry Felicity, they don't send blondes there." Sara smirks.

"I dye it actually." Oliver and Sara frown at her.

"I keep your secret." She mutters before noticing something in the corner of her eye.

"Slade you okay?" She asks, turning fully to face him in her chair, noticing how he had just frozen after her words, except his hands which are shaking.

"ARGUS." He hisses through gritted teeth.

"Ohh god, Slade I didn't…" Oliver trails off, moving toward his friend in an instant. Memories hitting him to, painful memories.

"Slade!" Oliver calls when Slade moves toward the stairs before Oliver can even reach him, the sound of the door slamming shut following soon after.

"Slade. Slade wait!" Oliver calls as he chases after his friend.

"Did you know?" He mutters when Oliver eventually catches up to him.

"Oliver, did you know?" He growls as Oliver shakes his head.

"No I had no idea Diggle had connections with ARGUS. Of course I didn't know." Oliver sighs, carefully putting a hand on Slade's arm.

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs. Slade doesn't say anything.

"We ain't working with them, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver nods.

"Of course we won't. I swear we won't." Oliver says quickly as they hear the door opening and Sara appearing at the top of the stairs.

"Slade I'm really sorry." Sara says gently, actually crossing the room to hug her friend before looking to Oliver.

"He's right we're not going to work with them." She agrees as Slade looks down.

"If they come near us I'll finish what I started." He snarls, silence passing between the three for a moment.

"No one would blame you for that. I'd even help you." Oliver mutters as Sara nods, Slade looking to them both gratefully for a moment.

"Look, why don't you take the rest of the day off or something?" Sara suggests.

"Yeah Sara's right, go home. We'll be fine here." Oliver says reassuringly as Slade looks at them both skeptically.

"And if Diggle decides to do something about this now and it involves them?" He hisses.

"Then we'll call." Sara confirms as Slade gives them another glance.

"Don't worry we'll all be fine." Oliver assures him as Slade turns to head out, yet before he does Oliver pulls him into a quick embrace.

"They're not getting to us again. I promise." Oliver mutters.

Never again.

 _The Foundry_

"So, what was all that about?" Felicity questions once Oliver and Sara had returned.

"Yeah what's he got against ARGUS?" Diggle adds.

"Just. Don't go there." Oliver mutters almost threateningly, as Sara moves to take his hand, she knows the harrowing tale of what happened. It destroys her to know she couldn't have been there for them both, to save them from the horrors they went through but she wasn't and all she can do now is try her hardest to comfort them both. Oliver, smiling warmly at her in thanks, squeezes her hand tight.

"What did you find?" Diggle asks after a few moments of silence between the four.

"Deadshot is scheduled to meet with a potential new client here in Starling City except the potential contract is bogus. Your friend Lyla is setting a trap for him. Lawton took the bait." Felicity explains quickly as Diggle nods.

"Great. I'll take to Lyla, see if I can suss out any details." He informs them.

"Maybe we should go to Slade." Sara comments before stopping.

"What?" Oliver looks at her in confusion.

"We promised we'd have lunch with Laurel." She reminds him as Oliver nods.

"Lunch with Laurel, then we deal with Slade." He confirms.

It's a plan.

 _Walking hand in hand through the woods, Sara and Oliver glance at the picture of Laurel in Sara's hand, they've been looking at it more lately._

 _They both miss her terribly, beyond words._

 _Both of them would do anything to be home with her, even if she's beyond furious at them, hates them and probably wishes they had drowned on the Queen's Gambit after their betrayal. They'd accept all that just to be home with her and slowly try to make it up to her._

 _Both Oliver and Sara would like to picture a world in which they return home to Laurel and Tommy, both of them welcoming them home with open arms, their group reunited._

 _Back to life, back to sense, back to parties, just the four of them._

 _It's an idyllic thought._

 _But it's not their reality right now. Reality is Lian Yu, the island from hell! Stuck with a woman who basically speaks in riddles and a insufferable man who takes great pleasure in beating them both up every day in the name of training and on a place where any of them could be killed at any given time and right now, have no possible escape from!_

 _"Rescuing your father and stopping Fyers is not going to be some walk in the park!" They can both hear Wilson yelling at Shado before they even enter the plane._

 _They both argue on quite a regular basis, they normally yell at each other then work out their issues with one another by either taking it out on each other in sparring sessions or take it out on either Sara or Oliver in training, which isn't actually that beneficial for the two._

 _Most of the time it's Wilson wins the arguments, however it's more entertaining for Oliver and Sara when Shado manages to win, both of them finding it rather amusing to watch her put him in his place, which she's actually quite good at doing and makes Oliver pleased that they met her!_

 _He'd be pleased with anyone who could knock Wilson down a peg or two._

 _"Ohh great mom and dad are arguing again." Sara mumbles sarcastically as Oliver smiles as the two enter in without Wilson or Shado even acknowledging them and sit in their designated corner of the plane._

 _"I know that Slade." Shado sighs with her arms folded._

 _"They're not going to allow us to just stroll in into their camp." He growls._

 _"Which is why we'll need cover." She sighs boredly, looking at a map in hand._

 _"If both of us are infiltrating, who will provide that?" He challenges her._

 _"Well for starters; their will be three of us infiltrating me, you and Sara and the cover? He will." She nods toward Oliver, who raises an eyebrow at her._

 _"Me?" He stammers._

 _Slade bursts out laughing._

 _"The assault rifle is flushed. It's useless." He reminds her as she faces him hands on hips._

 _"We have a bow, arrows." She protests._

 _"And no one capable of shooting them." He retorts._

 _"No offense, kid." Slade glances to Oliver._

 _"Actually I was going to say the same thing." Oliver admits as Shado looks between the two of them in dismay._

 _"Wait. Did you pair just agree on something together?" Sara frowns in genuine surprise that Oliver and Slade have finally agreed on something._

 _"Slade's right though. I can't shoot one of those damn things and even if I tried it would take time to practice, time I'm guessing." Oliver shoots a glance at Slade._

 _"We don't have." He reminds Shado, Sara still looking at them in surprise at hearing them, a: working together civilly and b: Oliver actually calling Slade by name._

 _"Kids right. I think we should be spending our time trying to devise a plan, not lower our already slim chances of survival. You say three of us would be infiltrating, I can work with that. We keep going with her and get her into a good enough position to be capable of infiltrating with us. I see that workin' out." Slade nods to Sara._

 _"You do that. He'll hit his mark by sundown." Shado comments as she picks up the bow, before turning to glance at Slade with much determination._

 _"If not, we'll do it your way."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, next update should be soon. Big thanks to all of you who have followed, favourited and reviewed. See you all next update!**


	60. Home Invasion (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty**

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"Wow. You look like crap." Slade looks up with a raised eyebrow.

"Good to see you to Leonard." He mutters.

Oliver's suggestion to him about taking the rest of the day off and going back home was going to plan until he passed the bar on the way back and figured a drink was probably something he could most definitely do with!

"Seriously, what's going on?" Leonard asks as he sits.

"Hasn't been the best of days." Slade mumbles.

"In what sense?" Leonard pushes.

"Past coming back to haunt me." He mutters.

"Ohh now that ain't good. Had my fair share of past coming back to haunt me. So I know myself that it isn't usually a good thing." Leonard notes.

"I can assure you it isn't. It isn't good for the ones coming after you either." Slade grumbles as he thinks to ARGUS and what he would probably do if he came into contact with any one of them.

He'd finish what he'd started...

"So who's coming after you and what'd you do?" Leonard questions with a smirk.

"What 'past' came back to haunt you?" Slade retorts.

"Touché Slade." Leonard says before adding.

"I think it's pretty clear that neither of us are going to come clean to one another about our pasts any time soon, I understand. My stories aren't pretty either and I'm betting yours definitely aren't, but if something comes up and you need a partner in crime you know where to find me." Leonard smirks as he gets to his feet.

"Now, I gotta go. Got a job to do and also because I really don't want to be around to see any of this." He rolls his eyes at someone behind him, who turns out to be Lisa, who murmurs something to her brother before coming to sit down beside Slade.

"You ok?" She asks softly.

"I've been better." Slade replies curtly.

"What's wrong?" She smiles at him warmly.

"It doesn't matter Lisa." He murmurs, she nods.

"Well whatever it is." She puts her hand over his.

"No matter what it is. You know if you want to talk about it I'm here for you, right?" She smiles as in response, Slade entwines his fingers with hers.

 _ARGUS HQ_

"Lyla!" Diggle calls as he moves to catch up to her.

"What is it Johnny?" She replies sharply.

"Just came by to see how things are going on your Deadshot investigation. Anything new come up?" He questions innocently.

"Funnily enough, it did. I was curious why you, a bodyguard, were so keen on taking down such a high profile assassin." She reveals causing Diggle to groan slightly, having a pretty good idea on where this is going.

"So I did some reading up on Lawton."

"Lyla, listen…"

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out that he killed your brother? That you were using me. Me to what? Draw him out in the open so you could take him down yourself? I will not let you use my agency to settle your blood feud." She states as Diggle grabs her arm.

"Lyla, I need to see this guy in a bag. You of all people should get that. What with your anger toward that Deathstroke for massacring a bunch of ARGUS workers." Diggle reminds her.

"Get this. Stay away from Lawton, Johnny, or so help me I will have you arrested." She snaps as Diggle rolls his eyes at her.

"You doubt me?" Lyla challenges him.

"Never have." Diggle admits as she simply walks away.

 _CNRI_

Laurel types at her computer rapidly with a pencil in her mouth as she glares at the screen with determination to get the work done.

"Hey." Oliver calls when he and Sara reach her desk. Laurel looks up immediately.

"Ohh hey guys, did you get my voicemail?" She frowns.

"No, what's wrong?" Sara questions.

"Things got a little crazy around here, back to back meetings." She says whilst looking at her computer before up at her sister.

"I am so sorry. Rain check?" She winces.

"Sure." Sara smiles.

"Where's Slade anyway." Laurel asks, still deeply captivated by whatever's on her screen.

"He had some affairs to deal with last minute with the club, he's got double the amount of paperwork than before, both of us have. He doesn't want to admit it but we're all way behind since Tommy left." Oliver replies.

"Yeah they've been getting me to do some of it." Sara smirks.

"You know, I am still shocked that he went to go work for Malcolm. You three were really understanding to let him take this opportunity. Tommy said you three were cool with it." Laurel notes as Oliver and Sara nod.

"Slade was over the moon." Sara can't help but add as Laurel smiles.

"Perhaps that's why he quit. I mean come on, we all knew those two working together wasn't really going to end well." Laurel laughs.

"It really wasn't." Sara glances to Oliver with a knowing smile.

"Of we understood, he's our friend, like you." Oliver replies, Laurel smiles at them again.

"I'm sorry as we early?" A family, whom had just entered CNRI, look to Laurel.

"No. Not at all. Um, Oliver, Sara, this is Eric Moore and his wife Nancy. I'm prepping them for a deposition for tomorrow. Eric, Nancy, this is my younger sister Sara and her boyfriend Oliver." Laurel introduces them all as they all shake hands politely.

"And this must be your bodyguard." Sara smiles at the child hiding behind his parents.

"This is our son, Taylor." Nancy introduces him.

"Well, you're in very capable hands." Oliver nods to Laurel as he takes Sara's hand.

"It was nice to meet you." He smiles to the family before departing with Sara, leaving Laurel with her clients.

"Eric, Nancy. I want to make sure that you guys are up for this." She looks to them as Eric and Nancy look back and forth at one another nervously.

"Edward Rasmus isn't known for playing with kid gloves, so this could get rough." She warns them carefully.

"We invested our entire life savings with Rasmus and he stole it. Our retirement, Taylor's college fund. He stole our future, Ms. Lance. We want it back." Eric says determinedly as Laurel smiles at the three of them wryly.

"Well then let's go get it."

 _Later At The Moore's Residence_

A knock upon their door sends Eric Moore to answer it, a little surprised and kind of wary considering it is quite late at night.

"Hello?" He calls before opening the door.

"Mr. Moore, I have some documents for you from Ms. Lance related to tomorrow's deposition." The man calls, causing Eric to nod and open to door to let the man in.

"What a nice home you have here." He comments before opening the brief case.

"You can really feel the love." He says when he shoots Eric Moore twice in the chest, dropping the briefcase to the floor before pushing things over in his wake.

"Sorry about the mess." He notes as he pushes over a chest of drawers.

"This works better if it looks like a break in." He explains as he continues to walk through the house, down corridors until the bedroom door opens and Nancy Moore exits. He shoots her twice as well, the door opening ever so slightly to reveal the still alive Taylor Moore, having just witnessed his mother's murder.

Moving quickly, he slams the door in the assassins face, locking it.

The assassin, having noticed the kid, reaches for the door handle, only to find it locked. He kicks it open in an instant, only to find the kid gone and the window he had evidentially escaped from left wide open.

His phone begins to ring just when he reaches the window.

"Is it done?" Edward Rasmus asks.

"Parents, yes. I'm afraid there's been a variable." The assassin mutters.

"The child got away." He admits.

"Got away? Did he see you?" Rasmus hisses.

"No, Mr. Rasmus." The assassin replies.

"What he saw was the face of the man who will reunite him with his parents."

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment: Morning_

When morning dawns, both Oliver and Sara are already awake, lying beside one another on their bed.

"I'm worried about Slade." Sara murmurs sleepily against Oliver, whom wraps his arms tighter around her middle, holding her close against him.

"If you think your worried." Oliver winces as Sara takes his hands to reassure him.

"At least we know he made it home." She reminds him.

"That was a relief." Oliver admits honestly, remembering the feeling of relief when both he and Sara has seen the jacket he'd been wearing that day discarded on the couch and his bedroom door shut.

They'd decided not to disturb him, knowing that he'd probably want to be alone for a while, even though they were both hesitant as they really didn't think he should be alone.

"None of us were expecting Diggle to bring up ARGUS, or that he actually has some kind of connection to them, which I'm kind of concerned about due to all the problems we have with ARGUS." Sara mutters, her voice laced heavily with resentment.

"It brought it all back for him. I could see it." Oliver sighs.

"I know because it brought it all back for me as well." He shudders as Sara runs her hands up and down his arms, bringing his hands up to her lips so she can kiss them.

"You thought we were concerned that first time when he came to get the three of us durning, the you know." Oliver murmurs as Sara nods, neither of them really wanting to use words to describe that situation either.

"But with ARGUS it was a thousand times worse, he wouldn't have stopped if not for what they did to me, I don't think. I was scared they were going to separate us afterwards but at this point, I think they wanted to keep us together to be a constant reminder of what they could do to at any given second if either of us stepped out of line. So they just sent us back to the Yamashiro's and had done. He tried to shut me out at first." Oliver explains as Sara just holds his hands tighter, the story haunted her enough the first time she'd heard it.

"I stayed up with him all night. I had never seen him like that before, it destroyed him but somehow we both kept going and we got out of there." He sighs.

"Even now I still can't even begin to comprehend what the two of you went though." She whispers sadly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you two, that you thought I was gone." She admits as Oliver just holds her tighter.

"No, no don't apologise that wasn't your fault." He moves her hair back gently to kiss her cheek in reassurance.

"I remember when you and Slade told me what had happened whilst you were there I… I wish Slade had been able to finish what he started. Destroyed the whole lot of them." She grumbles ferociously.

"I told him to. I begged him to finish them once and for all, but he wouldn't." Oliver murmurs at the memory, remembering himself begging Slade to listen to him, to finish the job once and for all…

"He wasn't gonna lose you too Ollie." She reminds him.

"You know I accepted that I probably getting out of that one, that it was going to kill me and that Slade doing what he did was only delaying the inevitable but we found a way out of it. We got out of it." Oliver sighs as he remembers.

"But the way we did it…"

"Ollie we haven't had any problems in Starling City because of that." She protests.

"But we unleashed that on the world just to save me. Again, I told him not to do it…"

"But he did, because he'd do anything to save you and if it ever comes back to haunt us, we'll deal with it, all three of us together." She assures him.

"I just hope it doesn't, now that would definitely bring ARGUS here." Oliver grimaces at the very thought.

"Yep." Sara agrees.

"That wouldn't be beneficial for anybody." Oliver mutters as he hears something, the sound of a door shutting.

"Think he's gone out?" Sara questions as Oliver looks slightly concerned.

"I hope not, who knows what he's been thinking about doing." Oliver murmurs as he gets out of bed, pulling on some clean clothes.

"Ok, now I'm worried." Sara agrees as she gets up as well.

Both hoping the return of ARGUS hasn't convinced Slade to do anything stupid!

After quickly dressing for the day, Oliver and Sara race down the stairs, feeling slightly relived when they see Slade in the kitchen, appearing to have made breakfast.

"Hey you ok?" Sara asks first as he passes her an already made plate.

"You two worried I'd be out there planning an attack on ARGUS?" He glances to them as Oliver grabs a plate of his own.

"We might have been wondering about that." Oliver admits.

"Don't worry, I ain't going to do anything stupid kid." He assures him whilst sitting down.

"Ain't promising nothing though if they come sniffing round here." He mumbles.

"Yes, well that would be different." Oliver comments.

"We'd all go after them at that point." He confirms.

"We thought you'd gone out." Sara looks to Slade after a few moments of silence.

"Was it Thea? I mean I'm surprised she got up early then any of us." Oliver smiles as the door opens and Thea enters, looking quite tired.

"Hey guys." She smiles widely.

"Thought you'd just gone out?" Oliver questions as Thea frowns at them.

"No I just got in. I stayed at a friends last night." She indicates to a post it note on the fridge she'd left in explanation.

The friend was infact Roy Harper, but she'd decided to leave that piece of information out.

"I wasn't staying here. Someone had company." She says with a smirk at Slade, nudging into him as she moves to the kitchen to finish off whatever was left over as Oliver and Sara turn to face their friend in surprise, who doesn't even look at them.

"I met her on the stairs. I liked her, she was cool." Thea calls from the kitchen.

"So how long as this been going on for?" Oliver smirks.

"And when were you ever going to introduce us?" Sara adds as Thea switches the TV on.

"Starling City is expected to be host of this year's Festival Lights exhibition…"

"Thea can you turn that down!" Sara requests, both she and Oliver wanting to hear about Slade's mystery woman.

"Wait. Aww that's so sad." Thea says as she sees something on the news, turning it up more than instead of down per Sara's request.

"In other news, the bodies of Eric and Nancy Moore were found early this morning." Even Sara and Oliver turn to face the TV at that.

"The couple were being represented by attorney Laurel Lance of CNRI in a lawsuit against financier Edward Rasmus. Miraculously their seven year old son Taylor survived the horrific attack." The TV reports as Sara looks to Oliver as Thea just shakes her head.

"Isn't that just awful. How could someone do a thing like that?" She sighs as she heads to her room.

"You think Laurel could be in danger?" Slade looks to Sara and Oliver once Thea has gone.

"I don't know, we met that couple yesterday with their kid." Oliver replies sadly.

"We need to go to Laurel." Sara decides as Oliver nods as the worry that Laurel could still be in danger from whomever killed the Moore's due to her association with the case definitely cannot be ignored.

 _SCPD_

Standing in the precinct, side by side, Tommy has his arm around a clearly deeply distraught Laurel, her clients having been killed leaving their seven year old son an orphan.

"This isn't your fault Laurel. You shouldn't feel guilty." Tommy murmurs as he rubs her back comfortingly as she leans into his side, desperate for Tommy's comfort in this hard time.

"I don't feel guilty. I'm angry." She admits as she rests her hand on his chest.

"This wasn't just some random break in. Edward Rasmus is involved I know it." She cries as Quentin approaches them both.

"Ok, listen. Our guys are looking at this, but you need to stay out of it ok? Because if Rasmus is behind this, he's clearly not messing around." Quentin states as the social worker dealing with Taylor Moore approaches the three of them with the kid, who'd wanted to say goodbye to Laurel.

"Um, if you'd like to say goodbye to Taylor, I will be taking him over to child services." The woman explains as Taylor looks up at Laurel with sad eyes, most from the ever so recent loss of his parents yet also because even though he's a young kid he still knows what 'child services' means.

"Doesn't he have any other family?" Laurel questions quickly.

"Um, grandparents are in Melbourne. We're tracking them down, but until then, he's going to be a temporary ward of the state." She explains as Laurel looks on in horror at the thought of a child who had only lost his parents less then twenty four hours ago being dragged off and put in a children's home.

"He can stay with me." She says without thinking as silence falls between the group, even Tommy looks to her in shock.

"As his attorney, I am assigning myself temporary guardianship." Laurel reaches for Taylor, who's more than happy to leave the social workers side and go to Laurel's.

"You'd still need a judges order." The social worker protests.

"I'll have it to you in an hour." Laurel says firmly as the social worker all but glares at her.

"Well, have it your way." She says in a short tone as Laurel smiles down at Taylor, who moves closer to her in response.

"Ok, look. I'm gong to park a patrol car outside your place." Quentin declares.

"Fine." Laurel nods.

"And you." Quentin says sternly with a look to Tommy.

"You look after 'em, all right?"

"I spend most nights at your daughter's anyways." Laurel and Quentin share a glance as Tommy wants the ground to instantly swallow him up.

"There was probably a better time to tell you that." He winces.

"Probably not." Quentin replies, glancing at Tommy with mild disgust before departing.

When he does so, Laurel bends down to Taylor.

"Hi. So you're going to come stay at my house, ok?" She says softly, as briefly smiling down at them, Tommy's smile is shattered at the entrance of Oliver, Slade and Sara.

"What are you three doing here?" He growls.

"We heard about what happened and we just wanted to make sure that Laurel was ok." Oliver explains.

"You could have just called." Tommy mutters.

"She's my sister. I didn't think I needed to call to come and make sure my own sister was ok." Sara can't help but growl.

"Yes she is your sister isn't she? The sister you say you love so much yet lie to continuously, every single day because you know that you're a murderer and I doubt Laurel would be best pleased to have a sister who's a murderer." Tommy hisses at her as Oliver holds her back from probably attacking him.

"We also met Laurel's clients and their son yesterday and we felt badly." Oliver informs him.

"You met them?" He frowns.

"Yeah when Ollie and I were picking up Laurel for lunch." Sara folds her arms.

"Didn't have any one to murder for a change?" Tommy retorts as Oliver holds his hands out to hold back both Slade and Sara.

"Sara." Laurel calls her sister's name as she joins them with Taylor.

"Are you ok?" Sara asks her worriedly as Laurel nods, moving to embrace Sara quickly, Tommy rolls his eyes at them, only to receive murderous glares from both Slade and Oliver.

"It's nice to see you two as well." She smiles at Oliver and Slade before turning to Tommy.

"Ok. It's settled." Laurel says before releasing Sara to put both her hands on Taylor's shoulders comfortingly.

"Taylor's coming home with us tonight." She states.

"Well, if you need anything, don't…"

"We're fine." Tommy cuts Oliver off mid sentence.

"Hesitate to call or anything, one thing I was good at was babysitting." Sara continues, ignoring Tommy, whilst reminding Laurel, who smiles back and moves one hand to pat her sisters shoulder.

"I know, I remember…"

"We should really get going." Tommy cuts the conversation between the two sisters off.

"Yeah. I'll see you three soon, ok." Laurel smiles to Sara, Oliver and Slade before taking Taylor's hand and walking away.

 _"Set your sight." Shado says to Oliver as he draws the bow._

 _"Hit the tree." She commands as Oliver fires the arrow, which soars into the distance, far away from the designated tree, but perhaps near one._

 _"Probably hit a tree." He comments as Shado passes him another arrow._

 _"Set your sight. Hit the tree." She repeats as Oliver loads his bow with the new arrow, who draws it boredly._

 _"Steady your anchor point. Hit the tree." She states as Oliver raises the bow again, only to lower it when Sara comes tumbling down the small bank, landing in the mud._

 _"Are you ok?" Oliver drops the bow and arrows to go to help her up._

 _"I'm ok Ollie, I'm ok." She assures him as he wipes some of the mud from her face and pulls a few leafs from her hair._

 _"I hope you're getting closer at teaching him how to be a better marksman." Slade calls from the top of the bank._

 _"Getting there." Shado calls back with her arms folded._

 _"Yeah sure looks like it." He mutters as he glares to Sara in Oliver's arms._

 _"What do ya think you're doing? Back up here now." He shouts as Sara looks at him with pleading eyes, he takes no notice._

 _"Come on, you haven't gotten very far either!" He snaps, Sara sighing, Oliver kissing the top of her head before releasing her._

 _"Put him on his ass." He smiles to her._

 _"Hit that tree." She replies as they finally release one another's hands. Sara moving back up toward Slade and Oliver back down toward Shado, who looks to Slade._

 _"You better get him hitting something." He grumbles as he turns back toward Sara._

 _"It's not as though our lives depend on it or anything."_

 _"Try again." Shado says to Oliver once Slade is focused on training Sara._

 _"Ok." Oliver breathes as he raises the bow again…_

 _The Foundry_

"What's this?" Oliver calls to Felicity as he enters the Foundry with Sara and Slade, Felicity turns to face them.

"Lyla's mission profile and trap they've set for Deadshot." She explains as she sees Slade sitting on a table in the far corner, remembering yesterday and wondering to herself if she should go and talk to him.

After the Saviour incident, he'd told her that she could always tell him, Oliver or Sara about her day, she wonders if she should return the favor.

"Lawton is set to meet his new employer and get his assignment tomorrow at eight pm. Only his new employer will be an a ARGUS agent." Diggle informs them as even Oliver and Sara glance to Slade nervously at the continuous mentioning of ARGUS, wondering just how far that can go before he snaps.

"Lyla will then swoop in with her team and arrest him." Diggle finishes.

"Do you want Lawton to be arrested?" Sara asks as silence passes between them before Diggle shakes his head.

"No." He says firmly as Oliver nods.

"Then tomorrow night, we cross Floyd Lawton's name off your list." Oliver promises.

"There's something else we need to look into." Sara says as she typed something into the computer, pulling up the news report on the Moore's.

"Two of Laurel's clients were murdered last night. Their seven year old son, barely escaped with his life." Sara explains as Diggle shuts his file in an instant.

"That's terrible." He mutters.

"Edward Rasmus, the financial advisor Laurel was taking to court may not have pulled the trigger but he probably called in the hit." Oliver explains before turning to Felicity.

"We want you to get into this corporate accounts, phone records, anything that may link him to the killer, ok?" He says to her as she nods, the three of them getting up after that.

"Where you three going?" Diggle calls to them.

"Laurel's." Sara calls back as they move to grab their vigilante equipment…

 _SCPD_

"My daughter secure at her place?" Quentin speaks hurriedly into his radio.

"So far all quiet." The officer replies.

"All right. Let me know if there is any movement." Quentin commands.

"Yes sir, Roger that." The cop confirms.

"I'm heading over there right now." He informs him as he turns to put his radio on the table, only to see Roy Harper standing by his desk.

"What'd you steal this time?" He mutters as he pulls on his coat.

"You got a minute?" Roy requests.

"No." Quentin puts bluntly.

"It's about the three vigilantes." Roy reveals as Quentin looks to him with a suspicious stare.

"When my men found you on that subway car after you were kidnapped, you told me that you didn't know anything about the three vigilantes. Is there something you forgot to tell me?" Quentin raises an eyebrow at Roy.

"No. I just want to see them brought to justice like everyone else." He murmurs.

"Don't worry, kid. We'll get them." Quentin vows as he passes Roy.

"Just keep making sure I don't have a reason to get you." He advises before leaving the precinct, watching him go, Roy waits until he's completely certain he's gone before quickly snatching up a certain police radio…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Taylor Moore sits on the couch at Laurel's place, head bowed and hands held together as he thinks about his parents.

"Taylor, sweetheart, are you hungry?" Laurel's soft voice causes him to turn to face her as she sits on the arm rest of the couch, placing her hand on the kids shoulder.

"You know, I make the world's best macaroni and cheese." She smiles warmly.

"It's the only thing she knows how to make." Tommy comments as Taylor manages a brief smile in his direction.

He likes Tommy, he's funny.

"I miss my mom and dad." He murmurs as Laurel, unsure of what to say, instantly looks to Tommy for support on what she can say in response to that.

Nodding to Laurel, Tommy walks slowly toward the couch so he's stood in front of Taylor, before kneeling down in front of him so they are eye level, placing his hand on the arm rest of the couch.

"When I was your age, my mom tucked me into bed at night before going out." He starts as Taylor looks at him intently.

"Then the next thing I knew, there was a police officer at my door. He said that she was gone and that I would never see her again." He reveals as Laurel looks at him sadly.

"But you know what? He was wrong." Tommy smiles.

"You saw her?" Taylor whispers.

"Mm-hm. Every time I close my eyes, I can see her. Every time I got to bed, I see her in my dreams." Tommy admits.

"Really?" Taylor says in a quiet voice.

"Yeah." Tommy says softly.

"Try it. Close your eyes." Taylor does so instantly.

"I see them." He whispers, opening his eyes again quickly to smile at Tommy.

"Whenever you are sad or scared, just remember that they will always be there." Tommy assures him whilst gently patting the kids shoulder.

Laurel looks at them both with tear filled eyes, both sad and happy tears and if she closes her own eyes she can see Tommy sitting on the couch, their own children sitting with him as he reads to them a story.

If that's what future could be like then nothing could ever be better than that.

"You constantly surprise me Merlyn." She whispers as he smiles up at her.

A sudden knock on the door pulls them out of the peace.

"I'll get it." Tommy says softly as he gets to his feet again and moves toward the door.

"Ms. Lance?" A voice calls from the other side of the door as both Tommy and Laurel move toward it.

"It's Lieutenant Kesel, SCPD. Your dad asked me to check in." The voice calls as Laurel moves past Tommy to get to the door first.

"Lieutenant, can you hold your badge up to the door, please?" Laurel requests as she moves to look through the looking glass as the officer holds up his badge.

"Ok, great. Just one sec." She calls as she backs away from the door, Tommy's hand on her back in an instant.

"What?" He whispers as Laurel suddenly grabs his arms.

"His badge number begins with a zero. Lieutenant's badge numbers begin with a one." She says quickly just when her door is filled with bullets from the 'officer'.

Tommy instantly races into the living room, pulling Taylor into his arms and pulling them both down to the ground so they are hidden behind the couch, underneath the coffee table.

The door bursts open, the assassin walking in with his gun held high, looking for the kid, Laurel Lance and her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Taylor cries softly in fear as Tommy shushes him gently, whilst stroking his hair in an attempt to keep him calm and quiet and in a way to calm his own nerves, having separated from Laurel in his dash to get Taylor to safety.

The assassin fires bullets at the top of the couch and coffee table, many objects shattering in the process as he steps toward the living room, seeing the feet approaching them, Tommy moves one of his hands to put over Taylor's mouth to keep him silent.

"It was the badge that gave me away, right?" The assassin calls.

"You know my father's a cop." Laurel's voice calls as he turns around to shoot at her, only for her to fire at him with a shot gun.

"And that's not all he taught me!" She hisses when he ducks for cover, loading her gun again, about to fire it only to find it doesn't work.

Realizing her predicament, the assassin moves from when he took cover to aim his gun directly at Laurel…

Suddenly, with a large crash the three vigilantes leap through Laurel's window, The Woman In Black throwing a knife at the assassin causing him to drop his gun, giving Laurel enough time to escape.

The assassin chases after her, only for The Man In The Hood to fire an arrow at him, missing his target by mere inches, The assassin fighting back with two concealed guns from the inside of his coat, firing widely at the three vigilantes, who have no choice but to take cover as the assassin rapidly fires his guns at everything in sight, in a mad dash to leap out of the now destroyed window.

When the three vigilantes get to their feet, they find the assassin has escaped.

Hearing the silence, Tommy also raises his head, his eyes falling on The Man In The Hood, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black.

Gratefully, he smiles at them.

 _Later…_

Quentin Lance glares at the destroyed window in Laurel's apartment with deep distaste, knowing how only a few hours ago his eldest daughter, her boyfriend and the kid they were looking after were nearly assassinated.

If not for the three vigilantes they'd have been killed.

"Feeling like it might be time for you to move." Quentin grumbles when he sees Laurel entering the room.

"Dads whoever Rasmus hired is going to keep coming until he finishes the job. Otherwise Rasmus will just hire someone else who will." She states as she rejoins Tommy's side, who takes her hand in an instant.

"Ok, listen. I want the three of you in protective custody immediately and don't even think about it! Quentin sighs when Laurel looks to protest.

"He killed two of my men."

"Well the three vigilantes just saved our lives." Laurel reminds him, looking to Tommy for back up.

"We can trust him." She confirms.

"They won't let anything happen to me." She says confidently.

"Even if I was comfortable with the idea of them watching over you twenty four seven, which I'm not, something tells me they've got better things to do." Quentin mutters.

"What about Oliver?" Tommy speaks finally as Quentin and Laurel look to him in an instant.

"You got another friend named Oliver? Because of course you wouldn't mean Oliver Queen, my Sara's boyfriend." Quentin mutters deep sarcasm in his voice.

"He has bodyguards, I don't think anyone goes in or out without being accounted for. There's probably a shed load of cameras and no one really knows where their apartment is. I mean I've never been to it." Tommy explains with his arms folded.

"So what are you suggesting? Put my other daughter in danger as well? Great plan Merlyn, great plan!" Quentin rolls his eyes at Tommy in disbelief as Laurel suddenly grabs his arm, a thought coming to mind.

"Tommy that's not a bad idea." Laurel murmurs as Quentin looks to her in amazement.

"Laurel…"

"No dad. He's right, no one really knows where their apartment is, Oliver has bodyguards there I'm sure of it, Thea told me once and not only that they have Slade Wilson. Isn't he like ex military or something? He protected Oliver and Sara on a deserted island from hell for five years, kept them alive all that time, brought them home. That attack from the Triad in my apartment a few months back it was Oliver's bodyguard and Slade that saved us from that." Laurel reminds him.

"Now Slade I would trust to keep an eye on you all but he's one man and the risk…"

"Look, we only want what's best for Laurel and right now, that is to stay close to Oliver and Wilson." Tommy says through gritted teeth, hating every word that comes out of his mouth.

"Trust me."

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

"Hey." Sara smiles warmly when she opens the front door for her sister, Tommy and Taylor, who keeps close to Laurel's side as Tommy brings in the bags.

The idea about housing the three being completely fine with Oliver, Sara, Slade and Thea and Diggle has set about arranging more bodyguards to come to the apartment upon Quentin Lance's request.

"This is Mr. Robbins. Where you go, he goes. You'll be very well protected here, Ms. Lance." Diggle introduces her to one of the bodyguards.

"Thank you." She smiles.

"I hand selected these men myself. The whole apartment building is completely secure." Diggle assures them as Sara moves to embrace her sister.

"Nothing will happen to any of you here." She vows as she holds her.

"Thank you letting us stay here…"

"Laurel. You are my sister. Your always welcome any time." Sara reminds her as Thea appears from the top of the stairs, looking like she's about to go about but makes a mental note to stay a few moments seeing the company they have, smiling kindly down at Taylor.

"Hey you must be Taylor. I'm Thea." She says as Taylor looks at her nervously.

"Now, I gotta go soon but how about I show you where Slade secret stash of cookies are?" She grins mischievously, as Slade rolls his eye at Thea, who sniggers back as Taylor takes her outstretched hand and heads into the kitchen with her and Laurel the three of them chatting to one another as they go.

"Mr. Queen, Miss. Lance, Mr. Wilson whenever the three of you are ready I'll take you to your next appointment. The Lawton meeting." Diggle reminds them as Oliver nods.

"Yes. We just need to swing by the club and pick up our good outfits. So we'll meet you there." Oliver replies.

"Of course." Diggle nods before heading out of the door.

"You three are leaving?" Tommy questions with a stern expression.

"There's something else we need to take care of. It's important." Oliver continues.

"More important than what's going on here?" Tommy mutters.

"You three are the reason why we are here and trust me, that wasn't easy to admit and really the only reason you father agreed to this was because, he somehow trusts him." Tommy glances at Slade with much hatred.

"They'll be fine. I promise and that's not going to be an issue because Slade's staying here with you." Oliver reveals, as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Got something you want to tell me kid?" He mutters as they move away from Tommy.

"Tommy wasn't wrong, my father only really agreed to this because of Diggle and his men and because of you. He trusts you." Sara explains.

"So you two think I'm just gonna stay here whilst you two go and take down Deadshot?" Slade growls quietly as Oliver sighs.

"He had you on his hit list Slade. We're not risking that he might want to finish the job if he knows you're The Man In The Mask." Oliver hisses quietly.

"Bullshit kid. You pair both know full well I could take him out." Slade retorts.

"We know. We know but ARGUS will be there and that's the risk we're not willing to take." Sara admits as Slade just glances at the both of them with looks of disbelief.

"And I'm pretty sure they know you're The Man In The Mask. You know that and if you were there I'm worried that they'll focus more on trying to capture you and Deadshot would escape." Oliver reminds him.

"They know who you are to, kid. Both of ya. Don't forget that." Slade looks to them both.

"They know Oliver Queen and you know who they see Sara to be. They won't know us under the hood, and the wig. We'll be fine. We get there and take out Deadshot and then we get out of there before ARGUS can even realize we were there." Oliver says to him reassuringly.

"We'll be home later." Sara promises him as they both turn to head out, yet Slade grabs Oliver's arm before he can even reach the door.

"Oliver. I almost lost you to ARGUS once. I cannot go through that again. They've taken too much from me already. I am not about to lose either of you to them." He growls.

"You won't lose us." Oliver says carefully.

"You can't promise that, kid." Slade snarls.

"But we can try." Sara adds as she and Oliver head for the door, whom turns back at the last minute to face Slade, with a slight smile upon his face.

"We'll see you at home later."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all the kind reviews, next update should be done soon. Thank you all again for reading, see you next update.**


	61. Home Invasion (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty One**

 _Big Belly Burger_

Having left the apartment a few hours earlier, Thea now sits contently eating food with her boyfriend Roy, who keeps an arm wrapped around her.

She wonders if she should have stayed at the apartment to make herself useful and made Roy come to her, but she's yet to introduce him to her brother, Sara and Slade yet and still hasn't come up with a time suitable to do that yet.

"You know, chewing might help." Thea smiles to him as Roy shovels food into his mouth at almost record speed.

"Not dainty enough for you?" Roy frowns as he shoves more fries into his mouth.

"I can eat you under the table Roy Harper." Thea mutters as she grabs fries of her own.

"Don't forget that." She says with a smirk.

"Yeah." Roy smiles back as he grabs more food.

"All units code 1080." A sudden noise interrupts them.

"Starling City Port 1080." It continues as Roy puts his food down.

"Um what is that?" Thea queries.

"Suspected vigilantes activity. Requesting all available units." Roy freezes, knowing just how totally screwed he is upon glancing to Thea nervously.

"Do you have a police radio in your pocket?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"No. I'm just happy to see you." He lies quickly before kissing her to distracted her.

"Got to run." He whispers before leaping up from his seat whilst a dazed Thea tries to understand what exactly just happened.

 _Starling City Port_

Parking up at Starling City Port, Roy de mounts his motorcycle before pulling the police radio from his pocket to hear what comes next.

"I'm heading on East Garry. We're twenty minutes out." Another voice speaks as Roy waits around for the action he hopes is about to go down.

"Nice evening, hu?" Comes the voice of Quentin Lance, Roy looks at it puzzled which is when he hears the familiar blare of sirens a three cop cars suddenly show up, Lance exiting one of them.

"Hey. I think you've got something that belongs to me." Quentin walks toward him with several other officers as Roy looks on in disbelief.

"You set this up just to get your radio back?" Roy rolls his eyes at him.

"Well." Quentin sighs as the officers move to restrain Roy.

"I do love that radio."

 _The Foundry_

Sara and Oliver go straight to The Foundry after leaving Slade behind to watch over Laurel, Tommy and the kid.

Both of them happy with the decision they made to leave him behind, both of them mutually agreeing Slade and ARGUS in the same vicinity wouldn't be a good mix and at least what he's doing now will hopefully distract him from the awful memories mentioning the return of ARGUS have dragged up for him.

"Hey guys." Felicity calls from the computer where she is looking at maps.

"Getting us organized are you?" Sara smiles as she comes to perch on the desk beside her.

"Dig what's this done in a very, very organized fashion. Where's Slade?" She frowns.

"It's just going to be me and Sara on this one." Oliver says in explanation.

"You guys fall out? Or is this about yesterday?" She asks softly before adding.

"Gonna tell me what happened there yet?" Felicity looks to them to only receive stern frosty silence from both Sara and Oliver.

"Ok I guess not. I'm uploading a satellite overview of the plaza to your phones." Felicity states as she types some commands into her computer.

"Thanks but we know the place." Oliver starts.

"Dig was pretty specific about where you two should perch, you know what position gives you two the best shot at Lawton, I think. He used a lot of military jargon. I don't know what he'll think about the change in plan about their being two vigilantes instead of three… You do realize you two are sniping a sniper right?" Felicity babbles as Sara and Oliver smirk at her as they pull on their vigilante uniforms.

"Kind of ironic don't you think?" She continues as Oliver and Sara move to stand over her, looking slightly terrifying in their vigilante uniforms to Felicity.

"Me neither." She says quickly.

"What's that?" Oliver points to a message that had recently shown up on the computer.

"Oh I had a remote access Trojan scouring the Internet for Edward Rasmus. His name just popped up on a flight manifest, 815 to Shanghai." She explains.

"He's running." Oliver growls with a glance to Sara.

"That's good, right?" Felicity frowns.

"If he's leaving town, he won't be after Laurel and the child anymore." She reminds them.

"He still went after my sister." Sara can't help but growl as Felicity looks to her.

"Well if you two did want to stop him, looks like it's now or never. Deadshot or Rasmus, your choice." She says in a matter of fact tone as Oliver looks to Sara.

"Or both." Oliver wonders.

"I'll take Rasmus, you take Deadshot." Oliver looks to Sara as Felicity turns to face them.

"I know you said about the whole ARGUS thing and the fact he's on the hit list but don't you think you should call Slade in? I mean that Deadshot mission was meant for all three of you and now it's just Sara? You sure this is a good idea?" Felicity queries.

The two vigilantes just exit in silence.

 _The Plaza_

Walking confidently into the plaza, donning a plain baseball cap. Diggle takes his designated place behind a wall, glancing at Lyla on a bench in the centre of the room.

"Drop one this is Harbinger." She speaks into her earpiece.

"Wait for Lawton to enter and make contact then we take him down." She commands as Diggle watches everyone go about their business, looking up and down for both Deadshot and Oliver, Sara and Slade, checking his watch with a fearful glance.

"Damn it guys." He mutters under his breath.

 _Elsewhere_

"Just until the CNRI mess dies down." Edward Rasmus mutters into his phone in his car on the way to the airport.

"If it doesn't work out, the two best things about China. Wontons and no extradition treaty." He laughs as suddenly the car comes to an abrupt stop.

"Hey, I thought I was paying you extra not to stop at the Reds!" He complains as suddenly an arrow soars through the window and into his shoulder.

The Man In The Hood standing right outside the car.

 _Back At The Plaza_

Diggle continues to wait behind a wall, looking out for Oliver, Sara and Slade and Deadshot, looking up and down, at the windows, balconies a stern expression on his face as someone wearing a hat enters the vicinity, something that is also noticed by Lyla.

"Drop one. Possible target acquisition." She murmurs as the ARGUS men posed as cleaners, begin to move into their positions, Lyla's hand slipping underneath the table she is sat at where he gun is strapped to it.

"Get ready." She adds as the group, including Diggle watch as the man walks, however when he removes his hat they realize that it's not Lawton.

"Stand down." Lyla commands as everyone moves back to where they were.

"Maybe Lawton didn't take the bait after all." She sighs as Diggle looks around worriedly, unable to believe he's lost another chance at putting Lawton down permanently, which is when he sees a red light shining through the windows…

Suddenly a shot is fired and a man is taken down.

"We're blown take cover." Lyla cries as from a distant rooftop Deadshot fires another bullet, killing someone else, Diggle moving from his position to grab Lyla to shield her from the attack as Deadshot continues to fire, only for the weapon to be knocked from his hand by The Woman In Black, who throws a knife at him, which he ducks and turns to fire upon her, she dodges it, the distraction giving Diggle the chance to pull out his own gun and fire rapidly at the glass Deadshot is hiding behind, who ducks only to be grabbed from behind by The Woman In Black, who stabs him in the shoulder with a knife.

Meanwhile, Diggle, after checking that Lyla is alright, who she is, races toward the staircase to see if there's any chance he can get to Deadshot, racing up the steps two at a time as suddenly he is attacked by a flying Deadshot, who'd had just been thrown down the stairs by The Woman In Black, Diggle glances up at her gratefully as he punches Lawton in the face, who punches back, The Woman In Black moving to throw another knife at him, which he ducks only for Diggle to attack him again, shoving him into the wall, about to break his neck when Lawton pulls two guns from his pockets, aiming one at Diggle and the other at The Woman In Black.

"On your knees." He growls at them both, The Woman In Black throwing her leg out to knock him from his feet, managing to knock one of the guns he has aimed at Diggle out of his hands, grabbing her knife and moving to stand over Lawton to stab him in the other eye.

However, Lawton has a small pistol concealed in the inside of pocket, which he quickly yanks out and fires as The Woman In Black is preparing to stab him.

The bullet hits her waist and she stumbles, only managing to slice Lawton in the cheek with her knife, who knocks it from her and sends her flying down a set of stairs. Diggle moving in for the attack when Lawton suddenly regains his weaponry.

"Let's start that again. On you knees." He aims the guns at Diggle, who flashes a quick, worried glance to The Woman In Black, whom lies motionless at the bottom of the stairs, blood seeping from her wound.

"On your knees. Hands behind your head." He commands as Diggle has no choice but to comply with Lawton's request.

"I saw you two coming a mile away, she thought she could take me out from behind. It was never gonna work out, I'd already seen her. So I thank the two of you for tipping me off." He smirks with his guns still pointed at Diggle.

"I'll kill you for what you did!" Diggle hisses at him.

"I'd be pulling these triggers right now, except there's nobody paying me." He smirks as he moves his coat slightly to reveal the tattoo of the name 'Andrew Diggle'.

"There's a place for you right here, right next to your brother. You'd do best to remember that." He speaks before throwing his hand back and punching Diggle hard in the face, who crumples to the floor.

Lawton races away from Diggle, weapons in hand as he passes The Woman In Black, who regains consciousness for a mere moment to stick a knife into his foot, he yells out in pain and fires a shot at her, which she rolls out of the way to avoid, the immense pain on rolling on top of her wound causing her to fall unconscious.

Meanwhile, Diggle regains his footing, yet when he's on his feet Sara is unconscious and Lawton is gone...

 _The Foundry_

Having dealt with Edward Rasmus, Oliver returns confidently to The Foundry, yet when he is half way down the stairs he freezes in place when he sees Sara lying upon a table, Felicity and Diggle seemingly tending to her…

"Sara! What the hell happened?" Oliver yells as he races down the steps in a moment to reach her side, finding her alive but unconscious.

"What happened?" Oliver growls, looking her over anxiously.

"You and Slade didn't show. Things didn't go well." Diggle mutters, Oliver noticing them the deep gash on the side of his face.

"Rasmus was skipping town and we had to re prioritize. Sara and I mutually agreed to take one each…"

"And where was Slade during all of this hu?" Diggle snaps.

"He had other priorities with protecting Laurel, Tommy and the kid." Oliver murmurs.

"Amazing how he suddenly starts to care about others when ARGUS is suddenly mentioned." Diggle huffs.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand." Oliver growls.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't understand perhaps you'd like to enlighten us all on what happened, what his problem is. Or is it a problem he created by himself? Because I don't see what ARGUS, an organization meant for taking down the most dangerous criminals, could do that is so terrible to him that causes him to go like this, if he didn't do anything to them!" Diggle hisses.

"Diggle. You're not thinking straight right now. If Slade had been there you would have had more problems on your hands and probably a lot of casualties." Oliver starts.

"Damn right I'm not thinking straight Oliver! Thanks to you and your new priorities and Slade's personal mental issues with ARGUS four agents are dead! You three could have stopped this guy, ended this maniac once and for all." Diggle glares at him as he finishes bandaging Sara's wound, allowing Felicity to then treat the gash on his face.

"Lawton got away?" Oliver says in a quiet voice.

"You seriously think a man who goes by the name Deadshot was going down without a fight? Sara gave him one, at least she had the decency to show up! She wounded him god knows how many times but once he'd got a gun in his hand there was nothing she could have done and you know what? She'd disarmed him, he had guns all over him, your lucky he didn't kill her man. I needed all three of you there tonight. That was the only way Lawton was going down." Diggle growls.

"Taylor Moore was relying on us Diggle." Oliver reminds him.

"The kid who's safe under armed security at your apartment? With enough armed security that Slade didn't even need to be there? This is about that whole ARGUS thing with him and let's not forget the people who went after this kid also went after Laurel. You and Sara have always decided on a vendetta against anyone who goes near her." He folds his arms.

"Diggle. We made a choice…"

"I know. You chose Laurel and Slade, always them, everybody else be damned." He snaps before moving past Oliver, bumping into him hard as he goes.

Felicity looks to Oliver for a moment, quickly turning her head back to Sara when he gives her a deadly glare.

"Something to say Felicity?" He growls.

"Nothing you want to hear." She murmurs before walking away, leaving Oliver with Sara, moving closer toward her, he slides his hand into hers and presses a kiss to her forehead, stroking her blonde hair with his fingers gently as he waits for her to awaken.

 _"Try again." Shado commands as Oliver fails dismally to shoot the tree again, glancing at her for reassurance once before firing the arrow. It misses._

 _"You're thinking way too much." She grumbles._

 _"Yeah nobody accused me of that before." He mutters sulkily as she takes the bow from him, whirling around and firing two arrows rapidly, causing two branches to collapses to the forest floor in an instant, Oliver groans and rolls his eyes at her as she smirks at him._

 _"Show off." He mutters as she passes the bow back to him._

 _"I see my target in the distance. I feel the variation in the wind. I hear the bowstring tightens and I let go. Give in to your senses. Don't think about it. Now go on, again!" She commands as Oliver puts a bow in the arrow again, firing it and for once actually managing to hit the tree, not perfectly mind but he does so!_

 _"Yes! Ohh my god yes!" Oliver cheers, practically jumping up and down as Sara and Slade appear, having witnessed the whole thing._

 _"You have got to be shitting me." Slade murmurs under his breath with a glance to Shado, who just smiles at him._

 _"Said you'd be eating your words." She chuckles as Oliver looks to be doing some kind of freestyle happy dance, before racing over toward Sara, who embraces him quickly, Oliver spinning her around in his arms in glee._

 _"Don't get too happy with yourself, I want you to hit the centre of the tree next time." Shado turns to Oliver._

 _"Next time?" Oliver looks to her._

 _"Yes. Come on, again!"_

 _Later…_

 _The sun is slowly going down when Shado finally releases Oliver from shooting arrows, having actually managed a few hits and one almost perfect._

 _She'd left him to rejoice his success with Sara, who had made some fighting progress with Slade. Well enough that had Slade satisfied and if Slade's satisfied Shado's assuming Sara did in fact make a good amount of progress._

 _"You're gonna have to tell me how you did that." Slade's voice interrupts her thought track as she turns around to see him leaning against a tree, arms folded, a smirk at his lips._

 _"That kid was almost a lost cause and now he can shoot arrows with somewhat skill. You got magic or something?" He raises an eyebrow at her._

 _"I have more patience with him." She replies as Slade just rolls his eyes at her._

 _"Well whatever you did. Good job." He murmurs, moving away from the tree._

 _"How was things with Sara?" She asks politely._

 _"She's improving." He notes._

 _"Think she's ready for infiltrating with us?"_

 _"Think the kid's ready to_

 _"I think we all could do with a bit more practice." She finishes._

 _"All? Like we need practice." Slade chuckles._

 _"Can't hurt, can it?" She folds her arms._

 _"Of course not." He states as he moves toward her, Shado attacking first, dodging a punch from Slade, moving quickly to the other side of him, so she's behind him, quickly moving to attack him from behind. However, he whirls around at the last minute, catching her quickly and throwing her to the ground, she regains her footing easily as she races at him again, Slade moves to intercept her, flipping her over once, however that action allows Shado to kick him hard in the head with her boot. With him distracted, she regains her footing and pulls a knife from her boot, repeating an attack Slade had once attempted. Shado remembers them all and moves with her knife in hand so she's behind Slade once more, and standing on tiptoes because he is taller than she, she moves one of her arms around him, the other gripping his wrist to trap one of his hands in place. She then holds the knife close to his throat._

 _"Got you." She smirks to herself, Slade laughs in response, using his free arm to knock the knife from her hand, keeping a hold of her hand, twisting it around in an attempt to get her on the ground, yet when he turns around, Shado is quick with an attack. Slade catches her once more and moves to throw her to the forest floor, when like once before in one of their sparring sessions, she turns them around last minute so she's on top of Slade, keeping him trapped beneath her._

 _"You forgot your knife." He sniggers as Shado suddenly feels it sticking in her back again._

 _"I win." He declares, she rolls her eyes at him, smiling down at him for a moment as he looks at her with his deep brown eyes alight with excitement as he smiles back at her._

 _Give into your senses, don't think. Shado starts remembering the words she had told Oliver much earlier when teaching him how to shoot._

 _Why is she thinking about this now? She wonders before moving off him, getting to her feet and holding out her hand for him to take, he takes it instantly and practically lets her pull him up._

 _Give into your senses, don't think. She remembers again as she's pulling Slade to his feet and tugs on his hand sharply so he slightly stumbles into her._

 _She kisses him._

 _Soft and tentatively at first, Shado's hands resting gently on his shoulders, before they both pull away, breathing heavily, looking at one another for a moment in compete silence, neither of them moving a muscle as they both try to register what just happened._

 _"Time and place." Slade eventually murmurs as Shado nods quickly, moving a few steps away from him, continuing to nod._

 _"You're completely right, this really is neither the time or the place." She says, looking down at her feet for a moment before back up at Slade, who runs a hand through his hair._

 _"When is." She whispers before crossing the space between them, standing on tiptoes and crashing her lips against his once more._

 _More passionately than the first time as he mutters something near undistinguishable before kissing her back, wrapping one arm around her to pull her closer to him as she knots her hands in his hair._

 _Giving into senses and not thinking was good advise but not thinking gets you killed, Shado thinks to herself as Slade thinks similar thoughts._

 _Caring about people gets you killed, is what he thinks._

 _Their thoughts eventually causing both of them to pull apart simultaneously, moving away from one another._

 _All of that was a probably a mistake. It needs to be forgotten._

 _To survive this island all feelings must be put aside._

 _It's the only way to survive._

 _Elsewhere_

 _"I still can't believe I actually did it." Oliver muses to himself as he sits on the bank, looking up at the sky with Sara by his side._

 _"I knew you could. You certainly shut Slade up." She nudges him._

 _"It was a historic moment. It should seriously go down in history. The day something shut that guy up." Oliver smirks as he gets to his feet, his eyes lingering on the bow and arrow._

 _"What are you doing Ollie?" Sara asks softly, not really wanting to move from her position feeling like she's been ran over by a herd of elephants after her brutal training session with Slade, which she was confident was actually going to kill her at one point._

 _It didn't. She fought back. She may not have come close to beating him but she improved. She most certainly improved and to Sara, that is a reward in itself._

 _"Practising. Slade and Shado always go on about practising so that's what I'm doing." Oliver smiles before loading his bow and firing an arrow, actually hitting a tree this time, he looks happy as Sara gets to her feet and moves toward him as he fires another arrow, actually quite enjoying himself at this point._

 _"You know, the bow and arrows suit you Ollie." She comments as he smirks and shoots yet another one into a tree. He's not hitting perfect targets yet, his arrows are all over the place but he is hitting something._

 _"Glad you think so." He smiles back as she reaches up to kiss his cheek, once and softly as Oliver prepares to fire another one, feeling just that little bit smug at this point as Sara places another kiss against his cheek, her lips nearing the corner of his mouth, she places yet another kiss there as well and at that point Oliver just drops the bow and arrows to the forest floor and pulls her into his arms for a long lingering kiss._

 _With ease, Oliver picks her up in his arms, her legs around his waist as they end up backing into a tree, kissing one another with much passion as they begin to forget where they are, lost in the moment and each other with not a care in the world…_

 _But that's not possible right now. They're on the island from hell with people probably planning to kill them and their only allies would most certainly kick their asses into the next century if they caught them in this position._

 _"Our lives aren't going to be worth living if we get caught." Oliver murmurs, as he suddenly snaps back to reality and pulls away for a moment, groaning as he rests his forehead against Sara's who laughs softly._

 _"You have a point." She sighs as Oliver puts her back on her feet, his arms still wrapped around her as something comes to mind._

 _"Speak of the Devils. Where'd you think they've gotten to?" Oliver frowns as he and Sara look around the vicinity to see if they can see either Shado or Slade._

 _They fall silent to see if they can hear them beating the crap out of one another._

 _Nothing._

 _"Shado? Slade?" Sara calls as she, with her hand in Oliver's climb up the small hill toward where Slade and Sara were training earlier._

 _"You think they've given up on us and gone back to the plane?" Oliver suggests._

 _"Or they've been attacked!" Sara murmurs in a more anxious voice._

 _"We're talking about Shado and Slade here." Oliver reminds her._

 _"I'd honestly feel better if I knew where they were." Sara says in a quiet voice._

 _"Ok." Oliver sighs as they both head off in the direction they remember Shado going in._

 _"Let's find them." He murmurs as they make their way through the woods._

 _Oliver and Sara walk for several moments before they both here a twig snapping._

 _Stopping, they look around the area for Slade and Shado, moving in the sounds direction which leads them to a few trees._

 _Sara goes first and stops in her tracks with what she witnesses._

 _"Ohh wow." She whispers._

 _"What? Have you found them are they ok?" Oliver asks worriedly at Sara's reaction as he joins her, eyes widening when he sees what she does, which is Shado and Slade making out._

 _"Holy shit!" He cries in shock._

 _"How did that happen?" Sara rolls her eyes at him._

 _"They look really cute together." She notes as this time Oliver rolls his eyes at her before looking back to where Slade and Shado have broken apart and are seemingly heading back to where they were, Oliver winces an grabs Sara's arm as they begin to head in the direction toward them, Oliver isn't sure Slade and Shado have seen them yet but he's pretty sure if Slade caught them he'd let them know it! Shuddering at the thought, Oliver quickly grabs Sara's arm._

 _"We need to run, like now."_

 _A Few Minutes Later…_

 _When Shado appears in the clearing without Slade, she finds Sara resting against the bank looking bored and Oliver whistling._

 _"Cut that out before I shoot you." Shado growls at Oliver, who stops in an instant._

 _"Wow you're even starting to sound like him now." He can't help but murmur as she glares at him, before indicating to the bow on the forest floor._

 _"Come on. Pick it up, we're continuing until sunset." She commands._

 _"Where's Slade?" Sara calls._

 _"He went back to the plane, I think." Shado retorts frostily._

 _"Does he want me to…"_

 _"No! Just stay there and keep quiet." Shado snaps, Oliver winces, putting an arrow in the bow the moment Shado looks to him._

 _"And here's us thinking you'd be in a good mood." She murmurs as Shado glares at them both, realising what they're referring to._

 _"Ohh well done!" Oliver groans to Sara, realising the wrath of Shado could be upon them._

 _"You saw that." Shado grumbles._

 _"If it makes things better I think you pair look cute together." Sara smiles as Shado just rolls her eyes at Sara._

 _"This is neither the time or the place for that, or is it either of you two's business! I should kick both of your asses into next year for this. It was a mistake." She growls dangerously._

 _"Definitely sounding like Slade now." Oliver retorts._

 _"Did he tell you it was a mistake?" Sara asks gently._

 _"He didn't need to say anything." Shado murmurs._

 _"Do you think it was a mistake?" Oliver decides to ask as Shado glares at him._

 _"What? Figured I'd take an interest." Oliver mutters._

 _"It doesn't matter. Come on, we're wasting time." She reminds Oliver, whom turns to shoot something, loading his bow, releasing his arrow…_

 _"You don't think it was a mistake do you?" Sara cuts in just when Oliver fires the arrow and misses the target completely at the distraction._

 _"Ohh come on!" He groans._

 _"Sara. Shut up." Shado growls._

 _"I can tell you like him. There's nothing wrong with having feelings for someone, no matter where we are." Sara says with a slight smile._

 _"Why don't you bother Slade about this?" Shado retorts._

 _"Because he would probably slit my throat if I even acknowledged the fact we saw him kissing you." Sara replies._

 _"And you think I wouldn't?" Shado mutters, hand on the knife slid into her belt._

 _"Don't answer that." Oliver advises as Sara rolls her eyes at them._

 _"Look, Shado. We can tell you like him…"_

 _"Don't drag me into this." Oliver protests as Sara_ _fixes him with a glare._

 _"Ok, we. That's fine." Oliver says quickly, not wanting to face the wrath of Sara either!_

 _"Look, Sara's right. You pair appear to be attracted to one another, why not go for it. I mean, I for one would be happy if you put Slade in a better mood." Oliver adds._

 _"And if you really like him, you should talk to him. I mean there's a chance that either one of us could be killed any second on this island. Don't ignore something that you'd regret if anything happened to him. Just go for it because who knows how much time we've got left." Sara suggests wisely as Shado raises an eyebrow at her, looking at her for a moment before to Oliver again, he begins to prepare his bow in an instant._

 _"Come on. Again!"_

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

Laurel sits flicking through pictures on her phone of her, Tommy, Oliver and those rare times when Sara used to accompany them.

Ohh so long ago now and how much they've changed since then, she thinks remembering when her hair used to be blonde and Oliver's used to be longish when they were dating.

She loved Oliver, she can't pretend she didn't, she did but with Tommy it's different. There was always something missing from her relationship with Oliver but it doesn't feel that way when she's with Tommy. It feels real, more genuine.

Oliver may have broken her heart five years ago but Tommy fixed it. Tommy more than fixed it.

After losing Sara and Oliver it felt like she was drowning for so long and then Tommy was there. Tommy was there for her and now after all this time she doesn't know what she'd do if Tommy weren't by her side day in day out.

"That hairstyle was a fashion choice? I thought it was because his time spent on the island!" Slade's voice calls from behind her. Laurel laughs, gesturing for him to sit.

"I liked his long hair." She grins.

"Reminds me of when I met him for the first time." Slade smiles.

"On the island?" She says quietly, not wanting to seem like she's pushing for answers about the time the three of them spent on that island.

"Yeah. Scared the living daylights out of the kid." He smirks at the memory, at the time it was quite a tense meeting but now they feel as if they can joke about it.

"Oliver? Wasn't Sara there as well? Or wasn't she scared of you like Ollie was?" Laurel smiles as Slade looks down for a moment, unsure what he should respond with.

"They were separated. I met Oliver first." He murmurs eventually as Laurel gasps softly.

"What happened?" Laurel finds herself asking before shaking her head quickly.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me. I get that it must be hard to talk about what happened." She says with a reassuring look before adding.

"But if any of you need to talk about what happened you three know you can all talk to me right?" She smiles kindly, Slade gives her a grateful glance.

"Oliver and I had a possible way off the island. A way home. However, Sara was not with us. I said they were separated. What happened there is something you'd have to ask Oliver and Sara about but it was at a point where I was convinced Sara couldn't have possibly survived. Kid was convinced she was. I. I told him my thoughts on the matter but he wouldn't listen to me. He had a way home but he gave it up on a hunch Sara was still alive and she was. I wouldn't have taken the risk, I was just going to take the opportunity to get off the island for good but if I had I never would have forgiven myself, especially since both of them survived. After everything the kid said to me I realised that I couldn't leave either of them there. I went back for them but unfortunately we lost our first opportunity to go home." Slade admits as Laurel just stares at him, completely lost for words at the information.

"You know, kid told me back then that there's no way he could have come back here without her because of how much he loved her and how badly he wanted to salvage a somewhat friendship with you. Honestly, Laurel. I didn't think he had a chance in hell at reconnecting with you after what he told me he had done to you, in fact I even called him an idiot for even thinking he could be friends with you again but I'm glad they have. They talked very fondly of you, everyday. Hell, Oliver nearly got us all killed trying to make a phone call to you that first time we almost got off the island." He reveals with a roll of his eye as Laurel turns to him in shock.

"He. He tried to, to call me?" Laurel whispers.

"He succeeded. I stabbed the phone out before he could say anything though, there were other forces at work. It would have gotten us all killed. Don't even think he wanted to tell you we were all alive. Think he was just trying to apologise to you before he went to get your sister. She would have been killed without Oliver making the decision to go back for her. Taught me a lesson if I'm being honest, not to underestimate either of their wil to survive." Slade explains.

"But you still came through and went back for both of them. You three are all home now, today because you had one another. You all saved each other. Thank you." Laurel whispers quickly, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"What for?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think I ever said it to you. You helped bring Sara and Oliver home. I wanted to thank you for that and thank you for going back for them when you could have so easily got off the island as you tell me." She says quietly which is when the front door opens and Sara and Oliver enter, Sara with her arm tight around Oliver's waist to keep her upright due to the pain in her side from where she'd only recently been shot.

Laurel is on her feet in an instant and races toward them to embrace them both, Sara stifles a cry of pain but they both hold Laurel close.

"What's this for?" Oliver questions as Laurel pulls back to look at them both.

"I'm just really glad you two are home, not just home here now but that you made it home from the island. That you saved each other. You know I forgive you both right." She says to them as Oliver and Sara glance over at Slade.

"What did you say to her?" Sara frowns.

"That you three had a chance to escape that hellish place before and that you didn't because you were too busy rescuing each other." Laurel tells them as Oliver and Sara look to Slade, who nods to them as they turn back to smile at Laurel, who reaches forward to take both of their hands.

"After everything you two did. I want you both to know that you. You made it up to me." She nods as they both beam at her, she squeezes both of their hands.

"We have news actually." Oliver reveals after a moment, Laurel frowning at him quizzically.

"The police called a few minutes ago. Edward Rasmus was arrested." Oliver states.

"Really? What happened?" Laurel looks at him in surprise.

"Apparently he confessed to everything. He's gonna go to prison for a long time. He won't be able to hurt anyone ever again." Sara explains.

"Why would he confess?" Laurel asks in confusion.

"I think one of the vigilantes were involved." Oliver notes.

"Good for them." Tommy cuts in as he appears in the room.

"So, I guess it's over." Laurel smiles.

"Yes. You're all safe now." Sara smiles back as Laurel unfortunately pulls her in for another hug, which is rather painful to Sara.

"Great. I'll go wake up Taylor." Tommy proclaims.

"No, Tommy. He's sleeping, he's been through a lot." Sara replies when Laurel finally releases her.

"Yeah, you three are all welcome to stay. There's enough room." Oliver adds, already guessing the reason why Tommy is itching to escape and it sadden him a bit.

"It's your call." He looks to Laurel eventually.

"Thank you guys. We'll stay if that's really ok." Laurel looks to them.

"Of course." Sara smiles as Laurel rubs her sisters shoulder lovingly as Oliver and Slade nod. Tommy glancing at the three with much suspicion but It's Laurel's choice…

 _Later…_

Once Laurel and Tommy have gone to lie down having both been on their feet all day with the promise they're all perfectly safe now and that Taylor is to.

Meanwhile, Oliver, Sara and Slade confer about the latest mission in the living room.

"So let me get this straight, you two split up?" Slade questions.

"Yes. Felicity said she'd got information that Rasmus was trying to escape the county and after everything he did we couldn't just let him go. So I decided to deal with him whilst Sara went to back up Diggle, unfortunately whilst I managed to bring Rasmus to justice. They were unable to take down Lawton." Oliver explains as Sara nods.

"He took out several ARGUS agents. I tried to take him down, turns out he had more weapons on him then I'd anticipated." Sara mutters as Oliver puts his arm around her shoulders as she winces at the pain in her side.

"Diggle's mad with us." She adds.

"You couldn't let that son of a bitch get away after what he'd done to that kid." Slade reminds them as Oliver nods.

"That's what we thought but Diggle thought we shouldn't have sidelined you…"

"He's right." Slade folds his arms.

"But we explained that you were here protecting the kid, which was a major priority because and even I've got to admit this but saving an innocent child's life is more important than for filling someone's vendetta. I want to help John take down Lawton. It just couldn't be helped." Sara sighs, Oliver nodding again.

 _SCPD_

Elsewhere, sitting in a bleak interrogation room is Edward Rasmus, who looks up in surprise when the door opens.

"Your lawyers here." The cop announces as in a matter of fact, the assassin enters the room instead of the supposed 'lawyer'.

"I'd like to discuss loose ends." He comments whilst opening his briefcase before straightening his jacket and sitting down.

"You didn't get my message." Rasmus leans forward to hiss.

"Forget about the Moore boy." He repeats.

"I've already confessed. That freak show in the hood told me he and his other freak show friends would kill me if I didn't." He growls.

"We need to make this meeting look legitimate. Lawyer stuff." The assassin practically ignores everything he's just been saying as he pulls out documents and a pen.

"Sign here please."

"Am I clear? Leave the boy alone." Rasmus grumbles as he reaches for the pen, only for the assassin to grab his hand and press down on a part of it.

"I wish I could but he's seen mg face, just like you." He says before releasing his hand.

"If you put pressure on just the right areas above the forearm like I just did to you, an embolism will form in the medial antebracial vein, when the air pocket reaches your heart in give or take fifteen seconds, you'll die." He explains in a matter of fact tone.

"It's relatively painless." He comments as he shuts the briefcase and gets to his feet.

"Oh." He turns back to face Rasmus for a moment.

"Nothing personal. We're done here." He calls to the cops as he exits the room, walking away with a smirk on his face as Rasmus begins to slowly choke from the oncoming embolism that had indeed taken a hold of him.

Having entered the precinct upon instinct, Thea Queen looks around for someone to ask about her idiot boyfriends whereabouts.

"Um, excuse me. I'm looking for my boyfriend. He's kind of a regular around here. Piercing blue eyes and may or may not have stolen a police radio." She asks an officer who nods.

"Yeah, that's him behind you." He replies as she turns around to see him chained to a chair.

"That's a nice look." She comments as she struts around to face him.

"What were you thinking?" She yells at him, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Quentin.

"Well if it isn't the wonder twins." He sighs sarcastically at them.

"He's very sorry for stealing the radio and he won't ever bug you or steal anything from you guys ever again." Thea says quickly, in an attempt to get Roy out of any punishment the police and Quentin have planned on for him.

"Both of you, come with me." He grumbles before chucking a set of keys at Roy, who unchains himself from the chair before getting up to follow Thea and Quentin, who takes them downstairs into the mortuary.

"What are we doing here?" Thea questions as Quentin looks to them.

"Well your boyfriend is so interested in the three vigilantes. I thought he might like to meet a few people who have already made their acquaintances!" He opens three draws to reveal three bodies.

"Oh god." Thea covers her mouth with her hands and tries not to throw up at the sight of the bodies as even Roy looks close to throwing up at the sight.

"Who were they?" He gulps through gritted teeth.

"Well that's the thing. When you're alive you get a name. When you wind up down here, you get a number meet numbers thirty four, five and six. See your pals the three vigilantes. They've already sent thirty six stiffs down here since they started their three people war. The Man In The Hood, shot thirty four in the chest with an arrow." He pulls out the arrow and sticks it into the body where The Man In The Hood had killed him.

"The Man In The Mask saw to thirty five, chopped off this guys legs before eventually slitting his throat." Quentin moves on to the next body, to reveal the guys missing legs and gaping throat wound. Thea closes her eyes in horror and disgust at the sight.

"And number thirty six belongs to The Woman In Black. See here, she has those batons and with them she crushed this guys skull and made his face practically no longer resemble anything human." Quentin explains. Thea turns to face the wall as Roy continues to stare.

"Maybe these guys deserved it." Roy shrugs his shoulders.

"Maybe they did." Quentin nods.

"But that's not how justice works. You see the three vigilantes. They don't have to answer to anyone but themselves and that's a very dangerous power to give to any three people." Quentin explains quietly.

"They saved my life." Roy retorts.

"How do you know tomorrow they won't just as easily take it?" He questions before shutting all three drawers.

"Get out of here." He snaps.

"Let's go, come on." Thea says as both she and Roy depart.

 _Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment_

Watching as Taylor sleeps peacefully, Laurel moves away from him to the door where Oliver and Sara stand, looking back at the sleeping child once more before Oliver closes the door behind her.

Walking into the corridor, Laurel leans against the wall and sighs.

"He's safe now Laurel." Sara speaks up.

"With a hard road ahead of him." She runs her fingers through her hair.

"Well, he's lucky to have you in his life." Oliver smiles at her as she looks to them.

"We know the feeling." Sara adds.

"When you two first got home, I didn't think that either of you had changed much, but you both have, so much and it's nice to see. It's wonderful to see actually and after what Slade said about what you two did to save one another, so you could get back home to us. Especially you Oliver, you had an opportunity to get out earlier but you went back for my sister and you both came home. Before you would never would have thought about anyone but yourself but you changed that, both of you did. Thank you for coming home to me, both of you. I love that I have both of you in my life." She admits as she pulls them both into a tight hug, never wanting to let them go again.

 _Meanwhile_

"I have a delivery van parked outside for Ms. Lance his ID checks out, we're sending him up." A voice comes though the radio as Mr. Robbins looks at it before getting up and moving toward the door.

"Thanks for the heads up." Robbins replies as he opens the front door, nodding when he sees the delivery boy out in the hall.

"For Ms. Lance?" He says as Robbins looks at him, the parcel in his shaking hands…

He pulls out his gun in an instant but both he and the delivery boy are suddenly shot down by the assassin who walks into the apartment with a smile.

"What a beautiful home." He comments, walking though the front door.

"Such pain here. A sense of loss and regret. You can feel it in the walls." He looks to his watch, counting down the seconds as suddenly the electrics blow, all lights shutting off.

"There's a lot more in these walls then you think." A gruff voice sounds as the assassin is suddenly apprehended by Slade, who moves toward him, brandishing a kitchen knife as the assassin opens fire.

 _Elsewhere_

Oliver and Sara release Laurel from their embrace when the lights abruptly shut off, looking around worriedly as Tommy suddenly appears and jogs toward them.

"Tommy." Sara yanks him toward them.

"You three stay here with Taylor." Oliver whispers as he turns to move to the stairs.

"Fuses blow all the time around here. Probably Slade messing with the electrics again. It's probably nothing." He shakes it off as Laurel, Tommy and Sara move back into the room where Taylor sleeps. Sara shuts the door and Oliver hears her lock it, just at the exact moments he hears gunshots. In an instant he takes toward the stairs.

Meanwhile, Laurel, Sara, Tommy and Taylor have heard the gunshots and Taylor has jumped into Laurel's arms, his arms tight around her, his head buried into her chest as Laurel holds him close, whilst Tommy and Sara look anxiously toward the door.

"He's here." Laurel whispers as they all hear more gunshots, Sara moves toward the door as fast as her injury will let her, breathing quick as even though she knows Oliver and Slade are a force to be reckoned with she still worries for them.

"Laurel, Laurel don't." Tommy grabs her arm as she gets up from the bed.

"No, Ollie and Slade are still out there."

 _Elsewhere_

Slade ducks as the assassin fires at him, a guard appearing on the stairs, firing his gun at the assassin, who simply shoots back and kills the guard in cold blood, Slade winces.

"Tell me where the child is?" The assassin calls to silence for several minutes.

"Very well, have it your way." He replies before firing his gun rapidly again, hoping to hit his target, whom moves behind the couch.

"Slade?" Oliver calls from the stairs as he races down them quickly, only for the assassin to turn toward him and fire his gun at Oliver instead, giving Slade enough chance to pull a concealed sword from underneath the couch as Oliver jumps over the rails to avoid being shot as the assassin fires relentlessly at both men.

"We're going to have to redecorate." Oliver grumbles as he finally reaches Slade's side.

"Ya think kid?" Slade retorts as they sense the assassin nearing them, Oliver attacks him from the side, kicking hard to force him into the middle of the room before jumping up and landing a punch and a kick as he tries to keep the assassin away from the stairs, whom seems what he's trying to do and moves that way, racing up a few of the steps before Oliver grabs a hold of the rail, jumping up to cut the assassin off before kicking him hard down the stairs, leaping down them himself as they engage in hand to hand combat.

"What happened to you two on that island?" The assassin grabs Oliver's arm and twists it.

"You're about to find out." Slade growls from behind as he ceremoniously runs the assassin through with his sword.

"You ok kid?" He looks to Oliver, who nods quickly.

"Think we're going to have to hide that." He looks down at the sword in Slade's hand.

"Because the kitchen knife looks so much better as a murder weapon." Slade smirks.

"This time yes." Oliver laughs as Slade returns the sword to back under the couch where he had retrieved it and instead grabs the kitchen knife had left and coats it in the assassins blood. The sword might bring unwanted questions they really don't need.

"Where's Sara?" Slade wonders.

"She's safe. She's upstairs with Laurel, Tommy and Taylor." Oliver says before jogging up the stairs, toward the room, knocking on the door.

"Sara, Laurel, Tommy. It's me, it's over. It's all over now." Oliver vows as seconds later Sara opens the door and pulls him into an embrace.

"What happened?" Tommy looks to him.

"Where's Slade?" Laurel calls from the bed where she's still holding Taylor.

"The assassin was here. Mr. Robbins and a few of his men were unfortunately killed but thankfully Slade was able to apprehend him." Oliver admits as Laurel and Tommy fall silent as Sara looks up at Oliver.

"He's ok, right?" She says as Oliver nods and kisses the top of her head.

"We're all safe."

 _Later…_

"Death by kitchen knife. I'm impressed." Quentin comments, with one arm around Sara as the last of the three bodies are bagged and taken away.

"He was shooting at us all. Mr. Robbins and his men were real heroes, they held him off from getting to me, Sara Laurel, Tommy and the kid." Oliver nods respectively.

"They were and thanks to Slade no one else was killed. I mean I honestly don't know what to say to you Slade. You've saved both my daughters again. There's no words to express how grateful I am. Thank god we have you around." Quentin nods with a slight smile toward Slade, whom gives Quentin a half smile in return.

"No problem, I'll always protect them." Slade vows with a glance to Oliver and Sara, who both smile at him.

"We protect each other." Sara says softly.

"Yeah but let's try to stay out of danger at all possible costs." Quentin adds quickly as he hugs Sara for the umpteenth time in the last half hour.

"Ok, I've got enough details for the report. We'll get out of you hair. I'll see you later Sara. Give your sister my love." He says, Laurel having stayed upstairs with Taylor so he wouldn't have to witness anything that would traumatise the poor child any more, before releasing her and heading toward the door.

"Let's go!" He calls to his men, who all head out of the apartment.

"How are we going to get this out of the carpet." Sara winces with a glance to all the blood staining the carpet.

"By praying to god." Oliver mutters as Tommy moves towards the three of them.

"Got something to say?" Slade grumbles.

"Thank you for what you did. You protected us." Tommy says through gritted teeth with a glance to Oliver.

"I mean, I'm sure Oliver you must have aided in taking that guy down but we can't say that can we to Laurel. We tell her that the guards gave their lives defending us, when in reality they were probably killed the minute that guy broke in here and even if that madman had somehow managed to get passed you and Slade. He wouldn't have been a match for Sara, she would have taken him out and what would we have told Laurel then? That you've been taking self defence classes? Another lie." Tommy trails off.

"Yes because she is never, ever going to know our secret." Oliver says firmly.

"I know." Tommy retorts to silence from the three.

"I know and I don't know how to be with Laurel knowing the entire time that I've got to keep lying to her day in, day out about all of this." He growls.

"Tommy." Sara starts.

"No. I can't. I can't do this to her, looking at her every day knowing that I know her friends whom she trusts, that little sister whom she loves so much is a vigilante, a murderer…"

"Tommy." Oliver growls threateningly as he and Slade advance on him slowly.

"Gonna punch me again? What excuse should I use this time? I tripped and fell down the stairs? No. I can't do this anymore." Tommy mutters as he turns to walk away.

"Laurel doesn't deserve that."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment: Next Day_

Taylor Moores grandparents had finally been tracked down from Melbourne and have arrived at Laurel's at lunchtime to pick him up, to be the child's guardians so that he would not be put into care.

For being their for Taylor to prevent him from being put into care until they finally got to him, his grandparents are eternally grateful toward Laurel for everything she did, which they express to her greatly.

"Thank you for everything you tried to do for Eric and Nancy and for keeping Taylor safe." The grandmother thanks her as Laurel smiles.

"Come here." She bends down to wrap Taylor Moore into one final hug, who hugs her tightly in response.

"You keep being a good boy, ok?" She whispers to him as he nods and hugs her tight until she finally lets him go, watching him with tear filled eyes as he leaves with his grandparents.

Holding back tears, Laurel turns around to see if she can find Tommy.

She needs to talk to him, after all they've been through she just needs him to hold her in his arms and never let go.

She needs to tell him something.

Something really important that she means with all of her heart.

"Tommy, I really need to talk to you." She whispers through her tears as she turns to see him, walking toward her, a bag in hand, his coat in another. Laurel looks at it in shock, surprise and deep confusion.

"What's that for?" She looks up at him as then it's Tommy who looks down.

"It's my stuff." He admits, eventually looking up to her.

Laurel looks at him and shakes her head still in confusion.

"What's going on?" She says, her voice shaking with tears.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for the kind of commitment that you're looking for. I don't want to hurt you in the long run, so…"

"Wait." Laurel cuts him off, shaking still as she walks toward him.

"We both almost lost our lives and I'm emotional too but you can't be serious."

"This is me serious, Laurel." Tommy mutters, trying to keep the tears from his own eyes at what he's doing but he has to do this.

She needs to be with someone who won't lie to her like he is.

He loves her. He loves her more than words but because he loves her he knows that he has to let her go.

"What?" Laurel cries.

"But it doesn't make any sense. I mean, why, why now?" She whispers in complete disbelief.

"Why even at all?" She says and Tommy looks at her straight in the eye before taking a deep breath. If he's going to convince her he has to break her heart. The one thing he never, ever thought he could possibly do to her but there's no other choice, he can't be with her and lie.

He has to let her go.

"I thought I wanted this, you. The other night made me realise I don't." He says, trying to sound as detached as he possibly can, whilst his own heart breaks at the sight of seeing Laurel cry.

"You're lying." She trembles as the tears run down her cheeks.

"I am not a liar." He retorts.

Telling her he doesn't want her will be the greatest lie of his life but it's better compared to all the lies he'd been keeping from her about her sister, her friends if he continued to stay with her. This is better than that.

"If you've changed and I know that you've changed. Then you would… You would never do this." She says though her tears.

"Then I guess I haven't changed as much as we all thought then." Tommy finishes before heading out of the door for the last time as Laurel falls to her couch in floods and flood of tears, sobbing which is what Tommy can hear as he walks down the corridor, closing his eyes as the tears begin to fall from his eyes at the sound of Laurel's heart wrenching sobs as he walks away from the woman he loves.

For her sake, not looking back once...

 _Somewhere In The Glades_

"I know." Roy says once Thea is at his side.

"You think I'm an idiot." She smirks and chuckles.

"I always thought you were an idiot. Now I think you're brain dead."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Roy agrees with a smile of his own.

"Look, I. I don't understand this Roy. Why is finding the three vigilantes so important to you?" She admits.

"I just can't stop replaying that night in my head. The night I got kidnapped by that psycho. I just. I thought I was going to die." He reveals.

"But you didn't." Thea protests.

"Yeah, because of them." He reminds her.

"Roy, you don't owe them anything." She continues to protest.

"You're wrong. I. I owe them everything. I can't go back to the way things were, Thea. I can't just go back to being nothing. You're the one that keeps telling me I can be better than who I am and this is my chance to be." He explains as Thea looks at him in confusion.

"I can't explain it. It feels like my life is connected to theirs." Thea nods and sighs as she takes in the information before turning to Roy.

"So let's find them." Roy looks to her in an instant.

"I can tell this means the world to you and you mean the world to me. So let's find them, you and me together. Vigilantes here we come!" She cheers as Roy just chuckles and pulls her into his arms.

 _The Foundry_

Diggle is sitting at the desk in The Foundry when he hears footsteps approaching him.

"Was hoping you'd be here." Oliver calls.

"I want the four of us to get back on the same page." He admits.

"Oliver the four of us are not even in the same book. Not anymore." He grumbles.

"We just did what we thought we had to do." Sara sighs to momentary silence from Diggle.

"Just like I'm doing what I have to do. We're done." He mutters as he gets to his feet, moving past Oliver and Sara.

"Don't do this." Oliver sighs.

"The only thing you two have got to stop me from going out that door is arrows and batons." Diggle retorts before simply walking away from them.

"Hey." Felicity calls as she passes him, Diggle ignores her,

"Where's he going?" She turns to Oliver and Sara, who say nothing in response.

"What did you two do?" She folds her arms.

"Let's get back to work." Oliver murmurs.

"Where's Slade?" Is Felicity's next question.

"He's coming, he was talking to some friend of his on the phone." Sara answers that question as Felicity nods as Oliver scoffs.

"Friend. That's one way to put it."

"Well we haven't met her yet." Sara shrugs.

"Do you think he would have told us if Thea hadn't have brought it up?" Oliver queries.

"It's Slade, probably not." Sara smiles as Felicity just frowns at the two of them, before smiling and making her way up the stairs again.

 _Verdant_

"Hey." Felicity soft voice calling causes Slade to look up from where he's sitting at the bar, glancing over at her as she approaches him.

"You ok?" She asks kindly.

"I'm fine." He replies kind of sharply but Felicity ignores his tone of voice.

"You sure about that? Because I personally don't think you've been yourself for the past few days and considering your up here instead of downstairs with us suggests whatever is that's bothering you still is." Felicity notes.

"Or I could be up here because I'm waiting for someone." He retorts.

"Or there's that of course." Felicity says, touching her glasses nervously as Slade manages to smirk at her and pulls out a stool for her to sit on.

"Look Slade, whatever happened with ARGUS. I know whatever it was it was bad. Considering how you've been it was probably really bad…" She trails off when Slade gives her a glance which she doesn't know means that he's annoyed at her or something.

"It's not a pretty story." He grumbles after a moment of awkward silence.

"I guessed and you don't owe any of us an explanation about it. I don't need to know what happened Slade, you can tell me whenever you're ready to, or not at all. It doesn't bother me that I don't know what happened. I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk about it I'm a good listener." She says with a slight smile as Slade looks down at the surface of the bar, a sad look in his eyes.

"When that thing happened with The Saviour, you told me that if I ever needed to talk to someone about my day, I could talk to you and I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to about yours or anything that's bothering you, someone who isn't Oliver or Sara. I'm available... I mean I'm not available, available. I mean I am available but I meant that I'm available to talk to and I'm babbling again." Felicity buries her head in her hands as Slade laughs at her quietly.

"Thank you." He murmurs genuinely as Felicity looks up and smiles at him.

"You're welcome. I just thought you should know that no matter what happened you don't have to go through it alone. I mean I know you have Oliver and Sara but…"

"Hey Slade." An unfamiliar female voice to Felicity calls, both she and Slade turning around to face the woman approaching them.

"Lisa." Slade smiles slightly as she reaches them.

"You ok Slade? You look almost as miserable as you did yesterday." She comments, resting her hand on his shoulder, he gives her another half smile.

"It doesn't matter. I'm a'right now. Someone just reminded me of something a friend of mine once said to me." He looks to Felicity with a genuine smile as Lisa glances at her also.

"Um Felicity Smoak, IT technician." Felicity introduces herself slightly nervously again.

"Lisa." Lisa replies silence passing between the two for a moment before she looks to Slade.

"Coming?" She smirks as he gets to his feet, turning to follow her, yet turns back to Felicity once more.

"Felicity." He calls her name causing her to look toward him again.

"Thank you." She smiles back.

"Anytime." She eventually calls back as they head toward the door, Felicity watching as they walk away together.

Felicity frowns, she doesn't know what but something to her just feels a slight bit off about Slade's friend Lisa…

"Probably nothing to worry about." She muses as she suddenly buries her head in her hands in complete despair.

"And now I'm talking to myself."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Slade Wilson sharpens his collection of swords with much vigour as he hears footsteps entering the plane from behind him, he doesn't even look around._

 _"So how did our Robin Hood do? As expected?" He mutters without a look to Shado, whom also seems happy to stay on the other side of the plane to Slade as Oliver throws the bow down and sits down with Sara._

 _"So back to the drawing board we go." Slade grumbles. Shado looks to say something as he turns back to sharpening his swords, both Oliver and Sara making gestures at her for her to talk to him, she sighs at them before stepping quietly over toward Slade._

 _"Slade…" She is cut off by the sound of rustling from outside, the four of them getting to their feet armed with anything in their reach as suddenly Yao Fei enters the plane._

 _"Yao Fei!" Oliver practically cheers as Shado cries something in Chinese, dropping her weapons before throwing herself into father's arms as Oliver and Slade walk toward one another. Oliver's hand tight in Sara's as Shado eventually pulls away from her father._

 _"How did you escape?" Slade mutters sharply._

 _"I didn't." He admits as suddenly the plane is overrun with Fyers' men, all armed with guns that are all aimed at the four._

 _Yao Fei had betrayed them._

 _"You son of a bitch!" Slade snarls but one of the men smash their gun into his face, knocking him to the floor._

 _"Hey!" Oliver finds himself defending Slade and actually bending down to his aid with Sara as Yao Fei approaches the four._

 _"Your time in this island is at an end."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next update should be really soon. Thanks again for all of you who have followed, reviewed and favourited this story.**


	62. The Undertaking (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Two**

 _Starling City_

"Call Cayman Fidelity. Tell them their favourite account is flying in to make a special deposit for a special client." A man, Harold Bachman turns to two other men as he stacks money and places it in a briefcase. The three frowning when they hear the sound of the elevator.

"That elevator's supposed to be on a key." He says in a worried tone.

"Go, check it out." He says to the men hurriedly as one takes the briefcase as they both head towards the elevator nervously, only for the three vigilantes to leap down from the ceiling, knocking down one of the men. The Man In The Hood holding up the silver briefcase that the man drops as shield for the three against the bullets the other man fires at them, until he runs out of them and the three vigilantes emerge from behind the case, engaging the man in brief combat before The Man In The Mask subsequently runs him through with his sword, just as Harold Bachman, whom upon hearing the commotion had grabbed his laptop and had been preparing to make an escape when the body of one of his men hits the floor as the three vigilantes come into view. He freezes in place.

"Harold Bachman. You have failed this city." The Man In The Hood snarls as he wraps his hand around the man's throat, pushing him into the wall, The Woman In Black with her baton raised and The Man In The Mask with his sword outstretched.

"I'm only an accountant." He protests whilst hugging his laptop to him.

"I'm just the money." He says fearfully.

"Yeah the money. The money that leads to extortion, kidnapping, drugs. It's structured of innocent lives." The Man In The Mask bellows.

"You think you three scare me more than the people I work for?" He replies.

"No." The Man In The Hood replies as he pulls away.

"They can deal with you." The Woman In Back hisses as The Man In The Hood slams his fist into the man's face, snatching up the laptop as the three walk away.

 _The Foundry_

Upon returning to The Foundry, Oliver chucks the laptop the three of them had retrieved from Harold Bachman at Felicity as he lowers his hood.

"Hm. Let me guess, some bad guy missing his fancy new laptop?" She smiles as she sets to plugging it in to their main computer.

"Harold Bachman. He's who's Starling City's worst call when they win a lot of money in the Caymans." Sara explains as Felicity looks down at the laptop.

"Pretty sure we should just turn this over to, I don't know, the IRS." She looks to them.

"We will, just as soon as you return the money to the rightful owners." Oliver tells her as she types in a few commands.

"Well that sounds like a very nice idea. Bachman's files are all protected with an asymmetric encryption algorithm." She murmurs as she types.

"Really?" Slade looks to her as Oliver friend.

"So that means it's going to take a while to break in?" He queries.

"Days at least." She admits.

"Better get started then." Slade pats her shoulder as the three of them move away from the computer to remove their vigilante uniforms.

Felicity looks at the computer for a moment before sighing before turning to the thee.

"At the risk of ending up with an arrow in my eye… Ooh that wasn't a good thing to say, so so sorry." Felicity babbles when Slade glances to her, smirking when she finishes babbling.

"Felicity, it's a'right." He assures her.

"Ok. I just remembered you don't have an eye and you know I didn't think and I didn't want you to you know, start having bad memories or something considering you somehow lost your eye and three, two, one." She says to herself to stop herself from babbling.

"What was your question originally?" Oliver says.

"Yeah. I was just wondering when are the three of you planning on making peace with it?" She says carefully, referring to Diggle.

"He's the one who left Felicity." Oliver reminds her.

"Good riddance I say, we never needed him in the first place. Told ya that kid all the way back to when you decided to be an idiot and involve him. We were doing fine as we were." Slade voices his opinion as he moves to put his sword away.

"You say that, yet you recruited me." Felicity says in a small voice.

"Ahh now that was different." Slade retorts.

"How so?" Felicity continues.

"Matter of life or death." Slade replies.

"So was when we recruited Diggle." Sara reminds him.

"Yeah but it was his life at risk, not one of ours. Not really a matter of life or death." Slade says with a smirk as Sara slaps his arm playfully.

"We did everything we could to stop him." Oliver sighs.

"Except apologise." Felicity says to silence them.

"You promised you'd help him track down Floyd Lawton and whilst Sara actually went to back him up, you weren't there…"

"I made a choice that I can live with." Oliver cuts her off with a glance to Slade and Sara.

"If he can't then we don't need him."

"Smart decision, kid." Slade smirks as he moves past him.

"Guys." Felicity sighs in exasperation.

"We need to get back to the club and let us know when you break in." Oliver cuts her off again as the three leave her.

"I wish someone would send me off to the Caymans." Felicity mutters.

 _Verdant_

"Urgh I wish Tommy was still here." Oliver groans as he looks at a bunch of paperwork he is dealing with, shared between him and Slade.

"Am I the only one who's glad he isn't?" Slade retorts.

"Yeah. You are." Oliver grumbles.

"He's objectionable." Slade mutters.

"I'm sure he's thinking the same of you." Oliver sighs.

"Without a doubt, he's probably planning your murder." She smirks.

"He'd probably screw that up." Slade smirks back.

"You know, imagine if had been different, Tommy's reaction to us being the vigilantes." Sara notes as Oliver and Slade frown at her, Slade in particular not knowing if he actually wants to hear the explanation to this.

"What do you mean?" Oliver queries.

"I mean like, what if he'd supported it. What if he'd wanted to join us?" Sara smirks sarcastically, knowing full well Tommy would never, ever join them. They'd never let him. whilst trying not to burst out laughing at the look upon Slade's face.

"Yeah the four vigilantes!" Oliver plays along with a laugh.

"What weapon do you think Tommy would use?" Sara laughs.

"No, the real question is what would his codename be? I mean I was thinking 'Wizard' you know to go with him being a Merlyn." Oliver sniggers.

"No way. There is no way…" Slade starts furiously, cut off as his phone starts to vibrate.

"Who's that?" Sara questions as Slade looks to it, seeing a message from Lisa.

"Friend of mine." Slade smirks before getting to his feet and placing sliding his stack of paperwork in half before putting one half on Oliver's and one half on Sara's.

"Hey!" They both protest but Slade's already out the door.

 _Moments Later…_

"Hey." Lisa smiles from where she's leaning against the door.

"It's nice to see you."

"Likewise." Slade replies.

"Told Lenny you'd go have a drink with him later." Lisa notes.

"Did you now?" Slade glances to her.

"Yeah. You know, he'd never admit this in a million years but he misses you. You're really the only friend he's had in a very long time." She informs him as Slade gives her a half smile.

"Same can be said for me to, you're the only friend I've had in a while." She smirks as they head outside to where a motorcycle is parked near his own, deep gold almost glittery in the light.

"Nice ride." Slade comments as Lisa runs a gloved hand over it.

"What can I say, I do love the colour gold." She smirks as Slade heads over to his own.

"Gold suits you." He notes.

"Race you back to your place?" Lisa says with a grin as she mounts her bike.

"It's on." Slade retorts as he mounts his own bike as the two race off into the distance faster than the speed of light.

 _Queen Mansion_

"Yes I know it's been six months but…" Moira Queen trails off as she yells at someone down the phone, momentary silence passing.

"I am very well aware of the statistics but I haven't give up hope and neither should you!" She snaps down the phone as Thea strolls in, whom had popped back to Queen Mansion to get some laundry done considering Slade had broken their washing machine back home.

"That didn't sound too good." She comments.

"Oh it's fine." Moira assures her.

"Who were you talking to?" She asks softly.

"Oh, just the insurance company. They insist on paying out Walter's life insurance policy." She admits as Thea folds her arms.

"I, I know we haven't talked about Walter in awhile but, I, I miss him too. It's like losing dad all over again." She admits sadly as Moira just pulls her daughter into a tight embrace…

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"You look radiant." Malcolm had said when Moira had opened the door._

 _"Flatterer." She replies as they move to kiss each others cheeks._

 _"I think you're the last to arrive." She notes as they link arms._

 _"How's Tommy?" She enquires._

 _"Tommy is Tommy." Malcolm sighs._

 _"How's Oliver?"_

 _"Still in bed. It's only noon." They laugh as they head into the living room._

 _"Well look who I just found." Moira calls as they both enter the living room._

 _"Get lost trying to find the house?" Robert Queen comments as he moves forward to embrace Malcolm._

 _"Ah, you say that as if your driveway's not longer than most roads!" He chuckles._

 _"Can I get anyone anything else?" Moira asks politely._

 _"Frank?" She turns to Frank Chen._

 _"We're fine dear thank you." Robert cuts her off as the doorbell rings again._

 _"Oh excuse me." Moira calls as she heads to open the door, getting their and opening it she finds Walter Steele on her doorstep._

 _"Hello, Mrs. Queen. I'm sorry to bother you at home." He apologises._

 _"Oh, no, no, no, don't be silly Walter. Come in please." She lets him in._

 _"You're here to see Robert?" She asks._

 _"Yes, there's just some papers he needs to sign for the stock offering." He explains._

 _"Well he's in some private meeting right now but you're welcome to wait for him in his study." She says kindly._

 _"Thank you." He notes._

 _"Unless you'd like to help me get my children out of the house. You don't have children, do you Walter?" She smiles as she jogs up the stairs._

 _"Not yet I'm afraid." He replies._

 _"Well save yourself the trouble and don't. They eventually all turn into teenagers." She smirks before disappearing up the steps._

 _Meanwhile In The Living Room_

 _"Adam Hunt was reluctant at first but was more cooperative upon being informed with knew about his embezzlement." Frank Chen explains as he walks to sit down._

 _"The police communication system could use an upgrade." Robert suggests._

 _"I think Mr. Hunt can be persuaded to make an anonymous donation." Frank states._

 _"Well, that will certainly cure what ails this city." Malcolm mutters resentfully as he gets up and moves toward the window._

 _"What's that Malcolm?" Robert frowns._

 _"We're emptying the Atlantic with a tablespoon. For years we've been forcing the city's worst to do what is best, leverage them to help us save the city but it's not working." He reveals as he slams a small note book with a strange symbol on it upon the table._

 _"Crime in The Glades is rising. The cancer is spreading." Malcolm snaps._

 _"We just need to take some more time." Robert reasons._

 _"Did Rebecca get more time?" He shouts._

 _"Did the man who raped Frank's daughter give her any quarter?" He indicates to Frank, who looks away as he remembers the horror that had befallen his daughter._

 _"Everyone in this room has lost something or someone to The Glades and we have committed ourselves to fixing it." He reminds them as he paces the room._

 _"But really, what have we truly accomplished? Nothing." He snaps as he looks around the room at those who are silent._

 _"Maybe it's because The Glades can't be fixed." Robert looks to Malcolm at his words._

 _"You're saying that we should abandon the project?" Frank frowns._

 _"Yes, in favour of a new Undertaking." He reveals as everyone starts to murmur and Robert Queen looks away._

 _"Like Ben Tre in Vietnam. The village must be destroyed before it can be saved." He states._

 _"Are you suggesting that we somehow level The Glades?" Robert wonders._

 _"Down to the bedrock." Malcolm hisses._

 _"Only then can we truly rebuild Starling City and make it safer for everyone." He proclaims._

 _"That's twenty four square blocks." Robert notes._

 _"And even if we did, I mean. I'm not saying we should but if we did wouldn't suspicion fall on us?" Frank holds his hands up._

 _"Not if the destruction appears to be caused by a natural disaster." Malcolm smiles._

 _"You've always had something of a god complex, Malcolm. It's part of your charm. But even you can't create a natural disaster." Robert smirks at the very notion._

 _"Have any of you ever heard of Unidac Industries?" He queries as around the room people begin to shake their heads._

 _"It's a small company. They have an idea, an idea that will serve our purposes." He smiles._

 _"My sources tell me that they're five years away from a prototype and any Undertaking of value is worthy of patience." Malcolm informs them._

 _"And restraint." Robert retorts._

 _"One man alone can't save this city, Robert." Malcolm reminds him._

 _"We both know that."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting. Next chapter should be up soon. Thanks again for reading.**


	63. The Undertaking (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Three**

 _Verdant_

Laurel Lance sits sadly at the bar in Verdant, holding a mug of coffee to her lips as tears threaten to fall from her eyes again, her fingers shaking as she puts down the mug.

"Of all the gin joins in all the towns in all the world she walks into ours." Oliver's voice calls and he and Sara enter and walk behind the bar from where they were in the office, finally having finished off the paperwork.

"What's wrong Laurel?" Sara asks in a soft voice upon seeing the depressed look upon her sisters face as she eventually looks up at them.

"This coffees terrible guys." She murmurs.

"Well that's what you get for ordering coffee at a bar." He smirks at her before seeing her sad face, Sara moving closer toward her sister in response.

"You look tired, Laurel. Going to tell me what's wrong?" She asks again.

"Too much work?" Oliver asks kindly.

"Too much crying." She admits, trembling as she says so.

"Tommy… Tommy broke up with me." She says in a heartbroken voice as Sara and Oliver freeze in shock at Laurel's words.

"Ohh Laurel. I'm so sorry." Sara whispers as she leaps over the bar to embrace her sister, who buries her head into Sara's shoulder as she tries to keep the tears from falling again as Sara holds her, both she and Oliver knowing how much Tommy means to Laurel and both wondering if they should suit up right now and give Tommy a talking to, vigilante style.

He might already know who they are, but with Slade on their side as well they're pretty sure they could put the fear of god into him for causing Laurel evidentially this much pain.

"What happened?" Oliver decides to ask gently and careful of how he speaks.

"I have no idea." She admits through more tears as Sara holds her and calmly stroke her older sisters hair to comfort her in anyway.

"Things were good. They were great. I was about to tell him that I…" Laurel trails off, more tears spilling from her eyes at the thought of the words she was about to say to Tommy just before he ended things with her.

"Then suddenly, he's packing up his things and telling me that it's over." She whimpers as Sara just continues to hold her.

"You should have called me." Sara says in a gentle voice.

"I. I wanted to but calling you. It. It would have made it all real." She whispers as she tightens her arms around Sara before looking to Oliver.

"Did he say anything to you?" She whispers as even Sara looks to him as well.

"No, Tommy and I haven't talked very much since he quit Verdant but he'll come around. It's probably just cold feet." Oliver tries to smile at her.

"Like it was with you?" She replies before sniffing.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to bring this up but Oliver, you don't just sleep with your girlfriends sister unless you're looking to blow the relationship up." She reminds him.

"Look. If you still want to be with Tommy, talk to each other and be honest." Oliver suggest as Sara nods.

"I know how much you care for him and how much he cares for you so talking might help things." Sara encourages her as Laurel nods, still wrapped in her sisters arms.

"But right now, you and me are going to seen the day together back at my place, we're going to eat junk food and we're going to catch up on some movies or TV series I've probably missed out on over the past five years. Just you and me. Sounds good?" Sara looks to her sister, whom nods gratefully.

"Sara, Oliver, I need to show you what…" Felicity's voice chimes as she enters the room, stopping when she sees the scene in front of her.

"I totally just walked in on something I shouldn't, didn't I?" She winces.

"I'm sorry, uh, who are you?" Laurel asks as she looks up at at Felicity.

"Ah nobody. I mean, I'm not nobody. I'm someone obviously. I'm a friend of your sister and Oliver and you're Laurel, right?" Felicity babbles.

"This is Felicity. She's setting up out Internet." Oliver explains with a smile.

"Router and I need to show Oliver and Sara something very important related to it." She says in explanation.

"I'll let you two go then." Laurel says as she finally releases her sister.

"Thank you both for the coffee and the advice." She notes as she gets off her stool.

"Wait for me." Sara calls as as follows her sister.

"Just me and you remember? And I'm sure Oliver is perfectly capable of helping Felicity with the router himself. Why don't you call Slade if you need a third person?" Sara suggests as both Oliver and Felicity nod.

"Great! I'll see you guys later." Sara smiles as she kisses Oliver's cheek in farewell before following after her sister.

 _The Foundry_

"Tell me you got in!" Oliver calls as he jogs down the staircase after Felicity.

"Better. I had Cayman Fidelity put together a list of all the deposits Bachman made last year…"

"Felicity, what good does that do us if we don't know who's money it was?" Oliver snaps.

"Look at the biggest deposit Bachman made last year." She hands him a sheet of paper.

"Bottom page." She notes.

"Two million dollars on Dec…" Oliver trails off as it hits him.

"December twelfth. That's…"

"The day Walter disappeared." Felicity reminds him as she moves toward the computer.

"What if one of Bachman's clients was paid two million to kidnap Walter?" Felicity suggests as Oliver looks to her.

"Then we find out which client it was and use them to find Walter."

 _Oliver, Sara and Slade's Apartment_

"Thanks for doing this with me today Sara. You shouldn't have had to cancel your plans for me." Laurel says in a small voice as she and Sara walk up the stairs, Laurel's hand tight in her sisters as they walk.

"Of course I did, you're my sister and I love you." Sara reaffirms as Laurel manages a smile.

"Besides between you and and setting up the Internet... Sorry internet router." Sara corrects herself causing Laurel to smirk.

"I'd choose you every time." Sara assures her.

"She was sweet, that Felicity." Laurel comments.

"I know, she's cute isn't she?" Sara smiles.

"So how did you and Ollie meet her?" Laurel asks.

"Ohh the three of us met when we were trying to get Ollie's computer fixed, she's brilliant with technology and ever since, if we ever needed something technical sorting out we'd just call on Felicity and she'd be there in a flash." Sara explains.

"Well that sounds like a good friend to have. I think I remember a time when Oliver didn't even know how to switch on a computer without causing damage to it!" Laurel smiles before laughing.

"And I remember that time when we were using one and Tommy thought the best way of fixing it would be to hit it with a cable and ended up breaking the screen…" She trails off sadly as she thinks of Tommy, her Tommy…

"Hey, hey don't think about that ok?" Sara squeezes her hand as finally reaching the last set of steps up to the top apartment, they suddenly bump into a pretty brunette.

"Hi, you must be Sara, right?" The woman notes as she looks between Sara and Laurel.

"Yeah, that's me. Sorry, who are you?" Sara frowns.

"Lisa. Slade's told me about you." The woman, Lisa replies as she shakes Sara's hand.

Yeah, he's never said anything about you, Sara thinks before its hits her and her eyes widen.

"Ohh so you're his mystery woman my boyfriends sister was telling me about the other day." Sara realises.

"I suppose I am." Lisa replies.

"I wondered when he was going to get around to introducing me and Ollie to you. This is my sister Laurel." Sara introduces her, who smiles at Lisa who nods and smiles back.

"Well it was nice to meet you both. I better get going. See you around." She smirks at them before moving past to head down the stairs.

"So you never met her before?" Laurel whispers once she's gone.

"Nope." Sara replies as they finally reach the apartment, the door is unlocked and they both head in.

"You sit down and I'll make you some decent coffee." Sara notes.

"Yeah that stuff in the club was a bit urgh." Laurel shudders.

"We probably need to get a new coffee machine but as Ollie said. Who really orders coffee in a club." She sniggers as she moves toward the kitchen, Slade appearing moments later from the top of the stairs.

"Hey." Sara calls as he walks down the stairs .

"You heading out?" She asks.

"Oliver just called me, said you'd be staying here." Slade replies before greeting Laurel.

"Yeah. I figured I needed to spend the day with my sister. Is it ok if I tell him?" Sara looks to Laurel who nods.

"Sure, I know you three don't like to keep things from each other." Laurel nods.

"You know I think five minutes ago proved that wrong." Sara notes as Slade looks at her in mild confusion as Sara gives him a 'it shall be discussed in a moment look'.

"Tommy broke up with her." She reveals as Slade raises an eyebrow as Sara gives him another glance, which basically says 'don't voice your opinion on Tommy'.

"If you want me to beat him up for you Laurel, you just have to ask." He ends up saying, causing Sara to bury her head in her hands as Laurel actually smiles.

"Thanks Slade. I don't think beating him up is going to be necessary though."

"So. Lisa's nice." Sara smirks at him as he glances to her.

"You met her then?" Slade replies.

"Yes we did. When were you going to introduce us?" Sara smiles as Slade just rolls his eye at her before heading for the door.

"See ya later." Slade smirks in farewell before shutting the door behind him. Sara rolls her own eyes in the direction of the door before returning to Laurel.

"Here, hopefully this tastes better." She puts a mug of coffee in her hands.

"Thank you." Laurel nods as Sara sits beside her.

"I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about but I'm curious and I'm wondering if you tell me then I could give you some advice on how to proceed." Sara speaks up as Laurel looks to her.

"About what?" She asks in a quiet voice.

"Well earlier you said to me and Ollie that you were going to tell Tommy something, what was it?" Sara asks as Laurel puts her mug down, silent for a moment.

"I was…" She trails off as Sara puts an arm around her sisters shoulders.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. I mean, come on Ollie and I were the ones who basically forced you to admit your feelings for Tommy." Sara reminds her as Laurel smiles.

"Because we knew how much you care for him and how much he made things better for you after what Ollie and I did and that we thought you really wanted to be with him and he you." Sara says softly as Laurel looks up at her.

"I was going to tell him that I love him." Laurel admits.

"Tell him that, go to him and tell him that now." Sara exclaims.

"Sara." Laurel sighs.

"No Laurel, you love him. He needs to hear you say that because I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. Trust me, Ollie was right you need to talk to him." She squeezes her sisters hands as Laurel winces.

"Are you sure Sara. I don't…"

"Laurel. You love him. That is something he needs to know." She smiles as Laurel sighs.

"I don't know how to tell him now."

"Of course you do. Just tell him Laurel, perhaps sooner than later though." She suggests before wrapping her arms around her sister once more.

"But give or take it a few hours." Sara smiles again.

"I did promise it would be just me and you." This time, Laurel smiles back.

 _The Foundry_

"Ok back trace the account, follow the money. Hopefully it will lead us to whoever kidnapped Walter." Oliver comments.

"After all this time, you think he's even still alive?" Slade notes with his arms folded as Felicity stops typing to look at them both anxiously.

"I don't know." Oliver replies.

"It has been over six months, from experience back when I was in the ASIS, I know that's never normally a good sign." Slade admits.

"Let's not think like that right now, ok?" Felicity whispers in a quiet voice before looking to the her computer.

"Got it. Dominic Alonzo." Felicity pulls up a picture as Oliver groans.

"Name ring any bells?" She wonders.

"Yeah. Alonzo runs the biggest underground casino in Starling City when he's not busy kidnapping." Oliver explains.

"He looks like the kind of low life someone would hire to kidnap Walter." Felicity glares at the screen before turning back to Oliver and Slade.

"How many arrows and swords do you think you two will have to put in him before he gives up Walter's location? Say a lot." She queries.

"It's not that simple." Oliver sighs as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Think it is, we find the son of a bitch and I give or take it a few minutes before you and I can get a location out of him." Slade retorts.

"Thar would be good but Slade. That casino of his has its own private army. We need to access Alonzo's computer but without setting off any alarms, which we definitely would." Oliver mutters.

"It looks like we're going to need all the help we can get then. I mean, unless you're going to call in Sara it's just you and Slade considering there's no one else we could call…" Felicity trails off, indirectly mentioning Diggle.

"That's enough. The three of us can do this on our own." Oliver says in a sharp tone.

"Well then, looks like someone's going gambling tonight." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Those guys would make us the minute we walked in there. Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson would never be caught dead in a place like that." Oliver sighs as Slade nods.

"Too well known with the public but no one really knows much about me. Could work, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver shakes his head.

"No it wouldn't work." Oliver says to him as Felicity gets their attention again.

"I wasn't talking about you three." Felicity replies as Oliver and Slade catch on.

"No. Absolutely not." Slade growls sharply as Oliver nods in agreement.

"No way."

"I can count cards." She protests.

"It's all probability and mathematics. Have either of you met me?" She frowns as Oliver and Slade both glare at her.

"Look, bottom line, I know my way around a casino…"

"Felicity, we're not about to let you walk in…" Slade starts yet Felicity gets to her feet.

"Slade, Oliver. The reason I joined the three of you in the first place was to find Walter and for the first time we have a real chance at finding him!" Felicity snaps firmly as Oliver and Slade still don't look like they're agreeing to this plan.

"You have to let me do this." She begs as Oliver looks to the screen where the news article of Walter's disappearance is still up before glancing to Slade and sighing.

"All right." Oliver murmurs.

"Kid." Slade glances at him reluctantly.

"She's right. This is the first breakthrough we've had in six months." Oliver mutters as Slade looks to him, then the computer then to Felicity before sighing himself.

"Fine, but we do this our way." Slade growls as Felicity nods to them, with one last look at the news article on Walter.

They have to do this, no matter what.

For Walter.

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"I'm sorry I had to pull you away from whoever you were meeting." Walter apologises to Robert Queen, finally managing to meet with him._

 _"Oh it's nothing. Everyone's left already." Robert shakes it off._

 _"Besides, its my fault for forgetting to sign the K5s this morning." Robert notes as Walter sighs quietly before asking his question._

 _"I hope you don't mind me asking but is everything alright?" He queries._

 _"Just uh taking care of some odds and ends." Robert sighs._

 _"Well, if you ever need a friendly ear." Walter smiles._

 _"You're a good man Walter." Robert returns the smile as the men shake hands, Robert moving back into the living room where Malcolm stands at the window._

 _"I thought you'd left." Robert mutters._

 _"I'm still waiting for your answer." Malcolm retorts._

 _"How can you even think of doing this?" Robert frowns._

 _"That place took your soul, Robert." Malcolm replies._

 _"Doing this won't give it back. Won't bring back Rebecca, either." He notes to complete silence from Malcolm for a few moments._

 _"It still feels like yesterday, that day." Malcolm admits._

 _"When she called my cell phone for the first time, I remember being annoyed. She knew I was busy so I just let it ring." He reveals with a sad smile._

 _"When she called back a minute later, I shut my phone off." He mutters as Robert looks down at Malcolm's admission_

 _"A little after midnight, two SCPD officers showed up at my house. All I remember them saying was that she'd been shot, murdered in The Glades. After the cops left, I sat at home the rest of the night listening to Rebecca's messages." He reveals before turning away from the window to face Robert, walking towards him slowly._

 _"She kept calling my name, asking for help, until she was just struggling to breathe, gasping for air. I listened to my wife die over and over and over again." He says in a broken voice._

 _"I can't imagine Malcolm." Robert shakes his head in dismay._

 _"Try." Malcolm snaps._

 _"Imagine it was Moira lying on that pavement, bleeding, calling your name and then tell me you wouldn't be prepared to do what I am."_

 _John Diggle's Apartment_

A knock on his door, causes John Diggle to sigh and move toward it, opening it and sighing again when he sees that the person is Felicity Smoak.

"What do you want?" He mutters.

"Is that any way to treat a girl who just walked up six flights of stairs?" She frowns.

"No it's not. Where are my manners? Come on in." He smiles.

"Thank you." Felicity smiles back as he shuts the door behind her.

"Welcome." He notes as he moves toward his fridge as Felicity looks around at his paintings.

"Did you do these?" She wonders.

"You know, Felicity, Oliver and I don't need a relationship counsellor." He hands her a drink.

"That hasn't been my experience. We have a lead on Walter. I need you to come back and help the four of us find him." She smiles as she sits beside him.

"Oliver and Sara put you up to this?" He queries.

"No. They don't even know I'm here and Slade's being you know, Slade about it." She admits as Diggle smirks.

"Ain't surprised. Thought he'd be throwing a party, he never wanted me there in the first place." Diggle notes.

"So I've heard. Look I know Oliver and Slade didn't help you find your brother's killer and that hurts, that sucks but Sara did. She came to help you." She reminds him as Diggle sighs.

"I thought that would count for something at least and Slade, there was something going on there with ARGUS and whatever happened was so terrible, you have to believe that. Honestly to me it feels like he has a vendetta against them, like you do." She says carefully as Diggle still says nothing.

"But despite everything, you've gotta know that if it was your life on the line and not just your very understandable vendetta, they would be there for you, no hesitation, even Slade." She notes as Diggle looks to her.

"And I don't want a partnership with those kind of qualifications Felicity." He murmurs.

"I know Oliver and Slade are religiously against admitting that they're wrong. They've very alike in that sense but truth is, they need you." She manages a small smile.

"Yeah and when Oliver and Slade are ready to say that, they know where I live." Diggle replies as Felicity sighs and heads for the door.

"Sorry for bothering you." She says in a small voice.

"It's no bother. I hope you find Walter." Diggle nods, as with one last look Felicity exits.

 _Merlyn Global_

Walking into Tommy's office, Laurel enters bravely, thinking of the advice Sara and Oliver gave her to talk to Tommy, which is what she plans to do.

She has to try something, this cannot just be it for them.

She needs to tell him the truth. She needs to tell him that she loves him.

Her eyes widen when she sees him sitting at a table with a group of other workers.

It terrifies her to think this but he reminds her of Malcolm.

"Wow, you really look like your father." She can't help but comment to grab his attention, it works as he glances at her with an emotionless expression as he gets to his feet, Laurel walking over to him slowly.

"I never thought so before, but just now, I saw him in you." Laurel notes.

"What are you doing here?" Tommy mutters sharply.

"We need to talk." She sighs.

"I've said everything I have to say." He replies as he reaches for some files.

"Well I haven't. I need to tell you something." Laurel admits.

"Whatever it is It doesn't matter anymore." Tommy grumbles.

"Tommy I love you." Tommy freezes in place at her words.

She loves him…

"And I think that you still love me." Tommy cannot take his eyes off her. She loves him. Of course. Of course he loves her, he loves her more than anything and right now he'd do anything in the world just to drop all these files in his hands, race over to her side and pull the woman he loves into his arms, kiss her senseless and keep her in his arms forever because he loves her so, so much but he can't. He can't love Laurel and lie to her face every day that they spend together.

That's not how relationships work, surrounded by lies.

"So whatever problems that you think that we have, I know that if we face them together…"

"You don't understand." Tommy cuts her off sharply.

"Then make me understand!" Laurel cries.

"If our relationship is going to end, at least let it end with honesty." She says softly.

"What I told you the first time was honesty. I am not a liar Laurel. I thought I wanted this, you but I don't." He says in a calm yet detached tone.

"Stop lying to me Tommy." She whispers.

"I'm not." He retorts.

"Yes you are! Tommy I love you, can you honestly tell me that you don't love me?" She whispers as he looks at her, barely meeting her eyes.

He can't do this to her. He can't break her heart the way he's about to but he cannot be with her and lie to her every single day.

It wouldn't be right.

She doesn't deserve that.

"I don't." He murmurs, trying to keep the emotion and tears out of his words as Laurel looks at him with heartbroken eyes.

"Now excuse me, I'm late for a meeting." He says before walking away and leaving her behind, completely and utterly heartbroken…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"You ready?" Sara asks Felicity as the four walk down an alleyway side by side.

Oliver, Sara and Slade with their vigilante uniforms in bags, whilst Felicity is all dressed up nicely for a night in the casino.

"Think so." Felicity calls back.

"Just to be clear, the plan is for me to get caught counting card in an underground casino filled with hardened criminals." Felicity babbles softly.

"So you can get a friendly warning from Alonzo and plant a bug on his office computer." Oliver explains.

"Right. Which will hopefully lead us to Walter." She says as Oliver nods.

"That is assuming I get the friendly warning and not a bullet." She turns to face them.

"You don't have to do this Felicity." Slade reminds her.

"Yes, I do." She nods determinedly.

"A'right. If anything happens we're right outside." Slade assures her.

"Ok." She nods quickly as they part ways.

 _Sometime Later_

A few minutes later, Oliver, Sara and Slade are at a vantage point, listening in for the password as someone approaches the door.

The password is snapdragon.

"Password is snapdragon." Sara informs Felicity, who receives the message just in time as she walks toward the casino door.

"Password." A guard mutters.

"Snapdragon." Felicity says confidently as she is allowed access to the casino, looking around as she enters the room completely filled with people.

"What do you see?" Slade questions through Felicity's earpiece.

"Six armed guards, two pit bosses and a foreman. No slot machines, I mean how do you call yourself a casino without any lucky sevens…"

"Felicity, stay focused." Slade cuts her off.

"We'll be with you the whole time." He assures her.

"Thanks." She smiles gratefully before sighing.

"It feels really good having you inside me…" She stops in an instant, a bewildered look instantly crossing her face at her own words.

"And by you I mean your voice." She winces some more.

"And by me I mean my ear. I better stop talking right now." She says quickly.

"That would be my preference." Slade mutters.

"And ours!" Oliver and Sara call through the earpiece as well as Felicity closes her eyes and finds her way to a table, pulling out a wad of cash from her purse.

"One stack of High Society please."

 _Merlyn Global_

"Thank you for stopping by." Malcolm says with a grin as Moira approaches him.

"Of course, uh, you said you had news." She replies whilst taking off her coat.

"I do. It's ready." He reveals as he opens a bottle of champagne.

"The mark off the device passed its final beta test this morning. Applied Sciences is loading it on a truck bound for Starling City as we speak." He says whilst pouring two generous glasses full before passing one to Moira.

"Well congratulations are in order then." She smiles as Malcolm raises his glass.

"To both of us." He notes as she looks away from him a moment.

"Moira, you may be surprised to know that I sometimes waiver in my convictions. But your friendship, your endless support, always gives me the strength to carry on." He comments as Moira looks up at him.

"After all, you and I will always have a connection." He smiles.

"I'm just sorry that Robert's not here to celebrate with us." She replies.

"I'm sorry I had to take him from you." He apologizes.

"If anyone's to blame for his death, it's me." Moira responds as Malcolm raises his glass.

"To Robert." Moira raises her own.

"To Rebecca."

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"Are you feeling alright?" Moira asked her husband as she pulls of her jewelry._

 _"I know tonight was just another Ted Kord fundraiser, but you were surprisingly quiet." She notes as she pulls off her shoes._

 _"Moira there's something I need to talk to you about." Robert admits._

 _"Robert, if this is what I think it is. I don't want to know her name…"_

 _"No this is about Malcolm." He reveals as she turns to face him._

 _"He wants to level The Glades." He sighs._

 _"And how does Malcolm propose to evacuate an entire section of the city?" She gives her husband a bemused look._

 _"He doesn't." Robert shakes his head._

 _"Robert. This doesn't sound like you." Moira says in surprise as he takes her hand._

 _"Because I'm not the many you think I am." He says before walking away from her before taking a seat across from her._

 _"About a month before the opening of the steel factory, the one in The Glades. I was approached by a local councilman who wanted money. Told me that's the way everything was done in The Glades." He explains as Moira looks at him with a cold expression._

 _"I told him I'd never paid a bribe in my life. We got into an argument." He stops, silence passing between the two as Moira looks at him inquisitively now._

 _"I didn't want to hurt him." He whispers._

 _"I swear Moira. But he fell." He reveals._

 _"Oh dear god." Moira whispers as she realizes exactly what her husband is telling her._

 _"Oh dear god." She says again as she turns away from him._

 _"The work I'm doing with Malcolm with the list. It's my penance Moira."_

 _"So what? You'll atone for one murder by committing hundreds of thousands? Oh Robert you listen to me. Whatever wrongs you've committed, whatever mistakes you've made, preventing this horror is your chance to make it right." She says on her knees in front of him at this point as she pleads with her husband._

 _"Please. Please, Robert. Promise me you won't let this happen!"_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, sorry if these last few chapters haven't been the best. Thanks for all the reviews and for following and favoriting, see you all next update.**


	64. The Undertaking (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Four**

 _Casino_

Carefully, Felicity Smoak pushes a stack of chips forward ever so slightly as the dealer reveals a card to her, before revealing another one. She gasps.

"Blackjack!" The dealer calls as Felicity forces a laugh.

"Yes." She cheers, clapping her hands as more chips are pushed her way, she takes a sip from her glass.

"Miss, can you come with me?" A man asks her.

"Is something wrong?" She replies as she puts her glass down.

"Get up." He snaps at her.

"Well, seeing as you asked so nicely." She mutters sarcastically before complying.

"Oh look, there's the bathroom. I should've known the manager's office would be down the hall and to the right of the bathroom." She babbles as she is dragged into the office forcibly.

"Mr. Alonzo." The man addresses Dominic Alonzo, who is on the phone when Felicity is pushed into his office.

"Have a seat." He offers as Felicity sits down obediently, hearing the door shut behind her.

"What's your name?" He asks her.

"Megan." She replies, holding something close between her fingers.

"Do you know where the term eighty six comes from, Megan?" He mutters.

"Yes, it happens I do. It's from prohibition." She puts a piece of her hair back into place.

"There was an illegal casino, not like this one, located at ah eighty sixth Bedford Street in New York and uh, you know I'm just going to stop talking." She says with hand movements, allowing her to stick the bug into the computer.

"And now it means to ban someone. Someone who's cheating." Alonzo reveals.

"You're eighty six'd. Leave your chips and go." He commands.

"Thank you." Felicity says as she gets to her feet, moving toward the door.

"Oh, yeah and Megan, one more thing." He calls her back as the guard stops in front of her, pulling out some kind of device.

"You see, the thing about card counters is ah that sometimes they work with a partner." He lifts her hair and grabs her earpiece from her ear before throwing it to the floor and stomping on it hard.

Felicity shakes her head rapidly.

"You're going to be really upset when you meet my partners." She whispers.

 _Meanwhile_

"Felicity!" The Man In The Mask hisses as he hears the device being broken.

The three vigilantes jumping from their vantage point, racing toward the door all weapons blazing as they attack the security guards, who shoot at the three vigilantes to no avail, as the vigilantes dispose of them easily before breaking down the doors to the casino, knocking anyone down who dares approach them as people begin to fire guns as the three vigilantes rapidly as they duck to avoid being shot. The Man In The Hood firing an arrow into one of the shooters, ducking as more approach them. The Man In The Mask talking it upon himself to throw a knife expertly into another one of them. The Man In The Hood firing another arrow into the final one, before the three make their way to the office.

Another one chooses to attempt to stop them with a table leg, only for The Woman In Black to snatch it off him, stabbing him in the leg with it before bashing his head in with a baton.

At this point, the three vigilantes now have a clear path into the managers office, knocking open the door to reveal Felicity being held with a gun to her head by Alonzo.

The Man In The Hood fires an arrow, which hits a dart board bullseye behind his head.

"I heard you never miss." Alonzo smirks.

"I don't." The Man In The Hood replies as the arrow explodes, causing Alonzo to drop to the floor with Felicity, releasing her as he does so.

The Woman In Black moves to help Felicity to her feet as The Man In The Mask turns on Alonzo, grabbing him and shoving him into a wall before stabbing him twice in the shoulders with two knives to keep him trapped on the wall. He scream out in pain.

"You better not have harmed a hair on her head or there will be pieces of you decorating the streets of Starling City." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Where's Walter Steele?" The Man In The Hood growls.

"What? What are you talking about?" Alonzo replies.

"Six months ago you had him kidnapped!" The Man In The Mask snarls, about to run him through with his sword when The Man In The Hood puts a restraining hand on his shoulder. They won't get anything out of Alonzo if he's dead.

"It was just a job. I was given a name. I didn't ask any questions." Alonzo says quickly.

"Last chance." The Man In The Mask growls as he holds his sword to Alonzo's throat.

"Where is he?" The Man In The Hood hisses.

"Below ground." Alonzo reveals.

"You're lying!" The Woman In Black growls as The Man In The Hood pushes one of the knives into his shoulders deeper.

"I'm not. I delivered him and they killed him." He reveals as Felicity in the background covers her mouth with her hands, breathing quick.

"I heard the gunshot. He's dead." Alonzo snaps as The Man In The Hood pulls back and punches him in the face sending him into unconsciousness.

The Man In The Mask moving forward to run him through when someone grabs his arm.

"No. Stop don't." Felicity whispers in a quiet voice, tears streaming down her cheeks from hearing the news about Walter. The Man In The Mask glares at Alonzo's unconscious form before back at Felicity, who shakes her head at him.

"Don't do it. He didn't kill Walter." She says, holding out her hand toward The Man In The Mask as The Man In The Hood nods, pulling down his hood with a sad expression as The Man In The Mask lowers his sword, before taking Felicity's outstretched hand as the four look to each other in complete despair.

 _Queen Mansion_

Having decided to spend the evening with her mom before returning home, Thea sits with her on the couch as they look at clothes on Thea's tablet.

"Oh, let's, let's see that blouse in a violet shade." Moira requests as Thea scrolls down before finding the violet one, giggling softly.

"You're a miracle worker, Thea." Moira strokes her daughter's hair affectionately.

"Oh, when it comes to shopping, it's not work really." She comments as Oliver, Sara and Slade enter the living room.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here? I've been teaching mom the joys of online clothes shopping. You three want a lesson?" She smiles, only silence from the three.

"Guys?" Thea says noticing their solemn faces.

"Are you three ok?" She asks as Oliver, Slade and Sara sit across from them.

"We need to talk to you both." Oliver reveals.

"What is it?" Moira frowns.

"It's about Walter." Oliver continues as Thea puts her tablet down.

"Did the police contact you?" Moira sits up quickly.

"One of Mr. Diggle's army buddies works for the FBI now and they got news tonight." Oliver admits as Thea shakes her head rapidly.

"No." She whispers.

"We're very sorry." Oliver shakes his head as he looks to Sara and Slade.

"No, no, no, no. There must be some mistake." Moira cries as she grabs Oliver's arm.

"Who did Mr. Diggle talk to? Did they find a body?" She shouts.

"Mom. Walter's gone." Oliver sighs as Moira gets to her feet.

"No, this isn't right." She growls.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asks softly.

"Out." She snaps.

"It's ten o'clock at night." He protests.

"I need some air!" She mutters.

"Mom, you're in shock."

"Don't tell me what or how I feel Oliver!" She yells at him before leaving.

"What is she acting like that?" Thea whispers as Sara wraps her in an embrace.

"Come here." Oliver replies as he moves to hug her also until all three of them are holding Thea as she sobs for the man she saw as a second father…

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"I suspect I know what this is about." Frank Chen comments as he enters the Queen's living room with Robert Queen._

 _"You and I got into bed with Malcolm to cure what ails this city." Robert admits as he turns to face Frank._

 _"But I'm sure you'll agree that killing thousands of people is not the answer to our problems." Robert sighs._

 _"Indeed, if we were to wage a war with Malcolm Merlyn, we will lose." Frank says confidently before looking up at Robert._

 _"My family has already suffered enough."_

 _"And I have no desire to endanger mine." Robert reveals as he reaches for a file._

 _"Fortunately, there's another option." He hands it to Frank Chen._

 _"Six months ago, Malcolm started buying up buildings in The Glades through an offshore company called Sagittarius." He explains._

 _"He made it sound as if this Undertaking of his was a recent inspiration. If you're right, he has been thinking about this for months." Frank looks at him nervously._

 _"If he can't rebuild it he'll abandon the project." Robert smiles._

 _"How much of The Glades does he already have?" Frank asks._

 _"About a third. Now, if we can quietly buy up the rest before he can, he won't be able to gain the control he needs." Robert decides._

 _"We will need capital." Frank replies._

 _"Do you still have your contacts in China?" Robert asks._

 _"I already have a flight planned for Shanghai tomorrow. Come with me." He offers._

 _"We shouldn't travel together. Malcolm might get worried, he already knows that I have my doubts." Robert reveals with a sigh._

 _"Besides, I'm getting the urge to take out the Queen's Gambit for another voyage." He smiles, right before they're interrupted._

 _"Dad, do you have any cash?" Oliver Queen races into the room._

 _"Jerk pizza guy can't break a hundred." He mutters as Robert pulls his wallet from his pocket, to retrieve money for Oliver._

 _"Oliver, you remember Mr. Chen?"_

 _"Hi." Oliver smiles kindly._

 _"Hey." Frank replies as Oliver turns to his dad._

 _"Waiting. Thank you." He takes the cash from_ _his dad, yanking a bottle of alcohol out of a cabinet before exiting the room at top speed._

 _Oliver Queen's Bedroom_

 _Meanwhile, in Oliver's bedroom, Laurel Lance lies sprawled out upon her boyfriends bed revising from a book, whilst murmuring along to 'Bleeding Love' playing from the radio._

 _"Pizza!" Oliver says in a sing song voice as he enters with it held in his hand along with the bottle he had grabbed._

 _Laurel smiles and rolls onto her back to face him._

 _"My hero." She throws down the book as she gets up._

 _"I'm starved." She grumbles as Oliver puts the pizza down on the bed as she heads to one of Oliver's drawers._

 _"Hey, Ollie?" She calls to him._

 _"Yeah?" He smiles from the bed._

 _"Where do you keep the bottle opener in this thing?" She frowns._

 _"Bottom drawer." He replies as he turns hungrily to their pizza._

 _"Did you talk to Ray today?" She asks._

 _"About the ski trip?" Oliver queries._

 _"No, he asked Jean to move in with him last night." She says as she hands him the bottle._

 _"Oh, guess they'd been together forever." Oliver replies._

 _"We've been together longer." Laurel responds as Oliver suddenly turns his efforts on opening the bottle._

 _"Guess we have." He says after a moment as Laurel sits across from him._

 _"I only bring this up because your mum busted me yesterday." She winces as Oliver looks up to her and smirks._

 _"And obviously we can't hang out at my house."_

 _"Why? Because your father threatened to taser me the last time that I closed the door to your bedroom?" Oliver shudders at the memory._

 _"So wouldn't it be nice to have a little place of our own?" She sighs._

 _"Yeah." Oliver nods before frowning._

 _"Maybe. Isn't it a little too fast Laurel?" He queries._

 _"I know that you like to think of yourself as a bad boy, Oliver Queen but I feel like we're ready to take the next step." She reveals._

 _"Yeah." Oliver says as silence passes between them for a moment._

 _"Let's do it." He nudges her as in response, Laurel smiles and pulls him in for a kiss…_

 _Merlyn Global_

"You lied to me!" Moira growls as she storms into Malcolm Merlyn's office, where he is seemingly in some sort of meeting.

"We had a deal!" She yells as Malcolm looks to the people he's meeting with before saying something in another language, whom all responds before getting up from the table and exiting the room.

"What are you talking about?" Malcolm murmurs once they're gone.

"You promised if I cooperated with The Undertaking, Walter wouldn't be harmed." She cries

"He's hasn't been. I'm a man of my word, Moira." Malcolm replies calmly.

"I think we both know better than that!" She snaps.

"And I know. I know you've had him killed." She growls as Malcolm reaches for something.

"Turn on the camera." He commands before moving to grab his laptop, opening it up and pressing a button to reveal a video of Walter sitting, alive and well in a cell.

"Oh, Walter." She weeps.

"Like you said Moira, we have an agreement. Walter would stay in my custody until The Undertaking was complete. We're both in this together." Malcolm comforts her, unaware completely that there is an arrow attached to the outside of his building and that from a vantage point a good distance away, the three vigilantes have heard every word…

 _The Foundry_

In the dark, Oliver, Sara and Slade sit by a far wall, Oliver in the middle, one arm around Sara as she keeps her hand on thigh as Slade his other side, who has his arm slung around Oliver's shoulders, both Sara and Slade trying to comfort him after what they've just learnt less than an hour ago.

Slade isn't surprised, he had never stopped suspecting Moira of being involved, just stopped voicing his opinions, valuing his friendship with Oliver more.

He'd believed her to be involved from the first bout of suspicion, only furthered when he Diggle and Leonard had listened in on that meeting of hers, which he's gathering was probably with Malcolm Merlyn now.

Yet he doesn't tell Oliver he told him so. He couldn't do that to the kid.

They should have seen this coming, Oliver thinks.

Slade was right. Diggle was right. He thinks as his mind goes back to when he and Slade argued which had ended in the latter confronting his mother and the both of them getting shot at.

Slade had still believed her to be guilty of something, Oliver didn't believe it.

He chose to believe his mother over the man he sees as his brother.

He didn't want to believe it, but now he has no choice.

It's been right there in front of his this whole time and he was too stubborn to see it.

"You were right." He murmurs to Slade finally.

"That doesn't matter right now kid." Slade replies, gently for him.

"She was in on it from the start." He whispers.

"We're so sorry Ollie." Sara replies as he just holds her tighter, the three of them falling back into silence for several more moments until they hear the sound of footsteps and the light switches on as Felicity enters The Foundry, stopping in shock at the sight of the three, still in their vigilante uniforms, sitting on the floor side by side.

"I've been sitting in the dark all night too." She says in a quiet voice.

"All these months I kept thinking if I could fine a clue, or get a lead on him.' Felicity trails off as she approaches the computer.

"I guess it wouldn't have mattered." She sighs as silence passes between the four of them for at least ten minutes before Felicity looks to them again.

"Oliver, I can't imagine what your family's going though."

"Walter's alive." Oliver speaks finally.

"What?" Felicity freezes.

"But Alonzo said he…"

"We need you to pull up Malcolm Merlyn's phone records." Slade hisses.

"He made a call from his office to whoever Walter is being kept at ten thirty pm." Oliver adds sharply.

"Malcolm Merlyn?" She whispers as she looks to three.

"Tommy's father? What? Why would he kidnap Walter?"

"Felicity." Slade snaps sharply as Felicity moves quickly toward the computer, bringing up the phone records as requested.

"LUD's show he made a call to a tenement complex located in Bludhaven." She reveals as Oliver, Sara and Slade get to their feet and move toward her.

"Can you pull up a satellite view?" Oliver requests.

"Ah, yeah." Felicity types quickly, revealing an image of the complex.

"That's a lot of security for low income housing." She winces.

"There's two guards stationed at all access points." She notes.

"Yet there's just one on the roof." Slade points to the screen.

"Exactly, there's no other buildings in that area. If you three want to get onto the roof, you're going to have to jump off of something." She looks to them as Oliver glances to Sara and Slade.

"We've got something."

And with that the three walk away, Felicity glancing after them for a moment before turning to look at the computer screen.

She just hopes they can get to Walter on time.

 _Bludhaven_

Whilst the guards walk around the complex with their guns, ready to shoot out any possible intruders coming their way, they are completely unaware of the three parachutes soaring above their heads and coming into land upon the roof.

The Man In The Hood sliding down the staircase to knock the one guard off the side of the rails where he falls from the roof, the three vigilantes moving on toward the door…

 _Meanwhile._

Elsewhere in the surveillance room, the controller sits at his chair calmly watching the tv screens, showing a view of every room in the complex.

He stops and freezes in place when he sees a commotion in one camera, which is off the three vigilantes racing down sets of stairs attacking anyone who comes into their path.

He grabs his radio quickly.

"There's a problem in quadrant four!"

 _Elsewhere…_

The three vigilantes walk side by side down corridors, guards move to attack them but are soon dispatched by the three vigilantes with expertise.

They keep coming but the vigilantes battle them off easily, The Man In The Mask slicing through many with his sword.

One appears behind The Woman In Black but is shot down by one of The Man In The Hood's arrows, who shoots through several more until he is attacked from behind by one.

The attack doesn't last long as The Man In The Mask soon has his partners back and slices through the attacker as move approach them.

The Woman In Black smashing one so hard in the head that he goes flying through a set of doors as more engage them in combat, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask dealing with those ones. The Man In The Mask ducking as The Man In The Hood fires an arrow at an attacker behind him.

The last attacker is dealt by The Man In The Mask, who slams him into a wall and breaks his neck, all attackers vanquished.

The three vigilantes move away the shit storm they have created before approaching a locked door that their attackers had been guarding.

Cautiously, The Man In The Hood unlocks it to reveal Walter lying on a bed near a wall.

The three vigilantes enter the room, switching on their voice modifiers.

"Mr. Steele?" The Man In The Mask mutters.

"Walter." The Man In The Hood calls, finally getting the man's attention.

"What? What's happening?" Walter calls back as he turns to face the three vigilantes, whom all have their heads bowed.

"You're going home."

 _Starling City General_

Moira Queen races at top speed to Walter's hospital room, stopping when she sees him through the glass.

After six months.

Six long months of being without him he is here.

He is alive and he is home.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Is her first words to him as she crosses the room to get to his side, Walter pulling her into an embrace as Oliver, Sara, Slade and Thea appear at the door also. Thea looking on in pure relief.

"I'm alright." Walter assures Moira whilst holding her.

"Welcome home Walter." Oliver smiles.

"Thank you, son." Walter returns the smile.

"Thea." He turns to her as she throws herself into his arms.

"This is totally a family thing isn't it?" Comes the voice of Felicity, who appears at the door a vase of flowers in her hand for Walter.

The six turn to face her in an instant.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Moira calls.

"This is Felicity. She's our friend." Oliver introduces her.

"Mine too. It's good to see you." Walter smile to her.

"You too." Felicity nods.

"Um, ok. I'll let you guys get back to your hugging." She puts down the flowers as Moira and Thea turn back to hug Walter again, only for a moment before turning to Oliver, Moira grabbing his hand.

"Oliver, we're all together again. The four of us." She smiles.

"I think you mean the six of us." Thea sniffs though her tears of happiness as looks to Sara and Slade with a smile as Oliver wraps an arm around Sara.

Moira ignores the last remark before smiling at Walter and Thea.

"And everything's going to be alright."

 _On The Docks_

 _"Robert, I don't like the idea of this." Moira comments as she stands facing her husband beside where the Queens Gambit is docked._

 _"It's going to be ok." He assures her._

 _"Well how long will you be gone?" She sighs._

 _"A few weeks, maybe more, depending on weather." He notes._

 _"Why can't you just fly to China!" She protests._

 _"I think it's better the less you know." He smiles._

 _"I just hate that stupid boat." She grumbles, facing away from him._

 _"Look at me." He commands as Moira reluctantly turns her eyes away from the menace, which to her, is the Queen's Gambit._

 _"I love you." He pulls her into his arms._

 _"Everything's going to be fine." He promises her._

 _"I know." She murmurs as she leans in to kiss her husband when…_

 _"Hey!" Oliver calls as he saunters toward them with a suitcase in hand._

 _"Got room for one more?" He queries as Moira shakes her head._

 _"No, no, no, no."_

 _"Mom!" Oliver whines._

 _"Let me keep dad company." He begs._

 _"Oliver, you're in school." She reminds him sternly._

 _"Not really." He smirks before wincing, wanting the ground to swallow him up with the glares he receives from his parents._

 _"I forgot to tell you that."_

 _"I could use an extra hand on the ship." Robert steps up for Oliver before Moira can question him about school and probably rip him a new one._

 _"Robert!" Moria snips._

 _"Moira." Robert snips back with equal seriousness._

 _"Let the kid take the boat out with the old man." Robert reasons as Moira groans._

 _"All right!" Moira resigns, holding her hands up in surrender before grabbing Oliver's arms. "All right but you promise me that you'll behave yourself." She growls sternly._

 _"Yeah, yeah, I promise." He smiles before embracing his mom._

 _"I love you so much." She whispers in his ear._

 _"I love you too." He says whilst looking over her shoulder to where Laurel is climbing out of a car._

 _"I totally spaced." He pulls back from his mom._

 _"I gotta call Tommy and let him know I'm out of town for a few weeks. He'll understand, being the best friend in the whole wide world." Oliver says with a smile as Moria chuckles._

 _"I'm serious. There will never be a friend whom I love more than Tommy." He beams as he skips away, pulling his phone from his pocket._

 _"See you on board in a minute." He smiles back to his mom and dad before dialing a number and walking up the dock._

 _"Sara, you here?" He whispers as he waits for her reply._

 _"Yeah you might want to circle around the block a few times because your sister kind of just showed up." He notes, hanging up quickly when Laurel jogs over to him._

 _"Hi." He smiles warmly at her as she wraps her arms around his neck._

 _"What are you doing here?" He queries as he puts his hands on her hips._

 _"Well you're leaving for a few weeks. I wanted to find say bye to you in person." She admits before leaning up to kiss him, long and lingering._

 _"Glad you did." He replies._

 _"And I wanted to bring you something." She says before pulling a picture of herself out of the pocket of her red jacket, holding it up for him to see._

 _"Oh." Oliver smiles as she puts it in his hands._

 _"In case you get lonely overseas." She giggles as he takes it from her and kisses it._

 _"Thank you." He says softly as a moment of silence passes between them._

 _"Hey, is everything ok?" She frowns._

 _"I mean I didn't totally freak you out when I brought up the whole apartment thing earlier, did I?" She asks worriedly._

 _"No." He shakes his head._

 _"Good." She replies._

 _"No." Oliver smiles as he pulls her into his arms for another kiss, Laurel stroking his cheek as she kisses him deeply._

 _"But I do have to get back to the boat." He admits._

 _"Yeah." Laurel nods as he finally releases her, turning his back to her as he walks away…_

 _Meanwhile…_

" _Is it done?" Malcolm Merlyn mutters into his phone._

 _"Yes. The bomb is in place." The man he is talking with replies._

 _The man who is infact Frank Chen._

 _"And there's a storm front moving in along the Gambit's projected course." Frank replies._

 _"Good." Malcolm responds._

 _"When the Queen's Gambit goes down, no one will suspect anything other than an act of God." He murmurs as he watches from a window as the Queen's Gambit sets sail._

 _Moria Queen waving to her husband and son as the Queen's Gambit sails off into the sunset…_

 _Starling City General_

"Oliver." Malcolm Merlyn calls as Oliver, Sara and Slade exit Walter's room.

Oliver grimaces and restrains himself from turning around and snapping Malcolm's neck, something Sara and Slade wish to do as well but the three restrain themselves from doing so by grabbing hold of each others hands to ground them each and restrain them from murdering Malcolm Merlyn, right here, right now.

"What a miracle." He calls as they finally turn to face him with fake smiles.

"How's Walter?" He asks.

"The police are saying that he was rescued by the three vigilantes."

"Yes. Yes he was." Oliver responds through gritted teeth and smile.

"Has he said anything about his ordeal?" Malcolm frowns.

Said anything about you, you mean. You son of a bitch. Slade wants to say.

"Was he able to identify any of his captors?" He queries.

"No." Oliver replies shortly.

No he hasn't mentioned you. Oliver also wants to say.

"Hmm. It's too bad." Malcolm sighs.

"No, not really." Slade replies as Malcolm frowns again in Slade's direction.

"They'll get what's coming to them." Slade mutters.

"I'm just glad that my family's back together." Oliver nods.

"We all are." Malcolm responds.

"Guys." The voice of Laurel causes them all to turn away from Malcolm to face her as she moves down the corridor toward them.

"Excuse us." Oliver adds as they head over to her.

"Is Walter ok? I saw it on the news." She asks, concern in her voice.

"Yeah. Are you ok?" Oliver questions.

"Did you talk to Tommy?" Sara wonders.

"Now's not the time." She murmurs.

"What did he say to you? Did you tell him the truth?" Sara asks, putting her hand on Laurel's shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah I told him the truth and he. He um apparently doesn't feel the same way." She whispers as Sara's eyes widen in shock.

"What? What did he say?" She asks softly.

"Well he repeated the words he said before he broke up with me the first time and when I told him the truth. That I love him. He said he didn't feel the same way." She murmurs, feeling her tears beginning to build up again as Sara quickly pulls her into an embrace.

"Oh Laurel I'm so sorry, I thought he'd listen." Sara trails off as she consoles her clearly distraught sister.

"Do you us to go and have a word with him?" Oliver offers.

"And say what Oliver? He's made his choice." Laurel says sadly as Sara holds her as she exchanges a glance with Oliver and Slade as Laurel eventually pulls away from Sara.

"He made his choice and it wasn't me because he doesn't love me."

Sara and Oliver look to one another.

They know that is probably not at all true. Tommy loves Laurel. Loves her more than life.

He just didn't want to lie to her.

He wanted her to be happy and he believed she'd be happy without him then being with him only for him to lie to her face everyday.

Yet right now, Oliver and Sara are pretty convinced that Laurel would take the lies over not having Tommy any day and fear that Laurel's misery is something they've caused…

 _John Diggle's Apartment_

A knock on John Diggle's door, causes him to move toward it in an instant, looking through the peephole, only to sigh momentarily before unlocking it to reveal, Oliver, Slade and Sara.

"I guess you three really do know where I live." He smirks.

"We've always known where you live." Oliver retorts.

"May we?" He asks as Diggle eventually let's the three of them in.

"We're sorry." Oliver murmurs.

"You were right and I was wrong." He admits.

"About Deadshot?" Diggle looks to them.

"About everything, about my mother and about her involvement in The Undertaking." Diggle's eyes widen at Oliver's admission.

"Finally realize Slade and I had a point or did you get more evidence?" Diggle speaks up.

"We got concrete evidence." Sara murmurs.

"She lied to me, to Thea. I didn't believe you. You or Slade and you were both right about her." Oliver grumbles.

"She's working with Malcolm Merlyn and they're planning something, something terrible. We don't know what yet but we just know one thing." Oliver stops before looking once to Sara and Slade before back to Diggle.

"We need your help to stop them."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next update should be soon. Thanks for all the great reviews, follows and favorites.**


	65. Darkness Of The Edge Of Town (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Five**

Unidac Industries

"So I was wondering." A male scientists says to a female scientist, whom he happens to have a slight crush on, as they walk down a corridor.

"There's a late night happy hour at Stella's, you know, the place across the street?" He looks to her as the approach a set of doors, which he politely opens for her.

"You mean the place that's always playing loud salsa music at all hours when I'm trying to work late?" She frowns as he puts in a code and opens another door for the woman.

"That. That would be the one, yeah." He says, stuttering slightly due to nerves as she walks ahead of him.

"Anyway, I was wondering… Well I was thinking that, um, maybe, you know, if you wanted to, we could perhaps grab a drink?" He offers, stammering mostly as he opens another door for the woman.

"How about two?" She turns back to smile at him as he shuts the door, only to turn around and see that the lab is occupied by several bodies, all with arrows in them.

"Oh my god!" The female scientist cries as she sees the destruction.

However, around a corner another scientist, name of Markov is on his hands and knees in front of the Dark Archer, whom aims an arrow his direction as he pleads for his life.

"Please, I did everything Mr. Merlyn required of me." He whimpers pleadingly, his hands clasped together in an almost prayer.

"He knows, Dr. Markov and he thanks you for your service." The Dark Archer responds before subsequently finishing him off with a single arrow as the other two scientists scream at the sight.

Unfortunately this action causes the Dark Archer to notice them as they make a break for it to try and escape being murdered.

Meanwhile, the Dark Archer, turns away from them for a moment before moving to plug a small device into a slot on the computer, only moments later it explodes.

Frying anything that could implicate certain individuals.

The two scientists race back toward the door they came from, desperately trying to unlock the door as quickly as they can.

"Open the door! Open the door please!" They scream as a brave security guard races into the room gun outstretched.

"FREEZE!" He yells, the Dark Archer turning around and firing an arrow at the guard as another appears and shoots at him, the bullets miss and the Dark Archer fires his weapon again as the guard manages to duck being hit by the oncoming arrow.

"Open the door!" The scientists continue to yell, slamming their fists into the door.

The Dark Archer fires an arrow at a wall.

"Get down on the ground!" A guard yells as he leaps out from behind where he had taken cover, behind the same wall the Dark Archer just fired an arrow into, which explodes.

"Open the door!" The scientists yell again as the Dark Archer walks calmly over toward them as they both turn so their backs are against the door, sinking to the ground slowly as he approaches them.

He pulls out an arrow.

The scientists scream…

 _Minutes Later…_

Only moment later, a car drives at top speed away from the Unidac Industries building. It is driven by the Dark Archer, leaving a shit storm behind in his wake.

He pulls off his hood as he drives.

A wicked smile crossing Malcolm Merlyn's face.

 _The Foundry_

Oliver Queen sits perched on a desk with his eyes closed, his head filled with thoughts of his mother and his best friends dad.

His mother who's involved in something terrible, who's been lying to him and Thea and he's pretty much convinced they're the ones who were involved in the destruction of the Queen's Gambit which caused his father to lose his life and for Oliver and Sara to be marooned on Lian Yu for five years!

He attempts to drown those thoughts out by the sounds of Slade and Sara sparring nosily with the Escrima Sticks, to not much success but it does help slightly.

"To think you used to drop these things all the time five years ago." Slade comments as he ducks to avoid an attack from Sara.

"I was better at the actual combat back then. I improved with these things a lot when I was, you know." She gives him a look, to which he nods as he aims an attack at her.

"Yeah, kid was actually better at using these and you were better at combat." He mutters as he uses the stick to try and trip Sara up, to which she just jumps over it to avoid the attack.

"Did you just pay Ollie a compliment?" Sara smirks with a glance to Oliver, who looks up at them both and smiles slightly.

"No. You were both greatly lacking skill. You were both just less terrible and some things than others." Slade retorts as Oliver rolls his eyes at him as Sara launches an attack only for Slade to smash the stick into her side. Sara mutters in pain as Oliver smirks.

"He did something like that to me one of the first times we used the sticks. If I think about it I can still feel it!" He mutters with a slight smile.

"Remember your response kid. 'What is the point of this?'" Slade quotes with a chuckle.

"Soldiers still didn't carry bamboo." Oliver manages another smile at the memory.

A moment that at the time he thought was torture, now they can somewhat laugh about it.

"You know it would have been so easy for me to actually pull the trigger when you gave me that gun, what did you say? 'Jam this in my face'?" Oliver adds as Slade laughs again.

"Yeah kid, you keep thinking that. I disarmed you in a second." He growls as Sara launches another well thought out attack at him.

Even Felicity turns to glance at them from where she sits at her desk.

"Do you ever worry they're going to end up killing each other?" Felicity whispers quietly to Diggle who stands near her computer as they look at surveillance on Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn.

"I'm starting to get used to it." Diggle says with folded arms as he continues to watch Sara and Slade for a few moments more, who attack each other at rapid speed, Slade eventually managing to knock Sara to the ground once, who in return manages to land her own surprise attack at Slade, catching him off guard to land another attack, which In a fight, applied properly would have probably taken him out, before they eventually stop, calling a draw this time, Sara putting down the sticks before heading back over to Oliver, whom smiles when she takes his hand.

"I don't know how they do it." Felicity murmurs.

"Want me to show you?" Slade replies as Felicity freezes.

"Come here." Slade commands as nervously Felicity gets to her feet, taking off her high heels as she does so before walking over to Slade.

"Go easy on her." Sara calls from beside Oliver.

"Slade go easy? Like he did with us you mean?" Oliver murmurs sarcastically. Sara gives him a look and slaps his shoulder.

"She's right, Slade be careful." Oliver advises, Diggle giving them all anxious glances as Slade puts one Escrima Stick in her hand, before putting down one of his own.

"So do I just attack you with it?" Felicity frowns as Slade smirks before hitting the stick out of her hand with his own sharply.

"Hey! I wasn't even ready." She sighs as she bends down to retrieve it.

"Your attackers wouldn't wait for you to be ready, now would they?" He reminds her.

"Good point." She nods as she attempts an attack with it only for it to be knocked from her hand, Slade sighs.

"You're going to have to try harder than that." He retorts as Felicity bends down to pick the stick up again.

"Ok." She replies before whirling around with the stick in hand in an attempt to catch him off guard, yet it doesn't go according to plan and he catches her.

"Nice try." He comments, Felicity moving her hand with the stick in it in an attempt to hit him in the shoulder or something, however when she throws her hand back she ends up smacking him hard in the mouth.

"Ohh my god I'm so so sorry!" Felicity cries when Slade groans and releases her instantly.

Oliver bursts out laughing in an instant, despite his horrendous mood.

Both he and Sara practically on the floor laughing at this point at what just happened.

Even Diggle is laughing.

"Oh god Slade I'm sorry." Felicity whispers, wincing when Slade moves his hand from his mouth to reveal a heavily bleeding lip. Felicity gasps at the sight in horror.

Oliver and Sara just continue laughing.

"Where's the camera this is a historic moment." Sara says between laughter as Felicity just looks horrified as Slade looks to her.

"I'm impressed." He murmurs as Oliver looks gobsmacked.

"How hard did she hit you?" He laughs as Felicity winces again.

"Sara's right. This is a historic moment." Diggle notes quietly, whilst chuckling himself.

"The day Felicity Smoak punched Slade Wilson in the face." Oliver sniggers.

"By accident!" Felicity cries.

"I'd like to see you try and do that next, kid." Slade looks to him, with a half smile.

"Do you want some ice?" Felicity asks in an anxious voice.

"Nah this is nothing, I've had worse." He replies as Felicity continues to look to him with anxious eyes whilst heading over to her computer which makes sudden noise, shuddering at the thought of what 'worse' to Slade implies.

"Anything new?" Oliver asks in a quiet tone. Felicity shakes her head grimly.

"Not really, I've been watching your mother for days now, Oliver and nothing." Diggle replies as he walks over to the computer as Felicity pulls up a few images.

"She goes to work, she goes home. Occasionally she goes out to dinner." He mutters.

"She seems to particularly like the salmon tartar at Table Salt." He comments.

"I'm linked into her home and office phone. Nothing out of the ordinary." Felicity sighs.

"No mention of Walter's abduction or The Undertaking, just a few innocuous calls to Malcolm Merlyn." She turns to face them, trying not to look at Slade and his bleeding lip.

"Why wouldn't she call him?" Oliver mutters sarcastically.

"They're old friends." He murmurs, a moment of silence passing.

"We're all old friend." He sighs, sarcasm still slightly in his voice as Sara squeezes his hand.

"Are you ok?" Felicity asks gently.

"My mom and my best friend's dad are involved in a conspiracy that may have dire consequences for the city and I'm pretty sure they murdered my father. I'm not planning on using the word 'ok' again anytime soon." Oliver grumbles.

"We're gonna deal with this, kid. We'll get answers, I promise." Slade pats Oliver's shoulder in an attempt to comfort his friend.

"And anyway Oliver. All we know for sure is that Malcolm and your mother are planning something for The Glades." Diggle cuts in.

"And that Walter and I were getting too close to it. That's why they had him kidnapped." Felicity says quietly with a glance to the three.

"Well we have to find out what this Undertaking actually is." Sara notes.

"I've got to ask her." Oliver says suddenly, getting to his feet.

"Right there with you, kid." Slade grumbles as he and Sara follow.

"Whoa, no!" Felicity protests, following after the three quickly.

"The last time the two vigilantes paid your mom a visit, you and Slade got shot and I got to play doctor with both of you!" She cries before burying her head in her hands.

"Urgh! Brain thinks of the worst way to say things." She groans, unable to look at either of them in the eye.

"This time, it'll just be me asking, friendly mother and son chat." Oliver reveals as the three move toward the stairs.

"You sure about that, kid?" Slade queries as Sara glances to him as well.

"I doubt she'll say much with you and Sara there, so yeah I think it needs to be just me. Don't worry, don't think she'd shoot me." Oliver replies.

"I am still not convinced." Slade grumbles.

"Me neither." Even Sara agrees, Oliver sighing as they exit the basement, heading into the main club part, surprised to see Laurel there.

"Laurel?" Sara calls as Laurel smiles at her.

"Hey guys." She sighs, hint of sadness still in her voice.

"What are you doing here it's not even seven am?" Oliver smirks.

"That's just after closing time, right?" She smiles back as the others laugh.

"How's business?" She questions.

"Great better than before." Slade mutters, cut off when Oliver nudges him sharply.

"It's busy. It was much easier when Tommy was helping us run things." Oliver replies.

"Tommy's a good guy." Laurel sighs.

"Yep." Oliver and Sara nod, Slade rolls his eye.

"I miss him." She admits as Sara reaches for her hand.

"That's kind of why I'm here. I was just sitting at home alone and I figured my sister would hopefully still be here." Laurel looks to Sara, whom nods.

"Of course. I told you, I'm here whenever you need me, ok?" She reminds her as Laurel gives her a grateful glance.

"You know it's been a week and I still want to get back with him." She mutters.

"Your bound to. You love him." Sara says in understanding.

"Laurel, like we said. Sara and I'll talk to him if you want us to." Oliver tells her.

"Like I said it's fine. Some things are not just meant to be." Laurel shrugs her shoulders, Sara and Oliver looking at her sadly, wishing they could do anything to fix this for her.

They pushed her in Tommy's direction because they know just how much Laurel cared about him and that Tommy cared for her to and now, because of Tommy finding out about their secret, he felt he couldn't lie to Laurel everyday and has decided the best thing to do is end things with her. Sara and Oliver can't help but feel responsible for Laurel's misery in a way and would do anything to find a way of alleviating her pain, they think to themselves as the door opens again and Slade's 'friend' Lisa pops her head around her door.

"Lisa." Slade calls to her as he heads away from the group to her.

"Hey." She smiles at him as Oliver glances to Sara and Laurel in confusion, having never met Lisa before until now.

"Who's she? Do you know her?" Oliver asks.

"Actually both Laurel and I met her the other week, she's Slade's mystery woman Thea was trying to tell us about." Sara smiles.

"Hadn't introduced her to you either?" Laurel looks to Oliver, who shakes his head.

"Never seen her before in my life." Oliver retorts as he looks at his phone.

"Everything ok?" Laurel asks.

"Yeah. Walter's going home today, Thea and I said we'd go to welcome him back." Oliver explains, Laurel nodding in response.

"Didn't know you were in Starling today." Slade comments as he reaches Lisa.

"Thought I left you a message?" She frowns.

"You probably did. I think my phone has a personal vendetta against me." He grumbles as she smirks at him, only then noticing his bruised lip.

"What happened? Get in a fight?" She smiles.

"Something like that." He replies, she smirks again.

"Mentioning phones, my brother somehow managed to destroy his in his last delivery job, hence one of the reasons I am here. He's at the bar if you want him." She explains.

"What's the other reason?" He replies.

"I've got a job to do here for a few hours and then I think you know what the other reason is." She grins as Slade gives her a glance.

"See you around." She winks at him before heading off.

"Something you'd like to share with the group?" Oliver asks once she's gone.

"She's a friend of mine." Slade replies as Oliver gives him a skeptical look.

"Yeah, sure. She's a 'friend'." Oliver says with sarcastic emphasis on the word 'friend', before looking to his phone again.

"Well we better be going to Walter." Oliver notes.

"Yeah, I've got something I need to do." Slade retorts.

"I'm sure you do." Sara murmurs with a smirk as Slade rolls his eye at her before heading away from the three.

"I'll see you guys later." Laurel smiles as she to heads to go.

"Wait Laurel, do you want to go get coffee or something?" Sara offers, knowing that a reason for her sister's visit was because she was lonely.

"Sure. I'd love that." Laurel beams as Sara turns back to Oliver.

"Will you be alright without us?" She asks with a knowing look as Oliver nods.

"Yeah. Simple mother, son chat." He says in a quiet voice as she pulls him in for a kiss.

"Anything happens, call us." She reminds him in a stern tone.

"Of course. I love you." He smiles.

"Love you too." Sara replies squeezing his hands before eventually letting go…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favouriting and following this story and for all of you who have sent me lovely reviews, thanks so much! Thanks again for reading, see you all next update.**


	66. Darkness Of The Edge Of Town (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Six**

 _A Bar In Starling City_

"So you got my message then?" Leonard smiles as Slade appears at the bar.

"I did." Slade replies as he sits beside Leonard.

"Hope I didn't distract you from anything important." He notes.

"You didn't. Good timing actually." Slade mutters as Leonard gives him a look.

"So what happened?" He asks, Slade raises his eyebrow at him.

"I can tell something's bothering you, what is it?" Leonard says in a matter of fact tone.

"However, if it's about my sister I'd rather not know." He smirks as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"That Merlyn kid annoying you again? If you want a hand in doing something about him, you know who to call." He reminds him as Slade smirks back.

"I was right about Oliver's mother." He reveals, knowing he can tell some of the truth to Leonard, considering the fact Leonard joined him that time they first suspected Moria Queen of being involved in something dodgy.

"Was their any doubt you weren't?" Leonard glances at him.

"No but we recently received enough evidence it finally convinced the kid to listen to me." Slade replies as Leonard nods.

"You find out what she's involved in then?" He questions.

"No, that's still a work in progress." Slade mutters.

"If you need a partner in crime again."

"Absolutely not." Slade cuts him off.

"Oh come on! We made quite the team last time." Leonard reminds him.

"What she's involved in could have dire consequences."

"Sounds like fun." Leonard smirks as Slade rolls his eye at him, silence passing between the two for a moment before Slade decides to speak his mind on something he's been thinking off ever since he discovered Malcolm and Moira were working on this Undertaking.

He has not yet discussed these thoughts with Oliver and Sara.

"There's something else about all this. Something I believe was a plan of Mrs. Queen's. If I'm right, she has hell to pay. If I'm wrong. Well that's why I haven't mentioned this to Oliver yet." He reveals to Leonard.

"What plan is this of hers?" Leonard questions to silence, he smirks.

"Come on, tell me." Leonard says as Slade glances at him once before sighing.

"I think that there's a possibility that she had an assassination attempt placed on somebody…"

 _Queen Mansion_

"Everything's exactly as you left it." Moria Queen comments as she throws open the doors to Queen Mansion, she and Walter walking through the door together.

"How are you feeling Walter?" Oliver asks kindly as he and Thea stand in the hall.

"I'm on the mend, thank you Oliver." He replies politely.

"So glad you're home!" Thea pulls him into a tight embrace.

"That makes two of us." Walter smiles as he hugs Thea.

"All of us." Moira adds with an beaming smile of her own as Walter looks to Thea.

"And what is this I've been hearing from your mother about you not living here anymore?" Walter asks with a frown.

"Well Ollie moved out and they said they had a spare room so I kinda thought I'd stay with them. It's a great place." Thea answers.

"The four of us should have you over for lunch." Oliver suggests.

"I'd like that Oliver, thank you." Walter replies to Moria's surprise, having hoped that by telling him about Thea's decision to move out and live with Oliver, Sara and him, that Walter would have tried to convince her that her decision was wrong and that Thea would listen to him and would decide to move back in with them!

"Well, we've prepared a delicious brunch for you, all your favourites." She smiles.

"Yum, English food." Thea says with folded arms.

"Actually, I'm more tired from the drive than I expected, so I think I'd like to lie down for a bit." Walter replies.

"Yes of course." Moria nods moving to kiss him, Walter at the last minute choosing to turn his head so she kisses his cheek instead.

Something that both Oliver and Thea notice.

With a final glance at one another, Walter heads for the stairs, which is when Thea's phone begins to buzz, she picks it up.

'Meet me tonight.'

The message is from Roy Harper.

Oliver and Thea watch as Walter heads up the stairs, Thea moving closer to her brother.

"Walter doesn't really seem like himself." Thea admits.

"He's gone through a lot. It's just going to take a little bit of time." Oliver sighs, thinking about the way he was when he, Sara and Slade got home from the island.

"I'm really sick of us all having to go through a lot, you know?" Thea murmurs as Oliver looks to her with a sad expression.

"I'll see you at home, might be late mind, my friend wants to meet with me." Thea explains with a smile.

"Friend?" Oliver gives her basically the same glance he gave Slade earlier.

"I'll see you later." She smirks before heading for the door.

Oliver's thoughts go instantly to Roy Harper, the boy he, Sara and Slade had saved.

The boy kissing Thea.

Perhaps he should encourage Thea to bring Roy to meet the three of them!

 _Living Room_

"Six scientists and three security personnel are confirmed killed in the massacre." The TV reports as Moria Queen watches it with a nervous look.

"Among the dead, respected seismologist Brian Markov." The TV announces as Oliver strolls into the living room in search of his mother to have the long anticipated chat.

"A spokesperson for Unidac Industries says a comment would be forthcoming…"

"Mom, we need to talk." Oliver turns to her sternly.

"Oh, um. Later, Oliver." Moira says quickly before racing away, Oliver giving her a deeply suspicious look as he turns to look at the TV, which she was looking at when he had arrived.

"Coworkers, parents and families of all the victims to see how they're coping with their loss." The TV report finishes as Oliver watches it.

A massacre had taken place and his mother just hurried off.

None of that is a good sign.

 _The car drove down the road, the passengers of it in complete silence._

 _Four of those passengers have their hands bound._

 _Oliver looks ahead to where Slade and Shado sit across from himself and Sara, whom sits as close to Oliver as she's allowed._

 _Even across from them, Shado is sitting so close to Slade that despite the fact their hands are bound, she's managed to grab onto one of his fingers, whilst guards sit around them, guns in hands ready to fire upon the four if they decide to attack at any given point, which if it weren't a suicide mission, Slade would have done so by now, Oliver is certain considering he has a look upon his face that could pretty much be described as the 'I'm going to wipe you all out with my bare hands' look!_

 _They are driven into a camp, the truck finally stopping near one of the missile launchers, Oliver, Sara and Slade had been to when they had unsuccessfully tried to deactivate them by taking the circuit board._

 _Their efforts were most definitely unsuccessful as the look to be fully operational, which is what Slade had warned them all about when they realized the circuit board was gone._

 _The four of them look around at the launchers with grave looks upon their faces._

 _They only get to look at them for a few moments though before the guards get to their feet and drag the prisoners off the truck, a group of them grab Slade first, all of them knowing full well the stories of Slade Wilson and just how deadly he can be if he found some way of escape from his captors, which is why a few guards drag him toward a tent, the rest grabbing Oliver, Sara and Shado before pushing the four in the tent._

 _Yao Fei stands in the tent, having heard the noise from outside, he turns around to see the guards re entering the tent, dragging with them, Slade then Sara, Oliver then Shado, forcing the four to stand in a line._

 _Upon looking around the tent, Oliver's eyes fall upon a guy at one the control desks._

 _The man in Yao Fei's cave he'd left behind when trying to find the herbs to save Slade._

 _Alan Durand, Oliver still remembers his cries for help as Oliver turned and left him._

 _Suddenly, Oliver is glad he listened to Slade's advice._

 _He'd been working for Fyers all along…_

 _"You!" Oliver hisses as he moves in for an attack of some kind, only to be restrained, not by the guards but by Slade, whom breaks away from his guard for a mere second to knock into Oliver in hopes of stopping him from doing something stupid that'll get them all killed._

 _"Save it!" He snaps._

 _"We don't have the luxury of indulging in vendettas." He growls._

 _"Who is that Ollie?" Sara asks hurriedly._

 _"The man I left behind in Yao Fei's cave." He snarls, with a look to the man._

 _"Should've killed him." Slade snarls._

 _He ain't wrong, thinks Oliver._

 _Suddenly, Shado calls for her father, whom turns to face them again._

 _"Shado." He calls back as Slade fights against his captors._

 _"You led Fyers right to us, you coward!" He yells ferociously._

 _Calmly, Yao Fei takes a step toward them._

 _"Fyers was about to firebomb the entire forest just to eliminate you." He stops. Oliver wondering for a moment if Yao Fei was referring to the four of them or just Slade, because if so, firebombing an entire forest just to kill one man is a bit of an overkill._

 _"This way, you all have a chance." Yao Fei proclaims._

 _"Well, pray I don't get the chance to repay your mercy." Slade hisses in retaliation._

 _"How fitting." Comes the voice of Fyers as he enters the tent._

 _"Everyone reunited for the end." He notes as he looks at the four, his eyes lingering on Oliver and Sara, who confidently and bravely stares back, despite everything Fyers and his men had done to her during the time she was their prisoner._

 _"The end of what?" Oliver growls._

 _"What is all this for?" He cries as Fyers moves on to Sara, gripping her jaw in his fingers._

 _"Hm, contemplating whether or not to throw this one back in that cage, she made a nice decoration in my tent." He notes._

 _"Don't you dare touch her!" Oliver snarls, trying to break free of the guards hold as Fyers looks to her again as Sara suddenly lifts her foot to kick him right in the crotch. He growls in retaliation before throwing his hand back and punching her hard in the mouth._

 _"You asshole." Oliver growls as both he and Slade fight to free themselves of their captors to rain down merry hell on Fyers and his men._

 _"HKIA, this is Ferris Air flight 637 out of Berlin nonstop to Hong Kong." A sound from a radio drags Fyers attention away from the four to the radio which Alan Durand is controlling._

 _Shado, Oliver, Sara and Slade look towards it as well in curiosity and unease._

 _"We are steady on approach at 33,000 feet with winds and fifteen knots. ETA, two hours and fifteen minutes. Over." Comes the voice as Durand presses a button on a laptop._

 _"Ferris 637, this is HKIA. Adjust course to 0.6 degrees south, eleven minutes. Over." He calls back confidently, all waiting for the reply._

 _"Roger, HKIA. Why the course change?" The pilot asks._

 _"Nothing to worry about, 637. Just looking to, um, make sure you avoid a little turbulence." Durand evidently lies._

 _"Roger that." The pilot takes the bait, Oliver shaking his head in dismay._

 _"Adjusting course now." The pilot responds as Durand looks to Fyers._

 _"They're alerting course sir. The plane will be in range of Lian Yu in twenty six minutes."_

 _"Good, keep tracking it." Fyers responds._

 _"That's a commercial airliner, Fyers. It's not like it can land here." Oliver speaks up with a smirk, causing Slade, Shado and Sara to grit their teeth, hoping Oliver doesn't decide to get cocky and ends up with a bullet in his head._

 _"Oh, it won't be landing anywhere, Mr. Queen." Fyers retorts as the four suddenly glance to the missile launchers, Oliver and Sara suddenly remembering Slade's words as Fyers looks to them all._

 _"I'm going to destroy it."_

 _Starling City_

"Arrows are black, not green, there's no sign of swords being used or batons." Quentin Lance comments as he and Hilton walk through the crime scene where the scientists had been massacred.

Their bodies still on the ground, arrows in each of them.

"Copycat archer again." Quentin mutters before rolling his eyes.

"Psychopaths are color coding themselves now. That's helpful." He says, his voice laces heavily with much sarcasm.

"Except we haven't seen the copycat archer in quite a while." Hilton responds.

"Ok, last time, he took hostages to draw out the vigilantes. This time, massacres a whole bunch of lab nerds?" Quentin frowns as they look at the bodies lying there once more before heading toward the exit.

"We're on a press lock down. Nobody hears anything about the other archer." Quentin declares firmly.

"We need to get a list of all UNIDAC employees and find out what they're working on here." He adds with his hands in his pockets.

"Well apparently, it was a tight knit group. Anyone who knows anything about the project is dead and the copycat fried all their computers and burned their research." Hilton sighs.

"Whatever's going on here, someone doesn't want anyone to know about it." Quentin also sighs in despair, as right now, they have nothing.

Meanwhile, Across The Street

Sitting in a car, across the street from the crime scene, Roy Harper sits, holding a camera out of the window and taking pictures rapidly.

"Where did you even get that camera?" Thea comments, sitting beside Roy in the car, before something else hits her.

"Come to think of it, where did you get this car?" She glances at him in surprise as he loses the camera for all of a second.

"I borrowed it." He mumbles.

Thea gives him a 'I can see right through your bullshit' look.

"Illegally." Roy adds as Thea rolls her eyes at him.

"You know, when I imagined being in a car with you, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." She notes with a slight smile as Roy turns to her.

"Yeah, well you're the one who said you'd help me find the vigilantes." He retorts.

"I know, but it's been two weeks and the closest we've come to finding the three of them is snapping photos of a cop who hates the vigilantes just as much as you worship them." She replies sarcastically.

"I don't worship them." Roy says indignantly, turning his head away from Thea.

"I just need to find them."

"You don't need to find them to be somebody." She replies as he sighs at her in frustration.

"Besides, it's not like you're going to meet them anytime soon. Seems like the cops don't have a clue." She notes as she sees Hilton and Quentin get into their cars.

"We don't know what they know." Roy responds with a mischievous look that Thea notices in an instant.

"Ok, I officially do not like that look." Roy smiles at her

"You used to work at CNRI, right?"

 _The Foundry_

"So. How did the talk with your mother go?" Diggle asks the moment Oliver walks into The Foundry. Sara and Slade on their feet in an instant, worried looks upon both of their faces as they move toward Oliver, expecting whatever they're about to hear isn't going to be good.

"I didn't get to. She left before I could get anything out of her." Oliver replies.

"We're gonna have to try something else." He mutters as Felicity pales at that.

"Do I have to remind you again, for the second time in a matter of hours that the last time two of the vigilantes talked to your mom they got shot and almost died!" She cries.

"I know we need to do whatever it takes but I really don't want to have to go through that again." Sara notes with her arms folded.

"But I'm not going to get anywhere." Oliver retorts before slamming his hands down on the desk angrily.

"Send The Man In The Mask in. I'll get information out of her in a few seconds." Slade hisses threateningly as Oliver looks to him.

"No. Felicity's right, we got shot last time we tried to confront her as the vigilantes but I still think the only way of getting the information out of her is to be the vigilantes." Oliver mutters as a thought comes to him.

"We can still send in the vigilantes." He starts.

"Ollie, you just said..."

"No, Sara. Oliver Queen goes to talk to his mother, he probably gets absolutely no where. Then there's a power outage and during that time the three vigilantes abduct them and take them somewhere to question them." Oliver reveals his plan.

"Already see several flaws with this plan. The first one being this. If Oliver Queen is talking to his mother their ain't gonna be three vigilantes abducting him and his mother." Diggle is the first to respond.

"Remember the Leo Mueller case?" Oliver says, folding his arms.

"When you three got yourself arrested for being the three vigilantes and got placed under house arrested, however Slade and I…" Diggle trails off as it hits him, he nods.

"Not bad, kid." Slade says approvingly.

"So you're saying you want me to take up the mantle of The Man In The Hood?" Diggle raises an eyebrow at Oliver, whom shakes his head.

"No, Diggle I want you to be The Man In The Mask." Oliver retorts.

"Not that I agree with this plan at all. Actually I think it's dangerous and could get you all killed or unmasked but, not trying to point out the obvious here but you already have your Man In The Mask. Why'd you want Diggle to be him when he's going to actually be there?" Felicity wonders as she turns around in her chair to face them.

"She has a point, Oliver. This is what you said last time. I remember it well and I also remember his threats of what would happen if I left so much as a scratch on his uniform." Diggle replies with a glance to Slade.

"So why is it that you insist on him being The Man In The Hood?"

"Reasons that do not concern you." Oliver responds curtly as he turns to Slade.

"I'm sorry for asking this of you but Slade you know why I am." Oliver sighs.

"And you know why I don't want to." He murmurs, looking down as the memories hit him. Painful memories, stirred by the very notion of this plan.

It's that damn hood….

"Yet you know already that this is something I cannot refuse." He says in a softer tone as he looks up at Oliver, who gives him a sympathetic smile, placing his hand comfortingly on his friends arm.

"Thank you." Oliver says, Sara joining their side in an instant, the three sharing a look as they think of things only they know of before eventually they turn back to the others.

"So the plan should be pretty straight forward. I'll go in to talk to my mother. I'll probably get no where mind but whilst that's going on the three of you need to cut the power." Oliver look to them as Sara nods.

"Straightforward enough." She notes.

"Then you're going to need to knock us out to take us to a location where you can interrogate her. You know the place..." Oliver starts as Slade smirks slightly.

"Knocks us out with tranquillisers! No harm is to come to my mom guys." He says in a warning tone as if they're not all mistake a look of disappointment crosses Slade's face at Oliver's words!

"That we can do." Sara agrees as Felicity winces slightly at the very thought of that.

"Not liking this plan Felicity?" Sara looks to her.

"It just sounds a bit risky, you know." She sighs.

"It's gonna be a'right. We've made risker plans than this." Slade says reassuringly.

"Lot more suicidal ones as well." Oliver mumbles under his breath before deciding to add something else to their plan.

"Also, to get my mom to cooperate one of you might need to punch me at least once." Oliver reveals as Sara bites her lip and Slade smirks.

"I'm loving this plan already." He smiles as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"So we all know what we need to do, right?" He looks to each of them, all nodding.

"We'll get the information out of her." Slade says in an almost threatening tone of voice.

"We need to." Oliver sighs at the thought, never before believing that anything like this could possibly happen but now it has and he needs to find anyway possible to get answers because honestly, he doesn't like this plan himself.

"I'll make my way over now." He states as Sara moves to his side to give him a parting kiss.

"I love you." She murmurs as she puts her hands against his cheeks.

"Love you to." Oliver responds, kissing her once more before heading toward the stairs.

"See ya in a bit, kid." Slade calls to him as Oliver gives him another eye roll before disappearing through the door.

"Is it just me who hates this plan?" Felicity frowns.

"I'm not that fond of it but It's probably necessary." Diggle sighs.

"It is necessary." Sara says in a short tone as she heads to grab her vigilante uniform.

With one last glance at them, Felicity turns to face the computers until she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." She says as she turns around to face Slade, whom stands beside her chair with a grave look upon his face.

"You ok?" She asks with a slight smile.

"There's actually something I need you to do for me, Felicity…"

 _Queen Mansion_

Taking a deep breath as he walks through the door to the place he used to call his home, Oliver moves towards the living room, thoughts of what is about to happen running through his mind at top speed as he thinks of all the things that could go wrong with this plan of his and even if they go according to plan the outcome surely still won't be a positive one as Oliver is pretty certain that despite the fact he needs to know the truth behind everything, he himself actually would prefer not knowing what his mother is capable off and has been doing without him or Thea knowing but he must find out, that he knows for certain.

"Hey, mom." Oliver says in a soft voice as he spies her in the living room, standing by the window, hoping to god that Sara, Slade and Diggle decide to take a different route into the grounds so that Moira doesn't see them though the window!

Moira turns and smiles warmly when she sees her son.

"What are you doing here this late, I thought you'd be at your place?" She questions.

"I was making my way home, thought I'd pop in on the way there. How's Walter doing?" Oliver asks politely.

"Walter's upstairs resting. I think he's doing well, don't you?" She walks toward him.

"Who took him?" Oliver says abruptly, he might not get anywhere but at least he's trying.

"Well, we don't know yet." Moria starts, clasping her hands together.

"But I'm going to make sure that all the resources of Queen Consolidated are behind it…"

"That's the answer you gave to the reporters yesterday." Oliver deliberately cuts in, silence instantly passing between the two of them.

Oliver doesn't miss the anxious look that crosses his mother's face.

"Tell me the truth." He says sternly as she chuckles nervously.

"I don't know what you mean." She shakes her head quickly.

"I think you do." Oliver retorts as Moria continues to shake her head.

"A couple of months ago when I showed you dad's notebook, you seemed to know something, something about our family being in danger." Oliver admits to her.

"Are you suggesting that I knew something about my husband's kidnapping?" Moira says in a cautious tone.

"I'm just suggesting that maybe you were scared, that maybe you didn't mean for any of this to happen but it was harder than you thought and now you're barely keeping your head above water. Please, mom. Let me help you before you drown." Oliver says sternly.

"You need to stop asking these things." Moria says in a quiet voice.

"Do you understand? I need you to stop!" She begs him.

"I can't." Oliver snaps.

"I need to know!" He adds just when the power begins to fail.

It has begun.

"Is that a power outage?" Moira looks around as all the power goes out.

"I don't know." Oliver replies in fake confusion as suddenly the sound of breaking glass can be heard before Oliver is hit with a dart, falling to the ground in an instant, unconscious.

"Oliver!" Moira cries as she bends down instantly to her son's aid, shaking him in an attempt to wake him, exactly when she to is hit by a dart.

Before falling into the same unconscious state as her son, the last thing she sees is the silhouettes of three people.

Three vigilantes…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Both tied to two chairs, rope around their wrists to keep them trapped against the chair, Moria and Oliver Queen sit facing one another, both slowly coming around…

"Mom!" Oliver calls for her as she slowly lifts her head.

"Oliver." She murmurs groggily.

"Are you ok?" He breathes.

"Oliver!" She cries upon seeing them both tied to chairs, trying to get up only to fail.

She looks around, panicked and afraid for them both.

"We've got to get out of here!" She yells.

"Moira Queen." Comes the disguised voice of The Man In The Hood.

"You have failed this city." The Woman In Black calls sharply as the three vigilantes step out of the shadows…

 _"This doesn't make any sense!" Oliver exclaims to Fyers as he looks to them._

 _"Why do you want to blow up a plane?" He cries._

 _"When the New York Stock Exchange reopened after 9/11, the Dow Jones dropped nearly six hundred and eighty five points." Fyers informs him as he walks toward them._

 _"Can you imagine what would happen to China, the world's second largest economy if all air travel in and out of China were to be grounded indefinitely?" He questions._

 _"You want to destabilise China's economy." Slade hisses as he cuts in._

 _"It's not what I want, rather my employer." Fyers turns on Slade._

 _"We have enough missiles here to shoot down any aircraft approaching the mainland."_

 _Slade gives Fyers an 'you insane bastard' glance in response._

 _"And that, will decimate China's economy." He comments as he turns around to face Yao Fei with an evil smirk._

 _"Especially once a rogue element in China's own military claims responsibility." He notes._

 _"You're crazy." Sara whispers._

 _"Not crazy, my dear. Smart because you see, inconvenient though occasionally Yao Fei was, he was always worth more to me alive than dead." He smirks at Yao Fei._

 _"Then you should have killed me because I won't do it." Yao Fei snarls firmly, standing his ground with a determined glare as in retaliation, Fyers smirks widely, humming to himself before turning around suddenly and slamming his fist hard into Oliver's face, a cracking sound heard indicates that he's broken Oliver's nose._

 _"Ollie!" Sara cries as her boyfriend falls backwards, but Fyers doesn't stop there._

 _He pulls out a gun, shooting three times._

 _Bullet number one hits Slade in the knee, who groans and falls to the floor._

 _"Slade!" Shado and Sara cry as he hits the floor, Shado fighting against the guards restraining her to get to him._

 _Bullet number two hits Shado in the shoulder._

 _"Shado!" Yao Fei races toward her in horror as she too falls to the floor, reaching her side in an instant as she cries softly in pain._

 _The third bullet hits Sara in the side._

 _"Sara!" Oliver yells, trying to grab her but the guards restrain him before he can and she hits the floor, writhing in pain as the blood pours from her wound._

 _"You psychopath! I'm going to kill you!" Oliver screams furiously as Fyers shrugs._

 _"I said needed you alive, Yao Fei but I can kill everyone you care about."_

 _He raises the gun again…_

 _SCPD_

Thea Queen walks nervously into the precinct, a file in her hands as she looks to the main notice board where the three drawings of the three vigilantes are pinned up high for all to see.

"Help you with something?" A cop says from behind her.

"Yes." Thea whirls around to face him.

"I'm from CNRI and we're investigating claims of racial bias in SCPD arrests, so I'm going to need a copy of each file from every arrests in Starling City, January 2011 to present." She requests as the officer rolls his eyes at her.

"It's almost nine at night." He basically protests.

"Well tell that to Judge Grell." She sighs as she hands over the file in her hand.

"He's the one who signed the court order." She shrugs her shoulders as he checks it over with a slight grimace.

"Wait here." He mutters as he leaves her there.

"I don't know, it seems like a bit of a leap." The voices of Hilton and Quentin cause Thea to look panicked and hide by the wall in a hopes they don't spot her as their voices sound out, coming closer and closer as they walk past her, luckily not noticing her at all as they heard toward Quentin's desk, Thea sneaking through the doorway they've just came from and continues to listen into to their conversation.

"Yeah, which is what you do when you've got nothing, because all I know is the copycat, he torched every record at UNIDAC and all we've got are phone records and they show that this Markov guy he made a couple calls to an unclaimed line at Merlyn Global." Quentin reveals causing Thea to freeze in surprise at the words.

"A couple of calls? Did I say reach? I misspoke. I meant leap!" Hilton retorts as Quentin sighs deeply in annoyance.

"Just get someone down here from Merlyn Global to answer a few questions under oath." He murmurs before sitting down again.

Merlyn Global huh? Thea thinks to herself as she disappears into the shadows…

 _Roy Harper's Apartment_

Roy is sitting on a chair on his laptop when Thea walks through the front door.

"Hey, you find anything?" She questions as she shuts the door behind her.

"Lots." Roy murmurs with a look to a news article on his laptop about the three vigilantes being sighted in Bludhaven.

"Anything useful?"

"No." He slams his laptop shut.

"Still looking." He murmurs as she walks past him.

"What about you? Did you learn anything from the cops?" He asks as he gets to his feet.

"As a matter of fact." Thea says in a sing song voice.

"I like the sound of that." He replies with a smile of his own.

"You know that copycat archer?" She frowns.

"Yeah." He nods.

"Turns out he's connected to Merlyn Global somehow, or at least his victims are."

"We're looking for the three vigilantes not some crazy wannabe who wants to be The Hood." Roy cuts her off.

"Well, the guy with the black arrows seems to hate the guy with the green arrows and probably the other two vigilantes so…"

"So what? We just show up at Merlyn Global and hope the vigilantes show up too?" Roy queries as Thea walks around him in a circle, coming to a stop right in front of him.

"Last I checked, you didn't have any better ideas."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Please, do not hurt my son!" Moria begs as the three vigilantes walk around them, like predators after their prey.

"Tell us what The Undertaking is and we won't have to." The Man In The Hood growls, with his back to her, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black watching Moira as she stutters but stays silent for several moments.

The Man In The Hood looks to Oliver for a moment, lifting his head slightly, giving Oliver a glance, who looks back, giving Slade permission.

With that, The Man In The Hood slams his fist into Oliver's face.

"No!" Moria screams.

"Tell us!" The Man In The Mask bellows as The Man In The Hood punches Oliver again.

"Please, leave my son alone!" She screams.

"What is Malcolm Merlyn planning?" The Woman In Black yells.

"I can't tell you!" Moria cries through her tears.

"He'll kill me. He'll kill my family." She protests.

"You should be more worried about what we'll do." The Man In The Hood retaliates before punching Oliver again, this time so hard it knocks him and the chair to the floor.

"No! Malcolm is planning to level The Glades." She screeches.

"He says so he can rebuild it but…" Moria trails off.

"How?" The Man In The Mask snaps, sword outstretched.

"There's a device." She whispers.

"What device?" The Woman In Black hisses, approaching Moria.

"He says it can cause an earthquake." She looks down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"How is this possible?" The Man In The Mask hisses.

"I don't know." Moria shakes her head quickly as the sword approaches her.

"It was invented by UNIDAC Industries. Malcolm used my company's applies sciences to turn it into a weapon." She admits as The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black walk around her slowly, silence passing as they do so, whilst Oliver lies on the floor by The Man In The Hood's feet, listening to every word, closing his eyes in horror.

He knew he didn't want to hear the truth, that it would be awful.

No preparation could have prepared him for this.

"Why would you get involved in something like that?" The Woman In Black questions.

"My husband. He got involved without my knowing. He was just trying to do some good. He was lost. His, his decisions left me vulnerable to Malcolm and I had no choice. I had to protect my family and my children…" She trails off.

"This device. Where is it?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"I don't know." She whispers.

"If you don't tell us, we can't stop Merlyn." He aims the sword at her again.

"Oh you can stop him. It's too late. I've already tried!" She groans as everyone in the room in an instant falls silent at her words.

"What." The Man In The Hood snarls as he walks away from Oliver to join the other two vigilantes in front of Moria Queen, who closes her eyes in despair.

"I tried to stop him. I, I hired The Triad to take him out. They couldn't. They couldn't stop him, nothing can…"

"What do you mean you hired The Triad!" The Woman In Black growls.

"To, to assassinate him. It didn't work, I just told you that." Moria cries.

"There were two assassination attempts arranged by The Triad under the same transaction. Did you order both of them?" The Man In The Hood mutters as Moria is silent, stuttering again as she looks at her son's all but motionless form on the floor, barely moving, barely even breathing at what he hears his eyes on her.

No. He thinks. No.

The Man In The Hood pulls out an arrow.

"Did you order the assassination attempts on Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson?" He bellows ferociously, Moria shakes her head and stutters some more.

"Answer us!" The Man In The Hood snarls.

"Yes." Moira whispers almost inaudible.

"Yes I hired the assassination attempts." She whimpers with a look to Oliver, who has his eyes closed in sadness, fury, rage…

His own mother.

His own mother hired the assassination attempt on the man he calls his brother…

Nothing. No nothing could ever have prepared him for this.

"Why!" The Woman In Black spits.

"I told you. I had to stop him…"

"Slade Wilson!" She yells, all prepared to smash her baton into Moria's head unless she gives them a straight answer.

"I was trying to protect my family against him, he would have gotten them killed. My son, my daughter he's got them like his prisoners, he's tortured my son for five years. He's a monster…"

"Funny, the only monster I see here is you!" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"Of course you'd say that. Slade Wilson!" She yells suddenly, the room falling silent again as Oliver holds his breath in horror at the revelation, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask also falling quiet. Yet, not allowing anyone to even say a word Moria snaps out something else.

"Or should I call you Deathstroke? Because that's what they call you isn't it? Not The Man In The Mask but Deathstroke and Deathstroke is Slade Wilson!" She snarls.

This time it's The Man In The Mask who freezes like a statue. Diggle freezes.

Slade Wilson is Deathstroke.

One of ARGUS's most wanted.

The man responsible for the massacre of many innocent ARGUS workers.

The monster…

"My son doesn't know does he Slade? Doesn't know what you are, or does he and you've tortured him into submission!" She yells accusingly.

"Him, Sara! I had no choice. I had to stop you before you destroyed them, destroyed my daughter as well. You thought you could get to her as well, didn't you? Well you won't! I'll reveal you for who you are! The monster you are!" She screams at The Man In The Mask.

"The games over now, Mr. Wilson! Stop being coward! Face this with dignity and take off that damn mask!" She snarls, silence passing for a moment as she glares daggers at The Man In The Mask as no one says a word again, Oliver still on the floor, shaking his head in dismay at everything he's hearing.

His mother knows everything about Slade.

There's no way out of this one now, even if Slade's currently The Man In The Hood.

She'll expose him with the information she's got.

The correct information…

"You'll find that Slade Wilson is currently having a conversation over the phone with your daughter." The Man In The Hood mutters as he reaches into his pocket for a phone, easily linking into the call between Thea Queen and 'Slade Wilson'.

Moria listens and gasps softly as she hears her daughter's voice, happily chatting to someone. Slade, she can hear his voice, his familiar accent.

Talking to Thea about which groceries to buy.

It's his voice alright and it's The Man In The Hood who holds the phone, not saying a word. The Man In The Mask near her, not even moving, Oliver on the floor, shellshocked at all that's happened and currently trying to work out how this has been done.

"No! The Triad told me, they said. Slade Wilson is Deathstroke, some group are after him. He's The Man In The Mask. No..." She trails off.

"Slade Wilson is not The Man In The Mask, or Deathstroke." The Man In The Mask mutters over the conversation between Thea and 'Slade'.

"Malcolm told me! He researched it! He found the information about the group who are after him. Malcolm said…" She stops.

"Did you considering he might have been playing you?" The Woman In Black hisses as Moira shudders, closing her eyes as tears run down her cheeks, shaking as it hits her.

What if Malcolm lied to her? She never once considered that.

Blinded by her hatred for Slade Wilson and the fear he could harm her children.

What if… The thought is terrifying. What if Malcolm knew she'd plan to assassinate him and set this up? What if he's been playing her like she was playing him at that point.

Organized something with The Triad? Or what if Frank Chen truly had turned against them? Knew she and Malcolm also had plans against Mr. Wilson and told The Triad to tell her what she wanted to hear.

What if she placed an assassination attempt on an innocent man?

No. Not innocent, he could never be innocent.

What if Mr. Wilson is truly Deathstroke but he and The Man In The Mask are two different people?

That would justify her assassination attempt right? If he's Deathstroke.

"What have I done?" She finds herself whispering as she bows her head trembling.

The Man In The Hood walks away from her, toward Oliver, ripping a small dart out of its casing before approaching him, the other two vigilantes following him.

At the sound of their receding feet, Moira looks up to see them advancing on Oliver.

"No, no, no, no I told you three everything!" She yells, yet The Man In The Hood releases Oliver from his restraints before striding back over to where Moria sits and undoes hers. Moria getting out of the chair and racing towards her son as the three vigilantes disappear into the darkness.

"Oliver!" Moira cries as she reaches his side.

"Oh sweetheart…"

"Don't." Oliver hisses before pushing her away from him.

"Please. I know what you must be thinking, sweetheart but I never indented any of this to happen. I was just trying to look after you and Thea. I. I may have made a mistake with Mr. Wilson, there was so much evidence Oliver. There still is. Deathstroke…" She trails off as Oliver glares at her with an unmistakable look of hatred in his eyes which causes Moria to freeze in place.

"Oliver you know I would never willingly be a part of anything like this though." She says quickly as Oliver groans and gets to his feet.

"I don't know anything anymore." He murmurs numbly, before turning around and leaving his mother behind on her knees, on the floor, limping away from her.

To find his real family.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all very much for reading, following and favoriting this story. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, next update should hopefully be soon. Thanks again for reading.**


	67. Darkness On The Edge Of Town (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Seven**

 _The Foundry_

Moving quickly as he can back to The Foundry, Oliver all but races down the steps towards where Slade and Sara are still in the vigilante uniforms, having just arrived back.

"Oh my god!" Felicity cries when Oliver steps into view as she looks to Slade, whom is taking off The Man In The Hood uniform, his hand touching the hood briefly…

"I thought you said you were going to pull your punches?" She yells.

"I did." Slade retorts as Felicity winces at the wounds on Oliver's face.

"Let me get you an ice pack for everything." She bites her lip.

"I'm fine. I've had worse than this from Slade." Oliver looks over at him, thoughts hitting him in an instant.

His mother put an assassination attempt on him.

Slade could have been killed and it would have all been because of his mother.

Oliver doesn't even realize that he's shaking with rage until he feels Sara's hand sliding into his, he squeezes back tight as Slade slowly begins to approach him.

"It's a'right, kid. It's…"

"Hands up now. Deathstroke." Snarls the unexpected voice of Diggle as the moment Slade begins to move toward Oliver and Sara.

Diggle, with a gun raised and aimed perfectly at Slade, whom gives him a tired look in response, seemingly quite calm for a man who's got a gun held to him.

"John what the hell do you think you're doing?" Felicity all but shrieks.

"He's a monster. How could either of you ignore this, that he's him. Deathstroke." Diggle hisses as he approaches Slade with the gun raised.

"Diggle I don't know what's going on here put the gun down now!" Sara commands.

"I can't. He's a monster. A murderer. He need to be put now, he's no better than Lawton!" Diggle snaps, advancing even further with the gun until Felicity races in front of Slade.

"Felicity move!" Diggle shouts.

"No!" She yells back.

"Felicity get out of the way!" Slade bellows at her as she continues to stand her ground and shakes her head.

"No. No I'm not going anywhere until we've all talked about this with no guns involved. We need to put the weapons down and talk about this rationally." She cries sternly.

"He's a monster Felicity, he needs to be stopped. A murderer. Oliver, Sara how can you live with knowing what he's done to all those innocent people of ARGUS. He never had a problem with ARGUS because they've got a problem with him. I'm right aren't I?" Diggle looks between them all, gun still raised now sort of aimed at Felicity who has put herself between the gun and Slade.

"He massacred them. They helped him and he massacred them, without a care in the world. Moria Queen was right, you are a monster. You took away innocent lives, those people did nothing to you, men women, parents of the children you made orphans. She should have succeeded in that assassination attempt. She would have been doing us all a public service!" Diggle snarls as Oliver suddenly walks between the gun, Slade and Felicity, Slade grabbing her arm to pull her to his side, keeping her behind him so she's no longer in the firing range, Felicity tries to fight against his restraint.

It's pointless.

"Diggle there is a lot there that you don't understand so put the gun down and we'll talk about this. We do not need this right now." Oliver says in a quiet yet dangerous voice.

"How can you defend him Oliver? I know the truth. I know what my friend told me."

"Your friend? Your friend that works at ARGUS perhaps?" Sara snaps.

"Yes and she told me the truth about him and that they're after him because he's responsible for the deaths of innocent ARGUS members, innocent lives he took unprovoked!" Diggle yells.

"You know nothing." Slade hisses ferociously.

"I know enough! Enough to either put you in the ground or deliver you to ARGUS! Trust me, my friend is very eager to meet you!" Diggle growls.

"If you're going to get to him you're going to have to shoot me." Oliver says determinedly.

"Oliver, you heard me. You heard the truth now get out of the way. I don't want to hurt you Oliver." Diggle yells.

"You didn't hear the truth. You know nothing of what happened." Sara retorts as she moves to stand beside Oliver.

"What do you two know? The lies he's told you both?" Diggle shouts.

"The truth." Oliver hisses as Diggle turns on him.

"And how do you…"

"Because I was there!" Oliver yells as Diggle falters, remembering the words Lyla had told him about the one think they could use to stop Deathstroke, his weakness...

"You're. You're the person they used against him aren't you?" Diggle says in a quieter voice.

Oliver says nothing except moves forward and lowers Diggle's gun for him.

"There's a lot you don't know about ARGUS…"

"Why would they lie, Oliver?" Diggle mutters.

"They didn't. Slade did what they said he did but they were far from innocent people, Diggle." Oliver says in a more softer tone as he looks back to Slade, whom looks completely enraged as Felicity looks up at him worriedly before at Oliver, Sara and Diggle.

Silence passes between the four before Sara decides to step in.

"Ok, everybody take a deep breath and calm down. We're not going to let you kill Slade or hand him over to ARGUS so you might as well hear us out and then you can make your own decision about whether he's a monster and ARGUS's claims of innocence in this are true or not." She folds her as Diggle looks to them expectantly.

"We don't owe him any explanation, as far as I'm concerned he's one of them!" Slade hisses moving towards a sword yet Felicity grabs his hand tight to keep him in place, he shrugs her off in an instant.

"What am I supposed to believe? The words of a respected agent or the words of three vigilantes who find it so easy to lie to everyone in their lives?" Diggle responds eventually as Oliver steps forth.

"They've lied to you Diggle. You call them innocent people but tell me, what innocent people kill an innocent child?" Oliver reveals in a quiet voice, careful about his choice of words around Slade. Diggle scoffs.

"You expect me to believe that ARGUS could kill a child? An innocent child. What would that matter to the two of you anyway?" Diggle gives them all a skeptical look.

"Because that 'innocent child' was mine." Slade murmurs instant silence falling at his revelation before he turns on a heel and heads toward the stairs, racing up them in an instant, the only sound being the door slamming shut.

No one says anything.

No one moves except Felicity, who gasps and covers her mouth with her hands, slight tears in her eyes as she looks towards the stairs before racing toward them.

Oliver catches her wrist sharply.

"No, let him go." He advises as Felicity shakes her head and the whole ordeal and moves to sit down at her desk in silence.

Diggle blinks a few times in shock.

"Ohh my god." He murmurs in disbelief.

He almost killed him, almost shot the man he believed to be a monster. It is now he remembers a conversation between he and Sara before Felicity had arrived with a wounded Slade and Oliver after the first Moira Queen incident.

"What you told me, Sara about Slade losing his son during the time you were separated from him and Oliver. It was ARGUS who had them." Diggle trails off as Sara nods.

"That name he said he was labeled with, the name he said he was a villain under. That was Deathstroke wasn't it?" Felicity suddenly speaks up in a quiet voice as Sara nods to her to.

"Oliver, what happened?" Diggle asks almost inaudibly.

"It doesn't matter, all you need to know for now is that ARGUS were the ones who killed Slade's son and Slade lost it…"

"And he did what any father would have done." Diggle murmurs as he too takes a seat, unable to believe what he's hearing here.

"He shouldn't have stopped. He should have killed them all for what they did but."

"They used you against him." Diggle finishes in horror.

"Oliver, my friend. She didn't know his identity or any of this. She doesn't know the truth. I'll tell her, I'll tell her what really happened and then we can expose them for what they did."

"Diggle, no." Sara says in a gentle voice.

"They need to pay for their crimes." Diggle protests.

"I know. I know more than anyone but if you tell your ARGUS friend, she's going to think we got to you, that we're lying because she's never going to believe us over ARGUS." Oliver sighs as Diggle shakes his head.

"She'd believe me."

"She'd believe you were involved with all this and she'd use you to lead ARGUS straight to us." Oliver admits as Diggle shakes his head.

"No she isn't like that." He says firmly.

"After what you've just heard about ARGUS aren't you thinking their might be a possibility you don't know everything about her?" Oliver replies as Diggle is silent, looking down at the desk he is sat at.

"Now, I honestly don't know Oliver." He murmurs as Oliver nods.

"I need to say something to him. I." Diggle stops as he thinks again to the fact he was all prepared to shoot Slade less than ten minutes ago upon the revelation that he was that Deathstroke ARGUS had on their most wanted list, which Diggle now knows was for no reason at all that was Slade's fault.

"You do." Oliver notes as he looks to Sara.

"Let's go find him." He notes as Sara nods but hangs back as Oliver approaches the stairs, he looks back to her in confusion.

"How about I give you a head start." She suggests with a sad smile as Oliver nods.

It makes perfect sense. Oliver was actually there, he should be the one to talk to Slade first.

"Ok." He replies before heading up the steps quickly, wondering where Slade could have gotten to.

Verdant

Luckily, Oliver finds Slade rather quickly as he's standing on the balcony near the office.

Oliver jogs up the stairs to get to him.

"Hey." Oliver says as he reaches Slade's side, whom barely acknowledges Oliver.

"Slade I'm so sorry." Oliver adds carefully.

"You tell them what happened?" Slade mutters eventually.

"Enough for them to believe that what you did was called for." Oliver responds as Slade nods, resting his head in his hands.

Nothing is said for several minutes.

"We need to deal with your mother, Merlyn. The Undertaking…" Slade starts sternly, a back to business look about him as Oliver grabs his arm.

"That doesn't matter right now." He says in a calm voice.

"It does. Whatever they're planning could have catastrophic consequences, which we need to prevent from happening, which were not going to be able to if we're standing around here doing nothing about it!" He snaps.

"You're not thinking straight right now." Oliver replies.

"I'm fine kid." Slade growls.

"No you're not." Oliver responds as Slade glares at him before sighing exasperatedly before resting against the balcony again.

"Do you wish you'd killed them all?" Oliver can't help but ask.

"Every day." Slade murmurs, before turning to Oliver.

"But despite that I'm also grateful every day that I didn't as I would have lost you too, my brother." He admits as Oliver smiles in response before pulling his brother into a brief embrace.

"About my mother Slade. I'm sorry." Oliver says a few minutes later.

"What are you sorry for, kid?" Slade replies.

"That she tried to kill you. I just can't believe she'd do a thing like that." Oliver shakes his head as Sara appears from the top of the stairs.

"I ain't saying anything, kid." Slade retorts as Sara moves to hug him herself.

"I can't believe she'd do that. I can understand a mother being worried about her kids, but to actually attempt to have someone whom her son sees as family killed?" Sara shakes her head as Oliver wraps an arm around her.

"Well she never did like me much." Slade notes as Oliver and Sara roll their eyes at him.

"And you saw Diggle's response to finding out about Deathstroke, why would anyone else's be any different?" Slade queries as Oliver and Sara look away.

"Now what are we doing standing around here when there's work to be done?" Slade mutters as he heads for the stairs, Oliver and Sara following him in an instant.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Sara asks concerned.

"I'll feel better when something's distracting me." He murmurs.

"You know, Slade. I was meaning to ask you this but how on earth did you manage to be The Man In The Hood yet have that phone conversation with Thea to convince my mother you weren't what she thought you were?" Oliver frowns.

"Felicity." Slade responds simply.

"But how?" Sara folds her arms as they head toward the basement door.

"She had this program that could disguise her voice to sound like mine because of some recordings she had that she fed through an algorithm and I don't know she explains it better than I." Slade says as Oliver and Sara look amazed.

"Is there nothing she can't do with those computers of hers?" Sara says in wonder as Slade gives her a half smile in response at Felicity's brilliance.

None of the three knowing what they would do without her on the team.

"But that means you would have had to set that up before the interrogation." Oliver notes.

"How did you know you'd need it?" He questions to silence from Slade.

"Slade." Oliver stops to look at his friend.

"How did you know you'd need it?" He asks again.

"I may have had a hunch which turned out to be right." Slade reveals.

"About my mother?" Oliver starts.

"You knew it was her behind the assassination attempts didn't you?" Sara realizes.

"I suspected." Slade reaffirms.

"How?" Both Sara and Oliver look to him.

"When we discovered her involvement with Merlyn. It made me wonder if a woman like that really was a'right with going along with his plans, having her husband abducted etc. I wondered if there was a remote possibility she'd turn against him and want to take him out of the equation and as I said, she's never once held me in high regard but even I didn't think she'd want to kill me for this, which then had me thinking perhaps she knew that I was The Man In The Mask." He explains.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Oliver exclaims.

"It was only a hunch kid, I had no concrete proof. I didn't want to screw things up between us by suggesting I believed that your mother was trying to kill me." Slade shrugs his shoulders as Oliver gives him a sad smile.

"I would have forgiven you if you were wrong." Oliver replies.

"Which I think we can all agree on now is very unlikely." Sara notes as Slade smirks slightly.

"I'd like to think you would have as well." Slade continues to smirk.

"Of course I would have forgiven you, we're brothers and right now, you and Sara and Thea." Oliver adds with a sad smile, yet a genuine one.

"You're the only family that matters to me now."

 _The Foundry_

Upon returning to the basement, Felicity is on her feet in an instant, watching as Oliver, Sara and Slade head down the stairs towards she and Diggle, whom also is on his feet, having spent the time spent alone with only Felicity to work out exactly what he's going to say to Slade after the unfortunate misunderstanding.

"Slade I'm really sorry man." He starts to apologies as Slade looks to him and nods, almost as if to say he accepts Diggle's apology before walking past him only for Felicity to race to his side and envelope him in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry Slade." She whispers as she hugs him tightly, he doesn't say a word yet she is deeply surprised when he responds by hugging her back.

"Felicity we need you to dig up everything you can on UNIDAC Industries." Oliver requests in a gentle voice after several minutes have gone by. Felicity nods and finally releases Slade, only to grab his hand and practically drag him toward where the computer is, pulling out another chair for him to sit beside her, which he actually does as she squeezes his hand once more before using her free one to type a few commands into the keyboard.

"Well, we know Queen Consolidated acquired them several months ago. That's when we all met." She looks between Slade, Oliver and Sara with a wide smile.

"We need information about what we don't know." Oliver sighs as Felicity turns fully to the computer, typing quickly to pull up information as Sara and Oliver hover over her.

"UNIDAC is a small research and development technology company that specializes in seismic infringement." She explains, a moment of quiet passes before Oliver folds his arms.

"Merlyn plans to level The Glades with a device that triggers a man made earthquake." Slade mutters from beside Felicity.

"You're kidding." Felicity looks to him, then Oliver whom nods.

"What else does it say?" Oliver asks.

"More information on the stock auction and, you know, the latest that the media's calling…"

"The UNIDAC massacre." Oliver cuts her off.

"There's no way this timing is a coincidence." Diggle chooses to speak up.

"Guys, there's a website claiming that the police suspect the copycat archer." She says in a quiet voice.

"What?" All three say at the same time, all remembering the Dark Archer, Oliver particularly, remembering how he'd been defeated by said archer, ended up nearly being killed and then loosing all confidence in himself and almost gave up being The Man In The Hood entirely if it hadn't have been for Slade reminding who he was for a second time.

The event with the Dark Archer being the second time something like that happened...

"So the other archer works for Merlyn?" Diggle exclaims.

"Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest." Slade hisses.

"He's tying up loose ends." Oliver grumbles.

"Erasing all evidence this device exits." Sara adds.

"So no one can trace the devastation back to him." Oliver finishes off her sentence.

"All right, so you three have got to go and have a pointed conversation with Mr. Merlyn." Diggle retorts.

"Even if we take out Merlyn, the other archer is still out there. He can set off the device." Oliver protests sternly.

"We need to find it. Then Merlyn can get his." Slade growls, a vengeful, threatening tone in his voice.

"Well maybe there's another way to get Merlyn to tell us." Felicity mumbles.

"What you thinking Felicity?" Sara asks.

"As I keep proving, people keep secrets. Computers don't." She says, her eyes glued to the screen as she types hurriedly.

"Felicity, are you hacking into the Merlyn Global Mainframe?" Oliver looks to her with a suspicious glance, his suspensions confirmed when he glances to Slade sitting beside her, whom with one look at the screen nods to Oliver and Sara.

"Hacking is such an ugly word. No. I'm, yeah. I'm totally hacking into the Merlyn Global Mainframe." She admits as a smile crosses her lips…

 _Fyers continues to hold the gun in the direction of Shado and Yao Fei, whom tends to his wounded daughter._

 _"Stop!" He screams, hand outstretched in surrender as Oliver looks to him, blood still dripping down his nose to his lips, he can taste the blood in his mouth, he looks to where Slade is, gritting his teeth against his pain, fighting to get free. Oliver looks to where Shado lies, pain filled due to the bullet in her shoulder, before at Sara who's writhing in pain from the bullet in her side, blood still pooling heavily from the wound as small tears trickle down her cheeks from the pain._

 _It destroys Oliver because he can't do a thing about it. Nothing at all._

 _"I'll do it!" Yao Fei says suddenly._

 _"I knew your good judgment could be counted on." Fyers says as he slowly lowers the gun._

 _"Come along now. We need to get you back into uniform." He commands as Yao Fei bends down to Shado again, who's muttering words in Chinese, the only one word in English she uses is a name._

 _Slade._

 _Shado calls out for him continuously through her other words in Chinese, seeming like she's trying to move in his direction as Yao Fei tries to comfort her. Slade himself, fights against the guards to get to her side, managing to get as far as Sara, using his uninjured leg to move toward her, assessing her injury with his eyes._

 _It is then he says the words Oliver really didn't want to hear._

 _"She's gonna bleed out Fyers!" He hisses._

 _"As I believe that." Fyers smirks as he advances on Slade with his gun raised again, Shado crying out for him to stop as she sees Fyers advance on him with the gun._

 _"You'll believe me when she dies from blood loss?" Slade snarls as Fyers smacks him around the face with the butt of his gun, Oliver unable to keep his eyes off Sara, afraid Slade's words are indeed the truth, which he's actually pretty confident they are as he notices Sara's eyes beginning to close…_

 _Oliver snarls and fights against the guards helplessly, trying to do anything to get to Sara, to save Sara until he feels something sharp being slid into his bound hands._

 _It's a knife…_

 _His eyes widen as he realizes Yao Fei put it there, not moving as Yao Fei mutters something in Chinese to Shado, gently lifting her from the floor as Oliver wraps his hands around the knife tightly._

 _Yao Fei holds his daughter tightly, helping her to her feet, Shado turning her head in Slade's direction in an instant, relived to see him alive, as much as he is relived to see her alive._

 _Yao Fei looks between them, giving Shado a glance as if to say he approves, before bravely stepping towards Sara, Fyers holds his gun in his direction once more._

 _"Mr. Wilson is correct. She shall bleed out." He snaps as Fyers raises an eyebrow at him before smirking and dragging Yao Fei away from Sara anyway before he can help her stop the bleeding._

 _"No!" Oliver snaps._

 _"Don't waste your breath, kid." Slade mutters through gritted teeth as Fyers takes his phone and walks outside the tent, dialing a number._

 _"It's Fyers, its happening." He speaks into his phone._

 _"Understood." The man on the other line replies as he enters his bosses room._

 _"That was Fyers." He tells the woman with long high heels as he hangs up the phone._

 _"Everything's proceeding to your plan."_

 _Queen Mansion_

A few hours after her distressing, traumatic event against the three vigilantes and her son, Moria Queen plans to retire to bed for a few hours, yet that doesn't appear to be in the cards for her today as it isn't long before she can hear her husbands voice, sounding like he's talking to someone…

"Truly it is very kind of you to come all the way out here."

"Walter?" Moria calls her husbands voice as she walks quickly into the living room.

"Who are you speaking to?" She questions, only to stop in her tracks when she sees Malcolm Merlyn get to his feet, from where he'd been sitting beside Walter.

"Moira." He turns to face her.

"How are you?" He asks politely.

"Well, thank you." She responds with equal politeness.

"Actually you look a little bit out of sorts." Water comments on her appearance as she runs her fingers through her hair.

"Ohh no, no, no. I'm, I'm fine." She tucks her hair behind her ears nervously.

"Malcolm stopped by the check up on his nemesis." Water chuckles as Malcolm laughs also, neither of them noticing the look of fear upon Moria's face at his choice of words.

"On the racquetball court." Walter reaffirms as Moria sighs and smiles, in slight relief.

"I didn't get the chance to talk to Walter at the hospital. Like everyone, I'm glad he's back, back where he belongs with his family." Malcolm nods.

"Yes." Moria responds.

"I'll let you get some rest." Malcolm moves to shake Walter's hand in farewell.

"Thanks." Walter beams.

"Yeah." Malcolm grins back with a megawatt smile, something Tommy definitely inherited!

"I'll walk you out." Moira smiles as they leave the room together, Walter watching them go, a dark look crossing his face in suspicion…

 _Hallway_

"Your assassin wasn't too subtle in eliminating those people at UNIDAC." Moira hisses in a quiet voice as to not alert Walter as she walks beside Malcolm.

"And now the police are focused on the copycat archer instead of The Undertaking. As for collateral damage, I had to limit our exposure…"

"I see." Moria muses with pursed lips.

"And does paying Walter a visit just now fall under the same category?" She retorts as Malcolm gives her the typical glance.

"You held him for nearly six months. Surely you had him questioned." She growls.

"He was." Malcolm confirms.

"And I assume that if Walter knew something you'd rather he didn't, agreement be damned. I would be a widow again." She states plainly, matter of fact tone to her voice.

"Am I wrong?" She snaps.

"Rarely." He responds before leaving the mansion...

 _SCPD_

"Well we discovered a few phone calls between one of the UNIDAC victims and someone at the Merlyn Global Group." Quentin explains to someone sitting across from him.

"Which is why I asked for someone at your company to help me with my investigation, but naturally, they send down the one guy that's been working there for thirty seconds and knows nothing." Quentin says to that person.

That person, whom is in fact Tommy Merlyn.

"Detective Lance." Tommy starts politely.

"If someone from Merlyn Global was involved with those killings, I want them found as much as you do." He says truthfully before sighing slightly.

"Give me more to go on than some phone calls and I will help you in any way that I can." He vows with a tight smile as Quentin gives him a genuine one in response.

"Thank you." He says in a quiet voice, looking behind Tommy to where Laurel is walking in from behind him.

Awkward silence passing in an instant when Tommy turns around to see Laurel, his now ex girlfriend standing behind him.

The woman he still loves…

He fixes her with a cold, detached look, a mask he knows he must now wear every time he sees Laurel, who's eyes widen at seeing Tommy there.

"Hey." Quentin smiles at his daughter to break the awkwardness.

It doesn't help much as Laurel continues to look at Tommy, having not expected to see him here at all and fights to keep a stern facial expression, despite the fact that seeing Tommy drags up all the emotions she's been fighting to suppress since the breakup.

The fact she still loves him being one of them.

"What are you doing here?" She asks in a quiet tone of voice.

"Helping your father with an investigation." He retorts almost sharply, his deep blue eyes though telling a completely different story, even Laurel sees the emotion in his eyes and bites down hard on her lip to stop herself from saying something as Tommy stammers momentarily before pulling out a business card.

"Call me if you need anything else." He hands the card to Quentin whom accepts it.

"Thank you." He mutters as Tommy nods to him before walking straight past Laurel without even a glance her way, whom keeps an iron grip on her bag to stop herself from grabbing Tommy's arm when he passes her…

"One second, sweetie." Quentin promises her as she looks down at her feet, thoughts of Tommy now having clouded her mind as Quentin looks to one of his men.

"Someone at Merlyn Global could be connected to the copyright archer, all right? Any chance got could have a little snoop around their computer systems?" Quentin requests of Kelton whom looks at him with a somber expression.

"We'll need a warrant." He retorts.

"No. We'll need a judge who owes me a favor." Quentin smirks before turning back to face Laurel, who's resting against the side of the wall, a sad look upon her face as he reaches her.

"Hey." He smiles before stopping right in front of her.

"You never did tell me what had you and Merlyn on the outs." He questions.

"No I didn't." She murmurs sadly.

"You don't have to tell me but try to talk to your sister, if not me." He says as he moves past her to put a file in a drawer.

"I did talk to Sara actually she's really been there for me the past few days after Tommy and I broke up." She sighs, voice threatening to tremble as she mentions it.

"You pair actually broke up?" Quentin slams the drawer shut.

"I know I said you didn't have to tell me Laurel but what happened and what did he do and do you want me to set him straight for you?" He questions, all prepared to go and unleash merry hell on Tommy Merlyn for upsetting his daughter the way it is pretty evident to Quentin that he has.

He is surprised when Laurel laughs and briefly is concerned that it's a laugh of insanity!

"You sound like Slade. He wanted to set him straight." She sighs.

"He wants a hand with that you tell him that I'll join him!" He growls.

"Dad." She sighs but he holds up a hand to cut her off.

"Merlyn's really upset you hasn't he?" He snaps, one look at Laurel's face telling him everything he need to know.

"The bastard but you did the right thing ending it. I'm proud." He mutters as he thinks of the many ways he can make Merlyn's life a living hell, possibly with help from Slade, whom he's pretty sure knows a lot of ways to torture a person!

"I still love him." Laurel admits.

"Oh come on." He groans.

"I know, you're probably thinking I'm crazy." She sighs.

"I am. I don't know what's happened Laurel but he's broken your heart, that I can tell. Just like Oliver did for you, I warned you Laurel about those bad boys but you didn't listen to me." He snips.

"I know, I know." Laurel looks down.

"I hope Sara told you something similar as well." He mutters.

"Sara actually told me to fight for him. Tell him…" She trails off as Quentin looks up at her.

"Tell him the truth that." She stops again as Quentin looks at her, worriedly now

"Tell Merlyn what Laurel? Ohh dear god please don't tell me that you're pregnant." He says with widened eyes, freezing at the very thought.

"Ohh god no. No I'm not pregnant." Laurel says quickly.

"Ohh thank god." Quentin sighs deeply in relief as his worst nightmare melts away.

"No. I was trying to tell him I loved him before he ended things with me but he didn't give me the chance and when I did tell him, he said he didn't feel the same way but he's lying to me, I can tell and I know you hate him and that you're probably planning either a party or a plot to hurt him but it's not going to change the fact that I still have feelings for him." She cries sadly as a minute of silence passes as Quentin turns to her and fixes her with a half smile.

"Look Laurel, this isn't me condoning this or anything but Merlyn's been different for a few months now. Noticeably different and when you were with him, you were the happiest I've seen you in five years. If you honestly still love Merlyn and believe he's lying you, I'd say fight him until he tells you the truth because you deserve to be happy and if your happiness happens to be Tommy Merlyn then go for it. I'll deny ever having said that of course." He says quickly as Laurel just smiles at him as he rubs her shoulder affectionately.

"Let's eat."

 _The Foundry_

Felicity groans and buries her head in her hands as another attempt to hack into the Merlyn Global Mainframe fails.

At this point Oliver and Sara are pacing the room, Diggle has his head on the desk and Slade looks like he's about to murder someone.

"Kid, if you don't stop pacing I'm going to cut your legs off." Slade threatens as Oliver comes to a standstill beside the computer.

"That goes for you to you are making me paranoid." Slade growls to Sara, whom joins Oliver's side, both of them wincing as looking around to make sure no weapons are currently in Slade's reach!

"Anything?" Oliver questions Felicity who actually glares at them in response.

"Just for the record, I will pump my fist in the air and scream 'yes' if I do get in." She growls.

"You know, you could just say this isn't working." Diggle lifts his head from the desk.

"This isn't working!" Felicity snaps at him, causing him to jump slightly at Felicity's fierceness, causing Slade to smirk.

"There has got to be some other way that we can find out where he's keeping this device." Sara states as she folds her arms as Diggle gets to his feet as does Felicity, whom looks about ready to snap again.

"Unless I can waltz up to Merlyn's mainframe and plug in my tablet directly, there's no way of getting that location." She groans as Oliver looks to the four of them.

"Then we waltz." He responds as they all look to him at his words.

"What?" Felicity sighs as she leans against he chair.

"You need direct access to the mainframe." Oliver starts.

"Then we get her direct access to the mainframe whilst also figuring out where the device is being kept, not bad, kid." Slade praises Oliver.

"Guys." Felicity starts slowly as she approaches the three of them.

"I did mention that the mainframe is located inside Merlyn Global's main headquarters on the twenty fifth floor. It's only accessible through a restricted access elevator." She explains to them with folded arms.

"I know." Oliver cuts her off as he looks to them all.

"Which is why we're going to have to break in."

 _Merlyn Global_

Walking through the automatic glass doors of Merlyn Global, is Oliver, Sara and Slade.

All three of them dressed smartly, a briefcase in Oliver's hand as the three of them approach the main reception desk.

Their plan already in action.

"Hi. Oliver Queen, Sara Lance, Slade Wilson. We have an eleven thirty with Tommy Merlyn." Oliver (nominated spokesperson) informs the desk guard, as on the other side of the desk a bag of take out food from Big Belly Burger hits the surface, placed there by the delivery girl from Big Belly Burger, whom also happens to be Felicity Smoak.

"I have a Super Deluxe Big Belly Buster for a Mr. Andrews." She explains, her arms folded and resting on the reception desk as the guard acknowledges her.

"Think he's in security." She notes as the guard looks to her again when she leans in closer to the desk.

"He could tip her." She sighs as the guard looks to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"You three can go on up, Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance, Mr. Wilson." He nods to them as the three of them head towards the elevator.

"You can wait a second." The guard says to Felicity as he reaches for a phone, a Felicity exchanging a glance with Oliver, Sara and Slade as they walk past her…

 _Security Room_

Meanwhile, in the security room of Merlyn Global one of the guards has just received a phone call about a Big Belly Burger delivery.

"Hey new guy, you order food?" He asks the new security man, whom coincidentally happens to be John Diggle.

"Yeah, I'm addicted to Big Belly Burger." He replies.

"Never had it." The other man retorts.

"I'll split it with you." Diggle promises as their delivery girl arrives, holding out the bag of take out food.

Diggle smirks at her as he takes the bag and passes her a roll of cash.

"Keep the change." He smiles, Felicity smirking back as he closes the door on her.

 _Main Reception Area_

From there, Felicity moves back into the main reception area and towards the set of elevators.

Pressing the 'up' button whilst waiting for the elevator with Oliver, Sara and Slade whom stand a few feet away from her.

When one eventually opens, Oliver, Sara and Slade enter first, Felicity following quickly after them, standing near the buttons.

"Hold that!" A voice calls as Felicity hits the button rapidly in hopes of shutting the elevator before someone else can get in it.

Unfortunately, the person gets there just in time.

"Where are you heading, sweetie?" He smirks lasciviously at Felicity.

"Nineteenth floor." She replies.

"Too bad. I'm going to thirteen." He sighs as he reaches to press the button when suddenly his file flies out of his hand.

"Damn it!" He cries as he chases after it, the door closing behind him. Slade looking around innocently, he definitely didn't deliberately knock the file out of that guys hand.

Not at all!

Once the doors have shut, Felicity hits the correct button as the elevator finally begins to travel upwards.

"Mr. Andrews got his lunch?" Sara questions.

"One Big Belly Buster with benzodiazepine. Hold the mayo." Felicity smirks, whilst in the security room, Diggle smirks at the other guards motionless form on the ground, after just one bite of the burger.

Moving a way from the screens, Diggle moves to pull out a plug.

"Sleep tight." He notes.

Meanwhile, the elevator continues to go up, nearing the twentieth floor when Diggle speaks through their ear pieces.

"Mainframe's on twenty five guys. That's as close as I can get you." He notes as within the elevator, Oliver chucks the briefcase in his hand at Felicity, before he pushes up the small latch on the roof of the elevator to reveal a hole, climbing through it, he pulls Sara with him, who stands by his side as Slade also climbs through the hole, Oliver reaching down back into the elevator for the briefcase, Felicity hands it to him before Slade grabs her hand, helping her and her tablet though the hole one handed so they're all standing on the top of the elevator in the elevator shaft.

Felicity moves as close to the hole as she can get, thinking that at least it was safe in there as Oliver begins to open the briefcase, pulling out something that to Felicity, looks gun like.

Looking up, Oliver stands on a platform, not even needing to reach for Sara's hand, whom just joins him automatically as if this is something they do everyday.

Felicity watches as Oliver slides an arm around Sara, his other hand on the gun, which he fires, letting out a sort of rope which magnetically attaches itself to the beam far above their heads, Felicity muffling a screech of worry when Oliver uses it to swing him and Sara across the rather wide gap to the other side.

"Never thought I'd have to thank you for teaching me that tactic." Oliver calls to Slade from across the way as he releases the gun, which swings between the gap, Slade grasping it when it gets to his side.

"Told you then, kid. You have to be prepared for everything." Slade calls back.

"It was a lot more terrifying on the island." Oliver notes.

"Well it was just vines you were using to swing around the island. Like Tarzan." Sara comments as Oliver rolls his eyes at her.

"Yeah anything could have gone wrong." Oliver retorts.

"I do distinctively remember the first time I taught you how to do that, especially you screaming like a girl the whole time, kid." Slade smirks as Sara sniggers at them.

"I did not scream like a girl." Oliver protests.

"Ohh yes you did." Sara laughs.

"Well Slade, you did just push me out of that tree with no warning whatsoever!" Oliver yells back as Slade chuckles before holding a hand out to Felicity, whom had been listening to the conversation in bemusement and slight fear at how they could all be ok with Oliver and Sara swinging over a gap that big, just relying on that grapple device of theirs.

It's only when Felicity sees Slade's outstretched hand toward her that she realises that she's got to do probably exactly what Oliver and Sara so terrifyingly demonstrated!

Clutching her tablet close to her chest, Felicity reluctantly takes Slade's hand.

"Don't look down." He says gruffly, helping her onto the platform Sara and Oliver were on.

Ok, they really are going to be swinging across that gap like Oliver and Sara did.

Felicity has never been more scared in her entire life, even more so when Slade lets go of her hand.

"Too late." She whispers, her eyes fixated to the gap and abyss blow.

"I should mention I'm afraid of heights, which I've just learned." She winces, voice fearful as she looks up to the top of the elevator shaft, anywhere but down.

Anywhere but down.

"Felicity." Slade murmurs to her as he wraps an arm securely around her waist, moving Felicity's free arm so it's around his shoulders.

Incredibly muscular shoulders Felicity can't help but note as she practically digs her nails into his arm in fear.

"Hold onto me tightly." He commands.

"I've imagined you saying that to me under different circumstances…" She trails off realising that she just broadcasted that last part live and that Slade's turned his head to look straight at her with his one dark brown eye.

"Very platonic circumstances." She winces before suddenly they're swinging over the gap, Felicity gasps and shuts her eyes tightly as she holds on tightly to Slade until she can finally feel the ground under her feet.

Sighing in relief that she's alive, she untangles herself from Slade.

"You could have at least warned me!" She protests, slapping his arm playfully.

"Yeah, trust me Felicity from first hand experience, he never does that!" Oliver mutters as she turns slightly to see Oliver and Sara standing in the elevator doorway on the floor they need to be on.

Slade shrugs.

"Best to just get on with it, I say." He notes before stepping around the elevator shaft, holding on to several metal bars as he does so, reaching out for Felicity's hand, whom takes his, whilst holding on tightly to her tablet until eventually they're at the elevator doorway, Slade walks through first.

"Well that was relatively painless." Sara comments as Slade rejoins her and Oliver as Felicity scoffs, still, ever so slightly in the elevator shaft.

"Speak for yourself." She whispers as Slade turns back for her.

"Come on." He says gently, taking her hand in his once more and pulling her into the corridor, leading her fortunately, far away from the elevator doorway.

"You a'right?" He questions, resting a hand on her arm.

"I'm fine. Yeah. This is just my 'about to hack' face." She babbles quickly, gulping slightly as she closes her eyes.

"I always, you know look like this right before I hack." She whispers as Sara wraps an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"You did great." She assures her.

"And keep thinking that the first time Oliver learnt how to do that with Slade, he swung around on a vine, eyes shut screaming like a little girl." She smirks as Felicity gives her a grateful smile in response.

"Did that really happen?" She whispers.

"It did, the only time I'd ever wished for a camera on that island." Slade retorts as Oliver rolls his eyes at them both before fixing Felicity with a severe look.

"Security patrol is on a ten minute cycle. We'll have our meeting with Tommy and be back in nine, ok." Oliver explains as he Sara and Slade head on in one direction, leaving Felicity behind, who nods.

"Ok. Ok." She says quickly, her head still in the elevator!

 _Minutes Later…_

After leaving Felicity, Oliver, Slade and Sara move on toward Tommy's office.

"You got eyes on her?" Slade hisses into the ear piece.

"Five by five." Diggle replies, which is heard by all as he watches her from the security room, watching the screen as Felicity moves cautiously toward the secret room, sliding a swipe card through the keypad, which bleeps from red to green.

At this point, Felicity is then able to input the code.

The door unlocks.

Diggle watches her as she enters the secret room where the mainframe is kept, moving agilely toward the desk, where she sits and opens her tablet, pulling out a cable from one of her pockets and plugs the device into the mainframe.

Felicity takes a deep breath.

"Ok."

 _Tommy's Office_

"Sure beats the back of the bar." Oliver calls as he, Sara and Slade enter Tommy's office to find said man standing by the window, a file in hand as he turns away from the window to glare at the three of them.

"When I saw your names in my schedule I thought it must be typo." He snaps the file shut, moving toward them.

"Why so serious guys? Did someone decide that they didn't want to be savagely murdered by arrows, swords and batons today?" He mutters sarcastically as he drops his file onto the desk half heatedly.

"I thought it was past time we all talked." Oliver starts.

"About what? Me leaving the club? No because I'm sure he's already thrown a party about me leaving." Tommy flashes a glare at Slade.

"Ah, you and I are finally on the same page." Slade responds with a glare of his own.

"Guys." Oliver starts.

They haven't come here for Slade and Tommy fight after all.

"So what is it? You three being serial killers? We're not lacking for topics here." Tommy snaps at the three of them.

"Let's start with Laurel since you've broken up with despite the fact you're still in love with her." Sara folds her arms.

Tommy is silent at her words.

"You're breaking her heart Tommy. If you truly loved her, you wouldn't be doing this to her. She loves you and she chose you over everything until you decide you couldn't handle it anymore." Sara continues fiercely.

"And who's fault is that?" He hisses.

"How do you expect me to be with Laurel when I'm lying to her face every day about the fact her sister is a serial killer." He hisses at Sara.

"Hey!" Oliver and Slade snap at Tommy in Sara's defence.

"My words are the truth. I am not a liar." He growls back.

"You're lying to Laurel." Slade mutters.

"Don't you…"

"You say you can't be together with her because of the lies. Yet your lying to her by saving you no longer love her. This making much sense to anyone?" Slade looks to Oliver and Sara. "You three put me in this position when you decided to reveal your secret to me. What did you think? I'd be ok with it!" Tommy snaps.

"To save your father's life." Oliver snaps, something now due to recent information about Malcolm Merlyn he wishes he hadn't.

"Still doesn't change the fact you told me. That I now have to live with that truth, that the three of you go around killing people whenever you feel like it…"

"So what Tommy! You're not involved in what we do." Sara growls.

"Ohh but I am, I know what you do. I can't forget this and I can't be with Laurel because of it because if she ever found out that her own sister is a murderer, her sister and her friends. Now that would break her heart and if I stayed with her and she found out the truth and that I lied to her she'd never trust me again."

"How do you think we do it? With Thea, with everyone we care about? We lie to them everyday but we need them in our lives. What your doing to Laurel is worse." Oliver retorts.

"How is it worse? I'm allowing her to be free, have a relationship where no ones lying to her. Sara was right. I do love her but because I love her I have to let her go and start again with someone who doesn't have secrets like this…"

"It's not your secret Tommy!" Sara yells ferociously.

"You three made it that way. You caused this. Laurel's heartbreak is on you three." Tommy snarls back.

"Lord knows we are guilty of a lot of things but not you and her." Oliver retorts.

"Remember that." He murmurs as Tommy rolls his eyes at them dismissively.

"You know, Tommy." Slade speaks up, Oliver and Sara looking cautious as Slade steps toward him.

"I may already have a great dislike for you but I've never hated you more than in this moment. Laurel is out there. Laurel loves you and you have a million opportunities to reunite with her and she would take you back because it is you who's insistent on being apart from her and you take that for granted. You are the one who ended things with her because you can't handle something you don't even fully understand! So don't you dare try and put the blame on us for something you decided all on your own. You're ungrateful. I would do anything for the opportunity you have. To reunite with the woman I love. One more minute with her just to tell her that I love her again. I'll never get that. I'll never get that minute with her because she's gone. You still have a chance with Laurel. I suggest you take it, or you really are the idiot I already believe you to be." Slade snaps before turning away from Tommy, following after Oliver and Sara.

All three of them lost for words at what Slade just said to Tommy.

Even Tommy's speechless, which for Tommy Merlyn is a rarity.

"What exactly do you do here anyway?" Oliver questions after the silence.

"I work closely with my father." He murmurs in response as Oliver looks to him one last time, stifling a grimace at Tommy's words before the three depart.

 _Meanwhile_

Diggle watches the screens cautiously, freezing when he sees a guard on the floor Felicity is currently on downloading the contents of the mainframe.

"Guys you got trouble." He murmurs into the ear piece.

"What?" Felicity gasps in worry at Diggle's words.

"Felicity's about to have some ahead of schedule company." He replies.

"I'm not there yet on the download." She protests as she looks to the screen nervously.

"Hold tight we're on our way." Oliver whispers as he, Sara and Slade head down a corridor, turning a corner when…

"Oliver, Sara, Slade." The voice of Malcolm Merlyn sounds as he appears at the other end of the corridor.

"Mr. Merlyn." Oliver notes though gritted teeth, the urge to take the guy out where he stands quite a strong urge once more and if he's feeling that way, he'd hate to think about what Sara and Slade are thinking!

"I must say, I'm surprised to see the three of you here." He frowns.

"We had some unfinished business with Tommy." Oliver explains.

"Yes, I've heard that things have been challenging between the four of you but I trust your all working things out?" Malcolm comments whilst Diggle and Felicity begin to growl at one another over the earpiece.

"Felicity!" The three hear him hiss.

"Just a few more seconds." She cries back.

"Yes." Oliver nods.

"Work in progress." Sara adds and Slade resists the urge to snort and make a comment.

"I'm sorry, we have to go. There are some investors waiting for us at our club." Oliver says politely in explanation.

"I'm heading out to a meeting myself." Malcolm notes.

"I'll walk you down to the lobby." He smiles as the five walk into an elevator.

"She's going to get made guys!" Diggle continues to yell at them through the ear piece as they stand in the elevator with dark expressions.

"Guys, did you hear me?" He shouts, with quick looks back and forth to the computers where more guards have appeared on the floor Felicity's at.

"Felicity!" He growls to her.

"What? Just a few more seconds." She protests with a look to the computer, the download bar only a quarter completed.

"Come on, come on, come on." She whispers, hitting a few keys in a hope it makes the download move faster.

"You don't have a few more seconds." Diggle snaps as Felicity looks fearful before the computer begins to bleep and light up green, showing that the downloads complete.

"Yes!" She throws her hand up in the air.

"Wow I really do, do that." She winces as she quickly begins to unplug her tablet, racing toward the exit right into the path of a security guard...

"Damn it guys she's in trouble! Where the hell are you three?" Diggle snarls upon witnessing Felicity's run in with the guard who's just began speaking to her.

"This is a restricted area." He growls as Felicity bites her lip in fear.

"Let's see some ID." He snaps as Felicity begins to fumble in her pockets.

"ID. Um…"

 _Merlyn Global Lobby_

"Oliver, tell your mother I said hello." Malcolm turns to Oliver as the five exit the elevator at long last, each of them feeling something close to dread at the thought of Felicity being in trouble and them not being able to do a damn thing about it.

"I will." Oliver fakes a smile as he and his security guard walk away.

"We got held up by Merlyn. Heading back upstairs." Sara mutters into the ear piece as the three turn to head in the direction of the elevators once more.

"Ollie? Sara? Slade?" Comes the unexpected voice of Thea from behind them.

Oliver, Sara and Slade turn around to face her immediately as she walks toward them with folded arms.

"Thea? What are you doing here?" Oliver questions.

"I, um, just saw Tommy." She lies, Slade raises his eyebrow at her, as if he can tell she's lying yet says nothing.

"Yeah, us too. We're just going to run back up." Sara smiles.

"Yeah, we don't want to be late. We'll see you at home." Oliver pats her arm gently as the three turn to go again.

They barely get a few feet when Thea calls out to them again.

"I thought you guys just came down?"

 _Meanwhile…_

Still trapped with the security guard, Felicity continues to fumble in her pockets for imaginary ID whilst thinking of Diggle, Oliver, Sara and Slade and wondering where the hell they are when she needs them the most!

"There you are!" A sigh followed by a loud voice causes Felicity to look up.

"Thanks a lot man. This one snuck past security, one of Merlyn juniors bimbos." It is the voice of Diggle, Felicity realises as he reaches her side, grabbing her arm almost forcibly.

"She's pissed he never called her back." He shakes his head as the other guard.

"Copy that." He nods.

"I've read the tabloids." He mutters with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks again." Diggle says before dragging Felicity out of the room.

"Let's go Barbie. Your new last name ain't going to be Merlyn." He mutters for effect.

"But I love him! He's my man!" Felicity keeps up the act until they are out of sight and safety in the elevator, the two of them laughing lightly.

"My knight in shining armour!"

 _Meanwhile, In The Lobby_

Still trapped in the lobby with Thea, Oliver, Sara and Slade turn back to face her, Sara noticing something in the distance.

"It's that your 'friend' Roy?" Sara says, folding her own arms.

"No." Thea says quickly but with one look at her brother and Slade's faces corrects herself quickly, deciding perhaps it's best to come clean and hope this doesn't actually involve Roy as she can already tell Oliver, Slade and Sara don't appear to be in the best of moods!

"No?" Oliver gives her a skeptical look.

"Yeah. He, he gave me a ride." She says with the same look she had when she told them she was here for Tommy.

"Thea what are you really doing here?" Oliver speaks up sharply.

"The truth would nice." Slade adds.

"The truth?" She says in a shaky voice.

"The truth." Oliver confirms.

"Lying would not be a smart idea." Slade says in a quiet tone, dangerously quiet.

"Um, ok. We're trying to find the three vigilantes…"

"What?" Oliver, Sara and Slade snap in unison, advancing on Thea

"Roy's been kind of obsessed with them since they saved his life at the subway and we overheard Detective Lance saying that the other archer was connected to Merlyn Global, so I… Hey!" Thea cries as Oliver and Slade take one of her arms each and pull her over to Roy.

"Roy!" Oliver snaps as Roy turns at the sound of the voice and practically pales, slightly unnerved at the sight of Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson, more importantly the rather menacing looks on each of their faces, especially Oliver and Slade.

"We haven't all met face to face. I'm Thea's disapproving older brother Oliver, this is my girlfriend Sara and my best friend Slade." Oliver does introductions sharply.

"Yeah, I know who you guys are." Roy starts, of course he knows who they are. Thea's older brother, Oliver Queen, his frosty girlfriend Sara Lance and his best friend scary ex Australian military, Slade Wilson. Whom is also the guy Thea once threatened to set on him if he didn't return her purse. He remembers then telling her he'd rather be arrested than have to face him. Having now met him, he'd definitely rather have been arrested and even sent to jail!

The guy's even more terrifying in person!

"Good to meet the three of you." Roy says in the calmest voice he can manage what with the current circumstances and raises a hand.

Slade takes it in an iron like grip. Roy winces.

"What are you doin'? Stop perusing the vigilantes. It's a good way to get yourself killed and Thea. You either have a death wish or you're an idiot. I'm suspecting the latter." He growls quietly, releasing his hand sharply whilst Roy looks anywhere but at Slade, yet when he turns his head he then comes face to face with Oliver Queen and Sara Lance and they look just as menacing!

"You listen to us right now. They are psychopaths. They are dangerous and anyone who gets near them winds up dead." Sara warns him venomously.

"And that will not be my sister. Do you hear me?" Oliver snaps at Roy again, who nervously looks to Thea.

"He asked you a question." Sara snarls to him.

"Yes sir." Roy nods quickly at Oliver, whom glances to him just as Sara notices Felicity pass them, heading fortunately out of the door.

"And if any harm comes to Thea because of you and your stupidity. You will suffer until you have known complete despair and you will, I promise." Slade snarls.

"That we all promise." Oliver adds with a glare, glares from each of them that even unnerves Thea.

"Take her home, now." Slade growls, Oliver giving Roy one last glare of distaste before the three friends turn on a heel and exit Merlyn Global…

 _Roy Harper's Apartment_

Throwing the door open to his apartment, Roy and Thea enter after their trip to Merlyn Global, in which not only did they find nothing but also received the warning/scolding of a lifetime from Oliver, Slade and Sara, which Roy's already ignored a part of it considering he hasn't exactly taken Thea home!

Roy in an instant moving towards one of his shelves to grab onto a few pieces of paper.

"What are you doing?" Thea sighs.

"The vigilantes are not too fond of guys who sell Vertigo. I know a guy who claims he still have a stash to sell." Roy comments as he crosses his apartment to grab something else.

"Maybe we could stake him out and hope the vigilantes show up for him?" Roy suggests.

"Did you not just hear what my brother, Sara and Slade said?" Thea protests.

"What does your brother and his friends know about them?" Roy says, not even really focusing on her as he looks through some more stuff.

"Um, for one thing, the vigilantes once saved Oliver and Sara's lives. So if they're telling us to keep away that should say something and let's not forget what Slade said and trust me I'm pretty sure he meant every word of that Roy!" She folds her arms.

"No offence to you but your brother and his girlfriend are kind of wimps. The other guy, is just freakin insane." Roy notes.

"Don't say that." Thea snaps firmly.

"Why not? It's true." He replies.

"My brother and Sara survived five years on an island, so did Slade and I believe that he probably protected them and kept them safe that whole time. For five years I thought I had lost my brother! So yeah Roy, I think we should listen to what they tell us." Thea cries, tears now having appeared in her eyes.

"Yeah? Well, I lost someone too and they aren't coming back." Roy yells back.

"Who?" Thea shouts.

"It doesn't matter." Roy shrugs it off.

"That is why I need to find them so they can teach me to be like them. I'm not losing anyone else ever again!" He vows before walking away from Thea, who stands there in tears shaking her head quickly.

"I can't do this Roy. I can't keep this up, these vigilantes are dangerous. I didn't want to see that for you. I wanted to find them for you but every time I close my eyes I can still see those people they killed. The ones Lance showed us and I can't get passed that." She admits as she watches him look for more stuff.

"If you don't give this up, you're going to lose me." She threatens.

"Better now than later." Is Roy's deadpan response as Thea just looks at him with a devastated look in her eyes, before racing away from him, leaving Roy behind with a final slam of the door.

 _Queen Mansion_

In search of Walter, Moria Queen heads up the staircase, smiling happily when Walter walks into her.

"Ohh good, I was just coming to check on you to see if you'd like some tea or…" Walter cuts her off by handing her a piece of paper.

"What is this?" She takes it from him, unfolding it and reading it.

After the first few lines her hands begin to shake, the letter still in it.

"Walter, please." She states in a shaky voice as she tries to form the words.

"Divorce is an extreme reaction." She says the words in horror.

"Well, considering the circumstances, I find it somewhat reserved!" Walter snaps as he marches past her.

"Or do you think I believe that my abduction on the night you told me that I was getting too close to your conspiracy is a coincidence." He mutters as he walks down the stairs, Moria following after him.

"No, no you, you were in danger." She manages to catch up to him.

"This arrangement, it saved your life." She protests. Walter scoffs.

"Well, that's ironic because it feels like you've destroyed it." He turns to the stairs again.

"Walter." She whispers in shock and horror at what she's hearing.

"You know, I read about people in forced captivity. Some of them said it was a simple thought that got them through the isolation and fear, returning to their loved ones." He mutters as he heads toward the door, Moria moving to cut him off.

"So I don't know really why I'm still alive Moria, because I didn't have that." He admits.

"Walter please…"

"What do you think you could say to me to convince me that everything I knew, my whole life hasn't just evaporated?" He storms toward the door.

"Mom is Oliver, Sara and Slade here? I really need to talk to them." Comes the sad sounding voice of Thea as she walks into Queen Mansion, stopping when she sees her mother's tear stained face and Walter nearing the door.

"Where are you going?" She whispers.

"Come here." Walter says in a gentle voice before pulling Thea into a tight embrace.

He'd miss her. He'd miss her and even Oliver.

In a way he's glad both of them have gotten out of here before they could be put in any danger from their own mother as honestly, he doesn't put it past her to do something if Oliver had ever found anything.

Oliver left because of Moria's inability to accept Sara and Slade, Walter remembers.

Good for him, Walter thinks as honestly he personally never had an issue with Slade Wilson.

Walter hugs Thea again, knowing he's leaving her in good hands as long as she stays with her brother and his friends.

They'd protect her, he just knows it. No matter what.

He walks out the door.

 _SCPD_

"Detective?" Kelton calls as he walks toward Quentin's desk, who sits at it boredly.

"What'd you find?" Quentin shrugs his shoulders.

"Merlyn Global cyber security is off the charts. Firewalls, NSA grade IPSec protocols…"

"What's that? Tech speak for I struck out boss?" Quentin mutters sarcastically.

"Yeah, but I wasn't the only one." Kelton sits down beside him.

"Somebody else tried hacking into Merlyn Global Systems. Same pathways I used, same result." Kelton reveals.

"You're saying that someone else was looking for Merlyn's connection to UNIDAC?" Quentin raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, someone good, knew how to reverse engineer her footprints. I almost didn't catch her." Kelton continues.

"Her?" Quentin frowns.

"Yeah. She works at Queen Consolidated." He reveals.

"Names Felicity Smoak." Quentin looks to him, confusion crossing his face.

"Who the hell is Felicity Smoak?"

 _The Foundry_

"In addition to the download, I also took the liberty of uploading a Trojan to Merlyn's system." Felicity Smoak reveals to Oliver, Diggle, Sara and Slade at her chair by the computers, turning around to face them.

"Figured it might come in handy."

"That's smart." Slade comments, Felicity flashes a triumphant smile his way.

"If Merlyn thinks he's been compromised it'll help if we know first." Diggle notes.

"Quick thinking. Reminds me of me when I stole that circuit drive." Oliver smiles.

"Yeah but you screwed that up, didn't ya kid?" Slade reminds him.

"You helped screw that up actually Slade." Oliver retorts.

"Guys don't get into this again, we weren't getting off the island. It was not fault of either of you." Sara holds her hands up to stop them in their tracks.

"Honestly I'm really intrigued about this." Diggle comments.

"Please don't get them started, they had an actual fight when this happened." Sara says with a roll of her eyes.

"We didn't exactly see eye to eye then." Oliver reminds her.

"That's because you never listened to me, kid." Slade shrugs.

"You'd probably be surprised, considering how they are now but Ollie and Slade never really had much trust between them at first." Sara comments.

"I couldn't imagine that." Felicity admits with a smile at both Oliver and Slade.

"The night before we had do something. Something that actually went horribly wrong. The one thing I remember about that night was something Ollie said to me. We were discussing what would happen next day, because we felt there was even a possibility we'd make it home since we were trying to take this freighter and before we head back to Slade and…" Sara stops looking down before taking Oliver's hand.

"Our friend. Ollie admitted to me that in a way he didn't want to go home to all this because he couldn't imagine not seeing Slade and our friend everyday and that he'd give up going to Starling City and being who he was again to stay with me and them." She reveals.

"You never told me this, kid." Slade says in a quiet voice.

"That was really emotional." Felicity sniffs at the story as even Diggle looks touched by it.

"In a way I got my wish." Oliver looks to Slade.

"I'm just sorry of all the things that happened that allowed me to get my wish." Oliver admits sadly, as Slade shakes his head.

"Don't apologise for things that aren't your fault, kid." Slade says in a gentle tone as silence passes between the group due to all the emotions in the room.

"Ok, can you locate the seismic device?" Oliver turns to Felicity, back in business.

"I'm working on it but there's at least a teraflop of data to go through." She admits as suddenly Oliver stops and walks toward the box, he Sara and Slade keep their stuff.

"Ollie?" Sara moves to his side.

"You okay kid?" Slade queries as Oliver picks up his father's journal in his hands

"My father, he told me that he failed the city. Asked me to right his wrongs but I never knew what he meant until now." He murmurs as thinks of the times he heard his father say those words to him.

First time in person when he blew his brains out in front of him and Sara.

Second time not physically in person but he and Slade had heard the words loud and clear.

"It's The Undertaking." Oliver reveals as he closes the book shut.

"We promised ourselves that when we crossed all those names off that we'd be done." Oliver reveals as Diggle and Felicity look between one another in surprise and Oliver's words and in even more surprise when Slade and Sara nod in agreement with what Oliver's saying.

"But taking down these people, it doesn't honour him." Oliver stops.

"We were just treating the symptoms whilst the disease festered." He whispers.

"So what you're saying kid. If we stop The Undertaking, we wipe out that disease." Slade gets to his feet, folding his arms as Oliver and Sara look in agreement.

"What are you saying guys? You would all hang up being vigilantes?" Diggle questions, silence passing before Oliver turns to them.

"Merlyn's plan is what we returned from the island to stop." He reveals before sighing.

"We stop The Undertaking. It's all over…"

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

A knock upon her apartment door brings a tired, rather miserable Laurel Lance to the door.

"Hey." An unexpected voice calls from an unexpected person.

The person she'd been thinking off all day.

Tommy Merlyn…

Silence passes between the two as they spent a moment just staring at one another.

"Is there a chance you and I could talk?" Tommy asks in a gentle voice.

Without saying a word, Laurel moves to let him in.

"What did you want to talk about. I thought you had said all you had needed to say." Laurel says in a sharper voice than she'd intended as she folds her arms.

Another bout of silence passing as Tommy stutters and looks down.

"Wow. I thought this was going to be a bit easier than this but here I am looking at you and it's much harder than…"

"Just say what you have to say and go, ok?" Laurel mutters.

She can't take anymore heartbreak from Tommy, she just can't.

She wouldn't be able to take it.

"I've been lying to you." He admits.

"About what?" Laurel retorts.

"A lot of things." He murmurs.

"And I can't. I can't keep doing this. I thought I could stay away from you. I thought I could convince myself you didn't mean anything to me anymore but it was all a lie. I told you Laurel that I wasn't a liar yet all I've been telling you nothing but lies. The first, when I ended things with you. I said it was because I couldn't commit to you. It wasn't that Laurel." Tommy stops before taking a shaky breath before looking into Laurel's eyes.

She doesn't say a word.

"There was something I couldn't tell you, something that I was afraid of and afraid of what would happen if you found out about it but." Tommy stops again.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. You matter to me Laurel more than that and I was such a dick to you, I broke your heart and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for that and I'd do anything to make that up to you because I know now that I'd rather do my hardest to ignore that something I couldn't speak about than be without you." He sighs.

"The second thing?" Laurel murmurs, trying to keep up a cool façade even though inside she can barely believe the words Tommy is telling her and this time she knows that none of the words are lies.

There was something bothering him something that right now Laurel doesn't care if she finds out or not because she feels the same.

She'd rather there be this one small secret than have to be without Tommy another day.

Tommy looks to her.

"The second thing was that when I told you I didn't love you. I lied." Tommy admits, Laurel looks up at him with wide eyes.

"Tommy…" She whispers.

"I love you Laurel Lance." He reveals.

"I just hope I didn't wait too long to say it." He looks down, yet before he can Laurel wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply.

Surprised by Laurel's reaction, overjoyed at Laurel's reaction Tommy kisses her back as she moves her arms from around his neck to unbutton his shirt, still kissing him as she does so.

"You didn't wait too long." She whispers against his lips as she has rid of his shirt and he picks her up so her legs are around his waist.

"You're right on time." She smiles, enjoying for a moment the wide smile Tommy gives her in response before crushing her lips to his again as he carries her gently toward the bedroom. Their bedroom as he begins to rid her of her own clothes.

"I love you Tommy Merlyn." She whispers once more, her words one hundred percent genuine as he just kisses her, carrying her again until they crash into her bed…

 _A Few Hours Later_

Tommy awakens from his comfortable position beside Laurel, who's mostly lying on top of him, one of his arms wrapped around her; to the annoying sound of his phone buzzing.

Pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, Tommy rolls out of her embrace to get his phone, looking back once, glad he didn't disturb Laurel too much, whom seemingly just rolls over and falls asleep again.

Looking at his phone, Tommy can't help but glare at the fact it's Oliver calling.

"I should probably get this number changed." He mutters.

"Nice to hear from you to, Tommy." Oliver sighs.

"What do you want Oliver? Thought you'd said all you needed to earlier." Tommy asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Something's happened and I just thought you should know."

"Oliver I don't care…"

"No, Tommy, hear me out. Something's going on right now and if the three of us fix it, we stop it and me, Sara and Slade don't have to be the vigilantes anymore. We won't have to lie anymore because they'll be nothing to lie about. You won't have to lie to Laurel." Oliver explains as Tommy purses his lips in surprise at the revelation.

He had not expected this, not at all and if Oliver is true to his word and he truly is giving up being a vigilante, he and Sara it'll be easier to forget. Laurel would never know and possibly just possibly he could get his best friend back…

"Thank you for telling me." Tommy says eventually.

"Who are you talking to?" Comes the sleepy voice of Laurel as Tommy turns to face her, running his fingers through her hair lovingly in response.

"See you around." He ends up saying to Oliver, hanging up before he can say anything else.

"Just Oliver." He murmurs to Laurel as he moves to pull her back into his arms again.

"Are you pair finally talking to each other again?" She asks.

"Work in progress." Tommy mutters as she kisses him.

"It's weird seeing you two on the outs." She admits.

"Yep." Tommy sighs.

"I love you." He says after a moment, pulling Laurel closer, who smiles and cuddles back.

"I'm so sorry for what I did. That I lied to you, I mean I'm still lying to you, I still can't tell you what it was all about, yet…" Laurel silences him with a kiss.

"Tommy it doesn't matter that I don't know. You're allowed secrets and I'd rather there be something you can't tell me than not be with you at all. I just need you to promise me something." She whispers as he runs a hand through her hair again.

"That if it… Whatever it is became really important you'd tell me then right?" She looks up into his immense blue eyes.

"Yes. Of course I would." Tommy vows truthfully as Laurel smiles happy with his answer.

"I just can't believe your letting me off the hook without telling you now." He admits.

"I'm not entirely letting you off the hook, Merlyn but I know now that if it ever became an issue you'd tell me. I trust you." She replies.

"Trust me?" Tommy says in a gentle voice.

"Trust you and love you because that's what people do when they're in love with someone as much as I love you." Tommy gives her another megawatt smile.

She'd missed seeing his smiles every morning, hopefully now she'd never have to spend another morning without them.

"I love you. So, so much Laurel." Tommy replies as he kisses her once more, not much words are said after that…

 _The Foundry_

"Yes!" Felicity cheers loudly as something pops up on her computer at long last.

"What is it?" Slade looks to her.

"Guess who just found the Markov device." She spins around happily in her chair.

"You found it?" Sara and Oliver move toward the computer in an instance, after Oliver had phoned Tommy to hopefully tell him the good news that all this might be over, in a hope he realizes that and decides to work things out with Laurel.

"Merlyn's keeping it in a warehouse his company owns in The Glades." Diggle reads off the screen from beside Felicity.

"Good work, we need to coordinate an attack. Splitting up might work. Diggle, you and Slade take the device. Sara and I'll take Merlyn." Oliver explains as Diggle nods, yet Slade folds his arms.

"Slade if you find the device you're probably the best of us to try and take it out." Oliver explains as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Then why don't you take him and I'll take Sara." Slade retorts as Oliver sighs.

"Slade please, just take Diggle."

"I would if I wasn't concerned about the fact he might shoot me in the back." Slade mutters.

"I wouldn't. I know it's going to take time for me to get your trust back after what happened earlier, but how about we start now? I want this device gone just as much as all of you." Diggle responds truthfully as after a moment of silence, Slade heads to suit up.

"Do we have a location on Merlyn?" Sara asks after a minute.

"Yeah, according to my brilliant Trojan plan idea, Merlyn's logged onto his computer right from within his office." Felicity calls as Oliver and Sara move towards their own vigilante uniforms, ready to face Merlyn and ready to destroy the device.

Ready to end all of this once and for all.

 _Fyers had set the camera up and was finishing making final preparations to it._

 _Yao Fei moves back into the tent in full uniform, looking at the four with an expressionless look as he sees his injured daughter, trying to edge over toward Slade, who with Oliver are trying to get to Sara, who lies there still bleeding, slowly bleeding out, barely moving, yet they can all tell she's fighting to stay awake._

 _To stay alive._

 _"The uniform suits you Yao Fei. Over here." Fyers commands as Yao Fei doesn't move._

 _"She's bleeding out." He says again, referring to Sara._

 _"Which is of little concern to me. Over here." Fyers commands again._

 _"She's going to die Fyers you son of a bitch!" Slade snarls._

 _"I'm gonna kill you for this! You psychopath I swear to god I'm going to kill you!" Oliver yells with another look to Sara, who looks at him with fearful eyes, not for herself but for Oliver as Yao Fei obediently moves towards Fyers, stopping before though._

 _"I have to admit I'm surprised at your decision. I thought she would be of more use to you, considering how much you enjoyed having her as your little pet in her cage in your tent. Think of how grateful and how much more useful she would be to you if spared her life. Returned her to her place. For entertainment purposes, of course." Yao Fei comments as Fyers looks to him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and nodding at two guards._

 _"Take her. Return her to a cage, give her a rag to stop the bleeding." He commands to guards who move to grab Sara from the floor._

 _"No, where are you taking her! Sara!" Oliver cries as she is dragged from the tent._

 _"She should be good for as Yao Fei put it, entertainment purposes." Fyers says with a lascivious smile._

 _"You sick bastard." Slade hisses, Fyers nodding at a guard, whom punches Slade hard in the face, Shado trying to move in his direction again when he hits the floor and growls in pain when he lands on his bad leg._

 _Oliver looks down as he holds the knife close in his hands._

 _He knew what Yao Fei was doing, he was trying to save Sara's life._

 _Yet his attempts won't be successful unless Oliver manages to free himself because once he has done, he's going straight for Sara._

 _No matter what he had to do, he'll find her and he'll save her._

 _No matter what._

 _Finally doing what Fyers asks of him, Yao Fei moves in front of the camera._

 _"Anytime you're ready." Fyers mutters almost boredly._

 _"To the people of China and citizens of the world. I make this statement voluntarily. Taking responsibility for the shooting of Ferris Air Flight 637 to protest the People's Republic of China's treatment of me for betraying and abandoning me to the island of Lian Yu." Yao Fei speaks, calmly and in a controlled manner as Oliver moves the knife around the restraints, Slade seemingly leaning toward Oliver, Oliver realises is trying to undo his own restraints without a knife._

 _Honestly, he believes Slade could probably do that as well._

 _"Consider this my righteous delivery of powerful vengeance." Yao Fei finishes as Fyers switches off the camera._

 _"Thank you." He smiles as Oliver, Shado and Slade look toward them._

 _Fyers shoots Yao Fei though the head…_

 _"No!" Shado and Oliver cry in unison as Yao Fei hits the ground, Shado screaming out for her now murdered father, as they see the blood pooling out from Yao Fei's head._

 _"Sir." Durand calls to Fyers, ignoring the protesting prisoners and the fact someone just got murdered as Fyers turns to him._

 _"Plane is within range."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Diggle and The Man In The Mask run side by side, gun and sword held outwards as they move toward the location the seismic device supposedly is.

"You think Oliver sent us out here together on purpose?" Diggle questions.

"Test to see if I would actually kill you or not? Hand you into ARGUS?" The Man In The Mask says nothing in response. Diggle sighs.

"Look, man I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. I had no idea…"

"No you didn't. You assumed the worst of me. I'm honestly not surprised." The Man In The Mask grumbles as Diggle falls silent.

"I don't blame you." The Man In The Mask says after a moment.

"You sure about that man?" Diggle raises an eyebrow at him.

"I know what I would have done to someone with information like that and it's not like what your associate said was wrong either, I was a monster." He murmurs.

"But the reasons why you did it, because they killed your child in cold blood. No one could blame you for wanting vengeance for that, man. No one could blame you at all…"

"Yet they did. I was out of control. I would have wiped out the whole of ARGUS given the chance. I wouldn't have stopped for anything to avenge them…"

"Wait them?" Diggle stops him mid sentence.

"My ex wife. They took her out as well." Slade grumbles.

"Ohh my god Slade." Diggle looks disgusted at the very thought.

Disgusted that he once believed ARGUS to be the good guys, he was very, very wrong and it scares him because it makes him worry about his perception on Lyla…

But Lyla could never be like this; she doesn't even know the full story behind this, she just believes the lies ARGUS told her, he hopes.

"I would have destroyed them all and a load of them probably wouldn't have had a clue what had happened. Like your associate, If she'd been there I would have killed her without a second thought and she might not have known what had gone down. I would have done anything for my revenge. I became a monster so I was rightfully branded with a monstrous name. Deathstroke." The Man In The Mask snarls.

"They labelled me with that name. The name of a villain, the monster I became." He growls.

"Yet you sacrificed your chance at complete revenge for Oliver. No monster would have done that. They killed your child, Slade. Yet you still gave up your revenge for Oliver."

"I couldn't lose him. I'd lost everything at that point. Oliver was all I had left in the world. I would have done anything to protect my brother." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"And you still would." Diggle states.

"Both he and Sara." The Man In The Mask reaffirms.

"She said the three of you had gotten separated during that time. I hope one day, the three of you will trust me enough to tell me what actually happened there." Diggle notes.

"We're a long way off that." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"I understand why. I didn't trust you today. I should have done." Diggle replies.

"As I said. I don't blame you. Evidence was there against me a'right." He retorts.

"It was but I should have trusted you to know there was more to the story. I acted as I would have done months ago when I first met you." Diggle comments.

"When you are I were always an incident away from killing one another?" The Man In The Mask questions sternly.

"Exactly. Then I probably would have shot first asked questions later because I never trusted you." Diggle states plainly.

"Funny you should say that since, I felt the exact same way about you." The Man In The Mask says matter of factly.

"Yet when I got to know you I realized that really, you're still trapped on that island. You put up defenses against everyone, except Oliver and Sara because of what happened to you back then. The people you lost…"

"I think I preferred it when we weren't talking." The Man In The Mask grumbles as Diggle rolls his eyes at him.

"See what I mean? You push people away and after what you went through no one can really blame you for that either, which is why I was surprised when you became friends with that Leonard guy, was it? Yet I do remember you trying to ignore him as well, him and Lisa was it? Yet I'm gathering they weren't accepting that. Am I right?" Diggle looks to The Man In The Mask who once more remains silent.

"Well I hope for your sake they continue to not accept that because I think you need them, you need more people in your life you can trust because I've gathered trust doesn't come easy with you. I mean, you said about your ex partner." Diggle stops when The Man In The Mask glances to him.

"His name was Billy Wintergreen. I told you that he was my partner in the ASIS and he was also the godfather to my son and that he betrayed me without a second thought to these people on the island. Trust never came easy to me after that." He reveals.

"But then you met Oliver, Sara." Diggle continues.

"I did and I trust them both more than anyone else. Sara is the sister I never had and Oliver, I never thought I'd ever get a partner like Wintergreen, a brother but I did in Oliver and now I don't know what I'd do without that kid." The Man In The Mask sighs.

They are silent then for a few moments before Diggle speaks up.

"I remember you telling me you drove your sword though his eye?"

"I did." He mutters,

"Did it bother you to kill him like that? Considering even after all he'd done he was still your ex partner." Diggle reminds him.

"I like to think it didn't but a part of me will always remember the man he was and that his blood is on my hands. That's why I killed that Ted Gaynor bloke for you because it does bother me at times and I have to live with what I did everyday and I didn't want you to have to go through what I did but then I remember all he did, the fact he also tortured Oliver and Sara. I made the right decision." He says with a sense of finality as Diggle looks to him as another moment of quiet passes between them.

"I just thought I'd say, even with what you did back then, even though why you did it is completely understandable. I do trust you Slade." He admits to The Man In The Masks surprise, he'd not expected to hear that from Diggle.

At all, ever really.

"And as I said back at the Gaynor incident. In time, I hope one day you'll trust me as well." Diggle finishes.

"Small steps." The Man In The Mask replies gruffly, Diggle smiles knowing he probably wouldn't get much more than that from Slade.

"Straight ahead." The Man In The Mask says suddenly, indicating with his sword to a warehouse, the one specified.

Diggle nods and lifts his torch and gun as the two move towards it.

The Man In The Mask brandishes his sword as Diggle carefully opens the door, The Man In The Mask going first, Diggle behind him as they enter the warehouse, racing down into a corridor into a room where a massive wooden box from UNIDAC industries lies.

Diggle and The Man In The Mask approach the box…

 _Merlyn Global_

"Very well." Malcolm says in a calm manner down the phone as he stands facing the window, his phone close to his ear as he looks out over nighttime Starling City.

"I'll be in touch." He says in a more firm tone before adding.

"Can I help you?" He asks, the person he's on the phone to replying in a surprised tone.

"No." He replies, whirling around.

"I wasn't talking to you." He hisses looking at the two people who have just walked into his office behind him.

The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

He throws the phone down.

"Malcolm Merlyn." The Man In The Hood starts.

"You have failed this city." The Woman In Black snarls.

"And how have I done that?" Malcolm questions.

"The Undertaking." The Man In The Hood retorts.

"It ends now." He growls.

"Kid, the device isn't here!" The Man In The Mask hisses through the earpiece.

"It's gone." Diggle speaks also as from within the warehouse the two look at an empty box.

The Man In The Hood raises his bow, The Woman In Black her batons.

"Where's the device?" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"Tell us now!" The Woman In Black snaps

"Safe." Malcolm replies simply.

"I don't know how you got that Trojan onto my system but it prompted me to take precautions." Malcolm says, moving away from the desk with his hands held up.

"There is nothing you three can do to stop what is about to happen and you shouldn't. This city needs what is about to happen in order to survive." Malcolm protests.

"The people who are destroying it from the inside need to be erased from the map."

"Fine." The Woman In Black cuts him off.

"Let's start with you." The Man In The Hood snarls before firing the arrow, which to both his and The Woman In Black's shock, Malcolm catches right before it hits him in the chest.

"Ironic isn't it? Last Christmas I almost killed you. A few months ago you and your girlfriend saved my life and now you're here, this time with your girlfriend again, trying to kill me. You should make up your mind." Malcolm hisses.

Malcolm Merlyn is the Dark Archer.

It makes perfect sense that his but the first time The Man In The Hood went up against him, he lost.

This time, he has The Woman In Black.

"Done." The Man In The Hood snaps as Malcolm throws the arrow back toward them, which they duck and it hits a glass wall behind them. Malcolm launching at the two, The Man In The Hood engaging him in combat, using his bow to attack as The Woman In Black joins the fight, kicking Malcolm in the groin which knocks him back a bit as The Man In The Hood slams his bow into his hood into his head, also taking the head off a nearby statue as he does so. Using his foot to kick The Woman In Black in the stomach, throwing her backwards a few feet before kicking her in the face, knocking her down and briefly out of consciousness with the power behind the blow. Malcolm then throws his other hand back to punch The Man In The Hood, managing to intercept his hand before he can throw his own punch and slams The Man In The Hood down into a table, who manages to recover quick, using his bow again as a weapon, however, with a swift kick, Malcolm manages to snap The Man In The Hood's bow in half, who kicks back, throwing Malcolm into a wall, who in response throws The Man In The Hood again into the already shattered table, ripping an arrow out of his quiver and stabbing him in the shoulder with it.

The Man In The Hood growls in pain before Malcolm slams his head into a desk.

When the vigilante ceases to move, Malcolm rips the hood away from his head…

Oliver Queen.

"Ohh no." He whispers as it hits him.

Oliver Queen is The Man In The Hood.

He and Moria had already suspected The Man In The Mask to be Slade Wilson.

He probably is.

He's probably The Man In The Mask and also that Deathstroke.

They're all one in the same, he'd already believed that to be true and Malcolm always said if The Man In The Mask is Slade Wilson then The Man In The Hood would be Oliver Queen and that would make The Woman In Black…

"Get. Away. From. Him." The voice of The Woman In Black hisses from behind him.

Malcolm smirks, releasing Oliver's hood before turning to her, where she stands, batons outstretched a glare upon her face. He smirks wickedly.

"Certainly. Sara Lance."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, three more chapters until season 2! I honestly can't wait to get to it as its my favourite season. Thank you all so much for following, favouriting and for all the lovely reviews, next chapter will hopefully be soon.**


	68. Sacrifice (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Eight**

 _Merlyn Global_

The Woman In Black faces Malcolm Merlyn, a glare crossing her pretty features.

"I thought I told you to get away from him." She snarls.

"That island really did change you three, didn't it? Pity the third one isn't here. The Man In The Mask, or should I say Slade Wilson?" Malcolm continues to smile evilly.

"But they aren't the only names he goes by are they? How about Deathstroke?" He hisses.

"The name of a hero." The Woman In Black growls as she moves forth to attack Merlyn.

"You three really are one peculiar family unit aren't you?" He comments as he dodges an attack from her.

"Yeah well I wouldn't want it any other way." She snaps as he launches an attack which Sara manages to duck and land her own as they engage in rapid hand to hand combat, going back and forth back and forth, until The Woman In Black moves her foot and slams it into Malcolm's face, whom staggers back as she throws out another kick, her grabs her foot and twists it but The Woman In Black punches him hard in the face, blocking an attack from his other hand in a quick rapid action.

"You're good." He comments.

"I had a good teacher." She spits as he launches an attack at her which she dodges.

"Not good enough." He growls, throwing, what he believes to be a surprise attack at her, she sees it in an instant and attacks back violently, the hand to hand combat resuming as he grabs her hair, ripping the wig from her head as she throws an attack he never expected to see from her and it does throw him off kilter.

"No. Can't be." Malcolm whispers as she uses the distraction to kick him in the back, sending him into the wall, grabbing a fistful of his hair and using her grip to slam his face into the wall as he kicks back, grabbing a hold of The Woman In Black so she's against the wall.

"You should make that teachers." He growls as she head butts him away from her, deflecting a well aimed kick from Merlyn to land her own.

"Slade Wilson may have taught you a few things but he didn't teach you that." The Woman In Black lands another attack.

"Or that." He notes before landing his own.

"I do believe we may have something in common Miss Lance." He comments as she regains her baton as uses it to aim it at Malcolm.

"Heard of Nanda Parbat perhaps? This move?" He questions, causing The Woman In Black to falter at his words as it hits her.

Malcolm's expertise.

The Dark Archer's uniform…

How had she not seen the signs before?

Seeing her distracted as the thoughts hits her, Malcolm takes advantage of her state and uses her baton against her, shoving her back towards the wall.

"You're…" She starts as he cuts her off by choking her by pushing the baton into her throat.

"I am and it appears you are to. Well this is definitely a surprise to me. I wasn't expecting this one. Who'd have thought it hu? The youngest Lance kid. The party girl, the one who ran away with her boyfriends sister. Someone like me…"

"I'm not like you." She snarls before choking.

"Ohh I think we're more alike than you think." Malcolm nods.

"I beg to differ." She growls as she pushes back, slamming her fist into Malcolm's face, the hand to hand combat resuming between the two once more.

"So what's you're name Sara Lance? Perhaps I've heard it?"

"Perhaps you haven't." She growls, swinging her leg out in an attempt to knock Malcolm to the floor, it is unsuccessful.

"And how did you leave them? How did you escape them? Did you run from them Sara?" He questions as he hits her hard in the mouth.

"Do they know you're here in Starling City?" He says in a quieter voice as he wraps his hand tightly around her throat.

"Are you still running from them?" He whispers as she knees him in the groin, pushing him away from her, he recovers in seconds, grabbing wrist and twisting it painfully behind her back, almost dislocating her whole arm.

"They'll find you. Sara. If you're running they'll find you eventually and you, Oliver, Slade, Laurel and your whole family will pay the price." He threatens as she kicks back again, managing to free her arm from Malcolm's iron like grasp.

"You think I'm wrong, do you?" He questions as he fights her.

"Just you wait and see. No one escapes them Sara." He says in an almost warning tone, she attacks in response.

"They taught you well. They wouldn't have let you go voluntarily. Not talent like that." He notes, fighting her.

"Imagine if someone gave them a slight anonymous tip…"

"No!" The Woman In Black snarls as she continues to battle him.

"You fear them, Sara? Fear the consequences of running from them? Or the consequences of being caught, found. They may show you mercy but not Oliver, not Slade. Not your family." He reminds her again as she swings her hand back to punch him.

"You'll never escape." He snaps.

"It's not who I am anymore!" She cries.

"Wow. You and Slade Wilson are alike aren't you? Both of you fighting to suppress the people you are. Trying to hide the names you were given. The names that belong to you both. His being Deathstroke and yours… Mystery to me." He notes as he dodges a punch.

"That name will always belong to you. It will always be who you are, no matter how hard you try to fight against it, like Wilson's. They will always be there…" He stops when The Woman In Black kicks him hard in the mouth, he spits out blood as they rapidly fight one another, Malcolm moving quick enough that he knocks The Woman In Black down.

"On the other side of things. There's something I forget to say, which is at I get to properly thank both you and Oliver for saving my life at the awards ceremony." He notes.

"We shouldn't have bothered!" She snarls.

"If only I knew how the two of you were spending your nights." He smirks, avoiding a punch from The Woman In Black as she regains her footing.

"My hope was that I can explain everything to the three of you. To help you three understand…"

"You murdered Ollie's father!" The Woman In Black cuts him off as she fights back against with her batons, smashing them into Malcolm swiftly as he tries to dodge her attacks.

"You sentenced us to that island! Five years of hell!" She cries.

"I am truly sorry for what happened to the two of you. Even though I know now you probably didn't spent all that time on the island. You were elsewhere, Nanda Parbat I'm guessing. The other two weren't there were they? They were wrecking havoc elsewhere." He trails off as a The Woman In Black attacks him brutally, yet he flips her onto her back.

"You know I have lost people." He reminds her.

"Your wife. Do you really think that you're honouring Tommy's mother by destroying The Glades?" She shouts in between attacks.

"As surely as the three of you believe you're honouring Robert Queen's memory with these vigilante costumes." He snaps as he whirls around to land another attack.

"Not a day goes by that I don't miss Robert Queen…"

"You'll see him soon." The voice of The Man In The Hood groans as he regains consciousness, pulling himself up from the table, the arrow still imbedded in his shoulder.

Malcolm turns to him and grabs the arrow, pushing it down deeper into his shoulder.

"You can't beat me. Oliver. Neither of you can. Yes you are younger and faster, yet you always seem to come up short against me…" Malcolm is cut off by an attack from The Woman In Black, who drags him away from her injured partner.

"Because you three don't know in your hearts what you three are fighting for. What you three are willing to sacrifice and I do!" Malcolm snarls as she punches him.

"No one can stop what's about to come, not even the three vigilantes." He growls as suddenly four security guards burst into the room, firing bullets rapidly…

 _A plane flies above an island, unbeknownst it's the island of Lian Yu._

 _Aka the island that has a bunch of people on it who want to blow said plane up._

 _From within the tent, Durand spies the plane showing up in their radar and types in a few commands, looking to Fyers._

 _"The plane's holding steady at thirty three thousand feet. It's within range for missile intercept, sir." He speaks calmly, all of them ignoring the silent sobbing from Shado in the background, who sobs for her recently murdered father, who's body still lies on the ground._

 _"Lock missile one on target." Fyers commands as the three prisoners look horrified, Oliver still moving the knife through his restraints, quicker this time._

 _He needs to get free, he needs to get to Sara._

 _It frightens him that he doesn't know where she is or if she's alive or dead._

 _She could have bled out..._

 _No. He can't think like this now and quickly keeps moving the knife through the restraints._

 _"Missile one locked on the jet's heat trail." Durand continues._

 _"Prepare to launch on my mark." Fyers says clearly._

 _"Yes sir." Durand replies as Oliver looks to Slade, who's basically now lying on his side due to the agonising pain in his leg from the bullet._

 _Slade gives Oliver a confused look when Oliver keeps staring at him, until Slade's eyes trail down to Oliver's tied hands and the knife held tightly in between them._

 _Yao Fei must have given it to him before he was killed, Slade realises as he gives Oliver a brief, almost non visible nod toward Shado. Oliver sees it anyway and both of them look to Shado, whom also sees the knife in Oliver's hand._

 _Suddenly, without warning Oliver slices through the restraints and jumps to his feet, followed quickly by Slade, who had managed to get his own restraints the point where he just uses his sheer strength to break free of them, ignoring the pain in his leg to fight the people in the room, Oliver moving, pushing Fyers out of the way to stab Alan Durand violently in the shoulder, before whirling around to slice through Shado's restraints, who moves to attack more guards, unleashing the anger within her from her father's murder._

 _"Fire, fire the missile!" Fyers screams into his radio as the three continue to attack the men in the room, Fyers running from the tent._

 _Oliver continues to attack Durand, until he wraps his hands around Oliver's throat, choking him until Shado pulls him away from Oliver and viciously breaks his neck, freeing Oliver before racing to grab Slade's hand tightly, helping him move faster on his injured leg as the three exit the tent._

 _That's when the missile launcher fires a missile, which soars towards the plane…_

 _Merlyn Global_

As the guards begin to fire upon the two vigilantes, The Woman In Black doges the bullets and moves quickly toward her partner, who despite having an arrow in his shoulder, ducks behind a desk with her as the guards continue to fire upon them.

The two vigilantes move quickly, The Woman In Black managing to get behind one of the security guards and smashing his skull in with one of her batons, she throws the other one a to The Man In The Hood, who uses his uninjured arm to to hit another one down with her baton, The Woman In Black then snapping that guards neck as more come at them with guns until suddenly a canister is thrown into the office and smoke appears, clouding everyone's view, including Malcolm and the the two vigilantes.

Suddenly, The Man In The Hood feels someone grab his uninjured arm.

"I got you, kid." The voice of The Man In The Mask hisses as he helps The Man In The Hood through the smoke toward the door, grabbing The Woman In Black's hand in his free one as they all move towards the exit and toward the stairs, neither of them saying anything as they move down the staircase hurriedly.

"Malcolm's the Dark Archer." The Man In The Hood growls through the pain.

"Gathered that." The Man In The Mask responds, The Woman In Black remaining silent about what she learnt about Malcolm, the thoughts of what she learnt haunting her deeply.

She'd pushed all that to the back of her mind a long time ago, not wanting to remember.

Never wanting to remember them.

Malcolm's words, no matter how psychotic most of them had been, had a regrettable ring of truth to them.

She is running. Malcolm was right about that. She's running and she is hiding from those people they were apparently both trained by, the people who dragged her into the darkness and if they ever found her, here in Starling City, not only would she suffer but even more devastatingly so would Oliver, Slade, Laurel, her family, anyone and everyone she loves until she'd have no other choice but to return to them.

It's these thoughts that haunt her all the way up until they find a car park, the three of them racing into it where Diggle is waiting beside a black van, a gun raised when he hears footsteps, lowering it when he sees that it's them.

He asses them quickly with his eyes, the wig in The Woman In Black's hands, the arrow protruding from The Man In The Hood's shoulder, he rolls his eyes at the three of them.

"I now take back every joke I made about you three sticking tracking devices into your uniforms!" He notes as the four climb into the van of Diggle's and drive away into the dark of the night…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. Next chapter should be really soon, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter. Thanks again for reading x**


	69. Sacrifice (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Sixty Nine**

 _The Foundry_

"Felicity's at Queen Consolidated." Diggle notes, Felicity having called him when he was waiting for Slade to retrieve Oliver and Sara from Merlyn's office, as he and the three vigilantes move down the stairs.

"She's still going though all the data she pulled off Merlyn's network." He explains.

"She find anything?" Slade questions as he pulls off his mask as he and Sara push Oliver in the direction of a table.

"Yeah. The design schematics of the earthquake generator, so we can shut it down." He reveals as silence passes for a moment.

"Assuming we find it in time." He sighs as Slade quickly asses the damage done with the arrow with his eyes.

"Only you could get stabbed with your own arrow, kid." Slade says with a slight smirk as Oliver gives him a frustrated look.

"I didn't exactly get a say in things Slade. Malcolm kinda just stabbed me with it!" He protests as Slade chuckles.

"Always knew you'd end up being injured with your own weapons at some point."

"Ohh, did you?" Oliver retorts.

"Well, kid. I still remember what I said to you when I gave you a gun for the first time in the control room." Slade reminds him as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"Don't shoot yourself by mistake? Yeah I remember." Oliver says with a slight sigh.

"Think we're just gonna have to pull this out, kid." Slade says matter of factly.

"You think?" Oliver grimaces as Sara rests her hand on his other shoulder.

"I'll get some supplies. Perhaps we can just ease it out gently?" She suggests as she moves away from Oliver to get the med kid.

"Easing it out might cause more damage, might be best to just rip it out and have done." Slade mutters as Oliver closes his eyes as if in defeat.

"We've been though worse." He sighs through the pain.

"That we have." Slade replies as he looks to the arrow just as a phone begins to ring.

"I'll get that." Diggle says for them as he moves to answer it, seeing that it's Felicity.

"Not gonna sugarcoat this kid, it's gonna hurt." Slade notes.

"Just do it." Oliver winces as Diggle picks up the phone.

"Are you ok? Are they ok? Where are you!" Felicity bombards him with questions the minute he connect the call.

"Yeah Felicity, all three are present and correct." Diggle responds.

"Thank god. Are they ok?" She asks worriedly, freezing when she hears a cry of pain, which is actually from Oliver as Slade slowly starts to ease the arrow upwards.

"I know, I know. It's gotta come out though, kid." Slade says almost comfortingly.

"Shouldn't complain to you. You had to have one pulled out your eye!" Oliver hisses.

"I was out of consciousness for most of that fortunately." Slade murmurs as Diggle flashes a glance to him at his words, as Sara just looks down as she retrieves some supplies.

Again, something she wasn't there for.

"What the hell is happening?" Felicity continues to call through the phone.

"Don't worry, they're well. Mostly, ok. Oliver's just found himself in a bit of an unfortunate position with an arrow." Diggle replies, glancing to the two nervously.

"Kid, do you remember that time when you thought it would be a good idea to annoy us all with your singing skills?" Slade reminds him as Oliver, despite the pain can't help but smirk and laugh a little.

"Yeah I do, the girls confiscated all your weapons and hid them up a… OWW! FOR THE LOVE OF…" Oliver yells as, taking advantage of the distraction, Slade suddenly rips the arrow from Oliver's shoulder.

"Who does that?" Oliver groans as Slade gives him an apologetic glance.

"Are you sure they're ok?" Felicity, having heard the rather loud commotion asks Diggle.

"Yeah, they're fine." Diggle smiles as he watches Oliver squabble with Slade.

"It's like a band aid. You just need to rip it off." Sara says in Slade's defence as she sits by Oliver, who rolls his eyes at them.

"I think an arrow is a bit different from a band aid, Sara!" He retorts as she and Slade can't help but snigger at him, Diggle gives them an eye roll of his own.

"Definitely fine." He reaffirms to Felicity.

"Ok, I'm on my way." Felicity says, managing a slight smile of her own, feeling a bit more reassured about the safety of her friends as she hangs up.

"Ms. Smoak?" A voice suddenly calls her name as she stops, looking to the side of her when she sees red and blue flashing lights from a police car and Quentin Lance, whom had been the one to call her name, walking towards her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

 _Later In The SCPD_

"Please." Quentin says to Felicity as he pushes open the door to the interrogation room, having politely asked Felicity to come down to the precinct for questioning.

Nervously, Felicity enters.

"Take a seat." Quentin adds, his back to Felicity.

"You know, I think I'd rather stand." She says in a quiet voice.

Quentin slams the door shut violently, causing Felicity to quickly sit in fright.

"Not exactly a hardened criminal, are you?" He states as Felicity looks away from him, squeezing her hands together.

"No, I'm not any kind of criminal." She says quickly.

"Then what do you call computer hacking?" He retorts.

"A hobby?" She whispers as Quentin flashes her a bemused look.

"That I do not engage in." She stutters, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hey, I got a whole mess of computer gobbledegook that I don't understand at all but it says otherwise." He replies as Felicity sighs deeply, looking up at him with scared eyes.

"I had my tech guy go through your computer at Queen Consolidated." He informs her.

"You used it to hack into Blackhawk Squad Security, to research arrows shipped to a company called Sagittarius and to analyse a water sample that tied back to a Vertigo drug lab. These are all cases involving the three vigilantes." He speaks as Felicity looks even more concerned by each passing minute.

"Tell me, Felicity. What am I thinking?" He questions as Felicity genuinely looks terrified as suddenly a phone begins to ring.

"Saved by the bell." Quentin notes.

"Excuse me." He says as he reaches for his phone.

"Detective." Comes the voice of The Woman In Black.

"So. The Woman In Black. It's funny you three should call actually considering the fact I've got your trusty sidekick sitting right in front of me." He replies as on the other line, Sara looks anxiously at Oliver and Slade, whom looks up from where he's busy stitching Oliver's wound.

"We don't have a sidekick." She responds calmly.

"When we need help, we call you." She notes.

"Lucky me." Quentin grumbles.

"Malcolm Merlyn plans to level The Glades with a man made earthquake using technology from Unidac Industries." She informs him, causing Quentin to get to his feet in an instant at the revelation.

"What?" He says after a few moments of quiet before laughing in dismay and disbelief as he paces the room.

"Well, now you three are just trying to have some fun with me." He smirks as on the other line Oliver and Slade roll they eyes in annoyance at Quentin's reactions .

"We don't know what Merlyn's timetable is. You need to evacuate The Glades immediately. Get as many people to safety as you can. Whatever you think of us detective. Please, believe this." The Woman In Black says before hanging up.

Glaring at his phone, Quentin puts it down.

"Sounds like you've got bigger problems them me." Felicity says in a quiet voice, Quentin looks to her for all of a minute before signing.

"Don't leave town." Quentin snaps at her as she quickly gets to her feet and practically races toward the door. However, when she gets to it, she stops.

"You know, I used to think the three vigilantes were criminals too." Quentin tuns around to face her in an instant at her words.

"But it seems to me, whoever they are. They're willing to sacrifice an awful lot to help the people of this city." Felicity says in a shaky voice as Quentin flashes a look of disbelief in Felicity's direction.

"That kind of makes them heroes, doesn't it?" She whispers before turning on a heel and leaving the precinct, leaving Quentin alone with only his thoughts for company.

 _The Foundry_

"Hopefully he decides to take our word for it." Sara murmurs as she holds the phone to her chest with sad eyes.

Even after the amount of times they've contacted her father now, it still bothers her when he talks to her as if she were a villain, something to fear.

She scolds herself mentally for those thoughts and feelings though, she should be used to them by now.

"I'm a bit more concerned by what he meant when he said he's got your sidekick." Diggle responds after a moment.

"You don't think…" Oliver trails off as Slade suddenly pauses stitching Oliver's wound.

"I'm calling her. Now. Take over." Slade puts the needle and thread in Sara's outstretched hands as he marches over toward his phone, dialing Felicity's number.

"Hello?" Comes the soft voice of Felicity, still rather deeply shaken up from the recent interrogation by Quentin.

"Where are you?" He practically snaps at her.

"Coming to you guys right now." She replies quickly.

"Are you a'right." He asks in a more calmer voice.

"Yeah I'm fine. Well as fine as I can be for a person who just got taken to the police precinct and questioned about my hacker activities and told that they all relate to the three vigilantes case by the lead detective. Other than that. I'm great." She babbles quickly as Slade closes his eyes momentarily.

"Did you say anything that could implicate yourself or any of us?" He asks in a stern voice, causing Oliver, Sara and Diggle to look over at him, eyes widened in worry.

This is really not what they need right now.

"No. No I didn't. I mean fortunately Sara, I think called and well obviously told Quentin what we know about Merlyn's involvement in the whole Undertaking thing and I may have said he had more things to worry about than me and he just let me go." She explains quickly as Slade nods and sighs in somewhat relief.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She promises.

"Try not to get yourself arrested this time round." He mutters before hanging up.

"I take it the three of you got all that?"

"Glad we phoned when we did." Sara notes.

"I think we're definitely all glad you phoned when you did. I don't think Felicity does well under that kind of pressure." Diggle confirms, the other three giving him a knowing glance in response as Sara finally finishes stitching up Oliver's shoulder.

"Thank you." Oliver smiles sadly as he gets to his feet, kissing Sara on the way up, putting his good arm around her as Slade tosses him a box of pain meds.

"If we're going up against that bastard by the end of the day then you're gonna need them if you're going to be able to shoot straight, kid." Slade informs him as Oliver nods.

"Probably gonna need a new bow as well if I'm going to be able to shoot anything." Oliver notes as he takes the pills.

"Why'd you say that?" Diggle retorts with furrowed brows.

"Well Merlyn kind of broke my bow during the confrontation." Oliver explains as Diggle winces, considering this could be a problem.

"Ollie you know full well you're already sorted with that." Sara says at his side and as almost to further her point, Slade taps on the wooden box they returned from the island with loudly.

"She's right." Slade notes as Oliver moves to sit down again, keeping his arm around Sara still though as Slade joins them.

"What's wrong?" Sara asks him gently.

"Nothing. It's just. I killed my first man with that bow." Oliver admits as Slade glances at him in slight confusion. Diggle looking at all three of them in the background, keeping silent as he is interested in hearing this story to say the least.

Honestly, he's interested in any story he gets to hear about their time on the island.

"You'd killed before that though kid, remember? The merc you stole that uniform from. You told me that story when we first met." Slade reminds him.

"By accident. We struggled with one another and fell off a cliff. Honestly it was pure luck that I survived that fall.." Oliver mutters.

"True I was there." Sara nods as she places her hand on Oliver's good shoulder.

"I was so worried he'd killed you." Oliver admits.

"I know. I thought you'd been killed." She replies as Oliver just tugs her closer.

"Anyway Ollie. Don't you forget that it was that very bow that you used to saved me." She says with a smile.

"And if I remember rightly you killed that bastard to save Sara. That bow helped you save the woman you love." Slade reminds him.

"I'd never shot someone with an arrow before until that moment and I never regretted it once but then I did because it was the first time I'd killed a person, despite the reasons why I did it. I still felt guilt for what I'd done." Oliver admits.

"Of course you did. You weren't a killer then, kid. You'd never had blood on your hands before then." Slade notes.

"I don't know if I'm imagining this considering I was severely wounded at that point, but I'm pretty sure I remember you Slade looking so proud after Oliver shot that pig." Sara nudges him as Slade smiles in response.

"Not gonna lie, I was proud, kid." He looks to Oliver.

"Yeah. I think I can remember you limping back to the plane going on about how it was your training that got Ollie to that position and then she was arguing with you saying it was she who taught him how to shoot a bow and arrow." Sara sniggers.

"He wouldn't have even been in the position in the first place to learn how to shoot the bow and arrows without me."

"You keep telling yourself that." Oliver manages a slight smile.

"It's the truth, kid." Slade shrugs before glancing to Oliver with a half smile of his own.

"You know, tonight. I'm probably going to be proud of you again when you take that goddam bow and kill the arsehole who thinks that leveling part of the city is a good idea! And I thought Thomas Merlyn was insane." Slade smiles encouragingly as Oliver gives him a slight eye roll.

"Thanks." Oliver notes with a genuine smile as both he and Slade turn to Sara, who frowns at them when they both look to her.

"What?" She queries in slight confusion.

"Something's bothering you." Oliver says plainly.

"How'd you figure that?" Sara asks, not denying anything.

"We know you too well. It was something that happened with Merlyn wasn't it?" Slade folds his arms as both he and Oliver give Sara another glance.

"I'm not sure how long I was unconscious for but when I came to, you were fighting him and I don't know how long you were doing that for but I'm guessing whatever happens during that fight is bothering you." Oliver squeezes her hand reassuringly as Sara looks up for a moment before sighing and addressing the two.

"It's Merlyn. When I fought him. The fight style was similar to something I've seen before." She admits.

"Similar to what?" Diggle retorts, having moved closer toward the three to hear this, considering its related to Dark Archer and Merlyn, he figures it could be of some relevance.

"Similar to me." Sara snaps.

"Sorry." She says soon after, running her fingers though her hair.

"Sara, what are you saying?" Oliver grips her hand tightly.

"That Malcolm was trained by the same people who trained me." She admits as Oliver and Slade look at her in surprise, shock and slight horror, knowing in an instant what Sara is referring to and understanding that if Malcolm was trained by the same people who trained Sara when they were separated all those years ago then that's not a good thing.

It comes clear to Oliver then why he couldn't beat Malcolm by himself those first times.

It's a challenge trying to put Sara down in their sparring sessions as it is and if Malcolm was somehow with them longer than Sara was…

"He told you this?" Slade presses as Sara sighs.

"He basically admitted it. He knew enough about them alright." She murmurs.

"Who are these people, Sara?" Diggle chooses to ask.

"People who you really don't ever want to meet." She mutters.

"And these people trained you and Merlyn?" Diggle frowns.

"Yeah. I left though. I got out." She admits as she, Oliver and Slade give Diggle a glance that basically tells him to stop asking questions.

"He say anything else to you?" Oliver asks gently as Sara is quiet for a moment before shaking her head rapidly.

"He was just trying to get into my head. It's not important." She murmurs.

"What'd you mean?" Slade looks to her with kind eyes.

"Come on. You've gotta tell us." Oliver says softly.

"You know how I left those people. You know I ran, that they don't know where I am and probably believe me to have been killed." Sara reminds them.

"Yeah, we know." Oliver replies, tugging her closer.

"I don't know if Malcolm's still in league with them or something, but he kept taunting me that it would be so easy to 'tip them off!' direct them here to me." Sara admits, leaning to Oliver as memories she had not thought off for sometime come to the surface.

"They come here trying to get to you? They're gonna have to go though me first." Slade says firmly with a wicked smirk.

"That's my worry. If they found out I was here, if they came here. Malcolm just reminded me of what I already knew, they'd come for you, Ollie, Laurel, my whole family…"

"Not without one hellva fight." Slade interrupts.

"Which we would give to them. We'd drive them right back to where they came from." Oliver says determinedly.

"Oliver. I was a part of them. I know more than anyone that if anyone goes up against them they normally lose." Sara pulls away from him, folding her arms.

"They haven't met me yet." Slade retorts as Sara flashes him a glare.

Silence passes between the group for a few moments before Diggle decides to intrude.

"We need to take Merlyn out sooner than later then." He states.

"Tell us something we don't know." Oliver murmurs.

"You take Merlyn out sooner than later than he might not have the time to tip off those people on Sara's whereabouts." Diggle notes.

"He ain't wrong." Sara gives him a grateful look.

"And it's probably going to take all three of us to take him down." Oliver starts before adding with a sigh.

"But first, we need to warn people about what is to happen. Unless we can't get to the device in time. Diggle's right, but there might be a way." He stops as he thinks of someone who could possibly help them with this.

He doesn't want to even consider this person.

Honestly, he never wanted to ever have to speak to this person again.

The person is his mother.

"My mother. Perhaps she can help us." He mutters.

"Oliver. No." Slade replies sharply.

"I'm going to have to agree with Slade on this one Ollie. She tried to have him killed. We can't trust her." Sara protests.

"You think I don't know that? I can never trust her again after what she did and she should be punished for everything she's done but we cannot let innocent people die. If there's a way of stopping all this and she knows it. We need to find out." Oliver protests.

"I agree with Oliver on this one. I know what she did was terrible but if talking to her helps stop this from happening then. I don't really see any other options, since it seems we're vastly running out of those." Diggle notes just as Slade's phone begins to ring.

"Be right back." Slade notes in explanation as he picks up his phone, heading toward the stairs to answer it.

"Hey." Comes Lisa's voice.

"You a'right?" Slade responds.

"Yes I'm fine thank you. Just thought I'd call to say that Lenny and I are in town. You free? We can all have a drink for a few hours than you and I could, you know." She replies as Slade smirks to himself, yet knows he can't take up her offer.

"Unfortunately I have some business to attend to. It might take me a while." He admits.

"How longs a while?" She asks.

"That I don't know. How about I call you when it's finished?" He suggests.

"That's fine by me. Lenny and I are in the usual bar if you change your mind. See you later." She says before hanging up.

Slade sighs to himself.

It would have been a nice break to see Leonard and Lisa but that's not something he should even be considering right now, what with all that's going on.

But once they stop this. Stop Merlyn, stop The Undertaking, they'll be free.

All three of them, free from all this.

The mission they returned from the island to complete, completed.

The three vigilantes would be no more.

They could start to finally put their pasts behind them.

Honestly, Slade wants nothing more than to put his past behind him.

Meeting up with Lisa and Leonard could become a daily occurrence and much more.

But only if they stop Merlyn and end this.

All those thoughts of what their future could look like from this point on if they do end this, needs to be forgotten for now.

However, it is only then that Slade remembers something.

The bar. The bar that he goes to with Leonard and Lisa, where Leonard and Lisa are in fact currently at right now, as she said, is in The Glades…

The Glades. That could be destroyed by an earthquake at any given time.

Without thinking of anything else, Slade moves quickly toward the stairs.

"Slade?" Oliver calls to him as he goes in surprise.

"There's something I've gotta do, kid." He calls back, only for moments later to hear footsteps behind him.

"And we need to talk to my mother. We can get both things done right now, together." Oliver responds.

"What's going on anyway?" Sara asks him.

"Friends of mine are waiting for me in The Glades. Lisa and Leonard. We meet in a bar there and that's where they are right now." Slade mutters in explanation as Sara pales at the thought, knowing what Slade's probably thinking about.

The currently inevitable levelling of The Glades.

"We'll warn them in plenty of time. Don't worry." Oliver says reassuringly as they shut the basement door behind them as they head into actual Verdant.

"Hey!" Comes the surprisingly cheerful voice of Tommy Merlyn as they head into the main club area to see him by the bar a bottle in hand.

"Hey buddy." Oliver replies, in slight confusion at Tommy's seemingly happy mood directed toward them, considering how it was the last time they all talked.

"Thought you guys would be here." He notes as he opens the bottle.

"I still don't condone what you three do or anything. I never will, my feelings haven't changed." He states sternly as her pours three shot glasses passing two to Oliver and Sara.

"But I took your advice." He admits as they continue to look at him in confusion.

"I don't know if she's told you yet Sara but I took your advice about Laurel. I went to her despite everything that's happened between us all and we're back together." He reveals with a slight smile.

"Tommy, that's fantastic news." Oliver smiles genuinely.

"You did the right thing." Sara adds with a smile of her own.

"You know, I did this before you called me to say you three were retiring as the vigilantes?" He tells them.

"What changed your mind?" Oliver can't help but ask.

"You were right. By not being with her, I was still lying to her face and I suppose you were right when you said it actually doesn't really concern me what you three do and should have no baring on me whatsoever. I love her, I always will. That's never going to change." Tommy admits as he rests against the bar.

"I can't believe Laurel didn't tell me about this. I mean…" Sara pulls out her phone, only to see several missed calls from Laurel and some messages, one which says that she and Tommy are back together, another about how happy she is.

"Thank you, Tommy." Sara smiles genuinely at the thought of his sister once again being happy now that she's been reunited with the man she loves..

"No, thank you and Oliver. It's still going to take time for me but I'm really grateful that you came to visit me. I needed that wake up call." Tommy admits.

"You know, most of it did come from Slade." Oliver can't help but add.

"Yeah, I only listened to you and Sara." Tommy retorts as Slade just rolls his eye at him as Oliver and Sara give Tommy a look of disbelief, them both believing differently that Tommy probably did listen to Slade's words as out of everything that was said, Slade's words were the ones Oliver and Sara believed to have most impact, but then again, knowing Tommy he'd still never want to admit he'd ever listen to Slade!

"Again, I truly believe you've done the right thing here."

"Honestly, so have the three of you. Which is also what we're celebrating here. Considering. as you said, this is the end of you three being the vigilantes. That is something that deserves celebrating." Tommy says without noticing Oliver, Sara and Slade's faces.

"Now, things between us might take a while to repair and I don't think I can ever forget this. What you became, what you've done but I really think that I see a new beginning for us. No more lies, no more secrets and to start with the no more secrets promise. Sara." Tommy tuns to face her.

"Do you know when your father's free? I need to ask him a question about Laurel." He smiles. Sara gives him a confused look before it hits her.

"Ohh my god Tommy." She gasps.

"Laurel's the only woman out there for me. I love her more then words and I want to spend the rest of my life with her." He admits as Oliver catches on as well and smiles at his oldest friend proudly.

"What do you think? I mean, I know this is new for me, thinking of a commitment like this but Laurel's my one." He admits, looking to Oliver and Sara.

"I say go for it." Oliver nods with a smile.

"I think Laurel could do better." Slade mutters under his breath and despite not being heard by Tommy, it is by Oliver and Sara, whom discreetly hits him.

"I'm not going to ask her straight away. I'm going to try and do this traditionally, hence why I'd like to speak to your father, Sara. Then in a couple of weeks time…" Tommy trails off, a happy look in his eyes.

"But for now. Let's just celebrate the end of darker times and a new beginning." Tommy says before draining his glass, this time noticing the faces Oliver, Sara and Slade give him.

"What?" Tommy frowns as he puts down his glass.

"You're not going to be the vigilantes anymore, you told me so yourselves." He looks to them, folding his arms, his smile disappearing.

"We need to be them one last time." Sara admits.

"What do you mean?" Tommy murmurs in a quiet voice, as a concerned look crosses his handsome features.

"There's something going on. Something's happening that requires us to be the vigilantes one last time but we do this. We stop what's coming and we're done. Tommy, we promise." Oliver explains as Tommy glances to them suspiciously.

"What is this something?" Tommy asks quietly.

"An event that's going to happen that if we don't stop could have catastrophic consequences." Sara admits as Tommy's eyes widen.

"It involves your father." Slade states matter of factly.

"What?" Tommy looks at them in disbelief.

"It's true Tommy." Oliver murmurs.

"No. No you're wrong, you're lying. My father…"

"Is a lying, psychopathic bastard." Slade retorts.

"Ohh you can talk!" He snaps back.

"Tommy. I am so, so sorry but it's the truth." Oliver says gently.

"I don't care what's happening but whatever it is. Keep my father out of this." Tommy growls quietly.

"Our father's." Oliver starts as he approaches Tommy cautiously.

"They aren't the men we thought they were." Oliver explains before sighing as Tommy still looks up in him with disbelief.

"They made a plan together to destroy The Glades." Slade finishes for him as Tommy shakes his head at him.

"Do you have any idea what you sound like right now?" He growls as he advances on Slade.

"Your father's going to do it because he is a psychopath and if you can't see him for who he truly is than you're even more of an idiot that I thought and that is saying something. He is of some insane notion that by doing this. It will avenge your mother's death." Slade retorts.

"Do not talk about my mother!" Tommy hisses as he moves to punch Slade, only for Slade to simply take a step to the side, trying desperately to hide his smirk when Tommy misses and falls to the floor before skidding across it.

"Tommy." Oliver moves to help him up, Tommy glares at him.

"And I thought there was a possibility you and Sara we're going to change. That this would all be over but it was all a lie wasn't it? Everything's a lie with you three." He snarls as he gets to his feet.

Oliver wants to argue back, wants to say something, anything to try and convince Tommy otherwise but he knows his attempts will be futile.

"The difference between us Tommy, is that I didn't find out the truth about my father until it was too late." Oliver sighs as Tommy continues to glare at him.

"But you've always know, deep down. You have always know the man your father is." Oliver reminds him as Tommy is silent for a moment before looking at each one of them in turn with distaste, disgust, betrayal, hatred.

"I wish you three would have died on that island."

 _Oliver watches in horror as the missile flies overhead, toward the plane…_

 _They need to stop it._

 _They need to find some way to stop it, but right now Oliver needs to find Sara._

 _Fyers took her somewhere, to the cages they were once kept in, he's guessing from what Fyers had said._

 _He races towards the tents, only to come under a hail of gunfire, which he ducks quickly. "Where are you going!" He hears Slade bellow, Oliver doesn't respond, he needs to get there quickly and efficiently._

 _He uses creates to hide behind as he races in the direction the the tents._

 _One in a far corner is flanked by two guards._

 _Remembering some stealth tactics from Slade, Oliver moves so he's out of sight, using the creates as a cover to approach the tent from behind, sneaking up behind the guards and dealing with them from their, managing to knock the gun out of one of their hands, grabbing it quickly and slamming it into one of their heads to knock said guard unconscious, whilst aiming a solid kick at the other one to knock the weapon out of his hands before knocking him unconscious, grabbing the weapon, before bursting into the tent to find he was correct in assuming it's where Fyers would keep Sara, as there in a corner is a cage, similar to the one she'd described Fyers had kept her in before, the first time she was held capture by Fyers and Wintergreen that time._

 _"Sara. Sara!" Oliver calls her name as he races toward the cage, using a tool from a table to break the lock, reaching for her seemingly unconscious form, blood still seeping from the wound on her side, which Oliver notices now has a rag over it, Sara appearing to having used it to try and stop the bleeding._

 _He lifts her head carefully, letting out a rather loud sigh of relief when he finds a pulse. "Sara, Sara come on. Wake up, we need you." He whispers quickly, pressing his lips to her forehead, as he carefully moves the rag to asses her wound, almost gagging at the sight._

 _The sight makes him want to throw up but he makes himself remember just how bad Slade's was and his was infected, which fortunately takes his mind of Sara's._

 _"Sara!" He shakes her gently to no prevail._

 _"Sara please wake up. I need you. I. I love you." He admits, instantly wanting to smack himself, considering that was actually the first time he'd ever told Sara he loved her._

 _And she's freakin unconscious for it!_

 _"Ollie." He suddenly hears her say in a faint voice, he looks down at her, seeing that her eyes have opened a slight bit._

 _"What's happening? What are you doing here? Slade, Shado?" She whispers rapidly in a sort of disoriented babble as he kisses her forehead and pulls her into his arms, apologising quickly when she cries out in agony._

 _"Well, I'm here to rescue you." He smiles at the very thought, and believes Sara smiles back._

 _"And Shado and Slade? They're ok, they're out there." He explains gently as he holds her in his arms._

 _"That's not ok." She replies shakily._

 _"Yeah. We've got a fight to win." Oliver replies as he moves from the tent, with Sara in his arms, moving back towards where he was before, only to come under gunfire again and drops behind a create, setting Sara down safely behind it, only realising when he puts her down that the movement has made her wound bleed even more._

 _"Oh god." He whispers as he quickly presses the cloth to it._

 _"You're going to be ok. We're going to be ok." He whispers through the gunfire, watching from a distance as Shado attacks a man on the missile launcher, throwing one off it before turning on the other._

 _She can't take them all alone and because of his gunshot leg wound, Slade can't run and is currently still behind the other create, shooting rapidly at Fyers men._

 _Oliver catches his eyes, expecting Slade to start yelling at him for leaving them, even if it was for only a moment and Slade honestly looks like he's about to say something until he sees Sara and if Oliver's not mistaken, nods ever so slightly as he continues to fire upon the men, keeping a close eye on Shado as she continues to fight the men in an attempt to do something to the missile launcher, to stop the missile, Oliver hopes._

 _However, it's like Slade can read his mind or something considering five seconds or so later, he gestures towards Shado._

 _"Go, kid!" He yells, Oliver hesitant to move from Sara's side._

 _"I'll try and get to her! Go!" Slade yells loudly as Oliver is still hesitant._

 _"Go." He hears Sara whispers faintly, he looks at her fearfully._

 _"Go! I'll be fine." She protests as she squeezes his hand tight._

 _"Go!" He hears Slade shout again and with one look at Sara, Oliver moves the hand of hers he's holding to put over her wound._

 _"I'm coming back, I promise." He vows, kissing her forehead again as he gets to his feet, watching as his brave Sara, reaches out with her hands toward a discarded gun._

 _"That's a girl!" Slade calls to her as despite her still bleeding wound, Sara tries to move in a position to shoot._

 _Oliver still looking at her with almost pleading eyes, turning to go._

 _"Ollie!" Sara calls him back just as he's about to go._

 _"I love you too." She whispers._

 _"That's lovely. GO!" Slade snarls, firing rapidly at Fyers men, shooting a bunch of them down to make a path for Oliver so he can get to the missile launcher, which her does in seconds and jumps up onto it, knocking a guard down about to get to Shado, whom looks at Oliver gratefully before ripping open a compartment in the launcher._

 _"We need to reprogram the missile launcher." She looks up to Oliver, who's eyes widen at her, wondering if she's gone crazy._

 _"I don't know how to reprogram the missile launcher!" He cries as Shado looks down at the compartment once more, before lifting up a small screen._

 _"I do." She replies as she rips something out of it._

 _"Lady, stop!" One of Fyers men yells from behind her, his gun outstretched._

 _Turning around, Shado rips the gun from the man's hand, throwing him against a surface before putting a bullet in his head as another man grabs for her, as Oliver tries to move around the now moving launcher to help her._

 _Meanwhile, Slade shoots rapidly at the still approaching men of Fyers, each thinking they have a shot at getting to the missile launcher before being subsequently killed by Slade._

 _"Slade!" Sara croaks, as a man comes at him from the side, Sara moving into a position that enables her to shoot said man, who falls to the ground._

 _She just killed someone._

 _She'd never killed someone before this moment and the shock causes her to almost drop her gun, or fall unconscious._

 _Yet she can't do either right now and instead, turns to fire her gun at more of Fyers men._

 _Slade looks over at her, a slight smirk crossing his lips, honestly proud of her as he too turns back to face the oncoming men._

 _"Come on!"_

 _Elsewhere, on the missile launcher, Shado is still fighting one of Fyers men, Oliver trying to get to her, however before he can help, Shado manages to tackle the guy._

 _"Oliver, put the chip in!" She yells, Oliver flashing her a confused look, only to understand when the guy she's fighting with drops off the side of the launcher, pulling Shado with him._

 _It's up to him now._

 _Moving quickly to where Shado was, Oliver is unfortunate to encounter another of Fyers' men, whom throws a punch at Oliver the minute he steps into view, whom blocks by pushing the guy into the side of the launcher, whom only pushes Oliver down, the two engaging in quick, rapid hand to hand combat, before Oliver breaks the cycle by responding with a hard kick, managing to get back on his feet just in time to throw the guy off the side of the missile launcher._

 _Alone on the still moving launcher, Oliver sets to work pulling open the compartment._

 _Looking inside it, his mind instantly goes blank but he tries to remember engines, working on them with his father, fixing the radio for Slade and Sara…_

 _He looks up to the sky, eying the missile still locked onto and approaching the now almost overheard plane._

 _It could start a war. Oliver remembers Slade's words and Fyers psychotic plan._

 _He can do this!_

 _Reaching into the compartment, Oliver soon finds the wires he needs and manages to connect the chip into the correct place, which he confirms by looking to the small screen to the side of him Shado had pulled up._

 _The orange writing soon turns to red as the message flashes up._

 _'Target Modification Confirmed'_

 _He looks up to the sky again, only to see the missile, which was only seconds away from hitting the plane, making a U turn and heading straight downwards._

 _Quickly, Oliver moves to pull the man killed by Shado, out of the drivers seat of the missile launcher to pull it to a standstill so he can jump down from it._

 _Watching from a distance as the missile locks onto its new target._

 _Fyers camp…_

 _"SARA!" Oliver yells suddenly as he begins to race toward the camp._

 _"SARA, SLADE, SHADO!" He yells, pointlessly as the missile hits and the camp detonates and goes up in flames._

 _Several explosions happening all at once, causing men of Fyers to scatter all about the place and the whole camp to go up in flames, a burning inferno until Oliver can't even see that there used to be a camp anymore._

 _Only fiery flames._

 _Oliver falls to his knees…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing and favouriting. Last part of season 1 is the next chapter and then onwards to season 2! Thank you all for reading again, see you all next update.**


	70. Sacrifice (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy**

 _A Bar In The Glades_

After their unpleasant talk with Tommy, Oliver, Sara and Slade decide to drop in on the bar first so Slade can warn Lisa and Leonard before going on to Moria's.

Which they're sure is going to be an enlightening conversation!

Once they get to the bar, Slade goes in alone to talk to his friends.

He sees Lisa the minute he walks in as she immediately goes to his side.

"So you decided to join us after all." Leonard drawls with a wide smirk in the background.

"That job of yours over faster than you'd expected, or did you think seeing Lenny and I was a better idea?" Lisa smiles, as Slade gives her a slight eye roll.

"It's the job of mine I need to discuss with the two of you right now." Slade says in a stern voice as he moves past Lisa to get to Leonard, so both of them can hear what he's about to say to them.

"What's going on?" Leonard frowns.

"You ok?" Lisa adds, resting her hand against Slade's arm.

"There's something going on here. In The Glades. I don't know when it's going to happen but right now it's inevitable and you two need to get as far away from here as possible." Slade states sternly and briefly as they both look at him in confusion.

"What's gonna happen?" Leonard retorts.

"You're not making any sense." Lisa frowns as she moves her hand from Slade's arm to take his hand in hers, he squeezes her fingers tightly.

"Just take my word for it. It's something bad and you two cannot be around for it." He retorts almost sharply.

"What's going on. We ain't going anywhere until you tell us what's happening?" Leonard states firmly.

"I told you I suspected Moria Queen of something, turns out it truly was something that would have catastrophic consequences upon the city, specifically The Glades. Just both of you, either go back to Central City or anywhere just as long as it's far away from here because I don't know when but there's a possibility The Glades is going to be destroyed." Slade explains as briefly and as quickly as he can.

"What about you?" Lisa asks quickly.

"With my sister on that one." Leonard looks up from his drink.

"You'll come with us, right." Lisa reaffirms.

"There's only a small group of us who know what's going on and know hopefully, just how to stop it before it can even happen, but it might not work, which is why you two need to go." Slade repeats, trying to get them to understand.

"You're staying here." Leonard mutters to silence from Slade.

"There's not much of a choice in the matter." Slade replies.

"But you're not going to be here, here when this thing happens are you?" Lisa looks to him, to once more, silence from Slade.

"It has to be stopped." Slade shrugs his shoulders.

"So you expected us to go and leave you here?" Leonard notes.

"I except you to be sensible and get to safety before anything can happen." Slade retorts.

"What about you?" Lisa looks to him with an anxious look.

"As I said, there are others who know about this." He reminds her.

"And I told you that if you ever needed…"

"Slade, we really need to get going." Sara's voice calls as she joins them.

"Well hello." Leonard turns around in his stool to face her when she approaches them, facing Sara with a wide smirk.

"We haven't been properly introduced. Leonard." He continues to smirk at Sara.

"Sara." She replies briefly, looking to Slade.

"Now, I have heard a lot about you…"

"Leonard." Slade growls at him.

"What. I'm only being polite." Slade gives him a glare to shut him up.

"I have to go. I need you both to listen to me though." He notes.

"As I was saying before. I told you that if you ever needed a partner in crime you've got me and with what you saids going on, sounds like you need a partner in crime." Leonard retorts.

"And I need the two of you to be safe." Slade murmurs.

"I've put you both in danger before now and I'll never risk that again." He admits.

"This is different then that." Leonard raises an eyebrow at him.

"Are you willing to put her life at risk?" He looks to Lisa, knowing these words will hopefully be the ones that get Leonard to listen to him and due to Leonard's silence, Slade believes he was right in assuming that.

"It's really gonna be that bad?" Leonard gives him a glance.

"It could be." Slade notes as Leonard sighs and looks to Lisa.

"We'll get out of here." He says to Slade, whom is slightly reassured at his words.

"But you've got to promise to introduce me to her properly when this is over." Leonard smirks, with a glance at Sara, who folds her arms, a glare upon her face.

"I'll introduce you to both she and Oliver." Slade smiles slightly.

"My boyfriend Oliver." Sara reaffirms with a glare at Leonard who looks away innocently.

"And you'll call us the minute this is over, yes?" Lisa tightens her hold on Slade's hand.

"I promise." He murmurs.

"I also promise to explain all of this when it's over. Everything." He promise both of them.

"You better." Leonard says with a smirk as Slade looks to them both as Lisa wraps her arms around him, he holds her close, she presses her lips to his when pulling away.

"Go. Both of you." He says with one last look at his two friends before following Sara, praying to god that if this Undertaking happens, Leonard and Lisa will be far away.

Yet if it's up to him, Oliver and Sara.

The Undertaking won't happen at all.

 _SCPD_

"Make it quick, I've got a comstat meeting in five." Lieutenant Pike notes as he moves through the precinct, whilst Quentin follows him.

"Don't want to be late for my own funeral." He mutters resentfully at the thought of this said meeting.

"I got it under good authority that Malcolm Merlyn is planning on levelling The Glades using some kind of earthquake device made by Unidac Industries." Quentin admits as Pike turns, stops and faces him.

"Who's your source in all this?" He frowns as Quentin sighs.

"The three vigilantes." Quentin reveals after a moment.

Silence falls as Pike puts his hands on his hips, waiting for an explanation as the whole room falls silent, other officers looking up from their work to look at Quentin.

"They called me. It started in the last few months." Quentin reveals, closing his eyes before admitting the last part.

"They've been helpful on some cases."

"You asked for the task force to catch them. You swore to me that you'd bring them in."

"I know." Quentin cuts Pike off.

"I know. I swore to uphold the law because the law is steady, the law is unchanging and the law needed to be protected but what are laws, rules if they don't protect people?" Quentin questions as Pike looks away.

"Now listen. I know I'm throwing away my whole career by telling you this but I am willing to sacrifice catching those three if it means saving people's lives. Please!" Quentin begs as silence once more passes between him and Pike.

"You're suspended." He states as Quentin rolls his eyes at them.

"Leave your gun and the badge with the duty sergeant." He mutters.

"Lieutenant…"

"Suspension or incarnation!" Pike yells, cutting him off.

"You choose." He snaps before storming away.

 _Queen Mansion_

In what used to be hers and Walter's bedroom, Moria Queen finds herself surrounded by cardboard boxes, which she fills sadly with Walters possessions.

She is so wrapped up in her own head, and misery she doesn't even see Oliver, Sara and Slade enter the room.

"No more lies, mom." Oliver speaks first, trying to remain as calm as possible, one hand in Sara's which helps in grounding him.

Moira looks up at him in shock.

"The Undertaking." He starts as Moira looks at him.

"We need to stop it." He finishes.

"Everything I have ever said or done has been to protect you and your sister." She says quickly as she drops everything in her hands to approach Oliver, who steps away from her.

"Oliver…" She starts.

"We're not here to talk about us. We're here to discuss how to stop The Undertaking. You want even the smallest possibility of salvaging anything between us than help me, Sara and Slade stop this from happening." Oliver says firmly.

"Olive we need to talk about this…"

"What is there to talk about? You say everything you've said and done was to protect me and Thea but what about the assassination attempts on Slade? Because for starters I can't even wrap my head around how my own mother could ever possibly even think of having someone murdered in cold blood, let alone the man who has done nothing but protect me for five years. I made it home because of him. I survived because of him and he is my brother in all but blood and you would have had him killed because you believed some crazy notion…"

"It wasn't a crazy notion, Oliver! My fears were genuine and are real. He's Deathstroke. Now he might not be The Man In The Mask." Moria starts.

"I thought you said The Man In The Mask was Deathstroke and that Malcolm fed you all this information? You were wrong Moria! You were wrong about him and you were certainly wrong to believe anything Malcolm Merlyn told you." Sara cuts her off sharply.

"He told me the truth…"

"It wasn't the truth though was it. You heard the phone call. Slade wasn't there when we were captured. You got it wrong." Oliver growls.

"And after all you said about Malcolm. I think it's rather surprising that as soon as he came up with something haunting about me you would believe it." Slade snaps, feeling like he's stayed quiet for far too long!

"There was evidence." She snarls.

"Evidence. Evidence the ohh so trustworthy Malcolm Merlyn showed you? You had made up you mind about me the first time you met me. You would have accepted anything from anybody that would have aided you in getting rid of me." Slade snarls back.

"I accepted the truth and the truth is that you're a monster! You have poisoned my own son against me and I wasn't going to let you do the same thing to my daughter!" She snaps.

"Funny, the only monster I see here is you." Sara snips.

"You're not a mother you could never understand a mother's need to protect her children." She growls at Sara.

"Protect her children against a man who saved one? Helped bring me back from an island from hell that I'd been on for five years? Who had been there through all the hell? You would have killed the man, I see as my brother. You would have taken from me someone I care about, someone who after spending every day of the past five years with is one of the only things keeping me from insanity after what I went through?" Oliver yells angrily.

"No. I put the assassination attempt on Wilson to protect you and your sister from him! To keep you both safe from a monster which he still is. I only wish I had succeeded!" She snaps viciously as a sudden shattering sound sounds out. The four of them all turning around to see Thea in the doorway, having heard everyone word for the last minute or so.

Enough to know that her own mother put an assassination attempt on Slade Wilson.

"Thea." Moira starts as she approaches her now trembling daughter as Oliver closes his eyes, horrified that Thea had to find out this way.

"No. No stay away from me." Thea says shakily.

"Thea, just please give me the chance to explain…"

"Explain what? How can you possibly explain to me why you would. How you could possibly put an assassination attempt on someone?" She whispers as she runs her fingers through her hair as she hopes this is all a horrible dream she's about to wake up from.

It's not.

"Not just someone. Slade." She finishes a horrified look in her eyes.

"I was trying to protect you and Oliver…"

"From what?" Thea snaps this time.

"Slade? You wanted to protect me and Oliver from Slade? The guy who brought Oliver home to us after we thought him to be dead and gone for five years. Brought Sara home!" She shouts as Moria approaches her again, only for Thea to back into the wall.

"There are things you don't understand. I had reason. I have reason to suspect him dangerous to you and Oliver." She explains carefully.

"What reason? What reason could you possibly have to believe that?" Thea cries.

"Malcolm…"

"Malcolm. Malcolm Merlyn? Perhaps? The guy who you were screwing behind dad's back? Probably Walters back considering as soon as he gets home he decides to divorce you? What did Malcolm tell you, prey tell." She snaps.

"That Mr. Wilson is a monster who has had many innocent people killed because I had reason from what Malcolm revealed to me that he was one of the vigilantes. A monster and it made sense because he has turned Oliver against us." She explains as calmly as she can.

"You thought he was one of the vigilantes are you freakin insane?"

"Thea! Please do not talk to me like that." Moira cuts her off.

"Don't. Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot say after everything… You tried to have someone killed mom!" Thea yells.

"Because I had reason…"

"You mean you wanted reason? You hated Slade from the first day he arrived with Oliver and Sara. I heard what you, Sara, Oliver and Slade were saying! You would have accepted any lies to get rid of Slade. You even told me in that second week you wished he wasn't here with Oliver and Sara, so what am I to believe?" Thea folds her arms.

"Believe your mother. You're mother who loves you and only wants you to be safe and protected from forces that could do you harm."

"Forces that could do me harm? You think Slade is one of those forces? Slade who has been there for me in the past year more than you ever have been in years? You're supposed to be my mother and he, Sara and Oliver have been there for me more than you ever have. You know, if I ever had a problem with anything, absolutely anything at all. I would be more inclined to go talk to Oliver, Sara and Slade than you because they care about me…"

"I care about you Thea. I love you. I'm your mother…" Moria protests.

"You haven't been a mother me in years and your certainly not a mother to me now." Thea hisses as she heads for the door, Moria grabbing her arm.

"No Thea. Don't go. I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry. I…"

"Tell it to someone who cares and if there's anybody you need to apologise to. It's Slade because he was the one you tried to have killed. You say he turned Oliver against you? No you turned Oliver against you all by yourself by doing this. If Slade did anything he freakin saved Ollie from you." She whispers again.

"Thea. I was only doing what I thought was right."

"What murdering someone? An innocent man? You thought that was right? I have no idea what Ollie, Sara and Slade went through on that island but what I do know is that they had each other and that kept them going and brought them home and you would have had Slade killed. Taken him away from Sara and Ollie after the hell they most likely endured. You would have destroyed them just like that?" Thea moves away from her mother.

"Thea." Moria reaches out toward her daughter again.

"You know for the record. I'm glad Slade came back from the island with Ollie and Sara, he makes things better here." She folds her arms, Slade looking at her in surprise at her words.

"Thea, sweetheart." Moria tries to grab her arms.

"No don't touch me!" Thea pulls out of her grasps.

"Listen to me!" Moria begs.

"Listen to you? All you tell me is lies! All you've been doing is lying to me and Ollie and I can't take that anymore. I'm never going to listen to a word you say again. Stay away from me." She growls as she heads for the door again before stopping.

"You know, you say Slade's the monster here when really the true monster is standing right in front of me. I'll never forgive you for this." She hisses before racing from the room, leaving Moria in an almost frenzy as she backs into the desk.

"Thea." She whispers, her hands going to her mouth in horror at what just happened.

"You brought this on yourself." Slade mutters and Moria can't even think of a come back to his words because somehow deep down she knows them to be words of truth.

"Oliver, please sweetheart, talk to your sister." Moria starts.

"I'm not going to say a word to her. Do you really think I would be here if it wasn't to try and stop this Undertaking from taking place? Thea was right. All you've done is lie to us. I honestly don't want to listen another word you say but we need to put a stop to Malcolm and we can't do that without help." Oliver mutters, Moira is silent and instead leans against a box.

"We spoke to Malcolm." Oliver admits.

"You what?" She looks up at him in an instant, silence passing a moment.

"He could have killed you Oliver. He killed your father." She admits.

"No he didn't." Oliver shakes his head before squeezing Sara's hand.

"After The Gambit went down. Dad pulled both me and Sara onto a lifeboat and then we just drifted for days. In the end there wasn't enough food and water for the three of us." Oliver stops, his eyes locked on his mother's as he holds Sara's hand tightly.

"So he shot himself in the head." He reveals.

"I don't want to hear this." Moria turns away.

"He sacrificed himself so that Ollie and I could live." Sara whispers, moving away from Oliver for a moment to approach Moira.

"My husband killed himself so that someone like you could live?" Moria turns on Sara.

"It should have been you. You weren't even supposed to be there!" She cries suddenly, moving to slap Sara, who ducks instantly.

"I feel guilty for what happened every single day. I have to live with that. The memory of him shooting himself in front of us. It haunts me every day and I'll never get to repay him for what he did to save Ollie and I. The only way of honouring his sacrifice is putting a stop to this. We need to stop Malcolm. We need to know where the device is." Sara cries, as in an instant Moria's phone begins to ring.

Looking at the three once, only to receive glares from them, Moria moves to her phone.

"Malcolm." She says numbly into the phone as Oliver, Sara and Slade turn to face her instantly as she walks to the other side of the room.

"What can I do for you?" She asks politely, waiting to hear what he has to say, turning to the three when she receives a certain piece of unnerving news.

"I see." She nods quickly.

"Yes, thank you for calling." She hands up quickly, hands shaking as she pulls the phone away from her ear.

"What is it?" Slade mutters.

"Malcolm's accelerated his timetable. The Undertaking. Is…" She stops as she looks at the three, shaking as she does so.

"It's happening tonight." She reveals as with wide eyes, Oliver, Sara and Slade race for the door in an instant.

"Where are you going?" Moria calls after them as Oliver turns back only momentarily.

"Somebody in this family needs to put an end to this." He mutters.

"Whatever the cost."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Laurel sits happily on her couch, her hand wrapped around a mug of hot coffee as she looks at a few papers from CNRI in her hand that she's supposed to be reading and she is but her head is elsewhere.

She thinks of this morning, waking up in Tommy's arms again.

Realising that it wasn't a dream, that she and Tommy really did make up and are together once more and that he loves her.

It's the greatest feeling in the world to Laurel.

She honestly thinks that this is the happiest she's been in years and it's all because of Tommy.

She looks up in an instant when she hears a key turning in her door and a smile tugs at her lips again, knowing it to be Tommy considering he's the only other person with a key, she'd made sure he had his key back this morning.

"Hey." She calls from the couch as she sees him walk through the door, noticing the rather noticeable scowl upon his face as he puts his coat in the rack.

Yet when he faces her, the scowl is gone and in replace of it a rather wide smile.

"Hey, honey." He beams as he crosses the room to get to her, Laurel putting her mug down when he sits on the couch beside her, she presses a kiss to his lips before wrapping her arms around his neck, his hands settling on her back.

"What's wrong with you?" She asks softly.

"Nothing, Laurel, why'd you ask?" He queries with furrowed brows as he looks at her, she places her hands against his cheeks and presses a kiss to his forehead.

"Because I know you Tommy Merlyn and when you walked though the door you had a look which if looks could kill I'm pretty sure I'd be six feet under by now." She smiles, getting a smile from Tommy in response, as Laurel relaxes back against the couch, pulling Tommy down with her so his heads resting against her chest, her fingers going to his black hair, stroking it comfortingly. Tommy hums contently in response.

"So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" She asks in a gentle tone.

"Probably, if I don't fall asleep in the next few seconds…"

"Tommy." Laurel replies sternly.

"What's wrong." She asks again, from her tone, Tommy realises she expects an actual answer this time round.

"I had a slight argument with Oliver." He mutters. Laurel raises an eyebrow at him.

"Slight argument? You sure about that?" She queries.

"Do you notice everything?" Tommy smiles at her as she drops a kiss to his head.

"When it's you. Yes I do." She replies.

"Ok so it was more than a slight argument." He admits.

"Was it just an argument with Oliver or was it an argument with Slade as well?" She questions as Tommy grumbles miserably.

"Tommy, don't you think it's time, beyond past time that you and Slade called a somewhat truce?" She sighs.

"Impossible." He mutters.

"Tommy, it's really not. Now, I don't know what happened this time between you and him but you pair at each others throats all the time? It's putting a strain on your friendship with Oliver isn't it." She guesses.

"Hoe do you know so much?" Tommy wonders.

"I'm observant and I have a sister who may or may not have mentioned a few things to me before now." She reveals as Tommy rolls his eyes at the mention of Sara.

Of course she'd tell Laurel 'a few things'.

Nothing that's a word of truth though, Tommy bets.

"You know, I thought when Oliver came home that everything in my life would be better. I would have my best friend back, my best friend in life. The man who's family practically raised me. Oliver was always more of a brother than a best friend. I could always go to him for anything, no matter what. If anything was wrong, he'd be there and when he came home. I was just so happy because he was home." Tommy sighs.

"Of course you were. You love him and he loves you." Laurel reminds him.

"I expected everything to go back to somewhat normal. I mean, I wasn't stupid I knew nothing could ever really actually go back to the way things were but our friendship. I thought that would resume. I was wrong." He mutters.

"No matter what I do. Oliver will always chose Wilson over me." He admits.

"Now that's not true, Tommy. Oliver loves you both. He would do anything for the both of you. I think he just wants you both to try and see eye to eye." Laurel says gently.

"Well that ain't happening." Tommy grumbles.

"Not with an attitude like that it won't." She murmurs.

"What was the argument about this time anyway?" She asks curiously.

"Apparently, my father is involved in something bad that's going to have terrible consequences and somehow Wilson and Oliver found out about it." He grumbles as Laurel raises an eyebrow at him.

"What?" She looks puzzled in confusion.

"My thoughts exactly!" Tommy replies.

"They wouldn't have said anything without good reason." Laurel notes.

"Honestly, I don't know what their aim is here but, I'll humour them. I've got to head to Merlyn Global for work as it is. I'll see what my father's got to say about this. It's probably nothing, Oliver's prone to exaggeration." He mutters as he looks at his watch, moaning as he sees the time.

"I don't want to go." He murmurs, Laurel laughs softly in response as he turns to bury his face into her.

"Yet you have to. Don't worry, I'll be right here waiting for you later." She beams as Tommy eventually manages to pull himself to his feet, surprised when Laurel gets to her own, taking his hands in her before reaching up to kiss him sweetly.

When they pull away they stare at one another for a moment.

"Off you go Merlyn." She smiles as she lets go of his hands, watching as he heads for the door, grabbing his coat on the way, turning back only once to say.

"Laurel." He starts.

"Tommy." She smiles back, Tommy giving her a wider one in return as he looks at her.

"I love you." He murmurs before walking through the door as no matter what lowers his mood in the next few hours he'll be able to go home to Laurel at the end of the day and that's all that matters.

 _Queen Mansion_

Heading out of Moria's room, Oliver, Sara and Slade almost trip over Thea, who they don't see sat on the bottom step, trembling as tears stream down her cheeks.

"Hey." Oliver says softly as he sits beside her.

"Thought you would have gone home." He note as she shakes her head rapidly.

"I. I was going. I'm still going." She whispers almost inaudibly as she slowly gets to her feet, using the stair rail for support as Oliver gets up as well.

"If you want we can drop you off?" He suggests, Thea shakes her head.

"I need to walk. I need to clear my head." She whispers as the others nod, Sara moving forward to place her hand on Thea's arm.

"Look, what was said with your mother…"

"Was it true. About dad? Was it all true. Did that really happen?" Thea whispers as a surprised look crosses Oliver's face, he hadn't expected her to hear that.

He didn't want her to ever hear that.

"Thea…"

"Was it?" She cuts him off with tear filled eyes.

"Yes." Oliver replies curtly.

"I want you to tell me. Tell me what happened." She says softly.

"It's not a nice story." Sara warns her.

"Nothing I've learnt today has been nice. I don't care." She replies as Oliver takes both of her hands in his.

"The Gambit had gone down, Sara and I were in the ocean. We didn't think we'd survive that but then there was dad in the lifeboat and he rescued Sara and I and we just floated in the ocean for days. We soon ran out of supplies and to ensure Sara and I made it, he took out a gun and shot himself though the head. We found the island some time later." He admits to her as Thea looks at him with red and puffy eyes as tears begin pouring from them as Oliver draws her into a close embrace.

"I never wanted you to find out about this." He murmurs as Thea sobs quietly.

"Any of this." He mutters as Thea pulls away a moment, looking to Sara.

"I'm so sorry about your dad Thea." Sara says, the only words she finds she can say.

"It's ok. I, The last thing I heard mom say... I want you to know that I don't blame you, Sara, I hope you know that." Thea says to her before moving from Oliver's side and into Sara's arms, whom holds the girl she sees as a younger sister in her arms tightly.

"You shouldn't have found out about this." Oliver repeats softly.

"About mom as well?" She whispers, he nods.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to look her in the eye again. How can you be here after what she did? The lying. The fact she tried to have Slade killed and as for you." She turns to Slade.

"You really shouldn't be here. I mean what if she had a concealed weapon of something and tried to kill you with it because honestly I wouldn't put that past her after all this." Thea cries as Slade gives her a glance as in a way, he agrees with the latter part.

"Something's happening. We can't explain it now but we will later. We'll explain everything later. For now you just need to go home. Stay indoors, we'll be home as soon as we can be." Oliver promises as Thea frowns at them.

"Come here." Oliver pulls her back into his arms.

"Don't worry about the thing with mom." He tells her, as she pulls away to give him a momentary incredulous look.

"Because you've got us. No matter what." He smiles as she hugs him closer, until he eventually releases her.

"I might hang here for a bit, collect the rest of my stuff. I. I never want to come back here again." Thea admits as Oliver nods.

"Try and get home before dark, ok?" He smiles as she nods.

"If. If you need us we're only a phone call away." Slade assures her as Thea looks to him before crossing the room and pulling him into an embrace.

"I meant it you know, what I said to my mom. I'm so glad you came off that island with Ollie and Sara." She admits, eventually releasing him, Slade smiling genuinely at her as she looks to the three of them once more.

"I'll see you guys at home, yeah?" She manages a slight smile before heading towards her old bedroom to collect the remainder of her things.

This isn't home anymore and it never will be again.

 _Merlyn Global_

"Hey dad." Tommy enters Merlyn Global with a wide smile, putting his jacket on a chair.

"Tommy, you seem in a pleasant mood." Malcolm notes as he stands by a window looking out over Starling City.

"Laurel and I got back together. We worked out our differences." Tommy replies with a beaming smile.

"That's good news, son. I'm pleased for you. I know how much Laurel means to you. Now she wouldn't have been my first choice as girlfriend for you but if she makes you happy." Malcolm notes.

"She makes me very happy." Tommy responds as he wonders if he should mention his plans to his father and ultimately decides he should.

"And about that." He stops, as Malcolm actually turns to him, a frown crossing his face.

"What?" Malcolm responds.

"Laurel. She is probably the best part of my life and I don't know what I'd do without her. So." Tommy stops again as this is his father, it could go either way and moves to pour himself a glass of scotch from the decanter.

"So what Tommy, out with it." Malcolm sighs, hints of frustration in his voice.

"I'm. Well I'm planning to ask her to marry me." Tommy reveals.

"You want to marry her?" Malcolm glances at him.

"I'm not going to ask her straight away; I'm doing things properly, traditionally, I plan to talk to her father, despite the fact I have a good idea how that'll go!" Tommy says with a slight roll of his eyes.

"Then in a couple of weeks perhaps, I'll ask her to marry me because I know that Laurel is the only woman out there for me." He smiles, noticing the stern expression upon his father's face, Tommy sighs.

"I don't expect you to like my decision but I'd like you to respect it nethertheless."

"I'm just surprised, that's all to hear that my son wants to settle down." Malcolm notes.

"I'm not the same person I used to be. I thank Laurel for some of that." Tommy smiles.

"I like this version of my son. You've matured at long last, I knew you to be capable of it Tommy, which is why I made the decision to cut you off. This only proves I made the right decision." Malcolm replies as Tommy nods.

"I might not have thought the same way at the time but now. I'm glad you did because now I work for my own money and I'm going to use that money I worked for to get Laurel a ring. A good one." Tommy smiles as Malcolm moves past him.

"Actually, Tommy. You don't need to." He comments as he opens a drawer before eying a safe inside of it.

"When your mother died Tommy. In her will she put that if anything were to happen to her before her only son met a woman he wanted to marry and she never got to meet her then she wanted you to give her this. It would be wrong of me not to for fill your mothers wishes for you." He sighs as reluctantly he pulls out a blue velvet box when he places in Tommy's hand, whom looks at it before carefully prising it open.

Inside the box is a ring, a ring with a thin gold band, dominating the centre of the ring is a small deep purple amethyst surrounded by nest of small diamonds.

From the memories he has of her, he knows it's one of his mother's, she used to wear it to the events Tommy used to find boring as a kid and his eyes soon feel damp.

"Dad. I don't know what to say." Tommy whispers as he pockets the box.

"You don't need to say anything to me. Those were your mother's wishes." He mutters as he heads back over toward the window.

"As I said. It would be wrong of me not to uphold them." He repeats facing the window.

"Thank you, dad." Tommy smiles sadly before rolling his eyes.

"And to think what Oliver, Sara and Wilson were trying to convince me off." He scoffs as he drinks from his scotch.

"Convince you of what?" Malcolm replies in a calm voice.

"It's quite funny actually they said you wanted to nuke The Glades or something." Tommy mutters as he takes another drink.

"That's funny, scotch doesn't make it any more believable." Tommy roll his eyes before smirking as he pours himself some more scotch.

"Maybe after your jihad we can, uh, grab some steaks." Tommy laughs sarcastically as Malcolm turns around to face him from the window.

"It's true Tommy." He says in a matter of fact way as Tommy frowns.

"It's the reason I closed your mothers clinic." He reveals as Tommy freezes.

"I didn't want to see it levelled." He admits as Tommy is silent, closing his eyes momentarily before looking up at his father again.

"What." He says in a quiet voice.

"I have something I'd like you to listen." Malcolm moves away from the window again, patting Tommy's arm as he moves toward his desk as Tommy turns around slowly, watching as his father moves over to his desk and pulls a lid of a container.

"The night your mother was murdered, she called me." He removes a device from the container as Tommy walks slowly toward him.

"I woke to a voice mail from her." He admits.

"Dad…" Tommy starts but is cut off once more by his father.

"Her final gift to me." He whispers as he presses play on the device.

"Malcolm. I'm in trouble." Comes the shaking, distressed voice of Rebecca Merlyn as Tommy listens, his eyes fixed on the device.

"I told. I told them to take everything. My money… My ring…" She trails off as Tommy continues to listen, tears filling his eyes as he listens in horror, shaking and trembling.

"Turn it off." He begs in a trembling voice.

Malcolm ignores him and the recording continues.

"He shot me. I screamed for help but.. But no…"

"No one would come." Malcolm murmurs over the recording as he leans over his desk as Tommy looks up at him with horrified eyes.

"Oh god. Malcolm, I don't want to die alone." Is Rebecca Merlyn's final words on the recording as Malcolm looks up yet not at his son.

"She bled out into the pavement while people past and did nothing." He mutters as Tommy squeezes his eyes tight shut and stifles a sob.

"Your mother built her clinic in The Glades because she wanted to save this city." Malcolm turns to him eventually.

"It can't be saved because the people there don't want it to be saved."

"So you kill them all?" Tommy asks in a quiet voice.

"Yes!" Malcolm bellows causing Tommy to jump, startled at his father's sudden fury.

"They deserve to die! All of them! The way she died." He shouts as Tommy shakes his head.

"Let me ask you this Thomas! Are you telling me you wouldn't be prepared to go to the lengths I am going to if you woke up in the middle of the night to a voicemail like that from your Laurel? If Laurel bled out on the pavements alone, calling your name. Could you ever just do nothing?"

 _The Foundry_

"The Undertaking is happening tonight." Oliver states monotonously as he enters The Foundry with Sara and Slade at his side. In an instant Diggle and Felicity turn to face them.

"Guys, Felicity may have found something." Diggle murmurs as he walks over to them as Felicity lifts up Oliver's father's journal to show them the mysterious symbol at the back.

"This symbol. It's the map of the old subway tunnel system."

"It's what got us thinking that The Undertaking is connected to The Glades." Slade mutters as he moves toward her.

"What if it's more specific than that?" She continues.

"Tell us." Oliver commands as Felicity turns back to her computers.

"If I had a machine that could trigger an earthquake in an otherwise geologically stable area, where would I position it?" She looks up to them.

"Underground." Slade murmurs as Felicity nods.

"Yeah." She says as she pulls up a model on screen.

"This is a U.S. Geological Survey of the tectonic plates running underneath Starling City. This red line here is a known fault that runs right below The Glades." She shows it to them.

"For about a mile, the fault runs underneath the old tenth street subway line." Diggle says.

"Dollars to donuts, the seismic device is somewhere along there." Felicity sighs as Oliver suddenly grabs Sara's arm.

"I know where it is." He whispers as they all look to him just as his phone begins to vibrate.

"Kid now is not the time to be answering phone calls!" Slade growls.

"It's Thea." Oliver replies, Slade and Sara looking to him in worry as Oliver answers the call.

"Hey Speedy, now isn't exactly a good time. Are you alright?" He asks gently.

"Yeah. Understate much? I'm about to go back home, done with this place for good when suddenly I find that out mother has a whole bunch of reporters here." Thea says exasperatedly as she enters the living room.

"She's holding a press conference or something." She sighs as she looks at the scene or reporters and members of the press in the room.

"What channel?" Sara calls to her.

"Uh. It looks like all of them." She whispers as Oliver lowers the phone.

"Felicity pull up a local news." Slade commands as the three move toward the computer as Felicity complies with the request...

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira stands in front of all the cameras with a serious expression upon her face.

She has to do this.

The repercussions will be terrible, severe, not even worth thinking of right now though because she has to do it.

To somewhat right her wrongs.

Even if not to end this but to give people a chance.

Someone nods to her.

It has begun.

"My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated and God forgive me I have failed this city." She admits in a calm voice as Thea watches her, in horror.

What other horrors has her mother committed? What's going on? Are the thoughts that run through Thea's mind.

"For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family, I have been complicit in an Undertaking with one horrible purpose…" She trails off as she looks to her right where she sees SCPD officers, Detective Hilton among them.

It's now or never.

"To destroy The Glades and everyone in it." She reveals, closing her eyes as Thea looks at her in horror.

Her own mother…

Not only had she organised an assassination attempt on Slade which was the final straw already for Thea but she also was apart of something that meant the distraction of The Glades and everyone in it.

Far beyond the final straw.

"But I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur but you need to know that the architect of is nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn." She admits as on the other side of town is in fact Malcolm Merlyn, standing beside Tommy Merlyn watching the news event of the day and Moira's admission…

With a yell of fury, Malcolm slams his fist into the table.

"And I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen and my husband, Robert." Moria admits, her eyes locked on Thea, whom looks at her in anger, anger with tears streaming down her cheeks as within The Foundry, Oliver looks sternly at the screen, squeezing Sara's hand tight, as Slade has a reassuring hand on his shoulder whilst Felicity and Diggle give Oliver sympathetic glances as the Moira continues.

"Please, if you reside in The Glades. You need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please." She begs as she sees Thea heading towards the door. Moira moves from the podium, past all the reporters, who shove cameras and microphones in her face as she battles through the crowd to get to her daughter.

"I don't understand." Thea whispers.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I love you."

"If you thought I hated you before because of what you did to Slade. You have no idea how much I hate you now…"

"Thea." Moria cuts her off, tears appearing in her own eyes.

"I love Roy." Thea hisses.

"Roy?" Moria frowns in confusion.

"He's my boyfriend. He lives in The Glades." She whispers as Moira closes her eyes in horror.

"I can't leave him there." She yells before running from the room.

"Sweetheart. Thea!" Moira cries as she tries to grab her daughter but its too late Thea's already out the door as SCPD officers come up behind her.

"Moira Queen, you're under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney…"

 _Merlyn Global_

"Is. It. True?" Tommy hisses to Malcolm, who stands over his desk, his face one of thunder as Tommy glares at him.

"Did you kill all those people?"

"I did what I had to do." Malcolm turns on him as he moves away from his desk toward a wall, stopping a moment to look at Tommy, whom begins to follow him as Malcolm pushes a piece of artwork on the wall out of the way to reveal a keypad, placing his thumb onto the keypad, which accepts his DNA before an unlocking noise sounds out as Malcolm puts the artwork back in place as the wall opens to reveal to Tommy his Dark Archer uniform…

His father is the Dark Archer…

The murderer, the psychopathic Dark Archer is his father.

Frozen in place, Tommy shakes his head in disbelief.

He looks at his father fearfully…

"FREEZE!" Comes a voice, which is revealed to by an SCPD officer, three of them in the office each with guns aimed at Malcolm Merlyn.

"Malcolm Merlyn you are under arrest!" One yells as Malcolm turns around in an instant.

"Don't move!" Another commands and begins to fire as Malcolm reappears with a sword in hand, slicing through the officer who had fired upon him.

"Dad, no!" Tommy cries out as he drops to the floor, picking up a gun of his own from the deceased SCPD officer as he does so.

Watching in ultimate horror as Malcolm calmly moves toward the other officers, slicing through them as he walks toward Tommy, stopping in front of his son.

Tommy raises a gun to him.

"Please, dad." Tommy begs with the gun to his head.

Malcolm makes a move towards Tommy.

"Stay back." He hisses as he steps away from his father.

"And I don't want to hurt you." Tommy murmurs.

"You can't." Malcolm states plainly as silence passes for a moment.

"And you can't stop me." He hisses before suddenly, knocking Tommy's hand upwards and slamming the hilt of his sword into Tommy's face…

 _The Foundry_

"Oliver, I'm sorry." Felicity says to him, silence having passed for several moments after watching the interview and arrest of Moria Queen for her crimes.

"Don't be." Oliver murmurs.

"Nothing more than she deserves." Slade grumbles, no one says anything different to oppose Slade's comment as he is right.

"At least, despite everything she did she did something right at the end." Sara says with pursed lips as Oliver holds her closer into his side.

"Sara's right. She gave those people a chance." Oliver sighs as he moves to open the box of his, Sara's and Slade's.

"I thought Merlyn broke your bow?" Felicity frowns as Oliver looks between Sara and Slade, whom nod at him as Oliver removes another bow from the box.

"I have another." He murmurs as he pulls it free, the memories of the island hitting him as soon as he places his hand on it, the same sort of look in Sara and Slade's eyes as they also remember said memories.

"I was going over the device schematics." Felicity explains as the three of them face her.

"The device can be set for a time detonation or can be remote activated by a mobile transmitter." She informs them.

"Something Merlyn could have on him." Oliver notes.

"Listen guys, if we can just get our hands on this transmitter maybe we don't need to track down the device." Diggle suggests.

"And I say that's too big off an 'if' Diggle." Slade replies.

"We need you in the subway." Oliver confirms.

"Find the device and disarm it." Slade commands.

"So you three can take on Merlyn by yourselves?" Diggle retorts.

"We have to and I don't think it's going to be an issue when it's all three of us…"

"No he'll kill you guys. Even with Sara you couldn't take him down Oliver." Diggle reminds them as Oliver shakes his head.

"He's beaten us twice. The first time it was just me. The second, it was me and Sara. This time we're bringing along something we didn't have before. We have an advantage this time." Oliver notes.

"Which is?" Diggle folds his arms.

"Me." Slade replies as he looks to him.

"He's never met me in combat." Slade says with a smirk.

"You're going to have something else as well, to insure victory." Diggle notes.

"Think with me there, victory is already assured." Slade murmurs under his breath.

"I'm going to." Diggle says firmly.

"No. No way. We can't ask that of you and we don't need you there." Oliver says quickly.

"Guys, like it or not. We're a team and I'm apart of that team just as much as you three are. You three are not alone in this fight. Not since you brought me into this, even if that was up for debate at the time." Diggle murmurs with a glance to Slade, who shrugs in response as Diggle looks to Felicity.

"Us into this." He confirms as Felicity smiles at the three sweetly.

"Beside, army regulations. A solider never lets friends go into a battle alone." Diggle finishes with a smile as he holds out his hand.

Oliver takes it first, before Sara and even Slade.

"What weapon would you like to take? Have you considered a sword?" Slade questions with folded arms as Diggle looks to him.

"I like swords." Slade smirks as Oliver closes his eyes in momentary despair.

"I've got my gun, man." Diggle smirks.

"I guess it's up to me to do the dismantling." Felicity calls with a smile.

"Absolutely not!" Slade retorts as Felicity frowns.

"This whole area is ground zero." Oliver starts.

"We want you out of here." Slade cuts in as Felicity walks towards them.

"If you guys aren't leaving, I am not leaving." She says firmly as Slade looks about to protest.

"Besides, if I don't deactivate the device, who will?" She reminds them.

"Felicity…" Slade starts yet Oliver cuts him off by walking suddenly toward the desk where the vigilante phone lies…

 _SCPD_

Upon seeing the incoming call and hearing the ring, Quentin moves quickly toward his desk to grab it.

"You three were right." He states plainly.

"We need one more thing from you." The Man In The Hood responds.

"Yeah?" Quentin shrugs.

"What do I have left to give?" He questions.

"We know where Merlyn is keeping the device." The Man In The Hood reveals.

"It's in an abandoned subway station near Papp Street." He explains.

"How do you know?" Quentin counters.

"That's where his wife was murdered." The Man In The Hood murmurs, referring to Rebecca Merlyn of course.

"We need someone we can trust to deactivate the device." The Man In The Hood responds as on his end he looks up at Felicity.

"We all have a mutual friend that we think could talk you through it."

"She says you three care about the people of the city. That it needs the three of you." He cuts The Man In The Hood off.

"Right now Detective." He responds sternly.

"It needs you."

 _The Glades_

Meanwhile, in The Glades, mass panic has broken out on the streets, fires have been started and people run, screaming with their families, doing anything to either protest with banners or escape from the fate Moira Queen warned them off that could strike at any given time.

Meanwhile, in an apartment in The Glades, one that belongs to one Roy Harper.

Roy sits on his couch, confused by the commotion going on outside but shakes it off as usual Glades behaviour.

It's a rough neighbourhood after all!

However, he quickly learns that it isn't from the news report his eyes are currently glued to.

"Earlier today, Moria Queen. CEO of Queen Consolidated, admitted to a conspiracy to destroy The Glades." The TV explains as Roy walks slowly toward it with wide eyes.

"Everyone within a five mile radius has been asked to evacuate…"

"Please leave the area immediately!" Comes a voice from a foghorn outside, followed by screams of people. Roy looks instantly toward the door and windows.

"Stay calm." He hears the voice call again as he moves toward the door.

"Do not rush and do not panic." It continues as Roy breaks into a run, racing through the door and down his steps to see cars driving past his place, people running and screaming as they go, trying to escape The Glades.

Roy stands there frozen…

 _Elsewhere…_

Quentin Lance breaks every speed law in the book as he races through the streets of The Glades that has become places of mass panic, as people run, fires blaze and screaming can be heard for miles as people run in a panicked frenzy as Quentin battles through it in his cop car, before pulling it to an abrupt stop in the middle of one street, grabbing a torch from his coat as he hears more people of authority make commands to the people of The Glades, via the megaphone, trying to evacuate everyone as quickly as they possibly can before The Undertaking can strike with a vengeance.

Which Quentin plans to aid in stopping before it can actually happen he thinks as he races down a side street and down a brief flight of steps before facing a boarded up entrance to the subway on the street the three vigilantes had directed him too.

He rips the boards away, kicking and destroying them before racing into the subway…

 _Merlyn Global_

Confidently the three vigilantes and Diggle walk through from the elevator onto the floor Merlyn's office is one, Diggle with his gun raised, The Woman In Black with her batons, The Man In The Mask advancing with his sword and the The Man In The Hood removing an arrow from his quiver.

The three walk into the main part of Merlyn's office, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black had been in only hours previously.

However, the minute they enter they are faced with the bodies of the recently deceased members of the SCPD.

Diggle is the one who breaks the silence.

"Looks like we missed him."

 _"SARA!" Oliver screams as he races through the now destroyed camp under the cover of nightfall, he hadn't been able to get anywhere near it before._

 _The flames had been that powerful and destructive after all._

 _A million and one thoughts running through his head as he does so._

 _He had directed the missile at the camp._

 _The camp that Sara, Slade and Shado were in at the time._

 _He may have avoided a world war but he possibly killed his allies and the woman he loves..._

 _The thoughts terrify him to his core._

 _"SARA!" He screams again._

 _"SHADO! SLADE!" He calls their names as well to silence, nothing but silence._

 _"SARA!" He cries again as he walks past bodies of Fyers men, stopping. Freezing in place when he sees boots that remind him of Slade's._

 _"No, no, no, no." He whispers as he slowly edges towards the corpse, almost collapsing in relief when he sees that the deceased is not Slade, just another man of Fyers._

 _"SLADE!" He calls out for him then, his ally._

 _Dare he admit it, his friend…_

 _It surprises himself to admit that he sees Slade as a friend now._

 _The man who beats him and Sara up every day in the name of training, the man who has showed them nothing but brutality and savagery since the day they met._

 _But despite all that he has been a good ally to have on their side._

 _His methods are questionable but he has kept them alive and honestly Oliver is worried about him, surprising himself greatly._

 _He calls out all three of their names again before almost tripping over a crate in the middle of his path._

 _Kicking the lid off, he removes a wooden bow from it._

 _Holding it in his hands, he also pulls out an arrow._

 _If there's anymore danger it could help him defend himself at the least._

 _"Oliver." A faint whisper comes from behind him, as he whirls around, bow in hand, realising that he's loaded it ready to fire when he comes face to face with a stumbling Shado, who has blood in her hair and running down from her arm from where she was shot by Fyers._

 _"You look a lot better with that now than you did." She manages a slight smile as Oliver sighs in momentary relief as she stumbles over to him._

 _"Sara? Where is she? Have you seen her?" Oliver says hurriedly as Shado shakes her head, wincing briefly._

 _"No. Have you seen Slade?" She asks with eyes filled with worry, Oliver shakes his head, wincing at the sudden pain in his nose from where he's certain it's been broken._

 _"Do you want to split up and search for them?" She asks then._

 _Oliver is hesitant to agree, he doesn't want to split up but if it gets them answers about Sara and Slade's whereabouts._

 _Fates…_

 _Then so be it! Oliver thinks before nodding._

 _"Meet by this box." She commands, wincing as she touches her wounded arm gingerly as Oliver nods carefully again before moving in a separate direction from Shado._

 _He walks for what must be a minute at the least before deep, genuine laughter fills his ears._

 _He'd know that laughter anywhere._

 _A sigh of relief escapes his lips as Slade suddenly pokes his head out from around a corner._

 _"Well I should have figured…" Slade grunts as he gets to his feet, unstable on them from the bullet wound in his leg._

 _"You couldn't save the day without making a mess." He finishes with a smirk as he staggers towards Oliver._

 _"Where's Shado, Sara?" He groans._

 _"Sara's not with you?" Oliver says in a worried tone as Slade shakes his head._

 _"That she's not. I thought she might be with you. I blacked out after the explosion, last I saw of her she was trying to get to my side during the shoot out." Slade explains before looking down, a grave expression appearing upon his face._

 _"She was still badly wounded." He murmurs as Oliver closes his eyes._

 _"Kid, she's gonna be a'right." He says in an almost reassuring tone._

 _"Survivor that one." He hisses as he leans against a surface._

 _"Shado." He says after a moment._

 _"She's ok. I was just with her and…"_

 _"Oh thank god!" Comes the voice of Shado as she reappears, seeing that Oliver has found Slade, she instantly moves as quickly as her wounded body will let her over to him._

 _"Shado." Slade manages a slight smile as she eventually reaches him, wanting to put her arms around him but doesn't due to her wounded arm and instead lets Slade put his arm around her good shoulder so he can use her as something to support him, she buries her face into the side of his neck and manages a smile of her own as he tugs her closer in response as Oliver continues to look at the two fearfully._

 _"Sara…" He whispers, trailing off._

 _"I couldn't find her Oliver. I'm sorry." Shado apologies as a broken look crosses Oliver's face._

 _"I thought she might have found her way to Slade." Shado starts but is cut off by an unexpected voice._

 _The voice of Edward Fyers._

 _Aka the man they hoped had been killed in the explosion._

 _"Actually she's with me." Fyers smirks as he appears, a barley conscious Sara in his grasp._

 _Fyers holds a gun to her head._

 _"Let her go! It's over Fyers!" Slade growls as he uses Shado to help him limp over._

 _Oliver raises the bow and arrow._

 _"Let her go." He snarls._

 _"Amazing." Fyers spits._

 _"A two year operation undone because a young playboy and his girlfriend happened to wash up on the shore." He comments as he pushes the gun closer to Sara._

 _"And now here you two are, killers." He chuckles manically._

 _"You two wanted nothing more than to leave this island and now one of you can. I can call in a rescue ship, you can go home. Tell me, Mr. Queen." Fyers looks at him straight on._

 _"Are you willing to sacrifice your freedom for her? Your girlfriend? I'm sure there's many more like her back at your home." Fyers taunts him._

 _Oliver looks to Sara, whom nods at him, mouthing to him the words Oliver needed to hear._

 _'I love you'._

 _Oliver fires the arrow right into Fyers chest._

 _He kills him._

 _His first kill._

 _To save Sara._

 _"Guess so. There's no one like her." Oliver mutters, moving forward to catch Sara in his arms before she can collapse._

 _Turning around Oliver looks to Shado and Slade._

 _And they look back, proudly._

 _Merlyn Global_

Snapping out of the memory of his first kill in cold blood, The Man In The Hood looks to the side of him where The Woman In Black stands, sending a half smile her direction, snapped out of it suddenly when a coughing sound can be heard.

"Tommy?" The Man In The Hood calls as he spies his friend on the ground.

"Tommy!" He shouts as he and The Woman In Black reach his side.

"Oliver, Sara." He whispers as he sits up, blood rushing down from a wound on his head.

"Where's your father?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"I don't know." Tommy mutters groggily.

"You guys were right. You three were right about him." Tommy looks up at them.

"Guys." Diggle calls out to them, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black look to where Diggle and The Man In The Mask stand by a wall.

"Are you three going to kill him?" Tommy whispers.

"Yes." The Man In The Mask snaps as The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black glare at him before looking back to Tommy.

"Get to safety." The Man In The Hood advises, placing his hand against Tommy's arm before getting to his feet with The Woman In Black, taking her hand as the two move to where Diggle and The Man In The Mask stand by a wall.

"Looks like a false wall." Diggle comments as he knocks it open, revealing what appears to be the Dark Archers lair and the Dark Archer himself.

"Welcome, Sara and gentlemen. I've been waiting for you." He comments as the four walk into the room, The Man In The Mask with his sword outstretched.

"Finally I get to meet all three vigilantes. Nice to see you again Mr. Wilson. Deathstroke." Malcolm taunts him as The Man In The Mask advances on him slowly.

"I wanted you all to watch your city die." He hisses.

"Where's the transmitter?" The Man In The Hood growls as Diggle holds out his gun.

"Somewhere I can easily get to it." He smirks.

"Doubt it." The Man In The Mask snaps.

"You'll be too dead." Diggle finishes as he begins to fire upon Malcolm, The Man In The Hood firing an arrow, Malcolm darts out of the way as the four descend on him, Diggle arriving first, Malcolm disarms him before engaging the four in combat, managing to deflect attacks from all four of them long enough so he can run to his table and throw a knife into Diggle, who hits the floor instantly, causing The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black to stop fighting instantly and go to Diggle's side, whilst Malcolm escapes to a staircase, which he races up.

However, he is in close pursuit by The Man In The Mask, who hadn't stopped to aid Diggle like The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood.

"Stairs guys. Slade's already gone." Diggle points.

"Go, go." He yells when they hesitate.

Meanwhile Malcolm reaches the roof closely followed by The Man In The Mask, who races forth with his sword, engaging Malcolm in close combat.

"So you're the teacher, huh?" Malcolm hisses as he ducks getting beheaded by The Man In The Mask.

"You have more skill than Oliver and Sara. You made them." He comments as he aims his own attack, which The Man In The Mask dodges and slices his sword across Malcolm's arm, whom hisses in momentary pain.

"But Sara. You didn't teach her everything she knows, did you? She's like me."

"She is nothing like you." The Man In The Mask snarls back with an attack.

"More than you think. You ever met the people who she worked for? Seen what they're capable of? You will soon. They'll know the location of Sara Lance and then they'll come for her. There won't be anything you and Oliver can do to protect her. They're unstoppable." Malcolm hisses as The Man In The Mask attacks him viciously.

"As am I." He growls back.

"They'd like you." Malcolm comments as he fights back.

"They'd probably spare your life and want you to join them. You'd be a valued member with your swordsmanship skills." Malcolm grunts as The Man In The Mask cuts the side of his throat moving closer to dig the side of his sword in closer.

Malcolm retaliates quickly by slamming on of his concealed knives into The Man In The Mask's side, pushing him away from him.

However, when Malcolm moves to kill him, The Man In The Mask kicks back, getting to his feet once more, despite the pain.

"You just don't give up do you?" Malcolm comments.

"I'm not so easily defeated." He snarls back followed shortly by an attack.

"That I can see. You ever heard of Nanda Parbat?" Malcolm battles back.

"You should visit it." He hisses as The Man In The Mask swings his sword at him.

"I said it before. You'd be a valued member, especially with all the kills you've had. The ARGUS massacre? I read all about that." Malcolm taunts him.

"I commend you." He comments as The Man In The Mask growls as Malcolm kicks his wounded side, knocking the knife in further, which he stops to rip out.

"For the massacre, I mean. Losing a child like that. I couldn't imagine the pain." Malcolm notes as The Man In The Mask almost succeeds in chopping Malcolm's arm off.

"You never will. You'll be dead before then." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"I wouldn't count on that." Malcolm growls as suddenly an arrow soars past his head, looking toward the door where The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black stand.

Malcolm smiles at the sight of all three vigilantes.

"So tell me." He says with a smile.

"Are you three ready to die?"

 _Meanwhile, In The Subway._

Down in the underground, Quentin Lance runs along a corridor in search of the device.

"Have you found it yet, Detective?" Felicity asks him through a device.

"I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for!" Quentin calls back.

"You want me to describe it to you?" She offers politely as Quentin moves his torch around into the distance before stopping dead in his tracks.

"No, I got it." He notes, looking in horror at the huge device with flashing blue lights.

In an instant, Quentin moves to kneel down beside it, looking around for any hints of how he can switch it off, or destroy it.

"You should see something that looks like a circuit board." Felicity informs him. Quentin spies it in an instant.

"Pull it out." She commands, which he does so.

"Do you see a timer?" She asks as Quentin looks inside the thing he just pulled the circuit board like object off before looking around the whole device, until he sees it and freezes.

The timer. The timer with seven minutes and counting down.

"Seven minutes." He whispers.

On her end, Felicity gulps before sighing and closing her eyes.

"Ok. Well, the good news is this is going to be a paperweight in three."

 _The Glades_

Meanwhile in The Glades, during the mass panic of people running to safety, screaming out as they run, the panic draws out some of The Glade's worse criminals, whom take this opportunity of mass panic to raid the stores for items they'd never been able to afford before this.

Roy Harper races down the streets, looking around at the panic and crime around him. The continuous sounds of screams and glass shattering filling his ears as he runs.

"What have you got there grandpa?" A thug hisses as two thugs attack an old man, dragging him down an alleyway.

"Hey!" Roy yells, chasing after them.

"Hey, hey, back off!" He growls as he approaches them.

"Learn how to count jerkwad there's three of us." One thug snarls.

"Ohh is that right?" Roy snaps back as he attacks the thugs trying to hurt the old man, pushing one of them through a window as the old man escapes.

Once he's clear of the danger, Roy takes out the other thug before wiping his hands on his jeans before facing the remaining thug.

"Because I only count one." He finishes his sentence.

"With a gun." The thug replies as he suddenly pulls a gun from his coat, aiming it directly at Roy just before the thug goes down, due to a sudden glass bottle attack to the head.

Looking around in confusion to see who had come to his aid, Roy is beyond shocked to see Thea walking out from the shadows.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" He begins to move toward her.

"I guess I have a wicked aim." She replies as Roy reaches her.

"I went to your house." She cries.

"Yeah, well I figured I'd run for my life with everyone else." He says, Thea unsure if that's him being genuine or sarcastic.

"Did you… Did you come here to rescue me?" Roy frowns.

"Yeah." Thea admits with a smile as Roy smiles back, Thea grabbing his arm.

"Come on."

 _Merlyn Global Rooftop_

The three vigilantes stand facing Malcolm, who pulls out an arrow.

"Slade, Sara down now!" The Man In The Hood growls as he pulls out his own arrows, the two archers firing at one another rapidly, as they all race toward one another, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask moving in from the side the four of them engaging each other in quick combat, The Man In The Hood using his bow to attack Malcolm with as The Woman In Black uses his batons and The Man In The Mask his sword, Malcolm deflects all their combined attacks until The Man In The Hood crouches down and shoots an arrow at Malcolm, whom catches it in his hand.

However, it was not a regular arrow, The Man In The Hood had shot.

It was an explosive one.

With a surprised yelp, Malcolm jumps backwards, hitting the floor when the arrow explodes suddenly in his hands...

 _Down In The Underground_

"Look for three wires." Felicity continues to tell Quentin instructions on how to shut down the device.

"You need a green one, a yellow one and a blue one. Cut the blue one." She notes.

"All right, all righty I got it." Quentin snaps the wire with a smile as the device begins to make a sound and lights flash more rapidly.

Quentin moves his head to look at the timer in horror when he sees the timer counting down quickly.

"Ohh my god." He whispers as the device makes another noise and an attachment begins to descend towards the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Quentin cries hurriedly.

"There must be some sort of anti tamper safeguard." Felicity whispers.

"Hold on. I gotta try and figure out how to override it." She adds.

"There's not enough time. There's not enough time!" Quentin yells furiously.

"Just hold on." Felicity cries as she looks at her computer screen.

"There's not enough time." Quentin sighs in defeat as he pulls out his phone, dialling the first number. Sara.

There's no answer. He rings the second number.

"Laurel." He calls his eldest daughters name, who currently is at CNRI, racing around the office with all the other workers there.

"Dad, don't worry. I got your message and I did not come into work today." She lies.

"Save it kiddo, we both know you're there." Quentin retorts with a slight smile.

"But listen, you've got to get out of The Glades right now, please and get Sara. Go to Sara actually, go to her and stay with her. I can't get a hold of her, she's not picking up her phone." Quentin says hurriedly as, at her location Laurel stops, hearing a tone in her father's voice that worries her.

"Dad?" She starts.

"Right now, Laurel. Get out of there and call Sara. Right now Laurel!" He snaps then, desperate for her to listen to him and get to safety.

"Daddy, you're scaring me." Laurel admits as she steps around her office.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not…" He stops, he has to tell her, tell her the truth.

"I'm not going to make it." He admits, closing his eyes when he hears Laurel starting to cry.

"What?" She whispers tearfully.

"You have to promise me one thing, Laurel. You're not going to die along with me. You have to go on with your life. Look after Sara. Keep her safe, if I can't. If I can't get hold of her in time tell her that I love her. You pair have got to stick together now, no matter what. Make sure she moves on with her life as well. After we thought we lost her. I pushed everyone away. I became like a ghost. I didn't think I had the right to live if my baby couldn't but she's home now. She's alive and I need you to make sure that she lives her life. Take care of her and yourself and just promise me that you're not going to make the same mistakes as I did." He begs off her as quickly as he can as he hears Laurel crying softly.

"Promise me, Laurel." He begs.

"Promise me." He says again as she continues to weep.

"I promise." She whimpers as Quentin falls silent, burying his head in his hand, fighting back tears of his own.

"I love you, honey. Both of you. I love my girls so much, now and forever." He whispers.

"I love you." Laurel whispers back as Quentin hurriedly hangs up.

"Dad!" Laurel cries to nothing but silence.

Quentin stands there, tears streaming down his cheeks as he rings Sara's number again, only to get her voicemail.

He closes his eyes shut tightly before speaking.

"Hey sweetheart. You really need to start leaving your phone on sweetie. I just hope to god you've heard the news and that you're somewhere safe and if you get this message and you're anywhere near The Glades. Go home. Get as far away from The Glades as you can honey. Something's happening where I am and I. I don't think I'm going to get out of this one." Quentin admits, closing his eyes once more.

"What happens to me is irrelevant, what happens to you is much more important. You and Laurel. I need you to stick together, ok? I need you to both stick to each other and look after yourselves. Be there for each other and don't let go for anything because when I lost you I pushed people away and I don't want either of you to do that. Stay together." He whispers, looking at the device once more, knowing soon it shall detonate and that will be it.

"No matter what happens here I need you to both move on with your lives. I need you to promise me you'll do that, sweetie. Be happy. Be happy with Oliver and you tell him he better do a damn good job of looking after you or I'm going to come back and haunt him. Can't believe I'm saying this but he's a good guy Sara and he makes you happy, which is all I want, is for you to be happy. I love you baby girl, always and forever." He finishes before hanging up and holding his phone close before shutting his eyes for what he believes to be the last time before the inevitable end…

"Detective Lance?" Felicity's voice suddenly comes through the coms.

"I need you to listen to me very carefully…"

 _The Glades_

Through the busy streets of The Glades, still filled to the brim with fire, mass panic and more, a red car zooms down the street, tires screeching as it goes along at top speed, driven by Roy Harper.

"You do know how dangerous it is to text and drive, right?" Thea yells to him when Roy suddenly pulls out his phone and begins to text.

"It can wait!" She snaps as he continues to text.

"No, it can't. I'm trying to find us another route out of here." He murmurs.

"No, it's not worth the risk! Let me." Thea yells both of them crying out as Roy swerves to avoid colliding with another oncoming vehicle.

However, when swerving, a pedestrian runs out in front of them but, luckily, Roy has good control over the car and stops it before the person can get hurt, who looks to the two in the car and hits the bonnet with his hands.

"Help me out." He yells to them as Roy and Thea automatically get out of the car.

"Help me out." The guys begs again as Roy moves toward him.

"Roy, stop!" Thea screams at him, as she races in front of him.

"Roy, the device is about to go off any second." She cries as Roy looks to her before at the people on the bus the man was trying to get them to help him with who are all trapped, crying and hitting the windows trying to get free to escape the horror of The Undertaking.

"I can't leave any of them behind." Roy murmurs honestly.

"Look, I know you think you have something to prove but you're not the three vigilantes." She cries in a desperate attempt to stop him from doing something stupid.

"Look." He says in a gentle voice, placing his hand on her arm.

"I can't do this unless I know you're safe." He squeezes her shoulders.

"Then you better haul your ass out of here too." She hisses determinedly through the tears that have begun streaming down her cheeks.

Roy pulls her into his arms so he can kiss her, his hand in her hair, as he kisses her lovingly, knowing that if this is the last time he sees her…

No. It's not going to be the last time.

They're going to make this. Undertaking or not.

Releasing her, he watches her as she moves toward the car they just exited.

He keeps his eyes locked on hers as she starts the engine…

 _Merlyn Global: Rooftop_

The three vigilantes continue to battle Malcolm Merlyn after he quickly recovered from the exploding arrow.

The Man In The Mask, slightly slowed down because of his wound continues to fight, swinging his sword at any given opportunity to take Merlyn's head off.

Malcolm removes his own sword engaging them in battle with it, kneeling it down and swinging it at their legs, managing to get it buried in the side of The Woman In Black's thigh, who stumbles in agony as her leg practically gives out.

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask move so they're shielding her from any more attacks from Malcolm, whom continues to aim them at her.

He swings his sword toward The Man In The Hood, only to have it intercepted by The Man In The Mask, who soon engages him in a sword fight.

"As I said. You have good swordsmanship." He hisses.

"That I do." The Man In The Mask hisses back.

"You should consider my offer." Malcolm growls deflecting an attack.

"I mean come on, I'm going to take out those two soon enough, despite your best attempts to protect them I'm sure but you. I think I'll have problems with that one. You should visit Nanda Parbat. Considering you won't have anything to stay here for." Malcolm snarls as he aims an attack at The Man In The Hood, only to have it intercepted by The Man In The Mask, who knocks The Man In The Hood free from being harmed.

"Go, kid!" He yells, engaging Malcolm head on, whilst tilting his head briefly during one of Malcolm's attacks, a move The Man In The Hood notices and complies by racing behind Malcolm and attacking him from behind whilst he's distracted by The Man In The Mask.

The Woman In Black moves to try and stand, yet finds it agonising to do so due to the massive slice Malcolm had made in her leg, yet fights through the pain to get to her feet and aid The Man In The Mask in battling Malcolm as The Man In The Hood attacks him from behind by leaping on him in an attempt to knock him down, The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black stepping out of the way briefly as Malcolm flips The Man In The Hood over, who grabs an arrow from his quiver to stab him on the way down.

However, it goes wrong when Malcolm rips the arrow from his hand, discarding it as he grabs The Man In The Hood, punching him in the back several times before holding him in a sudden chokehold.

"Don't struggle." Malcolm advises him as he sees The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black moving to aid their partner.

"I'll snap his neck before you can take another step." Malcolm growls as he sees in the corner of his eye, the ever determined John Diggle pushing the door open, having crawled up the steps in his heavily wounded state.

"It's over." Malcolm hisses to The Man In The Hood as he strangles him.

The Man In The Mask and The Woman stand still, ready to intervene at any given moment but find themselves unable to from the look The Man In The Hood gives them.

Almost as if telling them not to do anything.

The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black know that expression to mean one thing.

He has a plan.

"There was never any doubt in that outcome." Malcolm continues to snarl viciously.

"Don't worry. Your mother and sister, Sara, her family and Slade will be joining you in death." He growls as, putting his plan into action, The Man In The Hood grabs the disgusted arrow from the floor before stabbing it swiftly through his own shoulder once more as Malcolm had done to him earlier but also into Malcolm, stopping him in his tracks as they both fall to the floor, The Man In The Hood rolling away from the arrow, which he basically just walks away from, yelling in pain as he does so, more pain than earlier.

"Thank you for teaching me what I'm fighting for." He growls as he feels a hands pulling him up, he turns to look at The Man In The Mask, whom is supporting The Woman In Black, both of them helping The Man In The Hood to his feet, who stumbles towards Malcolm, who now lies upon the ground.

"But my family taught me how." He snarls as he throws his good arm back and punches Malcolm swiftly in the face.

Diggle stares on at the three vigilantes in awe as they stand together.

The Dark Archer is defeated.

Down In The Underground

Still sitting by the earthquake device, Quentin continues to fiddle at the wires as Felicity had instructed him to.

"Come on, come on, come on." He whispers as he pulls as a few wires before ripping something out, hearing the machines response which is to suddenly power down.

Quentin falls to the ground with a relived sigh.

It's over. He's alive

The Undertaking is no more.

 _Merlyn Global: Rooftop_

The three vigilantes stand side by side, each of them supporting the other due to their individual injuries they had received from Merlyn who now lies defeated at their feet about to be gone for good from his own.

"Guys, Lance did it." Felicity calls to them all through the coms.

The three sigh in relief, as does Diggle having heard the good news.

"It's over." The Man In The Hood says as Malcolm looks at the three of them.

"If I've learned anything as a successful businessman, it's…" Malcolm stops to cough.

"Redundancy." He hisses his final words before hitting the ground for the last time.

The three vigilantes look at one another in a frenzy, realising what Merlyn's dying words could possibly mean.

"No, oh god no." The Woman In Black whispers.

"Felicity, there's another device." The Man In The Hood speaks the words on all of their minds as he closes his eyes in horror.

"There's two of them." The Man In The Mask growls as deep within an underground space, their worst nightmares have in fact come true as there sits a fully operational, second device, a back up plan.

Merlyn's plan B.

The attachment approaches the floor.

There's nothing any of the vigilantes, Quentin or Felicity can do to stop it as it hits the floor.

The Undertaking begins.

The earthquake device causes the earthquake promised underneath The Glades, whilst on the surface in The Glade's itself the earthquake has struck with a vengeance, buildings begin to collapse as everything begins to shake uncontrollably.

"What the hell is happening!" Quentin yells as he races through the now shaking streets, barely able to keep on moving as people around him scream as the earthquake hits, shaking The Glades horrifically, including CNRI, where workers including Laurel and Joanna are, each of them hurrying to grab things as the whole office shakes.

"Ok that's enough." Laurel informs her as they grab onto each other.

The earthquake even shakes the basement of The Glades where Felicity Smoak is still sat at her desk by her computer, crying softly as the lights flicker on and off as the earthquake shakes the basement.

An nearby explosion causes her to cry out…

Still on the rooftop, grabbing a hold of Diggle as they do so, the three vigilantes limp towards the edge of the roof, stopping when the earthquake shakes where they are.

Looking on at The Glades in horror as buildings begin to collapse, fires begin to start and the screams get even louder at the destruction all around them.

The three vigilantes and Diggle look on in horror, sadness, disbelief, rage all of the above.

The Undertaking has happened, despite their best attempts to stop it.

It's happened anyway and now innocent people shall lose their lives because of it…

 _The Glades_

As the destruction from the horrific earthquake continues, Quentin ducks to avoid getting hit by a sudden falling lamppost.

"I don't understand!" He yells as he ducks getting hit by something else.

"I turned the damn thing off!" He yells.

"Merlyn had a second device." Felicity sobs as the destruction continues in the basement, Quentin sighing as he is almost knocked off his feet by another sudden shake.

"Well, there's a scene, all right." He yells as he races towards CNRI…

 _CNRI_

The building continues to shake with the effects of the earthquake as workers race toward the exits, Laurel and Joanna still in the building in their office.

"Go! Go!" Laurel pushes Joanna away from her as another quake shakes the building.

Laurel, her arms full of files runs toward the exit, which is suddenly blocked off as a bookcase crashes down, blocking her path.

She takes the other path.

Yet upon feeling another quake, stops suddenly as suddenly the ceiling begins to cave in, knocking her to the side and from there into the floor as the ceiling begins to crush her…

Meanwhile, Joanna whom had raced out of the CNRI building, looks back to grab Laurel's hand as she races across the street, only to stop in horror when she realises that her friend is no where to be seen.

She's still in the building.

The now, beginning to collapse, building…

"Laurel!"

 _Merlyn Global: Rooftop_

"Guys." Felicity whispers through her tears as she speaks into the coms

"Are you a'right?" Slade yells to her.

"Yeah." She sobs softly as another explosion in the basement causes her to jump, crying again as she faces her computer screen with tears in her eyes.

"The damage seems to be contained on the east side past Wall Street." Felicity informs them as she cries.

"Laurel." Sara whispers suddenly.

"No, she'd have gotten to safety, right?" Slade turns to her.

"Not Laurel… She'd still be there at CNRI. Ohh god Laurel!" Sara cries out with tears in her eyes at the thought of her sister amongst all the destruction.

"No, stay here. You can barely walk." Oliver comments as he catches her before she can fall when she tries to move way from them to get to the exit.

"Laurel." Sara whispers as Oliver cups her cheeks in his hands.

"I'll save Laurel. I promise. I'll save her." He vows.

"As shall I." Slade reaffirms as he puts his mask back on.

"We'll get to her." Oliver says one last time before kissing Sara as he pulls up his hood.

"Are you going to be ok?" Oliver looks to Diggle before he goes.

"I'm fine. I'll stay with Sara. Go, go, go, go, go!" He pushes Oliver away as he and Slade look to Sara once more.

"Be careful." She whispers to them one last time as The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask race away…

 _CNRI_

Laurel Lance lies underneath part of the ceiling that had collapsed down upon her, pinning her to the ground.

She cannot move, she cannot lift it off her.

It's getting hard to even breath…

"Help!" She cries as she shuts her eyes and moves her head to avoid getting hit by debris.

"Help!" She sobs as she begins to cough, unaware that help is on the way in the form of two vigilantes on a motorcycle and someone else who had come to her aid…

"Please, help me!" She chokes as suddenly out of no where she feels the pressure from the ceiling crushed upon her being relieved, hearing a sudden strained grunt as she looks up to see Tommy Merlyn standing above her, lifting the ceiling off her with all the strength he can muster to free the woman he loves.

"Tommy? What are you doing here." She whispers through her pained tears.

"You weren't at home, I figured you'd come back to CNRI." He grunts, yelling out as he pushes against the ceiling that traps Laurel.

"You shouldn't have come here!" She protests, she thinks she hears him laugh softly.

"You should know by now that I'd never, ever leave you. Not now, not ever." He continues to grunt as he lifts the ceiling.

"I love you remember." He whispers.

"I love you to." She whimpers back as they lock eyes once more as Tommy lifts the ceiling to a point that it frees Laurel and gives her a chance to get her breath back and crawl out from underneath it.

She reaches for her boyfriend as she races toward the door.

"Tommy come on!" She screams at him as she frees herself from more rubble.

"Go, go honey. I'm right behind you." He yells to her as she races out the the CNRI building into the street and right into her father's outstretched arms.

"Laurel! Laurel!" He yells as he grabs her tightly, Joanna sighing relief in the background as she sees her friend alive and well.

"Dad!" Laurel cries as he catches her, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

After his phone call earlier, she is just relived to see him alive.

"We're all ok. Tommy got me out." Laurel whispers as she clutches her father tightly before turning around.

"Tommy, baby, come…" She stops, all prepared to throw her arms around the man she loves, but when she turns around she sees that Tommy is not there.

No where to be seen in fact.

That's when there's the sound of shattering glass as in front of them, CNRI begins to come tumbling down…

"NO, NO!" Laurel screams as she races out of her father's embrace back towards the now collapsing building.

"No, Laurel!" Quentin grabs hold of her before she can race away, keeping his arms wrapped around her securely to keep her from running back into the building.

"TOMMY!" She screams as she watches the building collapse, knowing he's still inside of it.

"TOMMY NO! TOMMY!" She continues to scream his name as she fights against her father to free herself from his restraining hold upon her.

"No, you can't!" Quentin yells to her, feeling slightly destroyed at what he is having to do if Tommy Merlyn really is inside of that building, which is keeping Laurel from going back in which would only get her killed because at this point he is pretty much certain if Tommy had been in that building its already too late…

"I LOVE HIM!" Laurel sobs, heartbroken sobs as Quentin just continues to hold her back to stop her from breaking free, dragging her back as she dissolves into heartbroken screams.

Quentin's heart breaking at the sight of his daughter break down this way over the man she loves, who's still in the building and can't get to without loosing her own life.

It hurts him even worse since he knows even if she did manage to get to him without being killed in the process he would probably already be gone.

"TOMMY NO!" She sobs as she almost breaks free from her father's grasp.

"YOU CAN'T!" Quentin cries back as he wraps her in his arms more securely this time.

"I LOVE HIM!" Laurel sobs again as Quentin holds her.

"It's too late. It's too late." He says quickly as he holds her close as she continues to scream out her anguish for Tommy.

"It's too late, he's gone." Quentin whispers.

"He's gone."

 _Elsewhere..._

Arriving quickly at the scene of CNRI slowly beginning to turn to rubble, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask get off their motorcycles at the side of CNRI.

"Kid." The Man In The Mask pats his arm, pointing in the direction of Laurel, whom they both see alive and well, yet being restrained by her father…

"Something's wrong." The Man In The Hood steps closer, his blood running cold when he hears the words Laurel is screaming.

"TOMMY!" She is screaming his name, whilst trying to make a break for the collapsing CNRI.

"No." The Man In The Hood whispers as he looks up at the building.

"PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP HIM!" They hear Laurel scream as both vigilantes race into the building through the side entrance.

Once in CNRI, Oliver and Slade, having removed their hood and mask, race through the all but destroyed building in search of Tommy.

"Tommy!" Oliver suddenly whispers as he spies his friend, on the ground and trapped beneath a chunk of the ceiling…

"Let's get this off him!" Slade growls.

"Guys…" Tommy whispers faintly before trailing off.

"You're going to be fine." Oliver murmurs as he and Slade take a side each.

"Another thing, we've got to disagree on." Tommy coughs as they lift the piece ceiling off him only to see a metal spike buried in his chest…

"Tommy…" Oliver trails off, seeing the severity of Tommy's current condition, the wound in his chest and god knows what internal injuries he's received...

He looks to Slade for guidance on how to proceed as he used to ohh so long ago, whom nods almost reassuringly at Oliver.

"I've seen men survive worse. We've just got to ease him off it and hope he doesn't bleed out when we do so." Slade says, so calmly.

"Is Laurel safe?" Tommy croaks as Oliver looks to him.

"Is. Is Laurel safe? I tried to get her out..."

"Yeah. Yeah you did. You saved her." Oliver smiles at him as he looks to Slade again.

"Let us get you out of here. You're going to be fine." Oliver reassures him.

"We're going to have to do this carefully." Slade notes as he points to Tommy's other side.

"You take that side. Lift on my command." He instructs as Oliver moves.

"I'm sorry." Tommy whispers as he starts to lose consciousness.

"Stay awake Merlyn. I ain't risking my own life here for nothing, you know." Slade growls.

"So, so sorry." Tommy continues to whisper.

"No, no. Don't apologise, just stay awake." Oliver calls to him.

"I was angry." Tommy admits before moving his one free hand to place it on Slade's arm.

"I was jealous. I. Slade I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I put you through so much crap. You. You saved my best friend. You brought him home to me and I was such a dick to you. I was jealous. I thought I'd lost him to you but because of how I acted… I was pushing him away…"

"It's a'right. Don't get soft on me now, Merlyn." Slade mutters as he looks to Oliver.

"I'm sorry. I. I didn't mean it. I don't wish you three had been killed on that island. Ohh god, I'm sorry. I am my father…" Tommy whispers.

"No, no you're not." Oliver replies, placing his hand against Tommy's cheek comfortingly.

"Apologise to Sara. Tell her. I'm sorry." He murmurs.

"Tell her yourself." Slade mutters.

"Don't think that's going to be possible soon." Tommy replies.

"Yeah and I'm gonna tell you, the same thing I told Oliver almost five years ago. The only person who gets to kill you is me. You're a pain in the ass and ain't about to let some building have the pleasure of ending your life." He growls.

"My father…" Tommy whispers again as he looks up to Oliver and Slade.

"Did. Did you kill him?"

"Now!" Slade cuts Tommy off mid sentence with a look to Oliver as he pulls the metal finally comes free, Tommy's eyes starting to close as Oliver and Slade gather Tommy into their arms between them, carrying him as quickly as possible without making the injuries worse out of the building that is coming down around them.

"Open your eyes Tommy!" Oliver yells to his dying friend as they carry him away as CNRI collapses behind them.

"Open your eyes!"

 _Starling City General_

The staff at Starling City General are already overrun by casualties from The Glades as it is, many having being severely wounded by the effects of the earthquake.

What a bunch of doctors and nurses weren't expecting was for suddenly two of the three vigilantes. The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask to burst into the hospital Tommy Merlyn in their grasp.

"HELP HIM NOW!" The Man In The Hood snarls as they place Tommy on a stretcher as doctors and nurses crowd around them, some yelling out in horror at the sight of the two vigilantes there, others instantly rushing to Tommy's aid.

"What happened!" One of the calmer staff members asks as they asses the injuries Tommy has quickly as the start to wheel him away, the two vigilantes still following.

"He was trapped beneath a building. He had a metal object through his chest." The Man In The Mask explains briefly.

"How long as he been unconscious?" Another nurse/doctor asks.

"I don't know! Is he going to be alright?" The Man In The Hood yells.

"We need to get him into surgery and you two need to disappear. He's in the right place. You've done what you can for him. Let us do our jobs." The calm one informs them both as they continue to wheel Tommy away, The Man In The Hood continuing to follow them.

"No!" He growls when he sees them already trying to revive Tommy.

"Tommy fight this!" The Man In The Hood shouts through tears that appear in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks as The Man In The Mask restrains him.

"Tommy. Ohh god Tommy…" The Man In The Hood whispers almost defeatedly as it all suddenly hits him.

His best friend is dying and could still die all because of The Undertaking.

Because they couldn't stop it...

The Man In The Mask says nothing but just pulls his brother into an embrace.

"Shh It's ok. He's going to be ok." He attempts to reassure him but he saw the severity of Tommy's condition just like The Man In The Hood had and knows a recovery from that won't be easy for Tommy, if even possible.

The thought worries him, not like he cared much at all for Tommy Merlyn but he worries for Oliver's sake, what loosing Tommy would do to him.

It's hardly worth even thinking about.

"We need to get out of here, kid." The Man In The Mask says gently yet sternly.

"No. No we can't leave him…"

"Oliver!" The Man In The Mask shakes him lightly, his voice a whisper as he says his name.

"We have to go. We can't stay here like this!" He reminds him that they're still in their vigilante uniforms and with a fearful look, a reluctancy feeling passing through The Man In The Hood, he looks to The Man In The Mask and the two silently escape the hospital…

 _Starling City_

The two vigilantes race back toward Merlyn Global building where they had last seen Sara and Diggle, wanting to reunite with them.

Luckily, Diggle and The Woman In Black are in Diggle's van when they approach the building.

"Ohh guys thank god." Diggle comments at the sight of them as they climb in the van.

Oliver already in the process of taking off his vigilante uniform.

"Where's Laurel? Is she ok?" Sara cries as she removes her wig and mask to get nothing but silence from Oliver and Slade.

"Oliver, Slade. Is my sister alive?" She questions.

"Yes. Yes Laurel is fine." Slade turns to her as Diggle and Sara continue to frown.

"We need to get to Starling General, now. How's your leg?" Oliver asks Sara, who shrugs.

"I'll manage. Ollie what's going on?" She asks to silence.

"Tommy. It's Tommy, he had gone to CNRI to save Laurel, he got her out of there but..." Slade trails off as Sara freezes in place.

"No. No he's not… He's not…" She trails off as tears begin to fall from her eyes.

"He was alive when we last saw him but. It's not looking good." Slade admits as Sara looks to Oliver with a heartbroken expression.

"Which is why we need to get back to Starling General." Oliver finishes.

"And call Laurel. Someone needs to call Laurel." He adds as Sara instantly begins to fumble around for her phone when all of a sudden Slade's phone begins to ring.

Seeing the caller to be Leonard, Slade answers it in a flash.

"Leonard. Right now is not the best of times!" He all but shouts.

"Gathered that. You were right, you know." Leonard replies, his voice sounding distorted.

Slade frowns and waits for Leonard to continue.

"Moria Queen really was a crazy woman, and the others doubted you on that?" He laughs lightly as Slade holds the phone tighter between his fingers.

"You were also right on this count. Something catastrophic really was about to happen. In hindsight I probably should have listen to you." Leonard finishes before growling in what sounds like pain. Slade freezes.

"Where are you?" He hisses through gritted teeth.

"Said I'd be your partner in crime didn't I? Turns out that might not have been my best idea. Just glad you're alive." He trails off.

"Leonard!" Slade bellows at him through the phone.

"I need to save her, I need to get to Lisa… We came back for you. The bar. We knew you'd be in The Glades. Lisa…" The line goes dead.

"Leonard!" Slade yells through the phone to silence, the line is truly dead.

"Slade what's happening?" Diggle frowns at him.

"Leonard, Lisa. They're still in The Glades." Slade murmurs as he begins to put his mask back on, grabbing his various weaponry.

"I thought they got out of town, we told them…"

"They didn't listen. They came back for me. Idiots!" Slade hisses as he gets out of the van.

"Slade, no. I've probably lost one best friend. I can't lose you to." Oliver says, all but begging him to stay.

"I'm going to be fine, kid. I'll be back before you know it. I need to get to them." Slade says determinedly as he looks to the three of them.

"I'll meet you three back at Starling General. Go. Go now!" Slade commands as he watches Oliver move into the drivers seat, the only one of them with the least injuries which would enable him to drive as Slade turns away.

The Man In The Mask breaking into a run.

 _The Glades_

Upon reaching the bar near the now collapsed CNRI building, where Slade and Oliver had been only less than an hour ago rescuing Tommy from the rubble, which may have been pointless if he succumbs to his wounds.

The Man In The Mask sees that the bar is in a similar shape to CNRI when they'd reached it.

Slowly beginning to collapse, glass shattering as it starts to crumble.

Racing toward the still intact entrance, The Man In The Mask uses his sword to battle through the debris.

"LEONARD!" He yells as he enters the building, using a voice modifying device, due to him being The Man In The Mask and ducking to avoid being hit by debris.

"LISA!" He yells out for her as well.

He can't believe they'd be so stupid, coming back here after everything he had said to them.

Everything he had warned them off.

What makes matters worse is that they came back here for him which makes The Man In The Mask feel responsible for whatever befalls them right now.

A sudden grunt of pain drags his attention toward the bar, which has collapsed in, a part of it positioned on top of Leonard's legs, who sits up, trying to wiggle his legs free from the contraption that keeps him trapped there.

"What the hell are you?" He questions upon looking up at The Man In The Mask.

"The man who's about to save your life!" The Man In The Mask retorts as he bends down to lift the part of the bar stuck on Leonard's legs, both men looking up at the ceiling nervously as they see its position, about to cave in.

"Your one of those vigilantes." He grunts as The Man In The Mask tries to lift the object of Leonard's legs. Trying to not look at the expression on Leonard's face, even though he does so eventually, unable to help himself.

Yet to The Man In The Mask's surprise it's not the usual look of fear and hatred most people give the vigilantes upon meeting them.

No, Leonard just looks shocked, bemused.

"Now why would someone like you wanna rescue someone like me?" He drawls as The Man In The Mask finally manages to lift the contraption of Leonard's legs, who crawls out weakly, due to the fact that one of his legs has almost been completely crushed.

"Because there's someone out there that cares about what happens to you." The Man In The Mask mutters the honest truth as he grabs Leonard and helps support him on his good leg, whilst he looks in distaste at the wounded one.

"Lisa. My sister, she was here. I need to get to her." Leonard suddenly growls as he tries to walk, very unsuccessfully as The Man In The Mask leads him outside.

"I'll find her. I promise." The Man In The Mask vows.

"Why didn't you get out of here like the rest?" He decides to ask as he moves Leonard.

"My friend was here. Our friend, my sister and I couldn't just leave him. One of the only friends we've ever had. He could still be here." Leonard trails off as he looks at all the destruction with a roll of his eyes.

"He better be alive after all this." He murmurs.

The Man In The Mask says nothing in response.

"My sister. She's all I have. I have to save her." Leonard protests after a moment, looking toward the building as The Man In The Mask moves him carefully, yet quickly away from the destruction and toward a bench that luckily is in no place dangerous and also hasn't been destroyed.

"Save her." Leonard begs him as The Man In The Mask heads back toward the collapsing building, desperate to find Lisa.

"LISA!" He yells out as he moves through the collapsing bar, past the place he'd found Leonard, looking all around to absolutely no sign off her.

He is all but frozen as he looks at the places where the ceiling caved in, a feeling of worry passing through him as he fears of finding Lisa trapped beneath parts of the ceiling that have come down.

Fortunately yet unfortunately he does not find her.

He passes the bar once more, suddenly spying a staircase that has mostly been destroyed but enough is there for it to still be in use and a draft coming from it as it had been opened only recently…

The Man In The Mask moves hurriedly toward it at top speed, once again using his sword as a way of battling through the debris that comes into his path as he climbs the steps which lead up to the roof of the bar.

The Man In The Mask breaks through the door with his sword that leads him onto the roof.

"LISA!" He calls out to her, looking around the roof until he finally lays eyes on her, near the edge of the roof, moving away from all the cracks that appears as the building shakes as it begins to crumble, her hair a mess, cuts and bruises upon her face...

"Lisa!" He yells again as he races toward her, hand outstretched to grab her when the building shakes again and the roof begins to cave in quickly as Lisa begins to run toward him, holding her own hand out as she races toward him as the building collapses around her, their hands have almost touched when suddenly the part Lisa is standing on caves in as well before The Man In The Mask can grab her and she falls along with the building…

"LISA!" The Man In The Mask bellows, watching as she falls, not able to do a thing as the part of the roof he is standing on caves in as well. Yet he moves just in time to use part of the roof as a slide to slide to the ground as the building comes down.

"Lisa." He whispers as he sees her motionless form on the ground…

Realizing that the rest of the building is about to come down, he gathers her into his arms and shields her as it tumbles down around them, the mask shielding him from most of the debris he comes into contact with.

It must last for several minutes or more.

It feels like an eternity but it eventually subsides.

"No." He murmurs as he looks at Lisa's motionless form in his arms, blood pooling from her head a memory of something similar hitting The Man In The Mask as he holds her close against him as blood begins to pour from her nose…

 _Starling City General_

Oliver paces up and down the corridor of Starling General rapidly as thoughts race through his head at a rapid pace.

Tommy's still in surgery.

He's in critical condition.

They're not sure if he's going to make it…

"Ollie, please sit down." Sara begs him as she sits on a chair, knowing though that she'd probably be pacing with him if she could walk without immense pain.

"Where's. Where's John?" Oliver asks hurriedly upon only now noticing him gone.

"He went to go get patched up." She whispers.

"So should you." He murmurs.

"I'm not going anywhere." She says sternly.

"Not until there's some news, something…" She trails off as silence passes between them for a few moments.

"Did you call Laurel? Did you get a hold of her. Does she know what's happening?" Oliver asks in an almost frenzy, fueled by his worry for Tommy and now Slade, who's still freakin out there in The Glades.

"My phone got destroyed in the confrontation." Sara informs him, showing him her practically destroyed phone.

"I'll do it." Oliver murmurs, reaching into his coat for his own phone, which fortunately hasn't been destroyed and dials Laurel's number.

She doesn't pick up for several minutes.

"Laurel? Laurel!" Oliver whispers when he hears someone pick up.

"Queen! Oliver where are you? Is Sara with you?" Comes the very worried voice of Quentin.

"We're at Starling General…"

"Is she ok? Is she hurt? She won't pick up her damn phone!" Quentin cries.

"She's ok. We both are but…"

"Ohh thank god. Ohh thank god." Quentin whispers in just pure relief Sara's alive and seemingly someplace safe.

"Where's Laurel? Is she ok?" Oliver asks, already certain he knows the answer.

"She's alive, she's safe but she's really not ok right now because… Oliver. I've got some really unfortunate news to tell you. It's about Tommy…"

"We're with him at the hospital now. He's in surgery, he apparently tried to get to Laurel out of CNRI. He saved her but he was caught in the wreckage. Two of the vigilantes apparently just showed up at the hospital carrying him. It's really bad." Oliver explains as quickly and as briefly as he can as he can hear Quentin trying to cut in.

"Tommy's alive?" He croaks, unable to believe what he's hearing after everything he saw, the building coming down with him apparently still inside of it, holding Laurel back from going back for him as she screamed her lovers name in anguish…

"We're on our way." He says before hanging up on Oliver, whom just buries his head in his hands in despair.

"How did that go?" Sara asks gently, biting her nails nervously.

"They're on their way." Is all Oliver says as he puts his head back just when Diggle limps back into the room.

"We've got another problem guys." He murmurs.

"Ohh god, what now?" Sara all but cries.

"Apparently The Man In The Mask just showed up here with some guy with a crushed leg and woman with god knows what injuries." Diggle mutters as he sits beside Sara, Oliver putting his head against the wall as Sara buries her head in her hands, knowing exactly who those people probably are.

Leonard and Lisa…

The friends of Slade, whom from what they gathered seems to care for them both greatly and from that both of them know that if anything happens to them then Slade is going to blame himself what happened to them and never forgive himself…

 _Sometime Later…_

Still in the hospital, still waiting Oliver continues to pace as Sara and Diggle sit beside one another waiting for something. Anything to happen.

All they can do is wait.

Suddenly, the silence is disturbed by the appearance of Laurel and Quentin.

"Ohh god baby!" Quentin cries upon seeing Sara, throwing his arms around his youngest daughter, holding her close.

"You've got to start answering you're phone. I've been worried sick!" He says hurriedly as he holds her closer whilst Oliver stops pacing to move toward a clearly distressed Laurel, whom as a minimal amount of blood in her hair and a few cuts upon her face.

Yet other than that, she seems alright.

"Where were you!" She yells at Sara when Quentin moves away from her.

"Laurel, sweetie…" Quentin starts.

"We've been calling you! We thought something had happened to you! For the love of god Sara! What is wrong with you that you couldn't answer a simple phone call!" Laurel says through tears as Oliver rests his and on her arm in an attempt to calm her.

"That goes for you to! We called you as well!" She yells to him as Oliver manages to get her into a chair before she can fall down.

"Has there been anymore news? Anything at all!" She practically screams at them.

"He's still in surgery. We don't know anything else." Oliver says calmly as Laurel buries her her head in her hands, tears still running down her cheeks as Oliver puts a hand on her shoulder as she begins to shake with more sobs.

"Oliver." Diggle murmurs as he sees Slade appear at the other end on the corridor.

Looking up with tired eyes, Oliver sees when Diggle is looking to and gets to his feet in response, moving toward Slade in a hurry as he sees the look upon Slade's face.

Sara looks toward him as well, wanting to go to him also but figures that would be a bad idea on her wounded leg, not wanting to bring any attention to it, knowing how her dad, who sits beside her and Laurel would react.

"Hey. What happened?" Oliver asks quietly as he reaches Slade's side.

"Leonard and Lisa. They did go back to The Glades for me." Slade murmurs.

"And are they alright since Diggle said…"

"Whatever he said was most likely accurate. They're hurt." He mutters as Oliver closes his eyes slightly.

"How bad?" He asks in a quiet voice.

"Leonard's broken his leg, possibly worse. It was crushed under part of the bar. He's getting surgery on it and Lisa..." Slade stops closing his eyes.

"I couldn't get to her on time. She was on the roof and it caved in. I couldn't save her. She fell." He stops again. Oliver's eyes widen.

"Ohh my god. Is she…"

"No. She's alive. Barely, god knows what internal injures she's revived, not to mention the head wound but I think I got her here on time, like Tommy. Is there any news?" He asks Oliver, who shakes his head.

"Nope. Nothing at all. Still waiting." Oliver says with a look to where Sara sits beside her father, whom has his arm around her shoulders and to Laurel, who has her head in her hands still, tears still falling from her eyes.

"We failed." Oliver murmurs suddenly.

"Kid…"

"No. We couldn't stop The Undertaking now those we love and all those innocent people are suffering the consequences." He pinches the bridge of his nose with closed eyes as Slade doesn't respond, knowing that Oliver's words are those of truth.

They couldn't stop The Undertaking from taking place and all those innocent people of The a Glades being hurt because of it.

Tommy being harmed because of it and because of Slade, as were Leonard and Lisa.

They wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for him and if Lisa dies from her injuries than that would be his fault because they weren't even supposed to be there…

"At least we're all here. Thea's at home and…" Oliver stops mid sentence as he pinches the bridge of his nose again.

"Felicity's still in The Foundry." He murmurs as he squeezes his eyes shut, only opening the, again when Slade begins to head away from them.

"Where are you going?" He calls to him.

"Felicity. I can't just leave her down there." He proclaims as he races away to hopefully save one last person they all care about…

 _The Foundry_

Felicity Smoak continues to sit at her desk, basically curled up into a ball, her eyes shut tight as she wraps her arms around herself, keeping her head down to avoid any of the debris that has been coming down in the basement, thanks to the earthquake aftershocks.

She sobs silently whilst doing so, having been looking at her computer many times to see the continuous casualty report of those who have been injured and killed already in The Glades and frighteningly enough, that number has grown significantly by each passing minute as she sobs for them, those who've been killed and injured.

She thought they stopped The Undertaking.

She and Quentin had taken out the device.

There'd been a second one…

Of course Malcolm Merlyn would have a back up plan.

They should have seen it coming.

She should have seen it.

Another sudden small explosion causes her to yelp as she hears parts scattering down behind her before the sound of a door opening.

"Felicity? Felicity are you in here?" A voice calls out for her.

Slade.

Felicity is on her feet in an instant, pushing herself away from her desk and onto her feet as she hears Slade cursing as he dodges several pieces of falling debris on his way to get to her, she looks up through tear stained eyes to see Slade racing down the steps, whilst dodging the rubble on his way down.

"Slade!" She calls out for him as he moves toward her, reaching her in seconds and without thinking she throws herself into his arms, whilst she continues to cry softly as he holds her.

"I've got you, it's a'right, I've got you." He murmurs. Felicity burying her head against his chest as he holds her close against him for a few moments.

Another explosion happens causing Felicity to just hold onto Slade tighter as he moves her, shielding her protectively from the debris that falls down close to them.

Once they reach the computer, Slade pulls away and looks her over quickly for any injuries.

"You a'right? Are you hurt anywhere?" He asks as Felicity shakes her head.

"No. I'm fine." She whispers as he places a hand against her cheek.

"We couldn't stop it. The Undertaking…" She starts.

"The second device… I had no idea. It's... All those people…" She babbles tearfully as Slade shakes his head.

"It's not your fault. It's not your fault." He murmurs to her reassuringly, stroking her hair comfortingly as she cries, noticing however Slade wincing when she wraps her arms around tightly again.

"What's wrong? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" She looks at him worriedly.

"Merlyn caught me with his sword. I'm fine." He replies.

"Where is Merlyn?" She asks in a small voice.

"Oliver dealt with him." He mutters. Felicity decides not to press on with that.

"I'm proud of him." Slade adds.

"Do you want me to not tell Oliver you said that?" She looks down.

"I'll probably tell him myself, like I'd did the first time." He notes as he picks up something to sort his wound out with.

"Want a hand with that?" Felicity asks softly.

"Be my guest." He murmurs back as she approaches him, taking the supplies from him.

"What do you mean by the first time?" She questions as she cleans out the wound.

"The first time he ever killed a man. Bastard was a bit like Merlyn I can tell you that if not worse." Slade mutters.

"Was this back on the island?"

"Yes. Would be over five years ago now. His name was Edward Fyers, he was in charge of an operation which would have caused a world war if not for our involvement."

"You three stopped a world war?" Felicity whispers in shock.

"Yes, I suppose we did. Kid did most of it you know, he stopped the missile in the end saving us from a world war but Fyers wasn't done at that point. He wasn't even in charge really, he was a mercenary, there was a higher power." Slade rolls his eye.

"You found out what that higher power was?" She frowns.

"Regrettably so. That's another tale which you won't hear about from me." He states sternly as she gently begins to bandage the wound on his side.

"So Oliver killed this Fyers guy?" Felicity asks.

"That he did. It was his first kill. Fyers had Sara. He was going to kill her, kid didn't have any other choice. I couldn't do anything to help because I could barely move but Oliver came through, he killed him and Sara survived. I was proud of him for his actions then, as I am now." He notes.

"Where are they? I never asked?" Felicity says after a moment of silence.

"Starling General." He murmurs.

"What are they ok?" She asks hurriedly.

"Oliver, Sara and Diggle are fine. Thomas Merlyn though." He stops with a glance to Felicity, who gives him a fearful look.

"What happened?" She whispers.

"Laurel. She'd gone back into work it appears and Thomas went after her. She's alright, he got her out in time. He wasn't so lucky. Fortunately Oliver and I got there in time and got him out of there but I don't know. The damage was severe. We may have been to late." Slade admits as Felicity looks on in horror, flinching into Slade when she hears more rubble coming down.

"We need to get out of here before we get trapped." He mutters as he gets to his feet, holding his hand out to Felicity, whom takes it instantly.

"Why did you come here?" She asks him quietly as he leads her toward a table where his mask lies, reaching for it, he puts it over Felicity's head to shield her from any debris that could fall when they get out of this place.

"I don't leave people I care about behind." He murmurs honestly as they head toward the staircase…

 _Starling City General_

Hours go by.

Hours of nothing whilst Oliver, Sara, Diggle, Laurel, Quentin, Slade and Felicity, whom had both arrived some point at the start of the second hour, wait patiently for news on Tommy's condition, him still in surgery after all.

During this, Slade had disappeared a moment to check on his friends conditions.

Lisa, like Tommy is still in surgery, but his friend Leonard was out of his and fortunately they had managed to save his leg from amputation.

Time goes by slowly, hours ticking by as they continue to wait, watching the doors with vigilant eyes, to see if they can spy anything at all.

It is a mixed feeling of both fright, anxiousness, fear, hopefulness etc when a doctor finally arrives in the room.

"Family of Thomas Merlyn?" Oliver and Laurel get to their feet instantly.

"We're his family." Oliver murmurs as it's the truth now.

Malcolm Merlyn is dead, the only family Tommy has left now is them.

"Is alive. Is he going to be ok?" Laurel asks hurriedly through her tears.

"I'm afraid it's both good news and bad news." The doctor admits to them as Laurel looks on fearfully, looking between the doctor and the others in an almost frenzy.

"The good news is he's alive and is in a somewhat stable condition and that we managed to stop most of the internal bleeding. Bad news is his injuries were catastrophic; there was so much internal damage from the accident its going to need another few surgeries to fix the damage done, risky surgeries and we can't proceed with them in his current condition without lowering his chances of survival significantly." The doctor admits gravely as Laurel covers her mouth with her hands, tears running down her cheeks.

"We almost lost him a few times but we've managed to get him into a some what stable position right now but unfortunately more bad news is that he's fallen into a coma. There is always a chance he could pull through this but due to his extensive injuries he may never again regain consciousness. We are doing everything we can. I'm so sorry." The doctor informs them as Oliver nods, trying to stop the tears from falling from his own eyes.

"Thank you." He whispers, the doctor gives them all a grim look, yet a sympathetic one as she holds out a plastic bag, inside of it a small black box.

"This was on him. It looked important." She notes as Oliver takes it from her, watching Laurel's eyes widen as she lays eyes in the small box as the doctor bows her head before heading for the door.

Oliver stands there with the small bag in his hand, he knows what it is.

Both he and Sara do and with one glance at her now tear stained face after hearing Tommy's grave condition, Oliver puts the bag in Laurel's hand as Quentin's eyes widen also at the sight of it as with shaking hands Laurel pulls the box from the bag, holding it in trembling hands for a moment whilst thoughts run through her head.

Not many coherent thoughts either as she slowly pushes the lid open…

"Ohh my god." Quentin murmurs in shock and sadness at the sight of the beautiful amethyst ring in the box, realizing what Tommy's intentions were for that ring in an instant, watching his daughters distraught face as she holds it in her hands tightly, tears streaming down her face as Laurel dissolves into tears, Oliver reaching out for her in an instant to pull her into his arms, holding her as she sobs, heartbroken wails of sadness as Oliver begins to cry softly as well for his best friend.

His best friend who may never again regain consciousness.

Because they couldn't stop The Undertaking.

Oliver cries for Tommy for this is his fault.

He has failed this city…

 _The walk back to Slade's Plane was nothing more than a few hours of pure torture._

 _Oliver carries Sara the whole way in his arms, it hadn't bothered him for the first hour or more but around the fourth hour he felt as if his arms were about to drop off and his voice would be lost from all the chattering he does during those four hours as Sara is still badly wounded and he, Shado and Slade talk to her continuously throughout the journey back to the plane to keep her awake._

 _Keeping her awake, keeps her alive, which is what Slade and said and he's right._

 _For once, no doubt about that one!_

 _Shado and Slade walk beside one another, Shado supporting Slade most of the way due to his gunshot leg wound, despite talking to Sara they don't really say much to one another._

 _However, around the fourth hour when Oliver can't think of anything else to talk to Sara about he randomly starts singing._

 _Disney songs to be precise._

 _Hakuna Matata to be even more specific!_

 _It does the job of keeping Sara awake. However, due to Oliver being incredibly terrible at singing, it makes Slade Wilson consider homicidal tendencies!_

 _"Hey, kid remember when we first me and I threatened to kill you?" Slade growls through the annoyance and pain in his leg as Oliver continues to sing regardless._

 _"Well that's going to become reality if you don't shut the hell up!" He growls viciously as Oliver finally falls silent at Slade's threat._

 _"I was only trying to lighten the mood." He protests._

 _"Lighten the mood? You seriously thought that travesty would lighten the mood? I've heard some pretty bad music, kid but I ain't ever heard something that made me want to gouge both of my own eyes out! Congratulations on the accomplishment." Slade grumbles._

 _"Killjoy." Oliver mutters under his breath._

 _"Nah, I'm just in a lot of pain right now. I can't be doing with a headache on top of that." Slade retorts as Oliver rolls his eyes as they all fall into silence again._

 _Silence only last for about another hour through before Oliver begins to sing again._

 _"I'm going to kill you slow kid." Slade hisses in a quiet voice, dangerously quiet as Shado slaps his shoulder lightly, a slight smile on her face._

 _"Be nice. We've all been through a lot." She reminds him._

 _"I'd rather have a repeat of earlier than have to listen to this! Just you wait until we get back to the plane, kid." He snarls._

 _"I will confiscate your weapons." Shado threatens._

 _"Like to see you try." Slade mutters as Shado just smiles and pats his hand._

 _"I'd help you." Sara croaks from Oliver's arms._

 _"Two against one?" Shado smiles again._

 _"Three!" Oliver calls with a smile of his own._

 _Slade rolls his eyes at them all in annoyance._

 _"I am surrounded by idiots." He mutters under his breath as Shado suddenly moves and he lands on his bad leg, yelping slightly._

 _"Sorry, there was a stone in my path." Shado smirks mischievously._

 _Slade looks to say something in response when Oliver lets out a sigh._

 _"If you're going to start singing again I swear to god." Slade starts to growl._

 _"Honestly I can't remember there being that many verses." Sara murmurs from Oliver's arms, whom shakes his head._

 _"No it's just. We made it." Oliver smiles at the sight of the clearing behind a few trees and from there the plane._

 _Never before did he think he'd be as grateful as he is now to see that plane because honestly, to Oliver right now. It is a thing of beauty._

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Once in the plane, Slade and Shado move instantly to help Sara with her wound, she being the worst off of the three of them after all._

 _Oliver sits at her side the whole time, holding her fingers and basically letting her crush his hand to a pulp as she cries out and whimpers in pain as Shado and Slade work on extracting the bullet and fragments from her side, whist also trying to contain the remaining bleeding._

 _Oliver looks away from the wound itself, already feeling a bit sick after all, still after all this time he still feels queasy looking at wounds._

 _That'll change soon, he hopes._

 _But honestly, he thinks it's progress that he's stopped throwing up at the sight of them like the first time when he had to get that bullet out of Slade's shoulder._

 _"I'm a bit concerned about all this bleeding." Slade murmurs honestly as Shado presses a cloth to Sara's bleeding side._

 _"Wait." Oliver says as a thought hits him and he gets to his feet, Sara whimpering when he tries to free his hand from her bone crushing grip._

 _"I'll be right back. I've got an idea!" He calls as he heads toward one of the boxes in the plane where he had stored some of Yao Fei's leaves that had helped him and Sara with their wounds before when they'd first gotten to Lian Yu and had helped Slade when his bullet wound had become infected._

 _"Thankfully, I got a whole load of these plants when I went that time when you were on your last legs, Slade." Oliver notes as he gets to work mashing them up and making them into a somewhat drink for Sara, as he'd done for Slade._

 _"Got what?" Shado asks, having not been there at the time._

 _"Ohh when Sara and I first got to the island you father…" Oliver stops suddenly as he looks to Shado, who looks into the distance almost vacantly at the sudden thoughts of her father, whom had only been killed less than a day ago._

 _"Healed us with these plants. The leaves had something in them and when Slade got himself shot I went back to the cave and retrieved a load of them." Oliver explains with a slight smile, proud of his own accomplishment._

 _"I know what you mean." Shado replies quietly with a sad smile._

 _"Tastes like shit though." Slade comments._

 _"Hey, they saved your life. Let's not be picky about the taste it was never going to taste like chocolate biscuits now was it?" Oliver retorts with a roll of his eyes as he walks toward the three with the made up plant mix._

 _"And you say I whine about stupid things." Oliver notes._

 _"You do!" Slade shoots back._

 _"Um, excuse me. I'm not the one complaining about how a plant mix that saved your life tastes, am I?" Oliver replies as he passes the small bowl to Sara._

 _"Good thinking Oliver. That should help." Shado comments, making Oliver smile again at the praise, considering it isn't like he ever receives praise from Slade for anything!_

 _"They do taste horrible through." Sara croaks as she drinks the plant mix._

 _"Am I the only one not complaining about the taste here?" Oliver sighs._

 _"Makes a difference to hear someone else complaining." Shado notes._

 _"What's that supposed to mean?" Oliver turns on her as she and Slade smirk before seemingly finishing with Sara and heading off to sort out their own wounds._

 _Once they move away, Oliver sits down beside her, holding her hand gently, glad that she isn't crushing the life out of his now aching fingers anymore!_

 _"Thank you." She murmurs as he runs a hand through her hair._

 _"What for?" He asks softly._

 _"Saving my life." She replies, Oliver smiles back._

 _"I was going to to lose you."_

 _"You could have done it though. Could have taken his offer." She notes._

 _"No I couldn't. I could never accept his offer. I could never go home knowing that in doing so the price would be losing you. There's no way I'm going home without you right there beside me. It's me and you or not at all." He admits as she lifts a hand to stroke his face._

 _"But if anything happened to me Ollie, promise me you'd make it home yeah?" She whispers as Oliver gives her a glance._

 _"I can't go home without you, Laurel, your parents they would never forgive me if I came home without you." He admits._

 _"Ollie but if anything happened to me. I'd never be at peace knowing you wouldn't make it back I weren't with you. I need you to promise me that no matter what happens to me you'll make it home, promise me." She begs, squeezing his hand tight again._

 _Oliver is silent for a moment._

 _He could never imagine leaving the island without Sara at his side._

 _Never imagine going home to his own family whilst also having to face the Lance's and telling them he couldn't save Sara and she perished whilst he survived._

 _Couldn't imagine that at all._

 _The thoughts are nightmarish._

 _But looking into Sara's pleading eyes, he knows he needs to put her mind at rest._

 _"I promise." He murmurs yet places a kiss against her forehead._

 _"But we're making it home together." He says encouragingly._

 _"You don't know that Ollie." She sighs._

 _"I know that I'm going to do everything in my power to make it so. That we get home together. To keep you safe, I love you remember." He smiles, happy when Sara smiles back._

 _"I love you too." She replies as they share a tender kiss._

 _Knowing that no matter what is about to come they'll face it together, side by side._

 _Meanwhile, after leaving Oliver and Sara. Shado and Slade head to the other side of the plane to sort out their own injuries._

 _"You did good with teaching that kid how to shoot. I'm impressed." Slade comments as he carefully digs the bullet out of Shado's shoulder, who bites her lip as she whimpers in pain._

 _"He came through in the end didn't he." She glances over to where he sits with Sara._

 _"Both of them did. Sara saved my arse earlier." He notes._

 _"Really?" Shado looks at him in interest._

 _"She did. One of Fyers men came up behind me during the shoot out and she took him out." He explains as Shado smiles, the smile not lasting long though as she cries out again as Slade continues to dig out the bullet._

 _"You did a good job of training them." She reminds him._

 _"You know, I thought so as well." He smirks as he finally gets the bullet out, placing his hand on her good shoulder to lift himself onto his good leg so he can retrieve the left over plant mix Oliver had made for Sara._

 _"Want some?" He offers, she takes it from him, looking down at the mixture with sad eyes._

 _"My father was good with plants. He had a lot of knowledge on them, a lot of knowledge on everything to be honest." She sighs._

 _"I'm sorry about what happened Shado." He murmurs as she shakes her head._

 _"It was expected. I just. I just thought we were all going to make it off this island, me and my father." She seemingly blinks back tears as she puts the bowl down to place her hand in Slade's, squeezing his fingers._

 _"Taught me something though." She mutters as she looks up at him._

 _"What's that?" He replies quietly._

 _"That we could all be killed on this island at any given time. Time and place doesn't matter here because any of us could lose our lives at any given moment." She sighs._

 _"You're right there." Slade murmurs with a slight roll of his eyes as the thinks of their current predicament here on this island._

 _"Right here, right now matters and any feelings any of us should have, we should act on them because in the next moment we could all be killed." She notes._

 _"But distractions could get us killed." He murmurs._

 _"Chance I'm willing to take." She replies as he glances at her, not saying anything in response which is when she takes the opportunity to kiss him, he rests his hand in her hair as he kisses her back, his other hand on her uninjured shoulder as he continues to kiss her. Shado moves her free hand to drag him closer toward her which is unfortunately when he lands on his wounded leg._

 _"Sorry." She winces when he mutters words of profanity in pain, resting her forehead against his for a few moments._

 _"Come, I'll sort out your leg for you." She says softly as she turns to it._

 _"Can't believe the kid was the only one of us who didn't get shot." Slade mutters._

 _"Think Fyers may have broken his nose." Shado reminds it._

 _"Think I'd rather have a broken nose than this." He growls as Shado begins to extract the bullet from his leg._

 _"Do you think it's all over now?" She asks after a moment._

 _"Fyers plan? Now he's dead possibly it's all over but he was just a mercenary. Whoever is behind all this probably isn't finished yet." He reminds her._

 _"I know there was a higher command. He would always be taking these phone calls when I was trapped there to someone never heard a name, or organisation because I think that's what it was he was in league with, some organisation." She informs him._

 _"But thanks to the kid, Fyers is done for." Slade notes before smirking._

 _"Can't believe I'm saying that about that kid." He says with a glance in Oliver and Sara's direction, both who are still talking between one another._

 _"Can't believe he prevented a world war." Shado comments wincing when she digs the bullet out a little more sharply than she'd intended, hearing Slade growl in displeasure at the sudden pain, she strokes his cheek comfortingly._

 _"With help." Slade mutters indignantly._

 _"He disarmed the missile launcher." She reminds him._

 _"Nearly blowing us to smithereens in the process!" He reminds her before adding._

 _"I would have done the same. I'm just relieved he had the courage to do that, he put the priority of the world not going to war ahead of personal attachments. He did the right thing and fortunately we all survived so he didn't screw up entirely." He smirks._

 _"Hey, I didn't screw up at all." Oliver comments, drawing Shado and Slade's attention toward him where he stands by the door._

 _"Where are you going?" Shado asks._

 _"Figured I'd make myself useful. We need firewood." Oliver murmurs with a slight smile._

 _"Watch her for me whilst I'm gone." He requests, eying Sara's sleeping form._

 _"Sure." Shado smiles back as Oliver heads through the door._

 _The two wait for a moment before looking to one another._

 _"I'm going after him." Slade gets to his feet shakily._

 _"Why?" Shado queries before frowning._

 _"Do you think something's wrong?" She asks._

 _"Something's not right." Slade retorts._

 _"What makes you think that?" Slade gives her a half smirk._

 _"When does that kid ever want to make himself useful?"_

 _"I don't know Slade. Perhaps he's turning over a new leaf?" Shado smiles back before shaking her head._

 _"No it's Oliver. There's something wrong. Be careful on that leg." She warns him as he turns to limp away, Shado tugging him back to kiss him once more._

 _"Now you can go after him."_

 _Elsewhere…_

 _Making his way down a small hill, Oliver jogs down a forest path._

 _Fyers men are all gone now thanks to he, Sara, Shado and Slade but he's still wary._

 _He still thinks something about to jump out at him and he prepares himself for that as he searches for firewood._

 _It is true they needed firewood but Oliver also needed to get out of there._

 _Needed to clear his head._

 _He killed a man…_

 _The man was Fyers, which wasn't an awful thing but he still killed him in cold blood._

 _He would have killed Sara…_

 _That justifies him killing him right? Oliver thinks to himself as he jogs down another hill to where he sees some discarded wood pieces by a hole in the side of a hill._

 _Someone probably dug that out to hide in. He thinks as he starts to pick up firewood, moving toward the hole._

 _Someone probably used it for shelter, or as something to hide behind to attack incoming predators that passed this way._

 _Slade probably made it. Is the thought that hits Oliver as he smiles slightly._

 _It's a 'Slade' thing to do after all he thinks as he rolls his eyes at the thought before bending down for some more wood._

 _As he touches the wood he thinks about the last time he held something wooded in both of his hands._

 _The bow…_

 _The bow he used to kill Fyers._

 _He remembers how it felt to hold it, to pull back the arrow, looking into Sara's desperate eyes as he fired it, taking down Fyers in only one shot._

 _Killing him._

 _He killed a man…_

 _The firewood falls from his hands, snapping him out of his thoughts as he bends down to pick it up again, only to drop it again due to his hands shaking uncontrollably._

 _He killed someone._

 _It doesn't even matter that he did it for good reason, to save his Sara. He killed someone._

 _He has their blood on his hands now and that won't just go away._

 _Survive._

 _That's what his father has told him and Sara before he blew his own brains out._

 _He never then thought survival would mean becoming a murderer because that's what he is now. A murderer._

 _But Fyers was evil. Fyers needed to be taken out._

 _He was going to kill Sara and it was for that reason Oliver fired that arrow._

 _There was no other way._

 _Now if it had been Shado or Slade whom had killed Fyers, that would be different because he didn't actually kill him, himself. He wouldn't have thought anything more of it and rejoiced that Fyers had been killed._

 _He wants to rejoice now still and he is happy that Fyers is no more but the fact that he was the one to kill him doesn't leave his thoughts._

 _The way it felt to release the bow, that sick feeling of happiness he felt, wanting to cheer when Fyers was down because Sara was safe. Sara was alive and that's all that mattered to him. That's still all that matters to him; that she's safe. That she's alive._

 _He would have done the same thing again._

 _A million times over to keep Sara alive._

 _Oliver sits down, mostly in the hole in the side of the hill and wraps his arms around his knees as he replays the events in his head, over and over, over and over…_

 _"You feel guilty." A female voice says clearly._

 _Oliver nearly has an actual heart attack._

 _"No. No that's impossible, you're not here. You're not…"_

 _"Does it matter if I'm here or not Ollie?" The voice of Laurel says softly as Oliver climbs out of the hole to see her standing right outside of it._

 _"I'm going insane." Oliver buries his head in his hands._

 _"No your not. You just feel guilty." She replies._

 _"I don't. He was a monster. I'm glad he's dead." Oliver snaps._

 _"Yes that may be the truth but you think that because of what you did that you're a murderer now." She speaks the words of truth._

 _"I am." Oliver looks up at her._

 _"You did to save Sara. My sister. You didn't have any other choice." She reminds him._

 _"And I would do it all again in a heartbeat to save her." Oliver admits before looking down._

 _"You did save her Ollie. What you did saved her life and anyone in your position would have done the same thing." She sighs._

 _"You're a hero…"_

 _"No I'm not!" He snaps, cutting her off._

 _"I am not a hero. I never have been and I never will be." He mutters._

 _"That's where your wrong Ollie. You know that I've always know who you are. The man you are, you're a good person and that hasn't changed…"_

 _"Hasn't it?" He cuts her off again._

 _"No. If anything you've become even more of a good person. You said once that all your life you've thought about nothing other than yourself and that you didn't want to be that person anymore and you're not. You're putting others first big time. Ollie, you put stopping a war from breaking out before yourself and even the people you care for and you've shown what you're willing to do to protect the people you care for. I still see the good in you Ollie. I always have done and that isn't going to change." She says with a sweet smile._

 _"I'll keep her safe Laurel. I'll bring her home." He promises her._

 _"I know. I believe you will because you love her." She smiles, Oliver manages one of his own._

 _"If only the real Laurel would be that understanding if we get home." He rolls his eyes._

 _"Perhaps I will be more understanding than you think when you two get home." She says with emphasis on the 'when'._

 _"Ohh I doubt that." He sighs._

 _"Who knows what will happen." She replies._

 _"Sara made me promise her, that if anything were to happen to her that I'd make it home. I. I promised her to reassure her Laurel but I don't think I could come home and face you or your family without her at my side." He admits._

 _"It would be hard but perhaps you'd still earn forgiveness because I know there's nothing you wouldn't do to protect my sister. I believe that and we both know the lengths you would go to protect her." She reminds him as Oliver looks down again._

 _"And that's ok because you're keeping her safe. Don't let the fact you had to murder someone cloud the fact you saved Sara's life." She commands before smiling._

 _"You know Ollie, your becoming that good man I always knew you were." She adds as Oliver looks up at her to say something to contradict, or to just grab her hand, but she's gone._

 _She was never there in the first place._

 _"She's right you know. You shouldn't feel guilty." Another familiar voice calls as Oliver spins around again, this time to face Tommy, whom smiles at him._

 _"Hey buddy." He says with one of his wide grins._

 _"I really am going insane." Oliver groans._

 _"No you're not. Your not crazy." Tommy reassures him._

 _"I think the fact I'm imagining I'm talking to you and Laurel says otherwise." Oliver mutters._

 _"Or your imagining this because you know that whenever you used to need to talk to someone back at home it would be either me or Laurel." He reminds him._

 _"Your right there." Oliver sighs as he looks to Tommy._

 _"It was much simpler back home. I was beginning to hate the person I was back then at home, everything I was but now. I think I'd rather be the spoilt billionaire playboy than this." Oliver murmurs honestly._

 _"Then what?" Tommy frowns._

 _"A murderer." Oliver admits._

 _"Yeah you murdered someone. So what? You saved Sara. That's what counts." Tommy points out as Laurel had done._

 _"I know. I know and I don't regret why I did it at all. But I shouldn't feel this way. Happy about what I did. I enjoyed it Tommy. I enjoyed killing that asshole." Oliver admits._

 _"Who wouldn't? He was such a freakin sick douce bag, anyone would be celebrating taking that son of a bitch out. Don't feel badly for feel if that way." Tommy smiles slightly._

 _"But I do. I killed someone Tommy. No matter what my reasons were. I killed someone and I can never change what I did."_

 _"Why would you want to?" Tommy cuts him off._

 _"Honestly. I wouldn't but I shouldn't feel this way. I should feel guilty and I do. I shouldn't be happy that I ended someone's life in cold blood." Oliver says again._

 _"Sara's alive because of your actions. As is Shado and Slade. He probably would have killed them as well and even you. You did what it took to survive. To protect Sara. To ensure that there was a possibly you two could get home." He reminds him._

 _"Still stranded here Tommy." Oliver murmurs._

 _"That could change." Tommy tilts his head to the side._

 _"Doubt it." Oliver mutters._

 _"You never know." Tommy smiles as Oliver looks at him sadly._

 _"Not a person in the world in your position wouldn't have done the same thing you did. I know I would have done the same thing." Tommy notes._

 _"You wouldn't." Oliver sighs._

 _"Of course I would. If some psycho douce bag had a gun to your head. I would have shot the bastard to. You're my best friend in life, I love you. I'd do just about anything for you as you would for Sara…"_

 _"And you to. If you'd have been here. I would have the exact same thing." Oliver admits._

 _"Because both of us would do anything for those we love." Tommy reminds him._

 _"I miss you so much Tommy." Oliver sighs._

 _"As do I but your coming home to me soon remember." He smirks._

 _"Tommy." Oliver laughs, shaking his head in disbelief as he moves to hug his best friend._

 _He grasps at air…_

 _Tommy wasn't there. Just like Laurel wasn't._

 _Just figments of his imagination._

 _Two wonderful figments…_

 _A sudden rustling of leafs and a snapping of twigs pulls Oliver out of his thoughts._

 _He doesn't want to fight again, he's tired. So he figures if he just hides in that hole in the side of the hill said attacker will just move on from here and Oliver will be unnoticeable…_

 _"What on earth are you doing in there?" Comes a familiar voice, causing Oliver to jump._

 _"Slade! Don't sneak up on people like that. You know I could have killed you right?" Oliver sighs in annoyance when Slade bends down on his good leg to give Oliver a glance of disbelief at seeing him crawled into this space._

 _"Like to see you try." Slade smirks before folding his arms._

 _"Planning on living in there or something? This ain't 'the shire' ya know, kid." He comments as Oliver sighs again and climbs out of the hole._

 _"You know I actually got that reference." Oliver notes._

 _"Your full of surprises, aren't you kid? First 'The Odyssey' and now 'The Hobbit'. Thought 'The Odyssey' was the only book you ever read." He mutters as Oliver glances at him._

 _"No. You know I actually read 'The Hobbit' because I wanted to and I liked it." Oliver retorts as Slade winces and leans back against a tree._

 _"What are you doing here? You shouldn't even be standing!" Oliver reminds him._

 _"Might have to agree with you on that one, kid." Slade mutters with a look of contempt at his injured leg before looking back up at Oliver._

 _"What? Did you think I couldn't get firewood by myself or something? Thought I'd 'screw that up'" Oliver mutters sharply._

 _"No, I think you're at a stage where you can collect firewood." Slade gives him a half smile._

 _"If that's what your out here for." He adds._

 _"What do you mean by that?" Oliver retorts as Slade shrugs._

 _"You don't seem to actually have any firewood." Slade notes plainly._

 _"Well I did. I just thought I was about to be attacked by god knows what so I kinda dropped it." Oliver rolls his eyes at him before bending down to pick up the wood._

 _The memories coming to him again as he touches the wood._

 _He fights through them though and grabs the wood determinedly._

 _"Is Sara ok?" Oliver asks._

 _"Was when I left her." Slade replies._

 _"Shado send you after me or something because unless you really are insane you wouldn't be out here on that leg the way it is unless it was something important so out with it." Oliver says sharply. Slade raises an eyebrow at him._

 _"Sorry." Oliver says almost instantly,_

 _"I didn't mean to snap."_

 _"That's ok, kid." Slade assures him, silence passing between the two for a moment._

 _"I've seen that look before, what happened earlier is bothering you." He states in a matter of fact manner as Oliver looks to protest._

 _"I understand. What you did was beyond necessary but you feel guilty for what you did."_

 _"How do you know? I've never seen you the least bit affected by what you do in battle." Oliver cuts him off._

 _"I'm used to it now. I never used to be though. When I was in the ASIS. At first the body count used to bother me. Billy and I used to talk to one another about it. The guilt we felt for the things we had to do. We were there for one another during those times. I could talk to him about anything and he could talk to me about anything. Then he was gone and there was no one I could talk to and after what he did. I don't think I could ever trust another person in the way I trusted him again." Slade admits causing Oliver to glance at him in surprise at the confession._

 _"I have a friend like that." Oliver speaks up._

 _"Do you now?" Slade glances at him._

 _"Yeah and I could talk to him about anything. Anything that ever bothered me, anything I needed to get off my chest. I could tell him about it. I trust him probably more than anyone." Oliver sighs._

 _"You say that now." Slade mutters as Oliver gives him a glance._

 _"He isn't like Wintergreen. He'd never do anything like that to me." Oliver says sharply._

 _"I thought the same thing about Billy and look how that turned out." Slade growls as Oliver glares at him._

 _"What's your friends name?" Slade asks after a moment of silence._

 _"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver answers._

 _"You'd probably hate him." Oliver comments._

 _"Never met the guy." Slade retorts._

 _"He's like the me I was when we first met." Oliver adds._

 _"You're right, kid. I probably would hate him." Slade smirks as Oliver rolls his eyes at him._

 _"This thing with what you did today, just remember your not alone. Sara, Shado, even me. You can talk to any one of us." Slade assures him._

 _"Thanks." Oliver murmurs._

 _"You did what I would have done." He notes._

 _"You did what it took for you and Sara to survive."_

 _"That's the last thing my father said to us before he shot himself in the head in front of us. Survive. He begged me and Sara to make it. To right his wrongs. Survive." Oliver sighs, looking down as Slade glances at him._

 _"Your father would have been proud of your actions today." Slade comments as Oliver looks up at him again._

 _"As am I." He reveals._

 _Oliver's jaw drops in shock at hearing words from Slade he never ever expected to hear from him ever. At all._

 _Never in a million years did he think Slade would say such a thing about him._

 _He is about to say something in response when Slade groans and almost loses his footing due to his still injured leg._

 _"Great! Now I've got to haul your ass back to the plane." Oliver says with a roll of his eyes._

 _"I'll be fine." He mutters._

 _"Yeah right. You're using a branch as a walking stick!" He points out as Slade glares at him._

 _"You really do hate it when I'm right, don't you?" Oliver manages a smile as he supports Slade, helping him walk._

 _They walk in silence for almost the whole journey back to the plane and it's only when Oliver sees the plane in his sights that he says something he knows Slade will make him regret later._

 _"So… Friends?" Oliver smiles as Slade raises an eyebrow at him._

 _"Don't push it, kid."_

 _Oliver just smiles._

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, favouriting and for all the lovely reviews! I apologise if this chapter was really long and boring. Season One is done! Onwards to Season Two, my personal favourite season of Arrow. Thank you to all of you who have read this story to this point and have supported it, it means the world, the next chapter will be posted soon. Please tell me what you think of this chapter. Thanks again for reading xxxxx**


	71. City Of Heroes (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy One**

 _One Year Later…_

Running, three sets of feet racing at top speed running along a forest floor at a rapid pace, lightning speed just running at the sound of something overhead.

Two of the three sets of feet come to a standstill as they look up to the sky to see an aeroplane overhead, the source of the noise, disturbing the peace.

It shouldn't be here.

Not now. Not ever.

This is home now and forever.

 _Aboard The Plane…_

Aboard the said plane, flying high above the island of Lian Yu, the pilot speaks Chinese rapidly as he flies the plane unsteadily whilst beside him Felicity Smoak sits.

Saying a silent prayer for her life as she keeps her eyes closed tight shut.

Her friend, John Diggle, smirks as moves toward her.

"Felicity. If you're so scared why did you insist on sitting up front?" He questions.

"This is the only seat with a seatbelt." She whimpers.

"Which will come in handy when we hit the water at one hundred and eighty miles an hour." Diggle mutters under his breath, which unfortunately Felicity hears and looks to him fearfully at his words.

"Which will not happen." He assures her with a shake of his head, patting her shoulder as the pilot speaks Chinese again.

"I think that means we're here." Diggle notes as Felicity grits her teeth as the fog in front of the window clears…

"Lian Yu." Felicity whispers as Diggle nods, both of them looking at it for a moment.

Lian Yu.

The island three of their friends spent five years of their lives stranded on.

Noticing Diggle having moved from behind her, Felicity bravely turns her head, only to see Diggle fumbling around with something on the plane floor.

Parachutes…

"But… You said the parachutes were just in case!" Felicity protests.

"Yeah, just in case we made it here." Diggle mutters sarcastically with a shake of his head.

"Come on." He commands.

"No!" Felicity snaps in an instant.

"Felicity. Do you want to find them or not?" Diggle sighs as Felicity looks to him before shakily removing the seatbelt with fumbling fingers, gripping onto the seat for dear life to pull herself to her feet as the plane shakes scarily.

"Yeah I want him back." Felicity whispers with closed eyes as she approaches Diggle, suddenly realising her mistake.

"Them back. I meant I want them back! All three of them equally." She babbles, hearing Diggle chuckle as he grabs her hands to steady her before helping strap her to one of the parachutes as she continues to keep her eyes closed.

Focus on the mission, she tells herself.

Focus on the mission.

She hears the sound of a door being kicked open and feels a sudden breeze as she is walked forward, which is when she decides to open her eyes, which was a mistake as she sees that she and Diggle are standing in the doorway of the plane itself, the door which is open…

"All right Felicity, on three." Diggle says calmly behind her.

"I can't! I'm scared! I can't…" She babbles in a terrified voice.

"One!" Diggle yells and then they're falling through the sky.

Felicity screaming the whole way down...

 _Lian Yu_

After several minutes of absolute hell for Felicity, they finally land on the shore of Lian Yu, tangled up in the parachute.

Felicity pulls herself out of it in an instant, getting to her feet unsteadily before moving away to throw up.

"Thanks for waiting until we touched down." Diggle comments as Felicity continues to throw up, whilst he untangles himself from the parachute.

"My pleasure." Felicity murmurs, wiping her mouth as she notices Diggle picking up a bag.

"Let's move." He says, the voice of authority as throws the bag over his shoulder as he starts to trek toward the forest, Felicity following behind him quickly, stopping in an instant as something catches her eyes.

"Ohh god. Dig!" She whispers as she approaches something near the shore.

A wooden pole, upon it a black and orange mask with an arrow through one of the eyes.

Felicity moves toward it slowly, crouching down beside it and reaching out toward it with trembling fingers.

"Felicity. What…" Diggle stops when he sees her beside the object.

"Probably his definition of a welcome mat." Diggle notes as Felicity looks at it fearfully.

"It's his mask, John." Felicity murmurs.

"Yeah and that things ancient. I wouldn't worry about it." He comments.

"They've been gone a year Diggle!" She cries as Diggle looks at her and the mask again.

"We don't know anything for sure yet. Come on, let's move." He says calmly as Felicity gets to her feet shakily to follow him toward the forest…

 _The Forest_

Diggle and Felicity walk at a brisk pace through the forest for several minutes, Diggle up ahead and Felicity following him.

Felicity, having been silent since seeing the mask on the spike decides to speak up after nearly jumping five feet upon believing to have seen a snake on the forest floor.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have gone to Australia first?" Felicity bites her lip.

"They wouldn't have gone somewhere so obvious." Diggle replies.

"Perhaps they did, thinking we wouldn't check there because it being the obvious place to go. I mean, I'm sure I found property there still registered to one of his aliases." Felicity notes, reminding Diggle of her research.

"And knowing them, especially him he probably hoped we'd follow that trail there instead of coming here. They probably had that planned out." Diggle retorts.

"What about New Zealand? We could have gone to look for them there! I mean my research showed there was that hidden cave there. Anywhere but here." Felicity shudders.

"A Hidden cave on a beach in New Zealand where apparently he had created some kind of lair filled with weapons and god knows what else? Yeah right. That's probably a story they created." Diggle rolls his eyes at her.

"It might not be, apparently there was evidence there was something there but no one could find it, which is where they probably went because if no one could find it but him than why wouldn't they go there?" Felicity reminds him.

"Don't believe everything you find on the Internet Felicity." Diggle smiles.

"Um. I hacked into the ASIS database Diggle. I found it there with the records they had."

"Yeah those two short sentences, which if I remember right also said. It may not even be real considering not even their best men could find it!" Diggle cuts her off.

"He was their best man." Felicity murmurs.

"Ok. I tell you what. If we find them, we'll ask him about it and I bet you ten dollars it's just a story." Diggle bets before smirking.

"I bet it exists Dig." Felicity mutters as Diggle looks to her.

"You know. If we find them, I'm more looking forward to hearing what he's going to say to you when he find out you hacked into all his personal records…"

"Which I did in an attempt to track them down!" Felicity protests.

"Didn't see you hacking into the others records…"

"Shut up." Felicity whines and buries her head in her hands as Diggle suddenly stops in front of her and holds his hand up.

Felicity freezes.

"What is it?" She asks fearfully as Diggle looks around quickly.

"Thought I heard something." He murmurs, the both of them waiting a moment before Diggle starts to move again, Felicity following him, looking around and not paying any attention whatsoever to where she's walking.

That's where she hears a sudden 'click' underfoot.

"Dig!" Felicity cries out in horror as she looks down in an instant due to the sound, terrified of what it could mean, having seen many movies of people stepping on things in the woods that make a clicking sound.

The thing normally turning out to be some kind of explosive device!

Diggle turns back to face her, as Felicity stands, glancing down at her foot, her hand over her mouth as she tries not to make any movement whatsoever.

Diggle throws the bag down and holds his out toward her.

"Don't move." He warns her sternly as he pulls a pen knife from his pocket, approaching Felicity cautiously, bending down beside her foot as he does so.

"Ok." Felicity whispers as Diggle pushes the grass out of the way that is around Felicity's foot with care.

"It's a land mine." He states matter of fact as Felicity squeezes her eyes tight shut at the revelation, that despite the fact she'd already guessed, still frightens her.

"I'm going to try to disarm it…"

"You can't!" Yells a familiar voice with a familiar accent.

Not moving her foot, Felicity turns her head in shock at the voice, looking up to the source only to see, standing on one of the top branches of one of the tallest trees, a vine held in one hand.

Slade Wilson…

"Diggle!" Slade calls his name.

"Get out of the way." He commands as Diggle reluctantly does as he's told.

"Don't move Felicity." Slade shouts before grabbing the vine and swinging down from the branch, grabbing Felicity, who holds her arm out when she realises what Slade is planning to do, from where she stands like a statue in one arm as the device underneath her foot explodes the moment she's lifted off it as both Slade and Felicity crash to the ground, safely far from the explosion.

Having had her eyes closed the whole time, Felicity opens them to find Slade looking down at her with one dark brown eye from where he is practically lying on top of her.

Shirtless, Felicity notes, her hand resting on his shoulder as he glances at her.

"God you're so hard." She whispers before closing her eyes tight shut in an instant as she hears sudden laughter from within the trees as Oliver Queen and Sara Lance step from behind them, both of them laughing hard.

"Ohh god I meant, you know. Muscular. Incredibly muscular. Ohh crap. That kind of hard not…" Felicity babbles as Oliver, Sara and even Diggle continue to laugh as Slade rolls his one eye at her before holding out a hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Stop digging yourself into a hole Felicity." Diggle notes as Felicity groans, putting her head in her hands and wanting the ground to swallow her up, not even able to look at Slade in the eye for a moment.

"I am so glad to see you three." Felicity looks to each of them.

"Yeah. Sounds like Slade's really glad to see you too Felicity." Oliver sniggers as he and Sara continue to almost wet themselves with laughter.

"I will kill you slow, kid." Slade growls at Oliver viciously.

"Nice to hear things haven't changed between you three. You guys are hard people to find." Diggle states as they glance at the three.

Oliver Queen. Sara Lance. Slade Wilson, whom looks to both Diggle and Felicity.

"You shouldn't have come here."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following. It means a lot. First part of season 2! Next part is already In the works, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter, see you all next update.**


	72. City Of Heroes (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Two**

 _Lian Yu_

Felicity and Diggle follow Oliver, Sara and Slade through the forest after the brief reunion.

Neither one says a word as they walk until Diggle chooses breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"So I was right. You three were here. Felicity thought you three had relocated to Australia."

"We didn't want to be found. That would have been too obvious." Sara comments.

"Which is exactly what I said." Diggle says with a glance to Felicity.

"Perhaps we should have done." She murmurs soon after.

"Felicity even had some insane notion that you were hiding out in a cave on a beach in New Zealand. That apparently is some sort of lair Slade has that no one knows the location of." Diggle says with a roll of his eyes.

"How did you find out about that?" Oliver questions.

"You've got to be kidding me. It doesn't actually exists does it?" Diggle exclaims.

"You owe me ten dollars." Felicity says with a smirk.

"You pair actually put a bet on its existence?" Sara frowns.

"You actually doubted Slade would have something like that? I was right Slade, we should have gone there." Oliver glances to him.

"I thought it was just a rumour." Diggle mutters as Felicity just smiles triumphantly.

"How exactly did you discover this information." Slade grumbles.

"I'm sure Felicity would be more than happy to explain that." Diggle smirks.

"We had to track the three of you down somehow.." She shrugs her shoulders, biting her lip nervously when Slade, Sara and Oliver stop to stare at them both.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have bothered."

 _Slade's Plane_

It is about an hours walk until a clearing comes into view.

An hour of awkward silence.

Felicity and Diggle stop and stare at what's in the clearing.

The clearing that has the corpse of a broken up plane right in the centre of it.

More tree vines and ivy coat the plane now than it did five years ago.

They only spend a moment looking at it before following, Oliver, Sara and Slade down toward it, following the three through the small door, now mostly covered with plants.

"Would have emailed but this isn't exactly a wifi hotspot." Diggle mutters sarcastically as Oliver puts his bow down by a crate.

Felicity looks around in silence for a moment as she eyes the plane they just walked into and how Oliver, Sara and Slade walk around it.

Like its some sort of home for them.

By the piles of weapons and other various things that lie around it confirms Felicity's suspicions, that they stay there for shelter and possibly…

"Is this where you three lived when you were here?" She asks in a soft voice.

"I mean the first time you three were here." She adds.

"For some of it." Oliver replies as he retrieves a shirt for himself.

"It's the plane my partner and I crashed here on." Slade mutters as Diggle and Felicity turn to him instantly in shock.

"Oh my god." Felicity whispers as Slade glances to her before heading off to the other side of the plane from her to sharpen a sword.

"Could you three at least pretend like you're glad to see us?" Felicity sighs in frustration.

"Dig and I spent months tracking you three down. We've traveled halfway across the world and is morning we flew in a plane so old I'm pretty sure I was safer once I jumped out of it! You three could… At least offer us a water." She suggests in annoyance.

"Or a coconut." She adds.

"Still cute." Sara murmurs with a slight smile to her lips as Slade opens another crate.

"Fresh out of coconuts thank god." Oliver notes with a smile as Slade passes Felicity a bottle of water.

"And we are happy to see you guys." Sara adds.

"And even if he won't admit it. Slade is to." Oliver says before taking Sara's hand.

"Please just. Just say it." Oliver says in an almost shaking voice.

"Say what?" Diggle frowns at Oliver.

"He's dead isn't he. He's gone." Oliver murmurs as Diggle and Felicity latch on and shake their heads simultaneously.

"No, ohh god no. Tommy's still alive." Diggle assures him.

"Has he woken up?" Sara questions to silence from Felicity and Diggle.

"Thought as much." Oliver grumbles, a pained look crossing his face as he thinks of Tommy.

Tommy Merlyn. His best friend, who a year ago risked his life to save Laurel Lance's and ended up crushed under a building and subsequently in a coma.

A coma which he is still in because of The Undertaking.

Because they couldn't stop said Undertaking.

Tommy's fate is on them…

"It's been a year. Perhaps people should face the facts that he isn't going to wake up." Slade mutters as Diggle and Felicity turn to him in shock, even more shocked when Oliver and Sara don't even react to his comment.

"They say there's still hope he could wake up. That there's brain activity but it's just that nothing's changed yet for better or for worse. Like he's just frozen." Diggle sighs.

"So if that's not the reason you are here. What else? Don't tell us. You want us to come back to Starling City." Oliver looks to them with folded arms.

"If that's the case you're both going to be disappointed. We're not coming back to Starling City." Oliver states firmly, backed up with a nod from both Sara and Slade.

"Guys…"

"No!" Oliver cuts Diggle off sharply.

"We can't. Our mission, my father's list. It was a fool's crusade and we failed! Malcolm Merlyn destroyed The Glades and Tommy paid the price. Is still paying the price." Oliver says in a quieter voice as he wraps an arm around Sara.

"Slade's friends. Lisa and Leonard…" He trails off.

"But they're fine. They both survived." Diggle reminds them.

"But what happened to them was my fault. They were only in The Glades for me. They came back for me and I have to live with this. That Leonard almost lost his leg, that Lisa almost lost her life! That she fell off a roof right in front of me and I couldn't save her. She was in a coma for two weeks and that was because of me…"

"But you saved her Slade. You saved both of them from being killed and then suddenly you thought that pushing them away was the best thing? Running from them?" Diggle cuts Slade off, who, glares at him.

"They're better off with me not in their lives. They're safer that way. I vowed I'd never put either of them in danger and yet because of me they ended up in danger and almost killed. It's better this way." Slade growls.

"How is the three of you being miserable better?" Diggle responds.

"They're alive aren't they?" Slade snaps.

"That's not the point…"

"Yes it is." Slade cuts in once more.

"They're safer without me in their lives." He mutters.

"Everyone we care about is safer without us in their lives. We failed them. The vigilantes couldn't stop The Undertaking and because we couldn't stop it we've caused each of them unimaginable pain. So don't ask us to become the vigilantes again." Oliver backs him up.

"Ever." He finishes firmly as the three move to occupy themselves with something different each in the plane.

"This isn't about the three of you being the vigilantes. This about you three being Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson." Diggle speaks up again as silence passes for a moment as no one answers.

"Your mothers in prison Oliver…"

"Good." The three say simultaneously.

"I ain't disagreeing with you there considering everything she did. The Undertaking, almost assassinating Slade. I understand completely if you three don't care about what happens to her anymore but her trial is coming up and things. Things don't look great." Diggle admits to silence from the three again.

"Thea's out on her own. Still looking after your apartment. She needs you three. More than ever, she isn't even going to visit Moria in prison. She goes to see Tommy every day and I thought you'd might like to hear that she hasn't fallen back into old habits luckily." Diggle reveals, causing Oliver, Sara and Slade to each sigh in slight relief at that.

"She's had someone to lean on at least in your absence. Roy Harper." Diggle sighs as Oliver, Sara and Slade turn around at that second mention of leaving Thea.

The only regret they had leaving Starling City was leaving Thea but as Diggle has pointed out, they knew Thea had someone.

Roy Harper.

Even if he isn't even liked by Oliver, Sara and Slade they left knowing at least she was with someone who she cared for.

"She talks about the three of you every day. She needs you guys back, Oliver especially." Diggle folds his arms.

"So does the family business." Felicity comments, drawing Oliver, Sara and Slade's attention to Felicity instantly as Oliver gives her a confused look.

"All the bad press after The Undertaking left Queen Consolidated ripe for a hostile takeover by Stellmoor International. They've gutted every company they've taken over and once they gobble up Queen Consolidated, thirty thousand employees are going to be out of a job. Including one very blood IT expert." Felicity explains as she clenches her hands together before wincing, noticing then then deep bleeding gash in her palm.

"Yikes, I must have caught this on something during the explosion." She winces again.

"Let me see." Slade murmurs as he moves over toward her, taking her injured hand in his.

"It's not that deep. You don't need stitches." He comments as Felicity sighs in relief, watching as Slade releases her hand gently before crossing the plane to reach for something, returning to her side with what appears to be an old rag.

It's back and grey and incredibly soft Felicity realises as Slade carefully wraps it around her injured hand.

The old rag interests her as it looks old and worn but one part of it is deeply singed as if it had been set on fire… And now she's analysing an old rag! She mentally scolds herself as Slade finishes wrapping the cloth around her hand and releases it.

However, what she doesn't notice is the looks Oliver and Sara give the both of them at the sight of the 'old rag'.

"Thanks." She looks up at him but he's already walked to the other end of the plane, she glances at him for one more moment before to Oliver and Sara again.

"As I was saying, it's all a bit of a mess at Queen Consolidated."

"Felicity. I never did care much for the family business." Oliver admits.

"So you don't care that thirty thousand employees will lose their jobs?" She retorts.

"I didn't say that." He murmurs.

"We're not going back." He says again.

"Your family Sara. Your father, could you really just leave him again after everything that happened? He needs you home not here, he needs his daughter not to mention…"

"No." Sara growls but Diggle continues anyway.

"Laurel." Diggle speaks up again.

"And that's another reason not to go back." Sara says sharply.

"She needs you Sara. She needs all of you more than ever."

"Then perhaps she should have come here and told me that herself!" Sara snaps.

"Sara. I know what happened between you and Laurel but she wasn't telling you the whole story." Diggle starts, stopping when Sara advances on him.

"What story do you think she was trying to tell me when she shunned me? Told me she didn't need me anymore because apparently I'm never there when she needs me to be. That during The Undertaking I was no where and only got in contact when Tommy was hurt and put them though so much worry when I should have just answered my phone but apparently I never answer my phone when she needs me. That those five years didn't change me at all? That I'm still that girl who ran off with her boyfriend. That honestly she'll never forgive me for what I did and she and I were stupid for thinking we ever thought we could put it behind us? Please tell me what I'm missing out here Diggle considering you seem to know so much!" Sara shouts, hot angry tears appearing in her eyes at the memory of her last conversation with her sister before deciding to leave Starling City with Oliver and Slade for good.

The conversation that convinced her to leave.

"No, Sara. She didn't mean that…"

"Ohh I think she did!" Sara cuts him off.

"There's something you don't know…"

"Enlighten me, please!" She folds her arms.

"Sara, this isn't something I can just tell you. This is something I think you need to hear from Laurel herself. Right now all you need to know is that Laurel has… Laurel has a couple of issues and she really needs her sister right now." Diggle sighs, Felicity backing him up with quick nod.

"He's right Sara. She really needs as many people who care for her as she can get." Felicity says softly as Sara looks to Oliver, an unreadable expression upon her face as they both look over to Slade.

The silence last for several minutes.

"Listen, we get why you three had to leave guys, probably better than anyone else. I've been there and after what happened nobody can blame you three for leaving." Diggle says with a glance to each of them in turn.

"But it's time to come home." He says in silence from the three, silence that lasts for several moments before Diggle nods.

"Well I'm going use my satellite phone to call in a plane for Felicity and I. If you three want to join us, you're more than welcome to. We'd like that." He murmurs as he heads outside the plane, pulling a phone from his bag.

"Suns going down. I'm off for firewood." Slade mutters as he walks past Oliver and Sara toward the plane door, which Diggle heads back in from.

"Plane won't be here till morning." He reveals.

"Wait… We're staying the night here?" Felicity whispers in shock.

"Be you wish you hadn't bothered coming here now." Sara murmurs in an almost sing song voice as she heads to sit in a box, only moments later being joined by Oliver.

"What. What do you want to do?" She asks him in quiet voice.

Oliver sighs in response.

"Honestly. I don't know." He mutters.

"We said we'd never go back." He reminds her.

"I know and I was happy with that decision after…" She trail off, the argument between she and Laurel coming to mind.

"It was a mutual decision to come here and it's going to have to be a mutual decision to go back." Oliver notes as he looks toward the door.

"If it wasn't for Thea and Laurel and even your dad, I wouldn't even be contemplating this, going home but what they said Sara. Can we truly just leave Thea behind for good? I know what happened between you and Laurel but what if he's right; there's more to this than we thought. It's a long shot at best but what if Tommy comes back to us. What the punishment for my mother's crimes is a severe one and when I mean severe…" Oliver trails off as he thinks of punishments they could have in plan for her.

The death penalty is even on his mind for what she did and whilst he said wouldn't be upset if she spent the rest of her life in jail for what she did that helped cause The Undertaking, nearly succeeded in having Slade killed because he knows he'll never forgive her for that. She's still his mother and he couldn't see her lose her life for her crimes.

"There's so many unanswered questions." He finishes as Sara looks down.

"We need to talk to Slade before we make any decisions." She murmurs as Oliver nods.

"It's all three of us or not at all." He agrees.

"You should be the one to talk to him." She advises as Oliver nods once more in agreement.

"I will." He promises as they look to where Felicity is sitting on a box.

"Hey." Sara calls over to her.

"Yeah guys." Felicity looks back.

"It's nice to see you both again." Oliver flashes her a small smile, causing Felicity to smile back widely as Sara holds her arms out.

"Come here." She smiles softly as Felicity moves from where she's sitting to hug Sara.

"We have missed you." Sara admits kindly as Felicity hugs her friend back.

"How is my dad?" She asks in a gentle voice as Felicity sits beside them both, Diggle also moving toward the group.

"He's doing ok. He's busy, considering he got demoted you know. Looking after Laurel. Keeps bumping into me, asking if I've heard anything from you, Oliver and Slade. I've told him the same thing every time. He needs you back Sara." Diggle says with a sigh.

"After those five years I promised when I got home I'd never leave them again." Sara remembers her words as she leans into Oliver.

"And look where we are." She whispers.

"Which is why it might be a good idea for you guys to go back, for them at least. To put their minds at rest because they're worried about you. Laurel hates herself for what she said to you, she really wants to make amends and explain why things went the way they did." Diggle explains.

"Still not going to tell us what's really going on with Laurel?" Oliver questions.

"It's something you really just need to hear from her in person." Diggle murmurs as he looks to the door.

"He's been gone a while hasn't he?" He raises an eyebrow at the door.

"He's normally longer than this, he likes a walk." Sara replies as Felicity gets to her feet, heading toward the plane door to looks outside of it, seeing if she can see him outside and also to look at the sunset as it is a beautiful sight to see.

"So you guys lived here for five years?" Diggle queries.

"Yeah, most of it, as I said. This place brings back a lot of memories." Oliver sighs as he looks around the plane, said memories hitting him and Sara as they look around at their small home of the three of them here during those five years.

The four of them…

"Would be weird if we said. This place, is kind of like home." Oliver murmurs as Diggle shakes his head.

"Not at all, man. Not at all."

 _The Forest_

Having snuck out of the plane whilst Sara, Oliver and Diggle talk amongst themselves, Felicity, strolls through the peaceful clearing toward the forest.

This place makes her curious.

The place, Oliver, Sara and Slade spent five years of their lives.

Now six, considering the length of time they've been here recently.

Wandering into the woods, Felicity walks for several minutes, it must be about fifteen minutes a least she spends walking. It is then she finds Slade seemingly just stood still as a statue in the middle of the forest.

She doesn't even think he realizes she's there.

"Hey." She makes herself known to him.

"Felicity." He mutters in acknowledgement of her presence, still not facing her though.

"Are you ok?" She asks in a gentle, yet cautious voice as Slade turns around to face her.

"I'm fine." He replies as he seemingly stops for a moment, looking around the space he's stood in almost as if he's remembering something.

If something had happened here…

"What are you doing out here? It's almost dark. You should be back at the plane. The wolves come out at night." He murmurs with a slight smile when Felicity pales.

"Wolves?" She shudders, looking around in an instant, Slade laughs.

"Of course you find the fact there are wolves here funny!" Felicity shakes her head at him.

"I don't. That's just like how Oliver reacted five years ago." He smiles as she shakes her head at him again as he bends down to grab the pile of firewood he had seemingly sat down.

"Do you want a hand with that?" Felicity decides to offer.

"I've got it." Slade replies, picking up the rather large pile with ease.

Felicity had forgotten how strong he was...

Shaking her heads of the thoughts that come to mind, that she really doesn't need to be thinking about right now, she looks back to Slade, whom whilst she'd been distracted by her thoughts, had moved so he's standing almost next to her.

"We better be getting back, I'm sure you don't want to be here when the wolves come out." He chuckles as he begins to walk in the direction Felicity came in.

She shudders again fearfully before walking quickly after him as even with the amount of wood he's carrying and the weight it must be. Slade walks fast.

They walk in silence; Felicity practically hurrying after Slade as he walks on ahead.

"Thank you." Felicity says after several minutes of the two walking.

"What for?" He questions.

"You know, for saving my life earlier." She replies.

"No problem Felicity." He says in response.

"I honestly thought I was going to get blown up, seriously what is it with me and bombs! First the bomb collar thing that psycho Dodger guy put around my neck, then this land mine!" She shakes her head in disbelief as Slade smiles.

He'd forgotten how much she amused him.

"Land mines are more common here than you'd think. They were left here by the Japanese military after World War Two. Believe it or not I saved Oliver from one five years ago when I first met him on our first mission." He informs her as silence falls for another few moments.

"I can't believe I'm spending the night with you… And when I mean that I mean with all three of you… Ohh god that sounds even worse! I meant here on Lian Yu. The island you three spent five years stuck on." Felicity babbles, receiving another chuckle from Slade, whom rolls his eye at her as they enter the clearing where the plane lies a few feet away.

"You know, I trained Oliver in this very field five years ago." He comments as Felicity looks around briefly with a slight smile, trying to imagine Oliver and Slade sparring in this field.

"He was useless." He adds.

"But you turned him into a fighter." She replies.

"I did in a way. He came to me incapable of even what I'd call basic combat and honestly, I didn't have high hopes for him but he came though and honestly surprised me, greatly. He proved me wrong and I'm the kind of man who's often wrong." He explains to her.

"So in a way, you basically created The Man In The Hood?" She tilts her head to the side.

"I think I probably helped." He mutters as Felicity looks to ask him something else.

"It was not I though who taught the kid how to shoot a bow and arrow." He reveals.

"Who did?" Felicity asks bluntly.

"Someone we knew a long time ago." He retorts simply.

"Is that someone…"

"Gone? Yes. Gone and never coming back." He murmurs, a dark expression crossing his face.

Felicity is quiet, as she guesses from Slade's reaction this person was someone the three obviously cared for but was taken from them.

"You're probably going to kill me for asking this and you don't have to answer me but. That place you were when I found you. You looked like you were remembering something that perhaps had happened there. Was it, you know bad?" She asks in a nervous voice, biting her lip when Slade stops and looks back at her.

"You're observant." He states grimly.

"Sorry." Felicity says automatically.

"Don't apologize. You are right." He says what she'd already guessed.

"What happened there is like a blur to me. They were under attack, I came to them, choices were made. Impossible choices…" He trails off, the look in his eye suggesting he's a million miles away as he thinks of whatever happened.

"It's not something I like to talk about. Some things are better off unsaid." He adds gruffly as continues on to the plane, leaving Felicity standing there in silence for a moment before he calls back to her.

"You coming or what?"

 _Slade's Plane_

With the fire going in the center of the plane, the five friends sit around it eating something Diggle and Felicity don't even want to know what it is!

"Advantage of coming home with us tomorrow. There's proper food in Starling City." Diggle comments with a nervous glance to whatever animal it is he's eating as Oliver and Sara smirk at him.

"Imagine five years of this stuff." Oliver replies.

"At least you stopped complaining after the first year." Slade mutters.

"Ohh come on! I swear to god some of their stuff you showed up with could have given us bird flu or something!" Oliver protests.

"I'm pretty sure we got food poisoning once." He adds as Diggle and Felicity then look anxiously at the food in their hands.

"Only one time." Sara assures them.

"I'm still not convinced it even was food poisoning. I was a'right." Slade shrugs his shoulders.

"The rest of us weren't! You were just lucky." Sara nudges him.

"I'm not a picky eater." He mutters.

"Hey!" Both Oliver and Sara cry indignantly.

"Give you two your due, you didn't complain much after the first year." Slade states as Oliver and Sara roll their eyes at him.

"So what are the sleeping arrangements?" Felicity decides to ask.

"You can take my space. I'm keeping watch tonight anyway and there's a space spot over there for Diggle." Slade resolves in a moment.

"I might keep watch as well. We can alternate if you want." Diggle offers as Slade nods before getting up and moving toward a corner of the plane, coming back moments later with a bottle of something in hand.

"No way! You still have some of that?" Oliver cries incredulously as Slade smirks and sits back down before pulling the top off the already half drunk bottle of the Australian rum.

"Thought we finished it the night before the attack?" Sara frowns.

"You didn't have a third bottle did you?" Oliver asks.

"No. We just didn't finish it that night, figured in case things went wrong and we didn't get off the island we could save the rest for when the next chance came around." Slade informs them as he takes a swig from the bottle before passing it to Oliver.

"I still remember when Oliver nearly drank all the first bottle and spent ages trying to convince us he wasn't drunk and you nearly killed him for it." Sara laughs at the memory as she takes the bottle from Oliver.

"Can you blame me? First alcohol I'd seen since we were shipwrecked here." Oliver protests as Diggle just shakes his head at Oliver with a smile as he takes the bottle from Sara.

"How old is this stuff?" Diggle questions as he passes it to Felicity.

"Probably over six years old at least. It's lasted well. My partner and I had two bottles of the stuff, we brought it with us from Australia. You already know what happened to the first one." Slade mutters with a glare in Oliver's direction.

"This is the second." He retrieves it from Felicity to finish it finally after all these years.

"You know sometimes it gets really warm on this island." Oliver sighs after a moment as he moves way from the fire.

"NO!" Slade and Sara both shout to him in an instant as Sara fights back giggles whilst Diggle and Felicity look between the three in confusion.

"The promise! You haven't forgotten the promise have you Ollie?" Sara sniggers at him as Oliver appears to remember something and nod quickly.

"What's 'the promise'?" Felicity asks quizzically.

"We made a promise five years ago that no matter how hot it gets here that we'd never complain about it." Oliver explains.

"Ever." Sara nudges him again.

"Why would you do that?" Diggle questions as the three look between one another.

"The Night Of The Sub Zero Temperatures On Lian Yu." Slade says in a voice that makes it sound like a title of a horror movie.

"Dark, dark times." He murmurs as Felicity and Diggle look between the three.

"One night we experienced sub zero temperatures here and it was cold. I mean like minus a hundred or something cold. It was just awful." Sara explains.

"So because it was so cold you made the promise to never take the heat for granted again?" Diggle guesses.

"You could put it like that." Sara says, a wide smile upon her face.

"You two are never going to let me live this down are you?" Oliver looks to them both.

"We didn't make that promise for nothing, kid." Slade retorts.

"What happened?" Felicity asks, a slight smile appearing at her lips.

"Putting it briefly. Ollie would snuggle with anyone when he's cold." Sara says, barely able to contain her laughter as she remembers one of the more memorable nights on Lian Yu…

 _The Night Of The Sub Zero Temperatures On Lian Yu_

 _Night had fallen on the island of Lian Yu and It was cold._

 _No, not cold. Freezing._

 _It must be about minus fifty or something, Oliver, Sara, Slade and Shado believe as the three lie in their own areas of the plane, shivering due to the unbearable cold._

 _It's that cold that even in the inside of the plane there are icicles forming!_

 _"We're. Going. To. Die." Oliver whines through chattering teeth due to the cold as he holds Sara close against him, who's shivering also under the blanket their using, her face pressed against his chest as she tries to be as close to him as humanly possible in order to try and get some warmth._

 _"Stop. Whining. Kid." Slade growls back, shivering himself._

 _It's that cold that even Slade is feeling it and thinks it's vicious, which to Oliver and Sara means that its definitely unbearably cold if Slade is commenting on it._

 _However, he had mentioned that it had been like this here once before when it was just he and Billy Wintergreen and the two had just stayed in the plane, shivering all night long, trying to stay awake the whole time, hoping they'd make it until morning._

 _It's thar bad._

 _"My frostbite has frostbite!" Oliver continues to whine._

 _"If you don't shut up I don't care how cold it is. You're going outside or I'm going to kill you." Slade growls as Shado rolls her eyes at him, moving her shaking hand to slap his head lightly._

 _"Be. Nice." She warns him though her own chattering teeth._

 _"How are you still sitting up and keeping watch?" Sara queries her voice muffled._

 _"Someone's got to." She replies._

 _"Yeah. I think. Anyone who's out there planning on attacking us are probably dead already!" Oliver whines._

 _"Because we're probably. Going. To. Die and we… Have shelter." Oliver continues through his still chattering teeth as Shado nods briefly._

 _"Ok I concede!" She says a moment later before all but throwing herself into Slade's arms, eternally grateful when he holds her close and finds that somehow he's still slightly warm…_

 _"How." She whispers as she shivers._

 _"Are you still warm?" She questions as she just snuggles closer into his slight warmth._

 _"You're freaking kidding me right?" Oliver whines from across the plane._

 _Of course Slade's warmer than the rest of them! Of course he's that fortunate! Oliver thinks in annoyance and honestly, jealousy!_

 _"Can. I. Join?" Sara whispers jokingly, (she's not joking at all)_

 _A moment of silence passes before Shado speaks up again._

 _"Enough is enough. Both of you get over here, now. Slade's the warmest, we can use him as a pillow. We'll stay warmer that way." She suggests._

 _"No. No way in hell." Slade says fiercely._

 _"Slade…" Shado starts._

 _"No! There's no way in hell that's happening. If you value you life, kid you'll stay exactly sure you are." He growls._

 _"Wait. You said that to, to Ollie right?" Sara questions shakily._

 _"Yes. I am not..." Slade starts and that's all Sara needs to hear as she untangles herself from Oliver's embrace and despite the cold, practically races toward Shado and Slade. Shado moving to Slade's left side to give Sara room on the right._

 _"Hey!" Oliver cries in shock horror._

 _"Sara what the hell!" He whines._

 _"Sorry Ollie, he is actually still slightly warm." She replies as Slade drapes his arms around both Sara and Shado._

 _"Ohh that's just great! Let me freeze to death!" Oliver continues to whine._

 _"Slade, we can't just leave him there." Sara protests._

 _"No way." Slade growls as Shado looks up at him with big eyes._

 _"Come on Slade. Look I promise I'll make it up to you." She says in a way that makes both Oliver and Sara want to gag._

 _"Urghh I don't want to know!" Oliver shudders even more at the thought as well as the cold._

 _"Don't think you can talk Oliver." Shado responds._

 _"She's right. I've heard things over the past few months for you two that have made me want to cut off my own ears!" Slade mutters._

 _"As have I!" Shado chimes in._

 _"Ok. Ok. I think it's been established that we need to come up with some rules but that doesn't change the fact I'm freezing my ass off over here!" Oliver whines._

 _"If you don't stop whining you're going to end up outside at this rate!" Slade snarls._

 _"Just get over here Oliver." Shado sighs._

 _"Thank you!" Oliver replies as he soon moves across the room to the three._

 _"You can cuddle up to me." Sara suggests as Oliver wraps his arms around her from behind, which is difficult considering she's mostly lying on Slade!_

 _Finally in a somewhat comfortable position, the four begin to doze off._

 _"If we don't make it until morning. Don't say I didn't warn you." Oliver mutters sleepily._

 _"Kid." Slade murmurs._

 _"What?" Oliver asks._

 _"Shut up."_

 _A few hours later…_

 _Shado wakes when the cold eventually begins to recede ever so slightly._

 _It's still freezing, unbearably so but its warmed to a point where she believes they might just survive until morning, and due to the silence, she quickly looks over at Slade, Sara and Oliver whom are all sleeping._

 _She smiles slightly as all three of them, even Slade looks really peaceful asleep._

 _Untangling herself from Slade's one armed embrace, barely even stirring him, Shado moves a few feet away from the three, quietly almost feline like she's so quiet on her feet, moving to sit by the extinguished fire, deciding that the temperature has warmed up just enough to keep watch again._

 _"Want some company?" She hears Sara whisper as the blonde girl also moves out of Slade and Oliver's embrace, still not really stirring either of them as she tiptoes over to Shado, whom puts an arm around her, due to it still being unbearably cold._

 _However, a few moments later, both Shado and Sara hear Oliver murmur Sara's name in his sleep, whining about the cold and promptly rolling on top of Slade!_

 _"Ohh my god." Sara whispers as she tries not to burst out laughing._

 _"I think he believes my boyfriend's you." Shado says matter of factly whilst trying not to burst out laughing herself as they watch Oliver snuggle up to Slade in his sleep._

 _"Aww! Where's a camera when you need one? Did we salvage one from Fyers camp?" Sara whispers through her laughter._

 _"This is not going to end well." Shado sniggers softly as she sees Slade beginning to stir, opening his eyes sleepily. Snapping open in an instant when he sees someone lying on him who's definitely not Shado…_

 _"What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing? Get off me now." He hisses in a dangerous quiet voice but loud enough that Oliver awakens, his eyes barely open._

 _"Sara." He murmurs, snuggling closer, Shado and Sara practically wetting themselves with laugher when suddenly a resounding crack can be heard._

 _"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHO DOES THAT?!" Oliver yells in agony at the sudden the agonizing pain in his now probably broken nose and considering the blood coming from it, it most likely is broken!_

 _Sara and Shado at this point are almost rolling around with laughter._

 _"I will kill you!" Slade snarls as he seemingly looks around for a weapon._

 _"Um you just broke my nose!" Oliver protests, whilst holding his bleeding nose._

 _"For good reason! What the hell do you think you were doing?" Slade growls._

 _"I thought you were Sara! I was cold!" Oliver protests._

 _"Well you won't be in a second when I… Where's my sword?" He shouts as Sara and Shado just cackle mercilessly at their boyfriends whom they both vow mentally in that second shall never again live this moment in time down…_

 _Slade's Plane_

"For the millionth time. I thought you were Sara!" Oliver protests with a smile on his face as the three finish telling their story to Diggle and Felicity, minus a few details, like to Felicity and Diggle it only sounds like it was just Oliver, Sara and Slade Involved in the story. However, both of them are almost on the floor laughing at the story they just heard.

"So you decided not to kill him then?" Diggle chuckles.

"He's still here isn't he?" Slade replies.

"I can't believe you broke his nose." Felicity shakes her head.

"What would either of you have done if you'd have woken up to that horrific sight?" Slade retorts with a smirk.

"Thanks!" Oliver laughs with mock offense.

"Slade put him on night watch for months and training that day…"

"Sara. That wasn't training that was just abuse!" Oliver protests as they both smirk at Slade, whom rolls his eye at them both.

"I'm wondering if I should put you on watch tonight." Slade warns as Oliver looks at him with pleading eyes as Slade smirks again before heading to sit nearer the door as almost automatically, Oliver and Sara move to a part of the plane where they lie down together.

"Over there." Slade indicates for Felicity to a spot in the corner of the plane where there is a make shift bed.

"Thanks." She smiles as she moves toward it, lying down so she's facing the group.

"Here." She hears Slade murmur before she is covered with a blanket.

"We're not going to be attacked right?" Felicity suddenly asks nervously as it's the first thought that comes to mind when she closes her eyes.

She hears Slade, Oliver and Sara laugh simultaneously as Slade pats her shoulder.

"Wouldn't matter if we were." Slade murmurs.

"We'd protect you." Sara finishes and Felicity believes them entirely and finds it easier to fall asleep from that point on...

 _Next Morning_

Oliver, Sara, Diggle and Felicity awake early the next morning due to the sound of Diggle's satellite phone ringing to inform them the plane is about an hour away.

"You three made up your minds yet about coming with us not?" Diggle asks.

"We have." Sara replies as she takes Oliver's hand whom turns to them both.

"It's time to come home." He murmurs almost resentfully as if he doesn't really want to be going back, but is due to those he cares for.

Diggle and Felicity beam at them, happy with the choice they have decided to make.

"Good choice… Wait where's Slade?" Diggle looks around for him.

"He gets up at insane times. He's probably gone for a run. I'll go talk to him." Oliver informs them as they nods to him.

"We'll meet at the beach. You guys got any stuff you want to take back?" Diggle asks.

"A few things. Do you mind giving us a hand?" Sara asks.

"Sure." Diggle and Felicity say simultaneously.

"I'll see you in a bit." Oliver smiles as he passes Sara.

"Good luck with him." She murmurs as Oliver rolls his eyes at her.

"I'm probably going to need luck with this one." He chuckles as he kisses Sara quickly before jogging to the door…

 _Elsewhere…_

Slade stands on a hill top looking out over the sea.

The last time he'd stood here was when there was a boat in the sea.

Ohh so long ago now but the memories of that most haunting time is still etched into his mind, never to fade.

"You know when we first tried to get off this island it was as strangers." The familiar voice of Oliver calls from behind him as he senses him walking towards him.

"But now it's as brothers." Oliver finishes as Slade turns around to face him.

"I remember saying that to you five years ago, kid." Slade murmurs.

"As do I. After all we went through, that's one of the things I remember most." Oliver smiles.

"I meant every word." Slade replies.

"And to think when we first me you wanted to cut out my voice box, bet you're glad you gave me the chance to tell you something you believed now." Oliver smirks.

"It would have been easy for me to just kill you there and then but now. I'm glad I made the decision to let you live." Slade admits.

"Aww I'm touched." Oliver laughs lightly as Slade shakes his head at him.

"The planes coming in an hour. I'm going back." Oliver admits after a moment as Slade turns to face him with folded arms.

"I know. I know what we said and I really don't want to go back but Thea, Tommy, Laurel, even my mom. There's unanswered questions and I can't stay here knowing that they could be suffering because we're not there. I know what we decided but at least for now, I think I should go back and if things don't work out we could always go to that cave of yours in New Zealand. Felicity didn't actually manage to find it after all." Oliver explains with a slight smile as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"Sara's going back to but I'll understand if you don't want to, if you want to stay here because I know Starling City isn't even home to you and after all that happened as Diggle said, no one can blame you for staying. I wouldn't, neither would Sara." Oliver finishes as Slade looks at him, a moment of silence passing before Slade speaks up.

"Right then. We better be heading off if the planes arriving in an hour." Slade states as he moves past Oliver, whom is shocked at Slade's quick decision.

"Really? You want to go back?" Oliver says in a quiet voice.

"Well I don't want to and your right Starling City is not my home but you and Sara are my home." Slade reveals in a matter of fact tone.

"It's all three of us or not at all remember." He murmurs as Oliver pulls his brother in all but blood into a tight embrace.

"Thank you." He says with a smile.

"No problem, kid. I lost one family, I can't lose another." He admits as Oliver smiles again.

"Race you to the plane?" Oliver suggests.

"Why bother, you know I'll win." Slade smirks.

"Yeah but it's running. I've always been more of a runner!" Oliver laughs as Slade chuckles.

"I'm gonna kick you ass!" Oliver says as he breaks into a run.

"You keep on thinking that, kid!" Slade retorts as he simply chases after his brother…

 _Slade's Plane_

 _The familiar sound of Escrima Sticks hitting against each other at a rapid pace can probably be heard for miles and miles considering the rate Oliver and Slade are going with them._

 _Each of them launching attacks rapidly, trying to catch the other off guard._

 _Slade is vicious with his attacks, which Oliver prepares for and tries to counter them with his own attacks, which despite not being as good as Slade's are certainly making the man work harder to deflect them!_

 _Something which Oliver is triumphant about as he uses one stick, swinging it outwards in attempt to hit Slade's side, who simply jumps backwards, whilst holding the sticks out in front of him, yet that gives Oliver a chance to almost knock him backwards, but Slade leans back far enough to duck the attack and slams his stick into Oliver's._

 _They come to a stand still as Slade begins to chuckle deeply, genuinely impressed of the fight Oliver put up during their training session today and is so pleased that he almost forgets the reason why he was being so brutal with Oliver in the first place._

 _However, he soon remembers upon seeing Oliver's still bruised nose when he looks at the kids happy face._

 _"Forgiven me now?" Oliver questions breathlessly with a wide smile._

 _"Ohh I don't know about that!" Slade retorts as he moves to attack again, Oliver, however stopping upon hearing the cawing of birds as Sara and Shado walk into the plane side by side, a cage with a bird inside it in Shado's hands._

 _Taking advantage of Oliver being distracted, Slade raises the Escrima Stick and smacks Oliver across the face with it!_

 _"Slade!" Sara protests as Slade continues to chuckles as Oliver drops to his knees due to the force and the pain behind the hit._

 _"You're not the first man to lean the hard way, women are a distraction." He smirks as he bends down beside Oliver to retrieve the sticks, patting his shoulder on the way up._

 _"You're going to have to stop hitting my boyfriend in the face." Sara comments as she moves to help Oliver to his feet._

 _"Yeah my nose still hasn't healed from the other week!" Oliver protests._

 _"That's because I broke it." Slade retorts._

 _"No shit!" Oliver rolls his eyes at him as Sara begins to examine his now wounded cheek gently with her fingers._

 _"You've both come very far in a few months." Shado smiles from where she stands by the bird in the cage, pulling the green hood from her head._

 _"Sara's doing brilliantly at hunting and fighting as are you Oliver. So don't beat yourself up." She advises as Oliver groans as Sara touches the tender part of the new bruise._

 _"Ah, apparently that's his job."_

 _"And I love my job." Slade smirks widely as Shado and Sara roll their eyes at him._

 _"Not that I wouldn't trade it for a way off this island." He admits as Shado delves into a bag._

 _"While you two were playing with each other, Sara and I were hunting." She tells them as she points to the cage with a triumphant smile as Oliver and Sara share a kiss._

 _"Well there's nothing more attractive than a woman who can hunt." Slade gives Shado a smirk that brings many thoughts to mind as she watches him cross the plane to the cage, her eyes wandering…_

 _"When Sara and I were marooned here, our first meal was a pheasant." Oliver notes._

 _"Your father cooked it for us." Sara smiles._

 _"After he made us kill it first." Oliver grumbles as Shado shakes her head with a sad smile._

 _"He was an awful cook." She comments._

 _"Yeah." Oliver agrees almost instantly._

 _"But a good father." She sighs sadly._

 _"Proofs right in this room." Slade calls from his position by the cage, as Shado moves over to him, coiling her arms around his waist from behind, resting her head against his back._

 _Slade puts one of his hands over hers before breaking the pheasants neck._

 _"Let's eat." He proclaims as a sudden bleeping noise pulls all their attentions instantly._

 _"What's that?" Oliver frowns as suddenly Shado and Slade release one another, Shado taking his hand and dragging him toward a device at the back of the plane._

 _"That's Fyers proximity detector." Slade says in explanation as Oliver and Sara join them as Shado lifts it into her hand._

 _"Yeah you said you'd salvaged it from the wreckage of the camp." Sara remembers._

 _"Supposed to pick up anything moving outside our safe zone." Shado says quickly, pressing a few buttons as Slade rests his chin on her shoulder to get a better look at the device._

 _"It's been five months since we stopped Fyers." She looks to him._

 _"I thought he and off of his men were dead?" Sara questions as she tightens her grip on Oliver's hand._

 _"So maybe it's an animal." Oliver suggests._

 _"There's an imaging interface." Shado explains as she brings up an image._

 _A distinct one of three people with guns._

 _"Those are not animals." Oliver points out the obvious as Slade rolls his eyes at him._

 _"And we're not alone on this island."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting this story, the next chapter should be soon thanks for reading :)**


	73. City Of Heroes (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Three**

 _Starling City_

Deep within Starling City a car drives through a neighborhood that isn't much to be desired.

It's what's left of The Glade's one year later.

The sign post welcoming people to the city has been defaced with several graffiti pieces and words of profanity describing the city.

The car drives past a memorial to those who lost their lives in The Undertaking, where a woman is lighting a candle in remembrance.

Inside the car, sits Oliver, Sara, Slade, Felicity and Diggle. The three looking out the window in horror at what is out there now.

The destruction, the graffiti.

"Who's Blood?" Oliver questions quietly.

"And alderman from The Glades trying to save the city. Fill the shoes of you three." Diggle explains as he drives on.

"He's everything on Stellmoor International." Felicity pulls out a file, which Oliver takes from her, holding it out so Slade and Sara can see it to.

"The Vice President of acquisitions is a woman named Isabel Rochev." She informs the three as they look at the pictures of the woman with brown hair and a severe expression upon her rather attractive face.

"She looks angry in every photo." Felicity notes.

"So where to?" Diggle questions.

"Office?" He offers.

"Apartment. We need to check in on Thea." Oliver replies as Sara and Slade nod in response, Felicity beaming at the three.

"I bet she's going to be over the moon to see you three, I mean living in that apartment without you three for a year. It must be a bit a lonely…"

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea's (And Roy's) Apartment_

Lonely Thea Queen is in fact not as she's currently being thrown against the kitchen island by her boyfriend Roy Harper, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as she kisses him passionately, hearing the sound of kitchen utensils being knocked to the floor by Roy as he kisses her, pushing off her jacket in the process.

"Sure we're not expecting anyone?" Roy mutters in between kisses.

"Roy no one comes to our place." Thea whispers kissing him back.

"I do worry one day your brother and his friends are going to come home unexpectedly, unannounced. That'll be eventful when they realize they have a fifth roommate…"

"They've been gone a year Roy." She murmurs sadly as she kisses him more to get her thoughts away from that thought.

"We only have a second though I've got to get to Verdant." She gasps.

"That's ok. My boss has been all over my ass today." Roy mutters, his lips against her cheek.

"You should hear what she sounds like when…" She stops kissing him in an instant when he groans in pain as she starts to peel his shirt off.

"Ow." He grumbles miserably as she pulls back to see the damage done, which is in fact a litter of bruises on Roy's side.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She pushes him away, moving toward the door.

"Come on! I don't want to fight." He grabs her hand.

"Clearly you do, since you keep on taking on every street corner drug dealer that you can get your fists on!" She snaps at him.

"It's not like that. The Glades are worse than ever…"

"You don't live in The Glades anymore Roy! You live here with me." She cries, indicating to the apartment that the two have been sharing this past year after Oliver, Sara and Slade left.

The apartment that is quite frankly a mess and covered in all their stuff, mostly Roy's stuff that they salvaged from his house, which was mostly wrecked during The Undertaking.

"I know." He sighs as he takes her hand and moves her to the couch, which the both sit on, Roy kicking a few of his things out of the way before placing his feet on the coffee table.

"Not to mention you've already saved a bus load of people and managed not to get buried alive. I mean how much more of a hero do you need to be? It's like you have a death wish!" She shouts at him as he tightens his grip on her hands.

"And guess what, it's going to come true!" She finishes.

"Yeah, well someone has to do something." He protests as Thea shakes her head at him.

"And stand up for what's right, like they did." Roy mutters.

"The three vigilantes?" Thea frowns.

"The three vigilantes who haven't been seen since the earthquake which means they did get buried alive and they aren't coming back!"

"We're back!" Comes the familiar voice of Oliver as he unlocks the door, he, Sara and Slade standing in the door way.

"What in gods name happened in here?" Slade is the second to speak as they enter the almost completely trashed apartment.

"Now this reminds me of my college dorm room." Sara notes as Thea gets up from the couch and launches herself into Oliver's arms, Roy's eyes widening at the sight of the three, remembering the first and last conversation he ever had with Thea's brother and his friends and almost dives over the side of the couch in an attempt to clear up a couple of things.

"You're back! You're home." She smiles at each of them in turn as she releases Oliver to hug Sara and then Slade. However, when Thea is busy hugging Slade, Sara notices something hanging off two swords Slade has attached to the wall.

Something that resembles underwear...

"Ollie." She mutters as she nudges him so he's looking in the direction she is.

"Ohh god." He murmurs as they both look nervously between Slade and Roy.

"I can't believe you three are here." Thea grins as she moves toward Roy.

"You guys all remember my friend Roy, right?" She says as she goes to his side.

"Still here?" Oliver mutters.

"Always." Roy replies as he takes Thea's hand.

"Thea why is our apartment such a mess?" Oliver turns to her.

"Is it? I can't tell." Thea looks around as Roy shrugs his shoulders innocently.

"How does one person make this much mess and…" Slade stops as he looks in the direction Sara was looking in at his two swords and what's hanging off them.

"What. Are. Those?" He snarls quietly as he moves toward the swords, pointing at the offending pair of underwear hanging from the swords as Oliver and Sara wince.

"I'd run if I were you." Oliver murmurs in Roy's direction.

"There's no where he could run to fast enough, or safe enough to hide from this. Get them off my swords now." Slade growls.

"Roy, I told you not use Slade's swords display as a drying rack!" Thea buries her head in her hands in despair.

"I didn't think they were going to come back now did I?" Roy protests as with one anxious look at Thea's older brother, his rather fierce girlfriend and scary friend standing in front of him, he quickly moves to remove the pair of underwear from the sword display!

"I had those swords imported from my home in Australia, the only possessions I ever truly valued. That were passed down though my family for many years." Slade snarls.

"So… They're really old then?" Roy frowns as Oliver and Sara want to bury their head in their hands as the count on Slade's usually great self control.

Even though right now, they're not too sure that Slade will maintain that control due to what the matter is all about.

He loves those swords.

"Those swords are priceless and you dared to use them as a rack for your underwear!" Slade growls as he looks around the messy apartment for what Oliver and Sara believe to be searching for something to kill Roy with, which is why Oliver decides to step in.

"Now we're back, we do expect all of this tidied up." Oliver notes strictly.

"Fair enough." Thea nods in agreement, giving Roy a worried glance as she kicks as few things near her feet out of sight of her brother and friends before smiling at them.

"So you three are staying then?"

"For good?" She asks in a small voice.

"For now." Oliver nods with a smile as they all glare suddenly at Roy when he knocks something over that they'd brought back from the island

"So how was Europe, guys?" Thea says, changing the subject quickly which all are grateful toward her for doing.

"You guys never texted, phoned, no postcards. Almost like you three were on the island all over again." She folds her arms as Roy makes himself busy tidying up some of his stuff here and there before the three realize Roy has in fact moved in.

He already can tell that won't go down well!

"Yeah, sorry we were kind of distracted with snow skiing, water skiing. A lot of skiing and fencing." Oliver says quick in explanation as Thea just smiles at the three of them.

"I'd love to catch up and we will, tonight guys because I've missed you three so much but Roy and I need to get to work." Thea reveals.

"Work?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Yeah. You're club is kinda under new management considering you three left, Tommy…" She stops, shaking her head quickly.

"So it's my club now and you three are not getting it back."

"You're not old enough to drink." Slade remarks.

"Whilst that may be. I am old enough to run a bar, which is what I'm doing." She smiles as she looks over to Roy, who simply stays silent and nods.

"Have you been by the hospital yet?" She asks softly as Oliver shakes his head.

"I'm planning to. How. How is he? Diggle said he was stable but the same." Oliver asks.

"He's still in the coma." Thea murmurs sadly.

"Have you been to Iron Heights?" Oliver decides to ask.

"To visit the woman who dropped a city on five hundred innocent people and not only that organized an assassination attempt on Slade? No, thank you. I'd advise against you going to." She folds her arms.

"I agree. What she did was unforgivable. I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she did to Slade but she didn't kill all those people." He reminds her.

"Right. She had no choice, but guess what? She did. A choice not to be a mass murderer or to try and assassinate someone you and I both care about! You know, I have a choice to. So I choose not to be her daughter but again I am so happy the three of you are home." She smiles before hugging each of them again happily.

"Honestly though, I need to get to Verdant to deal with our liquor distributor who shorted on me yesterday's delivery and one of my bartenders called in sick, so… What?" She stops at the looks Oliver, Sara and Slade are giving her.

"Nothing, it's. It's nice to see you like this." Oliver smiles.

"Like what?" She raises an eyebrow at them.

"Together." Oliver says.

"Come on Roy, let's get out of here!" Thea calls to him.

"I finally found the TV remote!" Roy proclaims as Oliver, Sara and Slade just flash him looks that if looks could kill Roy would be six feet under!

"Come on." Thea smirks at her boyfriend.

"Great to meet you three again, good to have you back in town." Roy says politely as he can before following Thea out of the door, shutting it behind him before deciding to ask Thea a question that was on his mind during the whole time.

"Um when are we going to tell them that I'm the fifth roommate?" Roy asks nervously as Thea links her arm through his.

"Um… Well not now! I think we've got to chose our moment!"

Meanwhile...

"I should take this sword down and bury it in his skull!" Slade growls as he looks at his swords with a look of complete fury.

"As I said, just like my college dorm room." Sara rolls her eyes at the mess as she begins to pick a few things up.

"How could one young girl make this much mess?" Slade shakes his head as he cleans the crap from the coffee table.

"I used to be quite messy as well but my mom threatened to disown me if I didn't start cleaning my room a bit." Oliver notes.

"You could help, kid!" Slade growls again as he approaches the kitchen.

"This whole place needs sterilizing!" He snaps as he grabs some cutlery to lift another pair of underwear off the toaster.

"We're gonna need a new toaster as well!" He proclaims as he tosses them into the bin.

"I agree with you there." Oliver folds his arms.

"And probably a new couch." Sara glances at it as Oliver look to the news on the tv.

"The representative from Central City says construction on the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator should be completed by Christmas and in local news billionaire, Oliver Queen has returned once again to Starling City with his girlfriend Sara Lance and their friend Slade Wilson. With Queen's mothers upcoming trial and his father's company in free fall, analysts are asking what the Queen Family scion has planned next." The TV reporter reports as Oliver switches off the tv and rolling his eyes at it.

"Guess we really are home."

 _Starling City: Night_

Somewhere in Starling City an event is taken place where the mayor of Starling City is expected to give a speech.

"Wasn't our country founded in a brand of vigilantism, Mr. Donner?" The Mayor of Starling City asks a man named Adam Donner at the event whilst pretty piano music plays merrily in the background.

"The revolutionaries in the Boston tea party were certainly choosing justice over law." He adds as Donner frowns at him.

"I'd hardly compare our founding fathers to the three vigilantes, Mr. Mayor, or these twisted copycats who have risen in their wake…"

"Ms. Lance, Ms. Grant!" The Mayor cuts Donner off as behind him on a staircase, walking slowly down the stairs arm in arm are Laurel Lance and Cat Grant.

"What do the two of you think about vigilantes?" He asks politely, noticing then that Laurel is on the phone.

"They're interesting, especially the ones we've had in Starling City but they people taking the law into their own hands is never really going to end well is it?" Cat replies as she looks to Laurel, whom is still engrossed in her conversation, biting her lip fiercely.

"Eight at the latest. I'd prefer it to be seven if you could." Laurel pauses as she looks at the Mayor, Cat and her new boss Adam Donner apologetically.

"The doors locked, yes. All the windows? There's several in every room. The alarm is set on the fire escape? No I'm not expecting any visitors and the only people who should call is the supplier and me. If it's the supplier, please I need the stuff sooner than later. I'm running out and I really need more." Laurel stops again.

"I know, I know. I trust you. I swear to god I'll pay you extra for all this, thank you. Thank you so much." Laurel says quickly before sighing.

"Leena Quinn you are a life saver. Bye." Laurel hangs up quickly before looking to the three apologetically as she runs a hand through her hair.

"I am so, so, so sorry." She apologies, sliding her arm through Cat's again.

"That's quite alright Ms. Lance. So, what is your opinion on the vigilantes?" The Mayor asks Laurel with a smile.

"Well. I'd be foolish to disagree with my new boss." She smiles herself.

"I knew I was smart to hire you." Donner beams at her.

"You were." Cat agrees, moving a piece of Laurel's hair back into place for her, Laurel looking to her friend gratefully.

"I'd heard you had joined the district attorney's office." The Mayor looks to her.

"It was time for a change." Laurel nods.

"Still, I'm sorry that you and your colleagues at CNRI won't be opening your doors again."

"There were no doors left to be reopened." Laurel cuts him off with a sad expression upon her face as memories hit her as Cat squeezes her arm in comfort.

"Ladies and Gentleman…" A voice from speakers cuts them off.

"Excuse me. They're playing my song." The Mayor smiles at the three before heading toward a set of stairs as Cat realises Laurel's arm to look her friend over.

"Necklace is showing." She picks up the amethyst ring on a chain, the ring Tommy had intended to propose to Laurel with, that's around Laurel's neck, whom quickly shoves it out of sight so others cannot see it.

"You look great. Now where's that smile?" Cat folds her arms until Laurel manages a small smile, Cat looking at her proudly.

"What was all that about on the phone, everything ok?" Cat asks curiously, hint of concern in her voice.

"I was just checking in." Laurel admits.

"Laurel. You need to calm down, this is only for a few hours." Cat assures her.

"I shouldn't even be here…"

"Laurel, no trust me. You should be here. You need a break, take it from someone who understands." Cat cuts her off firmly as a worried look crosses Laurel's face.

"You're going to get frown lines." Cat murmurs.

"I think I've probably already got them!" Laurel protests.

"Laurel. It's all going to be ok and what was all that about suppliers?" She questions.

"The supplier I was using went out of business the other day and I need that stuff. I mean I really need that stuff, nothing else is good enough but I think I've found another who does the same stuff, possibly better so I'm waiting for a call back but Leena will take the call if I'm not back in time." She explains to Cat.

"Ohh sweetheart, you really do need this break." Cat replies.

"I didn't even get to go to the hospital today." Laurel practically whimpers.

"Laurel. It's one day…"

"A lot can change in one day." Laurel cuts her off.

"I know, I know but I'm sure everything's going to be fine." She says as she slides her arm around Laurel as their boss approaches them as people begin to applaud for the Mayor, whom jogs up the steps to the podium.

"Good evening." The Mayor greets the room.

"It has been a very difficult year for Starling City. Our losses have been incalculable, our grief unimaginable. But with the generous donations you people are making tonight we will come back from this tragedy…"

"YOU HAVE FAILED THIS CITY MR. MAYOR." A voice suddenly bellows from no knows where, everyone looking around in an instant for the source of the sound.

"The Glades descended into hell on your watch!" Another voice yells as again, people whirl around, looking desperately for the source of the interruption.

"You swore to protect all the citizens of Starling, not just the wealthy!"

"We're sorry about this folks." The Mayor butts in, addressing the audience.

"We'll have this sorted out in just a minute." He smiles moments before he is riddled with bullets and is killed where he stands.

The crowd begins to yell and scream in panic as more gunfire can be heard as two men armed with guns make themselves known, still firing their weapons.

Donner grabs both Cat and Laurel in an instant to shield them from the attack.

The men continue to fire their weapons until SCPD members decide to fire back, only getting themselves killed by the two men who march down the steps straight towards Donner, Cat and Laurel.

"Mr. District Attorney." One of the gunmen grab Donner, yet before they can do anything Laurel intervenes and punches the man in the face, taking the gun from his hand before kicking him down a flight of stairs.

Suddenly a gun is fired.

"Laurel!" Cat yells, coming to her friends aid only to be shot in the shoulder by the other gunman, whom approaches Laurel, his gun raised as Cat falls to the floor, clutching her now gunshot shoulder.

"Cat!" Laurel moves toward her only for the other gunman to hold the gun to her head.

"Please don't kill me." Laurel begs for her life as the man points the gun downwards, Laurel complying with the request and getting down on her knees.

The gun is ripped out of her hand.

"We are The Hoods." They state as one still keeps a gun trained on Laurel, whilst Cat writhes on the floor in pain from the wound in her shoulder.

"What was taken from us we will take back." They proclaim.

"Please don't. Please. Don't kill me." Laurel begs again as the man holds the barrel right to her forehead before abruptly lowering it and storming away leaving the trail of destruction in their paths…

 _Sometime Later..._

When the authorities arrive, those killed are removed from the scene of the crime, including the now deceased Mayor Of Starling City.

Laurel sits beside Cat the whole time as she has the bullet extracted from her shoulder.

The damage isn't bad and Cat didn't want to have to go to hospital, considering she has two children waiting for her at home.

Two girls and Cat didn't want to worry them unnecessarily.

"Cat. I don't know what to say." Laurel whispers as Cat clenches Laurel's hand to help ride out the pain.

"You don't need to say anything Laurel. Urghh I can't wait until we catch these guys so we can prosecute them to the full extent of the law." She growls, Laurel nodding in agreement, glancing anxiously at her phone in her other hand.

"Laurel!" The voice of her father calls her name as she turns around to see him racing down the stairs.

"Ohh god Laurel!" He pulls her into an embrace the minute he gets to her side.

"Dad, I'm fine." She embraces him.

"Cat, you ok?" Quentin looks to her.

"Son of a bitch shot me in the shoulder." Cat growls.

"You've got one very brave daughter, there sir." Donner says as he moves toward the three.

"Yeah at the moment one daughter is right considering my youngest is god knows where and I cannot stand to lose another." Quentin murmurs, releasing Laurel so she's can go back to Cat.

"Well. I still can't believe this happened. The Hoods attacks have been strictly limited to people in the financial sector, trying to redistribute wealth in The Glades at gunpoint." Donner explains as Quentin raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, well, clearly that's not getting the result they're looking for, is it?" Quentin mutters to Donner as he turns back to Laurel.

"Did you get a good look at any of them?" He asks her.

"It was hard to focus on anything other than the gun barrel pointed at my face." She murmurs back.

"No tattoos, distinguishing marks?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Quentin is cut off by Lieutenant Pike as he marches over to them both.

"Interviewing the witness is the job of the detective. Officer Lance." He snaps at him.

"This is my daughter, she was nearly killed tonight." Quentin growls.

"Well as a parent, you're welcome to stay but as a beat cop, you're more than free to go." Pike glares at him before leaving the two.

"You know, that's one of the downsides of being demoted. I don't get to witness his sunny disposition on a daily basis!"

"Ohh my god." Laurel whispers as from behind her father's head racing down the stairs.

Oliver Queen. Sara Lance. Slade Wilson.

"What is it?" Quentin turns around to see his youngest daughter.

"Sara!" He shouts in an instant, practically racing across the room to pull his youngest daughter whom he'd not set eyes on in a year into an embrace.

"You're home. Ohh thank god." Quentin whispers as he holds his daughter tight.

"Hey dad." Sara smiles slightly.

"Where have you been? You just disappeared, all three of you did with no warning, no note, nothing! What have you been doing for a year!" Quentin shouts at her.

"We went to Europe." Sara notes with a look to Oliver and Slade.

"What? We're there no phones in Europe or something? Why didn't you call sweetie? I've been worried sick!" Quentin pulls her into a hug again.

"We all just needed some time. I've missed you daddy." She smiles genuinely as she looks over her father's shoulder at Laurel, who hasn't said a word yet, just in shock to see her sister, Oliver and Slade here after a year.

A year since she'd last spoke to Sara when they fought…

She'd sent her away.

"Hey." Oliver's voice pulls her from her thoughts as he and Slade move over to her whilst Sara is still having a discussion with Quentin.

"I didn't know you guys were back in town." She gives them both a slight smile.

"We just got back." Slade says in explanation.

"We were going to call. Sara wanted to call but we saw you on TV and thought we'd come and make sure you were safe." Oliver smiles back.

"Just four hooded gunmen. Nothing a few self defence classes couldn't handle." She shakes it off with a glance to Cat.

"Unfortunately the thought they'd shoot my friend before hand." She mutters.

"Who is she?" Oliver questions.

"Cat Grant. She works at the District Attorney's office with me." She says in an explanation, hearing her phone buzz, yet when she looks at it its just another notification.

Not important. Not from Leena.

Slade looks at her curiously.

Something's wrong with her, he can tell and he doubts it about what just happened.

"Are you a'right Laurel?" He decides to ask her.

"Yeah. I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She puts on a smile that both Slade and Oliver are pretty sure is fake.

"It's nice to see you both." Laurel says after a moment, yawning and rubbing her eyes, Oliver and Slade nothing that she's eager to change the subject.

"Yeah, sorry we you know, left." Oliver apologises.

"Believe me, I get it and I think I know why Sara decided to go." Laurel says in a small voice, with a glance to her sister.

"We all needed time to figure things out." She says quickly.

"We haven't been to the hospital yet." Oliver admits as Laurel looks to him, trembling.

"I haven't been yet today. Considering the event has been cut significantly short though I could go on my way home." She replies.

"Has there really been no change?" Oliver asks.

"No. Nothing bad, nothing partially good. He's just the same, you know they said there's definitely brain activity he's just not waking up but he's going to wake up." Laurel nods quickly, too quickly.

"It's been a year Laurel." Slade says in an almost gentle voice.

"Yeah I know but he hasn't gotten worse. He'll make it." She nods again.

Almost as if she's trying to reassure herself.

That's when Oliver hugs her, she holds onto him tightly and fights back tears as Sara slowly approaches them.

"Hello Laurel." She says in a quiet tone.

"Sara…" Laurel starts but she's cut off by her phone ringing.

Looking down at it her eyes widen as she sees Leena's number.

"I'm so, so sorry. I really have to take this." Laurel apologises as she turns to go, which is when Sara grabs her arm.

"Laurel please." She starts calmly.

"We need to talk."

"And I really need to take this call." Laurel pulls away.

"Laurel!" Sara sighs.

"Sara!" Laurel practically cries back, silencing her younger sister.

"This is so important right now." Laurel says, her finger hovering over the answer button.

"More important than us?" Sara replies with wide eyes.

"I'm. I'm sorry." Laurel replies as she answers the call and jogs away, leaving her sister once more, whom watches as she races away, the phone pressed to her ear.

"Sara…" Oliver starts, sliding his hand into hers.

"We shouldn't have come back." Sara murmurs.

"I'm beginning to agree with you there." Slade mutters as they both look to Oliver, who realises what he's getting at in an instant.

A thought they'd discussed on the way here.

"You think Diggle and Felicity knew about the vigilante copycats?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Why do you think they came to Lian Yu for us." Slade growls in annoyance.

"I think we need to have a talk with Diggle." Oliver murmurs as the three head for the door.

"Sara! Where are you going now?" Quentin calls after her.

"Home." She replies.

"Sara. I just got you back, do you want to catch up?" He offers.

"Look, I'm just really tired right now daddy." Sara sighs.

"Did you talk to your sister?" Quentin asks.

"She doesn't want to talk to me."

"Sara you need to…"

"Dad!" Sara snaps to cut him off as he looks at her sadly.

"Look I'll try and see you tomorrow ok." Sara resolves as she heads off to catch up with Oliver and Slade who are almost at the door.

"Diggle!" Oliver shouts to get the mans attention.

"We're not fond of being played." Slade growls.

"I'm not sure what you mean." Diggle replies innocently.

"That's what you came to the island and brought us back to Starling City. These vigilante copycats." Oliver hisses,

"Well what if it was? They're just doing what you three did last year. Terrorising one percenters into cleaning up their act. Except they don't have the restraint the three of you showed." Diggle retorts as he is faced with angry expressions from each of them.

"Or the honour you three have…"

"We're done being the vigilantes. We're done with all that pain and misery it brought us. Being the vigilantes only brought out the people we were trying to leave behind." Oliver cuts him off.

"Maybe this town still needs the three vigilantes…"

"Now there four of them! How's that working out?" Slade snaps viciously.

"Just take us home." Oliver cuts in.

"The three of us have got a big day at the office tomorrow trying to save my family's company." Oliver informs him.

"Three of us?" Sara and Slade chime in.

"Thea's running the club now. We need jobs and it appears I'm going to end up working at my family's company now. Seems like that idea Thea had of the three of us working there is about to come true." He murmurs.

"I think I'll apply for my old bartender position back. I'm sure Thea will he ok with that." Sara says quickly as Oliver turns to Slade.

"Want to be my second in command?" Oliver offers.

"Business partners?"

"You've got to be joking me." Slade retorts.

"Hey it would be just like running Verdant again. Except it would be a multi million dollar company and we'd probably have to wear suits."

Slade glares at him for a moment before sighing in mild frustration.

"Fine! I'm only agreeing to this because I know you'll probably screw something up." He gives him a slight smirk as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"You really have no faith in me at all do you?" Oliver smirks.

"I wouldn't say no faith." Slade replies as Oliver shakes his head at his friend with a laugh.

"Diggle." Oliver turns to him.

"Absolutely." He opens the car door for him.

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance, Mr. Wilson." He mutters as the three look at him for a moment before climbing into the car…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"And in local news. Billionaire Oliver Queen has returned once again to Starling City with his girlfriend Sara Lance and their friend Slade Wilson…"

"Unbelievable." A man watching the news hisses, scoffing at the picture on the TV of Oliver Queen and co.

"We off the Mayor on live TV and what's the local news keep showing?" The man asks his friend rhetorically.

"Oliver Queen, his bitch and that Australian guy. Why?" The man walks away from the screen in disbelief.

"Guess he's taking over the family business." Another guy murmurs.

"We've been going about this all wrong!" The guy who had been watching the TV proclaims.

"What do you mean?" Another guy asks.

"If we want real payback. We got to take the fight to the name that did this to us." He declares viciously.

"Queen?" Another questions in shock.

"Yeah. He's just some useless brat." The man hisses before laughing.

"The Applied Sciences Division Of Queen Consolidated built the earthquake generator." The man points out as the others look away at the mention of the earthquake generator.

"If we want real justice then that family has to pat for the suffering it's caused us." He growls at the TV which still shows an image of Oliver Queen and posse.

"In full."

 _Verdant_

Roy stands at the Verdant bar as Thea passes him, not even acknowledging him as she walks past coldly.

"Hello? Earth to Queen." He turns to her.

"Did you drop a Vertigo when I wasn't looking?" He jokes causing Thea to smile softly.

"Just distracted." She replies.

"About your mom? You know I guessed it was bothering you since your brother brought it up. Or is this about that fight we had yesterday? Or is it the fact you're trying to work out how to tell said older brother, his girlfriend and their scary ex Australian military friend that I'm living with you in the apartment with them?" Roy chucks out some scenarios.

"You heard that about that? I thought you were too busy hiding behind the couch! Trying to quickly tidy up because you thought my brother and his friends would kill you." Thea smirks as Roy continues to follow her.

"What I lack in height I make up for in wicked good hearing." He retorts.

"Heh, well don't keep me in suspense, Harper." She stops in front of Roy.

"What's your take on the matter?" She offers him a chance to voice his opinion however quickly followed up with.

"Though, keep in mind I do control your pay check, where you currently live and your sex life." Thea smirks at him as he chuckles at her in response.

"Well, both my parents weren't worth a damn. Either of them." He notes.

"You never talk about them." She replies in a quiet voice.

"You got nothing nice to say, right? Still, I'd be glad to see them and talk to them, if I could, but…" He trails off as Thea looks at him with curiosity.

"Look, you already lost your dad. Your mom she's still here and I'm sure she'd love to see you." He reminds her.

"Sure she's dying to. Just like a lot of mothers in The Glades who won't ever get to see their kids again because my mother helped kill them, or had them so severely injured that they're probably never going to see them again. One of those people is the person I used to see as almost a second older brother. He's lying in a hospital bed in a coma which he's been in for a year because my mom decided to conspire in an event that put him in that position. He's probably never going to wake up. Let's not forget to mention that she also attempted to kill someone I care about and was the one of the first people in a long time to actually give a damn about what happened to me, who didn't even have to be there for me but was anyway, not to mention he's also the person who helped bring my brother home and made him see the light about how much of a bitch my mother is." Thea snaps at Roy, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I'm not going to that prison." She says with finality as she moves past Roy.

"It's the only way I know how to hurt her."

"You might want to consider just how much it's hurting you." Roy calls back as Thea just walks away yet surprisingly when she does so, she walks straight into Sara.

"Sara. What are you doing here?" Thea smiles at her as she automatically pulls her brothers girlfriend into a hug, having missed her being around the past year.

She always felt like she could go to Sara for woman to woman advice and there had been times when she felt as if she needed that the past year.

"Well as you probably know, Ollie and Slade are busy trying to save the company…"

"Wait. Slade's helping save my family's company?" Thea raises an eyebrow at Sara.

"Did Ollie get down on his hands and knees and beg him or something? Cause if he did that I wish I'd seen it." Thea smirks as Sara rolls her eyes at the girl.

"They just decided they'd work together on it. I on the other hand do not want to work at Queen Consolidated, I mean do you really see me working there Thea?" Sara smiles as Thea begins to laugh at the thought.

"Oh god no. I can barely imagine my brother and Slade working there. Definitely not you." She replies.

"Which is why I enjoyed my old job. I fitted right in." Sara informs her.

"Didn't you work here?" Thea frowns.

"I did. I was on of the bartenders." Sara replies as Thea whirls around.

"Are you asking for your job back or something?" She smiles, folding her arms.

"Is that ok with you?" Sara asks.

"Of course it is. Honestly, I need more bartenders." Thea explains as she squeezes Sara's arm affectionately.

"I'd love it if you came to work here." Thea admits.

"I'd like that to, boss." Sara smirks.

"Ooh I could get used to that." Thea grins as Sara laughs lightly.

"When should I start?" Sara asks.

"Tonight? Is that too soon? Tomorrow night perhaps, you know the hours. They haven't changed since you guys left." Thea explains to her as Sara nods.

"Tomorrow then." Sara agrees.

"Fantastic! Do you want to hang around here for a bit or?" Thea trails off.

"No can do right now, I said I'd meet my dad for up for lunch." Sara informs her.

"I'll see you three at home then, yeah?" Thea looks to her as Sara pulls the girl into another hug in farewell.

"See you at home." Sara reaffirms as she releases Thea on her way to the door.

"Hey Sara." Thea calls her back as she contemplates telling her about Roy and the current living situation.

"Yeah?" Sara folds her arms.

"Nothing. See you at home." Thea smiles, changing her mind last minute as Sara walks away from her.

It's still not the time!

 _Big Belly Burger_

After her successful talk with Thea, Sara heads to the Big Belly Burger where she'd promised to meet her dad for lunch in a message she'd sent him earlier after their reunion last night and how she'd been sharp with him after her reunion with Laurel.

She felt like she owed him lunch and catch up at the very least.

"Sara!" She hears her dad call her name as he enters the restaurant and heads toward the table she had chosen for them.

She stands to embrace him the minute he walks toward the table, which is when she notices the different uniform.

"What is it with the uniform? Is it fancy dress?" She smiles as he sits.

"Sadly not. It's one of the many joys of demotion from detective to officer." Quentin murmurs grimly.

"What happened? You never really explained it." She says in a gentle voice.

"I did a stupid thing. A stupid thing, that whilst it may have saved lives. This was the punishment for my apparent wrongdoings." He mutters, Sara nodding sympathetically as she does know why he was demoted.

Because he chose to work with the three vigilantes.

She, Oliver and Slade.

"Yet let's not talk about me. Let's hear about you. How was Europe?" He asks her.

"Nice. We did a lot of different things, saw so much. It was just really good, the three of us." Sara says with a smile as Quentin gives her a skeptical glance.

"You three were gone a year, Sara. I didn't think it would take a year to see the whole of Europe, I may be wrong here but." He looks at her with suspicion.

"Oh we went to other places as well. We just really enjoyed the travelling around, the freedom. It helped distract us from, you know." She says sadly.

"I get it, Sara. I really do but, sweetie you could have at least just picked up the phone, just to let us know you were ok. I was really worried." Quentin admits.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I don't know what else I can say other than I'm sorry." Sara sighs.

"It's fine baby girl, it's fine but, you know it's my job to worry about you, especially when you go missing for a whole year with your friends. I was concerned for a moment that the three of you had decided to relocate or something, I mean Slade's from Australia isn't he? Doesn't he have any desires to go home." Quentin questions.

"No, not really." Sara says truthfully.

"I was always concerned about what would happen if he ever did." Quentin reveals.

"Why's that?" She frowns.

"Because I know you and Oliver would have gone with him." Quentin states plainly and Sara can't even deny it because if that had been Slade's decision when they'd left the island that would have been what they would have done.

They're a family.

An unbreakable one…

"I take it you got to see Laurel at least last night?" He asks her as Sara nods.

"I don't think anything's changed either." Sara murmurs.

"Yeah, about that. What she said to you. There was stuff going on and…" He stops with a sigh as Sara folds her arms.

"What was going on? I know that she took what happened to Tommy pretty hard but it seems to me that it's more then just that." Sara replies as she runs a hand through her hair.

"It is." Quentin admits.

"What happened?" Sara questions.

"That's something only Laurel can tell you, I'm afraid." He sighs.

"But she won't talk to me." Sara protests.

"She will. I promise you, she will. Last night was a bit hectic as you know and Laurel had to do something." He stops again.

"What Laurel needs right now is as much love and support as possible, she needs you more than ever."

"But I thought if it was something really bad and that she needed help then she'd just come to me, not push me away, which is what she did." Sara reminds him.

"I know. I know Sara but promise me you'll go to her." Quentin practically begs as Sara is quiet for a moment.

"She needs you." He finishes, looking at his youngest daughter who says nothing in response, he hopes though that she'll listen to his words as right now they both need each other, so, so much.

 _Queen Consolidated_

"This probably wasn't one of my better ideas." Oliver murmurs to Slade as they stand side by side in the elevator, Diggle behind them.

"Ya think, kid? These suits are awful." He grumbles.

"I agree." Oliver sighs thinking of how Sara's probably at home in the apartment gloating right now that she doesn't have to be here.

But Slade is.

Despite everything Slade must think about his family, Moira especially, here he is.

"Thank you for not letting me do this alone." Oliver says after a moment.

"As I said. You'd probably screw something up and end up losing your company to these arseholes." Slade comments.

"I like the sound of that. My company." Oliver smirks as to think of it a year ago he wouldn't.

He wanted nothing more than to get away from this place.

"Don't get too cocky now kid." Slade mutters.

"Says the cockiest guy I know?" Oliver retorts.

"I see us being business partners has already gotten off to a wonderful start." He murmurs.

"Hey, when we get to keep the company, you're going to be my second in command." Oliver notes with a smile.

"You two are so confident this is going to go your way?" Diggle cuts in from behind.

"I say we have an excellent chance of things working out in our favour." Oliver replies.

"Says the guy who's last job was as a nightclub manager, spent last year on the island he tried escaping after being stranded there for five years, has only just gotten back and has hired an ex Australian intelligence agent who has probably never really set foot into these kind of place before as his business partner and plans to make him his second in command?" Diggle speaks his mind.

"You know, having Slade as my business partner is actually one of the reasons we have a good chance of things working out in our favour." Oliver responds.

"One of the smartest things I've heard you say in a while, kid." Slade smirks.

"So Slade knows how to help run a business?" Diggle asks skeptically.

"As a matter of fact I do." Slade retorts.

"He probably knows how to run this place better than I do." Oliver comments.

"You really are surprising me today, kid. Everything a'right?" Slade continues to smirk, Oliver nudges him sharply in response.

"How do you figure that?" Diggle frowns.

"One of my missions in the ASIS required me to go undercover in business back in Australia. I was undercover for about a year or more, picked up a few things." Slade informs them with a confident smirk.

"Which why he's going to be a brilliant business partner for me." Oliver replies as the elevator comes to a stop.

"Here we go." Oliver says in a dull voice.

"Hey, kid. You worry about your one, I'll worth about my ten." Slade smiles at him as Oliver laughs lightly in response.

"You know I'd rather do that mission all again than this?" Oliver comments.

"As would I. Let's treat this like we would a battle, hey?"

"We've had better strategies in battle than this." Oliver sighs.

"That we have." Slade retorts.

"But like in battle we've got each others backs." Oliver murmurs.

"Indeed." Slade finishes.

"Ohh dear god." Diggle mutters in response in the background at Oliver and Slade's apparent mindset on this whole matter!

The moment they enter the top floor Felicity moves to great them.

"They're in the conference room. Just FYI, no one is eating the bagels." She whispers before turning to Slade.

"What are you doing here?" She asks with a smile.

"Working with Oliver." Slade replies.

"Ohh thank god someone's got his back, that Isabel woman. She's already giving me the creeps and I wasn't even properly introduced to her and I need to shut up about now." Felicity moans as Oliver and Slade shake their heads at her.

"How's your hand?" Slade questions, looking down at her hand, which still has the makeshift bandage wrapped around it.

"Ohh. I forget about that. That cloth is just really soft. I forget it was even there!" Felicity babbles as Oliver gives Slade a glance as Slade walks up ahead to catch up to Oliver.

"What?" He snaps.

"Nothing." Oliver replies innocently.

"You surprise me, that's all."

"How do I surprise you, kid?" Slade retorts.

"You know why." Is all Oliver murmurs as the two head into the conference room where several people are sat at the table and the woman from the photos, Isabel Rochev is already on her feet and walking toward the two.

"Isabel Rochev." She speaks in a cold, yet confident voice as she holds out her hand.

"Oliver Queen, this is my associate Slade Wilson." Oliver introduces them as he shakes her hand before Slade does.

"Sorry we're late." He apologises.

"For this meeting, or a career in business?" She retorts sharply as Slade raises an eyebrow at her whilst Oliver simply smiles.

"I didn't realise hostile takeovers had so much hostility." He replies.

"Not at all. I'm actually in quite a good mood." She informs them as behind the two men, Diggle and Felicity glare at her with already evident dislike.

"Really?" Slade speaks up as the three sit down at the table.

"So destroying others companies is something that agrees with you?" He questions with as much coldness as Isabel had shown him.

"Winning agrees with me, Mr. Wilson." She replies.

"You haven't won yet, Ms. Rochev." He retorts with an almost smirk as silence passes between the group.

"Ok perhaps…"

"Since you majored in dropping out of college, let me out this in terms that are easy for you to understand." Isabel cuts Oliver off before he can even say anything.

"You control forty five percent of Queen Consolidated's stock. I control forty five percent. Leaving ten percent outstanding, but in two days the board will release the final ten percent…"

"And we'll buy it before you do." This time it's Oliver who cuts her off.

"With what money?" Isabel questions to silence from the others.

"I doubt that your trust fund is that large and no angel investor will go near the company that built the machine that destroyed half the city, not to mention why would they give the remaining ten percent to you, considering you had no interest in your family's company before now, yet somehow you think you and your friend who has only resided in Starling City for less than a year can run it together? I think not." She reminds them.

"Companies rise and fall, Mr. Queen. Your company has fallen."

 _Meanwhile…_

Out in the corridor, a man is walking down it toward the elevator which opens, revealing four hooded men, who knock the man unconscious, marching toward the main office with their weapons raised.

"OLIVER QUEEN!" The first yells, causing a surprised Oliver to stand immediately along with the rest of the people in the room as four hooded men suddenly burst into the room, all weapons aimed at Oliver.

"You have failed this city." Another hisses as Slade moves to stand between them, Oliver and Felicity, who looks around terrified as Diggle suddenly begins firing his weapon as everyone ducks as the four men begin to fire their own weapons as the rest duck to avoid being shot at under the table.

"PULL BACK!" Diggle yells to them as Oliver, Slade and Felicity get to their feet, Oliver stopping to help Isabel to her feet and toward safety.

"OLIVER GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!" Diggle commands as he keeps on firing back at the men, who continue to aim at Oliver, whom Slade defends as Oliver quickly gets the rest of the people, including Isabel into another room.

A hooded man approaches Slade and Oliver, whom both weapon less look around for something to defend themselves with.

Suddenly, the man hits the floor having being knocked out by Felicity of all people.

Oliver and Slade look to her for a moment just as the gunfire starts up again Slade grabbing Felicity to pull her out of the firing range as the men hit the glass wall behind them as Diggle continues to fire back as Oliver and Slade get to their feet, Slade reaching out to help Felicity up, the three of them racing toward another room.

"Quick! They're getting away!" A hooded man yells upon seeing Oliver Queen escaping with his two friends.

"Go move!" Another yells as they fire upon Oliver, Slade and Felicity as the three race toward the window both Oliver and Slade grabbing on to separate metal chains, Slade wrapping an arm tightly around Felicity as both Oliver and Slade crash through two windows, shattering the glass and using the metal chains as a rope to swing downwards toward two more windows on a lower floor of Queen Consolidated, Oliver and Slade using their feet to break the glass of the two windows they smash into, the three of them hitting the floor in a pool of broken glass.

"Kid, you ok?" Slade yells out to Oliver as he reaches out for Felicity's hand, whom looks at him with fearful eyes before gripping onto his hand.

"Yeah! I'm ok, you?" Oliver groans, rolling onto his back as he turns his head, looking around worriedly for Slade and Felicity, finding them both on the floor beside him.

"Ok, that was way worse than skydiving!" Is all Felicity can say as she tries to get to her feet, whilst trying to avoid being cut by all the glass on the floor, which from the slight pains she's feeling as the glass cuts into her skin, realizes she's failing miserably at!

"It's been awhile since I've had people shooting at me." Oliver comments as grabbing onto Slade's arm for support, the two get to their feet.

"I knew you'd manage to screw something up today, kid." Slade mutters.

"How is this my fault?" Oliver protests as Slade turns to help Felicity.

"Well they were pretty specific about who it was they wanted to kill!" Slade replies.

"Never thought I'd be on the other end of 'you have failed this city'." Oliver notes.

"I always thought it was a pretty stupid statement in the first place." Slade murmurs as Felicity tries to get to her feet with Slade's help, only to cry out when she realizes that glass shards have managed to get caught up in her heels.

"I think there's a possibility I may have glass in my shoes." Felicity winces as Slade nods before suddenly lifting her up into his arms, carrying her away from the broken glass whilst Felicity keeps her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Felicity." He says her name in a calm tone of voice.

"I would prefer it if you weren't trying to strangle me. It's a'right, I've got you." He assures her as Felicity finally loosens her grip and relaxes against him, kicking off his glass filled heels at the same time.

"I'm sorry this happened." Oliver finds himself apologizing.

"Why you apologizing, kid. I was only joking ya earlier." Slade frowns.

"They were after me and you two nearly got killed." Oliver murmurs.

"I think I managed to protect you both just fine." Slade replies.

"That you did." Felicity murmurs, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't have had to!" Oliver protests.

"They probably came after you because of your family's involvement in The Undertaking and when I mean your family, I mean your mother and your father, no just your mother considering I think your father backed out of it which is what got him killed and you and Sara stranded in Lian Yu for five years and I need to to shut up." Felicity babbles as Oliver looks to her as the three approach the staircase, figuring it safer to use the steps than the elevator right now.

"She's probably right, Oliver. After what your mother did there must be a lot of people out for blood and prepared to go after your family to get it." Slade notes as they continue to walk up the numerous stairs.

"That doesn't reassure me at all." Oliver replies.

"Yeah it wasn't meant to." Slade retorts as Oliver groans.

"I wonder if they've called the cops yet." He queries.

"Um. I think they probably have." Slade rolls his eye at him.

"It's already probably out on the news." Felicity adds.

"Yeah that's what I'm worried about." Oliver grimaces as Slade catches on and sighs.

"Sara." Is all he says.

"She's probably on her way here." Felicity comments.

"Yeah and probably worried out of her mind." Oliver murmurs as he reaches into his pocket for his phone, only to find it isn't there anymore.

"Great!" He mutters.

"Now I've got to get a new phone!"

Sometime later...

After finally conquering most of the stairs, Oliver, Slade and Felicity are stopped by Diggle, whom looked to have been looking for them.

"After I saw the window I gathered what you three had done, you all look a right mess." He notes as he pushes them all into a nearby office which luckily is empty.

"Nice to see you too Diggle." Oliver mutters dryly as Slade carefully puts Felicity down in a chair before looking at her briefly to see if she had obtained any injuries, noticing several cuts with glass shards in them on her feet, he moves to find the first aid kit, which doesn't take him too long to find and rejoins Felicity, whilst chucking several of the supplies at Oliver, so he can sort out his own various injures from the glass.

"Thanks." Oliver murmurs as he simply just pulls a rather large shard of glass out of his hand whilst Slade turns to deal with Felicity.

"Can't believe you managed to carry me up all those stairs." She murmurs as Slade kneels down beside her to tend to her wounds.

"Managed to practically carry both Oliver and Sara before now, you were nothing compared to the both of them." He replies as he pulls some of the glass from her feet with tweezers.

"Of course you could, I mean look at you…" Felicity starts before stopping and squeezing her eyes shut tight in embarrassment as Slade merely rolls his eye at her and continues to pull out the shards.

"Thank you." Felicity smiles slightly as she rests her hand on Slade's shoulder.

"What for?"

"Saving my life, again. This is getting a bit of a habit." She replies with a small laugh.

"You're welcome." He murmurs as he finally gets the last of the shards out for her.

"You're lucky, you don't need stitches." He comments.

"Don't happen have another one of these rags do you?" Felicity asks him whilst gazing at the soft rag still wrapped around her hand.

"I do not. Bandages will have to suffice." He smirks as he carefully bandages her feet.

"You know, Felicity. That soft rag you seem to love happens to be…" Oliver is cut off with a groan as something hard collides with his head, Slade having thrown the nearest thing he could get his hands on at Oliver's head to shut him up.

"What?" Felicity frowns at him.

"A soft rag." Oliver finishes, rubbing his now sore head, Slade satisfied with his answer before turning to Felicity.

"You hurt anywhere else?" He asks her as she shakes her head.

"I'm ok, thanks." She smiles, even more so when Slade pats her cheek gently as he gets to his feet.

"I told you those psychos are out of control." Diggle murmurs.

"Which is why you got us off the island. You shouldn't have bothered…"

"Oliver!" Both Felicity and Diggle snap in an instant.

"If you had just left things alone." Oliver turns on them.

"This never would have happened."

 _Later…_

Sometime later, but not too much later SCPD finally arrive on the scene as Oliver, Diggle, Slade and Felicity finally make it to the top floor, now the scene of the crime, Oliver and Slade moving toward Isabel Rochev, whom had survived the ordeal, having hidden in the nearby next door office when Oliver and Slade had held the hooded men off long enough for her to sneak out of the firing line and to safety.

"Ms. Rochev." Slade calls to her as he and Oliver approach her.

"We're sorry about this." Oliver apologizes politely as Isabel begins to walk away from them.

"Because they were after you, Mr. Queen?" She grumbles.

"Because what happens in this building is my responsibility." Oliver replies.

"Only for the next forty eight hours." She retorts sharply before storming away, Oliver sighing in despair.

"She is one hell of a woman." Slade mutters.

"You got that right." Oliver grumbles as he scrapes more glass off his clothing.

"Ollie, Slade!" Comes the voice of Sara as she races into the office, a deeply concerned expression upon her face as she launches herself into Oliver's arms in an instant, whom holds her close against him and kisses her forehead.

"Thank god you pair are okay, dad and I saw it on the news then he was called to the scene of the crime, you pair are okay, right?" She pulls back to look both of them over, lifting her hand to rest it on Oliver's cheek when she sees the small cuts the glass had caused.

"Yeah we're fine, nothing we couldn't handle." Slade replies as Sara just shakes her head at them both before falling back into Oliver's embrace again as he strokes her hair with one hand lovingly.

Meanwhile, Felicity, whom had retrieved her emergency set of shoes from the IT Department, walks, wincing slightly on wounded feet toward Quentin Lance, who stands by one of the shattered windows, probably the one she, Slade and Oliver jumped out of!

"I still can't get used to you in that uniform, Detective Lance." She comments as he turns around to face her.

"It's officer now." He sighs almost resentfully.

"And I'm just glad it still fits." He comments as he looks at the IT girl in front of him

"They hurt you?"

"I'm ok." Felicity nods with a smile, glancing briefly toward Slade, Oliver and Sara a moment.

"You, uh, heard anything from out mutual friends lately?" He asks her quietly, referring to the three vigilantes who had not been seen since The Undertaking.

"Nope." Felicity sighs, with another look to the side.

"In fact, I keep waiting for them to show up."

 _CEO's Office_

"You know, thinking about it now, you two probably could have stopped those guys." Felicity comments as she, Diggle, Slade, Oliver and Sara head into a separate office which Walter Steele used to reside in as the CEO.

"Not without giving Isabel Rochev and The Hoods a pretty good idea of what we're capable of, not to mention we were a woman down." Oliver replies sternly with a glance to Sara.

"Ohh please, you could have taken them on without Sara! Actually, I'm pretty sure Slade could have; in fact he probably could have taken them by himself." Felicity notes with folded arms.

"Same thing Felicity." Slade murmurs.

"Actually it isn't, everyone knows your ex military and that your pretty damn good in a fight." She reminds him as he just ignores her.

"I think what Felicity's wondering is whether you two avoided taking those hoods on and guys, she's not the only one wondering." Diggle admits.

"We told you. We did not come back to Starling City to be the vigilantes!" Oliver shouts.

"But they came after you, Oliver and the two of you could have taken them out!"

"No we couldn't Diggle." Oliver cuts him off, silence passing between the group for a long few moments.

"Look, there's a part of being the three vigilantes that neither one of you are considering. The body count." Oliver finishes.

"And between the three of us there has been one hell of a body count. People are afraid of the Deathstroke, the villain, the monster because of the body count he has left in his wake. That he has taken down so many people, massacred a whole load of them in the name of revenge. That there has been so much blood spilt from him that he got used to it." Slade mutters as Felicity just looks at them.

"And excuse me for saying this, but so what? Since when did either of you start caring about that?" She shouts ferociously.

"It isn't that for me. It's that every time I put on that mask I'm Deathstroke, whether I like it or not. I tried to cover that up with The Man In The Mask but it didn't work, there's nothing I can do but not be The Man In The Mask to put Deathstroke down in the past for good." Slade snaps at her before turning to the window.

"I became The Woman In Black in a similar way Slade became The Man In The Mask to try and bury what he was, Deathstroke because I was trying to bury something I was, a killer. A cold hearted killer who would left a trail of bodies behind in her wake, so many people and I thought being The Woman In Black would bury that part of me for good, but like said the only way to bury the villain for good is not to be it." Sara shouts also as Diggle and Felicity turn to Oliver, who drapes his arm around Sara's shoulders.

"And for me. It is the body count after everything that happened with The Undertaking." Oliver stops as Diggle looks to him.

"Since Tommy ended up in that coma?" He asks gently.

"After he found out our secret, do you know what Tommy called Sara and I?" Oliver asks to silence from the others.

"Murderers." Sara finishes.

"He was right. My best friend went it that coma thinking that we were murderers and we've got to face the facts here; he's been in this coma over a year he is probably never going to wake up and we're deluding ourselves thinking that he will and anyone that we kill dishonors him." Oliver says in a quiet voice.

"So don't." Felicity replies.

"It's not like you three have killed every guy you've faced…"

"We could have." Slade cuts her off.

"Because when we become the vigilantes, it's kill or be killed. That is what has kept us alive." He says sharply.

"It's kept us alive for five years, longer in Slade's case on that island." Oliver adds on.

"And this is what we should have stayed on the island." Slade snaps at her as the three of them turn to the door.

"Is that where you three are going now?" Felicity whispers.

"If the two of you wont help me save my family's company, Sara, Slade and I are going to talk to somebody who will." Oliver snaps back as they storm out of the office…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and a Happy New Year to you all! Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited and reviewed, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter, see you all next update**


	74. City Of Heroes (4)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Seventy Four**

 _Slade walks on ahead of the four, the device in one hand, his other hand in Shado's as they walk through the forest._

 _"Well someone's definitely out there." Slade comments as he looks back to Oliver and Sara._

 _"They're moving closer."_

 _"Well that's just great isn't it?" Oliver mutters sarcastically._

 _"Sarcasm Ollie. You're hanging out with Slade too much." Sara chuckles as she nudges him._

 _"Too much, I agree, considering he finds great joy in kicking my ass every day." Oliver mutters, with a tone of resentment in his voice._

 _"That I do." Slade smirks._

 _"Hey, Oliver is getting better, you even mentioned that yourself the other night." Shado reminds him, squeezing his hand tighter._

 _"I think I also said, not to mention that to him as well." Slade replies._

 _"We should praise them more, they're doing a great job." Shado suggests._

 _"Aww, thanks Shado!" Oliver calls to her._

 _"We start praising them they're going to get cocky and complacent and that's what will get them killed." Slade retorts._

 _"How about I praise them when I think they deserve it instead." Shado suggests._

 _"You do what you think's best my love. I'll do things my way." Slade concludes._

 _"You normally always do." Shado smirks as she leans into him slightly._

 _"You know they argue like an old married couple." Sara murmurs into Oliver's ear._

 _"Don't we know it." Oliver replies._

 _"Heard that." Slade mutters._

 _"Of course he did." Oliver grumbles._

 _"That to." Slade adds._

 _"Hey, let's not forget the time when we went running in the morning and I kicked your ass when I just streaked past you." Oliver reminds him of his own accomplishment, which he still feels a sense of pride from every time he thinks of it._

 _"Ohh yes! I remember that, Ollie you came running back to the plane cheering about it and woke Shado and I up!" Sara reminds him with mock annoyance in her voice._

 _"I was still recovering from that bullet that son of a bitch Fyers shot into my leg!" Slade mutters gruffly in explanation._

 _"Yeah right! You just can't face the fact that I'm better at you at something!" Oliver sniggers as Shado suddenly releases Slade's hand and turns and heads up the side of a bank._

 _"Where do you think you're going?" Slade says in an instant._

 _"Flanking position." Shado states._

 _"They get the drop on you, you'll want some back up sweetheart. Sara, would you like to come with me?" She offers as Sara looks to Oliver for a moment before nodding._

 _Shado replies her thanks to Sara in Chinese who nods before turning to Oliver, pressing a kiss to his lips as he holds her close against him, honestly not really wanting to let go of her at all, but with one more kiss her does and she waits for a moment to kiss him just once more before taking off after Shado, saying something to Oliver in Chinese herself, who replies back, also in Chinese with a smile._

 _"You pair really are improving." Shado smiles proudly at the two of them._

 _"She's teaching you two how to speak Chinese to one another. How sweet." Slade says sarcastically with a roll of his eyes as Oliver turns to him._

 _"I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you too." Oliver smirks almost gleefully as Slade raises an eyebrow at him before walking over to where Shado and Sara stand, muttering something with a confident smirk in perfect Chinese to Shado, who smiles back before approaching him, putting her bow down for a moment so she can put both her hands against his cheeks before responding to him in Chinese and kissing him, smiling against his lips when he coils his arms around her tight before releasing her, both Oliver and Slade watching as their beloved women head off into the forest together._

 _"Seriously?" Oliver shakes his head at Slade, whom smirks in response._

 _"Is there nothing you can't do?" Oliver questions sarcastically._

 _"Not really, no." Slade replies as Oliver rolls his eyes at him._

 _"I actually know quite a few languages, kid." He comments._

 _"Learn those at Australian Spy School as well?" Oliver mutters._

 _"As a matter of fact I did have to learn a variation of different languages for my job in the ASIS. I had to learn Chinese in particular for this mission." Slade grumbles as a memory threatens to resurface of he and Wintergreen testing one another on their knowledge of how to speak the language and having a bit of laugh at the same time…_

 _"You know, I think it's adorable how you and Shado have pet names for each other…"_

 _"Want to say that again, kid?" Slade hisses, his hand on his knife as Oliver takes no notice._

 _"What? It's cute!" Oliver sniggers as he ducks to avoid Slade throwing a rock at him._

 _"Do I comment on what you and Sara like to call one another?" Slade growls._

 _"As a matter of fact you do! I called her 'honey' once when you were first training us and you threatened to slit my throat." Oliver reminds him as Slade glares at him._

 _"You can't say anything now, of course." Oliver chuckles as Slade looks to reply with something quite vicious and probably threatening when a gunshot can be heard from quite near by…_

 _"SARA!"_

 _"SHADO!" Oliver and Slade yell simultaneously as both men instantly take off in the direction Shado and Sara went in._

 _"Slade! Oliver!" Shado calls back from the forest floor, her green hood and bow on the floor, blood pooling from a wound on her head._

 _Sara is no where to be found._

 _"What happened?" Slade crouches down beside her as she puts her arms around his neck and buries the good side of her face into his chest._

 _"Sara! Where's Sara?" Oliver cries desperately, looking around for her with something close to desperation._

 _"I. I don't know. They took her…" Shado stammers._

 _"They took her? Who took her? What the hell happened? Where is she!" Oliver yells ferociously, turning on Shado completely enraged._

 _"I don't…"_

 _"WHERE IS SHE?"_

 _"OLIVER!" Slade bellows furiously to snap him out of it._

 _"This is not her fault." He growls quietly as Oliver blinks rapidly a few times before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose._

 _"Shado, I'm. I'm so sorry." Oliver says shakily, ashamed of how he'd just shouted at her like that when she's been attacked to and from the blood, wounded to. She nods at him._

 _"It's ok Oliver." She replies with a reassuring look his way._

 _"They came out of nowhere. Sara and I tried to fight them, they shot at me, they missed, sort of." Shado explains, touching the side of her head gingerly as Slade grabs her arms tightly and turns her around so she's facing him._

 _"It just scraped the skin. I'm fine." She assures Slade._

 _"I ducked just in time but they must have thought they had killed me and they…They took Sara." She finishes sadly._

 _"I couldn't stop them, I'm sorry Oliver." She apologises._

 _"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Oliver replies._

 _"Do you know what direction they went in, love?" Slade asks her carefully._

 _"They went left." She murmurs as Oliver just suddenly takes off running._

 _"Kid!" Slade calls out to him as he and Shado sigh before chasing after their troubled friend._

 _Starling City_

After leaving Queen Consolidated Diggle and Felicity. Oliver, Sara and Slade walk down the street side by side one another whilst trying to figure out what to do next.

"So kid, what's the plan because that woman isn't going down without a fight." Slade speaks up first.

"So you've both met this Isabel Rochev then? What is she like?" Sara asks.

"Cold." Oliver mutters.

"Incredibly driven. This is going to be a harder fight than we anticipated." Slade murmurs.

"I agree." Oliver admits grimly as he stops and looks to both Sara and Slade.

"Honestly, I really don't know what we can do here, there's no one who knows the business left!" Oliver mutters as silence passes between the three.

"Perhaps it was a bad idea." He grumbles.

"It wasn't, kid." Slade assures him as Oliver gives him a grateful glance.

"Ollie, how desperate are you to save your family's company?" Sara sighs after a moment.

"Pretty desperate Sara, you know that." Oliver replies as she runs her hand through her hair.

"There's someone still here you could talk to." She admits.

"Who?" Oliver folds his arms.

"You know who, Ollie." Sara says gently as Oliver shakes his head.

"No. No way absolutely not." Oliver says sternly.

"Ollie..."

"Have you forgotten that she tried and nearly succeeded in having Slade killed? I can't ever forgive her for that." Oliver murmurs.

"You don't have to forgive her Ollie. You just have to talk to her, you don't know. She could help you save the company." Sara suggests.

"I disagree with you ever letting that woman in again, you know I do after everything she did but Sara has a point." Slade mutters as Oliver looks to them both in disbelief.

"Didn't she run it once?"

"Yeah when she had her husband abducted!" Oliver protests.

"And Ollie. Despite everything she did, despite the fact you may never forgive her for what she did and none of us blame you here after everything she caused she did come clean at the end and gave those people a chance to get out of The Glades." Sara reminds him as Oliver sighs deeply.

"Despite what we all may think and feel about her. We can't forget that." She looks to them both as Oliver sighs deeply.

"You're right." He admits.

"We can't."

 _Iron Heights Prison_

Oliver, Sara and Slade sit at a table in the Iron Heights Prison as they watch as one of iron gates are opened.

Moira Queen enters the room and cannot believe her eyes when she sees Oliver, Sara and Slade sitting side by side on another, having not laid eyes on her son in a year.

"Hey." Oliver starts first, waiting a moment as his mother sits across from them.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it here sooner." He decides to stay after a moment.

"Oh, no, no, no. Please, Oliver. There are going to be enough apologies with me apologising to you." She stops before looking to Sara and Slade.

"The three of you for the rest of my life. What I did was unforgivable and I honestly cannot believe the three of you are sitting in front of me right now after I did." She looks to the three of them with sad eyes.

"I wasn't going to come." Oliver admits bluntly as Moira looks up at him before slowly nodding as if understanding completely and she does.

"Because mom, I am angry and I'm still angry at you for what you did and the fact you tried to have my best friend killed but Sara reminded me of something I'd forgotten." Oliver takes Sara's hand in one of his before looking to Moira.

"That your warning saved hundreds of lives."

"And killed hundreds more." She murmurs as silence passes because there's no doubt that she's right.

"Including Tommy." She mutters.

"Tommy's not dead." Oliver reminds her as Moira looks at her son with widened eyes.

"What? He's still in a coma?" She whispers.

"Yes." Oliver nods.

"After all this time?" She trails off.

"We're still hopeful he'll come out of it." Oliver admits as Moira looks to Sara, who shares a similar expression to Slade's.

One of disbelief at Oliver's words.

"Malcolm did that to him." Sara speaks up after a moment.

"Well, Thea doesn't see it that way." Moira cuts her off with a sad look.

"And you know, my attorney is just thrilled." Moira murmurs sarcastically.

"I mean if my own daughter can't forgive me, she's not too optimistic about twelve strangers in a jury box." Moira admits as silence passes between the four for a minute.

"All right. Enough of that." Moira says sternly before facing Oliver.

"How has it been going at Queen Consolidated?" She asks as more silence passes as Oliver, Sara and Slade glance at her in momentarily surprise.

"Yes, we do get the news in here."

"Right." Oliver can't help but smirk briefly.

"If I had known the key to you taking your rightful place at the company was its demise. I would have declared bankruptcy a year ago." Moira admits.

"But I don't know if I'll get to run it for long." Oliver reveals to her.

"Stellmoor." He states as Moira winces at the name.

"Their VP is coming after us hard." Oliver explains.

"Isabel Rochev." Moira guesses.

"Yes." Oliver nods.

"Interesting woman that one." Slade mutters.

"Do not trust that woman, she is dangerous." Moira says sharply.

"Well, mom. Everywhere we look, there are no good options. We don't know what do to." Oliver admits to her as Moira shakes her head.

"You don't have to do it by yourself." She reminds him softly.

"That's the thing, I'm not." Oliver informs her as Moira frowns.

"Slade has been helping me."

"Oliver. I know I have no right to say anything against him after what I did but are you sure that was a wise decision?" She asks with an anxious glance at Slade who gives her a skeptical glance in response.

"He actually probably knows more about running businesses than I do." Oliver reveals.

"Do I want to know?" Moira sighs.

"Probably not." Slade mutters before looking to her.

"But that Rochev woman is very driven and as Oliver said it isn't looking like it will go our way which is why Sara convinced him to come here." Slade explains matter of factly.

"I don't really know what I can say here other than that. Oliver, remember that this is a family business." Moira reminds him as Oliver scoffs.

"Yeah mom. I love Thea but I don't think she wants anything to do with it. I mean you have no idea how long it took me to get Slade to agree to help and Sara flatly refused… Is bribery an option here?"

"I wasn't talking about Thea, or Sara." Moira sighs, cutting Oliver off with a knowing smile at the three

She has a plan.

 _Verdant_

At Verdant, the air is filled with loud rowdy club music which many people in the club are excitedly dancing to without a care in the world, lost in the smoke and lasers…

"Table seven needs bottle service and I need a round of martins on table three top." Thea commands to a bartender as she puts down a neon tray she was carrying.

"Urgh. I can't wait until Sara starts working here." She sighs with a glance at the bar, which she hopes very soon Sara will be bartending at as she sees Roy approaching her.

"Speaking of her; did you manage to tell her, your brother and his friend that I'm now living with the four of you?" Roy asks.

"That did not come up." She admits.

"You're going to have to tell them at some point Thea. I mean the guy has a sword collection. What's going to happen one night if I decide to get up to get something or go to the bathroom and I walk into one of them? Because it's going to happen." Roy protests.

"We just listen out carefully to and choose our moments?" Thea suggests meekly.

"We can't do that forever." Roy reminds her.

"We could try?" Thea shrugs her shoulders.

"Ohh come on, you know just as well as I do that it won't work and honestly, I don't put it past your brother or his friend to kill me with one of those swords!"

"Neither do I." Thea murmurs under her breath.

"Thea!" Roy protests.

"Sorry. We'll talk to them, I promise you and we'll do it together." She smiles.

"Or you can talk to them and I'll be on the other side of town…"

"Together, Harper." Thea says sternly, holding out her hand, Roy takes it.

"Together, Queen." He says with equal sternness as he moves to pick up an empty tray off a nearby table.

"Did you go and see your mom yet?" He asks her, putting down a tray of his own as Thea sighs at him brining up that subject again.

"I thought about what you said." She starts.

"And?" He replies expectantly.

"And." Thea starts as she takes another step closer to Roy.

"I'll go see her when you stop going out at night looking to clean up the streets!" She bargains with folded arms.

"What does one thing have to do with the other?" Roy retorts.

"I guess they're both things that are never gonna happen." Thea shakes her head at him before simply walking away, Roy watching after her.

Both blissfully unaware of the hooded men walking into Verdant amongst the dancers, blending into the shadows before reaching the centre of the club and firing their weapons into the air to get everyone's attention.

It works as all people instantly drop to the floor in fear and attempt to shield themselves from the gunfire from this sudden attack.

One of the hooded men even fire at the the DJ booth to shut off the music.

"We're looking for Oliver Queen!" One hooded man yells as he walks through the crowd of people on the floor, some still screaming and shielding themselves hopefully from attack.

Also crouched down on the floor, Roy and Thea look to one another worriedly at the mention of her brother's name.

"He's back in this town. He owns this dump. Where can we find him?" Another man yells to complete silence from the crowd other than whimpers from terrified patrons.

"Ok then. Plan B." The hooded man shouts out.

"I'm going to start shooting people until Mr. Queen…" He stops as he pulls one of the women of the floor, throwing her back down again in the centre, gun aimed to kill her.

"Grows a pair!" He snaps.

More silence passes as everyone knows that no one can help this poor woman without getting killed themselves.

That is everyone except Roy Harper whom suddenly leaps up from his position by Thea and races toward the hooded men.

"Roy!" Thea cries in horror as he tackles the hooded man holding the gun at the woman to the floor.

He then turns to the other one about to fire his weapon at Roy, battling with him for a moment before pulling the gun out of his hand and actually taking off the man's hand with it as he pushes the guy to the floor, who screams out in pain, clutching his hand as Roy picks up the gun from the floor, aiming it at the other hooded man.

However, suddenly without him even seeing it, one hooded man reaches down and yanks Thea from the floor, who cries out as he holds the weapon to her head as Roy whirls around at the sound of her cries only to see the man holding her and the gun that is pointed at his girlfriend's head.

Silence passes as he aims the gun their direction before at the other hooded mans direction, unsure of what to do in this moment that will get everyone in here out of here alive.

Especially Thea.

"Back off hero!" The hooded man holding Thea growls suddenly.

"I'm just as happy to kill this Queen as her brother." He threatens as Roy takes a step toward them with the weapon still raised.

"Let's go!" The hooded man suddenly commands, as he drags a struggling Thea away.

"Roy! Help! Roy!" Thea continues to cry out for him as she is dragged away, Roy unable to do anything as one of hooded men continue to stand in front of him with their weapon just to ensure Roy doesn't decide to play the hero.

He doesn't.

He just stands there completely helpless as his girlfriend is dragged away from him.

A whole room of people are safe because of what he probably did.

But because of what he did. Thea's not safe.

Thea's not safe right now at all…

 _Sometime Later…_

Having gotten wind of the unsettling disturbance at Verdant on the news and knowing that Thea is more than likely going to be there working, Oliver, Sara and Slade race down to Verdant in an instance where, when they finally get there the thee of them see that it's practically overrun by members of the SCPD.

"One of the guys was missing a hand." Roy, still actually rather shaken up is busy explaining the description of the guys he had tried to take on.

Failed to take on. They still took Thea despite everything he did to try and protect everyone.

"Mostly, anyway. He still had sutures." Roy informs Quentin who is taking the information from him as Oliver, Sara and Slade march over toward them.

"What's going on here?" Oliver asks sternly as Quentin and Roy look up at them, Roy bowing his head slightly at the sight of Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Sara, ohh thank god you weren't working today." Quentin sighs in almost relief as he puts one arm around his daughter when she approaches them.

"What happened?" Slade questions.

"It was the hood again." Quentin states, taking a moment of silence before looking to Oliver with a grim expression upon his face.

"They came here looking for you Oliver. They. They took Thea instead. I'm so, so sorry." He reveals to them as the three freeze in an instant at the words.

"Where?" Oliver snaps in an instant.

"I'm sorry." Roy suddenly cuts in, causing the three to look at him in a split second.

"I really tried to stop them, in intervened when they threatened to start shooting but when I did they grabbed Thea…"

"They grabbed her?" Oliver snarls advancing on Roy with Slade at his side.

" I tried to stop them I just…"

"You should have tried harder!" Slade growls as he and Oliver resist the urge to attack Roy where he stands who looks down in deep guilt.

However, instead of attacking Roy, Oliver and Slade simply move away, Sara following them moments later when she realises where they're going.

"Sara, Oliver, Slade!" Quentin calls them back as they walk away.

Oliver being the only one to turn back.

"We'll get Thea back." He promises as he watches Sara take Oliver's hand.

"We've just got to check on something downstairs." Sara says in explanation, which is not only heard by Quentin but by Diggle and Felicity whom are both quick in pursuit as the three head in the direction of the basement…

 _The Foundry_

"I've. I've made a few improvements down here!" Felicity calls nervously as she races after Oliver, Sara and Slade after they unlock the basement door for the first time in a year and head down those steep metal steps.

Catching up to them, Felicity moves past them so she can get there before them and races toward the light switch.

"Just in case, you know." She grabs the switch as Oliver, Sara and Slade move toward the centre of the room.

"You three ever decided to come back." Lights illuminate The Foundry and what Oliver, Sara and Slade see stops them in their tracks as they look around at the 'improvements' Felicity has made to The Foundry, which had once been their simple base only a year ago.

However, now, their base is far from a simple one.

There are lights set up everywhere, illuminating the whole basement.

All the old crap that once filled the room is also gone and the room looks even bigger, yet it is filled with steel tables, everything is steel, the cabinets, the tables.

Tables of weapons they used, new and old ones, Oliver, Sara and Slade can tell.

At the far end is a set up of even newer computers then Felicity had installed last year, which all switch on along with the lights.

On the left of the computers is glass cabinets of weapons, racks of arrows, racks of batons, racks of swords.

On the right of the computers is what draws Oliver, Sara and Slade's attention the most.

Three glass cabinets standing side by side.

One contains The Man In The Hood's vigilante uniform.

The second contains The Woman In Black's uniform.

The third and final one contains The Man In The Mask's uniform, which Slade can already tell with one single glance that it's been altered ever so slightly.

Beyond surprised to see Oliver, Sara and Slade speechless for the first time since they met them, Diggle exchanges a knowing smirk with Felicity.

"Well." Sara laughs in sheer amazement with her arms a folded as she looks around in awe at what the 'improvements' are.

Improvements being an understatement.

"Ok." Oliver starts as he breaks out of the shocked silence himself.

"We need to find these guys." He says all business like as the three move around The Foundry to take a closer look at what's been done.

"I've been trying, ever since you three got back." Felicity informs them as she begins to move toward the computers.

"I figured you three would come around eventually." She smiles as she watches as Oliver, Sara and Slade stop beside The Salmon Ladder, which they have just realised is still here despite all the new improvements and doesn't look like it's been altered either.

"I kept that." Felicity notes with a slight smile.

"I liked watching Slade do that… I mean. I liked watching all three of you do that. I always thought it looked very impressive." Felicity babbles as she pinches the bridge of her nose in deep embarrassment as Oliver, Sara and Slade roll their eyes at her.

"Thea's boyfriend said one of them was missing part of his hand." Oliver informs her.

"Veteran maybe?" Slade folds his arms as Felicity sits at the computers, typing away.

"Check hospital records for any males that have had surgical amputations on their extremities." He suggests as Felicity nods and continues to type.

"Cross checking by race and age." She thinks aloud as she scans down a list.

"Got one." She notes, highlighting it.

"Jeff Deveau. African American, late thirties." She brings up the basic information.

"What else can you get on him?" Oliver requests as Felicity types some more.

"Ex marine." She reveals.

"Explains how he can handle himself." Diggle notes.

"Did he lose his hand overseas?" Sara asks.

"No. In the earthquake." Felicity says in a small voice as she skim reads the news report.

"Says here he and his wife were trying to make it across the fifty second street bridge when it collapsed." She winces, stopping for all of a moment.

"She didn't make it."

"Phone records, please. We need to know who he's in contact with." Oliver orders as Felicity moves to an tort computer screen as Oliver, Sara and Slade start to walk around the improved foundry.

"He's made a lot of calls to a church in The Glades. Something called Standing Strong. It's a support group for those who lost loved ones in the quake." Felicity says in a sad voice as she thinks back to all the fatalities that horrific night of The Undertaking.

"Great place to meet three other guys just as angry as you." Diggle sighs at the thought.

"Looking for a little payback." He murmurs as he watches Oliver, Sara and Slade look to the left side where all the newly improved and old weapons lie.

"Get us an address, please." Oliver murmurs as silence passes between the five for a moment before Diggle looks to Felicity expectantly, whom nods and gets to her feet.

"Oliver, you're going to need this if you're going out there tonight." Felicity says as she walks over toward a create, which she opens up to reveal a brand new bow.

It's black, technical looking with a green bow string.

"I had it custom made." She grins proudly when Oliver whirls around, looking stunned at the sight of the new bow, before moving toward it.

"How did I do?" She asks as Oliver picks it up, testing the weight and just taking in every aspect of the new weapon.

"It's perfect." He sighs as Diggle and Felicity smiles happily at his reaction.

"Sara." Felicity moves to take her hand before pulling her over toward another crate.

A rather long one.

"This I got made for you." She smiles as Sara opens the lid to see a very long thin metal pole.

"Is this for training to kick Ollie and Slade's assess with?" Sara asks with a smile as she lifts the actually rather light pole that is almost as tall as her.

"You could use it for that." Felicity holds out her hand, taking it from Sara before pulling it apart into two separate silver batons.

"Or you could use it like that." Felicity smiles as Sara beams and takes the now two batons from Felicity before reconnecting them to make on long pole again.

"It's amazing." She whispers in awe.

"Thank you." Sara smiles warmly as Felicity pats her arm affectionately before turning around to face Slade and Oliver, who's still admiring his new bow.

"Don't think I forgot you Slade." Felicity grins as she heads toward the glass cabinet that contains The Man In The Mask's uniform.

"I hope you're not mad at me but I made a few changes." She says as she pulls the mask out of the cabinet.

"It was a bit of a mess after The Undertaking, the paint was chipped and I swear it had a dent in it somewhere so I had it refurbished." She informs him as he takes the metal black and orange mask from her, holding it in his hand as he watches as the light catches it and the metal almost gleams, he turns around to look at her, about to say something when Felicity starts talking again.

"I also made a few tweaks to the uniform. Did you know how many bullet holes were in that thing? How many times exactly have you been shot at Slade?" Felicity asks as she approaches him, coming to stand behind him as he looks at the uniform within the case.

"I don't think there's a number big enough." Oliver mutters under his breath.

"I refurbished the armour on it. It's now mostly bullet hole-less and I fixed the second sword holder on the back so you can fit two swords in there again now." Felicity continues as she looks to Slade.

"So… What do you think?" She asks in a nervous voice due to Slade's silence, who simply nods and looks to her.

"Impressive." He gives her a half smirk.

"That's high praise coming from him believe me." Oliver comments as Sara nods also to back up Oliver's point as Felicity continues to grin, looking to the three of them.

"You three were right." She says in a quiet voice.

"Once I signed on, I stopped thinking about all the bodies you three dropped and what happened in your pasts that forged these vigilante personas you three took on. Because I knew that you three being the vigilantes meant occasionally being killers." Felicity admits as Slade continues to glance at his vigilante uniform as Oliver and Sara move towards theres.

"Maybe there's another way." She notes.

"They have Thea." Oliver murmurs in a grim voice.

"What other way is there?"

 _In the dark of the night, Oliver, Slade and Shado creep silently through the forest, using the device from Fyers camp to locate the intruders on the island whom had hurt Shado and taken Sara._

 _Slade is ahead, the device clutched tightly in one hand, his other hand in Shado's as Oliver follows behind both of them._

 _He had been racing ahead of them until Slade had made him hang back for the safety of all three of them, sensing that Oliver is in a rather rash mood currently after how he had behaved around Shado when they had reunited with her yet only to find Sara gone._

 _Hearing the men up a head and actually seeing the three of them though the plants._

 _Slade pulls Shado and Oliver behind one of them, watching the men who are all heavily armed walk around a rock in the centre of the clearing where Sara sits, seemingly unharmed from what Slade can see._

 _However, the moment Oliver comes to the standstill beside Shado and Slade, he sees what they do and that is Sara, sitting on the rock whilst men with guns walk around her, she looks unharmed, Oliver believes from what he can see from his position._

 _She looks scared though…_

 _Frightened and scared._

 _They're terrorising her…_

 _In an instant Oliver begins to move from his position behind the plants in order to attack these people head on and rescue Sara from them, however his sudden plan is stopped in its tracks as Oliver moves, only to be yanked right back again by Slade, who has his arm in one of his iron grip holds._

 _"What are you doing?" Slade hisses._

 _"We need to save her!" Oliver protests, trying to break out of Slade's hold._

 _"Oliver, no." Shado says as if to back Slade up as Oliver continues to fight against him._

 _"Listen, kid." Slade snarls, dragging Oliver so that they're standing face to face, Slade still keeping a firm hold on the kid._

 _"You are not the only one who cares for her." Slade growls before looking back to the armed men and Sara._

 _"But there a lot of em." He comments._

 _"I could try taking a few of them out from here but the wind is strong. It could go wrong." Shado warns them with a cautious glance at Slade._

 _"Both of you, wait for my signal." He warns them, releasing Oliver when he's some what convinced that he isn't about to do anything stupid._

 _He, Shado and Oliver just waiting._

 _Waiting for the right moment to attack._

 _Meanwhile…_

 _"Where are the graves?" One of the armed men closest to where Sara sits on the rock as her in a dangerous sounding tone of voice._

 _"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Sara cries as the man raises his hand and smacks Sara hard across the face, causing her to cry out and hit the ground due to the force of the hit, unaware that Oliver, Shado and Slade are near by and are looking on in horror, particularly Oliver as Sara is struck again before being dragged up sharply by her hair, the man now holding a very sharp knife to her throat._

 _"Tell me." He hisses as, unable to watch this any longer Oliver races out from behind the plant, attacking the man with the knife to Sara in an instant, managing to knock the knife from his hand and slamming his fist into the man's face, whilst his back up begin firing their weapons in response, only to be taken down by gunfire from Slade and arrows from Shado as Oliver continues to punch the man, whilst Sara moves toward Slade and Shado._

 _With the man unconscious due to Oliver's punching, Oliver in a fit of rage, grabs a rock._

 _"Oliver!" Shado calls to him seeing what he's about to do, unable to stop him though as he begins to bash the man's head in with said rock, over and over and over…_

 _"Ollie, no!" Sara cries in horror at what she's seeing her boyfriend do as Oliver ignores both of the women's protests, continuing to use the rock to smash the man's head in almost rhythmically now._

 _"Olivah!" Slade yells loudly, finally snapping Oliver out of it._

 _The rock falling from Oliver's hands…_

 _Starling City_

In the centre of a church, Thea Queen sits in the middle of the aisle, tied to a chair, whilst the four hooded men walk around her, currently discussing what they should do about her.

"So." One starts as he walks past Thea with his gun.

"What do you want to do with her?"

"We could knock her out." Another suggests.

"Drop her off somewhere?"

"Come on, why don't you just buy her a new pair of pradas while you're at it?" Another retorts sarcastically.

"She's seen our faces!" He protests.

"Look, offing Oliver Queen is one thing, but his sister? She's not much older than my sister was when she was killed in the earthquake." One of the hooded men replies.

"Your sister wasn't killed, she was murdered." The other hooded man snaps.

"By her mother!" He points directly at Thea.

"What we're going here is justice, which makes us the heroes."

"She's didn't kill anybody." Thea cuts him off with teary eyes.

"She may have tried to but she didn't kill anyone." She admits as she looks at the four hooded men with a fierce expression upon her face.

"Malcolm Merlyn destroyed The Glades." She murmurs.

"With mommy's help." The hooded man retorts.

"Merlyn killed my father. She'd thought he'd kill my brother and his girlfriend too. She was afraid of him!" Thea cries as she closes her eyes momentarily.

"She must have been so afraid."

"Just like my wife." The hooded man speaking to her pulls out his gun, cocking it.

"When our house collapsed on top of her." He raises the gun to Thea's head, who closes her eyes, not wanting the last thing she sees to be the barrel of a gun.

"Ow!" The hooded man with the gun yells suddenly as something sharp hits his hand and he drops the gun to the floor.

An arrow.

"Get away from her." The Man In The Hood snarls as he stands upon the balcony, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask at his side.

The three vigilantes.

The four hooded men instantly begin to fire their weapons as the three vigilantes jump down from the balcony and behind a wall to take cover to avoid the hail of gunfire, disappearing from sight.

The four hooded men look around in shock at the sudden appearance of the three vigilantes after one year of them being presumed killed in The Undertaking.

Cautiously, with the weapons primed they head around the room, one that walks around the corner is intercepted by The Woman In Black, who smacks him hard with her long metal pole, the gun falling from his hand as she breaks the pole into two batons and smacks the guy in the head with them several rapid times to send the man into unconsciousness as The Man In The Hood moves from around a wall to fire arrows at the other hooded men, managing to knock the gun out of one of the hooded men's hands before he and The Man In The Mask come under gunfire from the other hooded man, who races forward, only to be attack from behind by The Man In The Mask wheedling his sword viciously, only for The Man In The Hood to intervene and knock the hooded man out with one swipe of his bow.

With three hooded men down, the three vigilantes stand by each others side, looking around for the last hooded man and Thea, both whom have disappeared from sight.

"Please!" They hear Thea cry out suddenly, the three of them looking up to the balcony where the final hooded man is pushing Thea along it.

"Move!" He yells at her as she pushes her.

"Go, move!" He snarls.

"Please!" Thea begs.

"Please, stop!" She cries.

"Let. Her. Go." The Man In The Hood hisses, the final hooded man spinning around at the sound of the voice, with Thea still in his grasp, looking to where the three vigilantes are standing in the doorway, The Man In The Hood has an arrow aimed at the man, The Man In The Mask his sword and The Woman In Black, her batons.

"Let the girl go, it's over!" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"You three want to save her?" The hooded man challenges them.

"There was no justice for people like the Queen's until you three showed us how to get it." He protests as silence passes between them all.

"You three showed us!" He yells which is when The Man In The Hood fires his arrow, hitting and sending the hooded man over the balcony when suddenly The Man In The Hood grabs his hand, stopping the man from falling to his death.

Having released Thea during this time, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask turn to her, The Man In The Mask using his sword to slice through her restraints.

"Go!" He shouts to her, pushing her gently in the direction of the exit, which she instantly runs to as The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black move toward The Man In The Hood, whom is still holding onto the hooded man, who pulls a gun from his coat.

"You shoot me, we both die." The Man In The Hood growls.

"You'll drop me anyway." The hooded man protests.

"Yes he will." The Man In The Mask growls, storming over to The Man In The Hood.

"What are you doing?" He snarls.

"Drop him." He commands as The Man In The Hood ignores him.

"I know you three, you're killers." The hooded man snaps as The Man In The Hood surprisingly pulls the man over the balcony to safety dropping him to the ground, saying nothing as The Man In The Mask storms over.

"Leaving him to me? Excellent." He growls as he prepares to execute the man responsible for kidnapping and nearly killing Thea.

That's when The Man In The Hood grabs his arm in restraint, shaking his head.

"What are you playing at?" The Man In The Mask snarls as The Man In The Hood looks to him and then The Woman In Black.

"Not tonight."

 _On The Other Side Of Starling City_

"Keep it under forty next time." Officer Quentin Lance warns a driver whom had been speeding in Starling City.

"Have a good evening." He says in farewell as he moves down an alleyway, sighing in frustration and annoyance at his new job.

He really hates his new job.

He honestly misses being a detective right now.

He hopes, as he approaches the squad car, that now he can go home, perhaps check in on Laurel on the way.

However, when he reaches his squad car, his attention is instantly grabbed by the sight of the four hooded men, responsible for the killing of the mayor, the near killings of many others including wounding Cat Grant and nearly killing his Laurel.

All four of them chained to the metal fence.

Quentin pulls his gun out in an instant as he is startled by the sudden arrival of The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask.

"Do you know who they are?" The Man In The Hood questions.

"I think the hoods give me a pretty good idea." Quentin retorts sarcastically.

"Bring them in." The Woman In Black commands.

"Where you three been?" Quentin calls as they start to turn around, lowering his gun.

"Typically when I bring in guys you three have gone after, they're a little more dead." Quentin reminds them.

"They would be." The Man In The Mask mutters as he nudges The Man In The Hood sharply.

"But this one's suddenly got this strange hang up about principles." He says in a tone that, despite the voice modifier suggests to Quentin that The Man In The Mask isn't entirely happy about this seemingly new approach.

"We're trying another way." The Man In The Hood says firmly before the three vigilantes disappear into the night.

 _Starling City General: Next Day_

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" Oliver says in a soft voice as he stands beside the hospital bed that contains Tommy Merlyn, still deep within his coma, but alive.

Despite everything, still alive.

They'd finally decided to come to Starling General to see him at long last.

"I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner. I was going to but." Oliver stops as he looks up at Sara and Slade, whom are both also in the room.

"We haven't exactly been in Starling City. We ran, left you here. We went back to the island and after the past few days I've come to realise that we probably shouldn't have." He admits to Tommy's sleeping form.

"But perhaps now we're home, you'll start thinking about waking up sometime soon." Sara says in a soft voice.

"Yes. Don't think you've escaped us this easily, Merlyn." Slade says in an almost threatening tone as Oliver and Sara roll their eyes at him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you're not in a hurry to wake up if you can hear Slade already threatening you!" Sara smirks.

"No, that's bound to make you want to wake up so you can fight back." Oliver smiles.

"Yeah, Ollie and I are already missing you and Slade arguing with one another." Sara laughs, hints of sarcasm in her voice as Slade raises an eyebrow at them both.

"Argument that in which I would be victorious." Slade murmurs.

"Ohh come on, wake up and prove him wrong." Oliver laughs slightly as the three smile at one another before Oliver looks down at Tommy with a now sad smile.

"When we got back. We found out that these four individuals were trying to copycat us. The three vigilantes. They killed people, they even kidnapped Thea and the three of us, we suited up and we went after them and right now, they're all facing prison sentences. We didn't kill them, Tommy." Oliver tells him, a moment of silence passing for a moment as they all know Tommy isn't about to reply back to them any time soon.

"We're trying another way." Sara adds.

"We don't want to be seen as killers anymore. We want you to wake up and we know you're going to wake up and think of us as something other than murderers because, Tommy you were right but we're trying that other way." Oliver smiles softly.

"Even though not all of us are entirely convinced it's a smart choice." Slade mutters with folded arms.

"Yeah it's going to take a while for Slade to come around to it." Oliver murmurs with a glance at Slade, whom simply shrugs his shoulders.

"You wouldn't have expected anything other though." Sara notes as Oliver smiles briefly.

"And we want you to wake up to see us in this other way, not as murderers but perhaps as heroes." He adds as he squeezes his best friends hand gently, the feeling of sadness, hopelessness ever so slightly settling in when Tommy doesn't squeeze his hand back.

They're so distracted by their own thoughts that they don't even see Laurel entering the room from behind Sara.

"I didn't mean to disturb you three." She says in a quiet voice as Oliver looks up at her.

"I didn't know you three were here. I shouldn't even be here, I need to get home, a friend of mine said she'd cover for me though and I was just… I come here a lot." She admits, looking to Tommy's comatose form before at Sara, Oliver and Slade, especially Sara, unsure of what to say to her sister.

Both of them unsure of what to say to one another.

"I can go." She turns back toward the door.

"No Laurel, you don't have to." Sara grabs her hand suddenly to stop her from leaving.

"Laurel of course we understand why you come here…"

"Everyday." Laurel whispers with an almost vacant look in her eyes as Sara moves aside so Laurel can approach Tommy's bed, the three of them watching her with sad expressions as Laurel bends down to kiss his forehead before taking his hand in hers.

"However." Sara starts as she approaches Laurel carefully.

"What I don't understand. What I can't understand is whatever that's going on with you that's so bad that you can't tell me." Sara folds her arms as she sees Laurel's tired looking eyes suddenly brim with tears.

"I want to tell you Sara. All three of you an I will." She says in a small voice.

"And you should know that I'm willing to listen, we all are." Sara says with a look to Oliver and Slade, whom both nod.

"We're all here for you." Oliver assures her as Laurel nods as she releases Tommy's hand to turn back to face Sara.

"I need you in my life. I love you but unless I know what's wrong I can't do anything to make it better and I want to make whatever this is better for you because you're my sister; you don't have to tell us what's wrong right now, but I hope you can at least start to consider letting us in." Sara says in a gentle voice.

"And I know that we're the last people who should be telling you to let people in after how we were when we got back from the island the first time but I'm worried about you, Laurel." Sara admits softly.

"We all are." Oliver chimes in, Slade nodding also as Laurel smiles at the three gratefully yet briefly as she turns to Sara again.

"Sara. I'm so, so sorry for what I said. How I acted, I didn't mean it. Any of it. I just… I thought you'd hate me for what I said." She stops, running a hand through her hair.

"Hey, hey. I know, I understand but Laurel, no matter what you say to me I'll never hate you. I'll always forgive you and I will always love you, always and forever." Sara admits.

"I love you too." Laurel whispers as Sara suddenly pulls her sister into a tight embrace, slowly stroking her sisters hair gently, keeping Laurel in her arms for several minutes before Laurel eventually pulls away, pulling Sara's arm so it's around her, sliding her hand back into Tommy's cold one again.

Silence passing throughout the whole room for many minutes before Laurel speaks up, her eyes filled with tears.

"You know before those vigilantes we didn't have things like earthquake machines, or copycat vigilantes." She mutters.

"Laurel." Oliver sighs as he sees what she's getting at, all three of them do.

"Malcolm did this to Tommy." Slade murmurs.

"Malcolm was killed in the crossfire between two archers, a woman in black and the guy with the sword and now that Malcolm's dead there's only one archer left and The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask and my friend Cat and I. We're going to help my boss catch them." Laurel says firmly.

"You don't blame them for what happened to Tommy, do you Laurel?" Oliver asks her in a gentle voice.

"I thought they rescued Thomas from the wreckage?" Slade folds his arms.

"Yeah, they were a little bit late weren't they." She mutters, looking down at Tommy's comatose form with eyes filled with tears of both sadness and anger.

"Perhaps instead of for filling a vendetta against another archer they could have been out on the streets saving people, could have gotten to CNRI sooner." She almost growls before burying her head in her hand.

"Look I don't know what to believe." Laurel murmurs as her phone starts to ring, Laurel pulling it out of her bag instantly.

"I've got to take this. I'm sorry, I've got to go." Laurel apologises as hugging Sara once more she races for the door.

"There's something going on with her." Slade states the minute she's gone.

"No kidding." Sara sighs, watching her sister race down the corridor.

"We're going to find out what it is though and we're going to help her though whatever it is." Sara informs them.

"Of course we are." Oliver says with another glance to his comatose best friend.

"He'd kill us otherwise." Sara laughs lightly.

"Yeah he would." She agrees.

"Seems like the vigilantes have another few people against them, even if we're supposedly trying 'another way'." Slade mutters.

"She's hurt." Oliver says with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, kid. This is more than just about what's happened to him." Slade retorts.

"I don't know Slade. She loves him. I mean we all know what you'd do if it were me or Sara lying there." Oliver reminds him as Slade nods.

"Good point, kid." He mutters gruffly.

"Anyone who'd dare do a thing like that to either you or Sara I'd rip apart limb from limb and decorate the streets of Starling City with their blood." Slade hisses threateningly.

"At least we know we'd be avenged if anything were to befall us." Sara sighs softly.

"You know I wouldn't want you to do that." Oliver reminds him.

"And you know that I care about the two of you so much that I wouldn't care what either of you thought." Slade retorts.

"But my sister isn't like that. You're right Slade, there's more to this and as I said, we're going to get to the bottom of this." Sara vows before adding.

"She's our family."

 _Iron Heights_

Moira Queen sits at her table deep within the Iron Heights prison watching as a prisoner gets to visit her infant daughter, how happy the mother looks despite where she is.

Just happy beyond words to be in the presence of her child.

"That outfit with your colouring." The sudden sound of Thea's voice causes Moira to spin around in an instant to see that she was not hallucinating.

Thea is in fact in front of her and is in the process of sitting down across from her.

"Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment or something?" She questions.

"I've done my best to avoid mirrors in here." Moira smiles as both of them laugh, Moira noticing her daughter's tear filled eyes.

"So I…"

"How have you been?" Moira and Thea say simultaneously as Moira shakes her head at Thea quickly with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about me. I want to hear about you." Moira smiles warmly.

"How are you doing?" She asks her daughter kindly.

"Are you still seeing, uh…" Moira fumbles around in her mind for the name of the guy she believed Thea to be dating the last time she spoke to her daughter.

"Roy was his name, wasn't it?" Thea just looks up at her with tear stained eyes.

"Sweetheart, I'm fine, really." Moira starts as Thea shakes her head.

"It's not that." She continues to shake her head.

"I…" She sighs before starting again.

"I was almost killed last night…"

"What?!" Moira cuts her off in an instant, fear instantly creeping into her thoughts.

"Thea, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter but when I thought it was over, I kept thinking that if… If I had been killed. You would have spent the rest of your life thinking that… I hated you and I want to hate you. I really tried to after everything you did, the fact you almost had Slade killed. I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that but what I can't do is ever, ever hate you. I can't mom." Thea admits, tears now freely streaming down her cheeks as even Moira has tears in her eyes before admitting words that are nothing but the truth to her daughter.

"However long I am in this place, you have freed me."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"You two can't win this. I know own fifty percent of the stock, by tomorrow I will have the outstanding five percent and I will control Queen Consolidated." Isabel Rochev states firmly from the conference table in Queen Consolidated whilst Oliver and Slade stand beside one another with their backs to Isabel.

"Any attempt to fight me will lead to litigation and leave you penniless and trust me, poverty isn't as glamorous as Charles Dickens made it look." Isabel smirks, feeling triumphant that she has won as Oliver and Slade turn to face her.

"What if I found someone to invest new equity capital?" Oliver folds his arms.

"A white knight?" Isabel raises an eyebrow at them both as Oliver nods.

"With all due respect, your last name is now associated with mass murder. Even you don't have that good of a friend, unless it is Mr. Wilson you refer to but I sincerely doubt he has really anything to his name." She folds her arms.

"You're right." Oliver smirks as he looks to the door.

"I have family." He says just as Walter Steele enters the room, causing Isabel to look on in horror and get to her feet as she watches as Walter walks in beside Felicity and Sara Lance.

"Mr. Steele. It was my understanding that you had resigned as CEO." She speaks clearly as he approaches her.

"I did. I'm now chief financial officer of Starling National Bank." He states as he walks past her to stand beside Oliver and Slade.

"And my institution has committed rescue financing to Mr. Queen. We brought up the remaining shares of Queen Consolidated when they were released this morning." He reveals with a confident smile.

"Now, I know I majored in dropping out, but I'm pretty sure that makes us partners going forward. The three of us." Oliver says as walks over to Isabel, dragging Slade with him.

"So I guess the three of us will be seeing a lot of each other." Slade smirks.

"From what people say about you, I'm not surprised at you Mr. Wilson." She smirks at him before looking to Oliver.

"But you. You aren't at all what people say about you, Mr. Queen." She murmurs.

"Most people fail to see the real me." Oliver replies as Isabel glares at them both one last time before striding toward the door, passing Felicity and Sara as she goes, stopping once more, to glance at Sara.

"I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting one another yet, Sara Lance, right?" Isabel shakes Sara's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rochev." Sara mutters in a cold voice as Isabel looks at her once more before exiting the room.

"She's a piece of work." Sara comments as she crosses the room to embrace both Oliver and Slade tightly.

"You showed that bitch, I'm proud of you two." She beams as she slides an arm around Oliver's waist, who tugs her close and presses a kiss to the top of her head before finally turning to Walter.

"Thank you Walter." He smiles as the two shake hands.

"Thank you, for reaching out to me." Walter smiles back.

"Whatever's happened between your mother and me, I'm gratified that you know you can still count on me." Walter replies as Oliver beams.

"Your father would have been very proud of you, Oliver." Walter reveals as he heads towards the door, passing Felicity as he goes.

"Ms Smoak." He nods.

"Mr. Steele." She replies as he exits the office, leaving the four of them in the conference room, Oliver taking this opportunity to sit down, pulling Sara onto his lap, Slade leaning against the wall as Felicity grins at them.

"You guys did it. Not bad for someone who got a D in tenth grade algebra, Oliver." She comments as Oliver raises an eyebrow at her.

"If it's online I can find it." She reminds them.

"What have you been looking at?" Sara questions.

"Many, many things." Felicity smirks, turning to go when someone wraps an arm around her, pulling her back.

Slade.

"Perhaps you'd like to enlighten the three of us on what you've been looking into." Felicity looks at him nervously.

"I one hundred percent didn't hack anything related to you." She says quickly as she hears Oliver and Sara beginning to laugh.

"You guys did great though! Never thought I'd see Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson running Queen Consolidated together." She smiles, trying to change the subject abruptly.

"Well, it was just like a good friend once told us." Oliver starts as the three of them look up at her in an instant,

"We had to find another way." He smiles as he and Sara notice something wrapped around Felicity's neck.

"Loving the new scarf." Sara comments with a knowing smile as Felicity looks down at the old rag that Slade had used to bandage her hand with on the island.

"Isn't that…"

"The old rag I wrapped around your hand the other day?" Slade cuts Oliver off who smirks knowingly as Slade glares daggers at him.

"Yeah. I cleaned it up and other than the scorch marks it makes a cute accessory. I'll see you three later." She smiles at them before heading out of the door.

"So." Oliver starts with a wide smirk once Felicity is gone.

"When are you going to tell her that was your…"

"OLIVER!"

 _Oliver stands still in complete silence, looking down at the body at his feet._

 _The man he just killed._

 _Struck with a rock over and over again until he hand killed him._

 _He just killed another man…._

 _Slade Wilson watches him with a emotionless expression upon his face, a mask to merely cover up the fact he is actually really, really concerned about Oliver's current state of mind as he stand with Shado and Sara, who are both currently using him as some sort of stand!_

 _Moving away from them both for a mere moment to bend down, he picks up a radio from one of the men he had shot down, hearing chatter in another language coming from it._

 _"We're not alone." He says gruffly as Shado and Sara look up at him worriedly._

 _"The question is. Where did they come from?"_

 _Starling City: Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Are you okay?" Cat asks Laurel over the phone as Laurel sighs and leans back against her couch, hoping to shut her eyes for at least a minute.

"It's so quiet in here for the first time in ages." Laurel exhales in relief.

"That is excellent news. You know, it could start staying like that now." Cat replies.

"Ohh I certainly hope so." Laurel murmurs as she hears Cat chuckle softly.

"I'll let you get some sleep. Enjoy it, Laurel."

"Ohh that I will! I'll see you tomorrow, Cat." Laurel murmurs before hanging up, placing her phone on the table and putting her feet up on the couch, preparing to lie down and finally get some sleep after weeks of being sleep deprived!

Suddenly a knock at the door causing her to jump up into a sitting position, holding her breath and biting her lip as she waits for the noise she expects to hear…

Yet when nothing happens, she gets up to her feet, grabbing her gun from within the top desk drawer, putting it behind her back as she opens the door.

It's a new, multi lock door and Laurel has yet to install a peephole in said door, so she keeps the weapon tight in her hand as she opens the door, relaxing ever so slightly when she sees that Its only Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"Hey, sis." Sara smiles at her, all three of them noticing the concealed weapon instantly, which Laurel quickly gets rid off and puts back in the drawer before turning to the three.

"Hey guys, this really, really isn't the best of times..." She admits, yet before anyone can say another word, sudden shrill cries fill all of their ears as Laurel puts her head against the door frame in complete despair, not even being able to look up at her sister, Oliver and Slade as she knows now that the cat is most likely out of the bag!

"I think you three better come in." Laurel whispers as she practically drags the three of them into the apartment before shutting the door quickly, locking it and racing into another room. They can all still hear the loud, shrill crying and now also Laurel murmuring in soft, gentle tones before, she reappears, in her arms, two crying babies…

"Ohh my god Laurel." Sara whispers as she notices the tears appearing in Laurel's eyes, each of the three finally realizing what Laurel had been keeping from them and also probably the reason behind everything that they thought was wrong with Laurel since they got back.

Silence passes as Laurel moves towards the couch, the two babies held tightly in her arms as she sits down, whilst also trying to comfort them at the same time, whilst gesturing for Oliver, Sara and Slade to sit across from them, which they do in an instant.

"I'm sorry I should have said something..." Laurel starts, biting her lip as Sara, Oliver and Slade shake their heads at her.

"No. No Laurel. Don't apologize." Sara starts but Laurel cuts her off.

"I'm so sorry Sara. This is why I said those awful things to you. There's no excuse for why I did that to you. I'd. I'd just found out that I was pregnant and I was just scared. I was so scared and I just wanted to be alone and I managed to push everyone I care about away from me." Laurel admits.

"I should never have left." Sara whispers, a vacant look in her eyes at the fact she left her sister for a whole year. One whole year and during that year Laurel was pregnant...

"Laurel, if there's anyone who should be apologizing it should be me. I should have known better than to just leave like that…"

"No. No don't, Sara. You not being here was because of what I did. I only have myself to blame for the fact I didn't have my sister here with me." Laurel looks at her with sad eyes.

"But I'm here now." Sara says firmly.

"We all are." Oliver adds with a reassuring glance.

"We're all here for you Laurel." He says gently.

"And we're not leaving, not again." Sara vows.

"So… What happened?" Oliver asks after a moment.

"Kid, If your asking questions like that, I am seriously concerned about your mental well being." Slade snorts.

"No! I didn't mean it like that." Oliver glares at him, bringing a smile to Laurel's lips.

"I've really missed you three." She smiles at them genuinely.

"We've missed you to." Oliver replies.

"I know what you meant Ollie. I was just going to to hospital every day to see Tommy, after only one week of that I found out that I was pregnant and I. I locked myself in my apartment and I didn't come out." She reveals, with her head bowed momentarily.

"Then you came over Sara and I. I was just so overwhelmed, I didn't know what I was going to do, I didn't want anyone around me so I drove you away, again. I will be apologizing to you about this probably forever…"

"It's okay Laurel." Sara reassures her again.

"It's more than okay."

"No. I should have let you in, I should have let you help me. I know you would have. I just didn't know what to think at the time. I even shut dad out for the first month. Kept saying I was too busy to meet, that I was spending all my time at the hospital with Tommy. But you know what dad's like, he soon worked out I hadn't even left my apartment and he may or may not have broken down the door." She admits.

"Why do I believe that actually happened." Oliver notes.

"You know what our dad's like." Sara glances at Laurel with a knowing look.

"I didn't have much choice other than to tell him the truth and it felt good to let someone in, to let someone know what was going on and he stayed with me every step of the way, through all of it." She explains.

"What about mom?" Sara questions.

"She doesn't know. She's off somewhere on a job around the world and we couldn't get a hold of her. I'll probably try and call again sometime soon. She has the right to know that she's a grandmother." Laurel murmurs before continuing.

"After they were born, I spent a lot of my time here. No one, other than some of the hospital staff, dad, Cat, my babysitter Leena and your bodyguard John Diggle know about their existence. I don't want people to know about them because…"

"They're Merlyn blood as well?" Slade guesses.

"Exactly. That would make the headlines wouldn't it? That Tommy Merlyn, son of the man who had The Glade's destroyed now father's two children? I don't want my babies subjected to that kind of publicity at all but know if people found out about them they would. So I just stayed here with them, dad tries to come over as often as he can to help, he still does but back then, I needed to work. I had to find some kind of job and luckily I met Cat Grant, she handled a lot of the legal stuff with the kids. She's actually a single mother with two kids of her own, we became friends and she managed to get me a job at the District Attorney's Office and helped me find a really reliable babysitter, Leena Quinn. She's so nice and she looks after these two for me when I'm at work, or stupid events I'm dragged to because of my job and when I need to see Tommy and thanks to Leena, I'm able to see him every day, even, if it's only for a few moments." She reveals, stopping a moment before adding.

"That's why I can't. I can't give up hope that Tommy's going to wake up because I need him to. These two need their dad. I think they know about him, I haven't taken them to the hospital to see him but I keep showing them this picture I've got of him. I show it to them all the time, they've even started reaching out for it now... but if he does wake up… I have no idea how I'm going to explain this." Laurel stops, rubbing her eyes momentarily, before securing her grip on the babies sat on her lap.

"He'll understand Laurel. He'll be overjoyed." Oliver says reassuringly.

"You know, that's what Cat said to me." Laurel sighs.

"This Cat sounds nice, will I get to meet her one day?" Sara asks.

"Of course you will. I've told her so much about you three, when I told her that you guys were back she said she's desperate to meet you three." Laurel replies.

"We should all get together at some point." Oliver decides.

"Once we've sorted out the mess that is our apartment." Slade murmurs.

"What happened?" Laurel frowns.

"Thea was left alone in it for a year." Sara looks to her knowingly.

"Well, knowing what you were like Sara, I have a pretty good idea how messy it is." She laughs lightly before sighing in exasperation when the babies in her arms start crying again.

"This is how it's been basically since they were born." Laurel sighs, looking like she's about to start to cry herself.

"You've probably forgotten what a goodnights sleep felt like, am I right?" Slade looks to her.

"Yeah, yeah you are right about that." Laurel nods before pausing.

"How do you..."

"I wouldn't ask." Oliver cuts in, trying to save his friend from miserable memories, which he believes are probably already coming to light for Slade.

"If you remember rightly, before the five years. I used to be a babysitter." Sara smiles.

"You were good at that." Laurel remembers.

"I was." Sara notes, holding out her arms.

"Perhaps one of them should meet their aunt." She smiles as Laurel nods and lifts one of the still crying babies from her lap and into Sara's awaiting arms.

"We never asked they're names." Sara says once she has the baby in her arms, who looks up at its aunt with wide eyes and almost instantly settles in her arms and stops crying as Sara soothes the child.

"Well he is Brandon Thomas Lance-Merlyn." She smiles.

"Tommy will love you for that." Oliver smirks.

"Ollie, do you want to hold him?" Sara moves toward Oliver, with Brandon in her arms, whom begins crying at even the sight of Oliver.

"Now that was to be expected." Slade murmurs with a half smirk of amusement.

"Thanks!" Oliver shoots a glare at Slade, as Laurel and Sara just laugh at him and Sara moves carefully with the baby in her arms, trying to calm the crying baby when they're both far away from Oliver!

"You want to hold him Slade?" Laurel suggests.

"If he cries at even the sight of me, I don't think Slade's gong to do much better!" Oliver protests as Sara shakes her head.

"I think he probably will." She says with a knowing look at Slade, who glares at Sara and shakes his head.

"I'd rather not." He murmurs.

"Ohh come on Slade!" Sara says as she manages to hand him the crying baby, still crying from having met Oliver and almost as soon as Slade's holding him he falls silent.

"That is one of the first times he has calmed down so fast." Laurel looks at Slade with eternally grateful eyes as Oliver just looks on incredulously.

"How is this even possible." He muses.

"He's a natural." Sara remarks as Laurel passes her the other baby, who stops whimpering once safely in her aunts arms.

"And who's this little one." Sara coos causing Oliver to roll his eyes at her, at both Sara and Slade really. Completely in shock, awe, confusion and actual confusion at seeing probably the two most tough, hard, sometimes even terrifying, people he knows managing to calm down two once crying babies!

Laurel smiles at her sister.

"This is Rebecca Sara Lance-Merlyn." She reveals, Sara almost dropping the baby in shock at Laurel's words.

"You." She starts, unable to find the words.

"You named her after me?" She whispers.

"Of course I did. You're my little sister. I always knew that if I ever were to have kids I would name a girl after you and I figured I would also honor Tommy's mother. I wish I could have met her, Tommy always made her out to be such a wonderful woman." Laurel smiles.

"From what I remember of her, she was." Oliver says, remembering some of Tommy's mother, good memories of her before she was cruelly taken from Tommy.

"You know, a few weeks before The Undertaking, when Tommy and I had to take in that little boy when his parents were killed, I just remember, Tommy sitting here with him and comforting him when he was grieving his parents. He was good with that kid, he really looked after him and I remember thinking that if Tommy and I stayed together, there's no one I'd want more to have kids with then him. I could ever see it, in the future, me and him and our children. I never thought…" She looks to her two children in Sara and Slade's arms.

"I suppose they're right when people say be careful what you wish for." Laurel says in a shaky voice as Sara moves closer to her.

"We're here, whenever you need us. Whatever you need we'll be right here in a flash." She promises as Laurel smirks, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"I don't think I've ever managed to get them both asleep and quiet at the same time before. Ollie, can I keep Sara and Slade here with me forever?" She laughs lightly, Oliver laughing to.

"Hey, I need them!" He protests, looking between his friends, before smiling.

"I'll always need them."

 _The Foundry_

"I can't believe I'm an aunt." Sara muses after being silent the whole journey to The Foundry in shock after their visit to Laurel and finding out what she'd been keeping from them this whole time.

"I can't believe that Laurel's a mom and that Tommy's a father." Oliver notes, the shock of it all still hitting him.

"I agree with the latter." Slade mutters.

"Even when he's in a coma, you're mean to him!" Oliver rolls his eyes at Slade.

"I didn't say anything." Slade replies innocently.

"Ohh we all know what you meant by that." Oliver retorts as they get to the bottom step, moving towards Diggle and Felicity.

"We've just come back from Laurel's." Oliver starts as Diggle and Felicity say nothing.

"How could you not tell me that she had kids? We could have decided to stay on Lian Yu, you do realize this?" Sara can't help but shout at them.

"We would have done if you'd decided not to come back with us. We figured she needed to tell you about them herself." Diggle replies as Sara just buries her head in her hand.

"I. I need to go and see my dad. I need to talk to him about this." She says suddenly before looking to Oliver and Slade.

"I'll see you both at home, ok." She smiles slightly, especially when Oliver kisses her gently before she leaves The Foundry.

"Slade?" Diggle looks to him.

"Someone wanted me to deliver a message to you." He places a piece of paper in Slade's hand; a paper with scruffy handwriting scrawled upon it.

His eye widens upon seeing it and places it into his pocket before looking to Oliver.

"I'll see you at home, kid." He nods as he too heads for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Oliver calls to him in surprise.

"There's something I've got to do." He murmurs before vanishing from sight, leaving only Oliver, Diggle and Felicity in The Foundry, Oliver remarking.

"Well that's just great!"

 _On The Other Side Of Starling City_

In the dark of a Starling City night, a young woman walks down a deserted alleyway, alone, before suddenly finding her path blocked by The Woman In Black.

"Where have you been?" The young girl cries the minute she sees The Woman In Black.

"I thought you were never coming back!" She exclaims as The Woman In Black shakes her head fiercely.

"I'll always come back for you Sin." The Woman In Black admits as she holds out her hand toward Sin, who takes it instantly, squeezing The Woman In Black's hand for a mere moment before following her a bit more further down the alleyway, Sin pulling out a key once they reach a door, to the old clock tower, allowing the both of them inside.

Once they're both inside and the door is closed behind them, The Woman In Black removes her mask and wig, placing them on the coat rack, surprised when Sin suddenly wraps her arms around her tightly and briefly.

"You've been gone a year." Sin notes as Sara nods.

"All three of us were." She sighs.

"Where did you go? After The Undertaking… I didn't know what had happened to you. I thought you'd been killed." Sin protests as Sara shakes her head and puts an arm around the young girls shoulders.

"I shouldn't have just left like that. I should have come and said goodbye. You'll never know how sorry I am for leaving you like that." She apologizes.

"I've missed you here." Sin admits.

"As I you." Sara pats her arm gently.

"Where were you for one whole year?" Sin asks again.

"We went back to the island." Sara reveals.

"Why. Why would you do that?" Sin asks incredulously.

"It felt like the right thing for all three of us at the time, but it really, really wasn't. We didn't even think about the people we left behind, my sister… During that year my sister was pregnant and had two children, my niece and nephew. The father of those babies, one of my best friends is lying in coma thanks to The Undertaking. I left her, my father, you…"

"You're here now, Sara, that's all I care about." Sin smiles slightly, before adding.

"And it's not like your boyfriend and your friend even knew of my existence right?" Sin reminds her with a smirk.

"They don't, no." She murmurs.

"You've been in my life ever since you basically returned from the dead after five years and you never told two of the people closest to you about me. I wish you'd tell me the full story of why that is the way it is." Sin nudges her.

"And I told you. That story is something you really don't need to hear." Sara reminds her.

"You did tell me your best friend wasn't exactly in a good place at the time."

"He wasn't and I never want him to have to remember those times." Sara murmurs as Sin nods and moves towards a table covered in stuff.

"I don't mind. Just as long as I can still see you." Sin smiles.

"Of course and I promise you, I'm not going away again." Sara vows as she moves toward where Sin is stood.

"What have you been up to?" She asks her.

"I finished it." Sin reveals, spinning around with a silver object in her hand.

"Remember, we were working on it last year. I managed to salvage a few more pieces and I think I've done it." She puts the device in Sara's hand, leaning against her friend as Sara checks out the circular, compact device in her hand.

"We'll there's only one way to find out."

 _The Glades_

Walking toward the wreckage, which used to be a bar, Slade Wilson looks at it with a dark expression upon his face, remembering what happened here as if it were merely yesterday and not one year ago.

"Where the hell have you been?" A familiar drawl fills his ears as he spins around to face the person who had just spoken.

Leonard, standing there with folded arms.

"Haven't seen you around these parts in I don't know, a whole year!" Leonard comments.

"Well as it appears, our favourite bar didn't survive The Undertaking." Slade replies.

"You know. If you hadn't come and visited Lisa and I in hospital before you completely vanished off the face of the earth. I would have been led to believe that you also had been killed in that damm Undertaking." Leonard mutters.

"I couldn't stay here." Slade retorts.

"Because you blamed yourself for what happened to Lisa and I." Leonard responds, more of a statement really then anything else.

"You went back to The Glades for me and because of that you both almost lost your lives!" Slade reminds him.

"Yeah. We decided to go back for you. We did, what happened to us wasn't your fault. We chose to back for you." Leonard states firmly.

"You wouldn't have been there if not for me…"

"You warned us. There's nothing more you could have done, it was our decision Slade and now, we're all alive, all healed! Thanks and I can't believe I'm even saying this, thanks to that masked vigilante saving us from that damn building." Leonard notes.

"The only thing that vigilante didn't do was tell us what had happened to you."

"Trying to stop that damn Undertaking." Slade grumbles, remembering the defeat.

"He had another device, didn't he?" Leonard guesses.

"Malcolm Merlyn was a lot of things but the son of a bitch was prepared for every eventuality." Slade mutters.

"At least them vigilantes put that bastard down." Leonard mutters.

"Did the world a favour." Slade murmurs before adding.

"Lisa. She doing a'right?" He questions.

"My sister is fine. She isn't happy with you right now, either." Leonard comments.

"Because of what happened…"

"More like because you disappeared for a whole year without even a goodbye to either of us." Leonard mutters.

"You don't need someone like me in your lives." Slade replies gruffly.

"Now, Lisa and I, if she were here both would have to disagree on that. I hate to admit this but you're the only friend she and I have had in a very long time. Our lives were better with you in them." He admits, causing silence fall between the both of them.

"I know something else as well Slade." Leonard starts, as Slade glances at him.

"We're gonna need to find a new bar."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Upon hearing the shrill ringing of his phone, Roy reaches into his pocket to retrieve it as he walks down a deserted street.

"Hey, what's up?" He asks, seeing it to be Thea.

"Just came back from visiting my mom." She reveals.

"Really?" Roy replies in surprise.

"Good for you."

"So what do you say? You ready to start spending your nights safe with me?" She questions.

"Yeah, if your brother and his friend realises I'm living with you at the apartment I doubt any of my nights are going to be considered safe. I'll have to sleep with one eye open!" He protests, hearing Thea chuckling.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from Ollie and Slade." She replies.

"Then absolutely." Roy grins, stopping upon hearing a commotion, looking to the side, seeing a group of thugs crowded around a protesting young woman.

"Hey, I'm going to pick us up some Big Belly Burger right now. I'll see you later at home." He hangs up once he hears Thea's reply in approval and as soon as he's put his phone down, he makes his way toward the commotion, where he sees the men pushing the woman up against a wall violently.

"What did we scare you or something?" One of the thugs asks the struggling woman.

"Yeah. I think you do." Roy cuts in, causing all the men to turn around in an instant.

"Me, though, not so much." He mutters as due to the distraction the woman manages to get free from the thugs.

"Run." He advises her, waiting until she far away before engaging the thugs in a fight, landing expert punches as he tries to fend off the group of thugs, only for one of them to pull a knife from their pocket.

"Is that all you got man?" The thug with the knife asks Roy as he begins to advance upon him when suddenly, out of no where The Woman In Black appears, a long pole in her hands, which she uses to knock two of the thugs to the floor, before splitting it into two pieces and continuing to battle with the thugs viciously for several moments, yet before she manages to knock any of them out permanently, she pulls a device from her pocket and presses something on it causing the device to let out a sonic like sound, loud and piercing, causing all the thugs and Roy to scream out in agony as the sound hits them, The Woman In Black sending the rest of the thugs into unconsciousness before racing away, the device finally falling silent, which she pockets before racing away.

"Wait!" Roy cries once he's gotten over the sound.

"I need to talk to you three!" He protests, but when he gets to his feet The Woman In Black is already long gone.

 _The Foundry_

Deciding to stay with company than go home alone, not knowing how long Sara is going to be with her father, or even what Slade's gone to do. Oliver sits in The Foundry with Diggle and Felicity, talking to them for brief periods of time, mostly sitting in silence as Oliver takes the time to look at the improvements Felicity has made to The Foundry again.

"Well, it does look like Starling is back down to only three vigilantes." Diggle comments upon reading a news article about the arrests of the copycats.

"And the five of us are back in the vigilante business." Felicity smiles.

"No." Oliver shakes his head, causing the two to fall silent.

"Sara, Slade and I spent the past year trying to avenge my father. If we're going to do this. It has to be about being better than what we were, being the people Tommy hoped we could be before he went into his coma. You two have helped us take the first step." He reveals as silence passes between the three before Felicity speaks up.

"So what's step two? I'm game for everything as long as it doesn't involve skydiving and I'm pretty down on land mines now, too." She smirks.

"The city still needs saving." Oliver sighs as he gets to his feet.

"But not by The Hood, The Mask and The Woman In Black." He murmurs.

"Even though I know, no matter what I say I'll never convince either Sara or Slade to use the titles that I believe are titles of heroes." Oliver sighs.

"We know Slade's is Deathstroke; what's Sara's?" Felicity asks to silence from Oliver.

"And despite popular belief, ARGUS mainly, Deathstroke is the name of a hero." Diggle says to nods from Felicity.

"But nothing I can say would ever convince him of that and if I can't convince him of that then no one can." Oliver speaks the sad truth before continuing.

"Still, we can't just be three vigilantes crossing names of a list. It needs something more then that." He admits.

"It needs three heroes, Oliver." Diggle finishes for him.

"It's too bad The Hoods kinda ruined your nickname and that as you say, Sara and Slade are incredibly stubborn." Felicity sighs.

"No, that's good, I never… I don't want to be called The Hood anymore." He reveals.

"Ok." Diggle nods with a brief shrug of his shoulders.

"What do you want to be called then, Oliver?" Diggle questions.

Oliver simply looks down at the green tipped arrow in his hand…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading, next chapter should be coming soon, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter, see you all next update.**


	75. Identity (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Five**

 _The Foundry_

Using the bars still positioned near The Salmon Ladder, Oliver uses them to dangle high above, doing a variety of exercises on them whilst Slade sits on the computer beneath him, letting go with one hand, Oliver almost loses his grip and curses just before he regains it.

"If you land on me I'm going to pissed." Slade grumbles as he types.

"Hopefully the fall would kill me before you did." Oliver calls back.

"Hmm, from that height? Not likely. Could break a few of your bones though." Sara comments, doing a somewhat handstand yoga pose by the wall.

Something a dear friend once taught her long ago.

"Imagine that Ollie. Landing on Slade and breaking your legs, you wouldn't be able to escape." She practically sniggers.

"And once I'd dealt with you. Then you'd have to deal with Felicity, considering if you were to fall on me, you'd probably cause quite a considerable amount of damage to her computers." Slade points out with a smirk.

"Felicity doesn't scare me." Oliver smiles slightly.

"Don't underestimate Felicity, Ollie. She almost stabbed the mighty Slade Wilson with a pen." Sara reminds them.

"That she did." Slade adds to further the point.

"Didn't she also punch you in the mouth once, Slade?" Sara smirks.

"Yeah and if I remember rightly that was an accident! She apologised to him for about an hour afterwards." Oliver reminds them.

"Yeah? Well kid, I can tell you that she wouldn't be apologising to you if you caused any damage to her computers." Slade smiles as Sara laughs lightly.

"And I think Slade's pushing it by actually using them!"

"Ohh she'd let that slide." Oliver murmurs.

"What do you mean by that, kid?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Ohh Nothing." Oliver smiles, making sure that when he drops down from the bars, it's quite a distance away from Slade and the computer.

Perhaps getting on the bad side of Felicity Smoak is more dangerous than he'd initially believed! One things for certain, Oliver isn't exactly willing to tempt fate now!

Yet when he does drop down, he manages to break one of the dummies.

"Knew you were going to fall on something." Slade mutters.

"Your lucky it wasn't you!" Oliver retorts.

"You wouldn't have lived if it had." Slade murmurs.

"I promise you that."

"You know, I wonder if you can go a whole day of not threatening my life." Oliver wonders to himself as he moves to grab a bottle of water.

"That wouldn't last five minutes and you both know it." Sara smirks.

"We should place some sort of bet on this." Oliver suggests.

"Oliver." Slade mutters in a bored tone as he jabs a few commands into the computer.

"Shut up."

 _Starling City: Night_

On the quiet streets of Starling City a truck travels down a deserted road, being followed by two motorcycles, both racing to get toward the truck.

"Faster!" A passenger in the truck yells to the driver.

"Foots on the floor, man!" He responds as he presses down hard on the accelerator, desperately trying to escape the two approaching motorcycles.

"Call it in!" The driver advises as the passenger scrambles for a radio.

"This is FEMA truck fifty two. We're being pursued by two armed bikers. We're heading South on third street, requesting immediate assistance!" The passenger yells through a radio, hoping that the police have heard this, unbeknownst to them, as has a man name of Roy Harper, whom is sitting in his car, listening in to one of the scanners he has.

Upon hearing the call for help, he begins to drive.

Meanwhile, the two motorcycles are still in quick pursuit of the truck.

"Get us out of here!" The passenger protests.

"Get us out of here!" He repeats as the driver pushes down the accelerator even more.

"I'm trying!" He calls back, swerving upon almost hitting a speeding red car approaching them at full speed, unaware that it is someone who's here to try and help them.

Roy Harper, who drives ferociously past the truck, toward the motorcycles, managing to knock into one of them, sending the motorcycle slamming into something, throwing the driver from the bike, causing Roy to cheer at his accomplishment at taking part of the danger out, beaming widely as he hits the wheel in glee.

"Who the hell was that?" The passenger in the truck questions in shock at having seen the red car take our one of the bikers.

The other biker, however, begins to turn away from the truck, zooming toward the red car containing Roy, who does a complete three sixty turn around, speeding toward the biker with a confident smirk upon his face as the person on the bike, uses one hand to grab their gun and begins to fire upon Roy's car, causing Roy to panic monetarily as his front window suddenly starts to get hit with by a hail of a gunfire, causing him to lose control of the car, slamming into a barrier in an attempt to escape, however it flips the car over, the car spinning mid air for a brief few seconds before landing on the road again, practically destroyed…

However, one of the bikers has managed to get in front of the truck and now stands in its oncoming path, a weapon in hand.

China White.

The truck, coming closer, closer and closer toward her, the driver and passenger looking on in horror which only last for a brief moment though as without warning China White releases her weapons and the knives penetrate their throats, killing them instantly and bringing the truck to an abrupt stop.

China White smirking at the job done, watching as the other biker approaches her.

'Take the truck, leave nothing behind' she speaks to her partner in perfect Chinese, before climbing onto her partner's bike and making a break for it.

 _Elsewhere..._

Pulling himself free from the wreckage which is his car, Roy rolls his eyes in disgust when he hears the sirens of police cars and looks up to see almost a whole squad of SCPD officers approaching him as he crawls out of his car.

"Just so you know." He yells as they approach him, looking to him as if he were the criminal, not the courageous guy who tried to stop a crime in progress.

"The real bad guys are getting away!"

 _Verdant_

As it is every night; the club is alive with the sound of music, 'We Come Running' by The YoungHawkes playing out loudly as people dance around, raving happily to it, losing themselves in dancing, bright coloured lights, drink and music.

"We're going to need more sparring dummies." Oliver calls to Diggle as he, Sara and Slade reach him.

"Clumsy over here, decided to land on one." Slade smirks as Oliver glares at him.

"I'll start ordering them in bulk if that's going to happen." Diggle smiles.

"I'm sure it will happen again, knowing the kids clumsiness." Slade notes.

"And I'm sure it will happen again because my friend has no restraint!" Oliver smiles, nudging Slade sharply.

"I have restraint, kid. I'm just stronger than you." Slade murmurs.

"Want to test that theory?" Oliver looks toward the basement door again.

"Your going to need to order at least a couple hundred of those dummies." Sara cuts in.

"Look at you three; back to normal I see. This mean you three are ready to launch crusade 2.0?" Diggle questions.

"We're beyond ready. We just don't know where to begin. Last year, we had the list." Sara reminds Diggle.

"Yeah. Getting justice was just simply crossing names out of a book." Oliver replies.

"This is Starling City you needn't look far to find someone engaged in illegal activity." Diggle comments as Slade nods in agreement.

"He has a point."

"That I do. Yesterday Big Belly Burger got robbed." Diggle reveals.

"Was Carly there?" Oliver asks worriedly.

"Is she ok?" Sara adds to silence from Diggle for a moment as he nods.

"Yeah, she was, um… It was her day off." Diggle explains.

"Good. The five of us should get dinner. We haven't seen her since we got back." Oliver decides in a brief moment.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life?" Diggle sighs.

"If it's important to you than it's important to us." Sara smiles warmly.

"I think their's someone else's love life. Someone much closer to the both of you than me, who needs their love life sorting out dramatically." Diggle smirks.

"That's an ongoing project." Oliver murmurs.

"Want to help us?" Sara offers.

"Ohh yes please. This should be a lot of fun." Diggle smiles.

"You three do realise I can hear every word of this and that I know you three are referring to me and that I know several hundred methods of killing each one of you extremely painfully?" Slade glances to them with a glare upon his face.

"Ok, we're going to have to have secret meetings." Oliver starts with a smile as Slade looks about to actually kill him, mercifully though, Oliver, Sara and Diggle's lives are saved by the sudden appearance of Thea.

"Hey! I didn't see you three come in?" She looks at them confused.

"We had a secret entrance installed when Slade, Tommy and I used to run the club." Oliver replies as Thea looks at them nervously.

"Kidding." Slade nudges her as her phone begins to ring, Thea moving toward a quieter part of the club to answer it.

"Hello?" She puts one hand over her other ear to try and block out the music.

"Yes, yeah, this is Thea Queen." She replies as she waits to hear what the person on the phone has to tell her, practically groaning when she hears the information.

"Of course that's where he is!"

 _SCPD: Interrogation Room_

"Mr. Harper. This can be done the easy way, or the hard way. My colleague, Ms. Lance will probably vouch for me when I say, you want this to be done the easiest way possible." Cat Grant says firmly to a sulking Roy Harper, sitting at the interrogation table across from the two lawyers, looking still quite roughed up from the car accident.

"Come on. Who is he Roy?" Laurel asks in a more gentle tone than Cat's.

"I already told you and your colleague that I don't know." He shrugs.

"So what? You just happen to have one of The Man In The Hood's arrows? And this small dagger, that I'm just going to take a stab in the dark here, is The Man In The Mask's. Have something from The Woman In Black to make a complete set of souvenirs, or are you still collecting?" Cat questions sharply.

"I hear The Man In The Hood likes green arrows." Is all Roy can say.

"Do you think this is funny?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Because Cat and I can charge you with obstruction right now." Laurel suddenly shouts, feeling Cat grabbing her hand to pull her to a standstill, upon seeing Laurel pacing, phone clutched in hand, her two babies having been left in the care of her babysitter Leena for the night when Laurel had been called in for work.

Being away from them at night unsettles Laurel greatly.

"Look…" Laurel sighs as she takes a seat beside Cat.

"I used to feel the same way as you." She starts more gentle this time.

"They have this way of deducing you. Making you feel like they're some kind of Guardian Angels but they're not. They cause chaos, people get hurt and people are killed and you trying to emulate them just makes the situation worse…"

"What? Half the city fell into a hole. I'd say the situation's already worse. Look, some of us are just trying to make it better." Roy cuts her off.

"Who? Like you and three vigilantes. Ohh please." Cat cuts him off this time.

"Yeah and you know what, I think they're trying to expand their services. Sending them off individually to help protect the people of Starling City. I saw her. The Woman In Black flew solo the other night, had one hell of a toy with her as well but what it all boils down to is that these are people who are willing to do what's right." Roy folds his arms.

"We're not interested in whether they're acting in unison or spreading themselves about the city." Cat growls as Laurel adds.

"We just want the three of them brought to justice."

 _Meanwhile…_

Meanwhile, out in the corridor, waiting outside the interrogation room are Oliver, Sara, Slade, the three of them there for Thea, who is pacing continuously, back and forth, back and forth, biting her nails rapidly as she paces.

Suddenly, a door is opened a Roy exits from it.

"What happened?" Thea bombards him in an instant as Roy walks out of the interrogation room to see the worried face of his girlfriend and the more sterner ones of her brother, his girlfriend and their best friend, each of them looking rather annoyed to be honest.

"Are you hurt?" Thea reaches for him.

"Fender bender." Roy murmurs as he moves past her and the other three.

"He totalled his car playing vigilante junior." Cat informs them as she and Laurel exit the interrogation room from behind him.

"At least it wasn't my car." Roy murmurs cheekily.

"Don't say anything!" Thea growls at him.

"I already called an attorney…"

"That won't be necessary, we're not pressing charges." Laurel calls.

"So long as he gives up looking for trouble." Cat warns him.

"Might as well tell him to give up breathing." Thea mutters in annoyance as she leans toward Roy so they cannot be heard.

"And we were planning to tell Ollie, Sara and Slade that you're living with us. Guess that won't be happening now will it? You be on the couch if it weren't for the fact I don't want you murdered in your sleep." She hisses viciously in his ear as Roy pales slightly.

"We'll talk to him." Oliver sighs as they look in Roy's direction, whilst Laurel leans into her Sara's instant embrace.

"As him if he knows anything about the three vigilantes." She whispers.

"Roy's obviously forged some sort of connection to them. Maybe it goes both ways." She wonders tiredly.

"Doesn't sound like the three vigilantes to have a groupie." Oliver replies.

"Let alone someone like that kid." Slade mutters.

"That's just it isn't it? We don't know anything about the three vigilantes really." Cat notes as she glances suspiciously at Roy before turning to face Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"We all haven't been properly introduced. I'm Cat Grant. You're the younger sister Sara Lance." Cat turns to Sara, who moves one of her hands from around Laurel to shake Cat's hand, who looks to the other two.

"You're Oliver Queen." She shakes Oliver's hand.

"So that must make you Slade Wilson. Laurel has told me so many wonderful things about the three of you. It's nice to finally meet you three in person." Cat half smile's at them.

"You too." Oliver smiles back.

"It's just a pity we had to meet under these circumstances." Cat sighs as she looks to where Roy is stood.

"Laurel does have a point; do try and get some info out of him for us. It would be much appreciated. These vigilantes need to be stopped." Cat nods as does Laurel.

"Yes. Every time those vigilantes show up all hell breaks loose. It has to stop guys." Laurel shakes her head in horror.

"They have to be stopped." She murmurs before looking to Cat.

"Now, we need to get home. I probably owe my babysitter a raise." Laurel groans as she hugs Sara tight once more before she and Cat depart.

"Thea, can you ask Mr. Diggle to bring the car around, please?" Oliver requests as he, Sara and Slade walk toward them, advancing on Roy as Thea places a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll always think of you fondly." She says before leaving, causing Roy to groan slightly when he realises that it is just he, Thea's brother, his girlfriend and their friend left in the corridor.

"Save the speeches. Your ex-girlfriend, your current girlfriend's sister and her catty accomplice already laid one on me. Still, no effect." Roy shrugs moodily.

"Yeah what might cause an effect is three individuals who spent five years on a deserted island, one of them happening to be an ex Australian Intelligence agent!" Sara snaps, taking a step forward to wipe the smug look off of Roy's face, as does Slade.

Oliver holds out both of his arms to hold them both back.

"You know I used to be a lot like you, Roy..."

"I doubt that." Roy smirks.

"I spent more time in the back of cop cars than limos." He mutters.

"I spent my fair amount of time in cop cars, both Sara and I did and Tommy Merlyn, remember the name? I did stupid things. It took meeting the right people to make me see that. That I didn't have to be that person anymore." Oliver explains with a look to Slade

"Him? Yeah and not all of us have some foreign psycho intelligence agent to straighten out our acts and it's not something I'm ever gonna need so…" He begins to push past them when Slade grabs his wrist and twisting it sharply behind Roy's back, slams him into wall.

"Slade." Oliver says in a warning tone as Roy struggles against Slade's iron grip to no success; Slade being a much stronger man than he.

"I think it would do for you to learn some manners, boy." Slade snarls, purposely slamming Roy's face into the wall in the process as Oliver lays a hand on his arm in an attempt to ease Slade's anger ever so slightly, it doesn't work; Slade simply shrugs him off.

"The world doesn't work anymore. It broke a long time ago but it was like you were the only one who noticed." Oliver starts.

"That makes you angry and you're afraid that, that anger is going to burn you up inside." Slade hisses.

"If you have to live one second longer, knowing that you could do something to fix it." Oliver adds as Slade cuts him off, determined to have the last word here.

"That anger's gonna put you in the hospital, boy. Or worse." He growls before finally releasing Roy.

"Well, I'll take worse." Roy snaps.

"It's better to be dead than in a hospital these days, right?" Roy retorts.

"What do you mean?" Oliver frowns.

"You three been to the Glades Memorial lately?" He questions.

"No, but we didn't hear that it was damaged by the quake." Sara replies.

"It wasn't. The medicine that FEMA's been sending the hospital is being hijacked. So if they don't re-supply, they'll be forced to close…"

"By who?" Slade snaps.

"I don't know!" Roy shrugs.

"The doctors and nurses are already bailing on the place and the cops? The cops rarely venture deep into The Glades. So I guess that leaves only me!" Roy shouts as he looks to Sara and Oliver.

"What'll it take to make you two angry?" He mutters before storming off, leaving the three friends standing side by side, a haunting memory hitting him, Oliver looks at hands…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and following and favoriting and for all your kind reviews, next update should be soon, see you all next update.**


	76. Identity (2)

_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._

 **Chapter Seventy Six**

 _Oliver couldn't do anything but stare at his blood stained hands._

 _The blood of the man he had violently killed only hours previous._

 _Flashes of it hit him instantly, knocking the man to the ground, slamming the rock into the man's head over and over and over again whilst Sara, Shado and even Slade yelled at him to stop, Sara crying as she begged him to stop._

 _He had ignored her, just kept hitting and hitting the guy who had dared to take her, killing the man._

 _He killed a man…_

 _Looking at his bloodstained hands once more, Oliver looks up to see the concerned looks of Sara, Shado and even Slade, watching him cautiously._

 _Glaring at them once, Oliver moves several feet away from them, sitting himself down on a bank with his back to the three._

 _"Others will come." Shado sighs to Slade and Sara._

 _"They won't be happy we killed their men." She comments, resting her hands on Slade's shoulders as he bends down to pull something off of one of the men._

 _"All the more reason to figure out why they're here, love." Slade replies, unfolding the piece of paper in his hands._

 _"It's a map." He states as Shado leans down, dropping her head to his shoulder._

 _"It's of the island chain, containing Lian Yu. This is similar to the recon shots that ASIS gave me before I came here to rescue you father." Slade murmurs as Shado nods, looking momentarily sad at mention of her father, merely moving closer to Slade in response._

 _"Whatever they're looking for, it must be here, on this island." He murmurs as he gets to his feet again, Shado taking his hand to pull him toward her._

 _"Have you got any idea of what they're looking for?" Sara questions to silence from Slade._

 _"I just thought, you may have some idea considering you were here on this island the longest." She stops when she realizes Slade isn't ignoring her, but glancing toward where Oliver sits, slouched over, his back to them._

 _The fearful look in Slade's eyes, scaring Sara greatly._

 _"I've seen men in war with that look in their eyes." He sighs as Sara looks back to him even more worriedly at his admission._

 _"What look?" She whispers._

 _"The one that says he's split into someone else." He murmurs before stopping and sighing deeply._

 _"Someone he doesn't even recognize. If someone doesn't talk to him, it'll tear him up." Slade reveals grimly, feeling Shado giving him a light shove in Oliver's direction._

 _"Go on then. I know you'll get through to him." Shado says with a gentle smile._

 _"Not your best idea, love. Sara." Slade moves toward her._

 _"Slade. Shado's right you're the best of us to help him through this…" Sara starts._

 _"And I don't believe anything I could ever say to him would have as much an impact and help him through what he's going through right now as you could." He murmurs, stopping a moment for continuing._

 _"I doubt I would be much help in sorting out the mess he's in considering he doesn't care too much for me, but he loves you and because of that, he'll listen to you." Slade mutters truthfully as Sara looks at them both once before swiftly moving toward her boyfriend._

 _Oliver doesn't even look up at her when she kneels down beside him, stroking his cheek lovingly before taking both his bloodstained hands in hers, not even caring about the blood still on them._

 _"Come on. Let's get away from this place." She manages a smile in his direction, before pulling him to his feet and leading him away, he follows after her without even saying a word as she pulls him through the trees and out of Shado and Slade's line of sight._

 _"Do you think he'll be ok?" Shado questions as she and Slade walk hand in hand toward the lake they are near, standing beside the glistening water._

 _Slade shrugs._

 _"I've seen men lose their minds, never be the person they once was." Slade admits._

 _"You think that will happen to Oliver?" She whispers in worry._

 _"I don't know about that. Sara might be able to pull him out of it somewhat." He grimaces._

 _"So only time will tell?" She frowns slightly._

 _"Something like that." He murmurs._

 _"What you said to Sara earlier, about you believing Oliver doesn't care much for you." She stops for a moment before looking up at him._

 _"Do you really believe that?" She whispers as Slade shrugs._

 _"Just because the four of us are stuck in one another's company doesn't mean we all actually enjoy each other's company." He smirks as Shado rests her hand against his cheek. "So this is you saying you don't enjoy Oliver's company?" She smiles._

 _"No." Slade mutters._

 _"Go on." She smirks._

 _"You cannot ever reveal to anyone I ever said this but I don't mind the kids company. He's not the worse person I could be stuck on this island with." He mutters._

 _"I knew you liked Oliver really." Shado continues to smile._

 _"Because if you didn't, you would have killed when you two first met and never, unless you cared, would you ever even consider going back for him and Sara. Don't worry." She murmurs as she presses a soft kiss to his lips._

 _"I'll keep your secret that you care for them both really." She smiles._

 _"I expect you to. Shouldn't form attachments on this island. Attachments are distractions and distractions are what gets you killed." He mutters sternly._

 _"You ignored that rule of yours once." She whispers against his lips._

 _"I spend most days wondering if that was a bad idea." He admits._

 _"I know. I know you believe that caring for people gets those you care for hurt but. I don't see things that way." She shakes her head once before kissing him briefly, pulling back for a brief moment, looking into his immense dark brown eyes._

 _"I care for you." She murmurs one hundred percent truthfully._

 _"Shado…" He starts but she kisses him again before he can say anything else._

 _"No. No words." She cuts him off, moving one of her hands to his shoulder, her other hand stroking his face gently as she leans up to kiss him, deeper this time._

 _"This isn't your best idea." He mutters._

 _"Or the time, or place." He adds gruffly as she pulls back for a moment._

 _"I'm willing to take the chance if you are." She smiles mischievously for a brief second as Slade just glances at her, running one hand through her hair once._

 _"As am I." He murmurs, receiving a kiss from Shado the instant the words leave his mouth as he kisses her back, pulling her against him as he kisses her, sliding both his arms around her, lifting her up into his arms, Shado wrapping her legs around his waist, knotting her hands in his thick black hair as they begin to rid one another of all their clothing and walking backwards toward the river…_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment Building_

Having finally returned to her apartment block after her, quite frankly exhausting night interrogating Roy Harper and sorting out his legal issues and possible mental issues, considering his concerning worshipping for the three vigilantes with Cat, Laurel is more than happy to be returning home and exhaustedly pulls herself up each step, knowing that she's got to keep going, that Brandon and Rebecca are waiting for her.

Somehow, the thought of her two precious babies, the ones that keep her up all through the night, causing her to feel this exhausted In the first place! Keeps her going all the way until she is at the very top of the stairs, almost running in to an elder man trying to get into his apartment, a task he seems to be falling at dramatically.

When he slams his head against the door, Laurel decides to offer help.

"Hey, I live a few doors down. Are you ok?" She asks the elder man, who turns around to look at her, straightening his glasses as he does so.

"Not quite, I'm afraid. A friend of mine offered me this apartment to stay in for a few days whilst I'm in Starling City. Unfortunately, I've just realized he must have given me the wrong set of keys!" He sighs, proving his story to Laurel by showing her that none of the set of keys in his hand are able to fit in the lock.

Laurel looks at the man sympathetically.

"Fortunately though, I managed to get a hold of said friend and he'll be hopefully within the hour." He sighs.

"That's good. Look, I live only a few door down. If you want to come in and wait until your friend comes back with the correct keys, I'd be more than happy to let you?" She offers kindly as the man shakes his head.

"Ohh no I couldn't…"

"It's fine, you know. I really don't mind." Laurel smiles warmly.

"I don't want to be a burden."

"Trust me, you won't be. Just for the record, your not a reporter right?" She questions nervously for a moment.

"No, I'm a nuclear physicist." He replies as Laurel smiles again, reassurance hitting her in an instance upon realizing her new acquaintance isn't a reporter.

"Sorry. I never caught your name?" She asks.

"Martin Stein and you?" He replies, shaking hands with her.

"Laurel Lance."

"It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Lance. Thank you, again for this." He bows his head politely.

"Ohh don't worry about it. We're technically neighbors now right." She notes.

"For a little while, I believe." He nods.

"Where are you from?" She questions.

"Central City. I've got some things to research at the libraries here that I cannot find there before the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator event." He informs her.

"You're going to be there when it gets switched on?"

"I intend to be, but for now, here I am." He smiles as she reaches her front door, unlocking it with her keys.

"Laurel?" A quiet voice calls out her name the minute she and Stein enter the apartment.

"Hey Leena, did you get them to…"

"I've got them all peaceful. They ain't asleep yet but they're peaceful." Her blonde friend smiles as Laurel puts a small wad of notes into her hand.

"Thanks." Leena beams as she heads toward the door.

"Leena Quinn. Nice to meetcha." She grins at Stein as she moves past him, stopping momentarily to greet him.

"Martin Stein, pleasure." He nods politely, shaking hands with her.

"Thank you Leena." Laurel looks to her gratefully.

"No problem. See ya tomorrow!" She grins again before disappearing through the door.

"She's energetic." Stein comments once she's out of sight.

"That she is. She's my babysitter." She admits, knowing that a nuclear physicist from another town, whom barely even knows her is going to say a word to anyone about her situation.

"You have children, Ms. Lance?" He questions as she nods.

"Yeah, two of them." She smiles.

"My wife, Clarissa and I never had anyway. I was always so involved in my career we never really got around to it." He replies.

"Your wife stayed in Central City?" She asks.

"Yes she did, this will probably cause her no end of laughter when I call home, what with all my various degrees and achievements, I manage to get myself locked outside an apartment on the very first day." He smiles slightly as Laurel begins to hear the familiar cry of her two babies as they awaken from the peaceful state Leena had somehow managed to get them in.

"Sorry about this." Laurel apologises.

"No worries at all, Ms. Lance." Stein replies as Laurel dashes off to her two babies aid, picking them both up in an attempt to calm them, deciding after a moment to bring them into the living room, Stein standing up from the couch to greet them.

"And what are their names?" He smiles down at the two babies in Laurel's arms.

"Brandon and Rebecca." Laurel replies as she sits down on the couch with them.

"If you don't mind me asking. The father, is he not in the picture?" Stein asks gently.

"It's complicated. There was a terrible accident before we both even knew I was pregnant and he's been in a coma ever since." She admits.

"I'm so sorry." Stein says in response.

"It was that Undertaking that took place here, wasn't it?" He questions as Laurel nods.

"That must have been awful." He mutters with a slight shake of his head.

"The worst part is, is that he shouldn't have even been there but he came back during the worst of it all because he knew I'd still be at my job in The Glades, trying to help out others. I got trapped and then he was just there. He'd come back for me. He made sure I was out of there and then when I turned around, he wasn't there. He'd got crushed under the building. Next thing we all knew was that he was in a coma, which he's been in ever since." She sighs sadly as what frightens her the most is that Tommy is still in said coma, that's the reality of it and what is also reality is that he may never wake up…

 _The Glades Memorial: Next Day_

Oliver, Sara and Slade look around the busy, overflowing hospital that they are currently stood in, in dismay at the state of it all. Beside them, Diggle notices the expression upon each one of their faces and nods.

"People survived the quake and ended up here. From one hell to the next." He sighs.

"Yeah, whoever's stealing from here they won't be for much longer." Oliver murmurs as the four of them head toward the stairs upon hearing a commotion outside.

"This city is failing on all counts." Someone is calling from outside.

"Who on earths that?" Slade mutters from the stairs.

"Sebastian Blood, the local alderman that I told you three about." Diggle replies.

"He looks like a piece of work." Sara murmurs.

"Yeah, not too shy about sharing his opinions." Diggle sighs.

"Which are?" Oliver inquires.

"Which are that The Glades have been abandoned. No one gives a damn about these people." Diggle sighs as Sara shakes her head.

"Well he hasn't met us yet." Oliver says as the four push open the doors, catching the rest of Sebastian Blood's speech.

"We cannot stand by while the doctors on the other side of those doors are working with the bare minimum of resources because the police department already sees us as a lost cause!" He calls to the crowd of many reporters crowding around them.

"Meanwhile, thieves are seeking to make a quick buck off the misery of The Glades." He shouts, stopping when he lays his eyes on Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson isn't it?" He calls them out.

"Alderman." Oliver replies quietly.

"What brings you three to Glades Memorial, Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance, Mr. Wilson?" He folds his arms, a smug look upon his face.

"I assume that someone of your means can afford the best medical treatment money can buy and I can assure you three, you're not going to find that here." He mutters.

"That's wrong, sir." Oliver cuts in, keeping a hand on Slade's arm in restraint, knowing his friend already wants to punch this man in the face because, if he himself does he's pretty certain Slade does!

"The people of The Glades have suffered too much not to have access to basic medical services." Oliver replies.

"Well, that's very compassionate of you to say." Sebastian starts as he begins to approach the three

"Although, I wonder where your family's concern for its fellow citizens was when they ordered the construction of the earthquake machine that killed five hundred and three people, not to mention hospitalised a few hundred more. People like Thomas Merlyn…"

"Now can I punch him?" Slade snarls, pulling free from Oliver to advance on Blood.

"Slade." Sara, Diggle and Oliver say simultaneously.

"He's not worth it." Sara glares at Blood, before linking her arm with Slade's in an attempt to restrain him from actually killing this guy.

"Not worth it at all." Oliver adds as the four friends begin to walk away, whilst Blood addresses the crowd of reporters again, now all beginning to swarm around Diggle, Sara, Oliver and Slade. Oliver stopping once more to face Sebastian Blood with a calm expression, despite the fact he to wants to just have it out with this Sebastian Blood guy.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to atone for my family's culpability in this tragedy." He says before heading back toward Sara, Slade and Diggle.

"Well I'm sure that the people of The Glades I represent will sleep better knowing that. If they still had a place to sleep!" Sebastian cuts back.

"If their homes hadn't crumbled around them. If their stores and businesses hadn't been condemned!" He shouts as the crowd of reporters and protesters begin to advance on Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"You did this to all of us!" They shout to them.

"Go back to your mansion!" The also shout as Oliver, Sara and Slade ignore them, whilst following Diggle toward the car.

"Spare us your mercy visits you've already done enough for this city as it is!" Sebastian Blood yells to insure he has the last word as the reporters, protesters and more move what from Sebastian Blood to swarm around the car as Oliver, Slade and Sara slide into it. The many angry protesters still approaching even as Diggle begins to drive away, reporters yelling out for comments, protesters yelling out for justice.

One of the protesters grab a bat and smash it through the car window, showering, Oliver, Slade and Sara with glass as they drive away and closest to the window. Sara receives a face full of glass…

 _Starling City General_

"You need to get to the office." Sara murmurs from one of the beds as Oliver and Slade stand beside her, Oliver gripping her hand tightly.

"When would we ever leave you." Slade replies with a slight smile.

"Well we don't know how long I'm going to be here for." She replies, wincing as the nurse pulls a shard of glass out of her cheek, the left side of her face covered in cuts and gashes from where she was hit with all the glass from the broken window.

"Diggle shouldn't have brought me here." She muses.

"He did the right thing. You got some of it in your eye." The nurse comments.

"I won't have to have surgery will I?" Sara murmurs.

"It's a possibility. It depends on how bad the scratch was." The nurse replies as Oliver just shakes his head.

"You let me go back there and I will hunt whoever did this down and I will personally tear them apart." Slade hisses.

"I'll join you!" Oliver growls.

"Then the alderman." Slade snarls.

"Wait until I'm out of here for that." Sara sighs, gripping Oliver's had tightly when another part of glass is removed.

"But seriously, you two need to get to Queen Consolidated. You can't be here."

"They'll understand." Oliver says gently.

"That bitch doesn't need to have any more ammunition to take the company away from you. Go. I'll be fine, I don't want to see you lose the company for me." Sara sighs again.

"Ohh my god, Sara, sweetie what the hell happened!" Comes the voice of Quentin Lance as he races into the room to see his daughters bloodied form.

"Slight mishap with the car window." Sara murmurs.

"What?" Quentin shakes his head in horror as Diggle pops his head around the door.

"I called him here. Are we off to the company, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson?" He asks politely due to company.

"Dad tell them to go. You're here now, they can go." She mutters.

"You heard her. I'll keep an eye on her." Quentin looks to the worried Oliver and Slade.

"Sara…"

"Go! I'll see you both later." Sara tries to smile somewhat at them as reluctantly, Oliver releases her hand.

"Call us if anything happens. Anything at all." Oliver says quickly.

"Ollie, Slade, I'll survive! I've had worse. You both know I've had worse." She reminds them.

"I don't want to know." Quentin murmurs with a shake of his head as Oliver bends down, kissing Sara's forehead for all of a brief second, Slade patting her shoulder affectionately before the two reluctantly depart…

 _Queen Consolidated_

"I quit." Felicity Smoak snarls the moment, Oliver, Slade and Diggle step through the elevator onto the top floor.

"No you don't." Slade sighs as he and Oliver walk past her.

"Yes, I do. Not my old job in the IT Department but my new job as Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson's executive assistant, which you two think I'm going to accept! Your thinkings couldn't be more wrong in this matter!" She yells at them both as they stop just outside the main office to turn around to face her.

"We need a girl Wednesday!" Oliver retorts in frustration.

"It's… Friday and the answer is no!" Felicity snaps, Oliver burying his head in his hands for a brief moment. He did not need this today. In an attempt to make peace with Felicity, he leads her toward the desk that will be her's when she accepts the job.

"These computers have been upgraded. Far more processing power than your typical secretary." He informs her before he and Slade head into the main office.

"Did you two know I went to MIT?" She follows them in a furious rage.

"Guess what I majored in? Hint, not the secretarial arts…"

"FELICITY!" Slade bellows at her to silence her.

"I'm an ex ASIS agent. Do you really think I truly want to be Oliver Queen's second in command? Do you really think Oliver even wants to be CEO of this damn company? None of this is ideal for any of us but we all need to have secret identities now and if Oliver's going to be CEO and I'm going to be his second in command then we can't very well travel down eighteen floors every time we need to discuss how we spend our nights!" Slade growls.

"And I love spending the night with you Slade…" Felicity stops, closing her eyes tight in deep embarrassment.

"Three, two, one." She turns away from him, cheeks flushing deep red.

"I worked very hard to get where I am and it wasn't so I could fetch you two coffee!" She continues to shout at them as Oliver and Slade sit at their desks, which are situated beside each other.

"Well, it could be worse." Diggle murmurs as he glances briefly at his phone.

"My secret identity is their black driver." He mutters.

"Sara! What about Sara! Why couldn't she have worked here and your assistant? If we're all supposed to have secret identities then what's her's? Does she even have a job?" Felicity growls still in annoyance.

"Well it's perfectly normal for her to be here considering she's my girlfriend and lives with both of us, she would be over here quite a lot and for the record she does have a job at Verdant. This is what Slade and I need you to do ok." Oliver snaps back.

"I'm sure she would be agreeing with me about this." Felicity folds her arms.

"And you pair can discuss that when she gets out of the hospital…"

"What? Sara's in the hospital? What's wrong? What happened?" Felicity cuts Slade off mid sentence, her anger rapidly morphing into worry.

"We went to The Glades as ourselves and ran into a bunch of protesters and the new alderman. They smashed one of the car windows and Sara got a face full of glass." Oliver mutters, still deeply concerned himself.

"She's ok right?" Felicity whispers.

"She's had worse." Slade murmurs.

"Right now, we need you to figure out how the hijackers are getting a line on the good earmarked for Glades Memorial." Oliver continues, all business like as sitting around and worrying about Sara isn't going to get this problem solved and Sara wouldn't want that.

"If we know how they're picking their targets…"

"We'll know when and where to stop them." Diggle cuts Oliver off as Felicity glances to him once before back at Oliver and Slade.

"Fine." She murmurs before heading to her 'new desk'.

"Oh!" She whirls around.

"May I get you both a cup of coffee?" She smiles fakely as Oliver and Slade glance at her skeptically.

"You're not actually offering to get Oliver and I a cup of coffee, are you?" Slade murmurs, more of a statement than a question as Felicity storms away from them.

"Yeah, no. That won't be happening. Ever!" She snaps, storming past Diggle and toward her new desk, where she finds all her stuff has been moved to.

"Well, if you can bring yourself to do it can you please make reservations for Dig, Carly, Sara, Slade and I for Saturday night at 'Table Salt'. Actually add yourself to that list you can be Slade's date… OW! WHAT IN GODS NAME WAS THAT FOR?" Felicity hears Oliver suddenly groan in pain.

"Sure." Felicity replies anyway as she hears Oliver still cursing in pain.

"I'll get right on that. Using the Internet, which you two also happen to have access to." She mutters sarcastically.

"Still haven't told him?" She asks Diggle.

"He has enough on his plate." Diggle murmurs before heading into the office, watching Oliver and Slade at their desks.

"Get a load of this." Oliver murmurs to Slade, who wheels himself a few inches toward Oliver's desk, who brings up the news and turns the sound on.

"Last year when Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson returned to Starling City. They were met with flowers and well-wishes. However, today down at Glades Memorial they were met with a far less cordial homecoming. The question is no longer where have you been? Now it's what have you three done for me lately? The three were not available for comment but some sources say their car was attacked…

 _Sara decided to take Oliver to the river, about ten minutes away from where they'd left Shado and Slade._

 _They stand in shallow waters, Oliver with his hands in the water, Sara slowly and gently washing the blood of them, squeezing them tight._

 _"You saved my life Ollie." She states after neither of them saying anything for a long time._

 _"That's what I keep telling myself." Oliver murmurs sadly as Sara squeezes his hands again._

 _"That I killed that guy because he was going to kill you and I love you." He mutters before stopping for a moment._

 _"But what if that's not the reason? I just feel like this island is… It's turning me into something terrible." He whispers, Sara also falling silent for a few minutes before bending down to get a hand full of water, using it to gently rub the blood of Oliver's face, who closes his eyes as Sara carefully washes away the blood with her hand._

 _"I felt like that." She admits._

 _"When?" Oliver asks._

 _"You haven't killed anyone." He opens his eyes to look at her, stopping when he does._

 _"Sara. You killed somebody?" Oliver whispers, she nods._

 _"I did. I shot and killed someone with the intent to kill them the day we stopped the missile launcher." She reveals._

 _"When I killed Fyers..." He mutters._

 _"To save me again." She smiles softly._

 _"What. What happened?" Oliver decides to ask her as Sara continues to wash away the blood that's on him._

 _"I assumed you didn't do much that day because Fyers has wounded you…"_

 _"You thought wrong. Slade and I were defending you and Shado, trying to fend of Fyers' men to take them out. It was just Slade at one point because, as you said I was wounded but then one of Fyers' men came up behind us…" She trails off, biting her lip as she remembers how she took that man's life but for all the right reasons._

 _That's what she's been telling herself since that day._

 _"He was going to kill Slade." She murmurs._

 _"You killed a guy to save Slade?" Oliver whispers._

 _"He's my friend, he's saved us in more ways than one… I didn't let the fact I killed someone distract me from the fact that because I did what I did my friend is still alive. I chose him, like you chose me. I'm alive because of you. No island, no place can make us something we're not." She states gently._

 _"So we've always been killers?" Oliver retorts, the pair of them falling into silence as Sara drops her hand from his cheek to his shoulder._

 _"Everyone has a demon inside of them. The Dao De Jing, recognizes the Yin and the Yang. Opposing forces inside all of us." She stops a moment._

 _"The darkness. Light. The killer and the hero." She reaches to cup his cheek lovingly._

 _"Shado tell you that?" Oliver manages a small smirk._

 _"She might have done." Sara nods with a smile of her own before reaching up to kiss Oliver, who rests his hands on her waist as she kisses him. Oliver kissing her back hungrily, desperate to have Sara, the woman he loves as close as humanly possible._

 _Pulling back momentarily, Sara shrugs her jacket off, reaching up to kiss Oliver again as he tugs her shirt over her head, Sara ridding Oliver of his in mere seconds as the two resume kissing, both at peace in that moment of being the presence of one another._

 _For the moment just forgetting the lives they have taken and the guilt that caused them._

 _Only one thing on their minds._

 _That they're together, here and now and that they love each other more than anything else in the world…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. Next chapter should be posted soon, big thanks to those who have followed and favorited please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter. (Sigh) it wasn't one my favorites as I've had to introduce my least favorite Arrowvsere character, Sebastian Blood. I would have preferred for him not to be here but he was a big part of cannon so unfortunately here he is! To make up for my own misery I added One Half Of Firestorm who is an amazing Arrowverse character! Thanks again for reading :)**


	77. Identity (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Seven**

 _The Foundry_

"Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually getting more done down in the basement of an abandoned steel factory than in the corner office of a high rise!" Felicity snaps resentfully as she, Oliver, Slade and Diggle enter The Foundry, Felicity going to her computer.

"What do you have?" Oliver cuts her off.

"FEMA is shipping one hundred thousand units of medical grade opiates to Glades Memorial." Felicity reveals.

"When?" Slade questions.

"The truck is scheduled to leave the FEMA depot in twenty minutes."

"Not of this motorcycle gang has anything to say about it." Diggle sighs.

"Bad luck for them. Slade and I have something to say about it." Oliver mutters with a glance to his vigilante uniform.

"Let's suit up." He looks to Slade, whom nods.

"How's Sara?" Felicity asks softly.

"She's still in the hospital. They think there's still glass in her eye. They might have to put her under to try and get it out without it doing any permanent damage to her eye." Oliver murmurs coldly, wanting nothing more than to be with Sara right now, but she had made him and Slade go to sort out this problem and Sara is a force to be reckoned with when she wants to be so, reluctantly, both Oliver and Slade obeyed her wishes and once again, left her with her father.

"One of us already only has one eye. We don't need another one of us losing an eye." Slade mutters, worrying deeply for Sara as well, also wanting to be with his dearest friend during this time.

"Do you want us to go and check in on her?" Diggle offers.

"You could try but she'd probably send you both right back here again." Oliver sighs.

"She's one tough woman." Diggle murmurs.

"She is stubborn." Slade nods.

"Says you." Oliver nudges him.

"Says both of you. You three are the most stubborn people I know and that's how I know Sara's going to be okay." Felicity smiles reassuringly.

"Exactly." Slade agrees.

All of them knowing that nothing stops The Woman In Black without one hell of a fight!

 _FEMA Depot_

As boxes of medical opiates are moved along a conveyer belt, work men slowly work to get them into the vans, before suddenly being shot down by two gunmen on motorcycles.

Whom fire the guns at the rest of them, before approaching the surviving man.

"No, please. Don't…" The man begs for his life.

"DOWN!" The Man In The Hood suddenly yells as he fired two arrows expertly at the two cyclists, hitting them both but not killing them, as The Man In The Mask stands beside The Man In The Hood, secretly wishing his partner had just taken them out. Permanently.

"Make your delivery." The Man In The Hood commands to the surviving driver, whom climbs into the truck. Just when, out of nowhere he is hit and killed instantly by a flying knife to the throat by an unknown assailant.

"The Emerald Archer and Deathstroke. I feared you two had perished in the quake, denying me the opportunity to pay you two back in full for your past interferences in my business." China White calls them out as she walks forward.

"Your business is going under!" The Man In The Hood snaps.

"Permanently!" The Man In The Mask growls. The Man In The Hood reaching for a few arrows, when suddenly a man suddenly jumps down from the top of one of vans, using two hands with have knife like claws upon them, sliding them across the vans, making a rather sickening sound as he lands on his feet.

"I don't think my friend agrees with you. Our new partnership was easily cemented. You see I was eager to see you both killed and he was eager to kill you!" She snaps as The Man In The Hood fires rapid arrows in the man's direction, who merely bats them away with his steel claws, breaking them in half.

"No kill shots?" The clawed man speaks as China White climbs into one of the vans.

"I was promised a fight. I hope you two haven't lost your nerve." He smirks.

"Find out." The Man In The Mask snarls as he and The Man In The Hood advance on the clawed man, attacking him viciously as China White drives away in one of the vans. The Man In The Mask using two swords in his hands to battle off the clawed man, who proves to be good at blocking attacks, The Man In The Hood using his bow to deflect the claws, The Man In The Mask moving so that he is in front of The Man In The Hood to defend him against the clawed man's attacks, considering every arrow he fires, the clawed man seems to break.

However, the fight isn't their only problems as suddenly sirens fill the air of the arrival of the SCPD, Laurel Lance and Cat Grant.

"Starling City Police!" Someone calls just as the clawed man manages to raise a claw to The Man In The Hood's throat.

"You're surrounded. Put down your weapons or we'll open fire!"

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask look toward the source of the sound, both of them surprised to not only see SCPD officers but also Laurel and Cat.

In an instant The Man In The Hood pushes the clawed man into a set of pipes, causing them to begin to release gas as they both make a run for it.

"Open fire!" The officers yell. The three running in separate directions.

"Kid!" The Man In The Mask yells as he sees something aimed for The Man In The Hood, knocking him out of the way, only to get shot in the ankle by something that tethers him to the spot, fired by the SCPD.

"Come on." The Man In The Hood hisses as he drops a device that causes smoke to cloud around the two vigilantes before wrapping one arm around his injured partner before firing an arrow, allowing them both to ascend to higher ground, completely out of the firing range, watching from above as the SCPD officers surround the area.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Lieutenant Pike shouts as he doesn't see the vigilantes or the clawed man in sight anymore.

"Find them!" He commands as unbeknownst to them all, they're being watched by the two vigilantes who escaped.

"Couldn't have gone far."

 _The Foundry_

"Stop mothering me, kid I'm fine." Slade growls for the umpteenth as he slowly extracts the small thin hook he was shot with from his ankle.

"It should have been me." Oliver shakes his head.

"Well it wasn't. So shut up about it!" Slade snaps as Felicity just watches as he pulls it out, biting her nails anxiously.

"Does it hurt?" She asks worriedly.

"Not as much as other things." Slade replies, reclining against the chair as Oliver just shakes his head at him.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with. Do you want some pain relief? Something to rest you foot on…"

"Felicity! I'm a'right." Slade cuts her off sharply.

"You know I love that we live in a city whose police are more interested in catching the vigilantes than the drug-stealing mobsters." Felicity muses.

"Our tax dollars at work." She shakes her head.

"The authorities have always gone after the three vigilantes." Diggle comments.

"This time it was different." Oliver comments.

"Why? Because this time it's Laurel and her new best friend leading the charge?" Diggle responds with a slight smirk.

"Because they got in our way." Oliver snaps back, storming toward Diggle.

"I can't make things better as Oliver Queen and now none of us can make things better as the vigilantes! So what if Laurel and her friend's involved!" Oliver shouts.

"Kid." Slade starts but Felicity beats him to it.

"Hey! Go easy on him!" She snaps.

"It's alright Felicity…"

"No it's not!" She shouts, cutting Diggle off.

"You don't get to jump down his throat just because you happen to be having a lousy week. Okay! I know your pissed about what happened to Sara and now Slade and that Diggle happened to invoke the almighty Laurel but your not the only one who's having to deal with stuff!" Felicity yells, all patience with Oliver gone.

"Felicity." Diggle sighs.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver folds his arms.

"I'm taking about that fact that you keep bringing up Carly but you're so involved with yourself that you don't even realise the look he gets every time you do!" She snaps as Oliver looks to Diggle in confusion.

"What is she talking about?" He questions.

"Me and Carly pulling the pin." Diggle sighs.

"It happened when you three were gone. Truth is it's been happening for a while now." Diggle reveals sadly.

"Being the three vigilantes wingman was a strain." Felcity mutters before looking to Diggle.

"He needs to hear this." She advises.

"This wasn't just about what us five were doing. This isn't about you three, man. I couldn't separate what was going on with me and Carly and… What went on with my brother."

"Deadshot." Oliver cuts him off.

"He's still out there." Diggle murmurs.

"My brothers killer. Still breathing and I, uh, guess I couldn't hate him and love her at the same time." He sighs, pausing for a moment as Oliver just looks at him sadly, whilst Felicity glares at him and Slade, just looking like he's about to pass out!

"See. You are not the only one having trouble reconciling two sides of himself." Diggle says before leaving.

"Felicity…" Oliver starts but she just ignores him, moving toward a box to pull a thick blanket out of it before draping it over Slade's shoulders.

"Now. Are you sure there isn't anything I can…"

"Felicity just go. I can look after him just fine. I've been doing this a lot longer than you before you showed up!" Oliver snaps at her.

"Oliver!" Slade bellows then to silence him.

"Don't talk to her like that." He says sharply.

"Ohh don't worry! I'm gone." Felicity glares at Oliver before looking to Slade.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok." She rests a hand on his shoulder affectionately for a moment before heading out, leaving only Oliver and Slade.

Once they're both gone, Oliver looks to Slade, rolling his eyes and sighing.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me kid. I ain't best pleased with you now either!"

 _Verdant_

Boredly, Roy Harper sweeps up the club floor after closing, sweeping up all the crap that lies upon it from the night, soon hearing the familiar sound of high heels hitting the floor, almost in a stomping manner.

Sighing, he prepares for a lecture, knowing Thea isn't best pleased with him anyway, also she isn't in the best of moods after finding out that her brothers girlfriend and her best bartender is in the hospital after taking glass to the face.

"Great crowd tonight." He decides to start the conversation pleasantly.

"Now that we're closed are you going to be starting your second shift? Suicide by Chinese street thugs?" She folds her arms.

"Do you really wanna talk about this again?" Roy stops sweeping.

"We never finished talking about it!" She snaps as Roy just sighs and continues sweeping.

"You know, I wanted Laurel and Cat to arrest you." She reveals as Roy stops again.

"You know, you're not the first girlfriend to say that to me." He murmurs.

"She said I couldn't change you, so I'm not gonna try to." She mutters as she disturbs him to hand him a piece of paper, a certain rock and a set of keys.

"What? So you're giving me money, keys and a rock?" He rolls his eyes at her.

"The check is two weeks severance from the club. The keys are for the office, there's a couch in there, a mini fridge and heating. You can stay there for as long as you want before you can find permanent residency." She reveals as Roy looks at her in horror when he realises what's happening.

"Just because I can't change you doesn't mean I have to let you be in my life until you get yourself killed." She snaps as Roy just scoff at her.

"And my brother gave me that when he and his friends came back from the dead. Said it was a Hozen. Some Buddhist thing that symbolises reconnecting." She reveals tearfully as Roy just looks at it.

"If you want to reconnect with me keep the Hozen, give me back the keys and tear up that check." She bargains.

"I don't do too well with ultimatums." Roy retorts.

"And I don't do all that great with people I love getting hurt and worse." She shakes her head before walking away, for the last time? She doesn't know.

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade and Thea's Apartment: Next Morning_

"So this is what it feels like to be you on a permanent basis, hey Slade?" Sara calls to him from where she sits upon the couch, a couple of white strips on her cheek and a white patch over her left eye.

"You haven't lost the eye Sara." Slade murmurs.

"Hallelujah to that but I've got to wear this damn thing for at least a day. How do you do it all the time?" She questions.

"I've gotten used to it." He replies as he joins her on the couch.

"Not the most comfortable thing in the world but it's necessary." He adds.

"I tell you. If I could get my hands on that person who broke the freakin window in the first place." She growls miserably, folding her arms, before grabbing Slade's arm.

"So go on. What's up with Ollie?" She questions, knowing Oliver is out of ear shot, in their bedroom getting ready for work.

"He's not in the best of places." Slade says after a moment.

"How so?" She asks.

"He's blaming everything on himself. Feeling like there's nothing he can do that right, he's disturbed that Laurel and her new friend are leading the charge against us…"

"He's not the only one." Sara cuts him off.

"I agree. Also Felicity ripped him a new one, as did I but something Diggle said reminded me of something." He reveals quietly.

"What did he say?" Sara frowns.

"About Oliver trying to reconcile two sides of himself. Reminds me of how he was on the island after he killed that man in the name of keeping you safe." Slade admits as Sara's eye widens in surprise.

"Oh. Which one of us is going to talk to him? I mean I remember what you said back then but now he cares more for you than back then." She reminds him as Slade smirks at her.

"He cared for you then as well, you know. You might not have thought he did but he really did." She smiles slightly.

"I was a different person back then. I thought that caring for others was a distraction, that it would get us killed to be so deeply attached to one another but now. Now I have no idea what I would do if I didn't have you and the kid in my life." Slade admits.

"Saying nice things about me Slade? Sara what have you done to him?" Oliver's voice calls from the stairs as he heads down them and toward Sara and Slade.

"I'll see you both later." Sara smiles at Oliver and Slade as they head toward the door for a day of not only just vigilante problems but also of Queen Consolidated related problems, which they both mutually agree will probably be just as challenging!

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Your four o'clock is here." Felicity states as she walks toward Oliver and Slade's desks.

"Although, after what he said and with what happened to Sara, who, by the way I'm glad is safely home and hasn't lost her eye. I'm not entirely sure why you two would invite him up to your office." She folds her arms.

"Because we need to fix this situation and there are no cameras, or people to throw things at us in here." Oliver responds and he and Slade get to their feet, Slade somehow managing to walk across the room without a limp, which completely befuddles Felicity after what happened only the night previous!

"Alderman. Thank you for coming!" Oliver calls to Sebastian Blood as he enters the main office of Oliver and Slade.

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson." He mutters politely.

"This is some view." He comments, moving toward the window.

"How small the rest of us must all look from up here." Blood mutters.

"Ms. Smoak." Oliver looks to her as she's about to head out of the door.

"Yes Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson." Felicity replies politely.

"Would you get my guest, Slade and I some coffee?" Oliver requests.

"You know, I would, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson but it seems that someone's broken our coffeemaker." Felicity flashes them both a fake but triumphant smile as she pushes the office door open to let herself out.

"Violently." She hisses before departing.

"I was surprised that you two wanted to meet." Blood turns to them both with folded arms once it is just he, Slade and Oliver left in the room.

"As surprised as Slade, Sara and I was when you turned a frenzied mob on us?" Oliver retorts as he and Slade sit across from Blood.

"Oh, that shouldn't have been too surprising. My constituents have a lot of anger towards you family, Mr. Queen." Blood responds.

"They have a right to my mother was involved in something… Unspeakable but I'm my own man." Oliver starts but is cut off by Slade.

"Yet your 'constituents' put someone I care deeply about in the hospital!" Slade snarls.

"I agree. It was pretty surprising when they broke one of our cars windows and my girlfriend got a face full of glass and almost had to have eye surgery!" Oliver mutters, trying to keep his temper under control, or he's pretty sure he'd know which way this meeting will be heading!

"My condolences for what happened to Ms. Lance. I don't condone violence, you both should know that." Blood notes.

"Despite that. What we brought you here for was to say that we are not your enemy." Oliver explains carefully.

"You're not friends. To me, or the people of The Glades." He retorts.

"We are hoping to prove otherwise." Oliver says quietly.

"Mr. Queen, for starters your right hand man doesn't look to be on the same page as you." He glances to Slade momentarily.

"Glad we're on the same page." Slade mutters as Oliver glares at him.

"And second. Not every problem can be solved by money. Real change will never happen until your elitist friends realise that it is morally unacceptable to allow thousands of its citizens to live right down the street but in a third world…"

"Then let's show them!" Oliver proclaims.

"I'll host a benefit." He decides, Slade looking quite ready to murder both Sebastian Blood and Oliver right here in this second!

"Invite some of my 'elitist friends' and then you and we can help them see what needs to be done." Oliver says sharply as Blood looks at them both.

"People seeing you. Seeing you stand up, the CEO of Queen Consolidated, taking responsibility and being this causes public face. That would make a difference." Blood nods as Oliver and Slade get to their feet.

"Then let's make a difference." Oliver holds out his hand, Sebastian rising to his feet to shake it.

"I am truly sorry for what happened outside that hospital, especially with what happened to Ms. Lance, I was not intending for anyone to get hurt and I hope she makes a full recovery. Sometimes my emotions get the better of me." Blood nods once before exiting the office, leaving Oliver and Slade standing beside one another.

"I hate that guy." Slade snarls. Oliver sighs.

"Slade…"

 _"Feeling any better?" Sara murmurs from beside Oliver after various activities._

 _"Somewhat." Oliver smiles, leaning in to kiss her, long and lingering._

 _"We don't get to do this often." He sighs, pulling her against him._

 _"Of course we don't. We do share that plane with two other people remember, and it's not like we all sleep that far apart." Sara reminds him._

 _"That is true." Oliver nods, before adding._

 _"And one of those people is one incident away from murdering me if I step one foot out of line." Oliver chuckles lightly as Sara kisses him._

 _"This is perfect." She murmurs._

 _"I know. Just me and you, no interruptions, no certain someone beating the crap out of us both, no fierce archery teacher threatening to shoot me if I don't hit targets perfectly. You're right, this is perfect." He manages another smile._

 _"But it can't last, can it?" She sighs._

 _"Nope." Oliver sighs also, resting his forehead against hers._

 _"But I think we should try and see if we can fit more moments like this one in." He starts to place gentle kisses up and down her cheek._

 _"You see that happening, really Ollie?" Sara laughs._

 _"Yeah not if Shado and Slade have something to say about it." Oliver smiles slightly._

 _"Talking about them two. We should probably see where Slade and Shado have gotten to. I'm sure they're wondering where we got to by now. It would be a bit awkward if they were to find us here like this." Sara smirks as Oliver nods and gets to his feet, pulling his clothes back on._

 _"I'll go and look for them." He decides, bending down slightly to give Sara another kiss._

 _"I'll follow you." Sara beams as she hunts around for her own clothes as Oliver begins to walk toward the woods in search of their two companions..._

 _Elsewhere_

 _Meanwhile, some distance away Shado and Slade lie against one another, Shado still kissing Slade as he rakes a hand through her long black hair gently._

 _"I'm glad we did this." Shado admits between kisses._

 _"As am I, love." Slade murmurs back as she stops kissing him to instead cuddle up to him._

 _"Finally some peace and quiet from them two." Slade mutters, chuckling when Shado slaps him playfully._

 _"You don't mean that really." She smiles._

 _"Ohh don't I?" Slade smirks as he kisses the top of her head before rolling them around so he's on top of her, kissing her neck._

 _"I'm so going to need to borrow your scarf for a few days." Shado murmurs as Slade continues to leave a trail of kisses down her neck._

 _"Why's that, my love?" He questions, not really paying much attention._

 _"I think you know why." She sniggers as Slade laughs back._

 _"Ahh yes! I do." He smiles as Shado takes control again, rolling them around so she's back on top._

 _"I'm sure Oliver and Sara are quite occupied at the moment." Shado notes._

 _"Probably." Slade shrugs slightly._

 _"So I suppose we've got time for another round." She smirks as Slade pulls her closer to him._

 _"I believe we do." He murmurs, neither of them saying much after that…_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _However, unbeknownst to a currently rather occupied Slade and Shado, Oliver has in fact come looking for them, alone, considering he had a head start on Sara._

 _Oliver, having decided to follow the path back to where they all were before they separated, looks around in confusion and slight worry, when he can't seem to see either of them._

 _"Shado?" He speaks quietly._

 _"Slade?" He looks around for the two, wondering where on earth they could have both gotten to, moving through the trees to see if he can see either of them anywhere, actually starting to get a bit worried now as he stands on a rock, looking around, toward the river when his eyes fall on…_

 _"Erghhhh!" Oliver exclaims loudly, closing his eyes in an instant, however, only to slip and lose his footing on the rock and fall into the water below._

 _Breaking apart in an instant, Shado and Slade look around to see where the source of the sound had come from, only to see Oliver, desperately trying to keep his eyes closed whilst having fallen into the water._

 _"I'm gonna kill you kid!" Slade growls at the sudden disruption of his activities with Shado, who just blushes deeply and races to find her clothes._

 _"You're going to kill me?" Oliver calls back._

 _"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to unsee that!" He exclaims._

 _"I'm gonna kill you slow." Slade hisses, advancing on Oliver, who opens his eyes a split second only to shut them again and try to scramble out of the water in a hurry._

 _"Slade I wouldn't do that." Shado says in a quiet voice, biting her lip as Slade starts to advance on Oliver, who starts running blind and ends up smacking into a tree!_

 _"Hey, guys what's… WOAH!" Sara cries upon what she sees._

 _"My eyes will never recover." Oliver groans, rubbing his face from where he had hit it against the tree._

 _"Slade put some clothes on. Then threaten him." Shado advises as Slade soon realises the error and, after letting out a string of profanity, moves to retrieve his clothes._

 _"Not bad, Shado." Sara can't help but smirk at her._

 _"You know I'm sitting right here!" Oliver moans._

 _"And that is my boyfriend." Shado smirks back._

 _"Ok. Can we just change the subject here please?" Oliver all but begs._

 _"I agree. Now I'm gonna kill you slow, kid." Slade growls._

 _"Let's change the subject again!" Oliver retorts, just taking a few steps back, just in case._

 _"And my boyfriend's better." Shado sniggers._

 _"Says who?" Sara glances at her._

 _"Well mines not the one currently trying to hide behind a tree." Shado replies._

 _"And mine isn't trying to kill yours, who is currently trying to kill mine." Sara points out, before smiling slightly._

 _"So what were you and Oliver doing? Did you manage to get through to him?" Shado asks as she and Sara watch Slade chase after Oliver._

 _"I think so." Sara smiles as Shado nods._

 _"I suppose I don't need to ask what you and Slade were doing." Sara looks to her._

 _"And I suppose I don't have to ask what you and Oliver were doing that allowed you to get through to him." Shado smiles._

 _"We were just washing off." Oliver gasps as reaches their sides._

 _"Ohh I'm sure you were." Slade growls once he reaches them also._

 _"You can't talk Slade!" Oliver mutters._

 _"Children! Can we please just forget all this ever happened." Shado holds up her hands._

 _"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to get that image out of my head… OW!" Oliver cries, rubbing his head from where Slade had smacked him._

 _"We need to figure out where those men were headed. I say we head Northwest of here, keep going until we find a clue as to what they're searching for." Slade decides, returning to his usual stern, take charge demeanour._

 _Oliver, Sara and Shado nod in response as Slade turns in the direction he intends for them to go in._

 _"Well let's go then!"_

 _Sometime Later…_

 _The four continue walking through the forest side by side, Shado and Sara hang back whilst Slade is up front, Oliver hovering somewhat in the middle._

 _"Should have been more careful." Slade mutters to himself, unaware Oliver could hear him._

 _"What?" He asks in confusion._

 _"I ignored my own advice." Slade replies._

 _"In what way? Doesn't sound like you." Oliver notes._

 _"It isn't." Slade grumbles._

 _"Do you want to talk about it?" Oliver decides to ask._

 _"If I did why do you think I would want to talk to you?" Slade retorts._

 _"Is it about Shado?" Oliver continues, glancing back to where she is seemingly happily talking to Sara._

 _"Giving me the silent treatment now?" Oliver sighs after Slade doesn't respond._

 _"Just... You and Sara. Be careful." Slade says eventually in a warning tone._

 _"Why?" Oliver frowns._

 _"It doesn't do either of us any good to be distracted." Slade replies as Oliver finally latches on to what's bothering his acquaintance._

 _"Why not? To make sure there isn't any part of this island that doesn't totally suck?" Oliver retorts as Slade smirks and shakes his head._

 _"To survive." He states plainly._

 _"They're distractions and in a place like this distractions are going to cloud our judgments and that is what's going to get us killed." He grumbles before stopping and turning back to face Oliver._

 _"Look at what this island has already done to you, kid."_

 _The District Attorney's Office_

"I'm nearly done. Just putting my last few files away. They're ok right?" Laurel asks Leena worriedly as she puts a few files in a drawer away, smiling when she hears that both her two babies are just fine and that Leena has managed to get them to go to sleep.

"Hopefully they'll stay like that all through the night." Laurel practically pleads.

"Wouldn't count on it." The voice of Cat trails from the desk beside her.

"Thanks for the encouragement Cat." Laurel smiles.

"Thank you for this, Leena. I can't believe I've got to go to this benefit thing for The Glades. It's also a good place to find out who the hell happened to my sister, considering my dad has been too busy with work, as have I, I haven't managed to contact her or anything… Ohh god I haven't managed to contact her." Laurel trails off, covering her mouth with her hand. "Laurel. Your sisters tough I'm sure she's just fine." Leena replies in a sing song voice.

"You haven't even met her." Laurel says in a soft voice.

"Just guessing from everything you've told me about her." Laurel smiles.

"Thank you again Leena."

"You're welcome honey. Now go and have fun! Brandon and Rebecca are completely safe with me." Leena assures her, Laurel finally hanging up, placing her phone in her pocket.

"I hate working so late and I've recently started to develop a hatred for benefits and all events alike." Laurel admits.

"As do I. I hate the thought of someone else picking up my two girls from school, them not being able to come home to their mother, not being able to see them off to bed some nights. It's a mother's nature to miss her children." Cat smiles slightly as Laurel nods in agreement just when the power goes out. Cat sighs.

"This building is so temperamental." She mutters.

"I'll go find a torch." She decides, heading out of the main office in search of a torch, or even a way of switching the power back on, leaving Laurel alone in the room.

"Hello Laurel." A familiar low voice calls her name. She freezes in an instant.

"This seems like old times." She whispers, voice shaking.

"I figured we should talk." The Man In The Hood replies as Laurel whirls around, surprised to see only The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask and not The Woman In Black.

Also hoping the power gets switched back on and that Cat returns soon.

"Fine. Turn that thing off, pull back your hood and take off your mask." She snaps.

"We're not your enemy." The Man In The Hood tries to assure her.

"I thought the four of us understood each other." The Man In The Hood adds.

"I understand that the three of you are criminals. You think the law doesn't apply to you three, it does." She mutters.

"You didn't always feel that way." The Man In The Mask interjects.

"You used to think that we were helping the people in this city." The Man In The Hood reminds her as he sees the tears appearing in Laurel's eyes.

"And then I found out you three were too busy facing off against another archer whilst The Undertaking took place." She cuts in sharply.

"I don't understand." The Man In The Hood replies quietly.

"The night of the earthquake. If you three weren't so obsessed in for filling a personal vendetta against another archer because you had a chance of getting rid of him, or whatever was going though your heads at the time. The three of you could have gotten to CNRI faster. The love of my life… He went there to rescue me when the building collapsed. He may not be only merely hanging onto life now if you three had gotten to saving the people faster then wasting your times trying to kill another archer! Malcolm Merlyn. You three were too busy trying to fight a meaningless duel with Malcolm Merlyn then to help people and now my boyfriend is in a coma, which he's been in for one whole year and he may never wake up from that! And when people, people you three told me you would protect needed help from the three of you… You three weren't there." She snarls as The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask just stand there in complete silence.

"I don't think you three wear those hoods, masks and wigs because you're heroes. I think you wear them to hide the fact that the three of you are cowards and I promise you both here and you tell this to The Woman In Black to, that I will see the three of you unmasked, prosecuted and sent to prison! Don't ever speak to me again!" She yells and in that split second she turns her back, the lights are back on and the two vigilantes are gone.

"Well I just walked up several flights of stairs for absolutely no reason!" Cat's voice calls as she enters the room, looking disgruntled.

"Well. I'm keeping these torches in my desk." She mutters, stopping when she sees the tears in Laurel's eyes.

"Laurel? Laurel what's wrong?" Cat says gently as she approaches her friend.

"I. I…" Laurel trails off before dissolving into tears, Cat reaching for her in an instant, embracing her friend.

"It's ok." Cat murmurs softly to Laurel.

"It's all going to be alright." She tries to assure her even though Laurel knows it won't.

She doubts it ever will.

 _Queen Consolidated_

With a glass of champagne in her hand that Laurel knows she's never going to drink, she looks around the room, which is, what she believes to be Oliver and Slade's new office, past all the groups of people here for the benefit to see if she can see Oliver, Slade or even her sister. She doesn't even want to be here.

She wants nothing more than to be at home with her two babies in her arms, holding them close and thinking just how lucky she is to have them in her life what with Tommy…

Tears threaten to spill from her eyes again at the thought of Tommy and where he is and thar conversation she had with the two vigilantes that brought it all back for her again…

Perhaps she should have told those vigilantes the whole story that she's now a single mother because of their desire for revenge instead of rescuing people and that if anything does happen to Tommy now and her two babies are left fatherless that it's all on them…

"You look like a woman who's looking for someone." Laurel turns around to see who had addressed her, only to see that it's the new alderman. Sebastian Blood.

"Close friends of mine are throwing this benefit." She replies.

"Ah, Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson. Didn't realize you three were friends." He notes.

"Very old friends with Oliver and close friends with Slade, not to mention Oliver is with my younger sister Sara. So you can imagine how I feel about you putting them in the crosshairs of public opinion, alderman. Not to mention that I keep hearing about my sister getting hurt during this." Laurel says in a sharp tone of voice.

"For what it's worth I've apologized to Oliver and Slade for my rhetorical excesses in fact, it is that détente which brings us all here tonight and I have expressed my condolences about the incident that befell your sister. I do hope she makes a quick recovery…"

"Quick recovery? How bad was it?" Laurel cuts him off.

"Well according to Oliver and Slade she got a face full of glass." He informs her as Laurel closes her eyes in deep worry.

With everything else going on in her life, her babies, her job, those damn vigilantes. She wasn't there for her sister when she was hurt.

She knows Sara won't be mad but it makes Laurel mad with herself that she couldn't be there for her sister in her time of need.

She could have been there instead of with those vigilantes…

"So where is Oliver and Slade?" She says after a moment.

"That's exactly the questions I'm asking myself."

 _Elevator_

Meanwhile, in the main elevator. Diggle, Slade and Oliver are stood side by side, just the three of them considering Sara didn't want to go to the benefit with that bandage over her eye, believing it would only create conflict, which Slade had gone on to say that Sara was merely trying to find a way out of going to the benefit!

Sara had neither confirmed or denied this and it had made Slade wonder if that he could also stay behind due to own injury from the night before but Sara had convinced him to accompany Oliver and they'd all mutually agreed it would look bad if the second in command of Queen Consolidated was not in attendance!

"We're late." Oliver comments, looking at his watch.

"Can't be. We're never late." Slade frowns, also looking at his watch.

"This is because you spend so much time in front of that damn mirror, kid."

"You can talk! How much product did you put in your hair before we left?"

"Guys. If you don't mind me saying. There was traffic and the pair of you were talking to Sara for like over half and hour…" Diggle cuts in

"Shut up." Oliver and Slade growl simultaneously.

"Good news is though, at least the two of you get to make a dramatic entrance." Diggle decides to look on the positives of the situation.

"Oh, I'm just lucky Oliver Queen has a reputation for not showing up on time." Oliver sighs.

"Unfortunately, Slade Wilson always shows up on time." Slade reminds him.

"Yeah but the people of Starling City know Oliver Queen. Slade Wilson's not exactly from Starling City. Is he now?" Oliver responds.

"You know I've been meaning to tell you two that it really weirds me out to no end the way you three refer to yourself in the third person like that." Diggle admits as Slade and Oliver turn to glare at him just as the elevator comes to a stand still, which is also when Slade's phone begins to ring.

"It's Felicity." Slade murmurs before answering it.

"Talk to me."

"I've got good news and bad news." She replies as Oliver moves toward Slade to listen in to the call when Slade beckons him over.

"I hacked into FEMA's server. Yet another federal offense. Thank you very much! And was able to find out when the next shipment of pharmaceuticals is taking place."

"When?" Slade questions.

"That's the bad news. Five minutes ago." She reveals, causing Oliver and Slade to close their eyes and groan in mild frustration.

"I know this is the definition of sucky timing but... Which suits are you two planning on wearing tonight?"

 _Meanwhile…_

Looking at his watch, Sebastian Blood sighs in frustration and annoyance.

"Doesn't seem like Mr. Queen and Mr. Wilson are going to honor us with their presence this evening." He comments as he moves away from the window and toward a podium.

"So where are you going?" Laurel asks in confusion.

"To address their guests." He states before turning to face her.

"It's time they realized what kind of men their hosts are…"

"What? You're just going to crucify them in the media again?" Laurel cuts him off.

"Crucifixion has such a bad reputation. The Romans used it to punish people who acted against the public good."

"Alderman." Laurel sighs as he turns away from her to move toward the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He knocks on the mic once to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you, thank you." He smiles gratefully when he is instantly greeted with applause.

"But you should hold your applause for Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson. This evening's charity was their brain child." He nods once before continuing.

"As such, you could be forgiven for wondering why Mr. Queen and Mr. Wilson are not with us tonight and the answer, I'm afraid is painfully apparent. They don't care. I told Mr. Queen and Mr. Wilson that this city's problems cannon be solved with Mr. Queen's money. They needed to stand up and be counted as two people who cares. So, where are they now?" He looks around momentarily.

"I don't know where Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson are. All I know is that they aren't here. This city is dying and it needs someone to stand up and breathe new hope into it and tonight it is painfully obvious that, those people are not Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson."

 _Starling City: Night_

After disposing of a body, China White uses it to wipe the blood off her knife, before turning around and speaking in rapid Chinese to her colleagues just as two motorcycles come into view, on them, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask.

The Man In The Hood fires arrows rapidly, causing China White's men to jump out of the vans they had commandeered.

"Go!" China White snaps to her other colleagues.

"I told you." She murmurs to Bronze Tiger.

"On time to die." She growls as China White and the Bronze Tiger walk toward The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask...

Meanwhile…

Elsewhere, cars of the SCPD race down the streets.

"Closing in on the vigilantes positions." Someone says over a radio as the cars come to an abrupt hold in the position they expect to find the three vigilantes.

"This doesn't make any sense." One of the SCPD officers states as a group of them, including Lieutenant Pike, get out of the car, finding no vigilantes in sight.

"This is supposed to be a live surveillance." One walks forth with an iPad in hand.

"What is this building doing here it was destroyed in the quake?" Pike snaps.

"Who in the hell could be feeding us year old surveillance?"

Within The Foundry, typing happily away, overhearing the SCPD news feed, Felicity Smoak smiles widely.

 _Elsewhere…_

Meanwhile, the fight between China White, Bronze Tiger, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask has escalated. The Man In The Hood focusing primarily on China White, whilst The Man In The Mask duels with Bronze Tiger, using his sword to deflect attacks from the iron claws.

The other colleagues of China White begin to move toward the vans, only to be pulled out again by a man in a black balaclava, whom engages the colleagues of China White in brief combat before knocking them down and throwing one into a trash can.

"Healthcare has enough problems without you punks!" John Diggle hisses as he goes for another one.

Meanwhile, the fight between the four is still in full swing, The Man In The Hood whirling around with his bow, smacking China White with it and sending her backwards, leaving The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask to devote most of their efforts on taking down the Bronze Tiger.

"Your unfortunate." The Man In The Hood growls as Bronze Tiger tries to cut his throat with his claws, whilst The Man In The Mask swings his sword toward him, Bronze Tiger ducking out of the way.

"We brought more friends." The Man In The Hood snarls, The Man In The Mask grabbing his hand and dragging him to one side of the road, whilst the Bronze Tiger leaps out of the way onto the other side of the road as the truck, driven by Diggle drives past.

China White, pulling herself up from her corner, racing toward the truck.

"I'm clear!" Diggle calls through his ear piece from within the truck.

"That makes one of us." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"Slade." The Man In The Hood indicates toward the other side of the road, where he sees a silhouetted figure deep in the shadows, the two vigilantes moving toward the other side of the road, past a curtain, searching around cautiously for the Bronze Tiger, who strikes suddenly, catching The Man In The Hood in the side with his claws, who whirls around.

The Bronze Tiger is no where to be seen.

 _Meanwhile…_

Driving the truck quickly, Diggle is startled by the sudden appearance of China White, in the car window, aiming her knife at him whilst he bats her off, deflecting each of her attacks, as she just fights back viciously, whilst Diggle attempts to drive, ending up driving into a bunch of crates that finally chucks China White off the side of the truck, Diggle hitting his head in the process...

 _Elsewhere..._

Still in search of the Bronze Tiger, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask stand back to back to one another, walking around in a circle, trying to spy the assailant, who zips past in an instant, slicing The Man In The Hood in the shoulder, who groans in pain.

"Kid! Kid, you okay?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"Yeah." The Man In The Hood mutters as they move slowly in another direction. The Man In The Hood whirling around upon seeing the Bronze Tiger.

"Go ahead, waste your arrows!" He shouts, deflecting each one of them with his claws, The Man In The Hood firing one that ends up hitting the Bronze Tiger in the shoulder.

"That hurt, but it won't stop me." Bronze Tiger growls just as The Man In The Hood is about to deploy something that will put Bronze Tiger, yet before he can, The Man In The Mask runs him through with his sword.

"I had that. You didn't have to kill him." The Man In The Hood exclaims, revealing the small device in his hand.

"He hurt you." The Man In The Mask growls kicking the Bronze Tiger, who groans in agony.

"You didn't kill him." The Man In The Hood realizes.

"I severely wounded him, I hope he succumbs to his wounds." The Man In The Mask hisses as The Man In The Hood shakes his head at him before speaking into the earpiece.

"Dig. Dig!" He shouts to no answer.

"Diggle!"

Unbeknownst to The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask, Diggle, whom had climbed out of the crashed truck, moves with his gun held high, in search of China White, knowing that the small collision wouldn't have finished someone like her off.

He is proven right when she attacks him from behind, engaging him first in hand to hand combat before pulling out a knife, using that to help her fight against Diggle, when the sound of motorcycle approaching can be heard before the sound of an arrow being fired, which chains China White's hands to a wooden post.

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask dismounting their bikes before marching toward Diggle and China White.

"You two have changed. You two would have killed me by now if you hadn't." China White proclaims with a smirk.

"The police can take the shipment the rest of the way." The Man In The Hood reveals to Diggle, the three turning to walk away.

"They still won't see you two as anything more than the enemy." China White continues, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask turning around slowly, The Man In The Mask drawing his sword.

"You two will never be anything but criminals to them, neither will the other once. Which means you three will never be heroes!" She smirks.

"As long as this city is safe, it doesn't matter." The Man In The Hood murmurs before the three disappear into the night, leaving China White behind as the sirens begin to approach.

 _Queen Consolidated_

"After a prolonged pursuit. Police have arrested Chein Na Wei, a high ranking member of the local Chinese Triad, which was responsible for the recent hijackings of pharmaceuticals bound for Glades Memorial." The news reporter says from Oliver's computer screen as he, Slade and Diggle watch it in their office.

"Representatives praise the efforts of the SCPD in saving the hospital from shutting down, though some sources say that two of the three vigilantes may have been involved. In other news…" Slade switches it off abruptly, not particularly caring to hear much more news about Starling City!

"You know, I was about to make my move on her." Diggle comments.

"I didn't need one of your trick arrows getting in the way, Oliver." Diggle murmurs.

"Couldn't risk it. Where would we be without our black driver?" Oliver smirks as Diggle smiles back, moving from around the desk to grab his coat.

"Diggle. I'm sorry about you and Carly." Oliver apologizes.

"Yeah, well, couples break up. Not everything that happens in Starling City is your responsibility." Diggle responds.

"I'm learning that." Oliver nods.

"Slowly." Slade adds.

"What I meant was, I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, because I should have been. I got wrapped up in my own suffering and I forgot that some other people might be suffering too." Oliver apologies genuinely.

"You know, we're getting dangerously close to hug territory, so I'm going to fall back. You two need a ride back to Sara?" Diggle offers with a smile.

"No that's ok. It turns out that being CEO and Slade being my second in command that we actually have some work to do." Oliver smirks.

"Foreign concept for you isn't it, kid?" Slade smirks as Oliver nudges him.

"We'll find our own way." Oliver resolves.

"You two always do." Diggle smiles before departing as Oliver spies something on the news and turns the sound up, upon seeing what it is.

"Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson find themselves in the hot seats once more. At least in the eyes of city Alderman, Sebastian Blood." The news reports.

"Don't watch that, you'll only depress yourself, kid and will only make me want to kill that son of a bitch even more than I already do." Slade sighs as Oliver only turns the sound up.

"Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson's failure to show up to their own benefit shouldn't surprise anyone. They're no different than the rest of the Starling City elite who have failed to show up when it comes to ending the suffering of those left devastated in The Glades." Blood reports from the TV.

"Love how he's saying all this bullshit about me and I'm not even one of these elite individuals he's always referring to." Slade mutters.

"Well, you kinda are…"

"Shut up, kid." Slade grumbles as they both glare at the tv.

"Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson are not friends to the people of this city…"

"I'm switching him off before I decide to track him and bury my sword in his skull!" Slade switches it off with a growl as someone walks towards them and place a mug of coffee on the desk in front of Slade.

"One." Felicity whispers to him when they look up to see who delivered the mug.

"You expect us to share this?" Oliver questions.

"What did I just say, one." Felicity reminds him.

"One for each of us." Oliver continues.

"One." Felicity says in a sing song voice.

"Thank you." Slade smirks at her.

"Why just Slade!" Oliver whines as Felicity smiles once before turning around and exiting the office.

"I wasn't a complete arsehole to her the other day." Slade murmurs as he takes a sip from the coffee she brought him.

"And it's a decent one!"

 _"For the love of god!" Oliver whines, whilst trying to keep up with Slade._

 _"How fast do you walk?" He groans, looking behind him to see that Sara and Shado are jogging to catch up with them._

 _Slade is silent as he just races on ahead, stopping before a large rock, pulling out a picture of the exact same location they're currently in right now._

 _"To those men, this location could have been on any one of one hundred and fifty different islands." He comments as he spins around to face Oliver, Shado and Sara._

 _"But for somebody who knows this island like he knows his own name." He smirks._

 _"So, those men were looking for place?" Shado frowns._

 _"Why?" Sara folds her arms._

 _"That would be the question…"_

 _"Slade!" Oliver calls to him, upon seeing something._

 _"Over here." He beckons the three over to where he stands by a tree._

 _Reaching out for his hand, Shado drags Slade over to where Oliver and now Sara is stood, in front of a cave, disguised by over growing plants._

 _"Stay behind me." Slade advises, pulling out a knife as he walks into the cave first, weapon held outwards as Shado follows on behind him, then Oliver and Sara._

 _What they find within the cave are several objects and also two skeletons._

 _"These skulls are misshapen." Shado comments as Oliver bends down beside one of them._

 _"What happened to these people?" Oliver questions as Sara shudders at the sight of the skeletons and looks away, Slade moving past the three of them to pick up a sword._

 _"Of course he finds a sword!" Oliver can't help but say as Slade just ignores him._

 _"Whatever did happen to them it was over sixty years ago." He explains, picking up the sword in one hand, Shado moving from beside him to look at it._

 _"These soldiers belong to the Japanese Imperial Army." He informs them._

 _"They've been here since World War Two." Shado comments as Oliver bends down beside one of the skeletons._

 _"We're missing something here." Slade states plainly._

 _"You don't just come here for corpses." He mutters as Oliver, still bent down beside the skeleton, removes a necklace from around its neck._

 _A rock like necklace with engravings on it._

 _"Ollie, what is that?" Sara frowns, resting her chin on his shoulder._

 _"I have absolutely no idea."_

 _Starling City: Night_

In a quiet alleyway, Roy Harper walks through it, a box in hand.

Sensing something behind him, two presences, he whirls around and throws two darts at whoever dare sneak up upon him.

The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask catch the darts in an instant reflex.

"I've been looking for you two. Actually I've been looking for all three of you. What is it with the the three of you working separately lately?" Roy shouts.

"You need to stop." Is all The Man In The Hood can say.

"You three saved my life." Roy yells, taking a step closer.

"Made me realize it wasn't much of a life but I could do what. What others couldn't or too afraid to do. I could help you three save the city." He proclaims.

"You're untrained." The Man In The Mask snaps.

"I can fight." Roy retorts.

"You can take a beating. There's a distinct difference." The Man In The Mask growls.

"Then teach me!" Roy practically begs.

"Let me help the three of you."

"Okay. You can help us." The Man In The Hood starts, the two vigilantes advancing on Roy.

"But not by not taking on the Triad, or the cops." The Man In Hood mutters.

"Then how?" Roy shrugs his shoulders.

"To do what we do we need Intel. You can be our eyes and ears in The Glades. That's how you can save the city." The Man In The Hood decides.

"How do I contact the three of you?" Roy asks, The Man In The Mask tossing something at Roy's feet.

"Leave that in the alley wall. Then we'll know to contact you." The Man In The Hood mutters as he and The Man In The Mask turn around, Roy bending down to pick up the object.

"Are you two sure it's alright that I keep this?" He questions, but when he looks up the two vigilantes are already gone.

 _Verdant_

Opening his hand, Roy places the Hozen and the set of keys on the table.

"If I wanna be with you, do I keep that or give it back? You were a little unclear." Roy asks Thea, who stands in front of him.

"You really mean it?" She whispers.

"No more fighting. If it's a choice between a life with you or a life without you. Life with you will win every single time. I want to be with you Thea, I want to live with you in the apartment. I'm done trying to be a hero." He promises as Thea doesn't say anything, just kisses him and wraps her arms around him, holding on to him tight, unaware of the small dagger and red dart still in his back pocket…

 _District Attorney's Office_

After finishing her final piece of paper work with Cat, both Laurel and Cat look forward to returning home to their children.

"Been a hell of a long day." Cat sighs.

"You can say that again!" Laurel nods as just when they're approaching the door, the power goes out.

"For gods sake!" Cat growls.

"At least I put those torches in my desk." She murmurs, beginning to turn around when Laurel grabs her arm and pulls her friend behind her as they turn to see The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask standing behind them.

"Ohh my god." Cat whispers.

"I told you three to stay away from me!" Laurel snaps.

"I thought you might have changed your mind after we stopped the men terrorizing out city." The Man In The Hood replies.

"This isn't your city. It's you three's killing grounds." Cat comes to Laurel's aid.

"The copy cats are still alive. Thomas Merlyn is still alive." The Man In The Mask growls, advancing on the two carefully.

"He's in a coma which he might never wake up from." Laurel snarls.

"We lost a friend that day to." The Man In The Hood cuts in.

"And we would gladly have done anything to get there just that little but sooner but we couldn't. We would have given our lives for him!" The Man In The Hood shouts.

"Well, don't worry. Your lives are over." Laurel smirks.

"Your lives as free men." Cat adds as Laurel lifts a small device up, pressing a button.

In a split second the room is swarmed with SWAT members, all with guns aimed at The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask, whom stands protectively in front of The Man In a The Hood, both of them raising their weapons.

"I told you two to stay away. Somehow, I knew you two wouldn't listen. The Woman In Black was smarter than the two of you. Shame." Laurel mutters as she watches as the men stand in a circle around The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask, their weapons all trained on the two vigilantes.

There's no way out.

"I would have preferred the complete set."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing and favoriting. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, next update should hopefully be soon. Thanks again for reading.**


	78. Broken Dolls (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Eight**

 _District Attorney's Office_

Standing together, side by side, with their weapons raised, The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask stand in the middle of the circle of SWAT members, all still armed, all still aiming the guns directly at the two vigilantes.

"Put your weapons down!" Laurel snaps.

"We're not your enemies." The Man In The Hood growls, he and The Man In The Mask looking around, anywhere for a way out of this.

They're vastly running out of options.

Even The Man In The Mask can't see a way out of this one.

"Then put the weapons down and prove it." Cat commands as looking to one another, The Man In The Hood nods to The Man In The Mask, lowering his bow, The Man In The Mask, seeing no way out, lowers his sword.

"DON'T MOVE!" One of the gunmen hell as they see The Man In The Hood's hand moving.

"They will shoot you both, Don't be stupid, come quietly. No one needs to end up getting hurt here." Cat sighs, yet The Man In The Hood continues to move his hand until he entwines it with The Man In The Mask's.

If this truly is the end, they'll face it together.

As brothers…

Suddenly, The Woman In Black comes crashing through the ceiling and just before anyone can fire any weapon, she holds up a small device which emits a high pitched shrieking noise that breaks all the glass throughout the room and causes all the SWAT members, SCPD members, Laurel and Cat to begin to writhe in pain, each one of them clutching their ears, falling to the ground.

"Missed me?" The Woman In Black smirks at both The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask before grabbing both of their hands, the two still shellshocked due to the noise and the device The Woman In Black had unveiled that neither of them had ever seen before.

Yet they don't have time to ask questions as The Woman In Black pulls them in the directions of the shattered windows, the three vigilantes diving out of the, and into the dark of the night before the SCPD officers, Laurel, Cat and SWAT teams can recover, firing their weapons when they finally do, to no use.

The three vigilantes are gone.

Once out of the window, the three vigilantes, move down side alleyways, keeping out of sight as they hear the gunfire behind them.

"If you two are going to give me a lecture for coming here despite my injury, just remember I just saved both of you." The Woman In Black comments.

"Nice device." Is all The Man In The Hood says.

"Where'd you get it?" The Man In The Mask questions.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve." The Woman In Black smiles.

"You've never used it before." The Man In The Mask comments.

"That's because I haven't had it for very long." She replies before laughing.

"Who'd have thought it. You two would need rescuing by me."

"We had it under control." The Man In The Hood murmurs.

"If you call that having things under control. I'm concerned." The Woman In Black smiles.

"It wasn't an ideal situation." The Man In The Mask mutters gruffly.

"You two are lucky I was in the area." She replies.

"What happened to staying at home?" The Man In The Hood questions.

"I got bored of that and I said I'd meet dad for an hour. Then Diggle said you two were at the office and would make your own way home, so I gathered you had something else planned." She roll her eyes at them.

"How did you know the come to us?" The Man In The Mask queries. The Woman In Black smiles in response.

"I always know when you two need me. Now come on, we better get back to The Foundry!"

 _The Foundry_

"Ohh thank god!" Felicity cries in relief when she sees the three vigilantes entering the room, placing various pieces of weaponry down.

"Sara!" Felicity also cheers upon seeing her friend, moving to hug her in a flash.

"Are you okay? What were you doing out there? I thought you'd been hurt…" Felicity babbles as Sara hugs her back, before pulling off her mask, revealing her still wounded face, the sore looking cuts dangerously close to her eye.

"Ohh god. Shouldn't you have something over that or something?" Felicity asks nervously as Sara shakes her head.

"She should." Oliver notes.

"It wasn't doing much good. I don't know for the life of me how Slade can wear that eyepatch all day every day." Sara shakes her head at him.

"And she shouldn't have been out there tonight." Oliver adds.

"Let it be known that I just saved both their asses." Sara folds her arms.

"Police scanner's been blowing up for the past hour. Laurel called in half the force with that silent alarm." Diggle comments.

"Yeah, because going after actual bad guys is so last year." Felicity murmurs as she moves toward Slade and Oliver.

"Are you two sure you're okay?" She asks worriedly, Oliver and Slade nodding.

"You know. To Laurel, we are the bad guys." Oliver sighs.

"Since when?" Felicity frowns.

"Since we didn't make it to Tommy in time and he ended up in a coma." Oliver replies.

"But he's still alive. You and Slade saved him." Felicity protests.

"Still, he's in that coma and the chances of him waking up… We don't know. All Laurel cares about here is that the three of us were too busy fighting off Malcolm Merlyn, apparently wasting our time with a stupid vendetta, when we could have been out there saving people sooner, getting to Tommy sooner." Oliver says sharply, looking down.

"She's looking for someone she can punish for what happened to him." Sara murmurs.

"Merlyn's gone. She can't do anything to him." Diggle folds his arms.

"Because of what happened to Tommy she went through the arrival of their children alone, she's raising them alone because of what happened to him and they might never get to ever know their father." Oliver trails off.

"It's enough to destroy someone. Anger like that." Slade comments.

"At least she has them. Rebecca and Brandon. Despite everything, she has them." Sara sighs sadly for a moment for her sister, silence passing between the four of them before Felicity asks the question that was forming in her mind.

"How did you guys get out of there?" She folds her arms.

"Slade and I had help from our Woman In Black." Oliver smiles gratefully at Sara.

"You telling us that Sara took out all those SCPD and SWAT members and you two couldn't?" Diggle frowns.

"She had this sonic device thing." Oliver explains.

"Wait. That sonic thing belongs to Sara?" Felicity suddenly exclaims.

"Yeah, why'd you say it like that?" Oliver queries, he and Slade looking between Felicity and Sara, whom wears an emotionless expression upon her face.

"Can any of you be more specific here?" Felicity continues.

"Sara turned it on and the glass shattered. We're you working on it with her or something?" Slade questions as Felicity frowns.

"Is this something you two have created? It is useful, I must say." Slade comments.

"No. No it's nothing, sorry it doesn't matter. I was just curious." Felicity shakes if off before moving toward her computer, Oliver and Slade looking at her strangely.

"You know Oliver, what I'd like to know is what you and Slade were doing at Laurel's office in the first place. She makes the three of you public enemies number one and you two figure this is a good time to chat?" Diggle folds his arms.

"Because I thought that we could talk to her and make her understand that we're doing things differently this time. That we're not the bad guys. I was wrong and I put us both in danger." Oliver says quietly, looking to Slade.

"If it's any consolation to you, kid. I thought we'd be able to get through to her." Slade assures him.

"I nearly got us both killed tonight." Oliver sighs as Slade moves towards him, putting his hands on Oliver's shoulders.

"We nearly got ourselves killed tonight. I was as much to blame as you, kid. I allowed us to get distracted, it was Laurel, we had our guard down because she's our family." He reminds him.

"Ignoring your old rules? You're getting sloppy Slade." Oliver smiles slightly.

"I have you to thank for that, kid."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Wonderful!" Comes the rather sarcastic tones of Slade Wilson as he walks to the other side of the plane._

 _"Now we have a dead Japanese soldier in our home!" He grumbles as Shado picks up the skull in hand._

 _"Those men on the island were looking for these corpses aren't you the least bit interested in why?" Shado questions._

 _"Love, I'm more interested in how many more there are of them and where they're operating from. They'll be coming for that, which means they'll be coming for us and as we've already seen they're not the friendliest bunch." Slade murmurs._

 _"So…" Oliver starts._

 _"It kind of looks like you've done that before?" He looks to Shado in confusion, Slade looking two, slightly interested this time._

 _"Back in XingJan, I was pre med." She replies, moving the pieces of the skulls._

 _"She's a woman of many talents." Slade smiles dropping a kiss to the top of her head._

 _"Thank you sweetheart." Shado says with a smile of her own, turning around to face him._

 _"And you're a man of many talents." She beams, kneeling up ever so slightly to kiss him._

 _"You two are so cute, you know that." Sara smiles at them both, only for Slade to throw something at her that resembles a bag, nearly knocking her over with the force and the weight of the whole damn thing._

 _"Thanks." Sara murmurs, only to hear Slade chuckling lightly as Oliver turns to help her up._

 _"Do you mind not throwing stuff at my girlfriend… OW!" Oliver whines as Slade lobs a bag at him as well sharply._

 _"Stop complaining the two of you and come on." Slade growls._

 _"Come on where?" Oliver frowns._

 _"To higher ground." Slade states._

 _"We need to get to a vantage point where we can establish the enemy's position." Slade explains as Sara turns back toward the plane._

 _"What about Shado?" She asks._

 _"I'll be fine here." She replies. Oliver shakes his head, glaring at Slade._

 _"We shouldn't split up." Oliver protests._

 _"Let her play with her corpse. Actually as a matter of fact. You can stay with me, kid and Sara can stay here with Shado." Slade decides._

 _"That makes more sense." Sara agrees, passing the supplies back to Slade._

 _"No. I said we shouldn't split up before we definitely shouldn't now!" Oliver cries in outrage._

 _"I can take care of myself Ollie." Sara folds her arms._

 _"That you can." Slade nods toward Sara, who smiles back._

 _"That's sorted then." Sara proclaims._

 _"How is that sorted!" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief._

 _"She's more than capable of taking care of herself, kid, both of them are." Slade retorts, moving toward Shado, who breaks away from her work to embrace Slade._

 _"You get back safe, ok?" She murmurs._

 _"I always do." He kisses the top of her head._

 _"Look after Oliver." She smirks._

 _"Well someone's got to." Slade replies as the two share a kiss, Shado pulling back to take off the scarf of Slade's that she'd been wearing since the lake, wrapping it back around Slade before pulling him in for another kiss._

 _"There. That's more like it." She smiles, kissing him once more._

 _"I'll be back soon, you two look after each other." He says, wrapping one arm around Shado and looking to where Sara stands beside Oliver._

 _"We'll be just fine. Take care of Ollie for me will you Slade." Sara requests._

 _"I always do." Slade sighs, heading out of the plane door._

 _"I don't like this." Oliver admits to Sara once he's gone._

 _"I can still hear you, you know, kid!" Slade yells to make his presence known._

 _"He's such a dick." Oliver grumbles with a roll of his eyes._

 _"You won't be saying that about him when he's saving your life from something. Trust me Oliver, you two need to be on the same page with this mission." Shado sighs._

 _"Yeah Ollie. You'd regret saying stuff like that if anything were to happen to him." Sara nudges him._

 _"Yeah I really wouldn't!" Oliver mutters._

 _"Great to know what you think of me, kid!" Slade calls back as Oliver turns back to Sara._

 _"Be careful." She says gently._

 _"You to. Don't go outside, just stay in here. When I first ever came here, Slade managed to hide from me somewhere in here just…"_

 _"Oliver get your lazy arse out here!" Slade cuts him off._

 _"Wish me luck. Whilst I'm stuck with him, I'm gonna need it! Oliver smiles slightly._

 _"I love you." She leans up to kiss him passionately, Oliver kissing her back, before pulling her into a right embrace, not wanting to let her go._

 _"I love you too." He murmurs, his lips against her forehead momentarily, before releasing her, heading toward the door, his hand still in Sara's up until the last moment when he knows he has to let go._

 _"I don't like this." Oliver mutters his displeasure the minute he's in Slade's presence, who has already begun walking._

 _"Let's go kid." He calls as Oliver jogs after him in annoyance._

 _"We'll be back before the girls know it."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all your really kind reviews, it means a lot and thanks to all of you who have followed and favourited. This isn't one of my favourite episodes as something really awful happens to my favourite which sadly I'm going to have to write. Next update should be soon, please tell me what you all thought thanks again for reading.**


	79. Broken Dolls (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Seventy Nine**

 _Starling City_

"Here you go." Quentin says as he hands over the money for his hotdog.

"On the house, officer Lance!" The man smiles back.

"Hey, no, no, no. Here you go, a dog this delicious? I'd have to book myself for robbery, take it." He smiles, taking the hotdog and heading for his police car, hearing the radio already beginning to switch on.

"All units ten seventy eight at second and fletcher, please responds." He picks up the radio.

"Lance, patrol delta Charlie fifty two, ten sixty, officer responding, over." He speaks back.

"Negative, DC fifty two, disregard ten seventy eight and resume patrol." The man replies as Quentin frowns.

"According to whose orders?" He mutters.

"Lieutenant Pike." The man replies as Quentin just throws down the radio.

 _Crime Scene_

At the scene of the crime, several SCPD officers move around to take pictures of the crime, a young woman, killed.

"Excuse me." Quentin murmurs as he moves past the officers.

"What is going on here, huh?" Quentin questions.

"This is my beat, why did Pike wave me off this?" He growls in frustration.

"Quentin, it's under control." Hilton sighs.

"Excuse me, what is under control?" Quentin plainly snaps back as he walks toward the scene of the crime, stopping in his tracks the minute he sees the victim.

"That's Barton Mathis." He whispers in horror.

"That seems to be what the M.O indicates." Hilton replies grimly.

"But he's doing consecutive life sentences in Iron Heights." Quentin growls.

"Not anymore." Hilton admits as Quentin just looks at him.

"The quake split open a section of Iron Heights. Mathis was among the escapees. The brass wanted to avoid a panic, so they've keeping it quiet." Hilton explains.

"Are they keeping it from me too?" Quentin snaps.

"Come on, man. Pike knows what happened to you last time. The man got in your head."

"Yeah and I caught him and no one knows Mathis better than me." Quentin cuts him off.

"And I've got all your notes and your files. Pikes orders." Hilton shrugs as Quentin just glares at him poisonously.

"If you go anywhere near this, he's going to have you arrested for obstruction."

 _The Foundry_

Diggle grunts and groans in pain as he is attacked by both Oliver and Slade viciously.

"Come on." Diggle groans as he dodges a punch from Oliver, yet receives one from Slade, whom soon gets him into a choke hold on the floor.

"Can one of you at least step out and let this be a fair fight." Diggle mutters.

"Sure." Oliver moves from the mat.

"Why man, why?" Diggle sighs, hoping it had been Slade to step out.

"Hey, Slade. Can I show you something?" Felicity calls from the computers.

"Want to show me, considering they're on a roll." Sara smirks from the Salmon Ladder.

"Yeah Slade go and see what she wants." Diggle all but begs as Slade puts him down again, getting to his feet and heading toward Felicity, grabbing Oliver's arm as he goes, indicating once to Diggle.

"Give him hell, kid." He smirks as he joins Felicity's side.

"What is it?" He asks her as Felicity whirls around to face him in her chair, falling silent a moment as she can't help but find herself by distracted…

"Um… What? Yeah. Ok. I wanted to tell you about something I found. I don't really know how to tell anyone else." She admits quietly so only Slade can hear her, knowing that when Oliver continues to spar off against Diggle and Sara continues to go up and down the ladder.

"What's wrong?" Slade replies, sitting down on a chair beside her, when she pulls one up for him to sit, slightly disappointed when Slade also moves to grab a shirt to put on, Felicity having rather enjoyed the view she was getting.

Not like she'd tell anyone that of course and now she's talking to herself! She thinks.

"That sonic device you said Sara used earlier, I thought I'd heard about it somewhere else. So I. I did some research and I found a number of recent police reports from the last couple of months that involves The Woman In Black." She whispers.

"We've only been back a couple of weeks." Slade murmurs.

"That's what I thought. I then thought it might be a copycat, but over the past few weeks since you've been back there's been more reports that the actual Woman In Black has been involved, people are thinking she's been doing a few side missions away from the other two vigilantes, you and Oliver." Felicity explains.

"What do the reports say?" Slade murmurs quietly.

"Over the past few months they described a masked woman in black, yet it's not the same uniform as Sara's. There's no wig and the outfits different, yet over the past few weeks since you've been back, they mention that the wig has returned, so I'm guessing that's when…" She stops looking over to where Sara is on the Salmon Ladder.

"Continue." Slade growls.

"If it is in fact Sara and someone else. They've put five would be rapists in the hospital so far." She explains quietly.

"Are you sure this is her? You said their could be to, what the copycat finally made a wig."

"Yeah but it's kinda coincidental that the wig and the same uniform as Sara's starts to show up when you guys get back in town." Felicity murmurs, looking nervously at the dark expression on Slade's face.

"And the same sonic device, broken limbs, ruptured ear drums. She's targeting criminals, misogynist criminals." She trails off.

"I shouldn't have said anything." She buries her head in her hands.

"No, no, you did the right thing by coming to me about this." Slade rests a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to tell Oliver or are you just going to confront her about it?" Felicity asks quickly.

"No. Not just yet, I want to find more out about this supposed copycat, or accomplice. There's only three vigilantes Felicity." He mutters, with a glance to Sara, who is oblivious to everything Slade and Felicity have been discussing whilst she is upon the Salmon Ladder.

"This city does not need to get overrun by vigilantes." He grumbles as they hear Oliver and Diggle finish their sparring, Oliver putting Diggle down once more.

"What are we talking about?" Oliver questions with a smile as he joins Slade's side, Diggle still trying to pick himself off the ground from the rather vicious sparring session with Oliver and Slade.

"Nothing much, kid." Slade replies, just when a phone on the desk begins to ring.

"Hi detective." Felicity answers it causing Oliver, Slade, Sara and Diggle, who both start to move over toward the desk upon hearing Felicity answer the phone, each of them looking over at her in confusion, already knowing if Quentin is calling then it means a busy night for the three vigilantes.

 _Somewhere On A Rooftop In Starling City_

Patiently, Quentin Lance stands upon a rooftop, waiting for anything to happen really, moving the moment he hears a noise, only to find the three vigilantes standing upon a higher part of the roof.

"So. Miss Smoak gives you a way to call us now." The Man In The Mask growls as Quentin begins to walk over toward them.

"She vouches for the three of you and you three told me that you're trying to help the city without dropping bodies. That true?" He folds his arms.

"What do you think?" The Woman In Black cuts in.

"Let's just say I'm willing to be convinced." Quentin replies, walking past the three vigilantes with a deep sigh.

"This city is hurting and the police?" He stops with another sigh of frustration as he turns around to face them.

"I always thought we didn't need to go outside of the law to find justice but in light of recent events, I'm not so sure anymore." He mutters before throwing a file toward them.

"Barton Mathis. The media calls him the doll maker." He informs them as The Man In The Hood moves to reach down for the file, flicking through the pages.

"Cause he suffocates his victims with a flexible polymer that he pours down their throats and then he dresses them up like dolls." He explains as The Woman In Black shakes her head as she looks at the file with The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black.

"Disgusting." She mutters viciously.

"Agreed and I put him away but because of the quake… He's out and he's killing again." He admits, folding his arms.

"These are from six years ago." The Man In The Mask comments.

"That's my personal file." Quentin grumbles.

"Maybe it's not just the file that's personal." The Man In The Hood retorts.

"Mathis killed eight girls before I got him last time. I don't want anymore on my conscience." He replies as the three vigilantes turn to face him.

"So why don't you let the police do their job." The Man In The Hood questions.

"I could say the same thing about the three of you." Quentin smirks briefly.

"They're spread so thin, they can't even risk letting the public know that Mathis is out. You three said you're trying another way? Maybe I am to."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In a darkened alleyway, a woman holding a pink bag in hand, walks along confidently towards her car, opening it with a simple click of her keys.

Hearing the dog that was barking stopping abruptly and the sound of footsteps from behind her, the woman freezes in momentary fear. Spinning around, only to see that nothing's there at all.

Sighing in relief, she slides into her car.

Suddenly, she is grabbed from behind.

"You have such beautiful skin." A man hisses from within her car eerily…

 _The Foundry_

"Lance's file give you anything?" Oliver questions as he walks into the foundry beside Sara and Slade to find Diggle on the computer and Felicity scanning the pages in.

"Last time the Doll Maker was active in Starling City he ramped up to one kill every three days." Diggle admits.

"That gives us two to catch this son of a bitch." Slade growls.

"Can we connect the victims?" Oliver asks as Diggle types in a few commands.

"Young, pretty. According to Lance's file, he couldn't figure out how he chose them." Diggle informs them, pulling up images of the victims.

"As if porcelain dolls weren't creepy enough all on their own." Felicity shudders.

"Barton Mathis doesn't have any family or know acquaintances. Lone wolves are harder to catch." Diggle comments.

"But they do have the right to an attorney." Oliver murmurs, turning to Felicity.

"Call Lance. Tell him to set up a meeting for tonight." He commands.

"Where?" Felicity picks up the phone.

"At the office of whoever represented Barton Mathis." He says, Felicity nodding in response, none of them in the room noticing that one of them has disappeared without even a word…

 _Outside Of Verdant_

Walking toward the bins, Roy Harper moves with a load of trash in hand, placing the box of bottle on top of the bins, prepared to toss them in when he hears a noise from behind him and spins around.

"Oh, hey. Where are the other two?" He questions upon seeing The Man In The Mask.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you three again."

"There's something going on in town. I fear The Woman In Black may have a copycat. A copycat who's targeting men who target women." He admits.

"I know. I've seen her and I don't want to worry you or anything but I think whoever it is, is the genuine article. It looked like the real Woman In Black to me, I just assumed that you three were expanding your services, going off on solo missions, you know." Roy explains causing The Man In The Mask to close his eye underneath the mask, not knowing what to think at this current time.

"Did you and The Man In The Hood not know about that?" Roy questions.

"Did she happen to have this device on her..."

"A device that almost caused me to go deaf? Yeah." Roy reveals.

"A'right. There is someone else involved in this though. I don't know if this person is a copycat, I don't know who she is but until the three of us returned to our positions she was a copycat of The Woman In Black. I'd I keep you to prove your worth and find her. But don't engage. Leave that to me." He commands, turning around to walk away.

"What if The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black come asking questions?"

"You say nothing to them. You report back to me and me only. Leave them to me." The Man In The Mask grumbles as he walks away from Roy.

"They're my responsibility."

 _District Attorney's Office_

"They've made such a mess of my desk area." Cat Grant grumbles as she scrapes glass of the table of her desk, groaning as she picks up the picture of her kids off the desk.

"When we catch those three. They owe me a new picture frame." She growls to Laurel, who sighs and folds her arms.

"Wow. Those vigilantes make quite a mess." Adam Donner comments as he appears beside them both.

"I'll add that charge to the indictment!" Cat mutters.

"Well, Laurel, you called it right, they showed." He notes.

"I know them pretty well. At least better than others." She sighs, picking up her handbag, preparing to return home on her lunch break.

"This place is a mess!" Quentin Lance exclaims upon walking into the office.

"No kidding." Cat murmurs in passing.

"Twice in three weeks Laurel, you're ducking bullets!" He folds his arms.

"I'm fine." Laurel sighs.

"You don't look fine, you look tired." Quentin retorts.

"I think I'll give you two a moment." Donner cuts in, exiting the room as quickly as he can, followed soon after by Cat. Leaving Laurel and Quentin alone.

"Did you just come here to tell me how tired I look? Because I think you know the reason behind that." Laurel grumbles as she heads toward her desk.

"No, I came here to check up on you and check up on some court records. Barton Mathis is out. I'm looking for his attorney." He informs her.

"Why?" Laurel questions instantly.

"You're no longer a detective." She reminds him.

"Yeah, well. I'm just doing a little digging off the books." He replies.

"Dad, this case… It took you to such a dark place last time." She reminds him.

"Yeah, well, I think we both know that it wasn't Mathis why did that." He sighs as he crosses the room to reach Laurel's desk.

"Look, nobody knows this guy better than me, which means nobody's got a better chance of stopping him, okay and that means every girl that he kills is like another one on my conscience." He mutters as Laurel shakes her head.

"No. No, dads it's not. Whatever guilt you're feeling. You're just using it to justify a vendetta." Laurel says gently as Quentin just looks at her, then at the board behind Laurel's head which has so many articles and pictures of the three vigilantes upon it.

"Well, maybe I'm not the only one."

 _Iron Heights_

"Are you okay?" Is the first thing Thea asks upon seeing her mother.

"Oh Thea, you have got to stop asking me that every time you come to visit." Moira sighs.

"Ah, don't count on it." Thea replies.

"Well then, I'm afraid you'll be asking me that for the next twenty five years to life." Moira replies grimly.

"Please don't talk like that." Thea shakes her head quickly.

"Thea, there's not a lot of value in the power of positive thinking when you're being put on trial for mass murder!" Moira reminds her.

"Let's just try to take things one step at a time, ok." Thea says as they approach a table, picking up a couple of outfits she had placed on said table.

"Well, I'd have to check with my lawyer, but I don't think retail therapy is a viable legal strategy." Moira sighs.

"Well, I spoke with her and she said that you can wear regular clothes to your pre trial hearing. So I picked these!" Thea reveals with a smile as Moira simply smiles back.

"I wish the fashion police was all I had to worry about." Moira admits.

"Please don't joke…"

"Thea, listen to me. I need you to understand what's happening here." Moira says, taking a hold of Thea's shoulders.

"Five hundred and two people have been killed and there is a measure of guilt that is owed me. I'm ready to accept my punishment." Moira admits.

"Even if that means spending the rest of your life in here?" Thea whispers as Moira simply looks at her with sad eyes before replying truthfully.

"Yes."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Upon returning home to her apartment on her lunch break, Laurel smiles when she sees her two babies playing happily in their playpen, watched carefully by Leena, whom smiles at Laurel when she enters.

"How have they been?" Laurel asks in a quiet voice.

"Great, no trouble at all." Leena smiles back.

"Are you okay to watch them for the rest of the afternoon and possibly the evening? It could be another late one." Laurel says with a sigh.

"I have a bit of a crisis going on back home. I don't think I'll be able to watch them for you for the rest of today. I'm really sorry." Leena replies.

"No, don't apologise, you go home. I'll be fine." Laurel says with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Leena folds her arms.

"Yeah, I'll see if I can get the rest of the day off. If not I'm sure my sister or my dad can help out." Laurel smiles as Leena gets to her feet.

"Hopefully I'll sort this mess out so I'm free tomorrow and the rest of the week. You sure you'll be ok?" Leena says as Laurel embraces her friend.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Hope you sort everything out. Call me, if you need someone." Laurel says as the two head toward the door.

"See ya, Laurel." Leena beams as she heads out of the door, Laurel watching her as she heads down the corridor, before resting her head against the door frame in desperation.

She's already taken a lot of days off at work due to having to stay at home with her babies, she takes anymore time off and questions are bound to be asked and Laurel really needs this job and she wouldn't even think of asking Cat to cover for her and stay with them, she wouldn't get Cat in trouble for her sake.

"Everything alright, Ms. Lance?" A familiar voice calls out, Laurel looking up and smiling upon seeing her temporary neighbour, professor Martin Stein, the two after meeting, now always stopping in the corridor to talk to one another.

"Got the right keys this time, professor?" She says with a smile.

"Yes indeed." Stein smiles back with a laugh.

"I was right, my Clarissa is never going to let me live it down." He says as Laurel laughs.

"She enjoy the story?"

"Oh that she most certainly did." Stein smirks as Laurel glances back into her apartment, knowing that as much as she'd like to stay here, enjoying some humour with her new friend that she needs to figure out some sort of a plan for this evening.

"Is everything alright? You seem distressed by something." He asks her kindly.

"Nothing much. It's just I have work until quite late today, and my babysitter, Leena can't cover for me due to some crisis. So I've got to stay here, even though I really can't afford to miss work. I'm sure my sister or my father can help. I better call them." Laurel explains, about to head back into her apartment for her phone.

"No need, Ms. Lance. I'll watch them for you if you'd like." Stein offers instantly.

" No, I can't ask that of you…" Laurel shakes her head.

"After what you did for me Ms. Lance, I'd be more than happy to do this as a favour to you for the kindness you showed me." Stein cuts her off with a kind smile.

"Aren't you busy? Don't you have work of your own or something? I don't want to keep you from your work." She says quickly.

"Actually, it's my evening off." Stein smiles again as Laurel sighs.

"Are you one hundred percent sure?" Laurel replies.

"Yes, Ms. Lance. It would be my pleasure to do this in order to aid you." Stein smiles as Laurel steps aside to let him into her apartment.

"Thank you so much for this." She says as Stein looks to her.

"It's no problem at all Ms. Lance." Stein replies as Laurel looks to him gratefully.

Glad beyond words to have neighbours as kind as Professor Martin Stein.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Tony Daniel?" Quentin questions as he walks into the office of the man he believes to have been Mathis's attorney.

"Help you with something, officer?" Daniel's responds.

"Barton Mathis. According to the D.A's Office, you handled his post-trial appeals and I'd like to know where he is." Quentin replies.

"So you can give him a parking ticket or something?" Daniel's retorts.

"You want to talk to me about one of it clients, come back with a detective shield." He continues, shutting a case on his desk.

"Or a court order." He adds before looking up at Quentin Lance.

"What, you find that funny?"

"Well a little bit." He smirks as Tony Daniel turns around upon seeing three silhouetted figures from behind him.

The three vigilantes.

"Where do we find him." The Man In The Hood growls.

"Iron Heights prison." Daniel's replies quietly.

"He got out." The Man In The Mask snaps.

"He what? How?" Daniel's questions.

"You spent hours with him! Where would he run?" The Woman In Black snaps.

"I. I…"

"WHERE!" The Woman In Black yells, advancing on Daniel's, The Man In The Hood reaching out a hand to pull her back.

"I don't know. I. I swear!" He whispers fearfully as The Woman In Black pulls out a knife and throws it at Tony Daniel expertly.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought the three of you were done killing people?" Quentin exclaims in horror at what he sees.

"He'll live." The Woman In Black snarls.

"Yeah, but he'll report me to my lieutenant!" Quentin snaps.

"He won't talk to anyone." The Woman In Black growls.

"What makes you so sure?" Quentin growls.

"Because he has another shoulder." The Man In The Hood cuts in, pushing the rather enraged Woman In Black behind him, The Man In The Mask glancing to her momentarily.

In a split second, The Man In The Hood grabs the knife, The Woman In Black threw into Tony Daniel's shoulder sharply.

"Aah, ah, ok, ok, ok!" Daniel's cries out in pain.

"There… There is another place." He admits through the pain.

"He was always drawing it." He reveals, hissing momentarily due to the agony.

"Sketching." He groans.

"His cell walls were covered with the place." Daniel's admits as Quentin approaches him.

"Yeah, well, what's the place? Was it in Starling City?" Quentin asks rapidly.

"Yeah. Yeah it was. The Bisque Museum." He reveals, stopping for a moment.

"He said the building reminded him of Germany. Where porcelain dolls were invented." Daniel's explains as The Man In The Hood suddenly releases his grip on the knife, looking to The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask, the three vigilantes vanishing from the room leaving only Quentin and Daniel's.

"I'm sorry. I guess them three just get a bit too enthusiastic sometimes."

 _The Bisque Museum_

"The lady at the desk said a guy matching Mathis's description checked in last week. Room fifty two." Quentin explains to the three vigilantes, the three of them walking side by side down a corridor.

"And he paid in cash." He adds, the four of them continuing to walk down the corridor until they reach a turn, seeing at the door closest to them now is room fifty two.

"Now listen." Quentin says, holding out a hand to stop the three vigilantes momentarily.

"Just so we're clear, when we go through the door to, we're here to arrest Mathis, ok? Not to torture him." Quentin warns them.

"You asked for our assistance." The Man In The Mask growls.

"Yeah and that wasn't easy either and neither is aiding and abetting and I am still a police officer." Quentin reminds them.

"Do you want to catch him or not?" The Woman In Black questions sharply. Quentin sighs and pulls his gun from its pouch.

"Let's go." He says, annoyed slightly when The Woman In Black pushes him out of the way to reach the door first.

"I think you two need to keep her in check." Quentin looks to The Man In The Hood and The Man In The Mask as they hear The Woman In Black breaking the door down, the three of them following after her in an instant.

"Urgh." The Woman In Black grumbles as she sees the angelic dressed porcelain doll in the middle of the room, positioned on a table and with a news paper announcing the Doll maker's arrest stuck to it, a telephone below it.

It begins to ring.

"I'll take that." Quentin pushes past The Woman In Black before she can reach it, picking it up and placing it against his ear.

"Detective." Barton's voice speaks.

"It's been too long." He remarks.

"Felicity, we need a trace." The Man In The Mask growls upon calling Felicity.

"On it." She replies through their ear piece.

"You sick son of a bitch." Is all Quentin can say.

"Sick? I've never felt better. Fresh air agrees with me." Barton replies.

"Yeah, well don't get too used to it. I caught you before." Quentin states.

"It's just a matter of time before I do it again." He retorts.

"Fair enough. In the meantime however, I have someone who'd like to say hello to you." Barton replies before chuckling.

"Say hello dear." He commands, only for shrieking and crying to come through the phone Quentin is holding.

"She's a little inarticulate." The Doll Maker replies.

"She's done nothing to you." Quentin growls.

"Please, don't hurt her. Just let her go." He begs.

"And allow her to wither away into a mediocre and forgettable life?" Mathis questions.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. She deserves so much better." He snarls.

"She deserves to see her beauty preserved. Pristine. Forever. Don't worry, I will turn her into something special." He vows as Quentin continues to listen in horror.

"Now pay attention, detective. What comes next is really quite exquisite." He informs him as the sound of pouring liquid comes to Quentin's ears.

"The sound of an esophagus slowly hardening, like a symphony." He says eerily.

"FELICITY!" The Man In The Mask growls.

"We're trying, but he's blocking the trace." She calls back as Quentin shakes his head.

"Barton, don't do it. I'm begging you, ok? Is that what you want? I'm begging you, please just stop!" Quentin yells desperately.

"It's for the world to enjoy." Barton replies, looking at his sick, twisted 'masterpiece'.

"After all." He smirks.

"Everyone loves a pretty doll."

 _The Crime Scene_

Some time later, Quentin Lance arrives on the new crime scene to find what he'd already expected to see.

A poor young beautiful woman, styled and dressed as a porcelain doll.

He had failed her…

 _The Foundry_

"The police found the body an hour ago." Felicity explains regrettably.

"Does the new victim give us any forensics we can use?" Oliver asks, walking toward where Felicity sits at the computer, Slade beside her and Sara standing over her.

"CSI did a complete forensics work up but they sent everything out to a private lab." Diggle grumbles as Sara looks to Felicity.

"Can you get in?" She asks with folded arms.

"No. They took they're system offline." Felicity mutters, leaning back in her chair.

"It seems like someone hacked into a lot of police-related systems last year." Felicity sighs as Oliver moves away from the desk with a grimace.

"Then we do it like we did the Merlyn job."

 _Private Lab_

A guard walking along a corridor is unfortunate to be hit with a small tranquilliser dart, as the three vigilantes and Quentin walk down said corridor also.

"So glad you three invited me to tag along." Quentin grumbles sarcastically as The Man In The Hood pushes open a door.

"Tranq dart. He'll be out for thirty six minutes." He informs Quentin as heads toward the computer to stick a device to it.

"Yeah, I remember." Quentin mutters in annoyance.

"You're up Felicity." The Woman In Black remarks as the device gets to work.

"So this is what a typical nights like for you three, huh?" Quentin mutters again with the sarcasm, glancing at each of them in turn.

"Just a little breaking and entering." He sighs, the three vigilantes ignoring him to instead focus on Felicity.

"All right. I got toxicology first." She comments as a load of windows begin to open up suddenly on the computer.

"What are all these?" Quentin comments in confusion.

"Chemical ingredients of all the make up found on the victims. Skin cream, nail polish, lipstick…" She lists off.

"Wait, wait, wait, stop. Scroll back, scroll back." Quentin cuts her off, pointing to something he'd just picked up on, upon the screen.

"This one. Ethyl Paraben. Sodium Laureth Sulphate. I've seen this before." He remarks.

"It's skin cream." Felicity reveals.

"Forensics found traces of it on her fingers. Probably something she used before he grabbed her." She explains.

"Skin creams… Mermaid something. One of the last victims from his last run she had this in her purse and I had the lab analyze it and it's the same formula." Quentin exclaims to the three vigilantes in front of him.

"Felicity…"

"Already on it." She cuts The Man In The Mask off sweetly before typing in commands to her computer so what she finds also shows up on the computer screens the three vigilantes and Quentin can see.

"How the hell could she do that?" Quentin shakes his head in amazement as underneath the mask, Slade just smirks.

"Ethel Paraben and Sodium Laureth Sulphate is Mermaiden's proprietary formula." She informs them all.

"Two victims with the same taste in skin cream." The Man In The Hood comments.

"That can't be a coincidence." The Woman In Black adds.

"I could never figure out how he chose his victims." Quentin murmurs in amazement.

"Well." The Man In The Mask mutters back.

"I think you just did."

 _"We shouldn't have left Sara and Shado!" Oliver exclaims with a grunt as he pulls himself up a small mountain._

 _"Well it's their lives. It's their choice." Slade says in a matter of fact tone with a slight shrug of his shoulders._

 _"You listen to my advice."_

 _"What advice?" Oliver queries in confusion._

 _"To avoid attachment. I will admit to you, kid. I am currently struggling with that myself but it is something you and I need to get better at doin'." Slade explains, walking away from Oliver to begin climbing up the side of another cliff._

 _"Yeah. That was bad advice and you know it!" Oliver rolls his eyes at his infuriating companion, following after him._

 _"But it will save our lives." Slade mutters._

 _"Well maybe I don't want to live under those terms!" Oliver growls back as he follows Slade up the side ramp of the cliff._

 _"Yeah, well maybe." Slade replies as he turns back to look at Oliver as he speaks._

 _"You're an idiot." He states plainly._

 _"Hey, you think that caring about people gets you killed. I think it's what keeps people alive." Oliver snaps as Slade stops before walking back over toward Oliver._

 _"I was wrong about you." He says, stopping right in front of Oliver so they're standing exactly face to face._

 _"You're definitely an idiot." He says, his lips curling into a smirk._

 _"Then that's who I am." Oliver retorts indignantly._

 _"I'm not changing!" He shouts at Slade, who begins to walk away from him._

 _Suddenly, Slade steps onto some lose rocks and slides off the side of the cliff with a surprised yelp._

 _Oliver comes to his aid in a split second, grabbing Slade's hand to stop him from falling._

 _Groaning and grunting as he struggles with the weight of Slade as he slowly begins to drag Slade up toward safety, over the edge of the cliff._

 _Oliver rolls his eyes momentarily at Slade, pulling him up, before admitting surprisingly to both himself and Slade_

 _"You should be happy I haven't avoided attachment to you!"_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all your kind reviews, only one chapter away before I have to do something particularly horrible to my favorite character, which is why I dislike this episode, but it must be done! Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, followed and favorited. Next update should be soon. See you all then!**


	80. Broken Dolls (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty**

"Harper." A familiar voice calls Roy's name as he approaches the man, a brown box in hand.

"It's been a while, Hoss." He comments as he approaches Roy.

"I've been busy." Roy murmurs as the man places a hand on the wooden box in Roy's hand, glancing down at the liquor bottles within it.

"I can see that. I'll give you a hundred." He bargains.

"Four." Roy retorts.

"Two-five." The fence bargains back as Roy nods.

"Done." He says, beginning to pass over the wooden box, stopping momentarily.

"Only if you throw in some information." Roy adds as the fence scoffs,

"Come on, man, you've got your finger on the pulse! I'm looking for someone." Roy sighs as the man disappears into his van, before whirling around to face Roy.

"A blonde, likes black leather. Has a sonic device. The Woman In Black. Yet I'm not sure if it's her I'm looking for. There's someone else. A copycat. An accomplice, I dunno." Roy shrugs.

"Sounds like you're type." The man calls back.

"And beats the crap out of guys with a bow staff, but I say it again. I don't think it's The Woman In Black I'm looking for here." Roy explains.

"That still sounds like your type." The man murmurs.

"And I would like to out eyes on her accomplice, her too, possibly. What do you know?" Roy questions as the man approaches him with money in hand.

"Not much but if you're looking for The Woman In Black's accomplice."

"Possible copycat, yeah?" Roy asks, folding his arms.

"You know Cindy? Folks calls her 'Sin'?" The man questions, Roy shaking his head.

"She's got short spiky hair. Yeah I've seen her a couple of times hanging around with The Woman In Black. If anyone's her copycat it's gonna be that girl. I was surprised to see her with The Woman In Black, I thought she only hung around with her the green hooded guy and the dude in the black and orange mask but ever since a few weeks ago when the three vigilantes showed up again, she's been hanging out not just with them, but with Sin to. Figured they added a fourth member, but you could be right about her being a copycat, you know or accomplice of only The Woman In Black's considering someone female was running around with that sonic device in a mask before The Woman In Black showed up." He informs Roy who nods gratefully before adding another question to the mix.

"So where can I find this Sin?" He asks.

"Well, she hands out over at Fifth and Boyton and that." He places the cash in Roy's hand.

"Is what I know."

 _The Foundry_

"This is it!" Diggle cries out suddenly, using his chair to roll away from the computer.

"Skin cream? That's our lead?" He asks in mild surprise.

"It's something." Sara responds.

"What do we know about the product?" Oliver inquires.

"It's made from crushed mother of pearl and it's super high end. Only carried in a handful of boutiques and it's marketed for women with extremely delicate skin complexions." Felicity informs them all, reading off the computer.

"He picks his victims for their skin." Oliver mutters.

"Sick son of a bitch." Sara shakes her head in disgust.

"The cream is how he finds these victims." Slade adds with a role of his eye.

"Only four stores in the city carry it and three have surveillance systems. I've ran facial recognition through all of them looking for Mathis, but come up empty." Felicity explains, spinning around in her chair lazily.

"He must be staking out the stores from the outside." She reveals.

"So we'll do the same." Slade decides there and then.

"That could take days we don't have." Oliver turns to face him.

"He's probably already out there looking for another girl." Sara murmurs.

"So that's what we give him." Felicity suddenly cuts in as the others turn to face her abruptly. Sara shaking her head in an instant.

"Yeah that's not going to work. It's my dad that's on the case, remember. I can't do anything." Sara reminds her.

"Actually, Sara. I meant me. I'll go to the stores that carry Mermaiden and buy it in each one to cover our bases." Felicity explains.

"It's too dangerous!" Diggle exclaims in horror.

"More dangerous than going undercover in a mob casino, or jumping out of a plane?" She says as she gets to her feet.

"I agree with Diggle on this one. I am not about to let you put yourself in this sort of danger, Felicity." Slade folds his arms.

"It's my life." Felicity cuts him off before he, Diggle, Oliver and Sara can say anything.

"It's my choice."

 _"We made it." Oliver sighs in relief._

 _"We actually freakin made it!" He grins as he and Slade reach the top of the cliff Slade had made them both climb, one of the highest points of Lian Yu._

 _"Ya know, I'm surprised we have." Slade retorts._

 _"What? Because you nearly killed yourself falling off the side of the cliff and I had to rescue you?" Oliver says with a slight smile._

 _"Nope. I'm just remembering the last time we climbed this high." Slade reminds him as Oliver groans._

 _"Please don't remind me…"_

 _"At least you didn't sprain your ankle this time, kid." Slade says with a smirk._

 _"What did I just say?" Oliver grumbles._

 _"Oh, come on, kid. You had that one comin'." He grins._

 _"Yeah and on that matter, I can't believe you actually made me get to the top." Oliver mutters with a glare in Slade's direction._

 _"You were already half way to the top…"_

 _"Half way there my ass! I was like a quarter of the way." Oliver whines, cutting Slade off._

 _"And didn't you feel a sense of accomplishment when I dragged your lazy ass the rest of the way up there?" Slade retorts._

 _"I was in extreme pain. I think a feeling of a accomplishment was the last thing on my mind." Oliver mutters in annoyance._

 _"Helped you back down, didn't I?" Slade reminds him._

 _"After you almost killed me making me get to the top, yeah you did." Oliver murmurs._

 _"Could have left you up there." Slade points out._

 _"I'm surprised you didn't." Oliver mutters._

 _"You really think I would have done that?" Slade eyes him._

 _"Well duh! Yeah, we don't exactly share the most caring friendship. In fact. In the beginning, weren't you ever so desperate to get rid of me?" Oliver reminds him._

 _"Agreed." Slade nods._

 _"So why didn't you, could have made your life a hellva lot easier." Oliver grumbles as Slade stops walking to turn back, facing Oliver so they're eye to eye for the second time in the past few hours._

 _"Sara would have killed me." He smirks. Oliver laughs._

 _"Sure. Sure. Sara would have killed you and you wouldn't have been able to stop that from happening?" Oliver folds his arms._

 _"Never underestimate someone's capabilities if they're broken hearted over the loss of someone they love." Slade responds._

 _"I think, even though you don't want to admit it, that you care about us." Oliver admits._

 _"What makes you think that, kid?" Slade mutters._

 _"You keep telling me it's dangerous to form attachments and that you broke your own rule once with Shado and that scares you but I think you keep saying this to me is because your scared." Oliver reveals as Slade whirls around._

 _"What." He hisses dangerously._

 _"Your scared because I think you've broken your rule another two times. Me and Sara. I don't know why because you treat us both like crap most of the time but I think you care for us too and that scares you." Oliver folds his arms._

 _"Nothing scares me kid." Slade growls._

 _"Your notion is insane." He adds viciously._

 _"Is it? I don't think so. You're an ass, possibly the biggest I've ever met in my life but as I said when you were going to fall off the side of that damn cliff, you're lucky I haven't avoided an attachment to you because Slade…"_

 _"There are only two ways onto this island." Slade cuts him off mid sentence before Oliver can finish what he was trying to say and rolls his eyes, wondering why he was going to say those words in the first place!_

 _"By sea and by air." Slade continues._

 _"So what, you're going to steal whatever they use to get onto the island?" Oliver questions._

 _"Well, I'm tired of living here." Slade mutters, throwing his bag down._

 _"Aren't you?" He lifts his binoculars to his eyes, Oliver doing the same._

 _Looking once into the forest, at a few trees that catch his eyes, before abruptly the big ass boat that's rather close to the island!_

 _"Ohh my god." Oliver exclaims instantly._

 _"It appears to be two or three clicks offshore." Slade notes as a sudden explosion causes both men to act startled._

 _"What the hell?" Oliver frowns, Slade lifting the binoculars to his eyes once more._

 _"It's firing off its location." Slade explains before stopping in horror._

 _"The plane! They must have found it!" He growls._

 _"Shado." He murmurs after a moment._

 _She's a smart woman, he thinks to himself._

 _At the sound of any explosion, she would have got herself and Sara out of that damn place._

 _They're both okay, as are he and the kid._

 _High up._

 _Unless the explosion struck the plane first and destroyed it, giving Shado and Sara no chance of escape._

 _It would have killed them instantly…_

 _He drags himself away from those thoughts._

 _He has to think positive here, but it still lingers in his mind…_

 _"SARA!" He whirls around at hearing Oliver's cry, feeling the kid grab his arm momentarily before racing off down the cliff._

 _If Shado and Sara have been killed he'd be dammed if he was going to let Oliver get himself killed to._

 _If the worst is reality and Shado and Sara are gone he isn't going to lose Oliver too._

 _No, kid, no. Slade thinks as races after him._

 _"KID!"_

 **Starling City**

"Left the last store." Felicity Smoak speaks into her earpiece as she heads out of the store, the pink bag with the Mermaiden cream inside of it.

"You're going to reimburse me for these, right? I saved my receipts." Felicity continues.

"You can give them to us. If it's that expensive cream, could do wonders for all the scars the three of us have." The Woman In Black responds.

"How about we all stay focused?" The Man In The Mask snaps back, the three vigilantes standing side by side on the rooftop.

"Go to the rendezvous point." He commands to Felicity, still not this plan's biggest fan.

"Stay in public." He adds as Felicity walks confidently past a car containing Diggle, also knowing that across the road is Quentin Lance, whom shares similar thoughts of dislike for this plan.

"Just for the record. I'm not a huge fan of dangling helpless girls in front of psychopaths like meat." He hisses.

"She volunteered. She's stubborn." The Man In The Mask grumbles.

"Well, she must really believe in you." Quentin retorts.

"The three of us? Yep she does. So did your daughter." The Man Of The Mask adds as Quentin sighs momentarily.

"She suffered deeply." He retorts.

"Grief's got a way of shifting a persons beliefs." He comments before adding.

"But then you three know all about that. You've all lost people too, right and permanently."

"Why would you say that?" The Woman In Black cuts in.

"Why else would you three be doing this? My youngest daughter." He stops for a moment as The Woman In Black also freezes in her place on the rooftop.

"She died." He murmurs.

"I'm sorry." The Woman In Black says instantly, knowing what he's going to say next.

"But then, by some miracle my baby girl came back to me and she's alive and well now. She's somewhere in this city, somewhere safe with her boyfriend and best friend probably as is my eldest. My daughters and well, my two grandkids, because I bet you three know about them now, are my whole world." He says, stopping a moment.

The Woman In Black not being able to speak a word and even though she wouldn't admit it, she feels tears appearing in her eyes.

"Yet five years ago, to me and the rest of the world my youngest daughter was gone and not coming back. Less than a month after it happened. I. I ended up catching the Doll Maker case. Threw myself into it. I think on some level, with each girl I was trying to save…" He trails off, stopping instantly as all three vigilantes continue to listen intently.

"Sara." He whispers her name.

"And just like with Sara, I couldn't. But by some miracle my Sara came back to me, even though I couldn't save her from five years of hell. I couldn't stop her from going on that goddam boat with her once idiot boyfriend." He mutters before adding.

"The Doll Maker. He killed eight girls Sara's age before I caught him." He admits as The Woman In Black can no longer stop the tears from falling from her eyes, feeling The Man In The Hood grab her hand, squeezing tightly, The Man In The Mask taking her other hand.

She's thankful for the mission.

Without the mission she would have broken down at her father's story.

Yet her two companions would have been there to comfort her…

"Someone's coming." Felicity says suddenly from the comms, the three vigilantes grabbing onto their weapons instantly before looking down onto the street, only to see a man following after Felicity.

Possibly Barton Mathis.

"We got him." The Man In The Hood mutters.

"Ok, I'm going to admit to being seriously wigged out right now." She whimpers fearfully before sighing in momentary relief as the man who possibly could have been Mathis walks into a restaurant.

"False alarm. But the next time I offer to be bait for your serial killer, please turn me down and if I'm stubborn about it again, either remind me of this or chain me down…" Felicity stops closing her eyes momentarily.

"Which is not how it sounds. When I say chain me down, perhaps not physically even though that would be interesting. I've never been chained up before and not that I'd ever want to be. Soft rope perhaps… Ohh god that doesn't sound right either… I need to shut up like right now." Felicity babbles, looking behind her only to walk headlong into someone, who grabs her.

Felicity screams…

In an instant Diggle jumps out of the car, the three vigilantes racing into action also, as does Quentin, hurriedly yelling into his radio.

"Delta Charlie fifty two to Central." He yells, watching the Doll Maker up the road up ahead of him, dragging Felicity into an abandoned building.

"Code ninety nine, possible two seven in progress. Immediate back up required!" He yells.

Meanwhile from within the building, Mathis drags Felicity along with him, despite her struggling slowing him up enough to receive a dagger to the shoulder from The Man In The Mask, whom uses a rope to swing down, ahead of The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black, watching as Mathis just discards Felicity, throwing her to the side where she hits her head sharply.

"You a'right? Felicity talk to me!" The Man In The Mask growls upon reaching her side, sighing out in relief as she fumbles around for his hand.

She wants to call out to him due to her sudden fuzzy vision from hitting her head, but she's not stupid. She can't use The Man In The Mask's real name out here in the open, so she just squeezes his hand tightly when she finds it to let him know that she's conscious.

"You're a'right." He murmurs to her.

"Don't move." He commands as he watches The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and Diggle join them, Quentin racing on ahead after Mathis.

"She's hit her head. Stay with her." The Man In The Mask growls as he gets to his feet, Felicity still holding onto his hand.

"I've gotta kill this son of a bitch." He snarls, releasing her hand carefully before racing off after Mathis, The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black doing the same.

The three vigilantes racing after the Doll Maker.

Whom at least two of said vigilantes are pretty sure they're going to kill…

 _Meanwhile…_

Having not stopped for Felicity, knowing the three vigilantes would have, Quentin is still in hot pursuit of Mathis who races away, despite the dagger in his shoulder, which he had eventually managed to tug out during his run, disappearing momentarily around a corner.

Waiting for Quentin Lance, who stops when seeing that Mathis is no longer up a head, only to be knocked to the ground by Mathis himself, whom jumps out of hiding with a wooden plank in hand.

Quentin groans and tries to lift himself from the ground, only to see Mathis bending down to pick up the gun his dropped when he was knocked down.

"I thought there'd be more ceremony to this moment. I'm a little disappointed to be honest." He growls as he approaches Quentin with the gun, only to have it shot out of his hand by an arrow by The Man In The Hood, the three vigilantes arriving to aid Quentin just as sirens begin to blare loudly from oncoming SCPD cars.

"Get out of here!" Quentin yells to the three vigilantes.

"Go on! Get out of here you three!" He shouts again as the three vigilantes race away just as the SCPD cars arrive on scene.

"Office Lance, SCPD." Quentin faces them, staggering toward the cars.

"It's Mathis. I almost had him." He says as Hilton approaches him.

"Search the area. Whole building." He commands to the other officers as he approaches Quentin with a set of cuffs in hands.

"Sorry." He murmurs regrettably.

"For what?" Quentin asks in confusion as Hilton suddenly cuffs him.

"Pike's orders. He wants you collared for obstruction." He sighs.

"What? He..." Quentin trails off as Hilton leads him away.

"Quentin Larry Lance. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right to remain silent; anything you say can be used against you in a court of law…"

 _The Foundry_

"Did you catch him?" Felicity questions from her chair, looking at three vigilantes groggily, whilst limply holding an ice pack to her head.

"He got away." Oliver grumbles.

"And the reinforcements my dad called in showed up before we could do anything else. That asshole got away." She snarls before stopping and taking a deep breath.

"Are you okay Felicity? You hit your head back there." Sara glances toward her friend.

"Minor bruising, slight concussion. She's going to be just fine." Diggle says with a smile as Slade crosses the room to get to her side, pulling off his mask as he does so, crouching down in front of her.

"Here, let me." He mutters, taking the ice pack from her weak grip on it, placing it against her sore head for her.

"My hero." She murmurs.

"I mean, my heroes." She babbles slightly, glancing toward Oliver and Sara who, despite the whole situation simply smile.

"I'm no hero, Felicity. If that were the case I wouldn't have let you put yourself in danger like that. You're lucky you've only knocked your head and have a slight concussion." Slade grumbles gruffly.

"It was my choice. I wanted to do it, even though. About what I said before, I meant it. Don't listen to me the next time I want to be serial killer bait." She says with a slight smile, before wincing at the pain in her still aching head.

"I'll hold you to that one." Slade mutters.

"Please do." She replies, Slade rolling his eye at her.

"She's going to be okay." Sara says with a slight laugh on the other side of The Foundry.

"More than okay." Oliver glances toward Felicity and Slade.

"What's the bet she's actually enjoying that right now?" Sara sniggers.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks, placing a hand against Sara's cheek.

"I'm great Ollie. Why wouldn't I be?" Sara smiles.

"After what your dad said earlier I thought you might be still thinking of that." Oliver admits.

"I was." Sara nods with a sad look in her eyes.

"It's not easy to hear that he went after this asshole, whilst still deeply grieving for me. Those girls that son of a bitch killed, my dad thinking he failed them as he believed he failed me." Sara says with a sad sigh.

"It wasn't his fault." She whispers as Oliver kisses her forehead.

"I wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault but I couldn't. I was The Woman In Black. One of the three vigilantes and I can't even talk to him about it as myself without him getting suspicious." She shakes her head as she leans against Oliver, seeking his comfort, which he gives instantly to the woman he loves more than life.

"What I can't wait to do is go home, put my feet up and try and forget this night happened." Felicity murmurs some time later as she shakily gets to her feet.

"In fact. I'm headed there right now." Felicity murmurs.

"Woah, hang on. I'll drive you there, it's not normally recommended to drive with a head injury, even if it's quite minor." Diggle comments as Oliver folds his arms.

"Actually isn't there something about not leaving people with head traumas alone?" Oliver queries before adding.

"I remember the other year when The Huntress attacked my mother and a co worker that she hit her head and Thea and I had to stay with her and that was about as minor as this." He remembers as Felicity glares at him.

"Yeah but I'm tired! I want to go home and put my feet up. I'll be fine." She grumbles.

"You can come home with us." Sara decides.

"No guys. I couldn't…"

"There's plenty of room. That's not actually a bad idea." Oliver nods, Sara smiling slightly.

"It's sorted then!"

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

"You guys really didn't have to do this." Felicity murmurs as they reach the apartment.

"Felicity. We all care deeply about the well being of our IT girl. Of course we had to do this." Sara says kindly.

"Thank you though." Felicity smiles as she looks toward the large couch.

Yes, she's pretty certain that couch is comfier than her own bed!

"You're not staying there." Slade speaks suddenly as if he could read her thoughts.

"You guys got a spare room or something? I'm more than happy to stay on that really comfy looking couch, you know. It looks better than my own bed at home." Felicity informs them.

"No, you can stay with me." Slade replies as Felicity tries to stop her jaw from hitting the floor at Slade's few short words.

"Sure." Is all Felicity can say, pretty much confirmed that she can hear slight sniggering from the direction of Oliver and Sara.

"See you in the morning." Oliver says with a cheeky grin as Slade glares at him when passing him and Sara, leading Felicity carefully toward the stairs.

"Slade knows that there is four bedrooms in this place right? I mean we share one, Slade's in another, Thea has one but there's one left…" Oliver smirks before adding.

"Do you think I should go and tell him?"

"No. No don't. I want to see how this plays out." Sara replies with a smirk of her own before she and Oliver decide to retire to bed.

 _Slade's Room_

The first thing Felicity notices upon heading into the room of Slade is how much the inside of it is decorated to look much like the place she and Diggle had found the three of them them staying in upon finding them on Lian Yu.

The second thing she notices is the various collection of swords positioned in a a somewhat neat pile by a rather large window seat.

After about ten minutes of arguing back and forth, Felicity finally gives in and takes the bed, despite protesting that Slade should be allowed to stay in his own bed considering Felicity isn't even meant to be there!

But Slade argued against that saying that Felicity has been wounded and she should take the bed and he'd planned to stay sharpening his swords on the window seat anyway.

Felicity had seriously doubted that but knew she wouldn't get anywhere. Slade wins all arguments, he always does.

Actually quite comforted by the sound of Slade sharpening his swords, reclined back in the window seat, Felicity rolls over in the very large bed to face Slade, whom she sees has stopped sharpening his swords to retrieve another blanket, which he drapes over Felicity before returning to his sword sharpening.

"I'm a bit concerned you think our couch looks more comfortable than your own bed." Slade reminds her of her earlier words with a slight smirk.

"I was just guessing." Felicity smiles back as she glances at the four different pictures on Slade's bedside table.

One is of Slade, Oliver, Sara, Thea, Laurel, Moira and Tommy Merlyn at Queen Mansion. Another is of a young looking boy, who Felicity guesses must be Slade's son.

The son that was killed by ARGUS members…

"That's my son. The only picture I have of him, Oliver managed to find it for me that Christmas when the Dark Archer was at large." Slade informs her, snapping Felicity out of her thoughts.

"I'm so sorry that you lost your son Slade." Felicity says softly, Slade gives her a tight smile.

"His name was Joe." He tells her. Felicity surprised that Slade chose to reveal such information to her, silence falling briefly between the two.

"Ohh my god. Is that you and Oliver on the island?" She asks, looking at the third picture, knowing it is one from the past as Oliver has longish hair.

"Not the island no, during the five years. Yes." He replies.

"Where was it taken?" She asks in a quiet voice.

"There was a brief period of time where Oliver and I lived elsewhere before being returned to the island." He explains.

"Where was Sara?" She asks quietly.

"She wasn't with us at the time." He murmurs as she looks to the last picture, one of a beautiful woman with long black hair.

"She's gone." Slade mutters, catching Felicity glancing at it, not asking anymore due to the sad tone she hears in Slade's voice.

It must bring back bad memories for him.

It all must bring back bad memories for all three of them…

 _Starling City Courthouse: Next Morning_

As Oliver, Sara and Slade head toward the courthouse next morning for the beginning of Moira Queen's legal proceedings, they receive a call from Felicity whom they had left back at The Foundry, dropping her off their on her insistence on the way to to courthouse, leaving her resting comfortably at her computer.

"They're charging Lance with obstruction. He's in custody." She explains.

"Mathis isn't." Oliver cuts her off.

"He'll be out there looking for another target." Sara mutters.

"I hacked Mermaiden and sent out an email blast from their servers telling stores the product was defective that will slow them down." She informs them.

"Clever." Slade remarks.

"What about my dad?" Sara cuts in, Oliver sliding his hand into her's.

"One legal problem at a time."

 _Inside The Courtroom_

After hanging up with Felicity. Oliver, Sara and Slade head into the courtroom.

"Hey." Oliver greets his mother from behind who turns around in an instant to grab her son's hand with a grateful smile.

"Oliver, ohh sweetheart it's so good to see you." She smiles at him warmly, glancing behind him in shock.

"Thank you for coming." She looks in surprise to see Sara and Slade behind Oliver, whom sit beside Thea, whom also looks to them with grateful eyes as the proceeding begins.

"Docket Ending Four Five Eight Seven. State Vs Queen." One of the guards speak clearly before handing the paperwork to the judge.

"All right, I'll hear your motions. Ladies first." He glances to Moira's side of the courtroom.

"Your Honor we would like to be heard once again on the issue of bail." Moira's lawyer, Jean Loring gets to her feet.

"Mrs. Queen has languished in the Iron Heights Prison now for five months…"

"And in those five months did the five hundred and two people she's charged with killing miraculously return from the dead?" The judge cuts her off in an instant.

"If not, I'm a little unclear on how the passage of time is relevant." The judge grumbles.

"Might I remind the court that the defendant is presumed innocent?" She retorts.

"No need. I went to law school. It's where I also learnt that bail, once denied cannot be set in the absence of change of circumstance. Mr. Donner." The judge replies sharply, turning to the prosecution side of the court.

"What do you have for me?" He looks to Adam Donner who rises to his feet.

"Your honor, the state has no pre trial motions to make at this time, but we would like to serve notice to the defense pursuant to rule of criminal procedure fifteen." He states.

"Your honor!" Jean Loring gets to her feet in an instant.

"I would like to conference with the District Attorney!" She yells.

"There's really no need, nor any obligation." He replies.

"What about professional courtesy? I would like to have a conversation with you before you seek the death penalty!" She snaps as the whole room dissolves into murmurs of shock, Moira appearing completely calm as Thea looks at Oliver, Sara and Slade in horror, shaking her head in complete disbelief that this is really happening here.

"Your client aided and abetted in an act of mass murder! Five hundred and two conversations wouldn't convince me that Moira Queen shouldn't be the five hundred and forth fatality." Donner snaps viciously as Oliver rests his hand on his mother's shoulder as Sara and Slade attempt to comfort Thea.

"Mom, we are going to fight this." Oliver promises.

"No one is going to take you from us. We won't let it happen."

 _"OLIVER!" Slade bellows loudly as he chases Oliver through the countless explosions from the bombs launched by the ship they had seen._

 _"OLIVER!" He continues, trying to get the kid to listen to him and not get himself killed._

 _If Shado and Sara have been killed he's not going to lose Oliver too._

 _Oliver ignores Slade and just keeps running, running and running through the explosions, ducking every time he hears one coming closer and closer._

 _"NO!" Slade continues to yell after him as he sees one explosion happen very near to Oliver that causes Oliver to look back, but only once._

 _He doesn't stop running toward the plane._

 _An explosion happening ever so close to him, Slade stops, using his hand to shield his face for all of a moment before turning around in order to chase after Oliver again._

 _"OLIVER!" He yells desperately as he races after the kid._

 _"OLIVAHH!"_

 _"SARA!" Oliver yells ever so close to the plane when an explosion happens, throwing him off his feet and onto the ground, lying flat on his back._

 _He lies there for several moments, clouds of dirt, mud and smoke covering him as his ears ring painfully from the explosion from so near by that had succeeded in knocking him from his feet._

 _Tilting his head to the side, despite the godawful ringing in his ears Oliver looks to see the plane, their home attacked by many flames._

 _He lifts himself up to a sitting position._

 _Sounds of more explosions coming to his still ringing ears._

 _Sounds of agonizing screams…_

 _Low agonizing screams…_

 _Tilting his head to the right, Oliver's heart practically stops at what he sees._

 _Slade clutching his face. His hands, most of his body going up in flames…_

 _"Slade." Oliver murmurs groggily as he continues to hear Slade's screams of agony before he keels over…_

 _"SLADE!" Oliver yells desperately, his words not even coming out right as he screams out for his fallen friend._

 _Oliver crawling across the ground to try and get to him._

 _All he can think of is the words he'd not been able to say on the cliff top when Slade had cut him off before he could._

 _'You're an ass, possibly the biggest I've ever met in my life but as I said when you were going to fall off the side of that damn cliff, you're lucky I haven't avoided an attachment to you because Slade' Oliver thinks of his words as he desperately tries to scramble up from his place on the ground, gasping, crying out Slade's name._

 _The only thing he can hear in response is his friend's agonizing screams as he slowly burns…_

 _He collapses again on his back, unconsciousness claiming him instantly._

 _Yet as he's fading into unconsciousness all he can still think of is the words he hasn't managed to say before Slade cut him off._

 _He closes his eyes._

 _'I care about you too.'_

 _The Foundry_

"It's going to be a'right, kid. It was just a suggestion made by someone with a vindication against your mother for her crimes. It might not even be taken into account." Slade speaks reassuringly to Oliver, whom had be silent the whole journey to The Foundry, in which a flashback so violent, so horrific had hit him.

Something he'd never wanted to have to think of again.

Let alone remember in such vivid detail. That it made him believe he was actually right there in that moment again.

Watching his brother in all but blood go up in flames...

Oliver trying to get to him, crying out his name.

His best friend. Screaming in pain and agony as the fire melted away his flesh…

Spinning around in a moment Oliver simply walks toward Slade before pulling him into a sudden, tight embrace.

Sara, Diggle, Felicity and even Slade himself looking at Oliver in deep confusion and surprise at his sudden action.

"I'll be back in a bit." Oliver murmurs, pulling away from Slade, squeezing Sara's shoulder and wrapping her into a tight hug to before heading toward the stairs.

"What happened in the court?" Felicity asks in an quite voice once they hear the door shut.

"District Attorney is seeking the death penalty." Diggle folds his arms.

"Ohh my god. I know what she did was awful but it doesn't warrant killing her." Felicity shakes her head in disgust.

"I don't think it's just that, that's bothering him." Slade folds his arms, looking to Sara.

"Neither do I." She agrees.

"Go and talk to him. Go see what's up." Slade suggests to her.

"I actually think you should go." She admits.

"Why'd you say that?" Slade mutters.

"You're the one he hugged." Felicity cuts in softly.

"Hugged Sara too." Diggle reminds her.

"No. No she's right. This has got something to do with you, you need to go to him." She says as Slade nods once before heading up the steps into the main area of Verdant.

Easily spying Oliver standing on the balcony, looking over the club, Slade jogs up the steps to reach his side.

"Hey, kid." He flashes Oliver a half smile as he joins him, who just looks over at him with a practically blank expression.

"What's up?" He asks to complete silence from Oliver's end.

"If ya don't tell me, kid. I can't fix it." Slade says gently.

"Is it about your mother? Because it.."

"No." Oliver shakes his head quickly.

"No. It's about us. The island." He sighs, leaning over the rails.

"What? You know you can talk to me about it. I was there." He nudges Oliver with a smirk, satisfied when he manages to get a small smile out of Oliver.

"I'm so sorry that you got hurt." Oliver murmurs.

"What you on about, kid? I got hurt on that island a fair few times." He reminds him.

"Not like during those explosions." He mutters causing Slade to fall silent.

"Kid that wasn't your fault.

"It was. You only nearly got killed because I raced into the fires." Oliver murmurs.

"If I was smart I wouldn't have followed ya." Slade tries to assure him.

"But you did."

"Course I did. If we'd lost the girls. If they'd already been killed, I wasn't about to lose all I had left." He cuts Oliver off.

"What you said on the cliff. I didn't want to admit it and still don't like to admit defeat but you were right, kid. I disobeyed my own rules. I cared about all three of you and I was so afraid of losing you three, of anything happening to any of you… I didn't want to have to deal with that kind of pain." Slade admits after so long but Oliver cuts him off.

"But I put you in that position and we nearly lost you when I should have listened to you before you got hurt. I couldn't go back for you either, I had to watch you burn alive and all I could think of was the words you wouldn't allow me to say on the cliff." Oliver mutters, as Slade rests a hand on his shoulder, as Oliver continues to admit his guilt.

"I am so sorry for what happened to you Slade because everything that happened to you from that point on. Everything that happened to both you and her. That was on me. It was all my fault Slade. She's gone because of what I did. I almost destroyed you. I destroyed her. I killed her." Oliver admits his guilt, pain and despair as Slade just shakes head.

"No." He mutters.

"I'm so sorry Slade." Oliver says again.

"No, C'mere kid." Slade pulls him back into a brotherly embrace.

"It wasn't your fault." He murmurs.

"What happened to me. It wasn't your fault in the slightest, especially with what happened to her." He mutters reassuringly.

"We were in it together, brother."

 _SCPD: Interrogation Room_

Quentin drops his cuffed wrists to the table boredly, having been stuck in this room for the rest of the night since his arrest .

Suddenly he hears a door opening and a set of keys appear in front of him.

"I had to call in a lot of favors to get those." Comes the voice of Laurel Lance as she walks around the table to face him, Quentin working on freeing his hands.

"The only problem is that I've been at the D.A's Office for less than a month and no one owes me any favors." She leans over the table before adding.

"Not to mention I had to get my neighbor to cover for me, again so I could come down here!" She exclaims as Quentin drops his head to his hands.

"God, Laurel. I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have come…"

"Who else could have gotten you out of this, dad? I don't see anyone else here!" Laurel cries as she walks toward the door.

"How exactly did you get the charges dropped?" He questions.

"With a little help from Cat and your friend Pike and I have been working together on the Anti-Vigilantes task force, all three of us have, do you remember?" She folds her arms as he follows her out of the door.

"Hmm. Last year you were working with Arrow, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask. What a difference a few months makes." He mutters sarcastically.

"Wait, the 'Arrow'?" She folds her arms.

"Yeah, seems more appropriate than The Man In The Hood, can't think of names for the other two. 'The Sword' perhaps for The Man In The Mask?" Quentin smirks slightly.

"And now you're working with them!" Laurel rolls her eyes at him as he moves past her.

"Guess I'm not the only one in the Lance family that's done a one eighty." She adds, following her father.

"This city needs help. I just became less particular about where it comes from. What's your excuse?" He says upon turning to face her.

"Still Tommy?"

"What would you tell me if I said it is?" Laurel retorts.

"That three people with a bunch of weaponry can't change the outcome of what happens to a guy who has a building dropped on him! You're so mad at them for not being there earlier Laurel but you're forgetting that two of them made it to him. Tommy would have been killed if not for the vigilantes." He speaks his mind, only to receive silence from Laurel.

"What's going on with you is not about the three vigilantes." He reveals.

"Then what is it, dad? Hmm? I mean why don't you tell me? You seem to have all the answers here. That crack you made me feeling guilty about something. Don't you forget that." She lowers her voice so no one else can here her.

"I'm currently a single mother of two babies, who's father they've never even met because…" Laurel trails off.

"Tommy's coma." Quentin supplies for her.

"Why would I feel guilty about that? I feel bad because my children, mine and Tommy's children currently have no father and they may never have one." She whispers.

"I don't know what's making you feel guilty about all this Laurel and I wish I did because it's eating you up." Quentin remarks as Laurel walks away from him.

"Your psychoanalysis would probably have a bit more credibility if it wasn't being offered under police custody." Laurel replies simply.

"Laurel, I'm worried about you. I'm worried about my two grandkids…"

"I'd stay away from Pike if I were you and Doll Maker case." Laurel says sharply before walking away, leaving Quentin behind.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking down a street with his red hood pulled up and his headphones in, Roy Harper looks around almost absentmindedly for Sin.

He spies her in an instant, drinking from a bottle in a brown paper bag, which she seemingly finishes before tossing it into a side street.

"Excuse me." Roy calls out to her.

She matches the description. Short spiky black hair.

The second she lays eyes on him, she shakes her head.

"Step off, Abercrombie." She smirks at him as he pulls his headphones out.

"Cindy?" He asks politely.

"Sin?" He adds when she doesn't respond.

"What do you want?" She replies that time.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" She comments.

"I'm looking for someone who's working with an acquaintance of mine. I was thinking you might be the person I'm looking for. Know anyone blonde, black leather head to toe, goes by the name The Woman In Black? I've been asked to look into a partner of hers, that you?" He questions as in an instant Sin breaks into a run.

"So I guess that's a yes." Roy murmurs deep sarcasm within his voice before racing after her, following her over a silver wire fence and through a heavily packed car park, the two of them dodging many cars in the chase. Sin sliding down an alleyway, followed closely by Roy, whom leaps over the bonnet of a car in chase.

Sin, still ahead of Roy, races down a road quickly, knowing that Roy is still behind her and takes a sudden turn, sailing down a stairwell, Roy simply swinging expertly over the rails, chasing her into a building.

The clock tower…

Losing Sin for all of a few moments, Roy races up a stair well after her, realizing she's no longer in his line of sight as he climbs up a ladder into the highest part of the clock tower.

Upon being in the room, he spins around looking for Sin in an instant, only for something rather sharp to collide with his head, knocking him both to the ground and out of consciousness…

 _SCPD: Car Park_

After retrieving his possessions, Quentin heads tiredly to the car park, wondering if he should call in on Laurel and the kids on the way home.

However, as he approaches a car he begins to hear rapid muttering, only when approaching the source of the sound, seeing that it's a man bent over, whispering complete nonsense over and over again.

"You all right pal?" Quentin asks as he approaches the guy.

"Need a doctor or something?" He questions, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, whom simply whirls around and tasers Quentin sharply.

Barton Mathis.

"No." He says as he lowers Quentin to the ground.

"I'm fine thanks." He comments, dragging Quentin into the back of said van they were standing beside, lying Quentin down next to another person.

A woman.

"Laurel." Quentin croaks as he loses consciousness and Mathis slams the doors shut…

 _The Foundry_

"You think Slade and Oliver are okay?" Felicity questions, biting her nails as Sara nods.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're fine. Slade's good at getting through to Ollie." She smiles slightly.

"He's good at getting through to everybody." Felicity notes.

"He is. He really is. Especially with Ollie." Sara replies.

"You have noticed that Slade and Ollie are basically telepathic with one another right? We all are." Sara admits with another smile as something flashes up on Felicity's computer, Sara's smile shattering in an instant.

"No." Sara growls with a shake of her head.

"No." She cries as she runs her hands through her hair as Felicity glances at the news article before pulling it up on screen.

"Ohh my god."

 _Verdant_

"I checked the order and you shorted us half a case of champagne!" Thea protests down the phone to the clubs liquor distributor.

"I'm not paying for booze I didn't get." She grumbles, scoffing as she hangs up, writing a few notes down in a book, before gazing over at a full bottle of alcohol, taking it in hand, only to have it snatched out of her hands immediately.

"I'll take that shall I." Slade's voice comes from behind her as he and Oliver reach her side.

"He's right. It won't help." Oliver folds his arms.

"Yeah, well, neither is yelling at my vendors, but… I want to yell at someone right now." She admits truthfully.

"Mom's going to be okay." Oliver reassures her.

"Because we are all going to help her fight this, as a family." He says with a glance to both Thea and Slade.

"They want to kill her." Thea mutters.

"We won't let them." Slade replies just as his mobile buzzes, lifting it out of his pocket he sees in an instant that it's Felicity, a simple text that reads.

'News. Now.'

"Thea, can you turn to channel fifty two please?" Slade requests as Thea complies with Slade's request in a brief second, Oliver looking on in confusion as the news comes on, reporting a rather distressing story.

"Officer Quentin Lance and his daughter Laurel Lance were abducted earlier today, no ransom has been demanded." The news reporter reports.

"Ohh my god." Oliver murmurs as he, Slade and Thea approach the TV.

"SCPD are urging anyone with information regarding their whereabouts…"

 _The Foundry_

"Ollie, Slade." Sara calls the minute they both race down the steps toward her, Diggle and Felicity. A distraught look upon Sara's face.

"How did he get them?" Slade snaps, Oliver wrapping his arms around Sara as Felicity types hurriedly at her station.

"I don't know about Laurel but Detective Lance was abducted from the precinct parking lot. Mathis shot a guard on the way out, which sounded the alarm." Felicity informs them.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch." Sara snarls as Oliver tries desperately to calm her in any way he can, stroking her hair soothingly as she looks dangerously on at the computers.

"I'm going to rip his freakin head off." She growls.

"I pulled up the department's security camera footage and a van from metamorpho chemical caught my eye." Felicity adds.

"Metamorpho was condemned after the quake." Diggle informs them.

"Perfect place to make some dolls." He notes.

"Not tonight." Slade snarls, he, Sara and Oliver storming toward the cases that contain each one of their vigilante uniforms.

"Cops will uses tracers, guys, same as we did." Diggle reminds them cautiously as well Oliver grabs a hold of his bow.

"They won't make it in time!"

 _Clock Tower_

Lying on his back, almost completely out cold, Roy Harper receives a sudden harsh slap to the face.

"Hey, hey. Wake up, Abercrombie." Sin shouts as Roy returns to consciousness to see Sin crouching over him, a silver baton in hand.

"What?" He murmurs, dazed, noticing then that his hands have been tied.

"Why are you after me and what do you know about my friend?" Sin folds her arms.

"Look, look. We're on the same team here, ok. I know The Woman In Black. She's an acquaintance of mine to. I was just sent to look into you by someone interested in why you were running around pretending to be her before they got back in town and country considering The Woman In Black herself has been doing solo missions, with the same sound device you were using then it's pretty clear you two are working together, which is confusing considering there is only three vigilantes." Roy explains, pulling himself up into a sitting position, Sin shrugging her shoulders a moment before using the baton in her hand to strike Roy hard across the face.

"Not my face!" Roy groans desperately, as Sin moves the baton to under Roy's chin, lifting his head up so he's facing her properly.

"I have a disapproving girlfriend." He admits.

"Who sent you after me and her?" Sin questions.

"I can't tell you that." Roy replies as she strikes him in the head, knocking him to the ground.

"Sure about that?" She replies.

"It would cause conflict." Roy says, trying to sit up.

"Face against the ground, Abercrombie." Sin replies, pushing him back down again.

"What is she to you anyways? Most people think they're criminals." Roy protests.

"And there are people who don't think that. I'm one of them. You are to, you say you know her after all. You know, she's never mentioned you." Sin comments.

"I'm sort of an honorary member." Roy replies before adding bravely.

"If you're so close to The Woman In Black, how come the other two don't know who you are and everyone only sees you as a copycat?"

"So one of the other two sent you, did they?" Sin says, catching him out.

"I didn't say that. When did I say that?" Roy replies quickly, hearing Sin laugh.

"Well considering, you just said the other two don't know about me. How do you know for sure they don't? Unless they sent you? Was it both of them or just one of them? I want to know." Sin requests.

"What so you can go and tell her and screw up their partnership?" Roy retorts as he phone begins to buzz.

"Can I get that? It's mine and it could be my girlfriend." He asks as Sin rips the phone out of his pocket looking at the message with wide eyes upon what she reads, hastily she throws the phone back at Roy.

"You know what, get out of here. Get out of here and if you know what's good for you don't come back." She snaps as Roy scrambles to his feet, picking up his phone.

"Also, if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut about our little conversation. You're just their messenger. I know who each one of them are behind the masks, just remember that Abercrombie." She says threateningly as Roy, with a glance at the pole in her hand, not wanting to get hit with it again, heads out of the clock tower, glancing at the message that had appeared on his phone as he goes.

The message from Thea.

'Where are you? Laurel's been kidnapped, need you!'

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In a secluded part of Starling City, Laurel Lance is chained to a table, her wrists and feet bound and a device shoved into her mouth, which the Doll Maker plans to pour the liquid in that shall end her life.

She desperately struggles against her restraints, doing anything and everything to try and escape her fate.

Not just for herself, not for herself at all.

For her babies, Brandon and Rebecca.

"Isn't this nice?" The Doll Maker comments, gesturing to both Laurel and Quentin, who's chained up against the wall, unable to free himself either.

"All of us here together? It's like thanksgiving." He smirks.

"Laurel." Quentin whispers, trying to get his daughters attention.

"Laurel, just stay calm. Stay calm." He says, trying to reassure her in someway.

"Barton, I'm sorry. I know you hate me. I know you hate me, ok and I understand that." Quentin tries to protest with him as he simply ignores him, moving toward Laurel.

"But you hate me. So please let my daughter go." He reminds him as Barton ignores him, grabbing the tube that has one end shoved into Laurel's mouth and hooking it up on a pole.

"Now why would I do that?" He smirks.

"Look at her. She's so lovely, perhaps not as lovely as your other daughter, unfortunately she I could not seem to find, so this one will have to do. She's still rather lovely." He states as he approaches Laurel, reaching up a hand to touch her face, Laurel trying to fight to move away from his touch, squeezing her eyes tight shut.

"Maybe a little too much melanin in the skin but it's the imperfections that make art sublime." He smirks gleefully.

"I am the one who put you away. She had nothing to do with it! Don't do this to her, I'm begging you Barton, she's a mother. She's got two babies who's father's gone. She's all they've got. Please don't make two innocent children motherless! She's got nothing to do with any of this." Quentin cries.

"She had everything to do with it! She's your world, she's your very soul. You know, I could kill you, I could maim you, I could slice you up into a thousand pieces, but if your soul remains intact, what have I done? Huh? Nothing. Which is why when this is over, you'll walk out here alive, she won't, but you will and sometime soon, you'll find yourself in this position again. Except your youngest will be the one strapped to that chair. The other daughter, you'll watch me kill her, just like you're going to watch me kill this one. Then and only then when you've watched me kill both your daughters and made myself two new beautiful dolls. I'll kill you." Mathis snarls as he grabs the bucket of liquid, moving back toward Laurel with it.

"I will kill you!" Quentin yells as Mathis pours the liquid into the glass, watching it begin to slide down the tube.

"I will kill you, you son of a bitch! I will kill you!" Quentin roars as he watches the liquid begin to head in Laurel's direction.

"Laurel." He whispers to her, knowing these could be her final moments.

That she will be killed in front of him…

"Laurel… Sweetheart… Close your eyes." He begs her as she looks to him with fearful eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks knowing almost for a fact that this is it.

She'll never see her two babies again…

Never see Tommy again…

"I'm here. I'm here honey. I'll look after them. I swear to god I'll look after them. It's ok sweetheart." Quentin says, needing Laurel to know that he'll take care of Brandon and Rebecca, wanting her to have somewhat peace of mind in her final minutes, knowing that she's loved and that her father's with her.

Still Laurel struggles against the restraints, the tube in her mouth.

"If you struggle it will take longer." Mathis hisses to her, just as a crashing sound is heard as the three vigilantes enter the room.

The Arrow instantly shoots out the glass jar containing the liquid, knocking the device free and clear from Laurel's mouth before aiming another arrow at the Doll Maker, whom races away, The Woman In Black quick to follow him in a moment of fury.

"You three do whatever you three need to do, just get him. Get him!" Quentin yells to The Arrow and The Man In The Mask, the latter cutting Quentin free with one slice of his sword before the two vigilantes race to catch up with their partner…

 _Meanwhile…_

Leaping at Barton Mathis from behind, The Woman In Black breaks her metal pole into two batons, using one to knock Mathis off his feet, before smashing him around the head with another in a fit of anger.

He almost killed her sister, her father.

If they'd just been one second later, Laurel would have become one of his other victims.

Mathis tries to fight her back, only for The Woman In Black to smash his other leg with one of the batons, knocking him to the ground, watching as he tries desperately to crawl away from her, getting to his feet as she approaches him, this time with a weapon of his own, The Woman In Black succeeding in knocking him to the ground again, only for Mathis to suddenly grab a metal chain, which releases many steel poles, all which drop right onto The Woman In Black, forcing her to the ground.

This action, allows Mathis to get to his feet once more.

"Now." He smirks as he approaches her.

"Let's take a better look at this face of yours. You have such lovely skin." He comments as he advances on her, only to be thrown straight back to the ground by two arrows as The Man In The Mask and The Arrow come into view.

"You're going back to prison." The Arrow growls as suddenly a weapon at such velocity is thrown into Barton Mathis, killing him instantly.

"No he's not." The Woman In Black snarls, the other two vigilantes looking at her in an instant, shocked by her sudden action.

"Why did you do that? You didn't have to kill him." The Arrow protests.

"I'm all for our new way and all but this time. This time there was no other choice." She growls back.

"He tried to kill my sister. If it were me or Slade sitting there. Would you have done any different?" She look to The Arrow, who finds himself lost for words, knowing though that The Woman In Black speaks nothing but the truth.

 _Elsewhere…_

Having finally gotten Laurel out of her restraints, Quentin wraps his coat around her shoulders and follows her as she practically races off.

"Slow down Laurel, slow down." He calls after her.

"No, I need to get home. Brandon and Rebecca are at home, I need to get to them, my neighbors looking after them, I bet he's wondering what the hells going on and I need to go and see Tommy. I haven't been today…" She trails off, her eyes filled with tears in an instant, Quentin wrapping a comforting arm around her.

"I'm sure you can miss one day, it's really late Laurel." He reminds her.

"No, no. I need to see Tommy, no I need to go home. I…" She babbles as Quentin just hugs her tighter.

"It's ok, sweetheart. It's ok, they saved us."

"I know." She murmurs, stopping for a moment.

"I know they did and after I hunted them." Laurel whispers, her actions catching up to her.

"It's ok, it's all right." Quentin replies softly.

"No. They came. They came to save me."

"Yeah, I know, they saved both of us." Quentin adds as Laurel stops, turning around to face her father with eyes filled with horror.

"No. Not them. Tommy…" She whimpers.

"What?" Quentin looks at her in confusion for a moment.

"No everyone. Everyone told me to stay out of The Glades and you, you told me to get out of CNRI. Tommy was only there because I was too stubborn! To stubborn to get out when I had the chance!" She cries as Quentin shakes his head at her.

"You were right." She states.

"I was blaming the three vigilantes because… Oh my god." She trails off, crying.

"It's all my fault dad. It's all my fault that my babies don't have a father. It's all my fault that Tommy's in a coma!" She sobs as Quentin just holds her close as she sobs.

"It's all right sweetheart, it's ok. It's ok." He assures her, looking up briefly to see the three vigilantes standing side by side, nodding to them momentary.

A nod of thanks for saving their lives.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Whilst her father parks his car, Laurel basically races up the steps quicker than lighting to her apartment, practically bursting through the door.

"Ms. Lance are you alright? It was all over the news!" Stein looks to her in concern in an instant, glancing once at the two sleeping babies in the crib by the couch.

"Are they okay?" Laurel asks in a quiet voice.

"Yes. They've been great. I think they've missed their mother though." He smiles slightly at Laurel, who heads toward the crib, seeing them stir when she approaches them, yet they don't make a sound, just look up at her happily.

"Thank you so much for staying with them all this time." Laurel looks to Stein with a grateful expression upon her face.

"I don't know how to repay you for this." She admits.

"You don't owe me anything, Ms. Lance. I was more than happy to do this for you, they're great kids, ever so well behaved and after rescuing me from spending hours standing outside in that corridor, it should be me asking how can repay you for your kindness." He smiles kindly.

"I think we're about even now." She smiles back.

"Feel free to come over any time, I'll be happy to look after them if you need any help." Stein tells her on the way to the door.

"Thank you and you to, ever forget your keys again. You know where to come." She manages to smile again slightly as he heads through the door.

"Ohh, just thought I'd mention." He says as he has the keys in his own door.

"A woman named Cat Grant has phoned you multiple times..."

"She's a friend of mine, I better call her to tell her I'm alive! Goodnight, Professor Stein." She says as he heads through his own door.

"Goodnight, Ms. Lance." He replies before shutting the door, Laurel heading instantly back into her apartment toward the crib where she sees both her babies somewhat awake and seemingly looking around for her, gathering them up in both arms, she holds them close, as they lean happily against her.

"It's ok, mommy's here." She says softly as she holds them, kissing the tops of both their heads in turn as they cuddle up to their mother, Rebecca wrapping her small hand around Laurel's hair as Laurel carries them both with her into her bedroom, sitting with them both on the bed, keeping them as close by as she can as she lifts the small picture frame of Tommy off her bedside table, her two babies reaching out for it in an instant, somehow, Laurel believes, knowing that it's their father.

As her two beautiful babies fall asleep in their mother's arms, Laurel looks at them, her eyes filling with tears again.

The Doll Maker could have killed her.

Could have taken her away from Brandon and Rebecca.

She may have never seen them again and she'd been ready to accept her fate, that she would never see them again, but here she is with them both safe and warm in her arms and comforted by the knowledge that they're both her and safe, Laurel drifts off to sleep, tears still falling down her cheeks.

The only thing that could make everything better is if Tommy were here, holding her and their babies.

But after what she did.

After she caused Tommy's coma.

She knows it will be a miracle if she ever lays eyes on him awake and well again…

 _Sometime Later_

Quentin smiles at the sight he sees upon finding Laurel and the kids.

His eldest daughter fast asleep on her bed, her babies in her arms also fast asleep, draping a blanket lightly over the three of them, he presses a gentle kiss to each one of their heads before leaving his daughter and two grandchildren fast asleep and knowing how little sleep Laurel's had since they were born, hopes she manages to sleep through the whole night.

Switching the light off, Quentin heads back into the living room where he sees the three vigilantes standing in the living room room.

"How is she?" The Woman In Black inquires.

"She'll be alright." He replies before adding.

"In time." He sighs.

"I might not always agree with your methods but I can't argue with the results from the three of you. You three saved my daughter, again and in saving her you saved my grandchildren. Thank you." He says politely.

"She needed our help." The Arrow responds as Quentin approaches him.

"And she wasn't the only one. Thanks." He says again after a sigh.

A shaky alliance possibly forming there and then in that very moment between the three vigilantes and Quentin Lance.

 _Iron Heights Prison_

"Moira." Jean Loring says the instant Moira Queen walks toward her, taking her hands tightly in hers.

"I know how hard this day has been for you." She notes.

"Yes." Moira nods before adding.

"And believe it or not, I've actually been in worse situations." She admits truthfully as she follows Jean to a seat.

"Listen to me. Donner knows how strong our defense is. Don't let him scare you with that little death penalty stunt of his." She mutters as Moira shakes her head.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of dying, Jean. I've made my peace with this world a long time ago." Moira replies honestly.

"Then let's win the case in the courtroom. The trial is going to reveal that you were living under Malcolm Merlyn's thumb, it's going to reveal everything." Jean assures her.

"Yes and that's what I'm afraid of." Moira reveals.

"Moira, what don't I know it?" Jean sighs as Moira falls silent.

"Don't you do this, you need to tell me. I am your lawyer and I am also your friend." She squeezes Moira's hand comfortingly.

"Thea and Oliver. I'm finally in a good place with my children, Jean. I have my family somewhat back." She says as she releases Jean's hand.

"But there are some things…" She trails off.

"Some things that must never be spoken of."

 _Oliver lies on his back, unconscious on a cold, wet floor._

 _Droplets of water landing on his face cause him to awaken, sitting up in an instant as he takes in his new surroundings._

 _He's in a prison cell._

 _Beside him is another cell, another man in it._

 _Through the bars he sees men patrolling a massive space filled with other cells, each one of them armed._

 _He doesn't know where he is._

 _He doesn't know where, Sara, Slade and Shado are._

 _The memories hit him of before he fell unconscious._

 _The boat he and Slade had seen firing upon them._

 _Ohh my god he's on the boat, the thought hitting him instantly._

 _The boat that fired upon them all._

 _Fired upon the plane Shado and Sara were in._

 _He remembers trying to get them, trying to save them._

 _Slade following him, shouting out his name._

 _Slade going up in flames…_

 _The Foundry_

"You okay, kid?" Slade's voice pulls Oliver out of his flashback, his hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Yeah I was just…" He trails off.

"Same as earlier?" Slade questions as Oliver nods.

"Yeah, a bit. Just remembering how I felt afterwards when I was on that damn boat. You, Sara and… I didn't know what had happened to you three. I didn't even think you three were alive at that point." Oliver admits sadly.

"You need to talk about anythin', kid. I'm here." Slade assures him as Oliver puts his hand over Slade's.

"I know." He nods with a slight smile, before finding himself asking.

"You never said what happened to you after the…" Oliver stops, looking up at Slade.

"Sara never say anythin'?" Slade glances at him in surprise.

"I never asked." Oliver admits.

"Thinking about it, kid. I may have asked her to spare you the horror story." He smirks as Oliver groans and buries his head in his hands.

"I'm only messing with ya, kid. It wasn't that bad." Slade lies as Felicity, whom had been watching both Oliver and Slade with confusion turns around to face them.

"What happened?" She asks in a soft voice.

"Something that happened a very long time ago." Slade replies, glancing once at Oliver.

"Something he still blames himself for."

"What? Sorry, I'm just curious. I shouldn't ask." She shakes her head quickly as Slade walks over toward her.

"Don't apologise to us for asking Felicity." He murmurs, before adding.

"You've actually learnt some of this story before. During The Dodger case, when it was mentioned that in the past on the island there was an explosion that Oliver blames himself for?" He reminds her, Felicity nodding, remembering instantly.

"Yeah, I asked you how bad the explosion was and you told me that it wasn't a pleasant story." Felicity replies.

"It wasn't. Some certain individuals began firing bombs upon us, at the time, Sara and a friend of ours were elsewhere, where the explosions were happening and Oliver went into the firing line to try and rescue them. I didn't know what had happened. I didn't know if the two were alive or not, but what I wasn't going to do was risk losing Oliver. I followed him and unfortunately I was hit." Slade reveals to her.

"Hit? You got set on fire Slade! You burnt half your face off!" Oliver protests as Felicity looks at Slade in shock, shock and horror, almost instantly lifting her hand to rest it against Slade's cheek, glancing at his face in amazement.

"But you have no scars from it. No burn marks, nothing. Is that how you lost your eye?" She whispers as Slade shakes his head, taking both Felicity's hands in his.

"Now that story, it isn't important anymore. That story will stay in the past where it belongs." He murmurs.

"But how could you heal from something like that? If it's as bad as you two are making it out to be." Felicity looks between both of them in confusion.

"Trust me when I say this." Slade mutters, with one more glance at Oliver.

"You never want to know what we did." He says as Felicity asks another question.

"Where's Sara?" She asks.

"Ohh, she said she was heading to Laurel's." Oliver replies as Felicity exchanges a knowing look with Slade.

"You need to tell him." She murmurs.

"Tell me what?" Oliver frowns, Slade sighing once before approaching Oliver.

"There's something you need to know, kid."

 _The Clock Tower_

After telling both Oliver and Slade that she was just going to change out of her Woman In Black uniform and head to Laurel's, which she still intends to do. She makes a slight detour to the Clock Tower, using a pole that goes right through the roof to swing quickly down, flipping herself over, only to feel someone grab her arms.

"Sara!" Sin's voice sounds out, causing Sara to smile and put one arm around the girl.

"How's Laurel? I heard she and your dad were abducted!" Sin exclaims.

"I dealt with the guy." She replies in a deadpan tone.

"I figured you would." Sin nods.

"My boyfriend wasn't too happy with me that I actually killed the guy but. He. That son of a bitch caused so much harm to so many women, my father almost had a mental breakdown going after him and he then goes and tries to have my father and my sister, who has two babies, killed. He had it coming." Sara states sternly.

"So… What are we gonna do? We going out tonight or we going for food as ourselves?" Sin suggests as Sara smiles.

"Sure. I can make time for that." She says, placing her batons down before smiling at Sin.

"Great, I think there's something I need to tell you." Sin informs her as Sara nods.

"How about I give you a head start?" She smiles as Sin nods.

"I'm so going to beat your ass." Sin chuckles before racing toward the ladder, leaving Sara alone, laughing to herself as she hears Sin's receding footsteps.

It is when she knows that she's alone, that's Sin is safe that Sara whirls around, looking up to the roof that she'd just jumped through to see someone else climbing down, landing right in front of her.

Wearing a Dark Archer styled uniform…

Sara freezes, knowing exactly who said person is.

It's been so long.

She thought she was safe…

"You shouldn't have come here." She says in a clear voice, keeping her cool.

"I had no choice." The man approaches her.

"Ra's Al Ghul has ordered your return." He declares, Sara's blood running instantly cold at the very thought.

Silence passes between the two before he removes his black hood, whilst also sliding out a folded piece of paper.

"I'm not going back. I can't. I'm never going back." Sara growls.

"That is not your decision to make." He replies tossing the paper at Sara, she takes it and unfolds it.

It's a picture.

A picture of her, Oliver and Slade.

"No. No." She shakes her head quickly.

"Tell them that you couldn't find me. Tell them I ran with them." She bargains as the man simply pulls out a knife and holds it to her throat.

"I won't lie for you." He growls.

"Fine." Sara replies simply before suddenly leaping into action, ripping the knife from his hand and plunging it into his chest, killing him instantly.

"Don't tell them anything."

 _The Foundry_

"She. She never said anything." Oliver whispers after learning the truth from Slade and Felicity about Sara's solo missions since she's gotten back and the possibility that she has an accomplice they've never heard of or met before, whom had been a possible copycat of her whilst the three of them had been gone.

"Why didn't you tell me as sooner?" He looks to Slade and Felicity in an instant.

"I didn't want to say anything until I had enough evidence. I'm worried about her, kid." Slade admits, folding his arms.

"As am I. She doesn't do this, she doesn't lie to us like that." Oliver shakes his head, still in great disbelief from the whole thing.

"You think she's out there right now on one of those solo missions?" Diggle questions, having being silent during the whole reveal.

"We've got to find her, both of them." Oliver says in an instant.

"And find out what the hell's going on." Slade mutters.

"And find out who this friend of hers is and how much she knows about us." Felicity adds, Oliver nodding before adding quietly.

"And make sure that above anything else, Sara hasn't gotten herself into any danger…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! I'm so glad this episode is over, I hated writing that bit where Slade gets his face blown off. It's my second most hated bit in Arrow, so I'm definitely glad to be moving on to the next chapter! Thank you all to those who have followed, reviewed and favorited, please tell me what you all thought of this and thanks again for reading.**


	81. Crucible (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty One**

 _Queen Mansion_

Jazz music sounds from the newly opened Queen Mansion. The doors of the home both Oliver and Thea no longer live in being opened for an event to try and get investors for Queen Consolidated.

"Mr. Queen and Mr. Wilson are going to be a bit late." Felicity Smoak informs a rather annoyed looking Isabel Rochev.

"They're extremely sorry." She adds nervously as Isabel glares at her.

"It couldn't be helped…"

"Where are they?" She snaps coldly, Felicity panicking for a moment.

"Ummm."

"Where are they Ms. Smoak?" Isabel growls.

"They just got a little held up. You know, tying up some lose ends... I'm actually in direct contact with Mr. Wilson now. Let me. Let me check." Felicity says after a moment, switching on her earpiece only for her ear to be filled with the sounds of rapid gunfire...

 _Starling City_

The sound of rapid gunfire shatters the supposedly peaceful night life of Starling City from a bunch of gangbangers, whom are viciously attacked by daggers thrown by The Woman In Black, which continues for several minutes before The Arrow and The Man In The Mask intervene, The Arrow shooting back at the gangbangers from above.

"Over there!" One of the gangbangers calls to another, upon seeing The Arrow high up.

"Where man?" Another calls back.

"There!" He yells back, firing rapidly at The Man In The Mask, whom he sees racing across the roof going one way, The Arrow, another.

Neither of them having eyes on The Woman In Black, who manages to entrap one of the gangbangers in a rope, tying him upside down from his feet.

The Arrow deals with another, dragging one across the road out of sight, also tied up, who, fights back, The Man In The Mask coming to his partners aid to knock the man out.

"Where are you getting the guns!" The Woman In Black growls to the man she has tied up by his feet, upside down.

"Are you going to kill me?" The man replies.

"Don't tempt me." She growls.

"Get it over with!" He hisses and just before she pulls out a weapon, The Arrow appears beside her and knock the man clean out, sending him into unconsciousness.

"We need to have a conversation." He growls to The Woman In Black.

"You've mentioned that twice since we got here." The Woman In Black responds.

"Yeah, well that's because we do! We know, both of us do." The Man In The Mask growls, both he and The Arrow surprised when The Woman In Black doesn't look at all surprised.

"So I've been told. Sending Harper after me were you?" She hisses.

"Not after you." The Man In The Mask snaps.

"Again. So I've been told." The Woman In Black snaps back as The Arrow holds his hands up to silence them both.

"We can discuss this later." He mutters before reaching his hand up to his ear piece.

"Dig. Three of us took down two more gangbangers. They were armed with fully automatic M4A1 assault rifles." The Arrow informs him.

"M4A1's are military grade weapons." Diggle replies.

"As I mentioned. Their also probably most likely stolen." The Man In The Mask comments.

"Stolen from where is what I'd like to know." The Arrow murmurs.

"Well. We can look into all that after the party." Diggle responds as The Man In The Mask resolves to switching on his own ear piece with a growl.

"What party?"

 _Queen Mansion: Sometime Later_

"They're here." Felicity announces to Isabel, heading to the door when she sees Oliver, Sara and Slade approaching from afar.

"Sorry we're late." Oliver starts politely.

"This party is to attract investors for your failing company. Being fashionably late might do well for the club circuit but it does not inspire confidence in Wall Street. Mr. Wilson, is that blood on your face?" She growls, flashing an icy stare his way.

"What?" Slade mutters in confusion as Felicity rushes over to him in an instant.

"Don't worry. It's not his blood." She says quickly, rubbing the rest of it off his face for him.

"I mean of course it's his blood. Why would he have somebody else's blood on his face?" Felicity babbles, resting both her hands against each side of Slade's face again.

"Who taught you to shave? Mister." She continues to babble, Oliver and Sara rolling their eyes at her as Felicity links her arm with Slade's and leans in to whisper.

"What kept you three? Was having a conversation with Sara really that troubling it involved a lot gunfire?" Felicity questions, not surprised in the least if that's the case!

"We didn't get to have that conversation just yet, Felicity." Slade murmurs as Oliver and Sara join them again.

"She and Diggle know about this to?" Sara glares at them.

"It was kinda me who told Slade in the first place about your solo missions and accomplice. We were really worried Sara. We still are really worried. We're here for you, whatever it is that's going you can't tell us." Felicity says quickly as Sara just rolls her eyes at her.

"So what were you three doing?" Felicity asks, breaking the silence that had just rapidly descended.

"Guns." Oliver murmurs.

"Guns?" Felicity frowns.

"We were just talking about guns." Comes the familiar annoying voice of Sebastian Blood.

Both Oliver and Felicity moving in position to stand beside both Sara and Slade, knowing their evident, deep dislike for Sebastian Blood.

"Hey guys." Laurel says softly from beside Sebastian.

"Hey sis." Sara wraps her arms around her sister, Laurel keeping one arm tightly wrapped around her younger sister as they listen to the conversation.

"What's your interests in guns, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson?" Blood questions.

"I'm ex Australian military. I've used a lot of guns." Slade mutters, Felicity and Oliver both wondering if Slade's tone is just sounding just that little bit threatening.

"Never touched them myself." Oliver replies with a tight smile.

"The gun epidemic in The Glades has gotten increasingly out of control…"

"Which is why the D.A's office has committed to ending gun violence." Laurel cuts in.

"Well I'm sure the police are doing whatever they can to catch whoever's bringing the weapons into the city." Oliver smiles as Blood smirks and laughs.

"Did he say something amusing?" Slade mutters viciously.

"Ohh they know who's been arming the gangs guys. The Mayor." Laurel reveals.

"I though the vigilante copycats killed the mayor?" Sara frowns.

"Well, not the actually mayor." Blood replies as if Sara were an idiot.

"A local gang lord calls himself The Mayor. Thinks he's the man to save our city…"

"But that position has already been filled hasn't it." Laurel cuts in again as Blood laughs.

"Now, this mayor has only one goal. To create chaos." Blood states with a shake of his head in disgust.

"So he can rule The Glades with the barrel of a gun."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

The Mayor fires his assault rifle rapidly into the body of a mannequin with much vigor, filling it with holes until he shoots it head off.

With a wide smile he laughs at his work, before glancing down at the man who just entered the room.

"You are noticeably unarmed, son." He comments.

"Sorry, Mr. Mayor." The man responds genuinely, stopping a moment.

"We ran into the three vigilantes and, um, he yanked our weapons." The man replies.

"Do you know who I was before the quake?" The Mayor snaps loudly as the man in front of him simply shrugs his shoulders.

"I was no one. I had no name. None that mattered anyway. I was just another weak man waiting to get fired or evicted or killed but then the ground shook and now I matter because I know the guy with the biggest gun wins and that's why I will run The Glades." He snaps viciously as he lifts his assault rifle.

"But there's no room at my table for weak ass punks like you." He hisses.

"Come on man." The guy begs, not wanting to be killed.

"Mr. Mayor. I want to ask for leniency. The kid's my cousin, I brought him in." Another man steps in for the younger one now with his hands held up.

"Oh you did?" The Mayor turns on him before suddenly filling him with bullets, killing him instantly before shoving the rifle into the hands of the cousin.

"Now let's hope you do your family prouder than he did." He hisses before simply turning around and walking away.

 _Queen Mansion_

Laurel grips her glass of water tightly between her fingers as she holds her phone in the other hand.

"Laurel." A familiar voice calls her name, Laurel spinning around in an instant.

"Please do not ask me if I'm ok because I am sick to death of everyone asking me that!" She practically explodes.

"Now I wouldn't do that." Slade replies as Laurel smiles slightly at him.

"Good." She sighs.

"You a'right?" He smirks as Laurel just glares at him.

"I'm fine. I'm just…"

"Always looking at the phone, always expecting a phone call?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her as Laurel looks at him puzzled.

"Why do I keep getting this feeling that you do get what I'm going through with, you know." Laurel questions as Slade just ignores that.

"It's more then just them that are affecting you, Laurel. I can tell. A lot of us can." He adds as Laurel nods momentarily.

"The Doll Maker was just your garden variety traumatic experience. After the quake and Tommy. I should be used to that by now." She murmurs.

"I've had many of those. You never get used to them Laurel." Slade mutters.

"You didn't answer my question." Laurel points out to silence from Slade, whom is suddenly saved by the bell, well a Felicity Smoak!

"Ahem, excuse me, Slade, may I talk to you for a second?" Felicity cuts in, moving quickly toward the two of them.

"It's kinda urgent." She adds, looking to Laurel for a moment.

"You can have him back in a minute." She says quickly as Laurel just smiles at both of them before picking up her ringing phone and heading someplace to answer it.

"What is it?" Slade questions.

"Ohh. Oliver wants to have that conversation with Sara, like now. We're all heading to The Foundry. Just figured you should be there, you know." Felicity trails off as Slade nods.

"Yes. I would very much like to be there."

 _The Foundry_

"Thought you would have wanted to stay at your party." Sara comments the minute the five of them enter The Foundry.

"Yeah, no I didn't. I wasn't in a particularly good mood before hand and Isabel and Blood only made that a hundred times worse. So I figured we'd just get this out of the way with." Oliver replies as Felicity moves to sit at her computer, Diggle leaning against one of the cases. Neither of the two really wanting to be anywhere close to the three at this current moment in time.

"Why have you been keeping secrets from Oliver and I?" Slade starts bluntly to silence from Sara, Oliver moving toward her.

"Why keep secrets from me. How come I don't know about any of this until I'm told by Slade and Felicity? Why would you even want to keep secrets from us, Sara?" Oliver folds his arms, Sara looking down at her feet.

"Honesty. That's the way it works with the three of us, you know that more than anybody. We have to be honest with one another, lying to one another destroys us! You know that Sara!" Slade can't help but shout at her.

"I know. I know Slade and I understand that, you know I do. I know that not being honest to one another causes problems. I know that. I was there five years ago too. I know what happened. It's also because of those five years. Well... It's, it's just a little complicated…"

"Explain it to us then." Oliver retorts, moving toward the table to pick up the small sonic device in hand.

"Where did you get this? Honesty this time, please Sara." Oliver requests.

"I made it with a friend. It was a project of ours." She admits.

"Who's this friend of yours." Slade retorts.

"That's where it gets complicated." She bites her lip anxiously, before looking to Felicity.

"How much do you know about her?" She murmurs.

"Only that there was someone else pretending to be a Woman In Black before the three of you got home, using that device." Felicity replies nervously. Sara nodding.

"Yeah. I didn't exactly expect that to happen. It was as much as a shock to you as it was to me when I got back. Yes I know her and she knows me. I, however, never told her to be out there on the streets like that. She just wanted to make sure the device worked." Sara grumbles, remembering that very conversation again with Sin. Upon realizing what the young girl was doing upon returning home, Sara had soon put a definite stop to that.

"Who is she?" Diggle asks sternly.

"She's just a friend of mine. I've. I've known her ever since we returned the first time. I saved her from a gang of psychos." Sara admits.

"Does she know who we really are?" Oliver questions as everyone looks at Sara in that exact moment, waiting for her answer.

"Yes." Sara replies.

"Why would you do that? Hu? Sara? Why would you tell some girl you saved from gang members who the three of you were? Unless you'd planned to meet her, if you were watching her. Waiting for something to happen so you could introduce yourself." Diggle questions as again Sara says nothing, Oliver and Slade moving closer toward her, Oliver taking her hands in his.

"Who's idea was it to send Roy after her? She was quite shaken up from that." Sara asks her own question.

"Well that wasn't me, because I didn't know about any of this at that point." Oliver replies.

"That was me. Felicity showed me the news articles and I was concerned and wanted to find our what the hell was going on. I thought you were in danger. I didn't know what to think, Sara." Slade mutters as Sara shakes her head slightly.

"Well she's good. She knocked Roy out and questioned him. She told me when we went to get food before I went back to Laurel's." Sara admits.

"Every time you've told us you've been going to either you father's or Laurel's. Was any of that true? Or were you always going to meet this person?" Oliver asks.

"Half and half Ollie." She admits as Oliver nods.

"That still doesn't answer the question as to why that girl? Why is she so special out of all the other young girls you have rescued?" Diggle continues, each of them watching as Sara looks down at her feet.

"It doesn't matter." She murmurs.

"It does." Oliver and Slade say simultaneously.

"It's got something to do with those five years hasn't it? The island?" Diggle guesses as Sara just squeezes the bridge of her nose.

"I'm right aren't I? Something on the island or wherever you were during those five years caused you to come back and involve this girl in what you three do. Feel free to fill in the blanks." Diggle suggests as Sara shakes her head.

"Not here. Not right now." She whispers.

"You mean not at all, Sara!" Diggle retorts.

"THESE WERE FIVE YEARS!" Sara suddenly yells, causing everyone to fall silent.

"Five years…" Her voice begins to tremble slightly as she looks to Oliver and Slade. Felicity looking started from Sara yelling like that.

"Where nothing good happened and you don't need to know what happened there because I don't want them… Me to have to relive it again. Reliving it. Reliving what happened at that time…" Sara trails off as Oliver and Slade look to her in confusion.

"Because some of it may have been forgotten and dragging it up again could ruin…"

"I don't think any of it was forgotten." Slade mutters as Oliver looks to Sara as if he understands some of it and closes his eyes.

Silence passing between the five of them for a long time as Sara just looks to them.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I've got to get to the club." She whispers before jogging off.

"You think she's actually going to the club…"

"Felicity." Oliver holds up his hand to silence at her as Slade folds his arms.

"Well if she knows our secret. I think we're entitled to meet her." Slade resolves.

"I agree. Perhaps later we could try this again and see if we can having a meeting or something. Get all this resolved. Where are we with The Mayor." Oliver questions.

"I'm in contact with some of my military sources. Trying to get a line on how he's getting his illegal army weaponry. I'll keep the two of you updated." Diggle murmurs as they begin to head toward the side entrance with Slade.

"And where are you two going now?" Diggle questions as Oliver turns back a moment.

"We need to take care of some business at the office." He mutters.

"You know guys, a friend once told me that secrets have weight. The more you keep, the harder it is to keep moving." Diggle murmurs.

"You see how hard we work out." Oliver retorts as Diggle glances at them both.

"Perhaps you should mention what I said to Sara."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be out soon. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter and last but not least, thanks to all of you who followed, favorited and reviewed. See you all next update!**


	82. Crucible (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Two**

 _The Amazo_

 _Sitting within his cell, alone with his thoughts Oliver keeps his head bowed, images just continuously flashing before his eyes._

 _The explosions going off._

 _The plane on fire._

 _Slade on fire._

 _It's a rule of three and he can still hear the explosions in his head, Slade yelling out to him, Slade's cries of pain as the fire devoured him._

 _Even worse the possibility Sara could be gone…_

 _He told Slade they shouldn't have split up. They should have left Shado and Sara behind._

 _His friend Shado, the calm one._

 _The one who taught him archery, who held Slade back when he was in a particularly vicious mood and probably actually would have killed him!_

 _Oliver can't believe that any woman would be able to get through to Slade like Shado does._

 _Shado can get though to anyone, she protects them all in her own way._

 _Taught him and Sara so much over the time they spent together._

 _Like a big sister. He has a younger sister, Thea, but Shado is more the older sister, the one who takes care of them all. He cares for her dearly._

 _If she survived the explosion, if she got out, she would have gotten Sara out to._

 _Thar Oliver is certain of. She would have saved Sara._

 _He remembers the last time he held Sara in his arms, when he kissed her lips for the last time before leaving her in the plane._

 _The plane on fire…_

 _Closing his eyes, Oliver fights past the mental image of Slade on fire, which is incredibly hard to do, to focus on picturing Sara, beautiful Sara._

 _The woman he loves._

 _Her beautiful eyes, soft pink lips, her golden blonde hair. Holding her in he arms, telling her that he loves her and he does._

 _He said once upon a time that he loved Laurel and he honesty thought what he felt for her was true love. That she was the one for him but with Sara…_

 _Sara it was different, he truly fell in love with her and he didn't even realize it._

 _He'd told her that he loves her before he left with Slade. He remembers the first time during the whole attack on Fyers, he'd just come out with it. Just told her the words he'd been meaning to say for so long and now._

 _Now she could have been killed in that explosion._

 _If that is the case it frightens him because he doesn't know how he could live without her._

 _How he could ever return home to Staring City to face the Lance family, his own family and admit what happened…_

 _That he left Sara behind, the woman he loved, left her behind in a plane whilst he went off to higher ground with Slade, Sara still down there in the plane._

 _The plane on fire from the explosions…_

 _Her chances of survival scare Oliver, he saw the plane on fire…_

 _The woman he loves, possibly gone, just like that._

 _He cannot afford to think like that right now. What would Slade be saying?_

 _'No crying or buying your way out of it'_

 _Sara was right when she said he would feel differently if anything were to happen to Slade._

 _He called him a dick. Actually, that was the truth, nothing gets passed that fact but he never thought that he'd feel like this about his Australian partner in crime, the man who beat the crap out of him and Sara every day since they met._

 _Threatened to kill him within seconds of meeting him._

 _Threatening to kill him every day since they met._

 _No. Never did Oliver think he'd be terrified that his acquaintance… No, friend._

 _His friend could have been killed in that explosion, which he most certainly believes Slade has, the sounds of his screams hitting Oliver again, causing Oliver to put his hands over his ears, bowing his head again._

 _He just wishes he could hear Slade's voice again, anything to irradiate the sound of his agonizing cries of pain._

 _His usual sarcastic tones, that Oliver would never admit would sometimes actually make him laugh on an occasion._

 _The way he'd call him 'kid'._

 _He used to see that nickname as an insult but now, he'd do anything to hear Slade call him 'kid' again._

 _He even wonders if Slade wasn't even meaning to be insulting with calling him 'kid' now._

 _If it. If it was some kind of term of endearment even…_

 _No. This is Slade Wilson. He doesn't care about anyone, other than Shado perhaps. But that's the façade he puts up._

 _The mask he wears._

 _To hide the fact that really he does care and recently, too recently. On the cliff… Oliver wondered if Slade actually cared for Sara and him too..._

 _"You kill two or my crew." A man standing outside of his cell hisses suddenly, Oliver looking up briefly._

 _"How many others are with you on the island?" He continues to question._

 _None. Oliver wants to yell._

 _Your explosions killed them all!_

 _"What are your weapon capabilities?" He hisses to nothing but silence from Oliver._

 _Employing a technique Slade taught him whilst under interrogation._

 _'Stay quiet. Say nothing, look vacant if you can, that won't be too hard for you, kid.' He hears Slade's words, followed soon after are his screams of pain…_

 _He scrunches his eyes tight shut._

 _"Did you find the graves?"_

 _Oliver is silent again._

 _"Two things will happen." The man states._

 _"You will tell me everything I want to know. Then I will kill you." He informs him, getting nothing from Oliver once more._

 _"Or I will torture you until you tell me everything I want to know."_

 _'They will torture you until you give up my location and I cannot allow that to happen' Oliver hears Slade's words again, when they first met._

 _'I won't say anything to them' Oliver had cried back, such a weakling then._

 _"And then I will kill you." The man continues as Oliver looks up at him, getting to his feet and actually finding that he can walk with somewhat confidence toward the cell door._

 _"Go to hell." Is what he says plainly._

 _"Can't." The man snaps._

 _"We're already there." He snarls before pulling out a gun and shooting Oliver in the side, Oliver screaming out in pain as he hits the floor_

 _I won't say anything to them, Oliver thinks to himself as he screams in agony._

 _I promised you Slade._

 _The Clock Tower_

She said she'd go to the club.

She did, she really did go to the club but she killed that man…

There's more when he came from, that information she hadn't shared with Oliver, Slade, Felicity and Diggle.

From the picture of she, Slade and Oliver the man gave her. He made it perfectly clear.

He'd be going after them first.

She's stopped him though. He's no longer a problem.

Why did he come to Starling City? Sara wonders to herself as she stands in the Clock Tower, facing one of four clock faces.

Perhaps he was in the area and just got lucky, that's what she hopes anyway.

That he was the only one with the knowledge that she is here.

That none of the others know. That none of the others are coming after her.

Hearing footsteps from behind her, Sara whirls around, a weapon in hand, expecting immediate danger, another one of them…

It's only Sin.

Looking at Sara meekly, Sin holds up what appears to be a bag of food.

"Sorry." She apologises first.

"That's ok. I should know better than to sneak up on you. Now I know you said the best burgers in town are on fifth and Brewer but that's in the Mayor's territory. So because I'd rather take a Sub Par breakfast over a bullet, that's what I brought us. I hoped you'd come here." Sin informs her as they sit, Sin opening the bag and handing a foil wrapped snack out toward Sara, surprised when she doesn't immediately take it.

"What's wrong?" She asks her friend puzzled.

"Look, I know I'm skinny but I can eat two of these and I will." She warns her as Sara smiles.

"I just had an argument with my boyfriend, my best friend and other friends of mine." Sara admits as Sin winces.

"You rip them a new one for sending Abercrombie after me?" Sin questions.

"Not really. It was more they were ripping me a new one for keeping all this from them. Not telling them about you." Sara murmurs sadly.

"Did they really think I was some sort of threat?" Sin asks with a mouthful of food.

"They're not the most trusting of people." She admits.

"Yeah, I can see that." Sin remarks.

"I can't talk really, I'm not exactly that trusting either." Sara tilts her head to the side.

"Your better then them, I mean that messenger of yours, he doesn't know who you three really are, but I do. I know who you three are because you told me. You saved my life from those guys and trusted me enough to reveal who you really are to me. I still don't know why you saved me that night but you did and I'm eternally grateful for that." Sin reminds her.

"No woman should ever suffer at the hands of men." Sara murmurs.

"Thank you." Sin says again as Sara smiles slightly at her.

"That's okay." Sara replies holding out her hand.

"Now I want some food." She grins as Sin chuckles before handing the second foiled snack to Sara, who eat it hungrily.

"I think they're gonna want to meet you." Sara reveals in between mouthfuls.

"Well it was inevitable Sara." Sin says, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah probably." Sara replies, leaning against the wall.

"Does this mean I get to see the base?" Sin grins.

"Possibly." Sara laughs.

"They know my name now?" Sin questions.

"Not exactly. I didn't tell them much about you. They all kept bombarding me with questions then one of my friends, Diggle. He thought my friendship with you was connected to something that happened during the five years…"

"It is though isn't it. Something happened back then and you came here looking for me." Sin cuts in as Sara nods.

"They think it's just so simple to tell them what happened during those five years. That its so easy for us three to tell them but, but it's not… Those were five years." She whispers as Sin shifts forward to put her free hand over Sara's.

"Where nothing good happened."

 _Starling City_

"We've got to stop meeting like this." Lyla Michaels smirks as she approaches John Diggle, whom is sitting in a bench.

"What would your girlfriend think, Johnny?"

"Lyla, I am checking the box marked single these days." Diggle admits with a light laugh.

"Sorry to hear it." She comments as she sits down.

"What happened?" She questions.

"Well, another man came between us. Deadshot." Diggle reveals.

"You're getting in the bad habit of letting him ruin your life." She notes.

"So I've been repeatedly told." Diggle sighs as Lyla shakes her head.

"Don't worry, Johnny, it's the same for me. Except not with Deadshot." She grumbles as Diggle keeps as calm as possible as if not to hint anything to Lyla, knowing exactly what she's is going to say next.

"Deathstroke. That son of a bitch massacred all those innocent ARGUS members and none of us are any closer to catching him." She practically growls.

"Anything on those stolen army weapons?" Diggle changes the subject quickly.

"A crate of twelve M4A1s went missing from Camp Kirby two months ago." She replies.

"Yeah, I think I know where they went." Diggle mutters.

"Every crate was fitted with a GPS system so they could be remote tracked. I tried pulling it up but it's not receiving, must have been deactivated." She comments.

"Thanks Lyla." Diggle nods as she hands him the remote.

"And your interest in this is what?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Lyla, you and I went to Afghanistan to try to bring law and order to a country overrun by war lords with weapons, right?" He glances at her.

"Should we do any less for our own cities. Thanks again." He smiles as he gets to his feet, starting to head away.

"Hey Johnny!" She calls him back.

"Yeah?" He spins around to face her.

"These days. I check the box marked single, too."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Mr. Blood. I see you've met Isabel Rochev. She's our…"

"Superior." Isabel cuts Oliver off as he and Slade enter the office.

"Our partner." Oliver retorts.

"Only on paper." Isabel mutters.

"Is that why you asked me to come down here, Mr. Queen? To mediate your job title." Blood glares at both Oliver and Slade with evident dislike.

"The three of us have gotten off on the wrong foot, repeatedly." Oliver starts.

"Seems to be a super power of the two of you." Blood replies.

"Funny, I didn't assume Oliver and I were the problem here." Slade retorts sharply, silence passing a moment as Oliver takes a step forth so he's somewhat standing slightly in front of Slade to stop him from killing Sebastian Blood, considering Oliver himself was wondering what it would be like to punch that godawful man in the face, he'd hate to think what was on Slade's mind.

"I was inspired by what you said the other night about gun violence in The Glades and we had an idea that might help." Oliver replies calmly.

"Really? Another party at your stately manor?" Blood mutters.

"No. There is no need for another one of them." Slade grumbles slightly.

"Which is why I wanted to sponsor a cash for guns event. I give you the money and you get your constituents to lay down their arms." Oliver informs him, silence passing once more.

"Everybody wins." He adds with a smile.

"Especially you. Trying to repair your family's tainted name by ridding The Glades of guns." Blood remarks.

"You just get the money, Mr. Blood. I don't want my family's name involved." Oliver replies.

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson. May I have a word with the both of you?" Isabel speaks up.

"Let me think it over." Blood speaks in farewell as he heads for the door leaving Isabel alone with Oliver and Slade.

"We are not sponsoring that event." She says firmly.

"Yes, I know. We are." Oliver says, Slade smirking in response.

"With what money? Your investment party cost Queen Consolidated fifty grand and no one invested a dime." She informs them both.

"I will not continue to authorise corporate funds, just so you two can keep pretending that you're the CEO and that you're second in command." She folds her arms, glancing at both Oliver and Slade.

"Fine. I'll pay for it myself." Oliver replies coolly.

"Maybe you haven't noticed but your personal trust isn't exactly what it used to be and this company isn't either. Haven't you heard that another company is being built beside this one?" She glares at them both before sighing.

"As much as I would love to make this city safer, my first obligation is to Queen Consolidated as is yours."

 _District Attorney's Office_

Laurel sits at her desk with her headphones in as she writes with one hand, keeping her phone in the other.

With it being Cat's week off, she had offered to look after Brandon and Rebecca for the day considering that Leena had to leave town for the day and to save Laurel driving to Cat's, Cat had offered to meet Laurel at the office with Brandon and Rebecca, knowing Laurel would be the only person there.

Upon hearing footsteps Laurel pulls out her headphones, seeing her boss Adam Donner standing in the doorway.

"I was going to order some takeout, you want in?" He offers.

"I appreciate the offer, Adam, but…"

"Come on. I've got a bottle of red wine, we can order take out and you can have a break. You've been working all day." He comments as Laurel shakes her head.

"Please, Laurel." He all but begs and knowing she's got to stay here anyway until Cat comes and that she's already been to see Tommy in her lunch break today, she eventually agrees.

What's the worse that can happen?

 _Sometime Late_ _r_

After the take out arrives, Laurel and Donner sit across from one another at his larger desk.

"Are you sure you don't want any wine?" He offers her for the umpteenth time.

"No. I'm perfectly happy with my fruit drink." Laurel replies, her hand on the juice carton in front of her.

"Suit yourself." He smiles, pouring himself some wine.

"Look Laurel. I get it. It's easy to let the job become your life. I keep having to remind myself to got to the gym. See a movie, eat good food." He laughs lightly.

"That sounds dangerously like having a life." Laurel responds.

"What about you? You can't be all about work." He smiles as Laurel puts her carton down, one of her hands going to her necklace, she keeps the ring from Tommy on.

"I am the best me when I'm working." She admits.

"And when you're not." He smiles.

"You don't want to meet her. She's not good company." Laurel responds honestly.

"I'd be willing to risk it." He smirks as Laurel's phone begins to ring.

"Excuse me." She says, seeing the message from Cat, telling her that she's outside.

"I have to go." She says quickly as she gets to her feet.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" He trails off.

"No it's ok. It's fine. I just really have to go." She grabs her bag and phone, stopping before she heads out of the door.

"Just so we're clear. I have a boyfriend." She reveals as Donner nods, taking in the information, trying to hide his surprise.

"Good night." He smiles politely.

"Night." Laurel smiles back as she heads out to the car park, making sure Donner isn't following her before racing toward where Cat stands beside her own car.

"How have they been? Have they been okay?" She asks quickly as Cat smiles, handing Laurel, Rebecca and Brandon.

"Hey." Laurel smiles at both her babies.

"They been exemplary." Cat informs her as Laurel carefully straps them both in to their car seats in the back of her car.

"Thank you for doing this for me Cat." Laurel says, pulling her friend into a tight hug.

"You'd do it for me." Cat responds as Laurel nods.

"Of course I would. Anything. Thanks again." She beams as she races to get into the drivers seat of her car, waving once to Cat, turning her head so she can see her two babies.

"Let's go home, yeah?" She grins as she begins to drive away…

 _Later…_

As she's driving, Laurel keeps glancing momentarily into her mirror, keeping an eye on her kids in the back, both of them ever so quiet.

Suddenly flashing lights and sirens fill Laurel's eyes and ears as she looks into a mirror to see a police car driving close behind her, indicating for her to pull in.

"Crap." She murmurs in slight confusion as she obeys and pulls in, the police car pulling in behind her.

Rebecca and Brandon begin to whimper.

"It's ok. It's okay. I'm sure it's nothing, everything's okay." She whispers to them as she sees the police officer getting out of his car and approaching her, she rolls down her window as he flashes a torch in her direction, causing Laurel to squint from the light and due to the headache that's beginning to form.

"License and registration?" He requests.

"Is there a problem, officer?" She asks in confusion.

"Have you had anything to drink tonight, Ma'am?" He asks as Laurel shakes her head.

"No. No not at all. I'm Laurel Lance, I'm an assistant District Attorney." She explains.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lance, but I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car, please." He commands as Laurel looks fearful, yet complies.

However, the instant she moves to step out of her car, Rebecca and Brandon start to cry.

"It's okay. It's okay. Everything's okay, mommy's just got to do something real quick. I'm going to be just right here." She whispers to them as the officer shines the torch into the back windows, seeing the two crying babies strapped into the back.

"You have your kids with you?" The officer remarks sternly as Laurel nods nervously.

"Yeah. Yeah, we were just going home." Laurel says, whilst whispering in hushed tones to her babies in an attempt to calm them, the officer folding his arms.

"And you were driving like that?"

 _The Foundry_

"We need some good news." Oliver states the minute he and Slade walk into The Foundry, Oliver glancing around the room for Sara in an instant, a little more happier than he was when he sees her sitting in the corner, as far away from Diggle and Felicity as she can get, so they won't ask her anymore questions.

"The bad news first." Diggle announces.

"Apparently somehow The Mayor did get his hands on a crate of military grade weapons from this place called Camp Kirby." Sara explains quietly.

"The good news?" Slade turns to face Felicity and Diggle.

"If he kept the crate, might be able to find out where he's hiding." She reveals with a smile, getting to her feet and moving toward her computer.

"This is the same make and model of a tracking system the army installs on all of its weapons crates. If they lose a crate, they send out a remote signal that activates the beacon." She explains, patting the tracking device she has on her desk.

"The Mayors clever. He deactivated his beacon. Send a signal, nothing comes back." Diggle adds as Oliver rolls his eyes at them both.

"You both need to work on your definition of good news." He mutters.

"Ok, how's this. Guess which company designed the tracking system the army uses?" Felicity smiles as she sits down at her desk in front of Slade and Oliver.

"I'll give you all a hint two of you work at it and you're always late."

"Nice." Slade replies with a smirk, Oliver rolling his eyes at her again as she whirls around to face her computer.

"I pulled up the original plans from the Queen Consolidated mainframe. Turns out there's a design flaw. The beacon is still susceptible to a subform wave even if it's been deactivated."

"The Mayor turned it off, guys. We can turn it back on." Diggle says in simple terms as Felicity begins typing rapidly, hurriedly switching the device on and bringing up a map on her computer, spinning around, a smile upon her face.

"I believe you three ordered the crate of stolen military weapons, Mr. Queen, Ms. Lance, Mr. Wilson."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Upon seeing a flashing red light on a bunch on his guns, The Mayor leaps down from where he was standing, racing toward the weapons with a glare upon his face.

"I thought you deactivated the tracker!" He yells to his men, whom look to one another in confusion as to their knowledge they had deactivated said tracker.

In an instant The Mayor smashes it when a sudden sound rings out and instantly The Mayor's right hand men whirl around, shooting into the air as the three vigilantes come into view, the three of them jumping down from the balcony to another platform. The Arrow firing rapidly at the men, whom duck the arrows and knives thrown by The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black, the two of them covering The Arrow as he leaps down to an even lower platform, shooting one of the men down with an arrow.

"Go! Go! Go!" The Mayor yells, running for it as more of his men are taken down by the three vigilantes, a bunch of them shooting rapidly at the three vigilantes as many more of them escape through the doors with The Mayor, continuously firing to keep the three vigilantes back.

Reaching the ground at last, the three vigilantes duck when they are fired at once more and when they stand up again they find that The Mayor and his goons are gone.

The stolen weapons though, are right in front of them.

"Weapons are secure." The Man In The Mask says to Diggle through the coms.

"And The Mayor?" He asks. The Arrow sighing.

"Still in office."

 _SCPD_

Quentin Lance races into the SCPD at top speed, racing toward the officer whom had called him to inform him of the shocking events.

"What the hell happened?" Quentin questions breathlessly.

"I'm sorry for this Quentin. I wouldn't have brought her in, I would have just called you and let you come and pick her up but she. She had her kids with her, they don't look all to old." The officer replies.

"I can't believe she would do this. I can't believe she'd be so stupid! Where is she? Where are the kids?" Quentin asks hurriedly.

"Your daughters through there." He indicates to the interrogation room.

"The kids are with child services." He adds grimly.

"What!" Quentin yells in outrage.

"That wasn't my call to make. Someone else in here apparently called them. I'm really sorry Quentin." The officer says again.

"I need to talk to Laurel." Quentin growls as he heads toward the door of the interrogation room, the officer grabbing his arm before he can.

"Just. FYI, she blew point six past the legal limit." He informs him as Quentin nods.

"Thanks for the heads up, Officer Daily." He murmurs as he pushes open the door, glaring at his daughter who sits at the table, her head in her hands.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have lost your life and you could have killed somebody. You could have gotten Brandon and Rebecca killed!" Quentin snarls as Laurel looks up at him, her eyes red from crying.

"I didn't drink anything. I swear to god dad I wasn't drunk. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol since before I was pregnant. I don't understand what's happening." She cries hurriedly as Quentin folds his arms.

"How do you explain to me then how you were point six past the legal limit?" Quentin shouts as Laurel just shakes her head.

"I don't know how this has happened. I don't drink anymore dad and I definitely wouldn't have driven my car after drinking and I most certainly wouldn't have driven after drinking with Brandon and Rebecca with me!" Laurel practically sobs.

"I don't know what to believe here Laurel." Quentin shakes his head at her.

"Believe me. I swear, I don't know how this could have happened. All I've drank today is water and fruit juice! Ask my boss. I had take out with him at the office and he offered me wine. He kept offering me wine but I never drank a drop. I refused point blank to, ask him. You have to believe me." She whispers, looking up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I want to believe you. You know that I do Laurel, I want to believe you more than anything but the evidence…"

"The evidence is wrong! It has to be! I didn't do this. I would never put Rebecca and Brandon at risk like that. I've already lost Tommy. I'd never let anything happen to them because if he… If I lose him for good, they're all I have left of him. They're my kids. I wouldn't do this." She cries, practically sobbing at this point and in an instant Quentin grabs her hands, holding them tightly.

"I know. I know sweetheart. I know." Quentin says in a softer voice, getting to his feet and moving around the table to hold his daughter as she cries.

"How did this even happen?" She whispers as Quentin shakes his head.

"I don't know." He admits as he holds her.

"I don't know." He says before bending down beside her, taking her face in his hands.

"Swear to me you didn't drink anything. Swear to me Laurel." He begs her.

"I didn't. I swear daddy I didn't drink a thing." She whispers as he wraps his arms around her tightly again.

"I believe you." He murmurs.

"I believe you." He assures her as Laurel pulls away.

"Where's Rebecca and Brandon? They took them away. Where are my babies?" Laurel cries, a panicked look crossing her face as Quentin sighs and gets to his feet, unsure of how to tell the clearly distressed Laurel this.

"Well. They um. Laurel. I need you to stay calm. I mean it." He starts off as Laurel looks at him with bewildered eyes.

"What? Where are they?" She whimpers.

"Laurel, they called child services…"

 _Verdant_

"Job half done." Slade grumbles to Oliver and Sara as he heads toward the basement.

"I'm sure we'll get the rest of it done soon." Oliver sighs as Slade nods.

"I look forward to it." He grumbles as he opens the door, heading down the steps. Oliver moves to follow him down when he sees Sara leaning against a wall.

"Hey." He says gently as he approaches her, taking her hands in his.

"We did kinda good tonight. We recovered the weapons." He reminds her, placing a loving kiss against her forehead.

"Are you okay?" He asks her, cupping her face in his hands.

"Yeah." Sara nods before wrapping her arms around Oliver tightly, burying her face against his chest, her eyes feeling damp with approaching tears.

"I love you." She murmurs as she feels Oliver kiss the top of her head and tighten his hold that he has around her.

"I love you too and you know that I always will." He smiles.

"I'm so sorry that I lied to you Ollie." She whispers.

"It's ok. It's ok, I'm not mad." He replies.

"You're not. The four you really seemed to have quite strong opinions earlier." She murmurs as Oliver shakes his head, pulling away to take both her hands in his.

"I can never stay mad at you Sara and Diggle shouldn't have questioned you like that. Diggle and Felicity they don't understand and we don't owe them any explanation for happened on the island if we don't want to. Some of the stuff that happened Sara…" He trails off.

"I know. I know." She nods quickly as she falls into Oliver's arms again.

"It's just you and me." He points out, Sara nodding slightly.

"Yeah it is. Why? She whispers.

"You can tell me what this is all about. I know you weren't going to say a word in front of Diggle and Felicity and I can tell that you were even afraid of talking to Slade about this and I know how much you care about him. How much we both care about him…"

"Which is why I couldn't explain the reasons behind why I started looking out for this girl. I can't make him remember. The cure you gave him not only took away the poison it took away the worst of the worst memories he had whilst under that stuff because it has possessed him so much. That wasn't him, that was the poison which why he forgot some of the worst parts." She murmurs as Oliver nods.

"The helicopter. Do you remember? She looks to him.

"The one that crashed?" Oliver says in a quiet voice.

"Yes, the pilot who was still alive. He, he talked to me during his final minutes. Talked about his daughter…" She trails off.

"The girl you've befriended." Oliver whispers at it all suddenly comes clear to him.

"Yeah. That's her. Her name is Sin. I had to honor that promise I made Ollie. You know what that's like, like with your father's diary. I just. I just couldn't tell you two because you remember what also happened at that time. Slade was. Slade was just going to kill that guy, the poison made him think that poor man was just another threat and them we tried to stop him he…" She closes her eyes.

"Well that did stop him." Oliver notes.

"He hurt you Ollie. I think he'd almost truly lost it at that point. It didn't help that she was encouraging him but. I don't want him to ever remember that. I've never seen him look so haunted as he did when he'd realized what he'd done to you and what he nearly did to that man." She shakes her head as Oliver kisses her forehead again.

"We don't have to tell him this." He murmurs as he holds her.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." He adds as Sara nods, feeling like a weight has been lifted after telling Oliver the truth.

"We still want to meet her at some point though." He adds as Sara nods quickly.

"Yeah, Sin and I were actually talking about that earlier." She says in a soft voice.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Oliver says softly and she almost caves.

Almost tells him about the man who came for her, whom she'd killed and he had openly threatened Oliver and Slade.

The fact their could be more.

The fact they could have finally caught up with her after all this time…

"Nothing else." She ends up saying, placing a kiss against Oliver's lips as they hear the opening of a door.

"I'll get it." Oliver smiles, walking a step away.

She's still lying.

He needs to know the truth…

"Ollie…" Sara calls him back.

"What?" Oliver looks to her in confusion as she moves back to his side again, taking her hands in his.

"Dad?" Sara pulls away from Oliver, still with her hand in his though as they face him.

"What's wrong, Mr. Lance?" Oliver asks politely.

"I'm here about Laurel…"

"What is she ok?" Sara cuts him off worriedly.

"Well, no, she's not. She got pulled over for a DUI and since she had Brandon and Rebecca with her they arrested her. She's back at the precinct." Quentin explains quickly.

"What? She… No. My sister would never do that." Sara whispers, clutching Oliver's hand.

"I know. She keeps telling us she had nothing to drink but the evidence doesn't lie. I don't know how this is possible because Laurel. She's not a liar." Quentin murmurs.

"And she'd never put Rebecca and Brandon at risk like that." Sara shakes her head.

"What do you thinks happened then?" Oliver asks quietly.

"Honestly Queen, I really don't know but Sara you need to come with me right now to the precinct. Oliver come to. Laurel needs you both. Rebecca and Brandon need you." He explains quickly, heading toward the door, Sara following him quickly as Oliver goes to alert those down in the basement of what's going on.

"You're leaving something out dad." Sara says as she reaches her father's side.

"Someone in the precinct called child services. I've already met the woman they've sent, she's a piece of work. She's questioning Laurel, Laurel's... Laurel's a mess. They need someone to look after the kids. We need you right now." Quentin admits as Sara runs a hand through her hair before nodding, following after her father.

Willing to do just about anything for her niece, nephew and sister…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be up soon. Thank you to you all who have followed, favorited and reviewed. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. Just to make things clear, Laurel isn't going to become an alcoholic and a drug addict in this story, I never liked that part on canon which is why I added the kids. Thanks again for reading.**


	83. Crucible (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**.

 **Chapter Eighty Three**

 _Oliver cries out in pain as he hand goes to his heavily bleeding side from where the guard had shot him savagely._

 _Looking toward the cell wall, Oliver sees that there is a Petri dish, in which is medical equipment that, from what Oliver's seen before, looks to be stuff that could help remove a bullet, the bullet from his side to be specific._

 _Leaning against the wall again, glancing toward the cell next door to him, where another man sits up against the wall._

 _"Why'd they…" Oliver says between groans._

 _"Why'd they do this? Ahh!" He moans in pain._

 _"They make all of us do it." The man replies in a Russian accent._

 _Glancing at the man in shock, Oliver moves his head to the side again, groaning out in pain from his wound._

 _"Supposed to show prochnost." He mutters as Oliver looks back over at the guy, as he shows Oliver his own bullet scars from where these guards had shot him._

 _"It's Russian. For strength." He reveals with a growl as Oliver just rolls his eyes at the guy, looking around in horror._

 _"They… They did this to see if I'm strong?" Oliver cries incredulously._

 _"They're doing this to see if you survive." He murmurs in response._

 _"Living…" He says before looking Oliver directly in the eyes._

 _"Is not for the weak." He says to him as with shallow gasps, Oliver moves his bloodied hand from where it's positioned against his wound to reach gingerly through the bars to grab the dish of supplies, grabbing one of the instruments, thinking back to another time on the island when he had to pull a bullet out of Slade's shoulder._

 _He remembered throwing up, something he's pretty sure he's going to do now!_

 _Resting his head against the cell again, his breathing quick, Oliver raises the pliers._

 _Survive._

 _Survive, his father had said before he blew his brains out in front of him and Sara._

 _Survive, Slade teaching him how to._

 _Survive for Sara..._

 _All that can be heard as Oliver digs the bullet out of his side is his agonized screams._

 _SCPD_

Laurel sits one side of the interrogation table, legs shaking, squeezing her hands together.

A person from child services is going to come in and talk to her and it frightens her already.

She wants her babies here with her, she doesn't know where they are and even worse, they probably don't know where she is.

She never touched a drop of alcohol.

She doesn't understand how this could have possibly happened.

The door opens and a smartly dressed woman walks in, sitting down at the desk in front of Laurel, pulling out a pen and paper.

"My name is Siobhan Smythe. I'm with child protection services." She informs her as looks up at Laurel, a stone cold look in her eyes.

"You are the biological mother to Brandon Thomas Lance Merlyn and Rebecca Sara Lance Merlyn, correct?" She questions, Laurel nodding quickly.

"Yes I am." She says quietly.

"Are you a single mother? Is their a father in the picture?" She asks sternly.

"I am and no, he's not around currently." Laurel replies as calmly as she can, given the circumstances.

"The biological father is Thomas Merlyn, am I correct?" The woman, Siobhan asks.

"Yes. He's currently in a coma." Laurel intercedes sharply.

"I am very sorry to hear that, Ms. Lance. It must have been hard for you, raising two newborns all by yourself, with the man who father's them being in a coma for this amount of time. No one could blame you for a what should we call this? A slip up?" She replies, glancing to Laurel for all of a moment.

"But unfortunately that's not how it works. This is a very serious matter Ms. Lance. You endangered the lives of your two children by driving under the influence…"

"It's not what it seems. I never put my babies at risk. I never drank anything, someone's got to be trying to set me up or something because I would never do a thing like this." Laurel whispers with a shake of her head.

A set up. She hadn't even thought of that before now but that's what this whole matter could be. A somewhat set up, Laurel thinks to herself.

But who on earth would want to set her up like this?

 _Sometime Later…_

"Laurel wouldn't do this." Sara says for the umpteenth time as she, Oliver and Slade wait for some news, anything on Laurel or the kids.

"She's all over the place but you're right. She wouldn't have. If she didn't have the kids, yeah. I could believe it then with what she's been through but she'd never do a damn thing to endanger those kids." Slade replies.

"None of us think she would." Oliver adds as Sara sighs and leans against him.

"Let's just hope this gets sorted fast." She sighs as Quentin appears.

"What's happening?" Sara asks quickly.

"Have a bit of a problem. I tried to take the kids because they need to go home but apparently I can't." Quentin growls.

"What? Who said that?" Sara shouts.

"This child services woman who's dealing with this whole matter. She knows her stuff and won't release them into my custody because of my previous drinking problem."

"How did she even find out about that?" Oliver folds his arms.

"I was pulled over for a few DUI's myself a few years ago. She probably saw the records." Quentin shrugs as Sara shakes her head.

"It's ok, daddy. The three of us will take temporary custody of them and take them back home. Where are they?" Sara questions sternly as Quentin points her in the direction of the room he'd just been in.

"I'll deal with this." Sara practically growls as she heads toward the room, putting on her best fake smile as she enters the room, hand in hand with Oliver.

"You must be the younger sister, Sara Lance. Siobhan Smythe." She holds out her hand toward Sara, who takes it.

"Where's my sister." Sara asks first.

"We're still dealing with her currently." The woman replies.

"I am also here to take my niece and nephew home." She says with a smile.

"Look. I was called here for a reason, Ms. Lance, to ensure the safety of two infants. It is my job to ensure that they're in safe hands. I don't particularly believe a good environment for two infants is with three individuals who spent five years missing and presumed dead on an island." Siobhan replies matter of factly.

"What? I'm their aunt, I used to be a babysitter. I think they're pretty safe with me." Sara folds her arms.

"Whilst that may be, Ms. Lance, that was a long time ago and forgive me for saying this but I doubt from the trauma all three you endured you are psychologically capable of taking care of two infants." Siobhan admits as Oliver squeezes Sara's hand to calm her and stop her from going all Woman In Black on Siobhan Smythe.

"What's going to happen to them then?" Slade asks sharply, with his arms folded.

"They're going to become temporary wards of the state until this matter is resolved…"

"You can't take them away from my sister." Sara practically growls.

"Actually, if I can if I believe them to be at risk. It is my job to ensure safety." Siobhan says, looking at each of them.

"Do you have any idea what Laurel's been through? These kids don't have a father because he is currently in a coma after he was crushed by a building. Laurel is all they have and she wouldn't have put them in danger like this." Oliver steps in.

"Can't argue with the evidence here, Mr. Queen." She looks to him.

"Ohh I think we can." The voice of Cat Grant calls out as she enters the room, an elder man at her side that neither Sara, Oliver and Slade have seen before.

"Laurel Lance's attorney. Ohh, of course you'd be handling this, Ms. Smythe."

"Ms. Cat Grant." Siobhan mutters sharply, the two women glaring at one another with evident dislike.

"There's no reason this can't all come to a peaceful conclusion." Cat starts as she gestures to the man standing beside her.

"Unfortunately I could not get a hold of Ms. Lance's babysitter, she's out of town. But I did manage to get a hold of one of her neighbors, whom has babysitted for her before. I know it's not ideal to leave two infants with these three and from their history, I can somewhat understand why your wary." She stops, looking to the man next to her.

"I'm sure I've seen your face somewhere before." Siobhan folds her arms.

"I am Professor Martin Stein, I work at a university at Central City and due to a long research task I have temporarily located to Starling City and have been a neighbor to Ms. Lance and her children for quite a few weeks now. In her time of need I have looked after these children for her on several occasions and just so you know, Ms. Smythe. I've known Ms. Lance for some time now and she's been nothing but an exemplary mother to these children, honest, kind and caring. What she's been accused of doing is preposterous, it is not at all in her character. She would not have endangered her children like this. You know something, Ms. Lance was abducted the other week, by a murdering psychopath and you know what the first thing she did was? She came straight home to her children. She was a mess, she was traumatized but she did not let that get in the way of her duties as a parent." Martin Stein says almost sharply, Oliver, Sara and Slade looking on in slight amazement, not expecting that sort of ferociousness to come from the elder man.

"I think he's said it all, Siobhan." Cat folds her arms before adding.

"And there's no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to have temporary custody, being a renowned professor, valued citizen and trusted neighbor of Ms. Lance." Siobhan glares at Cat once before moving into the other room.

"Beat you once, beat you twice." Cat says with a slight smirk.

"You've gone up against her before as a lawyer?" Oliver questions.

"Indeed. I beat her then as well. She's a piece of work." Cat mutters.

"I know, my dad said that as well." Sara murmurs.

"That's because it's beyond true. People should keep an eye on her, there's always been something about that woman I've never trusted." Cat admits.

"Hey, Ollie, Slade. She'd probably get along with that nightmare from Stellmoor." Sara says with a slight smile.

"Isabel Rochev? Ohh they already know each other." Cat informs them.

"Does not surprise me at all." Oliver replies as Siobhan reappears with the two kids, strapped into a pram, wheeling it toward Cat and Professor Stein, who smiles and takes it from her as Siobhan looks to Cat.

"I suppose now you'd like to see your client?" She says in a cold voice.

"Yes I would." Cat replies as the two women walk away, leaving the four alone.

"She is a rather dislikable woman." Stein comments, before looking to the three of them.

"It is wonderful to meet the three of you at long last, Ms. Lance had told me so much about the three of you. She holds each of you in high regard." Stein smiles, taking one hand off the pram to shake each of their hands.

"It's nice to meet you to. Are you the kind neighbor who got the wrong keys?" Sara questions with a slight smile.

"Ohh dear, it appears that's all I'm ever going to be remembered for, but yes. That is I." He smiles back at her.

"Thank you so much for doing this. Laurel is going to be beyond grateful, as are we." Sara says genuinely.

"It's no bother at all. I couldn't believe it when Ms. Grant told me about what happened. The Laurel I know would never do anything like that, especially anything that would endanger these two." He glances down at Brandon and Rebecca, who seem calmer in the presence of familiar faces.

"She wouldn't have. It's got to be some sort of set up." Oliver murmurs.

"Who would do that though? To a single mother of two infants? Why. What would be the point?" Stein wonders.

"Someone with a rather twisted mind." Slade mutters, looking to Oliver and Sara, none of them really having a clue at who would do this to Laurel and her babies.

Whoever has caused this though needs to be prepared to face the fury of three very angry vigilantes.

"Didn't you say there was this guns for money event you came up with going on, Ollie?" Sara questions after a moment.

"Yeah but we're not going." Oliver replies.

"Definitely not going." Slade reaffirms.

"This got something to do with that Sebastian Blood guy?" She folds her arms.

"Actually a rather dislikable man." Stein comments.

"I like him." Sara nods as Oliver and Slade smirk at her.

"You know, I'm going to hang here with my niece and nephew, get them all home, see what's going on with Laurel. You two should go to the event and really show that son of a bitch what kind of people you both are." She smiles at them as Oliver glances at Slade.

"No, kid." Slade says in a warning tone.

"Ohh come on, the opportunity to prove that guy wrong about us and your not going to take it?" Oliver smiles as Slade all but glares at him, even though, he knows the kid has a point and that, despite the fact their could be a chance to wipe that smug look of Bloods face, the gun event could actually be a place where The Mayor may show his face and in that case, he and Oliver should be able to deal with him.

It is, in fact, an opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

 _Having passed out from the excruciating pain of bullet extraction, Oliver lies on the cold stone ground unconscious, awakening when he hears the opening of a door in the distance and footsteps approaching him._

 _"Sewing is not your strong suit." The guard whom had shot him states, as Oliver turns his head to face him, holding out his hand with the extracted bullet held in between his fingers, simply tossing it at the man as he speaks again._

 _"Now we can talk." He says as Oliver tries and struggles deeply to sit up and has to have several goes at it, including a strong grip on the wall to pull himself upwards._

 _"For two years. My crew and I have been looking for the grave site." He reveals to Oliver, whom simply leans back and looks at him with a pained expression upon his face._

 _"Did you find the graves?" He asks Oliver sharply, whom once more says nothing, now in a somewhat comfortable sitting position._

 _"Were the bodies, odd?" He questions, Oliver remembering what Shado had remarked on upon her examination of them._

 _"The bones misshapen?" He adds as Oliver simply say nothing, just looks another way as the man turns around and gets to his feet, his hand moving to grab his radio, whilst beginning to walk away._

 _"This is the right island."_

 _The Glades_

"Looks like we got a Colt 1911, Jennings 32 and a K-Frame Revolver." One of the volunteers says at the guns for cash event Oliver and Slade had decided to throw, Blood having actually agreed with the idea at long last and both Oliver and Slade desperately wanting to go against what Isabel wants after all!

"We'll give you two hundred and fifty for the lot." The volunteer says to the man who gave them the guns, Roy Harper.

"Keep it." Roy nods as he turns around to face Thea, whom has a suspicious look upon her face, her arms folded.

"Do I even want to know where you got those guns?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"They're from the old days. I told you." He reminds her, taking her hands in his.

"Look, no more being a criminal. No more being a hero, just Roy Harper." He smirks.

"Just bus boy and boyfriend." He smiles as Thea leans in to kiss him with a wide smile…

"Yo, Abercrombie!" A familiar voice calls him out, interrupting Thea and Roy, the two turning around to face the woman Roy has already met before.

Sin. The Woman In Black's right hand woman.

"Where's your manners?" She questions with folded arms as Thea moves to stand beside Roy, looking at the girl she has not yet been acquainted with, with suspicion.

"Sin." Roy mutters, taking a step toward her.

"This is Thea. Thea, this is Sin." He introduces them as Sin looks on in surprise.

"Thea Queen? Look at you rolling around with royalty." She smirks before adding.

"By the way, the salad fork's the small one."

"It was good to see you again." Roy says sharply as she approaches Roy.

"She doesn't know you're the three vigilantes delivery boy, does she?" She whispers before turning to face Thea.

"Nice to meet you, your highness." Sin says almost sarcastically.

"You too." Thea replies dryly as Sin waltzes away.

"So how do you know her?" Thea practically interrogates Roy the minute Sin is gone, looking at Thea with a slight smile he replies.

"From around."

 _Elsewhere…_

"Wow. You two don't show up when you say two will and when you promise not to, here you are." Blood addresses Oliver and Slade as he approaches them.

"It's going well." Oliver murmurs.

"Last check, we've taken in over two hundred guns in only three hours." Blood comments, noticing the looks on Oliver and Slade's faces.

"Try not to look so happy about it you two." He smirks.

"Lot on our minds, Alderman." Slade mutters gruffly, as a familiar face catches his eye.

Lisa…

"Be right back, kid." He nudges into Oliver, who looks to where Slade is looking.

"Isn't that?" He starts as Slade gives him a one eyed glare.

"Have fun." He smirks after a moment, not really wanting Slade to go as he doesn't particularly want to be left alone with Sebastian Blood! as Slade heads off.

"Haven't see around in a while." Lisa starts the minute Slade approaches her.

"I apologize for leaving like that. I shouldn't have just left the way I did." Slade murmurs as Lisa shakes her head, moving toward Slade and wrapping her arms around him.

"Not gonna lie, I've missed you." She admits.

"I've missed you too." Slade replies truthfully as Lisa links her arm with his.

"I thought you might be here. Little birdie told me that you'd started working at Queen Consolidated with Oliver Queen. I said that couldn't be the same Slade Wilson I know." She smirks as Slade tilts his head to the side momentarily.

"It is, I'm afraid. Oliver needed my help." He informs her.

"Of course. You do realize Lenny's never gonna let you live it down." She smirks again.

"Well, you could choose not to tell him." Slade suggests.

"And where would be the fun in that?" She questions.

"True." Slade murmurs before adding.

"Where is your brother?" He questions.

"Well he went looking for you at Verdant, guessing that's you're new bar now, right?" She questions, silence passing between the two as Slade remembers the old bar coming down due to the earthquake, Leonard being trapped, breaking a leg.

Lisa on the roof, the roof collapsing with Lisa on it.

Holding her in his arms as she slowly bled…

"How have you been?" Slade decides to ask her.

"Great. I'd ask about you but, Lenny's filled me in." She smiles.

"Of course he has." Slade mutters as she laughs lightly.

"I'm okay Slade, really." She says genuinely, to silence from Slade for another moment.

"You shouldn't have been there…"

"Ohh don't start that. Lenny warned me that you blame yourself for what happened to us. It wasn't your fault, Slade. You warned us to get out of town. Warned us multiple times and we said we'd go, but I had a feeling you could be there and when everything was revealed. Leonard and I decided mutually to go after you." She says, stopping for a moment.

"We don't have that many friends. People we can trust and actually consider genuine friends we can count on one hand and that's between both me and my brother. You, Slade, are one of those people. We weren't going to just do nothing." She admits.

"You two could have been killed." Is what Slade could only mutter.

"We survived it didn't we?" She starts, stopping at the look on Slade's face.

"Look, I know how bad it was and that was on us, not you. None of what happened was because of you. Hell, even a friend of ours said it was us being stupid and he is an actual idiot." She laughs, managing to get a smirk from Slade.

"I've a lost a lot of people that I care about, Lisa. I didn't want to add you and Leonard to that long, long list. I'm a dangerous person to be friends with." He murmurs.

"So are we." Lisa retorts with a smile before adding.

"Which is why we've got to stick together." She says with a grin, Slade just smiling back.

"I'm going out of town for a few weeks. Like far out of town with Lenny and that idiot friend of ours on this job, we leave in a few days." She reveals.

"Tell your brother I'll miss his company after those stressful days at Queen Consolidated." Slade smirks as Lisa laughs.

"You can tell him yourself, we're around here for those days before we head off. You can meet our friend." She suggests.

"Sure." Slade replies as they stand in front of one another.

"Come with us." She says after a moment.

"What?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"Come with us. Leave this place behind. Come on, it'll be fun. We can head to that Verdant now and talk about it, the four of us." She suggests.

"I couldn't." Slade replies.

"Why not? What's keeping you here? This isn't even your home." Lisa reminds him as Slade glances into the distance to where Oliver stands near Blood.

"I couldn't just leave." He admits.

"I understand." She nods, before adding.

"Of course I understand. Oliver Queen and Sara Lance are your Leonard." She smiles as Slade nods.

"I could never leave them." He murmurs.

"Still. Meet us later, I'd like that and so would Lenny." She reminds him, standing on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

"And just so you know, when I get back in town. If I'm still single and your still single... Well I don't think you need reminding." She whispers as Slade laughs.

"You're right." He smirks.

"I don't."

 _Meanwhile…_

Still silently cursing Slade for leaving him with Sebastian Blood whilst he got to go and chat to his once friends with benefits, Lisa. Oliver stands with his arms folded looking at what's in front of him instead of Sebastian Blood, who's beside him.

"You know, my job is to help the people in this city with their problems, Mr. Queen." Blood speaks up as Oliver can't help but turn to face him.

"Three people that are very important to me are… Having a tough time, well two of them are. The third is unaware. The first just got into the right mess that we had to solve and honestly, none of us know how to figure it out. The other one, isn't making it easy for me to help them. Told me the truth, the truth that if found out would drag the third person into this, but what bothers me even more is that I know person two, was holding something back." Oliver reveals after keeping it all bottled up for some time.

"Sooner or later we all go through a crucible. I'm guessing yours, probably your girlfriends and your friends was that island you three were stuck on." Blood replies, knowing he's right from the silence.

"Most believe that there are two types of people who go into a crucible. The ones who grow strong from the experience and survive it and the ones who die. But there's a third type. The ones who learn to love the fire. They choose to stay in their crucible, because it's easier to embrace the pain when it's all you know anymore." Blood explains, stopping a moment.

"That's what I'm on the clock to help this city. Before it becomes used to living like this." Blood mutters with a glance around.

"Living is not for the weak." Oliver murmurs as Blood glances at him in confusion.

"An old friend of mine once told me that." He smiles at the memory.

"That's a wise friend." Blood replies.

"Yeah." Oliver smiles back as suddenly the screening of tyres can be heard before the rapid sound of gunfire that begins as the truck with men on the top of it, firing the weapons rapidly, drive toward the event.

People scramble and jump out of the way to avoid being shot as the van breaks down barriers to get closer, continuing to fire the weapons.

Acting quickly, Oliver knocks Blood out of the firing line before he can be shot, looking around wildly into the distance for Slade, panicked when he can't see his friend as the truck comes to a sudden halt in the middle of the road.

"Listen up people. This is your Mayor speaking." Comes the voice of The Mayor as he stands upon the top the truck, his men armed and pointing their guns at the innocent civilians.

"Now I don't recall this here event being sanctioned. What happens in The Glades only happens if I allow it." He snaps. Oliver still looking around for Slade.

"You're not the leader of this community!" Blood suddenly yells as he approaches the truck.

"You don't speak for these people!" He shouts bravely.

"And neither do you. Not anymore." The Mayor hisses, pointing his men with two hands in the direction of Blood, whom begin to open fire on the man, only to miss their target when Oliver suddenly drags Sebastian Blood out of the firing line and to safety, the two taking cover behind a police car as the men continue to open fire on all the other people around the area, Roy and Thea darting into a corner to avoid being shot at, people racing back and forth, many of said people getting shot down and many are killed trying to take cover as the men just continue to fire.

Roy glances up from where he is shielding Thea only to see a police officer getting gunned down for firing his own weapon back as the truck begins to drive away, still firing weapons as they go, taking out more people in their path as Oliver makes a run for it, across to where Roy and Thea are.

"Hey!" He shouts as he reaches them both, a worried expression on his face.

"Are you okay? Are you hit?" He asks hurriedly.

"No, no." Roy says quickly as Thea looks up at Oliver.

"Where's Slade?" She asks him as Oliver closes his eyes before getting to his feet, looking around and into the distance.

"Kid!" Oliver sighs in utmost relief at hearing the familiar voice of Slade, whirling around to see his closest friend approaching him, Lisa beside him.

"Are you hit, are you a'right kid?" Slade says grabbing Oliver's arm when he reaches him.

"No, no I'm ok. You? Are you hurt and don't lie to me if you are." Oliver commands.

"I'm good." Slade nods, checking Lisa over briefly, who when distracted gives Slade and chance to growl at Oliver.

"That son of a bitch is going down."

 _Meanwhile..._

"You sure you're ok, not hit anywhere?" Roy whispers to Thea quickly, who shakes her head.

"Sure your not hit? You shielded me after all." She replies as Roy shakes his head.

"I'm fine." He says, kissing the top of her head before looking to where Sin is hunched over.

"Sin, you alright?" He calls over to her, as Sin lifts her head upon hearing Roy's voice.

"All's good." She replies, only to remove her hand from where it was pressed against her side and only for it to come back covered in fresh blood.

Roy races over to her at that point upon seeing all the blood. Turing to Thea.

"Go get help! Go!"

 _The Foundry_

"The shooting was committed by the gang leader know only as The Mayor, who, until now, has never been seen in public. We do want to warn our audience that some of these images are graphic." The news reporter reports as Felicity looks at it in disgust before typing a few commands into her computer.

"Ollie! Slade!" Comes the worried yells of Sara as she races down the stairs at top speed, throwing herself into Oliver's arms.

"Are you okay? Did you get shot? Either of you?" She yells quickly, checking Oliver over.

"I'm okay. We're okay." Oliver says reassuringly, wrapping her in his arms tight.

"How's Laurel?" He asks softly.

"That Cat Grant is a living legend. She pulled a few strings, called in a few favours and got all charges dropped against Laurel and got rid of that Siobhan Smythe once and for all." She smiles as Oliver sighs in relief.

"Thank god." He whispers.

"Still no idea what happened there?" Diggle questions.

"They said she was drinking. She tested positive for drinking but she swore she didn't touch a drop of alcohol. I believe her. She'd never put her babies in danger like that." Sara informs him as Diggle shrugs.

"I don't know, Sara. She's been through a lot…"

"She wasn't lying." Sara cuts him off.

"I believe that. I mean you three are like human lie detectors." Felicity comments as she continues to type.

"Unless someone spiked something she was drinking?" Diggle suggests.

"Possibly." Oliver murmurs as he lets Sara go briefly so she can go to Slade.

"And if that is the case we'll find the son of a bitch responsible and show them no mercy." Slade growls as Oliver nods.

"I know we've decided a new way, but on that one I agree." Oliver admits.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm so glad you two are ok." Sara sighs as she hugs Slade too.

"We're glad you weren't." Slade says as Oliver nods.

"You were safe." Oliver says gently as he takes Sara in his arms again, Slade moving toward the staircase.

"Where are you going?" Oliver calls after him.

"I left Lisa up there." He calls back as Sara looks at Oliver in confusion.

"Was Lisa there to?" She asks in an anxious voice.

"Yes. She's fine to." Oliver nods as Sara looks rather relieved.

All those she knows and cares for are safe.

She couldn't ask for much more than that.

 _Verdant_

"Sorry, had some matters I needed to deal with." Slade comments as he joins Lisa again.

"That's ok. I've been shot at before." She nudges him.

"Do I want to know how?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"Probably not and same for you isn't it?" She questions with a smile.

"Getting shot at? Yes. I've been shot at many times before and I mean many times before." Slade notes as Lisa nods.

"Well you were some Australian Intelligence agent right?" She smiles.

"That I was." Slade replies.

"Want a drink?" Lisa queries.

"If I didn't have to go soon I would." He murmurs.

"Shame. After one whole year. I've enjoyed catching up, despite us getting shot at, obviously ." She smirks.

"As have I." He laughs.

"Lisa, Slade are you alright? Shooting's on the news." Comes the concerned drawl of Leonard as he approaches them.

"All good, Lenny." Lisa replies before adding.

"Tried to convince Slade to join us." She informs him.

"Let me guess, not gonna leave Queen and the cute blonde?" Leonard smirks.

"Oliver and Sara and you know I can't." Slade replies.

"Thought it would be worth a shot." Lisa shrugs.

"Perhaps sometime in the future the four of us could team up." Leonard smiles as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"What. I keep saying it. Partners in crime." He smirks once more as Lisa looks at Leonard.

"Lenny where's…"

"What's keeping the two of you?" A loud voice sounds out as a man Slade has not yet met before, approaches them.

"Leonard." The man says as she approaches him, glancing once at Slade.

"Who's he. He with us?" He questions.

"Not this time. I told you about him, this is Slade Wilson." Leonard introduces him.

"Ahh, the reason you keep coming back to this dump!" The other man resolves, Slade eying Leonard once, whom shrugs.

"Slade, this is my partner, Mick Rory. Think I've mentioned him before." Leonard introduces them both as Slade nods, gathering that this Mick Rory is the man who Leonard referred to as one of his closest friends.

"Figured it was about time you two met." Leonard adds.

"We should drag you out to Central City, you'd like it." Lisa notes.

"Lot more entertaining than here anyway." Leonard comments before looking behind Slade.

"Hello." He smirks as Sara appears from behind.

"Leonard was it?" She folds her arms.

"She the blonde chick you mentioned?" Mick looks to Leonard as Sara glares at him poisonously, no doubt thinking of the many ways she could inflict pain on both men.

"Still with Queen?" Leonard smirks widely.

"Leonard." Slade and Lisa growl at him in unison.

"Yep I am and you know, even if I wasn't. Never in a million years Leonard." She shoots back

"I like her." Mick comments to Leonard as Sara looks to Slade.

"Need your help moving something downstairs." She explains as Slade nods, gathering that it must mean Felicity has found something related to The Mayor.

"I'll be right there." Slade agrees before looking back to Leonard, Lisa and Mick Rory.

"Want a hand?" Leonard offers.

"No. It's fine. Could take a while. You still around later?" Slade questions.

"Yes. We're hanging here for a few days before we head off. See you later." Leonard replies with a tight smile as Sara looks at the four with folded arms.

"Why do you four look like your about to pull off some kinda heist." Sara smirks slightly.

"Blondies onto us boss." Mick murmurs inaudibly to everyone else other than Leonard, whom nudges him sharply to shut him up before any one else can hear him as Sara and Slade depart…

 _The Foundry_

"Luckily for us the coward finally decided to show his face." Diggle notes as Sara and Slade finally return.

"Vanity is going to cost him." Felicity replies, showing them what she's found.

"I kinda borrowed the FBI's facial recognition software. Got a match." She notes, showing the other four the screen.

"Xavier Reed." She informs them.

"Did he serve time in the military?" Slade questions, Felicity typing again.

"No military history." She replies.

"Family members?" Oliver queries.

"Reed was in and out of foster care his whole life… Wait hold on." She stops upon seeing something on the screen that catches her eye.

"In 1996, Reed spent three years with a foster family and their son Ezra Barnes. He served three tours in Iraq, he's stateside now." She explains.

"Twenty bucks says he was stationed at Camp Kirby." Diggle chips in.

"Pay the man, The Mayor's foster brother is assigned to a weapons convoy that carries scar 16s by truck. The Convoy's scheduled to come through Starling City tonight." She whirls around to face them.

"FN Scar 16s are military assault weapons with grenade launchers." Slade informs them as Diggle nods.

"That man gets a hold of these guys. It's game over." Diggle says sternly as Oliver just shakes his head.

"He won't." He growls as Sara's phone starts to ring.

"Everything okay?" She smiles the minute she answers it, seeing it to be Sin.

"This is my friend's phone. Who is this?" She questions as the person on the other line answers, Sara covering her mouth with her hand as she listens, slowly shaking with rage.

"Sara?" Oliver and Slade look to her worriedly for a moment as she holds her hand up to silence them for a minute as she listens to the horrifying tale.

"Ohh my god."

 _Starling City General_

"The bullet penetrated her anterior abdomen. We were able to remove most of the fragments. We'll know more in a few hours." A doctor explains Sin's condition to Roy and Thea as Sin lies unconscious and motionless on a hospital bed.

Roy looks at Sin with a sad expression upon his face as Thea approaches him.

"Hey. I'm going to stick around, In case she wakes up." Roy says to Thea, whom nods.

"Is it okay if I stick around with you?" Thea requests as Roy nods.

"I mean, you saved her life Roy." She notes as she takes another step toward him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I guess you can't stop being a hero can you?"

 _Meanwhile..._

Meanwhile, just outside the window to Sin's room on a near by roof, The Woman In Black stands, enraged, yet worried for her young friend.

When an arrow is shot into the side of a building with a wire attached to it, she uses it to swing down from the roof far down to the ground where The Arrow and The Man In The Mask stand side by side.

"How is she?" The Arrow asks gently as The Woman In Black just looks at him, wild fury in her eyes.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

 _Starling City_

The Mayor stands in the middle of a road as two trucks slowly approach him, watching a man gets out of it, more following as they approach The Mayor.

"They're with me." The man comments, upon seeing the look upon The Mayor's face, who smirks as he approaches the man.

"He wasn't." He notes to the inside of the truck where a recently killed man lies.

The Mayor smiles even wider as both men begin to laugh before shaking hands.

"You're done being all you can be." The Mayor notes as one of his men hand the guy a gun.

"You and I are going to own this town!" The Mayor proclaims, before looking down at the weapon in hand.

"Now let's see what this bad boy can do." He comments, about to fire it when there is a sound from behind, the group of men spinning around, only to see The Woman In Black, whom swings her baton at each of them viciously, smashing it into each man who comes at her violently, until a grand majority of them are down on the ground, knocked out cold, whilst other men are taken out from above by The Arrow, one of the men deciding to shoot at said vigilante, who jumps down to get out of the way as the shooter is taken out from behind by The Man In The Mask with a slice of his sword, whilst Sara continues to deal with the men who keep coming after her, throwing one to the ground, smacking two in the head at the same time with her extended baton as The Arrow jumps down to the ground, racing around the side of a truck, only to come face to face with another man, whom is taken out quickly by The Man In The Mask before he can fire his weapon at The Arrow.

The Arrow attacking another man from behind The Man In The Mask by smashing his bow into the side of his head. The Arrow and The Man In The Mask moving to aid The Woman In Black just as she finishes with her victims.

"Behind you!" She calls, as The Man In The Mask and The Arrow spin around to see The Mayor standing behind them, a weapon in hand.

"Old school weapons. Respect. But can your arrows and swords do this?" He fires his weapon at the same time The Arrow fires one of his, only for the arrow to hit the grenade he launched which explodes sending the three vigilantes to the ground.

Having lost his grip on his bow, The Arrow looks around for it, only to see The Woman In Black's baton in front of him, he grabs it just in time to take out a man from behind him and another whom advances on The Man In The Mask, The Arrow getting there just in time before The Man In The Mask can stab the man.

Suddenly, hearing something behind him, The Arrow whirls around to face his would be attacker, whom is take out by an arrow fired by The Woman In Black.

"How sweet. You two swapping weapons now?" The Man In The Mask comments as The Arrow approaches The Woman In Black.

"When did you learn how to do that?" The Arrow questions as he takes his bow back, The Woman In Black taking back her staff.

"Mutual friend." She says with a sad smile, looking to both The Arrow and The Man In The Mask, whom nod in understanding as they all turn around to find The Mayor.

The Mayor, whom is currently racing around, weapon in hand, looking for the three vigilantes, clutching the weapon close.

"Come on where are you?" He growls, stopping he hears movement, only to be smashed around the head with The Woman In Black's staff, who holds it against his throat, ready to snap his neck.

"You hurt a friend of mine." She snarls.

"Let him go." The Arrow calls, he and The Man In The Mask walking toward her carefully.

"I know we're trying a new way, but that new way isn't going to work for people like him!" She growls.

"You're better than him." The Man In The Mask reminds her.

"You can't talk! You know what you'd do if it were me or The Arrow he'd shot and hurt. If he'd shot friends of yours." She snaps.

"I know I would but I'm not you. Look, I'm not the biggest advocate of this new way we've chosen because that's who I am but you shouldn't do this." He warns her.

"You told me. You told me you wanted to be better than what we were because of how the body count destroyed you after all you had to add to that count those few years ago, what you were involved in and that you didn't want to be a killer anymore. Let him live and prove that your better." The Arrow tries to convince her as she keeps her hold on her staff.

"Bitch! I knew you didn't have it in you." The Mayor growls as she knocks him out in an instant, pushing him to the ground.

"I really don't like that word." She hisses before putting her staff away and reaching out her hands, The Arrow and The Man In The Mask taking one hand each in theirs, as they lead her away a from The Mayor.

"You two are right." She nods with a genuine smile.

"I am better then that."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Demonstrations opposing the construction of the new STAR Labs's Particle Accelerator have reached a fever pitch with five more protesters being arrested. In over news, the recent cash for guns event held in The Glades is credited for getting over eight hundred weapons off the street. Still a mystery, the anonymous donor whose generous donation funded the event." The TV reporter reports as Oliver switches it off.

"You did good there kid." Slade comments from the desk.

"Says the man who used to be in the military and is used to guns?" Oliver questions.

"You know I always preferred swords, kid." Slade smirks, Oliver smiling back as the office door opens unexpectedly.

"I guess it's true what they say. One man can change the world." Sebastian Blood commends with a smile as he enters the room.

"I'll leave changing the world to you Alderman." Oliver replies.

"I'm only in this world because of you. Thank you." He smiles gratefully before shaking hands with Oliver.

"I was just acting on instinct." Oliver explains.

"It wasn't instinct. It was strength." Blood responds as Slade rolls his eye at the both of them, Oliver especially in dismay before glancing back at the computer.

"I see the signs and the graffiti. Blood for mayor and now that The Mayor is in jail, maybe you should run." Oliver suggests as Slade gives him a 'have you lost it, kid' look.

"There's more than one way to save a city." Blood responds, shaking his head at the idea before heading out with a smile.

"Perhaps he isn't a bad as we initially thought." Oliver comments.

"Speak for yourself, kid. I still hate him." Slade mutters, Oliver rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Of course you do!"

 _Starling City General_

"Mr. Harper?" The voice of the doctor awakens Roy from his sleep beside Thea, who has he head on his shoulder, awakening herself.

"What's wrong, is she ok?" He asks hurriedly as Roy gets to his feet and heads into Sin's room, only to find her sitting up and awake.

"Hey." Sin murmurs as Roy sits at the edge of the bed.

"You saved my life." She comments with a slight smile.

"I guess I have to keep your secret now, huh?" She says as Roy just looks at her.

"You know you're dating a moron right?" She smirks at Thea, whom enters behind Roy.

"It's my first and last thought of every day." Thea chuckles.

"Crap. I like her." She grins, looking behind them both to see Sara standing in the doorway.

"We'll let you get some rest, ok?" Thea smiles as she and Roy head out, not even noticing Sara standing in the corridor, who doesn't say anything, knowing having to explain how exactly she knows Sin to Thea and Roy could make Roy suspicious.

Waiting until they're gone, Sara slips into the room.

"Sara!" Sin smiles happily.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Sara practically growls as she approaches Sin, whom reaches out for Sara's hand, whom takes it instantly.

"Sorry for worrying you." Sin replies.

"Yeah you better be!" Sara says sharply.

"You kill the bastard?" Sin questions.

"Nope." Sara says honestly.

"Really? I thought that guy would be in several pieces all over Starling City by now." Sin looks surprised.

"Decided that I was better. Not the killer I used to be." She admits.

"He did shoot me, it would have been called for." Sin assures her as Sara laughs.

"Damn Sara. He ain't here to kill me is he?" Sin smirks as she looks behind Sara's head to see the person she knows to be Oliver Queen.

The Arrow.

"Ollie." Sara starts as she turns around to face him.

"Hi, I'm Oliver Queen. Sara's told me a lot about you Sin." Oliver smiles as he enters the room from behind Sara.

"Yeah. She's told me quite a lot about you to." Sin replies, shaking his hand.

"So I've been told." Oliver looks to Sara, taking her free hand in his.

"I'll keep your secret if that's what your wondering." Sin starts.

"I know. You've already been keeping it for a long time according to Sara. I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to finally meet you in person." He explains.

"You know, I have told Sara many times to introduce us all." Sin looks to Sara.

"And you know why I didn't, you both do." She says softly before adding.

"Where's Slade?"

"Now he'd be here to kill me, right?" Sin smirks as Oliver and Sara laugh.

"I've told you he's actually quite an easy going guy." Sara smirks.

"We're talking about the same Slade Wilson, right?" Oliver chips in.

"Yes." She growls as Oliver laughs softly.

"He said he had something to do." He tells Sara.

"What's the betting it involves either Lisa or Leonard." Sara questions.

"You know I've never met Leonard. What is it with you two and not introducing me to your friends?" Oliver states as Sin laughs at them both.

"Well we're all acquainted now." Sin points out as Sara smiles at them both.

"Yeah we are."

 _Sometime Later_

When visiting time is over, Oliver and Sara choose to walk back to the apartment together, hand in hand, both of them needing the walk.

"She's nice, Sin." Oliver comments as Sara nods.

"She acts all tough and like a bad girl but she's quite sweet really." Sara responds.

"Reminds me of me at that age. Rebellious." She murmurs.

"Slade and I never asked. How did she find who we were and why would you tell her our identities?" Oliver questions suddenly as Sara shrugs.

"Well she knows there's three vigilantes and after I revealed myself to her she just joking asked if the other two were my boyfriend and my best friend. I never denied it." Sara admits, squeezing Oliver's hand as they're both silent a few moments.

"I'm proud of you today, you know. For letting The Mayor go." Oliver admits.

"You and Slade were right. I am better then that. I'm not that monster I was…"

"You were never a monster Sara." Oliver says gently.

"Well you weren't there during that time Ollie. I was a monster, a ruthless killer. Finding you and Slade in Russia saved me, you know." She reveals before sighing.

"Earlier, the other day. Were you going to tell me something else? I had a feeling you were and I haven't been able to shake it all day." Oliver says after a moment of quiet.

"No. No I don't." Sara says quickly, too quickly.

"Sara." Oliver tugs her hand to pull her to a stand still.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Pasts been bothering me." She admits, Oliver nodding.

"It gets me to." He replies before adding.

"But I have you. I have you and Slade and you have us to. We survived that island, we survived those five years and we have all been in pain so long that now it just feels normal for us now but I think we're all in a place where we can let that pain go and move on. The past is going to stay in the past Sara." Oliver says gently as Sara just moves forward and kisses him to silence him.

He's wrong the past hasn't stayed in the past.

But she. She killed that man and he was the only one, no one else has come since.

Perhaps, from now on, Oliver's right.

The past is going to stay in the past.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Laurel stands, looking down at Rebecca and Brandon, fast asleep in their cot.

Eternally grateful to Cat for getting her off all those charges and getting rid of that awful child services woman, Siobhan Smythe.

Just the thought of her, making Laurel feel lucky that she has her two babies still with her and that she's not going to lose them.

Grateful to Martin Stein too, for coming to her aid and looking after them whilst Cat had been clearing her off all charges and made sure that Donner wouldn't find out about this so her job wouldn't be at risk.

However, what still worries her is why evidence had tried to prove she was driving drunk.

She'd never do that and she hadn't. She hadn't had a drop of alcohol to drink.

It frightens her that someone could want to set her up.

Someone who's possibly still out there…

A sudden knock on her door sends Laurel into a momentary panic, not expecting any visitors and knowing her father is in a meeting, she doesn't know who could be calling.

Leena had promised to try and get back to town as quickly as she could upon hearing the news and considering he only lives a few door down, it could be Stein.

Still, she arms herself and ensures that she's shut the door to the bedroom behind her when she heads toward the door cautiously.

"Slade." She sighs in relief when she opens the door.

"Yeah, it's only me. Try not to stab me." Slade smirks as Laurel looks to him in shock, actually having a kitchen knife held behind her back.

"How do you…." She trails off.

"I used to be in the ASIS." He reminds her as Laurel just rolls her eyes and puts the knife back in the kitchen.

"Where's Ollie and Sara?" She asks, before remembering.

"The shooting… Were you three there at that? Are you all okay?" She asks hurriedly.

"They had something that had to deal with and yes. We all managed to come away one of us should come and see how you were after what happened to you earlier." He reminds her.

"I'm ok as are they, thanks to Cat and Stein." Laurel smiles.

"I liked that professor. He seems a'right." Slade comments.

"Oh he is, he only lives a few doors down from me. Well temporarily, he's from Central City." She explains, before adding.

"Thank god he was here though." She murmurs, looking to Slade kindly.

"Thank you to. I know that Sara, you and Oliver tried to help that woman was a piece of work." Laurel mutters as Slade nods.

"Agreed. Reminds me of someone Oliver and I are having to work with at Queen Consolidated." He grumbles.

"Yeah. How's that going? Sara tells me you two complain about it most of the time." She says with a smile.

"We do not complain about it most of the time for your information." Slade retorts.

"Figured she was exaggerating a bit." Laurel replies as Slade chuckles.

A moment of silence passing between the two of them before Slade speaks up again.

"You asked me a question the other night at Queen Mansion…"

"Ohh it doesn't matter. You don't have to tell me." Laurel starts but Slade cuts her off.

"No, I will answer your question. Truth is before the island I did actually have a life in Australia and other than being in the ASIS, I was also married briefly, we split up though, a while before the island and I had a son, his name was Joe." Slade admits to stunned silence from Laurel.

"That's how you knew so much about what I was going through because you'd had a child of your own." Laurel whispers, everything making sense to her now before pausing and looking to Slade in surprise.

"Then if you have a child, why come back here with Ollie and Sara? Why didn't you go back to Australia?" She questions as Slade gives her a sad look.

"That's the reason why I wasn't too inclined to answer your question in the first place. Some point during our third year in hell, this organization came after us. Oliver and I managed to somehow escape and we tried to make contact with the outside world, we were apprehended though. I learnt sometime later that they'd ordered a hit on my family. They killed my ex wife and my son without a second thought. They're gone, that's why I didn't go back. The only family I have left is your sister and Oliver. Oliver was with me when this happened, your sister was elsewhere." He admits as Laurel looks on in horror, unable to say anything, anything at all.

"I had the opportunity to destroy these people and I tried. I didn't care anymore, my son was gone. I would have quite happily destroyed them all." He murmurs.

"You didn't?" Laurel whispers in horror, not even thinking to ask of where Sara was when she was as Slade put it, 'elsewhere'.

"The one who ordered the hit lived. A lot of them did. I wouldn't have cared if they'd tried to kill me for trying to destroy them for what they did but they didn't go after me. They went after Oliver. The person who ordered the hit on my family was going to kill Oliver unless I gave up my plan of revenge. You know, Oliver, he begged me to finish what I'd started, get my revenge for my son. He didn't care that he'd be killed and at the time. Oliver was all I had left. I wasn't gonna lose him and so, I chose Oliver over my revenge and if I had to make the choice again I'd still choose Oliver. That kid means more to me than he'll ever know, both he and Sara do." Slade reveals as to his surprise Laurel simply just moved forward and hugs him tight. Yet he lets her anyway.

Neither of them willing to let go any time soon.

 _Still lying down in immense pain, his eyes closed, Oliver is surprised when he hears the door suddenly opening and the guards walking toward him, dragging him up painfully, practically dragging him out as his cries in pain._

 _"Your days of screaming are just beginning." The guard hisses as they simply drag Oliver away, down a corridor down toward sharp, painful light of day._

 _The guards shove him into a room, dropping him onto the floor._

 _He lies there in pain as he hears footsteps approaching him, pushing himself past the pain, he lifts his head to see who said person is who's walked into the room._

 _An unknown woman wearing a gold and black dress, so much jewelry it's unreal, several tattoos, her hair very, very light blonde and down, the curls at the ends of her hair one side pink the other side blue._

 _"Who the hell are you?" Is all Oliver can whisper and she just smiles at him, a knife held tight in her hand…_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In a darkened room, a man sits tied to a chair, a black bag on his head which is forcibly removed by a man.

"What the hell is this?" The guy whispers, The Mayor.

"This ain't the police station." He comments as a masked man walks from out of the shadows, a scarecrow like mask upon his face.

"Hello brother, are you ready to serve?" The masked man questions.

"Why are you wearing that mask?" The Mayor whispers.

"This city is in chains and I'm going to free it." He replies as another man approaches him with a syringe in hand.

"But to do that I need an army. An army that's strong." The masked man hisses.

"Woah, woah what's in that thing?" The Mayor whispers as he's injected with it.

"A miracle." The masked man hisses as The Mayor begins to scream out in pain for a moment before blood starts dripping from his eyes. It had killed him.

"Bring me another." Sebastian Blood growls as he removes his mask…

"Yes Brother Blood."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all for reading I apologize that this chapter is awful I had to change quite a bit from canon due to Sara being here since the start of this fanfic, so I apologize. Thank you for all your kind reviews and for following and favoriting, please do tell me what you all think. See you all next update!**


	84. League Of Assassins (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Four**

 _Lian Yu_

 _At the first explosion, they ran._

 _The explosion happened in a corner of their plane home, a part that had already been mostly bored up anyway, but at the sound of more explosions both Shado and Sara fled._

 _Ran out of the plane and into the woods as quickly as possible, Shado holding Sara's hand and practically dragging her through the forest._

 _When they were quite a distance away, they looked back to see fire._

 _Fire covering part of the plane and the field surrounding the plane._

 _From explosions that keep on coming…_

 _"Ollie, Slade." Is all Sara can whisper fearfully as Shado squeezes her hand._

 _"They went to find higher ground. My boyfriend's smart, he would have made sure they both stayed up there until the explosions stopped. We're lucky it didn't hit our part of the plane." Shado gasps, slightly out of breath as she runs her fingers through her hair._

 _"Are we going back?" Sara asks in a quiet voice._

 _"Fire won't be out yet. We'll have to wait." Shado informs her as she starts to make her way in one direction, pulling Sara with her._

 _"Where are we going?" She cries._

 _"To higher ground. We'll probably reunite with Oliver and Slade that way." Shado explains as Sara nods and follows after her._

 _"Did you think the people who kidnapped me, whoever they worked with, did this?" Sara asks as Shado nods._

 _"Most likely. They must have a ship or something. If it were a plane, we would have heard it." Shado notes calmly._

 _"Ollie was right, we shouldn't have separated." Sara says quietly._

 _"I don't know about that. If they'd have stayed, they could have both been standing in the part of the plane that got hit." Shado reminds her._

 _"Fair enough." Sara replies._

 _"We don't have any weapons." She adds._

 _"Don't we?" Shado smiles as she pulls a knife from her boot._

 _"Of course." Sara smiles softly as Shado pulls another knife out of a pocket of hers, passing it to Sara, who takes it from her friend._

 _"This was the knife Slade pulled on me that time when we were sparring." Shado smirks at the one in her hand._

 _"You really love him don't you?" Sara comments._

 _"I believe I do. I've never actually told him that." Shado admits._

 _"Really?" Sara looks at her in surprise._

 _"Suppose I've always hoped he'd say it first." Shado reveals as Sara chuckles._

 _"Yeah this is Slade we're talking about. He never admits anything. I mean I consider the two of us to be friends, I care about him but he'd never admit to being my friend or caring for me, or Ollie for that matter." Sara points out._

 _"You have a point." Shado sighs._

 _"My advice. Tell him how you feel." Sara suggests._

 _"Who said it first between you and Oliver?" Shado asks._

 _"Ohh Ollie. Interesting story really, it was during that attack with Fyers and the missile launcher. I was wounded and trapped. Ollie freed me and during that time and before he went to help you shut down the launcher he told me he loved me." Sara reveals._

 _"I would have preferred it under more romantic circumstances but there we are." Sara shrugs as Shado laughs lightly at her._

 _"I'm being serious. Tell him the truth, that you love him. Tell him when we get back to him and Ollie after all that's just happened. He loves you too Shado. I mean, he used to beat the crap out of me and Ollie senseless every day and there was some days where there was just no talking to him, unless you wanted to risk being punched or stabbed. Then you came along. Honestly, Ollie thought you must have some kind of magical powers due to the way you seemed to be able to so easily get through to him. You weren't afraid to call him out, question his authority, or strategies and he'd actually listened to you." Sara points out, before adding._

 _"We all listen to you." She admits as Shado smiles softly._

 _"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Sara." She says in a way that reminds Sara just a tiny bit of Laurel._

 _"I'm glad to have you as a friend." Shado admits as Sara nods._

 _"As am I." Sara replies, the two girls walking on in silence for a long while._

 _"Do you miss your sister?" Shado questions after a moment._

 _"I think of her everyday. How much I miss her and how much she must hate me for what I did." Sara sighs._

 _"You never did explain to me what happened? I know you and Oliver were on the boat that sank but I know there's more to the story, the reason why you believe she hates you. Why is that?" Shado asks._

 _"Laurel, my sister. She was Ollie's girlfriend. They'd been together forever and a few weeks before The Gambit. Ollie and I started sleeping together. I slept with my sisters boyfriend multiple times and then he had to go on this trip to Hong Kong. Except he didn't invite my sister on the trip with him. He invited me and well, you know the rest. What I did to Laurel was despicable, I know. I was in love and thought damn the consequences." She reveals, looking at Shado to see her friends expression to be unreadable._

 _"You must think I'm a terrible person." Sara murmurs._

 _"It wasn't kind what you did. What both of you did but your sister won't hate you forever. She's your sister and no matter what you've done, she'll always love you." Shado replies._

 _"Think you're a bit optimistic there." Sara mutters._

 _"I'm not. Considering I have a sister of my own. I understand that kind of bond. It never just goes away, no matter what either of you do." Shado smiles._

 _"You have a sister?" Sara looks to her in surprise._

 _"Yes. Yes I do. She's actually my twin sister, she should still be at our home. I hope so anyway. She doesn't even know about our father and like your sister she probably believes that I'm long gone." She murmurs as Sara looks at her sadly, placing her hand on Shado's arm comfortingly._

 _"At least I have a friend here." Sara smiles somewhat as Shado puts her hand over Sara's._

 _"You do. You always will." Shado vows as she looks through the trees._

 _"We should cut through here." Shado comments, pulling Sara along with her toward the opening, toward a slight distance away from the plane._

 _The two of them stopping to look back to see the flames slowly fading on the plane._

 _"Do you think we'll be able to head back soon, well after we've found Ollie and Slade?" Sara wonders, glancing to Shado._

 _"The damage seems to be contained to that side. We should be able to return and continue living there normally." Shado comments as they look at parts of the clearing that is still smoldering, the flames slowly melting away._

 _That's when Sara sees something._

 _A largish shape in the middle of the field, smoke coming from it._

 _Whatever it is. It's moving._

 _"Shado." Sara whispers, squeezing her friends arm, pointing her in the direction._

 _"What is that?" She replies, holding her knife in one hand, Sara's hand in the other, keeping her friend behind her as the two slowly jog across the field._

 _The figure becoming clearer as they approach it._

 _It's a person._

 _A person who appeared to have been on fire._

 _"Ohh my god." Sara whispers as they come closer, Shado seeing it before Sara does._

 _"SLADE!" She cries, breaking into a sudden run._

 _"SLADE! SLADE NO!" Sara and Shado yell in unison as both run toward the figure lying on the ground whom is in fact Slade._

 _Slade, whom due to the smoke coming off of him and the fact that one side of his face is practically unrecognizable, completely covered in severe burns._

 _The skin on his hands all but gone, somewhat saved by the gloves he wears._

 _One side of him almost completely covered in burns…_

 _Shado and Sara drop beside him in an instant._

 _"Is he alive? Is he alive?" Sara practically cries as Shado nods, placing one hand on the somewhat good side of Slade's face._

 _"Open your eyes, please open your eyes." She whispers frantically to him, Sara glancing down at her friend in horror, both girls beyond relieved being an understatement as Slade murmurs something almost inaudible, trying to move his hands toward Shado and Sara, who places one hand on his good shoulder as she looks around hurriedly._

 _"Ollie." She whispers, looking around with fearful eyes._

 _"Ollie!" She cries to complete silence._

 _"He's not here. Ohh my god where is he?" She whispers as Slade murmurs something inaudibly again, his eyes slowly closing once more with Shado shaking him gently as she can, both her and Sara's attention on keeping him awake._

 _Keeping him alive…_

 _"Slade. Slade stay with us. Slade!"_

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

Sara awakens with a start from her nightmares, gasping fearfully.

Flashbacks really, but they're practically nightmares…

"Hey, hey. You're safe Sara. It's ok, you're safe I'm here." Comes the sudden reassuring voice of Oliver from beside her, having awoken the minute she did, her arms going around him in an instant as he pulls her against him as she shudders.

"It's ok. We're home. We're together, we're all okay." He whispers as he kisses the top of her head, running his fingers through her hair as she clutches to him tight.

"I didn't know where you were." She cries softly as Oliver simply kisses her.

"I'm right here, honey. I'm right here." Oliver murmurs.

"No on the island. The plane got hit with explosives from the Amazo, Shado just dragged me out of there, we walked for about half an hour. We got back to the clearing and Slade… Slade was just lying there still practically on fire and you. You were gone Ollie." She whispers as Oliver holds her close.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." He promises her.

"I thought I'd lost you." She admits.

"As did I. On the Amazo. I thought I'd lost you, Shado, definitely Slade." He reveals.

"He's home right?" Sara says in a quiet voice.

"I don't know. He wasn't back we when came up, it's three am. He's probably home by now." Oliver says with a glance at the clock on the table.

"I need some air. I'll be back in a minute." Sara untangles herself from Oliver's comforting embrace, walking slowly to the door, exiting the room and heading down the corridor and to the right, her blood running cold when she sees Slade's door ajar.

He always keeps it shut.

He's not back yet, she thinks, yet before she can move another step she sees a figure slowly creeping down the stairs.

Not big enough to be Slade and she would have seen Ollie. From the physique she can tell it isn't Thea either.

Walking behind the figure slowly, she aims a hard kick to knock the intruder off his feet and sending him flying down the stairs.

"What the hell!" She hears his disgruntled yell.

A familiar voice.

"Sara!" She hears Oliver's voice then as he joins her, having raced out of their room at the sudden commotion.

"What the hell is going on?" He questions.

"Intruder." She growls as the two approach the figure trying to get off the ground, Oliver switching the light on to reveal Roy Harper.

"Who does that?" He groans from the bottom step.

"Hey guys." He says nervously at the two, both of their faces a mask of fury.

"You have ten seconds to explain yourself Harper." Sara growls.

"How about I help." Comes the voice of Thea as she to appears from her room, looking down at Roy in shock and actual worry.

"What happened?" She asks instantly.

"I thought he was an intruder." Sara points out.

"So you pushed him down the stairs?" Thea raises an eyebrow at her.

"Yes. That's exactly what she did. Ow." Roy groans.

"And we're both going to do a lot worse unless an explanation is given right now." Oliver growls as Thea looks between the three of them nervously.

"Let's take a seat." She says, moving to Roy's aid. Sara and Oliver following them both to the couch, sitting across from Roy and Thea, who looks at her boyfriend worriedly.

"Do you want any ice?" She starts.

"Thea." Oliver and Sara snap simultaneously.

"Ok. I know we should have mentioned this before but ever since The Undertaking, since you, Sara and Slade left for that year. Roy kinda moved in here with me." She admits.

"WHAT?" Oliver yells almost instantly, yet a lot of things begin to fall into place for him and Sara, specifically why the place was such a damn mess when they got home after there year away and why Roy's undergarments were positioned in the most unfortunate of places.

"Woah. Woah. Hold it. There is more. Now, I don't have a death wish. He does but I don't, I wouldn't have made this decision lightly, not after all the rather unfortunate encounters Roy and I have had with the three of you but, during The Undertaking his house was destroyed by the quake and he had no where to go. So I thought he could stay with us. Look, Ollie, Sara. You three were gone and I had no idea when you were ever going to come back." Thea explains as Roy just nods sheepishly.

"So let me get this straight you've been living here since The Undertaking?" Oliver growls.

"Yes." Roy says politely.

"Out of curiosity do ever get up and go to the kitchen at night?" Oliver adds as Roy away.

"No." He murmurs as Thea gives him a look.

"Ohh come on! You're always going to get a midnight snack." Thea nudges him.

"So you're the one who ate all the cookies." Sara tries to not smile.

"Slade's secret stash of cookies no less?" Oliver hisses sharply.

"That was a secret stash?" Roy looks bemused and slightly nervous.

"I'll always think of you fondly." Thea says as she pats his shoulder.

"You're not going to tell him about that, right?" Roy asks nervously.

"No but the conditions of you staying here depend on you telling him about all this all by yourself and we do expect you to help keep this place clean." Sara explains.

"Sara." Oliver glances to her.

"What. We can't just get rid of him, Ollie. His home was destroyed in the quake. He has nowhere to go." Sara protests with a slight smile at Thea as Oliver looks at her incredulously.

"Fine! Fine, but Sara's right, you can tell Slade about this arrangement and you can help keep this place in order, but judging by the standards of how it was when we got back I'm guessing you'll find that a challenge!" Oliver mutters as Roy nods.

"Thank you." He nods to them both before looking to Thea.

"You know this went better than I thought it would." She comments.

"Yeah well you haven't told Slade yet." Sara points out as she suddenly hears something hitting against the door, Oliver and Sara looking toward it nervously, frowning when they hear sounds of laughter before the door opens and Slade, Lisa, Leonard and Mick practically fall through the door.

"This is why you never challenge Mick to a drinking contest!" Leonard sniggers.

"I won." Slade mutters indignantly, staggering ever so slightly, one arm holding Lisa up.

"Yeah right. I drank both of you idiots under the table." Mick smirks proudly.

"Lisa lasted for such a short amount of time she doesn't even count." Leonard adds.

"Watch it Lenny." She growls as the four practically collapse on the couch, both Thea and Roy darting out of the way so they don't get crushed as Oliver and Sara look on in surprise and honestly, slight amusement.

"Who are they?" Oliver questions quietly.

"Ohh that's Leonard and Mick. We've met Lisa." She explains as Oliver nods.

"Perhaps Slade will introduce us all properly in the morning." Oliver replies.

"Switch the light of would ya kid?" Slade grumbles as Sara and Oliver fight back laughter as Roy takes a slight step toward the couch.

"Hey, Slade. I have been told to let you know that I'm living here with you guys." Roy starts.

"What? Yeah a'right." Slade barely lifts his head.

"Well that was easy enough." Roy notes as he follows Thea to the stairs.

"That didn't count." Oliver says sharply.

"Perhaps we should just settle on a game of cards tomorrow night." Leonard suggests.

"Where's the fun in that?" Mick responds.

"Ohh I'm not saying this wasn't. I'm just thinking of what tomorrow morning is going to be like." Leonard replies as Lisa groans and drops her head to Slade's shoulder.

"Never been hungover." Slade mutters.

"Yeah well you will be in the morning." Leonard retorts.

"Ohh this I've got to see." Sara smirks as Oliver sniggers.

"I say it again. Never challenge Mick to a drinking competition." Leonard murmurs.

"Ohh please. I'd drink all four of you under the table with ease." Sara speaks up.

"That a challenge, blondie?" Mick looks up at her.

"Sounds like it. I'm willing to take it, you two?" Slade sits up, looking to Lisa and Leonard, whom smirks slightly, Lisa just groans.

"Okay, okay, let's all just go back to bed before this escalates any further." Oliver holds up his hands, practically dragging Sara toward the stairs.

"See you three tomorrow." Sara smirks as Oliver just pulls her toward the steps.

"Who knew Slade could be fun." Sara points out as the walk up the stairs.

"He's not." Oliver murmurs.

"You make this sound like it's a bad thing." Sara comments as Oliver just stays quiet.

Being like this is so unlike Slade, he just doesn't do things like this.

He never has and every time Oliver himself has ever suggested having a night out he'd normally always refuse.

The whole affair concerns Oliver to say the least…

 _Next Morning…_

In the morning, Oliver and Sara awaken early, a meeting with Moira Queen and the D.A happening today after all.

Heading down the stairs, Oliver and Sara try not to laugh at the moaning and groaning coming from the couch where Slade, Leonard, Mick and Lisa lie.

"If you don't shut those curtains I'm gonna kill you." Slade hisses, his eyes closed.

"And I'll help." Leonard adds as Sara and Oliver chuckle at them.

"Perhaps try getting off the couch first." Sara laughs triumphantly as Slade attempts to get to his feet, staggering slightly but managing it all the same.

"We should probably run." Oliver advises, but instead of going for them, Slade moves to shut the curtains, just stopping a moment by the swords on the way back.

"Ok we should definitely run." Oliver smiles as he and Sara simply make it for the door…

 _Iron Heights_

"I'm done waiting for Mr. Queen. Let's get started." Adam Donner states as he looks across to where Moira, her lawyer and Thea sit.

"Sorry we're late." Oliver apologies as he enters the room with Sara.

"Laurel?" Sara whispers, the both of them stopping upon entering the room to see Laurel sitting beside Donner in shock.

"I just finished explaining to your mother and sister that Miss Lance will be sitting second chair for the prosecution." Donner smirks confidently.

"This is a conflict of interest. Miss Lance practically grew up in the Queen house, not to mention that her younger sister, whom is in this room with us right now, is currently dating Oliver Queen." Moira's lawyer points out.

"I think you're overstating matters." Donner retorts.

"Oh, we'll see when I move to conflict Miss Lance off this case." She replies.

"Maybe there won't be a case much longer. I come here not just with Miss Lance, but also with a plea offer." He puts a piece of paper in front of Moira.

"Life with the possibility of parole." Laurel says carefully.

"No. We are not pleading out. Mrs. Queen is innocent." Loring folds her arms.

"She aided and abetted in five hundred and two homicides." Donner mutters.

"Under duress from a homicidal maniac named Malcolm Merlyn. She also withdrew from the criminal conspiracy prior to its execution." Loring mutters.

"Five minutes prior." Donner retorts.

"With Malcolm Merlyn dead, a jury's going to want to have to blame someone."

"If she doesn't take the deal then she's facing the death penalty." Laurel cuts Donner off as Oliver and Sara just look to her in horror, Oliver shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sounds a lot like blackmail." Thea snaps as Moira just grabs her hands.

"Try reality and here's some more. We've subpoenaed over a decades worth of phone messages, phone records, letters and emails. I'm willing to bet I find something that crushes your duress defence to powder." Adam Donner snaps as Moira releases her daughter's hands to face him head on.

"Mr. Donner. If you don't mind, I'd like a few days to consider your offer." She says politely.

"Of course." Donner smiles back before getting up and heading for the door.

"Excuse me." Laurel whispers as she to leaves.

"We'll be right back." Oliver murmurs to his mother and Thea as he and Sara head after her.

"Laurel!" Oliver snaps as he follows her out, hand in hand with Sara.

Donner and Laurel turn around at the call, Donner looking annoyed.

"I'll meet you at the car." Donner nods to her before leaving the three.

"Laurel." Sara sighs, trying to start the conversation peacefully.

"You're prosecuting my mother!" Oliver snaps instantly.

"I didn't ask for this case I was assigned." Laurel replies calmly.

"So say no!"

"Ollie." Sara cuts in when he shouts at her sister.

"It's a new job guys. I don't have a lot of pull especially after what happened the other week. I can't even ask Cat to take over for me after what she did for me but what pull I do have I used to get that plea bargain for Moira." She reveals.

"That was your idea?" Oliver growls.

"Life in prison!"

"The D.A is serious about the death penalty, Ollie. We both know what it's like to lose someone, we all do. So think about this and save your mother's life." She says carefully as Oliver just shakes his head at her before heading a few steps away.

"I'm sorry…" Sara starts.

"Don't be." Laurel murmurs.

"Are you sure you can't hand this case on, you said Cat would do this for you. You can't do this Laurel." She protests.

"After Cat cleared me of those charges and stopped child services from taking my children away from me. I owe her. I can't ask anything else of her like this. I can't lose my job Sara." Laurel protests as Sara folds her arms.

"Please understand that." She adds as Sara is silent, Laurel resting a hand on her arm.

"Talk to him Sara. If there's one thing I know about my sister is that she's good at talking to people." Laurel smiles at her slightly as Sara places a hand over Laurel's.

"You always have been."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Somehow by some miracle, Shado and Sara had managed to keep Slade alive long enough for them to move him into the plane, with great difficulty due to how heavy the man is!_

 _Yet eventually they'd managed to lie him down and started to see what they could do about his severe burns._

 _Muttering something about herbs, plants and mud to make healing concoctions. Shado had left the plane hurriedly to retrieve some of those items, leaving Sara in charge of looking after Slade and keeping him awake._

 _Keeping him alive..._

 _They still hadn't managed to find Oliver, he hadn't been anywhere near the field of the clearing, no where at all._

 _Shado had promised to keep an eye out and search a little whilst she's going for the supplies for Slade but Sara doesn't think she's hopeful they'll find Oliver._

 _The thought scares Sara, Oliver being nowhere to be found._

 _Yet in some way relieves her that he doesn't share Slade's fate or worse..._

 _"Where." She hears Slade murmur before groaning in pain._

 _"What? What's wrong?" Sara whispers instantly as Slade opens his eyes slightly._

 _"Oliver." He murmurs, crying out in pain for a moment, a fearful feeling filling Sara at the sound of the cry._

 _Slade's the strong one. Slade holds them all together._

 _"Where's Oliver." He practically whimpers._

 _Sara doesn't know what to do._

 _Should she tell him the truth or lies to keep him calm?_

 _Instead she focuses on something else, the scarf he always wears, the one he's wearing now that's stuck to the burned skin of his face and neck._

 _Most of the scarf is still in tact, one side awfully burnt._

 _Gently, she starts to peel it away from the skin only to cause him more pain._

 _"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." She whispers over and over again._

 _"You didn't." He stops, choked by pain and smoke._

 _"Answer my question." He grumbles._

 _"We need water to get that scarf off. I don't know…" She tries to get to her feet, but despite his condition, despite everything he wraps a hand around her wrist._

 _"Sara." He mutters before practically sobbing from the pain, making Sara want to cry along with him at seeing her friend in this much pain._

 _"He's alive. He's ok. He um, he went out with Shado to get something to help you with those burns." She lies biting her lip as she does so, especially at the somewhat relived look on Slade's face at her lie._

 _Fighting back tears, she gets to her feet and crosses the plane to where they keep all their clean water, pouring some into a bucket as the tears fall._

 _Her boyfriend, the love of her life. Is gone. He could be gone forever because she has no idea where he could have gone._

 _Unless those who fired upon them got onto the island and are now holding him captive._

 _They could be hurting him, tourtchering him, killing him and there's nothing she, Shado or Slade can do to help him._

 _She's also fearful there's nothing she and Shado can do to help Slade, his cries of pain filling her ears again, making the tears fall faster from her eyes._

 _He's in so much pain…_

 _That's why she lied, she had to reassure him of something, she saw it in his eyes, past the pain, worry. Worry for Oliver. So she lied to him, anything to put his mind at rest due to all the agony he's in._

 _A sudden chirping fills her ears, Sara looking up in an instant, following the continuous chirps to a bird flying through a part of the plane that had been taken out by the flames._

 _Not just a bird either._

 _A yellow Canary._

 _A Canary… Memories fill Sara's mind in an instant._

 _The small Canary flies down to the bucket she's filling with water and looks up at her chirping away happily before flying away, tears still falling from Sara's eyes as she watches the Canary fly toward Slade, settling down on the top of his head._

 _"What. The. Bloody. Hell. is. That." Slade murmurs through the pain, muttering many other words of profanity as Sara races over to him, the Canary chirping cheerfully._

 _"It's a Canary." She says softly._

 _"Well. I. Don't. Don't. Care what it is. Get it of me head." Slade groans, the Canary seemingly looking up at Sara before flying away…_

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

"Sara." Oliver's voice pulls her suddenly out of her flashbacks, squeezing her hand.

"You ok?" He asks her as they head up the stairs together, as she nods.

"Memories. It's nothing Ollie." She plays it off.

"It's something. I can tell. Look, Sara we both know something about keeping secrets and respecting them, even though I don't totally understand why your still keeping yours from me and Slade." He reveals.

"What do you mean? Honesty Ollie they were just flashbacks…"

"I know you told me about Sin. You told me all about that but there's still something you're leaving out and it's bothering you. It's bothering you so much, I can tell and because it's bothering you, it's bothering me. So please just tell me, Sara. If you don't want to tell Slade, at the very least tell me." Oliver practically begs.

"I told you, it's nothing." Sara murmurs.

"And I know you better than that." Oliver retorts before stopping, Sara continuing to walk up the steps.

"Is this because of something that happened on the island? The flashbacks you keep gearing or is it something to do with what came after." He asks.

"After." Sara whispers as Oliver grabs her hand again, squeezing it gently.

"You know you can talk to me about any of that. You know I'll listen Sara, both Slade and I will. You just have to talk to us." Oliver says carefully.

"You know that there were things that I did there, things that I had to do to survive, things that there's no forgiveness for. You know that." She reminds him.

"Well, that's the thing about forgiveness. You can't get it until you ask for it, or confide in someone who loves you very, very much." He says as they reach the top step, Sara glancing at Oliver for a moment as she nearly caves.

Nearly tells him of what bothers her, the past catching up to her.

What she had to do to the one man who had tracked her down.

The man, whom she hopes was acting alone…

"Hey what's the betting Slade and his friends are still on the couch?" She says and forces a smile, placing the keys in the door as Oliver laughs.

"Let's find out." He smiles as they enter the apartment, both of them surprised to see that the four had moved and are sitting around the kitchen island.

"You know we could hear you." Leonard comments.

"So what, you four just raced to the kitchen island to prove us wrong?" Sara smirks.

"Moved about an hour ago." Lisa supplies, still practically lying again Slade.

"Nice to finally meet you properly Leonard." Oliver speaks up.

"Likewise. Slade's told me a lot about you, Queen." Leonard responds.

"Why do I have the feeling I don't want to know what he said?" Oliver looks to Slade who shrugs slightly.

"How did things go with your mother, kid?" Slade questions.

"Ran into Laurel, she's working on the case." Oliver mutters.

"Who's Laurel?" Mick questions.

"My sister." Sara replies.

"Damn that's a conflict right there." Leonard comments.

"Tell me about it." Oliver grumbles.

"Why would she do…"

Slade is cut off suddenly by a sudden shattering sound as a man leaps through the huge bay windows, a sword in hand, glass showering Slade, Lisa, Mick and Leonard.

The Dark Archer…

"Merlyn?" Oliver whispers as the man launches at them.

"GET DOWN!" He yells to the others as he ducks to avoid a hit by the sword, Sara blocking the man off as he starts to make toward Lisa, Leonard, Mick and Slade, whom pulls the three of them behind the kitchen island before racing to help Sara and Oliver fend of the man, whom they're still fighting, Oliver aiming a punch and a kick, both he and Sara distracting the man as Slade moves to grab one of his swords from the wall to engage in combat with the Dark Archer styled man.

"Stay here." Leonard mutters to Lisa as he and Mick race from where they were safely hidden behind the kitchen island to back up Slade, whom is fighting the man off with his sword expertly, finding the man quite equally matched in swordsmanship, whilst Oliver and Sara try to also battle him, when the man manages to use his sword to slice a deep cut into Slade's arm, it distracts him momentarily, only for Oliver and Sara to take over for brief moments before the masked man kicks and punches Sara hard in the face, knocking her to the ground, kicking Oliver backwards and moving forth to stab Slade when he scrambles to regain his sword, having dropped it when his arm was cut.

Picking up a lamp, Mick Rory chucks it at the man, the lamp smashing into his head, before the guy can stab Slade.

"Want more where that came from? Come over here and fight us!" Mick yells.

"Not your best idea Mick!" Leonard growls as he drops behind the couch to avoid getting hit by a star like object, The man throws, Mick joining him when another star like object is thrown in his direction, only nearly missing his head, landing by his feet.

He picks it up, looking at the object in his hands.

"More swords." Leonard comments as he pulls two swords from under the couch they're currently hidden behind.

"Leonard." Mick gasps, in awe at the object in his hand.

"What?" Leonard snaps, ready to jump into the battle between the man, Sara, Oliver and Slade are still currently facing off against, Slade basically engaging the man with his sword to keep him away from Sara and Oliver.

"Ninjas are real!" Mick comments.

"Nows really not the time Mick!" Leonard growls as Mick grabs the other sword, the two racing to help the others fight against the man, Mick managing to knock the guy backwards, only for him to turn on Sara who tries to slice his throat from behind, knocking her to the floor again, smashing his foot into her face to keep her down before turning back to face the others, engaging Slade, Leonard and Mick in a sword fight.

The man keeps on fighting though, focusing more on Slade, the better swordsman, yet tries not to get distracted by the other three and send a backward kick, successfully hitting Oliver, who falls back slightly, also knocking Mick's sword out of his hands.

"Hey!" Leonard snaps, forcing the man's attention onto him to distract him from Slade and Mick, only for the man to remove a hidden knife from his pocket and throw it at Leonard, Slade knocking him aside as he engages the masked man once more, managing to cut the side of his throat, knocking him off his game slightly, only for Oliver to come launching at him from behind, throwing him into the coffee table, he, Mick and Slade advancing on the guy, who struggles to get up as Oliver grabs him.

"Now I don't want to kill you. I love ninjas but I'll make an exception for you." Mick snarls.

"Agreed." Slade hisses as he and Mick advance on the man, whom Oliver rips the hood off.

"Get out of the way, kid." Slade snarls.

"Yeah, you heard him. Move!" Mick adds.

"No. No! Both of you stay there." Oliver shouts, focusing on the man on the ground, whom is revealed not to be Malcolm Merlyn.

"Who are you?" Oliver yells.

"Just a warrior, like you." He hisses as Sara tries to lift herself from the floor, her face covered in blood.

"Why are you dressed like Malcolm Merlyn! Huh? Who sent you? Oliver yells as the man simply throws another star like object at the massive light hanging above them all, sending Oliver, Slade, Mick, Leonard and Sara in different directions to avoid being hit by it.

The minute they turn back, the man is gone.

Sara tries to lift herself from the floor again, due to the silence, Lisa stands from her hidden place behind the kitchen island, Leonard growls in pain as he yanks the knife the man had thrown from his side, clutching his bleeding wound as Oliver and Slade look at one another in shock, surprise, disbelief and confusion...

"Is it just me who's wondering what the hell's going on?" Leonard drawls as they all look between one another, Slade and Mick concerned as they see that Leonard's wounded.

For once, no one having a single thought on the matter, all except Sara who just looks to Oliver, who races over to her in an instant.

"They've found me."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. I apologize if this chapter is the worst. I'm literally having to alter this whole episode to so much extent due to Sara's presence in my story. Thank you though for all of you whom have ever so kindest revived, follows and favorited this story, I'll try and get the next update out as soon as possible. Please tell me what you think.**


	85. League Of Assassins (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Five**

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

"So what did the three of you do to piss off the ninjas?" Mick Rory questions some time later after the attack.

Oliver and Lisa being the least wounded out of the group cleaning up all the broken glass from the now destroyed window.

"They're not ninjas." Sara mutters as she holds an ice pack to her bleeding nose from where the man in black had kicked her in the face.

"Sure looked like ninjas blondie." Mick retorts.

"This got something to do with that island you three were on?" Leonard questions, wincing as he stitches up the knife wound on his side from the attacker.

"Believe so." Slade mutters with a glance in Sara's direction.

"There were things we had to do during those five years. Things we had to do to survive. We made enemies." Sara admits.

"No kidding." Leonard replies sarcastically.

"People who hold grudges apparently." Oliver sighs.

"You don't know who they are?" Lisa looks up at him.

"We have a pretty good idea." Slade replies with another look to Sara, almost as if knowing who these people are, Oliver to.

"Yes. Yes we do." Sara murmurs as Oliver turns to look at her.

"Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you, ain't nothing you can do about it either." Leonard comments.

"Sounds like someone who has had experience." Sara points out.

"I've done a few questionable things before now, things that have come back to bite me in the ass." Leonard retorts.

"Which is why all you can do is try to bury it back in the past again but this time permanently." He adds as Oliver glares at the broken glass.

"Well the windows destroyed. Worse comes to the worse, we're going to have stay at Queen Mansion for a few days until it's fixed. I'll warn Thea." Oliver murmurs.

"And tell her what?" Leonard wonders.

"We had a break in." Oliver decides as others look at him skeptically.

"There were a lot of them." He adds before looking to Sara and Slade.

"I know a guy who does window repairs. We should go to him." Oliver says with a look that tells Sara and Slade instantly he really means 'we're going to The Foundry'.

"You two go on ahead. I'll join you later." Slade replies, Oliver and Sara nodding, the two heading for the door.

"That trip you three are going on, any chance you can go two days early?" Slade questions with a look to Leonard, Mick and Lisa, to no response other than Leonard folding his arms.

"These people, they'll come back and probably in more numbers. They know you're associated with us."

"You expect us to run?" Mick raises an eyebrow at him.

"And leave you here?" Leonard mutters.

"Yes and this time I want you to listen to me. You're already wounded, Leonard. Do not forget what happened the last time…"

"I got my leg crushed under a building, I know I was there but this ain't an earthquake." Leonard cuts him off.

"I will not see any of you harmed because of me, what happened in our pasts." Slade growls.

"And I told you, partners in crime. You three look like you need all the help you can get." Leonard says with a slight smirk.

"They'll go after you. Go after all three of you." Slade snarls, glancing to Lisa

"You really think we're listening? After last time." Leonard retorts.

"After last time I'd think so." Slade mutters.

"We ain't going anywhere. That son of bitch came after people I care about." Leonard replies stubbornly before looking to Lisa.

"But you're going to lay low." He commands.

"Lenny…" Lisa protests.

"No we ain't having a repeat of The Undertaking again, that I ain't gonna allow to happen, you understand me?" He says firmly as Slade looks to the three of them.

"For starters. You can't stay here, in case they decide to come back and finish the job." Slade murmurs after a minute.

"So what do you propose?" Leonard smirks as Slade heads toward the door.

"I know a place…"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Ok. Where the hell are we?" Leonard questions as Slade leads the three of them down a set of steps, toward a door, opening it.

"Found this place on a walk. Somewhere to go when I needed to be alone." He murmurs, some of the words truthful, most lies.

After figuring out there was an underground in Starling City, he, Sara and Oliver decided to explore some of it, finding this room which could be useful for either a hiding place, a third lair or storage, they hadn't decided, they'd just filled it with a few emergency provisions, food that would keep, water, couple of weapons hidden away, which is why it will make a great safe house for Leonard, Mick and Lisa, who enter the room, Slade switching on a light to reveal just a wide, empty space.

"So. Where to from here?" Leonard questions.

"Nowhere." Slade murmurs gruffly, yet before either of the three can protest, Slade grabs the keys from the shelf, darting out of the door and locking it behind him, locking Leonard, Mick and Lisa in also.

Keeping them safe.

He won't put them in danger, not after The Undertaking.

Never again.

Because if anything were to happen to them, it would be on him, it would be his fault if they got hurt, or worse and it's not a risk he's willing to take.

He can already hear them protesting as he walks away.

"Forgive me." He mutters.

 _The Foundry_

"I remember the first time I saw this hood." Sara says softly as she walks toward it, saying anything. Anything at all to break the silence that had descended on her and Oliver the whole journey to The Foundry.

"Shado was wearing it." She murmurs as Oliver just looks at her.

"Even after everything that happened. I. I still miss her. I miss the woman who said I was like a sister to her." She admits as she turns around to face Oliver again.

"Ollie please say something." She begs.

"League Of Assassins." He mutters, Sara looking down.

"We're not discussing this until Slade, Diggle and Felicity are in here but I've got to know. Has this got anything to do with that thing you weren't telling me?" Oliver murmurs.

"I tried, I tried to tell you." She whispers.

"How long." Oliver growls.

"What?" She asks quietly.

"How long has this been going on for?" He snarls.

"Since The Doll Maker case." She murmurs.

"For the love of god Sara!" He shouts in response.

"I'm sorry Ollie…"

"We should be talking about this. You should have told Slade and I what was going on! Has someone else been? Has another one of them been here other then that guy?" He yells as Sara nods quickly.

"I dealt with him. He threatened you and Slade. He's gone." She whispers as Slade appears from the top of the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" He snarls, glaring at Sara as he marches down the stairs.

"I was is it trying to find out. Apparently this has been going on since the Doll Maker case and someone else has been here but apparently Sara dealt with them." Oliver fills Slade in as he joins Oliver's side, the two of them looking at Sara angrily.

"Where's…" She starts.

"Safe. They're safe." Slade informs them.

"Have to lock them up?" Oliver guesses.

"There's a use for that underground room after all." Slade retorts before looking at Sara.

"You need to start telling us the truth, now Sara." Slade growls furiously just as Felicity and Diggle walk in, eying the scene in front of them with caution upon seeing the beyond angry expressions on Oliver and Slade's faces.

"What's going on?" Felicity asks sweetly, before taking in Sara's disheveled appearance, the blood stains on her face, Oliver looking somewhat the same as does Slade.

"What happened?" She whispers worriedly as she notices the deep gash on Slade's arm.

"We just had an uninvited guest in our apartment. Trained, highly skilled and he was dressed like Merlyn." Oliver mutters in somewhat explanation.

"Well, the last I checked Malcolm Merlyn was dead courtesy of an arrow jammed through his heart and god knows what injuries the three of you inflicted on the man." Diggle responds as Oliver shakes it head.

"That's because it wasn't him. It was something else, turns out Merlyn must have worked for the same organisation as them. He knows who we are." Oliver grumbles, placing a bag in Felicity's hand.

"Gee, I didn't get you a bag of dirt." She smiles.

"Found it in our house. The guy tracked it in, we need you to analyse it and hopefully it will lead us straight to him." Oliver mutters.

"Then what?" She whispers.

"He can follow Malcolm Merlyn into a grave." Oliver snips as Diggle folds his arms.

"Why am I feeling like there's more to this than your telling us?" He questions.

"Because there is." Slade snaps, looking to Sara.

"This got something to do with the island? This guy after you three? Or it something to do with the fact you killed Malcolm Merlyn, if they worked with the same organisation perhaps someone's looking for vengeance?" Diggle wonders.

"No. No he wasn't after Ollie and Slade. He's after me." Sara admits as Diggle looks to her, even Felicity turns around in her chair to face her at her words, both of them then looking to Oliver and Slade.

"What's going on here, guys? Who are these people?" Diggle asks quietly before stopping as he remembers.

"Wait. The Undertaking, you said Merlyn was trained by the same people you were Sara. These people you were with when you were separated from Oliver and Slade. Are these those people?" He questions as Sara looks down, nodding.

"Merlyn. This is Merlyn's doing. He must of tipped them off, he said he would. He must have managed to get a message out before we killed him." She whispers as the others just look at her with folded arms.

"You said these people were dangerous that if they ever found you…" Diggle trails off.

"Well they've found me. They know where we are. Someone… During the a Doll Maker case, one of them found me then. They were alone. I deluded myself thinking that they'd just gotten lucky and somehow found me in Starling City by sheer luck. He threatened Oliver and Slade and I killed him. That should have been the end of it but it wasn't. I was so stupid to think I could run from them forever…" Sara whispers as Diggle and Felicity looks at her I'm shock, looking to Oliver and Slade again.

"First time we're hearing about this to." Slade mutters as Felicity looks even more surprised. "What? You two didn't know about this?" She asks softly.

"Not these recent events we don't. She hasn't said anything to either of us." Oliver informs them before continuing.

"We know who these people are, we know everything that happened during the time she was with them. That Sara worked for them, what she did with them and that she left..."

"I didn't leave. I ran." Sara cuts him off.

"Who the hell are these people? And don't you start covering this up like you three always do. If they're here in Starling City and are as dangerous as you say we need the truth. Now." Diggle demands as Slade and Oliver nod.

"Yes. The truth would be nice." Slade growls.

"He's called Al Owl Al. 'The First' and he's a member of the League Of Assassins." Sara sighs.

"The League Of Assassins? This organization that trained you and Merlyn was the League Of Assassins? You were a member of the League Of Assassins Sara?" Diggle mutters in shock, shaking his head as Sara nods.

"I thought they were a myth." He murmurs.

"No they are quite real. I was one of them during those years I was away from Oliver and Slade and upon fighting with Merlyn, I realized he was one of them too." She explains.

"What's the League Of Assassins and please, don't say it's a League made up of assassins." Felicity whispers fearfully.

"Good guess." Sara mutters sarcastically.

"No, it's an urban legend. I heard about them in Afghanistan from a tribal leader. He claimed that there was an ancient set of assassins deadly warriors that killed and then vanished like ghosts. Thought he was smoking what he was selling but they're real." Diggle trails off.

"That's where I was for the years I was separated from Ollie and Slade. It's where I learned how to enhance my fighting skills. I was one of them." She whispers.

"Start explaining. From the start." Diggle commands, Sara looking away from him as he looks at her with a look Sara had always feared seeing if her friends knew she was in the League Of Assassins. The look of mistrust.

"After the freighter…"

"The freighter. What's this now?" Diggle cuts in.

"The freighter was on the island. This is where I was separated from Ollie and Slade." She informs him as he nods, allowing her to continue.

"A member of the League rescued me, took me in and brought me to Nanda Parbat. They remade me into what I am today and I swore them my allegiance but I left and made it look like I'd beed killed." She explains.

"So why are they kicking down door trying to find you now, after all this time?" Diggle questions as Sara looks up at him again.

"As I said. Merlyn must have tipped them off as we fought he taunted me. Kept telling me he'd tip them off, he must have done it before we killed him. Told them where I was, where to find me. Who I loved." She whispers before pulling the picture the League member gave her, placing it on the desk in front of Felicity.

"The first League member to show up, the one after the Doll Maker's case. He gave me that. Making it quite clear he knew who to target if I didn't do as he said. No one. No one threatens the people I love. I killed him with no remorse at all." She snarls as Diggle and Felicity glance at the picture of Sara with Oliver and Slade, Felicity looking up at her sadly.

"He wanted me to come back. Back to the League because as I told you. I ran from them and there's only one way that you leave the League." She says grimly.

"Why did you run from them in the first place?" Diggle continues.

"A few years ago I was in Guyana. I was sent there for a man named Suarez. He was a local diplomat and I slit his throat, in his bed and his kids…" Sara trails off, a sad look in her eyes, a look of remorse, guilt and regret.

"They found his body in the morning. That was the final straw for me. I. I tried to make it look like I'd committed suicide and made a run for it. I ran all the way to Russia where I met a friend. I couldn't go home. I couldn't come back to my family like that so I stayed with that friend and soon enough, Ollie and Slade arrived in Russia." Sara explains with a glance to Oliver and Slade as she remembers what it was like to see them both alive, having believed them to have been killed for all that time she spent in the League before finally being reunited with them in Russia.

"I was a murderer. A monster, I can't imagine what the two of you must think of me now." She murmurs as Felicity gets to her feet, walking across the room to Sara so she's standing right in front of her.

"I think you're still one of the best friends I have." Felicity admits softly before pulling Sara into a close hug.

"All of us have done things we regret." Felicity assures her.

"Not like what I did." Sara whispers.

"I massacred a good part of an organization, killed so many people in my time. Felicity's right. We did what needed to do to survive." Slade points out as Sara turns her head, her arms still mostly wrapped around Felicity, to face Oliver and Slade.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you two the truth, that they'd come back. I deluded myself thinking it would all just go away when I killed the first guy and I wanted to protect you both. I'm so sorry." She says genuinely.

"Lying to us doesn't protect us Sara. The three of us. We need to all be on the same page with this kind of stuff." Oliver retorts with folded arms.

"And even if you think you're protecting us you still shouldn't withhold information of this sort of importance. Lying to protect rarely works out, you should know that by now." Slade mutters as Sara closes her eyes in regret, waiting for someone to say something else when Oliver's phone begins to vibrate.

'Where are you?' A text from Thea reads.

"I have to go to Iron Heights. Felicity, we need you to find this Al Ow-Al." Oliver commands as he turns for the stairs, Sara following him.

"You don't have to come. Your knowledge is probably better spent here." Oliver says to Sara quietly, who nods, staying where she is, watching Oliver and Slade disappear up the stairs.

Hurriedly, she wipes away a stray tear as it rolls down her cheek…

 _Slade's Plane_

 _After watching the Canary flying away, Sara wipes the tears from her eyes and sets to work removing the scarf from Slade's burned skin with the water she has._

 _"Crying over. A. Bird?" Slade mutters through the agony he's in._

 _She wants to punch him. Her tears are for Oliver, for Slade himself._

 _Yet she can't tell him that she's crying because Oliver's no where to be found, that his fate is unknown. She has to keep up the façade that he's ok, out with Shado looking for stuff to help Slade with his burns, to give Slade some peace of mind._

 _"It was a Canary." She murmurs as she bites her lip when Slade cries out in pain again._

 _"Canary eh?" He replies as Sara nods._

 _"Yeah. It must have liked you to land on you like that." She comments._

 _"There's that. Or. It. Was… Trying to piss me off." He says with what Sara believes to be a somewhat smile before he groans in agony, closing his eyes._

 _"Did you have any pets in Australia?" She asks quickly, trying to distract him from the pain and also keep him awake._

 _Fearing that if he falls asleep he'll never wake up…_

 _"Nah. What about you?" He mutters._

 _"I did actually. It was a Canary." She replies._

 _"Ahh that's why…" He stops for a moment due to the pain._

 _"You were getting all teary eyed about that damn bird." Sara laughs softly, managing to peel most of the scarf away._

 _"Think you can. Salvage that? I like… That scarf." He requests as Sara nods._

 _"Surprisingly it's mostly remained in tact, quite a bit singed in places but I'm sure you'll be able to wear it again." She smiles as she folds it up, closing her eyes when she hears Slade crying out in pain again from his severe burns._

 _"When I was a kid my dad brought me a pet. It was a Canary." She starts, deciding to tell Slade the story as in a way of distracting him._

 _"Sweet thing used to sing and chirp all day and night. Used to drive my parents and Laurel crazy but I loved it. I loved that canary so much. I loved the bird and I loved the fact my dad gave it to me. So when I saw that one just, it just made me think of home. My dad, my sister. Sounds stupid but I thought perhaps it's a sign I'm going to see them again." She admits to Slade, who glances at her a minute._

 _"If. If I have… Anything to do with it.. You will." He murmurs, moving his burnt hand slowly, his hand shaking as he manages wrap it around Sara's fingers before murmuring in quite a sad voice._

 _"Hope Shado and the kid come back soon."_

 _Iron Heights_

"You cannot be serious!" Both Oliver and Slade hear Thea yell as they approach the prison.

"What's going on here?" Oliver questions as he and Slade reach the table Moira, her lawyer and Thea are stood around.

"She wants to take the deal!" Thea shouts in annoyance.

"Mom. If this is about the death penalty…"

"I've been explaining this to your mother." Her lawyer cuts Oliver off.

"Even if we ever get to sentencing, you were acting under duress. I have everything I need to keep them from sentencing you to death." She looks to Moira.

"They death penalty doesn't scare me Jean." Moira says carefully.

"Then why aren't you fighting!" Oliver snaps.

"I have my reasons…"

"Name one." Thea growls.

"Because I'm tired of fighting. I am not confident that I can win over a jury." She stops a moment before looking to Oliver and Slade in particular.

"And I'm not altogether certain that I deserve to." She admits.

"That was actually three." Thea mutters.

"Thea…" Moira starts as she approaches her.

"No seriously. You're just ready to give up?! Just take your medicine and spend the rest of your life in here. Despite everything you did. We still need you. I still need you!" Thea shouts before getting to her feet.

"I. I can't take this." She says before walking away, Moira's lawyer following her leaving only Moira, Oliver and Slade, silence passing for a moment.

"Growing up. I didn't think that there were secrets kept between us. Last year I learned different and I've gotten pretty good at knowing when you're hiding something from me." Oliver admits as she looks away immediately.

"So mom. What are you hiding now?" Oliver asks in a soft voice as she reaches forward and grabs his hands.

"Help your sister come to terms with my choice because it's made…"

"You can't do this to her mom." Oliver shakes his head at her.

"Oliver…"

"You know, after last year. I fully agree with you being punished for what you did but if there's a chance you can avoid this for your daughters sake, who still despite everything accepts and loves you. You should take it for her sake if nothing else." Slade cuts in.

"Last year I tried to kill you." She says in hushed tones.

"Ohh I'm very much aware as are your children, who've put that aside because despite it your still their mother and they need you. You know I would give just about anything to be able to be with my son again but I'm never going to get the chance to because he's gone. You still have both of your children, who care about you. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to do anything as a parent to be able to be with your children properly again." Slade mutters as Oliver looks to him gratefully.

"He's right." Oliver folds his arms as Moira sighs.

"But the decision's already been made."

 _Verdant_

"She's hiding something." Oliver speaks up as they're approaching Verdant.

"I agree, kid. She was hiding something, I could tell." Slade nods.

"Thank you, for what you said." Oliver notes.

"Don't think it made any Impact."

"Thank you anyway, for trying. I know you and my mother don't exactly have much in common and then there is also the fact that she tried to kill you but still you tried to talk her out of lifelong imprisonment anyway." Oliver gives him a sad smile.

"Anything for you, kid." Slade replies with a slight smirk as sarcastic clapping fills the air.

"You know I didn't take you for the comforting type." Comes the familiar drawl of Leonard as he stands with his arms folded, leaning against the bar.

"I thought you dealt with him." Oliver murmurs.

"As did I, kid. I'll meet you in minute." He grumbles as Oliver nods and heads past, with a glance to Leonard, toward the basement.

"What are you doing!" Slade snarls the minute the two are alone.

"Helping you. Don't worry, I left Lisa in the safe house, told Mick to keep an eye on her. I'm not stupid." He explains.

"How did you escape?" Slade grumbles.

"Ain't many prisons Mick and I can't break out of." Leonard smirks.

"Leonard I explained to you. I will not see you come to harm because of us." Slade growls.

"Heard you the first time. Just chose not to listen." Leonard folds his arms.

"Listen to this. If anything were to happen to you. I would never forgive myself because truth be told Leonard you are one of the only friends I have…"

"Which is why I ain't gonna just abandon you because it's the exact same for me Slade. There are three people in my life I care for and that's Lisa, Mick and you. I also have a somewhat code. You never leave one of your own behind and that's what I'd be doing if I didn't help you with this." Leonard points out as Slade sighs before replying sharply.

"You say that's your code. Never leaving one of your own behind. You do this, you join me on this one and you're leaving Lisa and Rory behind. Now I don't see how someone with your code could possibly do that because I know your sister, you know I know her and she tells me that you are all she has and you were to be killed she would have no one. Be smart Leonard, choose the right way." Slade snaps before storming past Leonard, knowing his words have had effect when Leonard doesn't follow him and Slade walks with ease knowing Leonard hopefully will remain safe, toward the basement.

Meanwhile, Leonard stands with his arms folded still after Slade's departure, a determined look crossing his face, before muttering his answer aloud.

"Chosen."

 _The Foundry_

Felicity sticks the dirt in the analysis machine she has, pressing a few buttons on it as she looks to Sara whom had been pacing up and down since Oliver and Slade left.

Reaching out a hand, Felicity wraps it around Sara's wrist, pulling the woman to a standstill.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor." She smiles softly.

"I'm sorry about before." Sara replies with a glance to Felicity.

"We all join clubs we wish we hadn't. It took me a year to get out of that gym membership." She murmurs as Sara laughs lightly, resting her head on Felicity's shoulder.

"Thank you for not making me feel like I was. I'm glad Oliver and Slade found you." She murmurs as Felicity frowns.

"You're welcome because your not a monster. Not the Sara Lance I know and care about and you mean, you, Oliver and Slade. You all met me at the same time, remember?" Felicity says softly as Sara freezes, realizing her mistake.

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what I meant. Sorry I'm all over the place." Sara says quickly, too quickly.

"That didn't sound like a mistake." Felicity replies with a nervous laugh just as Oliver appears, storming down the stairs..

"How did it go with Moira?" Diggle questions as Oliver storms past him and Sara.

"Not well. Have you found somebody for us to hit yet?" Oliver snaps.

"Could be. Where's Slade?" Felicity looks around.

"Here." Comes the familiar voice of Slade as he heads down the steps, slamming the basement door behind him.

"How did it go with him?" Oliver starts.

"Just leave it, kid." Slade snaps before looking to Felicity.

"You were saying?"

"Spectro analysis of the dirt from your apartment had trace amounts of aldicarb in them." She reveals.

"What?" Oliver frowns.

"It's a pesticide. Starling City used to have its own aldicarb plant, but per the EPA it was shut down three years ago." She explains.

"What's it being used for now?" Oliver questions.

"Nothing it's abandoned, but my guess is, it's the homebase to one League Of Assassins assassin." She murmurs as Oliver and Slade instantly head toward their vigilante uniforms and weapons.

"He will kill you two." Sara cries instantly, racing toward them.

"Like you we are not that easy to get rid of." Oliver mutters.

"After all this time you should know that by now." Slade adds.

"This is my fight. I won't lose you two to them." Sara cries.

"He made it our fight when he came into our house and when he threatened somebody that I love." Oliver retorts as he and Slade begin to walk away.

"And we're going to do this, with you, or without you."

 _Starling City_

Al Owl-Al stands sharpening his knives around a table, smirking into the darkness as he lifts a long blade into his hands, stopping when he sees the flickering of lights, another smile crossing his face, he runs his fingers up the length of the sword just as an arrow soars past his head, he catches it in one hand.

"Arrows. Such an ineffective projectile." He comments as he holds it in hand.

"I find it strange anyone who still fears them." He smirks.

"I'll show you why if you don't leave Sara Lance alone. This is your only warning!" The Arrow yells back.

"And it would be effective were the three of you to pose a threat to me. You three barely defeated Malcolm Merlyn at nearly the cost of your own lives. What hope would you have against the man who trained him?" He smiles.

"Let's find out!" A menacing growl comes from behind him as he turns to only just intercept an attack from The Man In The Mask, engaging the man in a sword fight instantly.

"I am fortunate." Al Owl-Al hisses as The Man In The Mask swings his sword at him.

"I didn't come alone either." He growls as two more Dark Archer styled men step from out of the darkness, the two turning on The Arrow and The Woman In Black.

"The child of Ra's Al Ghul awaits your return!" One assassin hisses to her.

"I'm not going back!" She snaps.

"That's not your choice. We have orders to return you, alive or dead." The assassin growls.

"Your not going to kill me." The Woman In Black mutters, the Arrow glancing once to her and to the fight going on between The Man In The Mask and Al Owl-Al.

"You over estimate your importance. Regardless you're coming back with us." He snarls as two more assassins jump out from behind The Woman In Black.

Now there are five league members in the room…

The Arrow begins to fire arrows as he jumps down into the fight, The Woman In Black battling off two assassins with her batons with difficulty as The Arrow battles another two, The Man In The Mask still occupied with Al Owl-Al.

"You're a rather spectacular swordsman. Perhaps if I don't kill you I should take you back to Ra's Al Ghul. I'm sure he'd be very interested in meeting you." Al Owl-Al mutters as he dodges an oncoming sword attack from The Man In The Mask.

"As would I. So I could cut down the son of a bitch who's after my family." The Man In The Mask snarls as he kicks Al Owl-Al backwards.

"You have potential for such greatness in the League. Such a pity you're aligned with a traitor." Al Owl-Al comments as he fights back, The Man In The Mask growling as he swings his sword, almost decapitating Al Owl-Al.

Meanwhile, the fight between the four other assassins and The Woman In Black and The Arrow is still ongoing, The Arrow shooting desperately at the two assassins that keep approaching him whilst The Woman In Black engages the other two with little ease, racing toward another platform and jumping on top of it as the two assassins follow her quickly, one grabbing a knife and sliding it sharply down her back.

Seeing her injured and unable to carry on without being defeated, The Arrow knocks the two assassins aside momentarily, climbing up the side of the metal structure to get to her, the two assassins continuing to follow her.

"There's no escape from us!" Al Owl-Al snarls, looking past The Man In The Mask to see that The Woman In Black has been wounded.

"You know, there just might be." The Man In The Mask growls as he throws a knife toward a pipe which explodes into smoke, causing a distraction for the four assassins around The Arrow and The Woman In Black.

"I'll hold them off get her out of here!" The Man In The Mask yells to The Arrow and The Woman In Black.

"No." The Woman In Black shouts as The Man In The Mask holds Al Owl-Al back slightly as he tries to race toward the other two vigilantes, the four assassins still blinded by the smoke as The Arrow shoots upwards, using it to reluctantly swing upwards, wrapping his arms around The Woman In Black as he goes, pulling her up and away.

"No! We can't leave him no!" The Woman In Black cries as The Arrow just holds on to her as they disappear from sight.

She's injured, wounded, they'd kill her or take her. The Man In The Mask told them to get out and despite the fact it destroys The Arrow to do this, as many times before, he trusts The Man In The Mask's words, but more importantly, trusts The Man In The Mask's abilities to fight…

"You've just sealed your fate." Al Owl-Al yells as he watches The Arrow disappear with The Woman In Black.

"Funny how things work out isn't it." The Man In The Mask snarls before engaging Al Owl-Al in a sword fight again as the other four assassins begin to surrounded him.

"Any last words?" One assassin hisses as The Man In The Mask begins to battle the five, knowing that it is most likely hopeless and that he's outnumbered five to one.

He'll fight to the end.

For Sara, for Oliver.

If he loses his life ensuring their safety then that would be fine by him.

Still he goes on fighting, swinging his sword around expertly, and even manages to run one of the assassins that attack him for the side through.

"You show courage, yet you have now spilled League blood. There is only one…"

"Ahh be quiet will you!" Comes a familiar voice from behind Al Owl-Al.

The man with the blue parka.

The man who stole the money during the vertigo incident, who robbed the auction after the dodger incident.

The man with the blue parka is Leonard.

"Reinforcements? How exciting, you can watch him die!" Al Owl-Al growls as pulling out a sword, spinning around and stabbing Leonard through with it.

"No!" The Man In The Mask growls, all surprise forgotten.

"Now for you." Al Owl-Al smirks but The Man In The Mask throws a knife at another pipe, causing gas to explode all over the now four assassins, The Man In The Mask having killed at least one.

Due to the distraction, The Man In The Mask is able to run toward Leonard, grabbing his bleeding form and dragging him out of the abandoned building.

"If she will not return willingly she will stay to bury her family!" Al Owl-Al yells into the smoke, but The Man In The Mask and Leonard are already long gone.

Once quite a distance away from the building around into a deserted alleyway, The Man In The Mask stops as Leonard sort of slumps toward the floor due to his large wound.

"The Man In The Mask, saving me again?" Leonard mutters as The Man In The Mask switches on his voice modifier.

"You're a fool." He mutters.

"I. I never understood during The Undertaking why someone like you, a hero, would save a guy like me, a criminal, a thief." Leonard mutters, The Man In The Mask hearing all his words perfectly. Everything Leonard ever told him was a lie…

But can he really hold that against Leonard? Everything he's told Leonard has been a lie…

"Then you told me someone cared about me. No one cares about me, no one in Starling City, other, other than one." He murmurs as blood starts to appear from his mouth.

"You're going to be fine." The Man In The Mask growls, beginning to pull him away.

"May be a criminal but I… I have a code. Never leave one of my own behind… Told you that, didn't I?" Leonard murmurs weakly as he rests a blood covered hand over The Man In The Mask's gloved one, muttering before he slips into the darkness…

"Slade Wilson."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, I apologize for the last fight scene being a bit terrible. Thank you to all of you kind people who have ever so kindly reviewed, followed and favorited this story it means a lot. Next chapter is in the works. Please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter.**


	86. League Of Assassins (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Six**

 _The Foundry_

"No! We have to go back, Ollie we have to go back. We can't just leave him." Sara cries as Oliver carries her as carefully as he can due to the massive slice on her back, down the stairs, staying silent as Diggle and Felicity appear at the bottom of the steps.

"Ohh my god what happened!" Felicity cries upon seeing the blood on Oliver's hands and the fact he's carrying Sara.

"League Of Assassins called in reinforcements. Five to three." Oliver mutters as he puts Sara down on her feet, keeping his hands on his waist to steady her as he helps her out of her black jacket and corset, glancing at the deep long gash on Sara's back.

"Felicity can you pass me the first aid kit?" Oliver requests as Felicity is already moving toward it, when she stops, looking to Oliver and Sara and then to the stairs.

"Where's Slade?" She asks slowly to silence.

"Felicity. The first aid kit." Oliver practically hisses this time.

"Oliver, Sara. Where is Slade?" She whispers coming to a stand still.

"He'll be back." Oliver murmurs as he sighs in momentary frustration, moving from Sara's side and grabbing the first aid kit himself as they all hear the sound of whimpering coming from Sara and it's not because she's in physical pain…

"Oliver where is he?" Diggle asks softly.

"He'll be back soon. He's coming back." Oliver practically snaps as he turns back to face Sara, grabbing a needle and thread.

"He's Slade, of course he's coming back." He murmurs.

"There was five of them!" Sara suddenly snaps.

"Yeah and he's Slade freaking Wilson! He'll be just fine. Trust me, he's going to walk straight down those steps soon and he's gonna be so smug and pleased with himself because he killed all five of those assassins." Oliver retorts, but it sounds more like he's trying to reassure himself than anything else.

"We need to go back." Sara says almost instantly afterwards.

"No, you're hurt. That's what he wanted. He wanted you to be safe." Oliver murmurs back.

"Where is he?" Felicity cries.

"We were outnumbered. Slade was dealing with Al Owl-Al, the other four assassins were after Sara and I. The fight was long, they cut Sara off both ways and well, you've seen what they've done to her. Slade distracted the five of them long enough to give Sara and I chance to get out of there. He um… He stayed behind." Oliver admits as he pulls the needle out of Sara's back, murmuring apologetic words in a language Diggle and Felicity can't translate.

"We don't know if he got out or if he…"

"You left him there?" Felicity whispers.

"We didn't want to. Do you think I could live with myself if they…" Oliver trails off, shaking his head.

"No. He's okay. He'll be back soon." Oliver says determinedly.

"Oliver, it's the League Of Assassins…" Diggle starts.

"I'm quite aware of that fact Diggle!" Oliver shouts suddenly as Felicity all but falls into her desk chair.

"I've seen him take down armies of people." Oliver reminds Sara quietly.

"Yeah, when he was high on a strength enhancing, everything enhancing toxin!" She growls, inaudibly to Diggle and Felicity, who is furiously typing away.

"Slade can you hear me? Slade!" Felicity calls through the comms to complete silence.

"Perhaps he's out of range. I can boost the signal." She murmurs, typing away rapidly, until Diggle rests his hand over hers.

"Felicity stop." He says quietly.

"No. No we cannot just sit here and do nothing whilst he's still out there!" She cries,

"We can wait." Diggle suggests.

"No we cannot just wait!" Felicity snaps as she continues to type.

"All done." Oliver murmurs to Sara, resting a hand on her shoulder as he finishes up with her stitches, another scar for her already extensive collection before pressing a kiss to the top of her blonde head, moving to grab a clean shirt for her to wear.

Once she's put it on, he moves toward her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"I'm so sorry Ollie." She whispers in a heartbroken voice.

"It's okay. It's okay honey. Shh it's okay." Oliver comfort her as he watches the tears appear in her eyes, pressing a kiss to her forehead and holding her in his arms, mindful of where he rests his hands due to the injury on her back and Sara buries her head against his chest.

"I can't. I can't even get a damn signal." Felicity growls, burying her head in her hands.

"I'm going back out there. Sara, you stay here and heal." Oliver tries to move from her embrace but Sara just clutches to him tighter.

"They'll kill you if you go back Ollie. They've probably already killed…"

"No. No we can't think like that. No." Oliver shake his head, pulling away from Sara and heading back toward fresh arrows as Sara buries her head in her hands, moving toward the computers to stand beside Felicity, moving one hand so Felicity can hold it and she does.

She clutches it tight.

"The League Of Assassins, man." Diggle murmurs as he catches Oliver's wrist in one hand.

"Diggle, not now." Oliver growls.

"Why wouldn't she tell Felicity and I the truth about what happened to her that time she spent separated from you two? She hinted at it so often and many times I asked her to embellish but she didn't and look where we are." Diggle can't help but mutter.

"You know. It's probably for the same reason the three of us don't talk about what happened to us on the island because we don't have to." Oliver snaps as he walks away from Diggle.

"We need to find Slade. That's our main priority. We also need to protect the Lance's because I'm pretty confident they're going to be after them next." Oliver proclaims in a grim tone of voice.

"Sara, you're hurt. Go to Laurel and the kids. I'm going after Slade." Oliver instructs as Sara nods slowly.

"What about my father?" She whispers.

"I'll go talk to Detective Lance. Make myself useful. I can't stay here. I need to be doing something." Felicity murmurs.

"Tell him he needs to get out of town for a couple of days." Sara instructs before adding.

"I'm probably going to tell Laurel the same." She admits as Felicity nods, both Oliver and Sara watching as Felicity pulls the 'old rag' Slade had given her from her handbag and wrap it around her neck, like a scarf.

So ironic give what the rag truly is, Oliver and Sara think, but don't say a word as looking at it only brings thoughts of Slade, Sara thinks as she watches Felicity trail her fingers over the 'old rag'…

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Hey Slade. I think your scarf's survived." Sara says in a gentle voice as she finishes washing it off, surprised when not much of it appears to be destroyed, only a section of it is rather badly singed, Slade having requested it washing and to keep him alert and awake, she complied instantly and the minute it's clean, she shows him the proof._

 _"Want me to hang it up to dry?" She asks, planning on doing so anyway, just wants to keep him talking._

 _"No, no." Slade murmurs reaching out for it with shaking burnt hands, moving toward him, Sara places the scarf in his awaiting hands._

 _"So what's the story behind the scarf? You seem rather attached to it." Sara decides to ask, to silence from Slade, other than his frequent pained cries and whimpers from the pain and Sara gently smoothes his dark hair back in an attempt of trying to give him some comfort despite the agony he's in._

 _"Ohh come on Slade. I told you about the canary. You owe me a story now." Sara says in a joking voice with a smile._

 _"It was from my son. Joe." Slade murmurs in short words whilst he rides out the pain._

 _"When I. When I left with Billy… Wintergreen for this mission. It was all I took with me from my son. I wear it. Every mission." He admits._

 _"I miss him Sara." Slade whispers completely unexpected to Sara who nods._

 _"And you'll see him again. You'll go home to him. It's like you told me. I'll see my family again if you've got anything to do with it and if I've got anything to do with it you're going to see your son again." She says gently, hearing footsteps approaching the plane, getting to her feet and pulling her knife from her pocket, she moves toward the entrance._

 _"Ollie?" She finds herself whispering._

 _"It's only me." Comes the voice of Shado as she appears, a basket full of what looks to be different variations of plants, leafs and mud._

 _"I think I've gotten enough. How is he?" She glances toward her boyfriend worriedly._

 _"Not good." Sara murmurs as Shado shudders and soon starts to move toward Slade._

 _"That you, love?" Slade croaks as Shado nods._

 _"Yeah. I'm here. I'll be there in a minute." She says softly, looking to Sara when she wears her hand around her wrist and let's Sara pull her outside the plane, quite a bit away from Slade's line of hearing._

 _"What?" Shado asks instantly._

 _"He's not good Shado…"_

 _"I know, so let me go and see if I can do anything for him." Shado tries to move but Sara stops her again._

 _"No, Shado. He's really not in a good way. He's in so much pain, he kept asking how you and Ollie were, where you two were and…"_

 _"Sara please tell you told Slade that Ollie's not with us because I couldn't find him." Shado says in a warning tone._

 _"I lied to him Shado. He's in so much pain. I couldn't bare to see him in anymore so I told him Ollie was out gathering plants with you." She admits as Shado runs a hand through her hair, shaking her head._

 _"Sara!" She groans._

 _"We can't tell him the truth. Not until we're sure he's somewhat in a stable condition. I don't know what it would do to him." Sara looks toward the plane door when she heads agonized cries of pain again._

 _"We can't lie to him. He's going to work out sooner or later Oliver's not with us. No we need to tell him the truth. If he asks. I'm going to tell him the truth, now we need to get to him." Shado says sternly as she and Sara renter the plane, both women moving to sit either side of Slade, Shado looking into the basket of things she's collected to see which one she's used first, smiling sadly when the hand Slade doesn't have wrapped around the scarf, finds hers._

 _"Missed you love." Slade mutters as Shado nods._

 _"Me to." She says sweetly as she eyes the mud._

 _"Kid?" Slade suddenly murmurs causing Sara and Shado to freeze._

 _"Oliver?" He mutters, crying out due to the agony from his extensive burns as Shado places a fleeting kiss to the top of his head._

 _"He's ok Slade. He's just not here though, he's still gathering plants, he wanted to bring back another basket full, just for you. See I told you, he does care about you." Shado smiles somewhat as Sara just looks to her at her words, but says nothing when Slade looks to relax ever so slightly as Shado starts to apply some of the mud to his wounds._

 _"It's getting dark." Slade murmurs._

 _"Kid better get back here soon."_

 _Shado and Sara say nothing._

 _Nothing at all…_

 _Starling City: General_

"I hate hospitals." Leonard drawls upon regaining consciousness, gazing around at his surroundings to see the hospital room he's in, the pain hitting him almost instantly from where he was stabbed, slightly dulled by the the drugs.

Sitting in a chair across from his bed, Slade looks up somewhat relieved to see Leonard awake and alive.

"If I hadn't have brought you here. You would have bled out, not to mention the internal damage that was done. You're lucky to be alive." He grumbles as Leonard smirks.

"Had near misses before Slade."

"Bet you have. As a thief, a criminal?" Slade mutters.

"Look Slade…" Leonard starts, trying to sit up, despite the agonising pain.

"Was everything you ever told me a lie? Who the hell are you Leonard? If that's even your real name." Slade growls as Leonard sighs.

"Yes. I'm a thief, a criminal but what about you you're The Man In The Mask. Was anything you told me true?" Leonard retorts and Slade is silent a moment as even he can't get past the fact that Leonard has a valid point.

"Other than my place of work and the fact I've never once told you my surname, nothing I told you was in fact a lie. Everything I've ever said to you has been the truth. I didn't lie about us being partners in crimes, about us being friends. The only friend I have beside my sister and Mick. All that, that was the truth and I am from Central City." Leonard mutters.

"You know the last friend, partner I had that betrayed me. Someone I'd know for so long, so many years, a man I trusted beyond most. He betrayed me. He lied to me, this man was the godfather to my son, like a brother to me. I trusted him with my life and he turned his back on me; lied to me and betrayed me and I drove my sword through his eye." Slade snarls, getting to his feet.

"And what's the difference in me not telling you that I was a criminal and you not telling me that you were one of the vigilantes? What's the difference? You've killed people, you may be heroic but I have noticed the vigilantes are counted as criminals. I know the probable body count you have and I'm betting it's a rather high one. You came back for me and Lisa during The Undertaking and you didn't say a word. We went back there for you, when we didn't have to if you'd just told us who you were. So you can hate me for this, for who I am. For the lies I told, when other than job occupation you and I are the same." Leonard points out as Slade heads toward the door.

"We're not the same. We never will be." He hisses opening the door, almost getting knocked down by Mick Rory in the process.

"He locked us up. Can I punch him?" Mick glares at Slade.

"Ohh I wish you would." Leonard mutters with a glare of his own at Slade.

"Released them. Figured they'd want to know what was going on with their partner in crime." Slade mutters as Lisa looks at her brother worriedly.

"Lenny." She whispers, panic evident in her voice, beyond relieved at seeing him alive.

"Think I'll leave you three. I've got a more pressing matter to deal with." He growls as Lisa catches his hand.

"Slade, what's wrong?" She whispers, looking at him anxiously.

"Lisa he knows." Leonard drawls as Slade pulls out of her grasp.

"You to? All three of you are criminals?" He stares almost matter of factly.

"Wondered when he'd catch on." Mick mutters.

"Slade." Lisa whispers as she reaches for his hand again, only for him to pull away.

"If you three were smart, which I believe you are. You'd get out of here and never return." Slade mutters as he heads away from people he used to trust.

Care for even.

Memories of Billy's betrayal fills his head as he walks away.

What he said to Oliver that night by the campfire was true.

Everybody is in this life for themselves.

 _Starling City_

"Laurel. Call me back if you can. Are you still at work? Or are you with Tommy? I'm off work myself at the moment and I wanted to know if you want someone to take care of the kids because knowing you, you've either got Leena, Cat or that neighbor of yours watching them. They might want to see their grandfather, you know. Just call me back if you need me, love you." Quentin smiles as he hangs up the phone, crossing the street to his apartment.

"Detective Lance! I knew you'd be getting home around now because your shift has ended." Felicity Smoak calls as she races toward him.

"Which I knew because I kind of pinged your cell phone." she admits nervously.

"Miss Smoak." Quentin mutters, moving past her.

"You have cockroaches and they mean business." She admits.

"Since when did you start making house calls?" He grumbles as he walks toward his front door, away from her.

"Since you're in danger." Felicity informs him.

"I'm not afraid of cockroaches." Quentin mutters.

"Yes, you're in real danger!" Felicity shouts, grabbing his shoulder to make him face her, looking at him nervously and pulling her hand away instantly.

"You need to get out of town for a couple of days." She explains.

"Listen. I'm in danger every time I put on this uniform, so you're going to have to be more specific." Quentin retorts.

"There's an organisation called the League Of Assassins and five of its members are targeting you." She reveals as Quentin just rolls his eyes at her incredulously.

"It sounded a little less crazy in my head." Felicity whispers.

"I doubt it." Quentin mutters, turning away again.

"Malcolm Merlyn was apparently a member that should give you some sort of idea about the type of people we're dealing with here they could have also just killed someone I care about more than anyone knows." Felicity admits.

"Ok I'll bite. What did I do to piss them off?" Quentin questions.

"That… Um. Is a really long story. You just, you need to trust me." Felicity admits.

"You're not safe here in Starling City…"

"Smoak, nobody's safe, ok? Especially not us cops we get shot at for a living and my shift? It just ended!" He snaps before walking away from her.

"Detective Lance…"

"Good night!" Quentin retorts.

"Wait you need to listen to me!" Felicity cries.

"Goodnight Miss Smoak." Quentin sighs as Felicity stares after him.

"So I guess this means you're not leaving town?" She calls but Quentin is already long gone…

 _The District Attorney's Office_

Stacking a file of papers and filling several others away, Laurel smiles as she slides them into the draw, knowing the day is nearing its end and she can get back to her babies.

Unfortunately todays one of those days when Leena isn't available and Cat is at work with Laurel herself, but luckily her wonderful neighbor said he'd look after them for her, apparently only originally planning to spend the day reading books anyway.

"Hey sis." Comes the familiar voice of Sara as she approaches the desk.

"Sara. Wait, if this is about Moira's case its really not appropriate for us to be discussing it." Laurel says quickly as Sara walks around the desk to stand beside her sister.

"I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here for my sister. Do you want to go and get something to eat?" Sara suggests sweetly as Laurel rests a hand on Sara's shoulder.

"It's been a really long day and I really need to get back to Brandon and Rebecca. Stein's babysitting them for me today. He is such a kind neighbor." Laurel smiles.

"Yeah your neighbor is a legend." Sara comments as Laurel nods.

"He really helped me out the other week. I'm glad he decided to come to Starling City." She notes as she wraps an arm around Sara's shoulders.

"I think we all are after how he dealt with that child services nightmare." Sara replies as the two sisters head for the door together, talking amongst themselves, yet as she leads Laurel to her car, Sara doesn't stop continuously looking behind her shoulder.

Just in case…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Having retuned to the place he last saw Slade. The Arrow moves quickly through the hole in the ceiling he'd made only hours previously, dropping down onto the ground.

"Slade!" He calls loudly, looking around rapidly for anything.

League Of Assassin members, or any hint that Slade could still be alive.

No. He's alive. He's ok. Oliver thinks to himself hurriedly as he moved through the abandoned warehouse, stopping when he sees a body on the ground.

His blood runs cold and he's frozen in place for all of few seconds before he slowly starts to approach the body, sighing in relief when he sees it to be one of the assassins.

Slade must have killed him, he thinks, somewhat hope filling him that Slade could indeed have destroyed all these members that showed up and is off celebrating somewhere…

But that's nothing but wishful thinking.

The Arrow keeps on searching the building until he puts his foot in something, a large puddle, stopping instantly, he looks down at his feet.

He's standing in a puddle of blood.

It's not his, Oliver tells himself as he keeps on moving, despair creeping in.

Where the hell is Slade?

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment Building_

"You know every day I think they've added more stairs in this place." Laurel laughs softly as she and Sara climb the staircase up toward the very top floor.

"I used to hate stairs. Yet once you've climbed a few mountains Its not as noticeable as it was." Sara comments as Laurel glances at her.

"Climbed some mountains during the five years?" She asks carefully.

"Yeah I did. Worst was probably with Slade and Ollie. As a) those two just wouldn't quit arguing the whole way up and down again, b) Slade can be a right nightmare when he wants to be." Sara says with a slight smile at the memory, yet it only makes her think of Slade.

How he's still out there and could have been killed by the League because of her.

If anything happened to Slade it would all be on her.

She just prays Oliver had managed to find him and that they're both safe…

"Sara?" Laurel calls her name gently, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mention…"

"Ohh it's ok Laurel. It's not that. I'm just not one hundred percent with it today." Sara flashes a fake smile Laurel's way as they move along the corridor before coming to a stop just outside of the door a few doors down from Laurel's.

"Miss Lance! Lovely to see you and your sister to." Stein answers the door immediately, smiling at both Laurel and Sara.

"Nice to meet you again, Professor Stein." Sara smiles back.

"How have they been?" Laurel asks instantly.

"Ohh just wonderful. They've been no bother at all Miss Lance." Stein replies.

"Thank you…" Laurel starts, trailing off when she sees her own front door.

Her front door which is somewhat opened…

"I thought I locked that." She whispers as Stein frowns and looks to where Laurel is as Sara's head snaps in that direction in an instant, seeing the door ajar.

"Wait there." She starts as she starts to head cautiously down the corridor.

"Sara no!" Laurel cries.

"Don't argue with me Laurel. Both of you go inside and shut the door now." Sara commands as Stein sensibly complies with Sara's demand, gently tugging Laurel into the apartment and locking the door behind them.

Pulling a knife from inside her coat, Sara heads toward the apartment cautiously.

Stopping at the door, she pushes it open all the way before racing inside, anticipating a sudden attack.

An attack which doesn't come.

Walking through the apartment, Sara looks around every corner with fear.

Her greatest fear beginning to slowly become reality…

She'd always feared this. That the League would catch up to her and this is what would happen if they did.

They'd go after everyone she's ever loved.

They'd kill them all…

Yet there's no one in the apartment.

Nothing, other than a knife imbedded in the wall…

Ripping out the knife viciously, Sara shoves it into her coat pocket before storming out of Laurel's apartment, moving toward Stein's.

"Laurel, Stein? It's only me." Sara knocks softly.

"Anything?" Laurel asks the minute she opens the door, Brandon and Rebecca in her arms.

"Not from what I could see but I think someone was there." Sara admits as Laurel pales.

"You didn't go and get something for Brandon and Rebecca and forget to lock it did you?" She looks to Stein, who shakes his head.

"No, the three of us have been here since you left this morning." Stein replies.

"Someone broke in. Ohh god." Laurel whispers, running her fingers through her hair and clutching her babies closer as even Stein looks anxious for his friend.

"Laurel…" Sara starts carefully.

"I can't stay here. I can't." She says quickly.

"I don't think you should either. Not with these two little ones. How about you accompany me? I'm just popping back to Central City for a couple of days to see Clarissa. I would love it if you'd like to come with me, you and Brandon and Rebecca. You don't need to be staying here after this." Stein suggests as Sara looks to him a beyond grateful look at his suggestion.

"No, no. I couldn't. I've got work and Tommy…" She trails off.

"Laurel go with Professor Stein. I'll call Cat for you, I'll explain to dad what's happened and we'll all watch over Tommy. You need a break, especially after this." Sara grips her sisters hands, as Laurel still looks hesitant.

"Laurel people could have broken into your house. The place you live in with your babies. Until we're sure it's completely one hundred percent safe again, you need to stay someplace else." Sara folds her arms as minutes later, Laurel reluctantly nods...

 _Sometime Later…_

Sara hangs around at the apartment building until she watches Laurel, Stein and the babies leave in the car, sighing in relief as she watches the car disappear into the distance.

Her sister will be safe. Her niece and nephew will be safe now.

Thank the Lord for Professor Martin Stein, she thinks as she glances at her phone to see if theirs any messages for her and soon finds that there is none and that's when something catches her eye.

An earlier message from Sin…

Sin's still out there and if the League have done their homework, which from experience, Sara is pretty sure they have done.

They'll know they're connected.

Dialling her number, Sara waits for several minutes before Sin picks up.

"Hey Sara. What's up?" Sin's voice travels through the phone.

"Where are you?" Sara asks instantly.

"Clock tower, resting, only got out of hospital the other day remember?" Sin reminds her as Sara runs a hand through her hair.

"Ok, ok. Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you. Don't go anywhere." She commands.

"Wait. What's going on? What's happening?" Sin questions but Sara has already disconnected the call…

 _The Clock Tower_

Sin is sitting near one of the clock faces, feet propped up and a bottle in hand when she hears the trap door open and Sara climbs through hurriedly.

"Sara! What's going on? You were acting really weird on the phone." Sin points out as Sara simply reaches for her hands and Sin places her bottle down and allows Sara to help her up, still unsteady on her feet from her injury, Sara wraps an arm around Sin to keep her upright.

"Remember when I told you that during the five years, I got separated from Ollie and Slade?" Sara looks to her as she leads Sin toward the exit.

"Yeah. You said you found yourself in a place with a bunch of psychos wasn't it?" Sin frowns.

"Yes. They were a group called The League Of Assassins and I was a member. Yet as I told you. I left. I escaped them and now they've finally tracked me down." Sara reveals.

"What they're here, now? In Starling City?" Sin raises an eyebrow at Sara.

"Yes. Yes they're here and their going after everyone I love. There was a fight but the three of us were outnumbered and I got hurt, Ollie got me out but to escape we had to leave Slade behind and we have no idea where he is right now." She admits sadly.

"Ohh my god. Are you okay?" Sin asks softly.

"I will be. Eventually. A friend of mine is dealing with my dad, I managed to get my sister and her kids out of town. I need to get you somewhere safe to." Sara explains hurriedly.

"Where are you taking me?" Sin questions as Sara just tugs her closer as they walk.

"A place I should have shown you a long time ago."

 _Later…_

"A nightclub?" Sin frowns as she and Sara enter Verdant.

"Your boyfriend's sister's nightclub no less?" She adds as Sara leads her through the empty nightclub toward the basement door.

"I can see why you'd want to get a drink after all that's going down but I don't think a nightclub is going to be much of a hide out." Sin comments as Sara gives her a small smile

"Don't you work here?" Sin adds as Sara just approaches the basement door and unlocks it, revealing the darkened stairs.

"Ohh I get you! We're going to hide out in the basement." Sin exclaims upon the realisation as Sara just takes her hand and leads her down the steps.

"Slade?" Comes the sound of Felicity's voice as she hears footsteps on the stairs, spinning around only to see Sara and behind Sara, someone neither she or Diggle have seen before.

"Sara thank god… Who's this?" Diggle stops in front of the stairs upon seeing Sara and the young girl behind her.

"Ohh my god this is your secret vigilante lair! Sweet!" Sin cheers as she takes in her surroundings as Sara leads her toward a chair.

"Guys. This is Sin." Sara introduces her to Diggle and Felicity.

"Wait. Is this the girl who we thought was your copycat, yet actually turned out to be your friend?" Felicity babbles quickly.

"She's Felicity Smoak, right?" Sin looks to Sara, who nods.

"Told you she was cute." Sara smirks.

"Did you discuss this with Oliver?" Diggle looks to Sara expectantly.

"Ohh I met Oliver. He knows who I am and I know who and what he is. I know everything and don't worry. I ain't about to tell anyone." Sin assures them.

"I didn't have time. She could have been their next target." Sara murmurs before adding.

"Where's Ollie?"

"Still out there looking for Slade." Diggle replies grimly as Sara buries her head in her hands.

"Gotta say this lair is pretty damn awesome. Cool set up." Sin says, looking around in awe.

"Did you find Slade?" Felicity is on her feet the minute she sees Oliver coming down the steps, he shakes his head.

"No. I don't know where he is still. Is it like the League to take prisoners, Sara?" Oliver glances at her as he approaches her.

"No. They normally send messages in form of leaving bodies behind. Not really the taking prisoners type from what I can remember." Sara sighs, leaning against Oliver.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Queen." Sin nods up at him.

"You to Sin." Oliver manages a tight smile before he turns to glance at Sara.

"I had no choice. I couldn't risk that the League knew about her and honestly, Ollie. It's about time I brought her here." Sara admits as Oliver nods in agreement.

"Nice lair." Sin notes.

"Thanks." Oliver smirks momentarily before looking to Sara again.

"How did it go with Laurel?" He asks, concern in his voice.

"She, Brandon and Rebecca are hopefully on their way to Central City right now. I got her to her apartment and someone had broken in, one of the League…"

"What? Is she okay? Were the kids there?" Oliver exclaims instantly.

"They're fine. No one was there when I got there and the kids had spent the day with the neighbour. But Laurel of course was spooked so the neighbour, remember him? Professor Stein? Said she and kids should go with him to Central City, as he was going for a few days to check in on his wife and she agreed." Sara says with a sigh of relief.

"Thank god." Felicity whispers as she sits down in her chair.

"Right with you there." Diggle nods as Oliver kisses Sara's forehead briefly before heading back toward the stairs.

"I'm going back out there to look for Slade." He murmurs in explanation.

"What do you want me to do?" Sara questions.

"Stay here and for the love of god Sara please just stay here with Diggle, Felicity and Sin." Oliver commands as Sara moves to protest.

"I should be out there with you looking for Slade." Sara reminds him.

"No you shouldn't. You need to stay safe. I need you to stay safe. Please, for me Sara just stay here." Oliver begs before crossing the room to kiss her once.

"We're already one man down. No one else." Oliver shakes his head momentarily before disappearing up the stairs again, Sara letting out a loud groan as she rests her head against the wall.

This is all because of her.

This is all her fault.

Everyone she loves is going to be killed at the hands of the League Of Assassins and if it were to happen it would all be on her…

"How did it go with my father?" Sara turns to Felicity after several minutes.

"Badly. He either didn't believe me or didn't take me seriously. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have led with League Of Assassins. I don't know what we do now. I'm so sorry Sara." Felicity admits as Sara shakes her head.

"It's ok. My father is so stubborn, I should have know he wouldn't listen." Sara says the latter with a growl as she storms across the room to grab her vigilante uniform.

"Sin stay here with Diggle and Felicity. Do not leave, promise me?" Sara stops in front of her as Sin nods quickly.

"Sure, I promise." She nods, taking Sara's outstretched hand and squeezing it.

"What are you doing? Oliver told you to stay put." Diggle reminds her as she suits up.

"What are you even going to do? Kidnap him as The Woman In Black?" He adds.

"Something like that." Sara growls as she fixes her mask and moves toward the stairs, seeing Diggle pick up a gun as well, loading it.

"Where do you think you're going?" She folds her arms.

"With you. I'm not going to let you go there without any backup." He murmurs loyally.

"John, you may be a three tour special forces veteran but I was trained by the people that make the special forces look like a kindergarten class. So stay here. Protect Felicity and Sin if anyone comes here who shouldn't and step aside or get put down." She snarls in a way Diggle and Felicity have never before seen from Sara.

The Sara they just say, they could believe was once a member of the League Of Assassins.

"It's your funeral Sara." Diggle murmurs reluctantly as he moves aside for her, both he, Felicity and Sin watching as Sara storms up the stairs.

"It wouldn't be my first."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Leaving his apartment, Quentin Lance jogs down the steps of his apartment and into the peacefulness of the night.

Stopping for a moment and looking around his surrounding he chuckles.

"League Of Assassins." He smirks, shaking his head at Felicity Smoak's warning from earlier, stopping suddenly as he hears a sound, only to see a bunch of kids run across the street.

Now his ears are playing tricks on him, he thinks, chuckling again and he reaches into his pocket for his car keys, only to hear another sound from behind him.

Pulling his gun from his waist band, he spins around, only to see The Woman In Black.

He lowers the gun.

"Ohh its you. You know, I wouldn't go sneaking up behind a cop if I were you. I could have shot you." He points out before remembering something.

"Again. Shot you again. You know I'm sorry about that, at the time I thought you three were gonna hurt my daughter, think I'm a bit more open minded now. So, where's the other two? What do you want? Just warning you. I'm not exactly in the best mood for a case right now." Quentin looks to her, stopping when she says nothing.

"What? Ain't gonna say anything? What's going on? Is this got something to do with Miss Smoak's message earlier? Because, the League Of Assassins. I ain't buying it." He tells her as he hears a bleeping sound, as if a device was being turned off.

That's when The Woman In Black's hands move to her wig and mask.

"What… What are you doing?" Quentin frowns as he watches her pull off the wig and the mask right in front of him and the lowered gun in his hand falls to the ground with a thud.

"No. No. No it can't be. It can't be you." Quentin whispers as he looks to where The Woman In Black stands, but without the wig and the mask. It's no longer The Woman In Black that stands before him.

It's Sara…

The Woman In Black is Sara, his daughter.

His daughter is one of the three vigilantes…

"It's me daddy. It's Sara. I'm The Woman In Black." She says in a shaky voice as she takes a step toward her father, who instantly takes a step back.

"No, no. No, no. It's not you. You can't be her!" He shouts as he buries his head in his hands, the shock and horror racing through him.

"Daddy. It's ok." She whispers through tears that begin to appear in her eyes.

"You need to get off the street." He murmurs instantly.

"Please, daddy, come with me." Sara whispers to silence.

"No." He murmurs as he takes another step away from her, still filled with shock.

"I need to tell you a story." She sniffs, wiping her eyes.

"You think?" Quentin mutters.

"But not here. We need to get out of here and I promise you, no more lies from now on. Only the truth." She whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks as he father doesn't even look at her and even if he did, Sara fears he'll look at her as he always used to look at The Woman In Black before their shaky alliance.

As if she were a monster...

"I promise."

 _Random Chinese Restaurant_

After a lot of convincing, Sara managed to convince her father to come with her to get some food at neutral ground, where there are no weapons, no nothing.

Just a simple Chinese food joint filled with people.

A waitress moves to them and speaks in Chinese, Quentin running a hand through his hair when Sara replies in perfect Chinese back.

"You speak Chinese now? Of course you do. Of course you know Chinese and a whole bunch of other things I don't know about." He growls.

"Picked up a couple of things over those five years. I know many languages daddy, but I was mostly taught Chinese by a friend of mine. Her name was Shado. She was like another sister to me." She admits.

"You're The Woman In Black." He murmurs.

"Yes. Yes I am her." She says softly.

"Have you been her since the beginning. Since you got back home?" He questions.

"Yes." Sara nods.

"Ohh my god. You've been kicking the crap out of creeps in The Glades. You've been targeting all those people that first year, you killed them. You're a killer." Quentin finds himself whispering as tears begin to appear in Sara's eyes at her father's words.

"Yes. I'm a killer but I'm not anymore. We really are trying a new way. I can't be what I was at the beginning." Sara mutters.

"We? We. Of course the other two vigilantes. The Arrow and The Man In The Mask. You know them. You work with them. The Arrow, The Man In The Mask. Of course you do. You're the three vigilantes… Ohh my god Sara please tell me they're not…" He trails off as Sara just looks down at her hands.

"Who are they?" He mutters.

"I think you already know the answer to that question daddy." Sara whispers.

"I want you to say it." Quentin practically snaps.

"I want you to tell me who they are yourself." He adds, noticing the tears in Sara's eyes as a sudden sound of a glass dropping sounds out and in an instant, Sara's on her feet.

A knife in hand as she looks for attackers, League Of Assassin members.

Only to see that someone only just dropped a glass, and ignoring the anxious looks from everyone around her, she sits back down, releasing her grip on the knife, but doesn't let it go entirely.

"Why did you tell me? Why now after all this time and why me. The man who hunted the three of you for that entire year. The man who shot you…" He trails off as he puts two and two together.

He shot The Woman In Black in the shoulder when he thought the three vigilantes were going to hurt Laurel.

Laurel was never in any danger in the first place…

He shot his own daughter…

"I shot you. Ohh my god I shot my own daughter." Quentin whispers, dropping his head to his hands in horror as it hits him.

He hurt her, he shot her with his own gun with intent to shoot her.

Intent to kill her... Quentin flinches when Sara rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Truth be told I was probably asking for that." Sara murmurs.

"I hurt you. I hurt you, my baby girl..." He whispers.

"You didn't know any different. No one would have done anything different in your position, daddy. It's ok." She tries to assure him.

"No it's not okay. I shot you. Your sisters been hunting you…" He trails off.

"You didn't know." She whispers.

"No, you're right. I didn't know. No one knows. Except that Felicity Smoak. Does she know the truth? Of course she knows the truth. Your friends with her. You sent her to warn me to leave town. These assassins are real." He mutters as Sara nods.

"Yeah they are and your in trouble. Everyone I love is in trouble." She admits.

"Felicity said these guys were part of a League of something. The League Of Assassins. What do they want with you?" He questions.

"What all assassins want. To terminate their objective…"

"Ohh this is crazy. This is all just insanity." He whispers.

"Dad, we have to go." Sara gets to her feet.

"No. No we are not going anywhere until you sit down and tell me exactly what you've gotten yourself into, until you've told me everything that's caused you to become…" He trails off as Sara shakes her head.

"These men will cut you down before you can lift a finger. The Man In The Mask. He is one of the most powerful fighters I have ever known. He taught me a lot about how to fight, how to survive and today. There's a possibility that even he's been cut down by the League Of Assassins. I don't know where he is. We don't know if he's…" Sara trails off before looking at her father with a cold look in her eyes.

"Now, please come with me." She begs as he looks at her for a few moments, a horrified look in his eyes before reluctantly, he follows her to the door.

His daughter, The Woman In Black...

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Is it working?" Sara whispers quietly as she sits beside Slade's almost unconscious form._

 _He's still somewhat conscious, but he's out of it completely, no longer speaking to either of them, his words jumbled, barely coherent._

 _The only thing that is coherent is his pained cries of the agony he's in._

 _"It's helping some what." Shado whispers as Slade groans in pain again and Shado moves her hand to stroke his hair to try and give him at least some comfort, despite the pain and he settles a little, whimpering from the agony._

 _"He's going to be ok, right?" Sara whispers back again as she sees the grave look that passes over Shado's face at Sara's words._

 _"The damage done…" She trails off._

 _"It's severe Sara and despite all that I'm doing, all that I'm going to try… He's…" She stops, and that's when Sara sees the tears._

 _"I don't think he's going to make it." She admits as Sara covers her mouth with her hands._

 _"Ohh my god." She murmurs, before shaking her head._

 _"We can't think like that. Shado. He's strong, you know he is. You know that more than anyone." Sara rests a hand on her friends arm._

 _"But it's the truth, Sara. We can't pretend that everything's going to be okay because I don't think it will be." She says tearfully as Slade murmurs something, sounding deeply pained and Shado moves to press a kiss to his forehead, resting her hand on a somewhat less burnt part of his shoulder as she moves to grab the mud and the leaves again, applying more of it to the horrendous burns on him._

 _"Don't. Underestimate. My will. To. Survive." Slade mutters, causing both girls to sigh in somewhat relief at hearing him talk, coherent words again._

 _"I'm not." Sara smiles sadly, tears appearing in her own eyes._

 _"Neither am I. It's just… It's doesn't matter." Shado smiles herself before sighing._

 _"I've lost my father. I watched Fyers kill him. I don't know where my sister is and we've lost…" She stops herself instantly, remembering that they're not telling Slade about Oliver._

 _"And I can't lose you too." She admits softly as Slade moves one of his hands to grasp at her fingers weakly._

 _"You're. Not. Going to. Lose me." He murmurs before adding._

 _"You're. Gonna. Be stuck. With me. A long. Time." He mutters through his pain as Shado manages a smile through the tears in her eyes as she looks to Sara, who looks a bit teary eyed herself._

 _"It's. Dark." Slade murmurs and Shado and Sara know what's coming next._

 _"Kid. Should be. Back. By now. Oliver?" Slade calls out for him before crying out in pain from the vicious burns as Shado and Sara both move to comfort him, both Shado and Sara curling up by his sides, holding him carefully as he cries through the pain._

 _Both saying nothing as tears stream down their faces..._

 _The Foundry_

A long time later after Sara's departure to who knows where. Diggle and Felicity sit by the computers, looks of despair on both of their faces.

"What's the betting Oliver's going to blow a fuse when he gets back to find her gone?" Diggle signs after a moment.

"A one hundred percent chance." Felicity murmurs before burying her head in her hands.

"How did today get so complicated." She cries.

"Asking that question myself Felicity." Diggle replies as Felicity lifts her head as she hears someone on the stairs.

"Ohh thank god. Where the hell have you been, man?" She hears Diggle sigh and at those words Felicity spins around in her chair, holding her breath as she looks to the stairs to see Slade walking down the steps, still in his Man In The Mask uniform but has the mask off.

Alive. Slade's alive.

"Ohh my god." Felicity is on her feet in an instant, sprinting across The Foundry in seconds, pulling Slade into an embrace.

"You're ok. Wait, are you okay? Are you hurt are you injured where have you been!" She shouts as Slade just holds her until she pulls away and to Diggle, Sin and Slade's shock, Felicity slaps him lightly.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Felicity yells at him.

"Damn." Sin murmurs under her breath even though Diggle hears her and smirks slightly as they both continue to watch Felicity rip, probably the most fierce of the three vigilantes a new one.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were Slade Wilson? We thought you were dead! We thought they'd killed you! How dare you worry us like that! Oliver and Sara have been losing their minds with worry for you, we have all been losing our minds down here. Oliver's out there right now searching for you. He's been coming and going for hours. I called you. I tried the comms but they were all off. Why were they off Slade! Where have you been all this time? What were you doing and what were you thinking? Didn't you stop and think for even a moment about us? Any of us? And how we'd reacted after what you did. You stayed behind with a pack of assassins so Oliver and Sara could escape and you didn't think to contact anyone to say you'd survived? You are everything to Oliver and Sara. You were with them for all those years on that damn island and wherever you got sent to during that time. Oliver and Sara love you so much Slade. Didn't you think what it would do to them? Sara was with those assassins she knows what they're capable off and she believed in the possibility that they could beat you in a fight and kill you! They both did. Hell, we all did! And you let us worry like that. Do you have any idea how much I care about you Slade?" Felicity stops, closing her eyes for a moment.

"How much we all care about you? I am so angry at you right now Slade you have no idea." Felicity yells at him ferociously as Slade looks at her in slight surprise at her sudden rage.

She hugs him again.

"But I am just so glad you alive." She mutters as she hugs him tight.

"I apologize." Slade murmurs gently.

"Good!" Felicity practically growls before relaxing against him.

Meanwhile, Diggle and Sin watch them, Diggle with a slight smirk on his face at witnessing someone put Slade Wilson in his place, especially that person being Felicity.

"You know, I honestly thought she was going to kiss him then, or kill him." Sin whispers, inaudible to everyone but Diggle, who laughs.

"Yeah I'm sure Felicity would have loved that." He chuckles.

"Felicity would have loved what?" Felicity murmurs.

"Ohh nothing. Just, carry on." Diggle says with a smile as he hears the basement door slam shut suddenly, looking up to see Oliver storming down the steps, an unhappy look on his face before he sees Slade.

"Ohh thank god." He whispers as he races down the rest of the way to get to his friend.

"You a'right, kid?" Slade glances at him as Oliver nods, moving toward him.

"Think I should be asking you that." He says, resting a hand on Slade's shoulder, in complete relief that his closest friend is alive.

"Ohh you can wait. I ain't done hugging him yet." Felicity growls at Oliver, who smiles momentarily before looking back to Slade.

"Where were you? We were so worried." He questions.

"Save me the lecture, kid. I've already had it from her." He indicates to Felicity, who pulls away to fix him with a stern glare.

"And you'll get it again if you ever do a thing like that again. That's a promise." She mutters as Oliver can't help but smirk at her words as she turns to her chair.

"I thought they'd killed you." Oliver murmurs as he crosses the room to hug Slade briefly.

"Not so easily defeated, kid." Slade reminds him.

"I know but you were outnumbered. How did you get out?" He questions as Slade shrugs.

"Caused another distraction." He replies.

"You killed one of them though." Oliver points out as Slade nods.

"I did and I'm gonna kill the rest of those bastards as well." He grumbles, moving toward the computers to Diggle and Felicity, which is when he notices Sin.

"Who the hell is this?" He all but growls.

"This is Sin. She's Sara's friend." Oliver explains briefly.

"Nice to meet you. Met all of you now." Sin smiles.

"She knows about us?" Slade glares.

"She's the girl Sara befriended. The one we thought was being a Woman In Black copycat." Oliver explains as Slade nods, looking at Sin suspiciously.

"What's she doing here?" He growls.

"The League Of Assassins. Sara thought they could know she's connected to her as well and brought her to a safe place. I think considering she knew about who we were, Sara thought there was no harm in bringing her here." Oliver shrugs as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"We can discuss it with her later." He grumbles as Oliver catches his arm.

"What?" He snaps at Oliver.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks gently.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Slade mutters gruffly.

"Well you've been missing for hours and you haven't exactly been yourself the past few days." Oliver points out as Slade just ignores him as Oliver looks at him worriedly before it finally hits him.

"Where's Sara?" He says suddenly as Felicity winces and Diggle looks away.

"I thought she'd be with you, kid." Slade looks to him.

"Who's gonna break the news?" Sin questions.

"What news?" Slade snarls advancing on her as Sin holds her hands up in surrender.

"Where is she Diggle?" Oliver growls as Diggle sighs, getting to his feet and moving toward the agitated looking Oliver and Slade, having a feeling that this isn't about to end well…

 _The Clock Tower_

"We'll stop here for a bit. I don't know if it's wise to take you to the base or not." Sara explains as she enters The Clock Tower attic, knowing that if there was an attack on here, she'd be able to protect her dad and there's also the fact he has his gun, still clutched tightly in one hand as he reluctantly followed his daughter.

"So this ain't the base?" Quentin folds his arms as Sara shakes her head.

"No. That's someplace else. Actually, we have several bases some are in another country." She explains as she leans against a box.

"That island?" He mutters.

"No but we have been back there. Last year, after The Undertaking…"

"You went back to that island? What the hell were you thinking Sara!" Quentin shouts suddenly in shock she'd do such a thing, but then after all he's learnt he doesn't know if he should be surprised.

"We needed to get out of here, after Laurel pushed me away and Tommy…" She trails off.

"Tommy. Was he in on this as well?" Quentin questions.

"He knew but he didn't agree with it. He thought we were killers." She stops as she looks at the expression on her father's face.

"This place has a good vantage point, you can see the whole city." She changes the subject quickly as Quentin glances around his surroundings.

"Like a bird on a wire." He murmurs as a slight smile crosses Sara's lips.

"You know, where I was, they have you choose a new name. I choose Ta-Er Al Sahfer. It's Arabic for Canary." She explains as Quentin freezes at her words.

"I brought you that Canary when you were ten." He mutters.

"I was as far away from home as you can get but I never forgot where I came from." She murmurs as Quentin glances at her.

"How did you even end up in that place. I thought you were on the island with…"

"We got separated." Sara cuts him off.

"What? How in gods name did you get separated?" Quentin shouts.

"There was four of us and their was a freighter. Something went horribly, horribly wrong and Ollie. Ollie was trying to fix things, he was trying to cure someone we cared about of something but that person we loved wasn't there anymore and Oliver was almost killed but Slade. Slade pushed him out of the way and we watched him take an arrow to the eye. A fight broke out and I was pushed overboard. I thought Oliver and Slade were dead. I thought they'd been killed and I was just in the water, drifting for days until I was rescued by a woman who brought me to the League Of Assassins. I had nothing left. I did what I had to do to survive but to survive. It turned me into a monster; a ruthless killer until one day, it got too much for me and I'd killed a man and it just all hit me at once. I knew I couldn't stay there. I couldn't continue being a monster so I tried to make it look like I'd committed suicide and I ran away and made it all the way to Russia. Where I was reunited with a friend of mine I'd met on the island and he housed me, let me stay with him and one day he received visitors of his own and I was reunited with Ollie and Slade." She explains quickly as she opens her box of weapons, pulling out her batons.

"But the League caught up with me because of Malcolm freakin Merlyn." She growls.

"Merlyn what's he got to do with this? Miss Smoak mentioned he was trained by the same people as…" He stops looking to Sara who nods.

"He was and upon seeing what I was capable in a fight thought he'd tip them off about my whereabouts and who they could use against me before his death." She murmurs as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the picture of she, Oliver and Slade.

"The first League member to show up, gave me this. They know who to target to hurt me. I won't let them." Sara mutters as Quentin glances at the picture in her hand, yet continues to say nothing, before something hits him.

"Your sister. Laurel, the kids. Where is she? Ohh my god she's still out there…"

"She's in Central City. The kind Professor Stein from across the hall was taking a trip back to Central and invited Laurel and the kids with him for a few days when we discovered that there'd been a break in." Sara explains.

"A break in? What do you mean a break in?" Quentin somewhat explodes.

"The League got into her apartment. Luckily the kids were with Stein but it scared her. I told her to go with Stein. It keeps her out of the way. Keeps her safe. There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe." Sara murmurs as Quentin glances at her.

"She was never in danger with the three vigilantes was she?" Quentin murmurs.

"No. No we would never have harmed her. We didn't mean to involve her and as soon as that incident with Vanch we stopped involving her when we saw the danger." She admits.

"Which was around the time I shot you." Quentin grumbles.

"Daddy. I was ok. The other two patched me up, I've had worse." She assures him.

"But I'm your father! I'm your father and I hurt you." He whispers.

"It's ok. I forgive you…"

"But I don't know how to forgive myself for that Sara. You're my daughter, my youngest daughter and." He stops as she approaches him.

"You're The Woman In Black. You've been her all along. The Canary." He whispers as Sara shakes her head quickly.

"I'm not the Canary. Not anymore. She was a killer, a murder, a monster. That's not who I am now. The Arrow meant it. We're trying a new way." She says as he nods.

"We're out of time." She suddenly whispers as both she and Quentin whirl around to face thirteen League Of Assassin members, including Al Owl-Al.

"So. This is where you wanted your father to die." He hisses as Sara grabs her baton and Quentin pulls out his gun.

"What the hell, Sara. Who are these guys?" He growls.

"Associates of your daughter, Officer Lance." Al Owl-Al responds.

"Well, she always did have the worst taste in friends." Quentin mutters.

"Did you really think we weren't going to find you here?" He continues, ignoring Quentin.

"No. I knew you would." She growls back.

"Now." Al Owl-Al snarls as the thirteen League Of Assassin members descend on them, Sara engaging a large number of them in a battle with her baton, Quentin moving to take cover and shooting wildly at them, trying not to shoot Sara in the process as she moves quickly, whirling and twisting her baton in different directions to hold of attackers as they just keep coming at her.

She hadn't been expecting this large number of them.

She's outnumbered.

But she never intended to go out without a fight.

One of the assassins walks into one of her traps she and Sin had set up and is soon strung up by his foot as Sara dodges and ducks attacks from other assassins as Quentin continues to shoot at them, Sara using us batons to smash one of them in the side of the neck, also to get said assassin member into position so that another trap she and Sin had set can work its magic and send several darts into said mans leg.

"You should be mindful of your surroundings." Sara can't help but spit before engaging several more assassins in battle, trying to keep them away from her father until she feels a sharp pain at the back of her leg that makes them fold and for her to fall to her knees. Al Owl-Al holding his sword to her throat, pulling his hood off, a smirk on his face as he knows he's won, the other assassin members walking towards them as he prepares to behead Sara.

Suddenly, an arrow hits the back wall.

A wire attached to it and soon after, The Arrow and to Sara's surprise and relief The Man In The Mask smash through the window, both vigilantes dropping to their feet and engaging Al Owl-Al and the Assassins in battle, The Arrow engaging some in hand to hand combat, using his bow to smash it into a few others whilst The Man In The Mask leads Al Owl-Al away from Sara, engaging him in a sword fight.

"So we meet again Masked Man." Al Owl-Al growls as he deflects an attack from The Man In The Mask, watching as an Assassin starts to creep up behind The Man In The Mask, only for him to swing around and run him through with his sword, pushing him out of the already broken window, Al Owl-Al taking the time whilst The Man In The Mask is distracted to attempt to push him also out of the window but The Man In The Mask grabs the wire just in time, using it to stop him from falling from the clock tower, yet unintentionally swings down to the ground.

"Follow me after that one. Finish her!" Al Owl-Al snarls out instructions as he uses the wire to swing down through the broken window after The Man In The Mask.

"Cut it!" He snarls at some League members who do so instantly, causing the wire to break and for them all to come crashing to the ground, The Man In The Mask landing on the pavement also in most of the glass shards from the broken window, some stabbing into him as he tries to move, despite the pain from the sudden fall…

"It's a pity it had to end this way. You would have been a valued member of the League Of Assassins." Al Owl-Al hisses as he and three other League Of Assassin members approach him, Al Owl-Al intending to finish off The Man In The Mask when…

"Let's get this party started!" Comes the unexpected roar of Mick Rory.

"Here's our invitation!" Comes the unexpected call of Leonard as both men jump into the fight with The Man In The Mask against the assassins surrounding them, including Al Owl-Al.

"Stay down Mask guy." Mick growls as both he and Leonard face the assassins, and begin firing upon them with two rather large guns.

"You may have your swords, Ninjas but we have guns!" He adds as the assassins use their swords to deflect most of the bullets fired at them, yet about three are shot dead by the combined efforts of Leonard and Mick, both men approaching Al Owl-Al confidently as The Man In The Mask tries to scramble to his feet.

"Who are you to stand up to me? Al Owl-Al of the League Of Assassins?" Al Owl-Al snarls at Leonard, both he and Mick raising their guns again.

"Leonard Snart! Robber of ATM's!" Leonard yells both men opening fire upon the rest of the assassins, stopping when The Man In The Mask intervenes, sword outstretched to take out the rest of the assassins in the area, using his sword expertly to engage the rest in multiple sword fights, taking down each one of them at a time, whilst the ones that aren't engaged in a battle with The Man In The Mask are shot down by Leonard and Mick.

All three of them so deeply involved within the battles at hand that none of them see Al Owl-Al disappearing back into the clock tower…

 _Meanwhile…_

The remaining six Assassins continue to battle The Arrow, Sara and Quentin, finding it difficult to do so as none of the Assassins has actually expected a fight like this from the three in the room, The Arrow punching one down, moving backwards to engage another two in the fight as Sara uses her baton to attack several others, The Arrow and Sara moving so they're eventually standing back to back whist they fend of assassin members together with their weapons, The Arrow knocking another down whilst Sara deals with another in a more brutal way as they try to stab The Arrow.

Meanwhile, one moves toward Quentin.

"Guns are a cowards weapon. What are you without your side arm?" He growls as Quentin pulls his spare gun from his trouser pocket and shoots the assassin down.

"A guy with a spare." He mutters as he watches Sara and The Arrow continue to battle off the assassins, The Arrow knocking another out as Sara uses her baton in various ways to take down the ones coming her way.

Sensing one behind her, she kicks her leg out, knocking said assassin backwards, before smashing her baton into his skull.

Using his bow to knock down an assassin coming his way, The Arrow notices Al Owl-Al sneaking back into the room and his blood runs cold when he doesn't seem The Man In The Mask, knowing that Al Owl-Al had been battling him the last time he'd seen The Man In The Mask before he'd practically fallen out of the clock tower window…

"Sara." The Arrow growls to get her attention as she whirls around to see Al Owl-Al, watching as he deflects an arrow from The Arrow but Sara takes advantage of the fact he has his back to her at the time and holds her baton to his throat.

Al Owl-Al looks around The Clock Tower to the other six assassins on the ground, all but one that The Arrow dealt with are deceased and he's somewhat convinced that the other six assassins outside have been taken out by the two men with guns and The Man In The Mask.

They're all dead.

Something that he to is soon to be, Sara still holding the baton to his throat as The Arrow and Quentin stand in front of them, watching Sara's every move.

"You think because you are the beloved you will be granted your freedom?" Al Owl-Al hisses, choking due to the hold Sara has on his throat.

"There's only one freedom. Let me grant you yours." She snaps before swiftly snapping his neck, discarding his body on the floor, marching forward toward the other Assassin member that she's knows is still alive.

"You don't have to do this!" The Arrow speaks up as she lifts the other assassin member up, holding her staff to his neck also.

"It's over Sara!" He tries to stop her.

"Not yet." She snarls.

"Sara, baby, don't." Quentin also speaks up at seeing what his daughter is about to do.

"Tell Ra's Al Ghul that my family is off limits. His quarrel is with me." She hisses into the assassins ear before releasing him, watching as he races off and out of the window.

Turning back to face Quentin and The Arrow, she throws her baton to The Arrow.

"I'm sorry you saw that." She mutters to Quentin, her eyes closed so she cannot see the expression upon his face.

"I can't imagine what you must think of me." She whispers.

"I think you're a survivor." Quentin speaks, stopping so he's facing both Sara and The Arrow.

"I think that you're of the bravest people I've ever known." He murmurs before, looking between both of them.

"Both of you." He says, looking to Sara.

"You're my daughter and I'm always going to love you, no matter what." Quentin says before pulling an almost crying Sara into his arms, holding her close.

"I don't care. I don't care that you're the Canary…"

"The Woman In Black." Sara corrects him, her voice muffled by her tears.

"All I care about is that you're my daughter and that I love you. You did what you had to do to survive. Both of you did. Isn't that right, Oliver?" Quentin tilts his head in The Arrow's direction as The Arrow just stands in stunned silence, looking at his girlfriend and her father.

"Ohh come on, you can take that damn hood down. I ain't stupid. I know you're Oliver Queen. Who else could you be?" Quentin sighs as he holds Sara tight in his arms, watching as The Arrow switches a device off before removing his hood to reveal that Quentin was in fact right.

"Mr. Lance…" Oliver starts slowly unsure how to start this conversation.

"No. No don't, save it. I ain't going to turn either of you in. Or the third one. Slade Wilson, right? That masked guy? He's Slade?" Quentin looks to both of them as Sara nods.

"You had to do things to survive that island and wherever else you were. I understand. You've had to become…" He trails off before shaking his head quickly.

"You three are the bravest people I've ever had the pleasure in knowing. I'll never, ever go after the vigilantes again, you have my word on that. My complete word and I'll keep the secret. I swear to god I'll keep your secret." He vows as he kisses the top of Sara's head, before releasing her and allowing her to race into Oliver's arms.

"I'm so sorry for everything I put you three through that first year. I hurt each one of you at least once. I sent manhunts after the three of you…" He stops.

"You didn't know any better Mr. Lance." Oliver points out, before adding.

"You were doing your job. Like we were doing ours." He explains as Quentin nods.

"You two do realise that you're going to have to explain this all to me, right? What happened that first year. Well as much as you can about what happened before that, on that island, wherever else." He looks to both of them as Sara nods.

"Sure. We'll tell you whatever you want to know." She smiles softly through her tears.

"I just need you to know, I don't. I don't hate any of you. You're not monsters, none of you. You're survivors." He nods, slightly smiling at Oliver and Sara, in each others arms.

The Arrow and The Woman In Black, before adding.

"Where exactly is Wilson?"

 _Meanwhile…_

On the outskirts of The Clock Tower lies the six bodies of assassins, all dead.

Some shot out by Leonard and Mick and the majority basically cut down savagely by The Man In The Mask.

Leonard and Mick having stood back as they watched The Man In The Mask practically destroy the remaining assassins with his sword, viciously and violently like a madman.

"You're a special type of crazy. I like you Wilson." Mick comments as The Man In The Mask practically limps toward them, only stopping to violently spin around and savagely decapitate one remaining assassin that had jumped out of The Clock Tower.

"What the hell were you playing at?" He snarls at Leonard as he approaches him slowly whist trying not to drop from his wounds.

"Told you. Code. Never leave one of my own behind." Leonard somewhat smirks as he clutches his side, due to his injuries from before.

"You're an idiot." The Man In The Mask mutters as he pulls off his mask.

"Agreed." Mick murmurs as Slade approaches Leonard and rests a hand on his shoulder.

"I said harsh things to you. I threatened both of you…"

"Not many people threaten us, yet from what I just saw. I don't think I'll underestimate any threats from you." Mick cuts in, both Slade and Leonard ignoring him.

"I threatened all three of you but you came anyway." Slade muses.

Leonard still lied to him about who he is, that's he's a criminal, a thief and he'd even compared Leonard to Billy Wintergreen but Leonard came back for him.

Fought by his side, despite the seriously injury he'd obtained only hours previous that had almost killed him.

Unlike Wintergreen, Leonard didn't abandon him.

He came back…

"What can I say. I meant every word I said. You, Mick, Lisa. All I got." He manages a slight smirks before muttering in pain.

"Think I may have ripped my stitches." Leonard groans, practically crumpling to his knees due to the immense pain from the wound he had only received treatment for less than twenty four hours ago, yet Mick catches him before he can collapse, keeping an arm both around him and The Man In The Mask when he almost collapsed from his own injuries.

"I gotcha. I got both of ya."

 _Verdant_

"So those people you three killed were off this list?" Quentin questions as he follows Oliver and Sara into an empty Verdant.

"Yes. That's basically it. My father kept this notebook of people who had wronged this city. We made tracking those people down and punishing them a major part of our crusade." Oliver replies as Quentin looks to him.

"Where did you find this list, considering the three of you were on that island for five years?" He raises an eyebrow at him.

"My father gave it to me before he shot himself in the head." Oliver responds.

"That's rough." Quentin looks to him sympathetically, watching as both Oliver and Sara glance at their phones.

"Thinking about Slade?" Quentin guesses as Oliver nods.

"Second time he's done this today. Considering we didn't find a body outside and all those assassin ones we're pretty certain he's alive." Oliver responds.

"Yeah, Sara said that you thought he'd been killed or something?" He queries as Sara nods.

"Still haven't had a proper chance to rip him a new one for that which is going to be even harsher than originally intended considering he's god knows where now." Sara murmurs, having been relived and beyond happy to see him alive when he and Oliver had arrived in The Clock Tower to their aid only to go back to being worried about him considering he's nowhere to be found now!

"So how'd you meet Slade then? On the island, off the island?" Quentin asks.

"Ohh we met him on the island. He was on this mission from the ASIS that had gone wrong and he was stranded there with his ex partner, a man named Billy Wintergreen, whom betrayed him to this group of mercenaries lead by a man called Fyers. He held Slade prisoner for about a year before Slade escaped and set up base in the plane he and Wintergreen had crashed in and this other man Sara and I knew, Yao Fei gave my directions to said plane. I got there and the next thing I know some psycho Australian guy has his sword to my throat, threatening to cut out my voice box and that's how I met Slade." Oliver explains as Quentin rolls his eyes at him.

"Nice." He comments before adding.

"Sara said there was someone else on the island with you guys. A woman named Shado was it?" He looks to Sara as Oliver freezes, glancing to Sara but nods all the same.

"Yeah there was and Sara is correct her name was Shado. She was our friend." Oliver admits as Quentin glances at Sara.

"You said she was like a sister to you." He remembers.

"She was. She meant a lot to all three of us. Especially Slade." Sara murmurs.

"Let me guess… He in love with her something?" He guesses and due to Oliver and Sara's immediate silence he gathers it was a good guess.

"So where is she then?" He asks to silence for several minutes.

"Gone." Is all Oliver says as he and Sara move toward the door to the basement. Quentin's eyes widening as he reaches it with them.

"You're kidding me. You're freakin kidding me right? But we searched the basement!" He protests as Oliver and Sara smile slightly.

"Well explains a lot why you three were hesitant to let us down there. What did you do?" He frowns at them both as Sara speaks up.

"Tommy Merlyn." She answers simply.

"Yeah. You said he knew. That he wasn't exactly a member but he was aware and didn't take too kindly to it." Quentin nods.

"He didn't. He couldn't accept what we were but he still filled this place with crap when you guys came to search it." Oliver responds as Sara puts the key in allowing the door to open.

"This is unbelievable." Quentin mutters as he follows Oliver and Sara down the steps.

"Oliver, Sara, Lance…" Diggle trails off as he sees three people walking down the stairs, yet the third person isn't Slade.

It's Quentin Lance.

"Your bodyguard's in on this to?" He glances at Oliver, who shrugs as Quentin looks around the foundry in shock.

"Well this looks more incriminating than it did with all the boxes." He comments as he looks to where Felicity Smoak sits at the large computer set up.

"Detective Lance?" She looks at him in confusion and slight worry as they watch as Oliver and Sara just simply move to put away their vigilante equipment, Oliver moving toward the first aid kit to clean one of the large cuts on his arm from one of the assassins swords.

"Yeah I know everything now. Think we're all on the same page for once." He mutters as he looks around in amazement, hearing a chuckle from Diggle.

"We're never all on the same page." He responds with a glance to Oliver and Sara.

"The League Of Assassins?" He questions.

"Gone for now. I sent a warning, yet that warning isn't going to reach its intended recipient. Think Slade killed the messenger." Sara shrugs as Diggle and Felicity looks around.

"Where is he, again?" Diggle folds his arms as they hear Felicity groaning before moving toward her phone and picking it up, dialling Slade's number.

She almost drops her phone when he answers.

"Slade? Slade where are you?" She asks instantly.

"I have a few matters to clear up. I'll return as soon as I can. I'm a'right." He assures her.

"Are you injured?" She questions to silence.

"Slade." She growls.

"I'm a'right Felicity. I'll return as soon as I can." He assures her once more before hanging up, leaving Felicity practically glaring at her phone as she turns to face Oliver and Sara.

"He's injured." Oliver comments almost matter of fact.

"He said he wasn't." Felicity points out.

"This is Slade we're talking about here. You know, the same Slade Wilson who covered up the fact he had a near fatal gunshot wound just so we'd focus on saving Oliver and Oliver alone remember." Diggle reminds her as Quentin looks at him in shock.

"What happened?" He looks around the room.

"We kinda got shot by my mother. It was nothing major." Oliver shakes it off.

"Ohh of course, that was the two of you. Why'd you go after your mother? She in the list?" Quentin asks as Oliver shakes his head.

"No. We started to latch on to her involvement in The Undertaking." He replies as Quentin nods in understanding.

"She really involved in that then?" He asks as Oliver and Sara nod.

"Yes but she did pull out last minute, despite everything she did."

"Yeah like put an assassination attempt on your best friend." Diggle mutters.

"Do I even want to know?" Quentin sighs.

"She tried to have Slade killed." Oliver replies plainly.

"Well I gathered she didn't like the guy. I think that was obvious to everyone with eyes and ears but wow." Is all Quentin can say as they hear another sound on the stairs, all of them turning around to face whoever it was, only to see Sin standing on the steps.

"Sara." She says with a relieved sigh as she races down the steps into Sara's awaiting arms.

"I'm ok. We're all ok. They're gone for now." She murmurs softly as she holds Sin, Quentin looking at the two in bemusement.

"Who's this now? Dear god don't tell me she's that Canary 2.0 that was still here when you three went back to. That island." He mutters as Sara nods.

"Yeah, this is Sin and I'm not the Canary, dad. That's the name of a killer. The merciless killer I used to be. Ta Er-Al Sahfer. I'm not her anymore. I'm The Woman In Black." She reaffirms as Quentin folds his arms.

"You killed people as The Woman In Black as well." He reminds her as she nods.

"I did but we really are trying a new way." She says with a glance to Oliver.

"Yeah. We can't be the killers we once were. I couldn't be The Man In The Hood anymore so I became The Arrow." Oliver explains as Quentin glances at Sara.

"You know, Sara. Ta Er-Al Sahfer. That's who you were back then, the assassin but the Canary. That's a more positive name, don't think. I mean you're trying a new way, you're something new. Not Ta Er-Al Sahfer and you're not The Woman In Black, well not to me anyway. You're in between…" He trails off as he smirks at her.

"You're The Black Canary." He smiles, Oliver also.

"I like it." He comments watching as Sara smiles slightly.

"Black Canary's never going to catch on, you know." She folds her arms.

"Don't know about that Sara. I mean The Arrow caught on." Diggle reminds her.

"Yeah but that was easy, he fights with arrows!" She rolls her eyes at him.

"Good point. The League Of Assassins though. Think that's the last of them?" Diggle asks.

"Well I don't think they're ever going to stop looking for me." She murmurs.

"But none of them lived to go back to Nanda Parbat so, for now at least. They're somewhat gone but they'll be back." Sara sighs.

"They've got an army here to face if they ever do." Oliver mutters.

"Yes. We'll protect you from them, we'll all protect each other." Quentin nods.

"I keep thinking I should leave, get away from this place but Ollie. You're right, I mean Slade took out the majority of those assassins alone." She reminds them as Oliver's phone rings.

Seeing it to be Thea, Oliver looks up at the others.

"I need to get to Iron Heights. Sara?" He looks to her as she shakes her head.

"No. I'm going to stay here, wait for Slade to come back. Haven't seen him all day, remember." She mutters with folded arms as Oliver moves to kiss her forehead.

"Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can." He promises, looking to the group of people in the room.

They'd started this morning with five.

There's seven now...

 _Starling City_

"Did you break into this place or does it belong to either of you?" Slade questions as he and

Leonard sit on a couch in a small apartment on the outskirts of The Glades.

"Abandoned." Mick comments in passing as Slade raises an eyebrow at Leonard.

"He speaks the truth. Abandoned after The Undertaking. I keep coming back here so figured I needed a base of operations." He says, draping the blue parka over himself after practically re stitching some of his wound.

"So. The truth coming out now?" He looks to Slade, who nods.

"You can start." Slade mutters as Mick reappears.

"Who wants a beer?" He questions as both Leonard and Slade accept instantly, watching as Mick sits in the somewhat kitchen along with Lisa who glares at her brother in passing.

"Can't believe you went out in your condition Lenny. Actually I'm still trying to work out how you managed to get there in your condition." She snaps at him.

"What can I say? Got a high tolerance for pain." Leonard responds as Lisa and Mick just roll their eyes at him.

"Where were we? Ok so I'm Leonard Snart. Thief, criminal. Don't think we need to discuss all my crimes as we'll be here until the sun explodes. Operate mainly in Central City, but a job brought me here and not a delivery based job all our jobs have something to do with a somewhat crime, even that job the three of us are heading off to do in two days is to steal something and I'm still going on it. So you won't have us around for a few weeks." Leonard points out before adding.

"Me working for a delivery company though, now that was a lie.." He points out.

"Never would have guessed." Slade mutters sarcastically.

"Yet on that job. I met you." Leonard continues, causing Slade to fall silent.

"I didn't meet you by accident either. I picked you out to talk to deliberately. Mick had pissed me off and I, well I wanted to have a drink, a decent conversation like regular guys do then I saw you. I knew who you were. I watched the news. I knew you were Slade Wilson, the man who spent five years on a deserted island with Oliver Queen and Sara Lance. Five years is a long time Wilson. Figured the chances of you knowing who I was was minimal as not only were you away for five years. You're Australian, you're not from Starling City or Central City and unless in Australia you used to read up about the crime that went down in Central City I figured you'd have no clue who I was." Leonard reveals as Slade can't help but raise an eyebrow at him.

"You know I was ASIS back then. We did deal with international crimes. You're fortunate your name was never mentioned once. Well it may have been as you said. You never told me your surname before now." Slade mutters as Leonard nods.

"The reason I never told you my surname was because, there are a lot of crimes connect to my surname and not just mine and Lisa's. Others, my father's and I guessed if you knew it, you may have mentioned it to someone who did know who I was and what I am and I'd lose the only partnership I've had since Mick." He nods toward the kitchen.

"So Lisa. You're in with this to?" Slade glances back at her as she nods.

"Yes. I help Lenny and Mick. I didn't used to but It's fun." She smirks at them both.

"Well you wanted us to spend more time together." Leonard smirks back.

"How does he fit into all of this?" Slade looks to Mick.

"Ohh I met him during my stint in juvie. Saved my ass from some of the older kids. Never messed with me again after Mick dealt with them and we've stayed together as partners ever since. He's an arsonist." Leonard comments sounding so calm about it as if it's something that happens everyday.

"Yep. I like fire." Mick responds, with a slight smile at even the thought of fire.

"So that's me. What about you? Man In The Mask." Leonard smirks at him.

"Yes I am The Man In The Mask. I have been since the beginning, ever since I got off that godforsaken island. The three of us targeted individuals off a notebook that were on there because they failed the city and yes. During the first year we killed a lot of them between the three of us. We found out there was a connection between all these individuals that linked to The Undertaking, which Moira Queen was a part of." Slade explains as Leonard glances at him.

"So that's why you and I were following her." Leonard remembers as Slade nods.

"During The Undertaking, because the three of us knew about it before anyone else. I tried to warn you and Lisa about it but you two came back for me anyway and it was my fault because if you'd known who I was you wouldn't have come and gotten hurt." Slade admits as Lisa moves from the kitchen to sit on the couch beside Slade.

"You came back for us Slade. I mean that whole Undertaking thing was going on but you came back for us anyway." Lisa nudges him, apologising quickly when he winces due to the pain from various injures, he turns his head to her and takes her hand in his.

"I apologise for earlier Lisa." He murmurs as she moves to kiss his cheek, Leonard and Mick making gagging sounds in the background.

"Alls forgiven Slade." She smiles as Leonard groans.

"Please not when I'm in the room." He drawls.

"Me to." Mick adds as Lisa just shakes her head at them.

"So. The other two vigilantes. I'd make an educated guess as to say they were Queen and the hot blonde." Leonard asks with a smile as Slade just roll his eye at him.

"But then I'd have to wonder how you turned someone like Queen into a vigilante." He muses, receiving yet another eye roll from Slade.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't turned us in yet. Or is this all a set up and the other two are right outside the door?" Leonard queries, prompting Mick to get up and move toward the window

"They don't even know I'm here, Leonard and I am not going to tell them who you really are." Slade reveals.

"Why not? You made your opinions pretty clear back in the hospital." Leonard reminds him.

"Well that changed when you and Rory came to aid us, despite the fact you could have been killed due to your condition. You came anyway and I didn't deserve that after what I'd said to you. I mentioned my ex partner. His name was Billy Wintergreen and he abandoned me. I trusted him above all and he turned his back on me. You may have lied to me Leonard but you came back for me and you were right. I lied to you to." Slade admits as Leonard smiles.

"So what are we going to do about us then. The vigilante and the rouges. Not particularly a good combination." Leonard points out.

"You're right. It's not." Slade agrees.

"But I'm going to need company from time to time that isn't my sister or Mick." Leonard says with another smile before adding.

"So how about this. We talk about our days a bit more freely than we used to but sort of employ a don't ask don't tell rule when things get… How shall I put this? Incriminating." He suggests as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Not your worst idea Snart." Mick cuts in.

"No it's not. So, what do you say?" Leonard looks to Slade.

"Yes." Slade says plainly.

"I think you and I can carry on like that." He agrees.

"Good." He replies before adding.

"So partners in crime?" Leonard smirks, eliciting a smirk from Slade himself.

"Partners in crime."

 _Iron Heights_

"I never mind getting a visit from my children, but I know why you're here." Moira Queen comments with a sigh as Oliver and Thea enter the room, sitting across from her.

"We just have one more thing to say." Oliver replies.

"Oliver, we've already been through this. I am not going to change my mind…"

"This is about me changing mine." Oliver cuts her off.

"Because I thought that you didn't want to go to trial over a secret then… Then earlier today. I had to watch someone I love struggle to tell someone she cares for her secret because she was afraid… That they wouldn't love her if they knew the truth and she was wrong." Oliver responds with a smile.

"Whatever you are worried about. It will not make us love you any less." Thea adds.

"You don't know…"

"Who do you think you raised? You taught us to be strong. That we could overcome any obstacle that we faced. To fight. Do you really think we're going to scare that easily? I mean you tried to have Slade killed and if we can somewhat forgive you for that than nothing else is going to be that bad." Thea assures her as Oliver nods.

"Whatever comes out. You won't lose us."

"Ever." Thea grabs her hands as Moira smiles at them both.

"Wow. I'll instruct Jean to reject Mr. Donner's offer." She says as she holds both her children's hands in hers, never wanting to have to let go.

 _The Foundry_

"So you're in Central City? When did this happen?" Quentin questions in a joking way as he speaks to Laurel on the phone.

"Yes. I don't know if Sara told you but someone broke in and I. I couldn't stay there, not with Brandon and Rebecca until I knew it was completely safe." Laurel responds quickly.

"Don't you worry about that. I've got all the best of the SCPD investigating into it. I'm also getting you a new door, better locks and new windows. Sure you don't want to move in with me?" Quentin smiles as he hears her laugh.

"No thanks dad. You will check in on Tommy for me right?" She asks quickly.

"Of course I will and if I can't. Sara will, Oliver will. Someone will be there. I promise you that." Quentin promises her as he paces back and forth through The Foundry, glancing nervously at Sara as he sees her stitching up a deep cut on the back of her leg.

"How's Brandon and Rebecca. Are they ok?" He asks.

"Yeah, they're good." Laurel replies, glancing toward where they are being watched by Stein and his lovely wife Clarissa.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't pick up. I was really busy at work." She explains.

"Ohh it's ok. I'm just glad you're alright, Laurel. You're a mother you understand that being a parent means that you just never stop worrying about your children." Quentin sighs as he hears a sound in the background.

"I gotta go. See you dad." Laurel says quickly.

"I love you Laurel, you know that right?" Quentin smiles.

"Love you too dad." Laurel responds before hanging up.

"Are they okay?" Sara questions instantly.

"Yeah. Yeah she's good. They're great. You did a good job getting her out of here." Quentin responds as they all hear something in the stairs.

"Slade." Sara sighs in relief as she moves toward the bottom of the stairs when she sees Slade limping down them.

"Ohh thank god." Felicity sighs, as she spins around in her chair to face him instantly.

"Wow you look like you've been hit by a bus." Quentin comments.

"I'm hallucinating right?" Slade looks to Sara as she takes his arm and leads him to a chair.

"No this is all quite real." Quentin murmurs.

"I didn't have a choice." Sara adds as she moves to pick up the first aid kit.

"I'm gonna keep your secret. Don't worry about that. I'm on your side now." Quentin says quickly as Sara turns to tend to all of Slade's various wounds.

"I don't need mothering." He mutters gruffly.

"It's either me or Felicity and It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me today. Not to mention you practically fell out a window…"

"You did what?" Felicity snaps suddenly, having moved from her computer to stand by Sara and Slade, once more relieved to see him alive and well.

"You killed that son of a bitch, right?" Slade glances to Sara, who nods.

"Good." He murmurs as Sara carefully tends to his various deep cuts from the assassins.

"You're the one who took down about seven of them alone. I'm impressed." Sara smiles.

"Think that son of a bitch wanted me to join the League." Slade mutters.

"Well you are one of the best people I have ever seen with a sword." She responds.

"I am the best with a sword." Slade corrects her as Sara just smiles as she wraps a bandage around one of the more deeper cuts on Slade.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you and Ollie sooner about the assassins. I shouldn't have let it get to this point. You were right. Keeping things from each other, especially with the three of us, it's never going to end well." Sara apologises quickly.

"It's a'right Sara. I forgive you." Slade assures her.

"Been thinking of the island today." She admits.

"Which parts?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"After the explosions." She says quietly as Slade nods.

"How I lied to you then and it didn't exactly work out." She adds.

"Yes. I remember." Slade mutters gruffly.

"Didn't think you were going to forgive me for that." She says with a shaky laugh.

"Well I wasn't best pleased but you know Sara, if you hadn't. Doubt I would have survived. It got me on my feet." He points out.

"Thought you were going to crawl to the door at one point." She remembers.

"I was." Slade retorts indignantly.

"And you said you didn't care about Ollie and me back then." She smiles.

"You know full well I was a different person back then. I saw that getting attached was a fatal error but you and the kid broke down all those defences I'd built up since Billy turned on me. I'd promised myself I'd never trust someone like that again, never again care for someone the way I did Billy, my partner, my brother in arms but you and the kid came along and changed my mind and here we all are." He murmurs quietly.

"You've always been so stubborn though. Trying to convince us you still didn't care much for Ollie, even though you were about ready to crawl through the whole island to find him." She nudges him carefully.

"I know I shouldn't have lied to you then. We. Well I thought we were going to lose you." She reveals.

"Wasn't to optimistic about my own survival either but as I told her, you'll all going to be stuck with me for a long time." He smirks sadly at the thought of her.

"Nearly lost you today as well." She reminds him.

"Those assassins didn't stand a chance against me." He smirks again.

"As I said. I was impressed. I. I thought they were practically unbeatable." She sighs.

"They were rather challenging opponents and like with Merlyn. It took the three of us." He reminds her she glances toward her dad.

"The four of us." She nods toward him.

"The four of us." Slade mutters gruffly as a moment of silence passes between them.

"I mean it Slade, if anything like this happens again. I'll tell you and Ollie straight away. I should never have lied in the first place and I'm sorry I did. Even if I don't tell the others I should always be able to tell Ollie and you the truth." She sighs as Slade rests a hand on her arm gently for Slade.

"Good to know. You are right." He gives her a half smile.

"And as for you. Never worry us the way you have done today ever again. Ollie and I can't lose you." Sara mutters before wrapping her arms around her closest friend.

"Good to see the three of you on the same page again." Diggle comments as Slade releases Sara and they both nod as they hear footsteps on the stairs.

"We should never not be on the same page again." Comes the voice of Oliver as he moves down the stairs, heading toward Sara and Slade in an instant, wrapping an arm around Sara and placing a hand on Slade's shoulder as Oliver suddenly thinks of something.

"Got an idea." He looks to Sara and Slade mischievously before taking Sara's hand in his and leading her across The Foundry.

"And what did I tell you about worrying us like that again?" Felicity growls once Oliver and Sara have moved out of the way, trying to sound menacing, but finds it hard to keep up when Slade takes her hand and pulls her so she sits down at her desk again, Felicity wheeling her chair toward Slade so she's sitting right beside him.

"I will lecture you again." She threatens.

"Much rather you didn't." Slade responds with a slight smirk.

"Ohh don't you smirk at me when I'm angry with you Slade Wilson." She mutters, yet her anger soon melts away when Slade chuckles and moves one less injured arm to drape around her.

"Hope you won't be angry with me for very long." He smiles.

"Hm, we'll see." Felicity can't help but smile herself and bravely moves closer and rests her head on his shoulder.

Moving back toward the others, Oliver and Sara tap a bunch of glasses against the side of one of the class cases to get everyone's attention as they walks toward the wooden box.

"So. I forgot to ask. How did things go with your mother?" Diggle decides to ask.

"Good. She's rejecting the offer, she's going to fight this." Oliver beams as he pulls out a bottle of something from the box.

"Listen to all of us finally?" Slade questions.

"Yes she has." Oliver smiles as he holds the bottle in his hands.

"An old friend gave this to the three of us. He said we would know when it was the right time to drink it." Oliver informs them as he pours a small amount into seven glasses.

"And now's the right time?" Diggle folds his arms.

"I'm not sure but we all need a drink." Oliver sighs as he passes the glasses out to Sara, Slade, Diggle, Felicity, Sin and Quentin.

"Prochnost." Sara smiles as they all raise their glasses before clinking them together and taking a sip.

"Hmm that's…" Diggle nods.

"Think my rum was better." Slade comments.

"You still got some of that?" Sara questions as Slade just smirks.

"If you had a third bottle of that I'm going to be amazed." Oliver looks to him as Slade just continues to smile at them.

"I ain't saying anything, kid." He replies.

"This another inside joke?" Quentin asks.

"Something like that." Oliver smiles.

"A story that really doesn't need repeating, you mean." Sara nudges Oliver.

"Don't want to know." Quentin shakes his head instantly as he finishes his glass.

"So you were right." Sara nudges Diggle in the meantime.

"Yeah, I usually am guys." Diggle smiles as Oliver and Sara chuckle.

"About what specifically?" He questions.

"No matter how hard we try, Diggle. Our past…" Sara trails off as she looks to Oliver, standing by her side and to Slade, sitting with his arm still around Felicity.

"It doesn't want to stay buried." Slade murmurs for her.

"Yeah." Sara nods before looking at Oliver, her father and Sin.

"I don't think I want to try so hard anymore." She admits.

"Well if you ever want to talk about anything that happened back then. I'm here to listen." Diggle assures her as Felicity lifts her head from Slade's shoulder a moment.

"As am I." She adds.

"We all are." Quentin finishes kindly as Sara nods before smiling slightly.

"I know. We're in this together. All seven of us."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

"You think they'll be back?" Oliver questions as he stands beside Sara in their bathroom.

"No one lived to tell the tale as I said but. I think they'll be back, one day." Sara murmurs regrettably as Oliver wraps his arms around her middle.

"And when, if that day ever comes. We'll be ready for them and deal with them all the way we did today. They're not going to ever take you from us. From me." Oliver vows, resting his head on her shoulder, Sara places her hands over his and squeezes them.

"And I won't let them harm anyone I love. No matter what I have to do, no one will get hurt because of me." She adds as Oliver kisses her neck briefly.

"You did good today Sara." He says to her softly.

"Did I? I didn't exactly follow our new way and now my dad knows we're the vigilantes." She mutters as she turns in Oliver's arms and rests her head against his chest.

"Well the fact you're dad knows who we are could work to our advantage, I mean he somewhat accepted it and he's no longer going to be going against us." He reminds her as Sara nods as Oliver presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"And you did what you needed to do today to keep your family safe. Black Canary." He grins as Sara slaps his arm lightly.

"That is never going to catch on Ollie and besides I'm The Woman In Black." She reminds him as he shakes his head as they walk toward their bed together.

"Your father had a point your not a killer anymore but when we started this we were killers even though we chose new identities and the name canary. You chose it because it reminded you of home, that pet canary your dad gave you. I say you're the Black Canary." Oliver smiles as Sara kisses him.

"I love you, you know Ollie." She says softly, stroking his cheek sweetly as he leans into kiss her as well.

"I love you to Sara." He beams as she lies against the pillows, Oliver pulling the duvet over her, sitting up slightly as he kisses the top of her head, stroking her hair repeatedly until she eventually falls asleep, Oliver vowing to watch over her all night long…

 _Oliver continued to lie on the floor as he looked up at the woman with the golden dress, many tattoos, pieces of jewellery and the blonde with pink and blue hair._

 _He tries to lift himself up painfully as she approaches him, a knife in one hand, a bejewelled gun in the other hand._

 _"Who are you?" He asks again as she knocks him straight back down again._

 _"Prisoners don't often speak. Doesn't normally end well for those who do. Have a feeling you ain't going to follow the rules, not sure but nice to meetcha anyway." She grins as she almost skips toward the door._

 _"The names Harley Quinn."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be coming soon as it is already in the works. Thank you to all of your who have ever so kindly reviewed, followed and favourited this story and thanks again for reading. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. See you all next update.**


	87. Keep Your Enemies Closer (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Eighty Seven**

 _Starling City: Night_

Confidently, Roy Harper, jams a small dart into the side of the wall, ensuring that it is properly fixed in, knowing that three vigilantes are certain to find it here as he simply walks away into the night…

 _Queen Consolidated_

Felicity Smoak can already hear the yelling from the main office of Queen Consolidated as she exits the elevator, walking toward said office.

"You two were supposed to sign this report at last nights board meeting. You know why you didn't?" She hears Isabel Rochev growl as she glances through the glass to see Isabel on her feet, standing in front of the desks of Oliver and Slade, Oliver reclined in his chair and Slade leaning on his desk, both men looking exhausted.

"Probably because we didn't attend last nights board meeting." Oliver murmurs.

"Where were you!" She snaps at them both.

"We have other interests outside of this company." Slade grumbles, honestly looking like he's about to fall asleep at his desk from the boring argument the three of them have been having for the past hour as it seems.

"I don't!" She shouts.

"Mr. Wilson, Mr. Queen." Felicity starts quietly as Slade looks up at the sound of her voice.

"I thought you two were serious when you said we were partners." She growls.

"Isabel. We missed one meeting." Slade starts.

"This week!" She cuts him off.

"Last week, it was two meetings." She snaps again as Oliver and Slade sigh exasperatedly.

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson." Felicity tries to get their attention again.

"Company wide revenue is at double digits since the three of us took over…" Oliver starts.

"Slade, Oliver!" Felicity snaps loudly as Isabel spins around to face her with an annoyed look upon her face.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your…" Felicity makes claw gestures with her hands.

"Um. I need to talk to you two about your plans for this evening with Mr. Harper." She informs them as both Oliver and Slade get to their feet instantly as Isabel glares at them both with distaste.

"You'll have to excuse us." Oliver says quickly as Slade practically races for the door, beyond eager to get out of that meeting.

"We have work to do. It's important." Isabel snarls at them both.

"So are our, evening plans. Ms. Rochev." Slade smirks as he heads out with Felicity.

"We're sorry." Oliver adds as he follows Slade and Felicity.

"You're a wonder Felicity." Slade murmurs as they head toward the elevator.

"But we are going to have to work on your excuses." He adds as Felicity winces.

"You're right."

"Always am."

 _Starling City: Night_

Roy Harper watches from behind a wall, a set of binoculars in hand as a black car drives into view, watching as two men exit said car with a smirk.

Unaware of the three vigilantes behind him before The Man In The Mask smacks him around the head.

"You should be more careful. Are you trying to get yourself killed, boy?" He growls as Roy winces, rubbing his head gingerly as he turns around to face the three vigilantes.

"You're completely exposed." He comments.

"I knew you three were there." He lies terribly.

"What. You three wanted me to tell you guys when the funny money guys were ready to make a sale." Roy reminds them, lowering the binoculars.

"Here we go." He grins happily.

"Not 'we'. Go home." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"We already have all the help we need." The Arrow responds and when Roy spins around to protest, the three vigilantes are already gone.

 _Meanwhile…_

In an abandoned warehouse, four men stand facing one another a briefcase on one side, a large bag on the other.

"Here's the fake." One side open the briefcase, showing the counterfeit money to the buyers before adding.

"Let's see the real." He indicates toward the back, watching as the two other men open said bag, to reveal the real money, only to watch it be shot out of their hands by an arrow that explodes and bursts into flames.

They only have a second to stare at it before one of the men take an arrow to the knee as the three vigilantes walk into view. The Black Canary knocking one man off their feet with her baton viciously as The Arrow shoots another man's hand to the side of a container, one of the men running from the warehouse at the sight of the three vigilantes, racing outside, expecting freedom yet instead gets tackled to the ground by Roy Harper, whom had his out of sight, not really leaving the scene of the crime as the vigilantes has told him to and begins to punch said man.

 _Meanwhile…_

"You got two above you Arrow." Diggle calls through the comms as The Arrow spins around to shoot out two men standing above him, not killing but knocking one it the ground, leaving another pinned up there, yet dangling from the edge.

"Now they're just six." Diggle comments as The Man In The Mask whirls around to throw a dagger into one of the other men.

The three vigilantes turning to face the counterfeiter…

 _Elsewhere…_

Meanwhile, outside Roy Harper is still punching the living crap out of the man he had tackled, not even hearing the sirens approaching as an SCPD car sails into view.

"Stay where you are. Don't move!" Quentin Lance yells as Roy is pulled off the man and cuffed by officers, who drag Roy up from the floor.

"I want to make a citizens arrest!" Roy growls.

"I said don't move!" Another SCPD members shouts as Roy is dragged forcibly away…

 _Meanwhile…_

"That's it. We're clear." Diggle comments through the comms, switching them off before seeing a man standing a few feet away from him, spinning around her sees a second man blocking his other exit and before he can even say or do anything he is swiftly tazered.

Diggle drops to the ground unconscious as the two guards look down on him, one lifting a radio to his lips.

"Straight Force X to Mockingbird. We have the prize, we're coming home."

 _Random Location_

Diggle groans as a bag is ripped forcibly from his head, wincing as the bright light shines in his eyes from the overhead lamp.

Another guard moves and takes off the zip wires around his hands, freeing them to Diggle's surprise before leaving him alone.

Looking around his location, he sees that it's just a plain old room.

Suddenly a door opens loudly and a woman with high heels enters the room.

"Who are you people?" Diggle snaps almost instantly.

"NSA, CIA?" He lists of organisations.

"My name is Amanda Waller." The woman replies in a calm, business like voice.

Diggle sighs in exasperation, anger and somewhat hatred as he knows who this is.

He knows she's ARGUS.

ARGUS, the organisation Lyla works for.

ARGUS. The organisation after his friend Slade.

ARGUS. The organisation that killed said friends ex wife and son and labeled him as a monster for only fighting back, trying to avenge his son after they murdered him in cold blood.

"I thought you ARGUS guys were supposed to be more subtle." He mutters.

"For us, this was subtle. This could have gone a very different way." She points out.

"Then I want to see Lyla Michaels." He growls.

"So do I. Agents Michaels has gone dark." She informs Diggle.

"Lyla's missing?" Diggle whispers in shock at her words.

"What happened?" He murmurs.

"She was running down a lead in Moscow. She missed two of her scheduled call-ins." She explains as Diggle glares at her.

"Well, what are you doing about it?" He growls.

"Speaking to you. Even if we knew where in Russia Lyla is my superiors believe sending in an extraction team could cause an international incident. As far as they're concerned she's already a framed picture on our lobby wall." She mutters as Diggle just shakes his head at her in bemusement.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asks in confusion as silence passes as she takes a step forward so she's standing right in front of Diggle.

"Because I know how you, Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson spend your nights and if your spending your nights with Slade Wilson that makes you're an accomplice to a crime of his. A fugitive but if you do this for me your involvement with him will not be acted upon and you will not be charged with being an accomplice." She hisses.

"I'm proud to be. You killed his son. An innocent child." Diggle snarls back.

"Ohh are those the lies he's been telling you." Waller smirks.

"They're not lies and you know it!" Diggle growls as Waller just ignores him.

"Mr. Wilson is a criminal Mr. Diggle. A murderer of many ARGUS operatives. Innocent ARGUS operatives. He's a monster who massacred those people. Do you know that we're calling him Deathstroke?" She questions as Diggle just says nothing.

"Yet this incident and the destruction of Deathstroke are two different things. I think the latter can be put to one side for this mission to save Ms. Michaels. I know your passport is up to date so you can travel." She folds her arms.

"it would help to start with what Lyla was doing in Moscow in the first place. What was this lead she was tracking down in the first place?"

"A line on the whereabouts of Floyd Lawton." She says plainly.

"Deadshot." Diggle murmurs before looking away.

"Lyla was in Russia for me." He mutters.

"Agent Michaels is an asset I can't easily replace. I know you find her similarly irreplaceable." Waller smirks before adding.

"Bring her home, Mr. Diggle." She says before turning alway, only to stop and turn back to face Diggle once more.

"I know I said that I can put the take down of Deathstroke to one side for this mission but if you want your record to be clean, for us to owe you as many favours as you'd like. Turning him in would be a good way of receiving all that and more. Imagine it rescuing Lyla Michaels and also handing over one of ARGUS's most wanted criminals. Someone she wants taken out of the equation ever so much. Perhaps suggest the three to accompany you to Russia? Ensure he's there and we'd deal with the rest. If you didn't I don't know, the odd might no longer be in your favour, or Agent Michaels. She could learn his true identity and realise that the man she was married to is working for the man responsible of the ARGUS massacre, not to mention that upon the inevitable capture of Floyd Lawton. I could pull a few strings which would allow you to do whatever it is you want to that man. Get revenge for your brother." She smiles as she turns around as if to head to the door.

"You should start to think what matters most to you Mr. Diggle. You relationship with Agent Michaels and avenging your brother Andy's death or the monster Slade Wilson…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be done soon. This chapter should have been posted days ago I just got hit hard with the worst cold in the world so the next chapter hopefully will be soon yet could take a while. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter and thanks ever so much for all the lovely reviews.**


	88. Keep Your Enemies Closer (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Eight**

 _SCPD_

In the precinct, Roy Harper sits chained to a chair as he watches several police officers walking back and forth until Quentin Lance enters the room.

"It's been a while since I arrested you. I'd forgotten how good it feels." Quentin says his voice heavily laced with sarcasm.

"I was working for them." Roy admits quietly.

"Them who?" Quentin sighs.

"The guys who cost you your shield." He reveals causing Quentin to look up instantly.

"I'm on their team. You are, too…"

"Anybody else having serious Déjà vu?" Cuts in Thea as she storms angrily into the precinct arms folded and Roy instantly knows he's truly screwed.

"That's all right. We're letting him go. Our mistake." Quentin states as he unlocks Roy's restraints, letting him up off the chair.

"He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Quentin nods.

"Uh, ok. Let's just get out of here before anybody changes their mind." Thea murmurs before leading Roy out of their, not noticing the look exchanged between Roy and Quentin.

The look of understanding.

 _The Foundry_

"The potentially catastrophic risk of turning on this machine far outweigh any scientific gain that might come from it. These people need to understand just how dangerous technology like this is and the very real possibility of a cataclysmic event." Comes the voice of a news reporter from the computers Felicity, Slade, Sara, Sin and Oliver are watching when they hear the door opening suddenly.

"Where'd you go?" Oliver calls the minute Diggle walks in.

"Is everything good?" Sara questions, all four of them turning around to face Diggle.

"Yeah, just need a few personal days." Diggle says, pulling out a case.

"What's going on?" Oliver queries.

"Have to help a friend." Diggle responds bluntly.

"Who?" Sara asks.

"Lyla Michaels." Diggle sighs with a brief glance at Felicity, who bites her lip.

"It's his spy girlfriend that works for ARGUS." She admits as Slade freezes at the word ARGUS and tenses up.

"She went to Russia, looking for Deadshot. For me, now she's missing."

"And we care about this because?" Slade mutters through gritted teeth.

"Slade." Felicity says softly, moving her hand to take his, he moves out of her reach and moves to stand in the corner of The Foundry, pacing back and forth, running his hand through his hair as Sara, Oliver and Felicity watch him worriedly.

"Who's ARGUS?" Sin asks.

"An organisation filled with some rather twisted individuals." Oliver murmurs.

"What they do to him?" Sin queries as Sara just shakes her head and Sin falls silent.

"I ain't going to say anything because I know what ARGUS did to you Slade and I can understand why you'd hold resentment against her but Lyla isn't like the rest of them. She believes the lies they told her about Deathstroke. She doesn't know the full story. She's innocent Slade." Diggle says carefully.

"None of them are innocent." Slade snarls.

"Slade." Oliver starts but Slade simply ignores him, continuing to pace the room ferociously.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but. I think it's time we visited our Queen Consolidated subsidiary in Moscow." Oliver decides as Diggle shakes his head.

"Yeah." Sara nods.

"Oliver, what are you doing?" Diggle murmurs.

"Just need to help a friend." Oliver responds.

"By possibly betraying another." Diggle nods toward Slade.

"I trust your judgement Diggle. You say she has no involvement in anything they did back then and that she only believes the lies then I trust you. Slade. You can stay here if you want to. No ones expecting you to come." Oliver says softly as Slade just glances at him momentarily a hurt look on his face as he heads towards the stairs in silence.

"Do you want me to…" Felicity moves to get up.

"No I'll go. I was there remember." Oliver sighs as he looks to Diggle.

"Well the three of us are in." He looks to Sara and Felicity who both nod.

"Four actually." Sin sticks her hand up.

"No way." Both Oliver and Sara shout simultaneously.

"Hey I'm in your side, guys, I'm on the team. First mission?" She grins as Sara shakes her head firmly.

"No. You are not going to Russia with us. It's too dangerous." She says with the sense of authority in her voice as Sin sighs, knowing from the tone in Sara's voice it's pointless to argue with her.

"Ok so that's decided. The three of us are going with you." Oliver smiles at Diggle.

"I can't ask you to do that. I know you have problems with ARGUS yourself Oliver after everything they did…"

"And I told you. I trust your judgment on this woman otherwise you're right, I wouldn't be doing this because quite frankly, I agree with Slade." Oliver says firmly and from the tone in his own voice, Diggle knows it's pointless to argue with him to and watches as Oliver starts talking to Sara, Felicity and Sin.

Diggle knowing full well he hadn't said a word about his conversation with Amanda Waller and the ultimatum she gave him.

Slade for his revenge against Floyd Lawton.

But if Slade isn't even going on the trip, Diggle doesn't need to mention that to them, right?

 _The Amazo_

 _Oliver sits on the floor, having moved into a sitting position to look at the woman in front of him who had said her name is Harley Quinn as she holds a knife in one hand, gun in the other. Just when a door is opened and a man walks in._

 _"My names Ivo. What's your name?" He questions politely, coming to stop in front of him as Oliver is prepared to answer when he sees Harley shake her head, Ivo looks to her but Harley just moves around on the spot._

 _"Crazy she is." He smirks with a chuckle._

 _"So, what's your name?" He asks Oliver again._

 _"Tommy." Oliver replies, using the first name of his best friend automatically._

 _"So." Ivo starts before beginning to pace around the room._

 _"How did you come to be on this island, Tommy? I assume it wasn't by choice." He comments as he lifts something up from a desk._

 _"My, uh… Boat was shipwrecked here and I was the only survivor." He lies._

 _"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Ivo says politely before continuing._

 _"Did you explore the island much?" He questions before sitting down._

 _"Some of it. Why?" Oliver asks._

 _"You didn't happen to come across a Japanese imperial navy submarine, did you?" Ivo questions as Oliver just looks at both he and Harley blankly._

 _"During World War Two. Every country was trying to develop the ultimate weapon. The United States had the Manhattan project, of course. The Nazis had Das Uranverein and the Japanese, well. They had Mirakuru." Ivo reveals._

 _"Apparently their this stem cell and genetic therapies decades ahead of their time." Harley speaks up from the corner._

 _"Every war advances the cause of science and the Japanese, they had developed a serum that caused increased strength. Rapid cell regeneration. They called it Mirakuru." He explains to Oliver._

 _"Miracle." Harley adds as Oliver just stares at them as if they were both insane._

 _"Thought they could create an army of super soldiers. They were transporting their only supply via submarine when that sub came under heavy fire by the allied forces and it ran aground in this chain of islands." Ivo explains as he gets to his feet._

 _"Thanks to you. We now know it's this island." Ivo stops in front of Oliver._

 _Sara. Slade. Shado…_

 _The explosions hitting the plane._

 _Running through them, Slade chasing after him._

 _Slade going up in flames._

 _His pained, agonised cries as his skin burned away..._

 _"You killed my friends." Oliver snarls as Ivo simply shrugs._

 _"Which means it's up to you to help us find that sub."_

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartment_

Having returned home after the talk with Diggle and Felicity, Sara heads to bed whilst Oliver goes to Slade's room to talk to him, hoping that's where his friend is.

Sara had offered to come to, but Oliver thought it best if it were just him, considering that Oliver himself was there when all this ARGUS mayhem happened in the first place.

"Hey." Oliver says softly, knocking slightly on the door as he enters Slade's room, seeing his friend lying on his back on his bed, his eye closed.

"Mind if I join?" He smiles as getting no response from Slade at all, he moves toward the bed, climbing on lying on his back next to Slade.

"Are you okay?" He asks Slade, already knowing the answer to that question.

"I hate them, kid." Slade mutters, his eye still closed.

"I know. I know." Oliver says sadly falling silent for a moment.

"Do you. Do you ever think that you made the wrong choice? Choosing me over getting your revenge?" He asks quietly as Slade shifts so he's facing him.

"Oliver. I'd lost everything I'd ever cared about. You were all I had left in the world. I couldn't let her kill you to. I'll see her dead one day. I know I will but if it ever came down to choosing revenge over people I care about, you, Sara. I'd chose you, even though I want nothing more than to see ARGUS burnt to the ground and yet despite everything I have against them. I am coming with you, kid." He murmurs.

"Slade…" Oliver starts as Slade just glances at him.

"You don't have to. Diggle understands that. We all do. No one is expecting you to go and honestly I don't think you should go I mean what if ARGUS..." Oliver explains gently, Slade cutting him off before he can even finish his sentence.

"Yet despite all that if I don't and something happens to you, Sara or Felicity I'd never forgive myself." Slade mutters quietly.

"I can protect Sara and Felicity." Oliver tries to assure him.

"I know you can kid but who's going to protect you?" Slade reminds him.

"We both know you'll probably screw at least something up." Slade somewhat smiles slightly and Oliver chuckles.

"I remember when you told me that just before I finished Fyers."

"You did blow up the camp, nearly killing the three of us." Slade reminds him.

"Yep." Oliver winces as Slade nudges him.

"I was still proud of you, kid. I would have done the same thing." He assures him.

"Well you wanted to blow up the whole island, so I can believe that." Oliver smirks.

"But I didn't. I gave up on that idea to come back for you. Despite every grudge I held against that island and Billy.. I still came for you and Sara." He sighs.

"Which is what I'm doing here. I'm going with the four of you, even if." He stops a moment before glancing at Oliver.

"Besides. We've lived in Russia, the three of us." Slade reminds him as Oliver nods, thinking the exact same thing.

"Probably about time we visited an old friend."

 _Next Day_

The Queen Consolidated plane awaits on a near airfield as a car drives up to it, Oliver, Sara, Slade, Diggle and Felicity exiting said car as they head toward the plane together.

"Thanks for coming with us, man I know…"

"Don't mention it." Slade mutters gruffly, cutting Diggle off and nodding, he falls silent as Felicity opts to move to talk to Slade, hoping she could try and distract him from the fact they're going to save someone from the organisation that killed his son and ex wife and used against him and almost succeeded in killing Oliver.

"You think he's going to be okay?" Sara asks softly, her hand in Oliver's.

"I don't know." Oliver replies truthfully.

"Think you and I should keep a close eye on him." She suggests.

"Yes I do. I'm not exactly certain about his state of mind right now and the last thing we want if for anything to go wrong that is going to either end up putting Slade and Diggle against one another or to have ARGUS to deal with." Oliver mutters as Sara nods.

"I know but let's look at the positives, haven't been back to Russia in a while. I'm looking forward to seeing him again." She smiles as Oliver squeezes her hand.

"I am too." He smiles back as the two exchange a brief, fleeting kiss.

"Are you forgetting something?" Diggle suddenly questions as a car pulls up beside theirs, Oliver and Sara whirling around.

Isabel Rochev exits the car.

"Where do you think you two are going?" She glares at Oliver and Slade.

"Tahiti." Felicity says quickly. Isabel slams the door of her car shut.

"That's funny." She comments as she folds her arms.

"The flight manifest says you're going to Moscow." She points out.

"Well, we're going to stop by there, you know, after Tahiti." Felicity continues as Isabel just ignores her and fixes her glare on Oliver and Slade again.

"What kind of partners decides to interact with our overseas holdings behind the other one's back?" Isabel retorts.

"It was a oversight and besides. I got Slade." Oliver points out.

"Oh. Well lucky for the partnership between the three of us. I'm a fast packer." She comments before walking past them towards the plane as Diggle fixes a glare of his own at Oliver and Slade.

"Guys, her tagging along does not help matters any." He grumbles.

"We will take care of her John." Oliver promises.

"We can handle her." Slade mutters as Oliver nods.

"Yeah, Slade's right, we can. We're going to bring Lyla back." Oliver confirms.

"Wherever she is."

 _Elsewhere_

Meanwhile, in a far off prison in another country entirely, Lyla sits, huddled and frozen and in slight pain against a wall, completely alone and fearing that no one will come for her…

 _Moscow_

At the airport in Moscow after a long and rather challenging flight what with Isabel being on board with the five of them, the five are silent as they walk through the airport, Oliver definitely not hanging back and speaking with Sara, arm around her shoulders and occasionally kissing her cheek to keep Isabel from badgering him about something she evidently wants to talk about as she turns her attention toward Slade, the second in command and Oliver can't help but feel slightly bad for him as he knows this is probably the last thing Slade wants to deal with right now.

"I've arranged a meeting with the chief operating officer of our Moscow subsidiary tomorrow at ten am. Can both of you try your hardest not to miss this one." Isabel speaks to Slade, who just glances at her.

"You know I'm not the person you seem to think I am, neither is Oliver." He folds his arms.

"That depends." Isabel retorts.

"On what?" Slade somewhat snaps, his patience thin.

"On if I think you used the corporate jet for a weekend of fun with your assistant." Isabel replies calmly.

"What?" Slade growls.

"Ohh come on. A blonde IT girl all of a sudden gets promoted to be assistant to the CEO and his second in command? There is only two ways that happens. One is nepotism and she doesn't look like she's related to either you or Mr. Queen, not to mention you're from a complete different country so I count that impossible and considering Mr. Queen already has a girlfriend, who is right here as well, on a 'visit the overseas holdings' trip. Did the four of you decide to go on a holiday or something?" She raises an eyebrow at Slade, who just looks at her incredulously.

"There is absolutely nothing going on between Miss Smoak and I." Slade states firmly.

"Well then what were her qualifications? Aside from an abundance of short skirts?" She points out before turning on a heel and walking away.

"Her skirts aren't that short." Slade grumbles as she walks away from him.

"What was that about?" Felicity asks as she, Oliver, Sara and Diggle join him.

"Nothing. You're the CEO, kid. How about you deal with her next time." He mutters.

"Sorry." Oliver winces, before turning to Diggle.

"Ok. Everything with Knyazev is set." Oliver explains briefly.

"You three have friends in the Russian Mafia?" Felicity frowns.

"Colour me not at all surprised." She adds as Oliver nods.

"You're going straight to the hotel in a cab." Oliver commands.

"No, you four are leaving me with her?" She growls.

"The four of us need to get a drink." Oliver responds, with a knowing look to Sara and Slade.

"Well what about Sara? Can't she come back to the hotel with me." Felicity suggests.

"Nope." Sara says with a shake of her head.

"We're not exactly heading to a friendly neighbourhood and besides someone needs to distract Isabel." Oliver informs her as the four tun to walk away as Felicity sighs.

"Well. I wouldn't have minded a drink."

 _Starling City: Verdant_

Sitting filling out paperwork, Thea Queen glares at it.

It's just she and Roy in the apartment for a few days, considering Oliver, Sara and Slade decided they were off to visit Russia and Thea cannot wait until she is done with said paperwork so she can just go home and make the most of the alone time she has with her boyfriend in the apartment and really, really try not to make a mess of it this time!

"Ms. Loring!" Thea exclaims as she hears the sound of heels and looks up to see her mother's lawyer walking toward her.

"Didn't take you for the club hopping type." She smiles as they embrace.

"Well, I'm here on business." Jean smiles as Thea pulls back.

"Is everything ok with my mom?" Thea looks nervous.

"We need to discuss something about this case." She admits.

"Yeah. I heard Laurel's been removed from second chair. Is that true?" Thea looks to Jean, whom nods.

"Yes. Which is both a blessing and a nightmare as she's been replaced with someone worse. A woman called Cat Grant who also works at the District Attorney's office. She's met your mother before and the two. Well didn't exactly see eye to eye." Jean admits as Thea folds her arms in confusion.

"Why did she replace Laurel? I mean I know she's been in Central City for a few days but I didn't think they'd kick her off the case? I mean, between me and you. I think her boss has a thing for her." Thea admits with a roll of her eyes as Jean nods.

"No. Ms. Grant volunteered to take her position and Ms. Lance just gave it to her. The two are good friends and it wasn't a good idea for Ms. Lance to be on the case anyway, considering how close she is to the family." Jean explains as Thea nods.

"But that's not what I'm here to talk about. So according to the grapevine, your boyfriend Roy was arrested last night." Jean says, tight lipped.

"I know, but it was actually a misunderstanding." Thea says quickly.

"He got released." She adds as Jean gives her a skeptical look.

"Well a few reporters got a hold of the story and they now know you're dating a known felon. Thea your mother is on trial for her life. Her whole defence pivots on being seen as a loving mother, who did what she had to do to protect her children. What kind of parent she was." Jean reminds her before sighing deeply.

"We need the people to know that she raised you to make good decisions. So if you care about your mom, you're going to have to end this relationship immediately."

 _Moscow_

Deep in a club in Moscow, loud music plays, the room bathed in deep red light as Oliver, Sara, Slade and Diggle enter, Oliver leading the way confidently through the club as Diggle just follows on behind Sara and Slade.

"Oliver Queen. Sara Lance. Slade Wilson?" A loud voice calls as a Russian man walks toward the four of them.

"My favourite Americans and Australian!" The Russian man cheers. Diggle watching on in confusion as Oliver, Sara and Slade each break into smiles and move to greet the man.

"Dabro pazhalavat." He says to them as Oliver nods.

"It has been too long." He smiles, before glancing to Diggle.

"John Diggle, this is Anatoly Knyazev." Oliver introduces them.

"Thank you for meeting us." Diggle nods politely.

"If Oliver, Sara and Slade vouch for you then you're my third favourite American!" Anatoly shakes Diggle's hand with a laugh as Diggle look to Oliver, Sara and Slade in surprise to see them smiling at their Russian friend genuinely and Diggle wonders to himself what part of the five years included this man…

 _Later…_

"First a toast!" Anatoly decides as a barmaid moves forth with a tray that Diggle notices has the exact same bottle of alcohol Oliver, Sara and Slade had shared with the group after the attack of The League Of Assassins.

"None for me thanks." Diggle says quickly as Anatoly lays out five glasses as Oliver just shoves the glass in front of Diggle. Oliver, Sara and Slade each giving Diggle a dark glance and Diggle soon accepts his glass.

"Prochnost." Anatoly says the same thing Sara had when they'd had a drink from the same stuff after the attack, the five of them raising their glasses.

"To strength." Oliver, Sara and Slade chorus in unison as they drink.

"Now. Business." Anatoly says in a serious tone of voice.

"This is the woman you look for, yes?" He questions, shoving a picture in front of Diggle, whom looks at it in shock at seeing that it is infact Lyla.

"Picture is from two days ago from gulag. Prison." Anatoly informs him.

"Lyla was arrested?" Diggle looks horrified at the picture, especially upon seeing her wounded eye.

"Not quite. From what I hear she was trying to break in." Anatoly winces.

"Why?" Sara questions as she glances at the photo herself.

"I do not know." Anatoly raises his hands.

"But clearly she had issues breaking back out. Gulag, worst in Russia. It's called Koshmar." Anatoly explains as Oliver looks to Diggle.

"The nightmare." He translates for him.

"It's full of violent psychopaths and killers and that's just the guards." Anatoly murmurs grimly as he sits back down.

"Anatoly we need a way into that gulag to extract her." Oliver requests.

"You get in you get shot before you get out. Or end up like your friend." He warns them.

"It's impossible." He adds.

"The only thing that's impossible is us leaving this country without this woman." Diggle mutters back as Anatoly chuckles.

"I like this guy." He glances at Oliver, Sara and Slade briefly.

"We have no word for optimist in Russian. The only way into Koshmar is as prisoner. Now I have guard there, owes me favour. It could work. I'll give you one shot in twenty." Anatoly informs them as Oliver nods.

"Set it up. I'll go." Oliver decides.

"Don't think so, kid. I'll do it." Slade cuts him off.

"No. Neither of you are going to do this, it has to be me." Diggle silences both of them.

"No." Oliver shakes his head.

"Oliver what if something happens to either of you in there? What happens to me, Felicity or even Isabel for that matter and let's not forget that I don't think either of your are popular with ARGUS. Especially not Slade. No you three have to be on the outside, making the moves. I'll go inside." Diggle explains softly.

"I've got this." He tries to convince them as Oliver, Sara and Slade glance at Diggle for a moment, before looking between one another and finally at Anatoly, who nods, drops his hands to the table and grabs the bottle whilst speaking in Russian…

 _Moscow_

"Now that is a lot of drugs." Felicity remarks at the stash in front of her with a nervous glance at it.

"Courtesy of Knyazev." Diggle mutters.

"Enough weight there to land him in the Koshmar." Sara folds her arms as she leans into Oliver, Felicity moving across the room.

"You need to be wearing this when they process you." She grabs a coat from the desk and passes it to Diggle.

"Guards will take it but that's the point." She says quietly as she reaches for her tablet.

"This is Knyazev's man inside the prison. A guard." She informs them as she pulls up the information on her tablet hurriedly.

"He'll know where in the gulag Lyla is being held." Oliver assures him.

"When all hell breaks lose, you need to meet us at the rendezvous point with Lyla, or…" She trails off as she brings up the map.

"Or I am a permanent Russian." Diggle mutters, noticing the worried looks on Oliver, Sara and Felicity's faces.

"Just thinking out loud." Felicity questions as she moves toward Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"But are we sure this is the best plan we can come up with?" She asks as she looks to Diggle.

"I know Lyla's your friend, but the risk we're taking here is a massive one not to mention ARGUS ain't exactly a bunch of heroes." She can't help but murmur under her breath.

"Understand where you're coming from Felicity but Lyla isn't my friend. She was my wife." Diggle reveals to them as Slade just rolls his eye at them.

"So it gets worse. You married one of them." He shakes his head at Diggle, who sighs.

"Dig explain that sentence." Felicity looks at him in surprise.

"Lyla and I met in the army back in Afghanistan but we didn't stay married king once we got stateside. Couldn't figure out a way to stay married without a war to fight, so she joined ARGUS and I circled back for my third tour." Diggle admits to them, looking away a moment.

"I can't leave here without her, guys. I just can't." He shakes his head as Oliver's phone rings.

"Two minute warning." He reveals to the four before holding out a hand toward Diggle, who takes it for a brief moment, taking Sara's outstretched one as well as Felicity approaches him and wraps a scarf around his neck.

"Good luck John." She whispers, hugging him briefly as Diggle heads toward the door.

"Watch your back in there." Slade mutters as Diggle glances at him.

"You know you're the least person here I thought would be on board with this, thanks man." Diggle says truthfully as he shakes Slade's hand.

Diggle's thought can't help but going to Amanda Waller and what they'd discussed.

Slade for his vengeance against Deadshot...

"I understand that you can't help who you fall in love with. No matter what they've done or are a part of." Slade mutters bringing Diggle's thoughts away from those haunting ones.

'Sounds like you're speaking from experience.' Diggle wants to say but doesn't and with one last glance at Oliver, Sara and Felicity exits the room.

Haunting thoughts returning to mind once more.

Deathstroke for Deadshot.

 _Somewhere In Moscow_

Diggle sits calmly and confidently on a set of wooden boxes as he hears sirens approaching from the distance.

The police van reaches him only seconds later, guards exiting with guns in hands, speaking rapidly in Russian.

Diggle doesn't even have time to get to his feet and raise his hands when he's being restrained by someone of the guards, who drag him toward the van as in a car across the street, Anatoly watches the whole event go down, moving for his phone to ring Oliver.

"They have him." Anatoly mutters briefly before hanging up, Oliver turning to look at Sara, Slade and Felicity.

"Clock's running."

 _Gulag_

Upon seeing that they'll be accepting a new prisoner into the prison. One of the guards moves to unlock one of the gates as Diggle is pushed through said gate.

"Hurry up." Another guard snaps at him, pushing him before speaking Russian.

Diggle is led down an alleyway and into a building before being stripped of his coat and scarf at the front desk.

"Khoroshaya Kurtka." The desk guy mutters as he passes the other guard a set of prison clothes, whom then shoves them into Diggle before dragging him down a new pathway, whilst Anatoly's man on the inside moves toward Diggle's now discarded coat…

 _Elsewhere_

Meanwhile, after changing into prisoner clothes, Diggle is shoved forcibly into a cell, where he sees he already has a cell mate as he glares at the guard whom locks the prison door.

"What, uh, crimes fits your punishment?" His Russian cell mate asks.

"Drugs." Diggle mutters to an approving grunt from the man.

"And you?" Diggle decides to ask.

"I gave speech about government corruption." He replies.

"Right." Diggle nods before moving to the other side of the room.

"It is rare to see one of your people in Koshmar." The prisoner comments as he gets up from the bed.

"What, American?" Diggle queries.

"Chernokozhiy. Ehh." He gestures to his face as Diggle just shakes his head in disgust.

"Chernokozhiy not popular here." He points out as Diggle can't help but smirk.

"Shocker." He replies, voice laced with deep sarcasm as he simply turns to face the clock on the wall…

 _Meanwhile On The Other Side Of Moscow…_

"God I hope John's okay." Felicity muses as she stands outside with Oliver, Slade and Sara.

"I'm sure he is." Oliver responds briefly, smiling as they see Anatoly approaching them.

"The meet will happen here." Anatoly informs them as he reaches the group.

"Felicity. This is our friend Anatoly Knyazev." Slade introduces them as Felicity nods.

"Pleasure to meet you. Ohh my god are you that friend who you three stayed with when you got to Russia because if that's true this is all making a lot of sense." Felicity babbles as Anatoly chuckles.

"I like her. She your lady Slade? Improvement on the first one." He nudges him as Slade looks like he's about to commit murder and Oliver and Sara as if they're about to burst out laughing as Felicity blushes deep crimson.

"What? Ohh no, no. I'm just their friend, IT girl. Kinda Oliver and Slade's executive assistant.." Felicity babbles, quickly deciding to change the subject.

"You think Dig's okay?" Felicity looks to Oliver, Sara and Slade nervously.

"Think he's doing the same as he was when you asked us five minutes ago." Slade rests his hand on her shoulder briefly.

"And he's Diggle remember. He's a survivor." Oliver smiles reassuringly.

"Still think it should have been one of us in there." Sara muses.

"As do I." Oliver can't help but agree with her as he glances toward Anatoly.

"They're coming!" He exclaims to get Oliver, Sara, Slade and Felicity's attention.

"They sell us Russian police truck for cheap." Anatoly comments as he walks forward to face the car and truck that had pulled up in front of them, four men exiting the vehicles as they have a conversation with Anatoly in Russian, whom hands them an envelope as they have yet another conversation in Russian which ends with the four men raising guns to Anatoly, Oliver, Sara and Slade.

Oliver and Slade instantly pushing Sara and Felicity behind them as Anatoly raises his hands in surrender.

Murmuring something to Sara, Oliver looks to Slade and the two begin to walk toward the armed men, Felicity looking to protest as Sara simply just moves to stand in front of her friend to protect her if things get ugly.

Both women and Anatoly watching nervously as Oliver and Slade move toward the armed men and speak in Russian themselves for several moments before the men lower their guns and the leading on chucks a set of keys into Oliver's hand, who chucks them back toward Anatoly, whom catches them as the armed men walk away as Oliver and Slade return to Felicity and Sara, the five heading to the car.

"What did you two say?" Felicity asks Slade and Oliver.

"Please." Oliver and Slade respond in unison...

 _The Amazo_

 _"You know, in Russia, there's a Gulag. Almost as bad as this." The Russian prisoner comments to Oliver sitting in the cell next to him, in deep silence as all he can think about is how that Ivo guy and probably his glamorous assistant Harley Quinn were the masterminds behind the bombs that have more than likely killed Sara, Shado and Slade._

 _His friends, the woman he loves gone because of them…_

 _"Possibly worse." The prisoner mutters upon seeing a figure approaching Oliver's cell._

 _Harley Quinn._

 _Oliver turns his head to look at her, unable to glance at her even a moment as she's smiling at him sickeningly._

 _"You know honey I ain't the one behind the plan that got that island bombed. Don't like bombs, wait I do like bombs?" She tilts her head to the side._

 _"Bitch crazy." The prisoner mutters._

 _"Wanna repeat that?" Harley snaps as the Russian prisoner falls silent._

 _"Don't like bombs." She decides as Oliver looks away from her._

 _"But this place. It's better than the alternative for me." She sighs._

 _"Alternative?" Oliver can't help but ask._

 _"Hell. Not the good kinda hell either." She mutters coldly as silence passes between them for several moments before Harley rests her hands on the bars of the cell._

 _"Have you ever been in love?" She whispers._

 _"Yes." Oliver replies honestly._

 _"And she. Was she on that island?" Harley asks._

 _"Yes." Oliver mutters with the same coldness as Harley had earlier._

 _"They took my puddin." She practically whimpers as Oliver just gives her a raised eyebrow look before glancing at the prisoner._

 _She is crazy._

 _"They shot our ride out of the sky. I survived, the Devils think I'm gone. Lost at sea. I was left to float for days when this ship they found me and I suppose they saved me." She murmurs._

 _"Is that why you're helping them?" Oliver can't help but ask her._

 _"I don't have a choice. Better then the alternative." She retorts as Oliver shifts to face her._

 _"I need to warn my friends." He mutters, noticing how Harley's eyes widen._

 _"You said they were, you know." She makes a gesture with her hands._

 _"Dead."_

 _"They're not that easy to kill." Oliver murmurs, praying that his hopes are reality and that somewhere, somehow at least Sara and Shado are alive on the island…_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Shado and Sara stay hovering over Slade as he continues to groan and cry out in agony, barely conscious, his words barely coherent._

 _Shado continues to tend to his burns with the leaves, mud and probably actual crap she found out in the woods._

 _"Try not to move." She speaks to him softly as she tends to some of the more vicious wounds on his face, glancing over to where Sara has been pacing back and forth for the past few hours, her thoughts on Oliver and Slade, mainly Oliver and the fact that he's still gone, he's still out there, or could even be dead for all they know and that they're both still lying to Slade about it._

 _"You know. It. Smells like puke." Slade mutters to Shado._

 _"It'll heal your wounds." She replies soothingly to him, wanting to add on that he's complaining like Oliver would, but decides it's best not to as both she and Sara have still managed to keep up the pretence to the barely with it Slade that Oliver is still out there looking for more stuff to help with the burns and that he has checked back once, yet whilst Slade was unconscious._

 _It kills Shado to lie to him like this but she doesn't know what would happen if he found out the truth._

 _Quite truthfully she's frightened it would kill him._

 _"You three have to go." He groans, his words alerting Sara, who stops pacing to glance over at him._

 _"Get out of here. Get to higher ground." He murmurs as Sara just buries her head in her hands before continuing to pace again as Shado rests her hand on Slade's good shoulder._

 _"I'm not leaving you." She responds firmly as Slade moves one hand, other still wrapped around the scarf to rest on Shado's arm._

 _"I will not be the reason that… Something happens. To you." He mutters through the pain._

 _"Any. Of. You." He adds._

 _"Then we're in agreement because I make my own choices, as does Sara." Shado tries to smile at him somewhat._

 _"You're a strong woman." He retorts._

 _"When I care about someone there's nothing I won't do for them." She whispers softly._

 _"Another thing… We have in common." He murmurs as Shado nods._

 _"There is also the fact that I love you." Shado admits for the very first time to Slade, yet she doesn't think he even hears her as he starts shuddering, his eyes closed._

 _"The burns, they're lowering your body temperature." She states worriedly as she moves to gently wrap her arms around him._

 _"Sara." She calls to her, glancing up momentarily, grateful when Sara complies and moves to the other side of Slade, who looks slightly grateful for the warmth._

 _"Might've. Complained. The night of the. Bad weather. But thanks." Slade murmurs, causing sad smiles to cross both Shado and Sara's faces at the memory of the night of the cold temperatures on the island when they all had to huddle together for warmth._

 _"Ever. Mention. This and I'll… Kill you slow. Kid." Slade grumbles, Shado and Sara still with sad looks upon their faces at the fact Slade thinks he's talking to Oliver, threatening his life and all but thinking he's there._

 _Despite everything, Slade still believing Oliver to be in the plane with them when in reality he most certainly isn't and both Shado and Sara don't even know if he's alive or dead…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. Next chapter should hopefully be updated quite soon, thanks to all of you who have favourited and followed this story and for all your lovely reviews, please tell me what you thought of this chapter. See you all next update!**


	89. Keep You Enemies Closer (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Eighty Nine**

 _Verdant_

"Hey, where have you been all night?" Roy smiles at Thea as she walks down the steps toward him, a trey in hand.

"Working." She mutter flatly.

"Oh. Well, you deserve a break." Roy replies kindly as he approaches her.

"Um, actually, I've been thinking. Maybe we should take some space." She murmurs shakily as she fiddles around with the trey in front of her to distract herself.

"I mean, we work together and live together. It's kinda getting hard to breathe." She whispers regrettably as she looks as far away from Roy as possible.

"Since when?" Roy scoffs before finally catching on.

"Oh, wait, does this have to do with that lawyer lady dropping by?" Roy raises an eyebrow at her suspiciously.

"No, this has to do with the fact that you've been arrested twice in the last month." Thea snaps as she finally turns to look at him.

"Come on. I've been trying to stay out of trouble." Roy protests as Thea just glares at him.

"My body hasn't had a scratch on it in weeks! Well, I mean, excluding the ones that you put there." He tries his ultimate hardest not to smirk but fails miserably and Thea just shakes her head and sighs at him.

"And the other night?" She mutters.

"Was a misunderstanding." He reminds her as she looks away from him again

"Roy." She stops and sighs a moment.

"This just isn't working, ok? Not for me." She murmurs as she starts making herself busy again she doesn't start to cry.

"Thea. You can't mean that." Roy whispers fearful himself now.

"I do." She replies firmly with one last glance at him.

"I'm sorry." She whispers as he finally walks away from her, leaving her trying desperately to fight back tears…

 _Moscow_

Diggle watches as what he believes to be actual crap is poured from a container onto his plate, his prison meal for the day.

He grabs a fork and moves toward a table with his cell mate, watching as the other prisoners glare at him with murderous looks in their eyes, still looking even as he sits down.

"Those men." His cell mate whispers.

"They are vory. They are in charge. It's best to stay away." He advises Diggle.

"I got it." Diggle mutters dryly, before leaning forward.

"Listen, I'm looking for a guard named Sergei Pavelski." He murmurs, watching as his cell mate begins to look around the room.

"Far corner, over there." He replies to Diggle, who glances in that direction to see the guard he'd been searching for before glancing back down at his food again, only to be rudely interrupted barely seconds later.

"American. You are suka now." One of the men from the gang his cell mate had only moments ago mentioned to stay away from approaches their table, two other prisoners behind him.

Diggle tries his best not to look bored as he glances up at them.

"Are we seriously going to do this?" Diggle sighs as only seconds later he is hit in the back with another prisoners trey.

"Guess so." She mutters before getting to his feet to defend himself, only to be knocked down to the ground by one of the prisoners smashing a trey into his face, another one moving forth to kick him whilst he's down repeatedly, Diggle hooking his leg around the other attacker to drag him down, breaking something in the man's leg with a swift twist, only to be dragged up from the floor by Russian guards.

"Fighting, strictly prohibited." One guard growls into Diggle's ear before they drag him away…

 _Moscow: Hotel_

"Still got quite some time before all this goes down." Oliver notes as he glances up at the clock on the wall before at Sara, who's been pacing the room nervously.

"Should have been one of us in there." She shakes her head.

"I know. I know but Dig was going to do this one way or the other and we both know it. I mean, if it were you in a Russian prison I'd be the one going in there to retrieve you myself, so I can't blame him." Oliver shrugs his shoulders.

"I know. I'd do the same for you to." Sara sighs, turning to look at Oliver a moment.

"If it makes you feel any better I'm worried about John to." Oliver admits.

"Think we all are. I mean Felicity keeps messaging me from her room every five seconds to ask if I think he's okay." Sara mutters.

"Yeah I think she duplicates those messages." Oliver sighs, glancing toward his own phone that has been lighting up a lot the past hour, mainly of messages of concern from Felicity.

"She's a caring person." Sara points out.

"Yeah she is." Oliver nods as Sara tilts her head to the side.

"Sometimes I think she can be too optimistic but then I remember, that's just us isn't it." Sara sighs tiredly.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asks gently.

"Well. We're not exactly the most optimistic people anymore are we." She murmurs as Oliver nods.

"Yeah that faded a long time ago for us." He mutters in agreement.

"I hope it doesn't for her. She's so kind to all of us that I wish sometimes we'd never brought her into this, exposed her to all this darkness we've been clouded with over all this time." Sara admits, Oliver glancing toward her.

"Well it hasn't changed Felicity much yet fortunately, I fear one day it will, as you say but I don't know, Felicity just seems to look past all the darkness that surrounds us and what we do." Oliver shrugs.

"But there's only so much someone can take and I don't want what we do to eventually destroy her and who she is. You know after I told her and John about who I was, the assassin and the murder I was, it was like she didn't even care, she still stood by me, comforted me and called me her friend still after what she'd learnt about me, she saw good in me despite the fact I blatantly told her I was a monster and I don't want her to lose that." Sara admits.

"Think she's trying to stop what we do destroying us. Well, one of us in particular." Oliver points out as Sara nods and a slight smile crosses her lips.

"Ohh yeah, I know about that." She chuckles.

"Think everyone with eyes and ears knows how Felicity feels about him." Oliver sighs.

"Think he knows it?" Sara smirks.

"You know what, Sara. I really don't know." Oliver shrugs before smiling softly at Sara.

"Come here." He murmurs, holding his arms out toward her, smiling slightly when Sara moves in an instant toward them, sliding onto his lap, Oliver tightening his arms around her, Sara smiling back and resting against him.

"Now. We've got some time to kill before the mission, right?"

 _Meanwhile…_

Having nothing currently to do whilst waiting for the mission, Slade moves from his room toward the hotel bar, thinking that since there's nothing else to do other then wait, he might as well go and get a drink and orders it in fluent Russian.

"You missed the tour." The familiar voice of Isabel sounds, Slade turning around to see her sat in one of the chairs across from the bar.

"What happened to the two of you?" She questions sharply as Slade sits in the chair across from her.

"Well, Oliver saw a Russian vehicle he simply had to have." Slade lies with ease, deciding to drop Oliver in this one so Isabel can bother him instead the next time she feels like lecturing someone.

"Is that why he decided to drag you all out here to Russia? To go car shopping?" Isabel glances at him incredulously as Slade can't help but smirk at her...

 _Gulag_

"This cold room." The Russian guard starts, as the two guards drag Diggle into a room that by the feel of things must be at least below minus temperatures as it is so damn cold, Diggle discovers as he's dragged through the freezing room. The guards, pulling him to a stop and chaining both his hands to a pipe above his head, one guard walking away.

"Six hours for you." The other guard snaps.

"Six hours?" Diggle whispers in shock.

"You can't keep me in here that long!" He protests.

"Now seven hours." The guard smirks before sauntering out of the room, leaving Diggle alone to face his icy punishment.

Well, not entirely alone.

Another prisoner stands across from him, hands chained above his head like Diggle's.

"Well that was pretty stupid." The man comments, before glancing at Diggle head on.

"Then again, you never really were one of the brightest guys." He mutters as Diggle just glares at him in both horror and shock at seeing him in here across from him.

His brothers killer…

"Deadshot." He whispers as the one eyed man just smirks at him.

"You're spine frozen though yet?" He questions dryly.

"Trust me. My problem isn't with the cold." Diggle growls.

"What? You still haven't forgiven me for shooting your brother?" Deadshot questions as Diggle growls and fights against his restraints a moment.

"Man, you really hold a grudge." He sighs as Diggle just yells and growls at him furiously, wishing he could break free of these restraints that chain him to the pipe, go over there and take Deadshot down and kill the son of a bitch for everything he'd done.

Taking his nephews father away from him.

Killing his brother.

"I know why you're here. That girl. From ARGUS." Deadshot points out boredly.

"Lyla didn't find a lead on you. She found you." Diggle mutters as Deadshot just simply smirks back in response…

 _Moscow: Hotel_

"Does everyone really think that Felicity and I are…" Slade trails off, an eyebrow raised as he glances at Isabel sitting across from him.

"No." Isabel shakes her head.

"Just everyone who works at Queen Consolidated and possibly the CEO himself." Isabel adds as they both chuckle.

"She's just a friend and when you say the CEO himself, what do you mean by that?" Slade somewhat growls, thinking of many ways in a minute he could inflict pain on Oliver.

"Think Mr. Queen could be the one starting a wager." Isabel sniggers as a glare crosses Slade's face as he thinks of all the ways he can now find Oliver and kill him.

"Just kidding." Isabel nudges him.

"I hope you are, for Oliver's sake." Slade mutters as Isabel chuckles again.

"Seriously through, you don't seem like the kind of man who has female friends." She points out as Slade frowns at her.

"What about Sara? She's my friend." He points out.

"Yes well. From what I've heard, she's more like family to you than a friend, both she and Mr. Queen are." She reminds him.

"That is true, where have you heard this?" He questions her.

"Well considering Mr. Queen made you his second in command and the fact that you three are always together after that rough five years you all spent in hell, I'm guessing you must have a family like bond between the three of you." She responds.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Slade glances at her.

"With some vodka in me, I might just answer." She smirks.

"Why does saving Oliver Queen's company mean so much to you?" He asks.

"Despite what Sheryl Sandberg might say. It still isn't that easy to make it as a woman in business. I've…" She trails off a moment.

"Given up a lot." She admits before quickly adding.

"Which means, if I don't succeed at everything then what was the point?"

"Hm." Slade nods in response.

"May I ask you a personal question?" She grins at him.

"Many others have tried and failed." He replies.

"Why do you try so hard to make me think that you and Mr. Queen are two lazy idiots? Despite everything I've heard about Oliver Queen, from actually meeting him in person, I don't think he is and I certainly know that you're not. I see you pretty clearly Slade." She points out.

"Really?" Slade retorts.

"Then what do you see?"

"You're intelligent. Driven and lonely." She replies softly.

"Been lonely to long." She adds.

"And how do you see that?" He queries.

"Because it's what I see when I look in the mirror." She murmurs simply in response...

 _Gulag_

Sometime later, Diggle and Deadshot are still stuck in front of each other in the same room, still chained to the pipe above their heads and still both freezing when the door is unlocked.

"We don't have much time." The guard that Anatoly struck a deal with comments as he enters the room, crossing it in an instance, ignoring the look from Deadshot as he quickly unchains Diggle from the pipe.

"There you go." He says to Diggle as he helps him to his feet, Diggle still glaring head on at Deadshot as the guard helps him walk.

"Let's got lets go." He says hurriedly as the two escape the freezing room, both leaving Deadshot behind.

"Nice seeing you, John."

 _Moscow: Hotel_

Isabel watches on, slightly intrigued as Slade has a conversation with one of the waiters at the bar in Russian.

"You speak Russian." She remarks, slightly impressed as Slade replies to her in fluent Russian causing her to smirk.

"I was raised in Moscow until I was nine and then adopted by a family that took me to America. Took me years to get rid of my accent." She explains.

"It wasn't easy making friends in grade school when you sound like Natasha." She laughs, before adding.

"How do you know how to speak Russian?" She questions.

"I know many languages Isabel." He responds.

"Another thing we have in common." She smiles as Slade looks to her with a slight smile.

Her last choice of words reminding him of someone.

A conversation once had so long ago.

"What?" She asks softly.

"Nothing." Slade murmurs before adding.

"Just reminded me of someone I used to know." He admits quietly before saying to her in fluent Russian.

'Sounds like you've been dealing with loneliness a long time yourself.' Isabel glances at him once before replying quickly in Russian herself.

'Pay the check.'

 _Later…_

Dragging Slade through the door to his room, Isabel and Slade kiss fiercely, Isabel taking no haste in pushing him against her door, continuing to kiss him.

"Don't exactly have a lot of time." Slade mutters in between kisses as Isabel sighs.

"I'll be quick." She smirks as Slade smirks back before lifting her up in his arms and throwing her against the bed…

 _Gulag_

"Five minutes." The guard states as he leads Diggle down the hallway.

"Must hurry." He adds, deep urgency in his voice.

"Remind me to get you a pack of cigarettes when this is all over." Diggle murmurs.

"I don't smoke." The guard responds, before suddenly stopping in his tracks, Diggle glancing over at him in confusion as he collapses to the ground, a large chunk of ice in his back.

Courtesy of Deadshot.

Diggle backs away slowly as he stares at the man in shock.

"You weren't going to leave without me, were you?" He smirks dryly.

"I should kill you right now!" Diggle growls, advancing on him.

"You won't." Deadshot retorts.

"Why?" Diggle snarls.

"Because. I'm the only one who knows where your little girlfriend is." He smiles as Diggle glares at him poisonously.

"You're not stupid. You wouldn't put yourself in here without an exit strategy. I take you to the girl." Deadshot bargains with a glance at Diggle.

"You take me out."

 _Moscow: Hotel_

"Think it's near time now Ollie." Sara points out, wrapped in the blanket whilst resting on top of Oliver, who strokes her hair softly.

"You might be right." He murmurs sleepily, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I am right." Sara responds with a smile, with a brief glance to the clock as she sits up somewhat, feeling Oliver wrap his arms around her waist to keep her in position.

"I need to get dressed… We both need to get dressed." She sighs.

"And yet I really wish we didn't have to." Oliver sighs back.

"Diggle's waiting for us." She responds bluntly as Oliver nods, snapping back to business mode in a brief second, allowing Sara to get up so both of them can hurry to get dressed and make themselves look decent for the upcoming nights activities of breaking their friend out of Russian prison and that time is nearing, they soon realize when they hear the sound of knocking on their door.

"Guys it's time." Comes the sound of Felicity's voice from the door.

"Yeah, we know we're coming." Oliver calls back before adding.

"Go get Slade, he's probably in his room or something."

"Ok. I'll see you guys in a bit then." Felicity calls back as Oliver turns to Sara, wrapping his hand around her wrist to pull her toward him so he can kiss her once, smiling once as he pulls back and strokes her face lightly.

"Let's go save our friend."

 _Meanwhile..._

"Isabel. I have to go." Slade murmurs as he glances at the time on the wall, whilst retrieving his clothes that are in various corners of the room after his events with Isabel.

"I apologise." He mutters.

"Do I strike you as someone who needs to cuddle?" She retorts sarcastically.

"No you do not." Slade smiles slightly as Isabel moves forward to straighten up his eye patch for him.

"Besides." She leans up to kiss him briefly.

"We can always continue this later." Slade just smirks briefly at her before heading toward the door, opening the door and almost walking straight into Felicity, who had just been about to knock, Oliver and Sara having told her to go and get him.

"Hi." She smiles at him.

"Felicity." He responds quietly.

"It's time, ready?" She grins at him sweetly.

"Yes. I…"

"Think she can take the night off, don't you?" Isabel cuts in as she walks past Slade, throwing a smile his way as she heads toward her own room.

"Ohh." Felicity whispers as she realises exactly what had Slade so occupied.

"Felicity." Slade starts.

"It. What happens in Russia, stays in Russia." She responds so quickly with a beaming smile as she turns away to head down the corridor, whispering inaudibly.

"Even when it makes no sense whatsoever."

 _Gulag_

Walking down the corridor side by side for several moments, Diggle watching Deadshot cautiously out of the corner of his eye most of the time in case he tries anything.

In case Diggle decides to change his mind and kill the son of a bitch once and for all.

Would solve a lot of problems.

He'd get his revenge for his brother's death and probably do ARGUS a favor that would also make Waller's proposition void.

But he doesn't, he continues to keep moving.

For Lyla.

Only for Lyla.

Distracted momentarily by his thoughts, Diggle breaks free from them only to glance up and see two guards approaching him and Deadshot.

They attack them head on, taking a guard each and sending both into unconsciousness, Diggle taking one of the guard's weapons from the floor.

"Guessin', uh, you want to hold onto that?" Deadshot comments, glancing down at the gun held tight in Diggle's hand before glancing down the corridor.

"This way."

 _Elsewhere In Moscow_

"What were you thinking?" Felicity growls after awkward silence between the group that Oliver and Sara have been trying to work out since the four of them had gotten in the van.

"What is going on?" Oliver decides to question after hearing Slade sigh and rest his head against the window.

"Over sixty four million women over the age of consent in Russia and you sleep with her." Felicity mutters distastefully as Oliver and Sara both look up at her words.

"I guess we're not doing the 'what happens in Russia stays in Russia'." Slade muses.

"We're still in Russia!" Felicity snaps back.

"Wait. Who's slept with who now?" Sara frowns.

"Ohh my god Slade you didn't…" Oliver starts, shaking his head in amazement as he thinks he's figured it out.

"Kid. Shut up." Slade mutters.

"What possessed you?" Oliver exclaims.

"Thank you Oliver, at least we're on the same page about this." Felicity grumbles.

"You slept with Isabel?" Sara raises an eyebrow to Slade.

"I do not see why it is of any relevance to either of you whatsoever what I chose to do in my personal time." Slade mutters back.

"More like who you chose to do." Oliver can't help but comment.

"I will kill you kid if you say another word." Slade growls, before adding.

"And besides you can talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Oliver exclaims.

"You know damn well what I mean, kid." Slade retorts.

"Ok, ok you two. We've got a friend trying to break out of prison right now, we can discuss Slade's poor choice in women at a later date." Sara holds her hands up.

"Don't you start." Slade says in a warning tone.

"Can't hide from the truth." Sara shrugs.

"You know what, I'm gonna see what's keeping Anatoly." Slade mutters before heading out of the van, slamming the door in his wake.

"Probably better go after him." Oliver says soon after in a nervous tone, also heading out the van, leaving Felicity and Sara alone.

"Do you want to talk?" Sara glances at Felicity, who already has her tablet out on her lap, typing away furiously.

"Guess not." Sara sighs as she rests her head against the side of the van, listening to Felicity type hurriedly.

"What are you even doing on that thing?" Sara questions, leaning over Felicity's shoulder only for a second to see what her friend is doing, seeing that Felicity is in the process of downloading various files, appearing to be hacking into something.

Sara thinks to what she's does when she's angry or annoyed at something. The Salmon Ladder, taking her rage out on plastic dummies, or even Oliver and Slade in a heated training session.

Hacking is probably Felicity's way of trying to unwind and let out her anger, yet when Sara sees Isabel's name pop up on one of the things Felicity appears to be hacking into, Sara realizes that this is more than just Felicity letting her anger out…

"Might want to stop doing that when Slade gets back." She muses as Felicity doesn't even look at her, just ignores her.

"Don't think he'll be too happy about that." She comments as Felicity sighs as glances at Sara eventually.

"About what? I'm only continuing the research I started when she first appeared on the scene. I just never got around to finishing it. Got some time to kill right now though. I mean don't you find her just a little bit odd. She shows up out of nowhere trying to take Oliver's company. I always intended to look into her more, I'm just tying up loose ends." She grumbles as Sara raises an eyebrow at her.

"Felicity I know why your doing this and all it's going to do is end up pissing Slade off if he catches you doing that." Sara sighs as Felicity continues, taking no notice of her again.

"I know how you feel about him." Felicity stops then, fingers hovering over her tablet.

"What?" She asks shakily.

"I'm not blind." Sara shrugs as Felicity suddenly groans, switching her tablet off and burying her head in her hands.

"I'm being stupid!" She mutters, folding her tablet up and placing it in her bag away from temptation.

"Can't comment. I betrayed my own sister to be with the man I had feelings for." Sara points out as Felicity bravely turns her head to look at Sara.

"And by the way, don't try and deny it." Sara smirks at her.

"I see the way you look at him." She adds, Felicity about to reply when the van doors abruptly open.

"There is nothing money cannot buy in this country." Anatoly muses as he returns to the van along with Oliver and Slade, whom both climb into the back.

"Diggle should be heading out with Lyla in two minutes." Oliver says quietly as he glances at his watch.

"Well breaking out of prison is harder than it looks. You of all people should know that." Anatoly comments to Oliver, glancing back at him, then to Sara and Slade as they begin to drive away into the darkness…

 _The Amazo_

 _Oliver lies in his cell uneasily on his back, his eyes closed to give the appearance of sleep but beneath closed eyes is infact mostly awake._

 _Thoughts of Sara, Shado and Slade running through his head._

 _The explosions, calling out for Sara and Shado as he watched the plane get hit with said bombs, racing through the fire, Slade loyally following him, trying to stop him from getting them both killed. Slade going up in flames, his agonized screams…_

 _Keys turning in the door drag Oliver's attention toward the cell door in an instant, where he sees Harley standing outside, keys in the door._

 _Frowning at her, Oliver holds his side as he sits up, due to the pain still present from being shot and having to sort out his wound himself and when he does manage to sit up after various amounts of effort, Harley opens the door._

 _"Shh. Follow me." She holds a finger to her lips, holding a hand out toward Oliver, who is hesitant._

 _"What. I won't bite." She gives him a wide grin as he eventually places his hand in hers, allowing her to pull him toward the door of his cell and out of it._

 _It is as they begin to walk away from the cell, the Russian prisoner sitting in the cell beside Oliver sits up, looking toward where Oliver is leaving the cell with Harley._

 _"You'll remember the rest of us…" He starts quietly._

 _"Yes?" He finishes after a moment as Oliver looks to him with sincerity._

 _"I promise." He nods as he starts to walk away._

 _"I'll come back." He promises._

 _He'll come back for them._

 _One way or another…._

 _Out In The Corridor_

 _"Come on." Harley says in a sing song voice as she leads Oliver down corridor._

 _"Are we making a swim for it?" Oliver inquires._

 _"No, they'd shoot us dead the second we hit the water." Harley responds as they continue to walk down the corridor together and into a small room where there's a table and what Oliver believes to be a radio upon it._

 _"You said your friends, they have one of the radios from the ship, yeah?" Harley asks him as she takes a seat beside the radio._

 _"Yeah." Oliver nods, watching on in surprise as Harley begins to tinker with the radio expertly, trying to get it work and from the sounds of the way it is crackling in response to her efforts, succeeding in doing so,_

 _"You look like you know what you're doing there." Oliver comments._

 _"During the time I've spent here I've learned many things I never thought I would." She murmurs, still deeply fixated on the radio._

 _"You and me both." Oliver murmurs before looking to Harley as she works on the radio._

 _"What did you do before you ended up here. Actually how did you end up here exactly?" Oliver questions as Harley glances at him once._

 _"Used to be a psychiatrist. Suppose after that I had a different job occupation." She grins with a slight laugh for a moment before turning back to the radio._

 _"Then I ended up here." She says, resting her head on her hand as she looks at Oliver._

 _"Your name isn't really Tommy is it?" She questions._

 _"Why. Why'd ask that?" Oliver frowns as she looks at him._

 _"Well, figured you only gave a fake name cause of the way I was lookin' at ya when Ivo asked for your name." She reminds him as Oliver can't help but nod._

 _"Wanna tell me your name?" She asks softly._

 _Oliver looks at her. He feels like he shouldn't tell her, shouldn't trust her but she's told him about herself, that she used to be a psychiatrist and there's also the fact she seems to be helping him contact his friends which could mean he can escape from this place, so in the end he doesn't really see the harm in telling her…_

 _"Oliver. Oliver Queen." He says without much thought as she pulls a hand away from the radio to shake Oliver's hand._

 _"Nice to meetcha Oliver Queen." She grins as she turns back to the radio, working on it for only a moment longer before subsequently passing it to Oliver._

 _"Don't think they'll respond unless it's your voice they here." Harley shrugs when Oliver glances at her in momentary confusion, before nodding and takes the radio from her, groaning from the pain in his side as he sits down in the chair Harley was once on, watching as she leans against the wall, watching him intently._

 _"Sara?" Oliver speaks clearly into the radio to nothing but static and silence._

 _"Shado?" He calls her name next._

 _"Sara, Shado are you there?" He whispers, fearful that they're not and his worst fears are in fact reality and they are gone and were killed in the explosions that had hit the plane._

 _Deciding another tactic, he starts speaking through the radio in Chinese to still nothing but static and silence._

 _"Sara please…" Oliver whispers almost pleadingly as he sees Harley still watching him, intrigued almost as he looks desperately at the radio in his hand._

 _He still receives nothing from the radio and tries something else even though he knows that it may be completely pointless, but believes it to be worth a shot._

 _"Slade." He whispers desperately._

 _"Can you hear me?" He closes his eyes._

 _"Kid?" He hears an almost inaudible rasp._

 _Oliver covers his mouth with his free hand in just the pure shock at hearing Slade's voice._

 _He's alive._

 _Slade's alive, somehow he survived the bombs..._

 _"Oliver?" He hears Slade whisper his name before hearing him groan in pain._

 _"Yes, it's me. I'm here, I'm okay, I survived." He responds, closing his eyes as he hears nothing but Slade groaning in pain before hearing familiar Chinese._

 _"Shado!" Oliver cries out, smiling even wider now._

 _"Ollie!" Comes the voice Oliver truly needed to hear._

 _Sara._

 _Sara's alive._

 _She's ok, she survived._

 _They all survived._

 _"Sara, ohh my god." Oliver whispers._

 _"Ollie! Ollie are you okay? Where are you I thought your were dead, we all through you were dead." She whispers._

 _"Thank god your alive." He hears Shado chime._

 _"Where are you? Just tell me where you are and we'll come and get you." Sara cuts in quickly as Oliver beams._

 _"Yeah I'm on the freighter…" Without warning, Harley rips the radio from his hands._

 _"Harley what?" Oliver looks at her in confusion, horrified when he sees that from behind her are Ivo and several of his guards._

 _"Harley what have you done?" Oliver whispers._

 _"There's only three of them. They haven't moved from the location of the mortar attack." The guard comments._

 _"What the hell is going on here?" Oliver snaps, glancing at Harley, who doesn't even look at him anymore, just looks down at her nails._

 _"You just confirmed your friends are alive. Which means they're still a threat. You know, until we kill them." Ivo smirks._

 _"You son of a bitch!" Oliver snarls as he moves forth to attack the man only to be intercepted by the guard who'd shot him, who subsequently knocks Oliver to the ground and due to his previous wound he groans in pain and isn't even able to get to his feet…_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Ollie!" Sara cries down the radio when it suddenly goes silently, running a hand through her hair before racing toward the weapons, grabbing a couple of knives and one of the hand guns they have here from when they ripped apart what was left of Fyers' camp._

 _"Sara. Sara what are you doing?" Shado moves toward her quickly._

 _"Going to the freighter. I'm going to get him back." Sara says determinedly, pocketing a few knives, shoving spare bullets into her pockets._

 _"You stay here with Slade." Sara murmurs as Shado grabs her arms._

 _"No. It's suicide Sara!" Shado protests as Sara shakes her head._

 _"I've got to save Ollie. I have to get him back." She whispers quickly._

 _"We do." Comes the familiar pained rasp of Slade, bringing Shado and Sara's attention to him almost immediately when they see Slade all but crawling from where he's been lying for the past few days since they've brought him back in here._

 _"Could have done something…" He stops, growling, groaning and crying out as he grabs onto anything in his reach to pull himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall, with his eyes closed._

 _"Slade…" Shado starts to move toward him, but he holds a hand up to stop her._

 _"Sooner. If you'd mentioned that he wasn't here." He somewhat growls and both Sara and Shado have a feeling he isn't growling in pain, but also anger._

 _"Slade I can explain…" Sara starts but one glance from Slade sends her into silence._

 _"As he been gone this whole time?"_

 _Sara and Shado can't even find the words to respond…_

 _The Gulag_

Approaching a room after some time of walking through corridors, Deadshot stops outside of a door before glancing toward Diggle.

"If I say she's in there what's keeping you from shooting me?" He inquires.

"Honor." Diggle responds simply, before turning away from Deadshot, racing quickly to unlock the door.

"You should try it sometime." He glances back once before opening the door, glancing at Deadshot through the corner of his eye as he moves into the cell, almost sighing in relief when he sees Lyla, seemingly alive and chained to a wall.

"Lyla." He whispers as he races toward her, somewhat reassured when she looks up at him dazed and bewildered, yet unhappy when he sees the bruises and cuts around her face and soon unchains her hands, freeing her.

"Johnny?" She whispers, almost as if she cannot believe he's really here rescuing her.

"Ready to go home?" He smiles at her slightly.

"You came for me." Is all she can whisper back as he reaches toward her, pulling her close.

"Always have. Always will." He smiles as she grips at his arm.

"Deadshots here." Lyla murmurs.

"In the prison." She looks at him nervously.

"I know." Diggle admits as he leads her out of the cell and toward where Deadshot is stood, Lyla still so dazed she doesn't even seem to care that he's there.

"What's your extraction plan?" Floyd asks the minute Diggle and Lyla appear.

"Depends." Diggle replies simply.

"What time is it?"

 _Meanwhile…_

Standing around a group of people, Anatoly speaks in Russian as he puts on a coat, his Russian translating into.

'do you think this looks good on me?'

An explosion sounds soon after…

 _Elsewhere…_

Let's go, go, go! Move, move, move!" Diggle yells instantly at the sound of the explosion, grabbing a hold of Lyla tightly as the three of them begin to run.

Alarm sounding and inmates yelling sounding out as they race through the prison.

Racing through corridors filled with inmates, protesting and swearing through the bars, Deadshot in front.

"This way." Diggle indicates down a corridor, Floyd stopping briefly to grab a couple of items from the corner of the room, glancing at Diggle and Lyla..

"Got it."

 _Meanwhile…_

"I shut down the phones the guards can't call for help." Felicity informs the other three in the van, Oliver checking his watching through the windows nervously as so far, there has been no sign at all of either Diggle or Lyla.

"Your friend and that woman are not here by now they will not be here at all." Anatoly comments gravely and no one says a word as they're pretty certain he is more than likely right…

 _The Gulag_

As Diggle, Deadshot and Lyla try to escape from said prison, they soon encounter guards. one that Diggle takes out almost instantly.

Watching as Diggle finishes with the guard, Floyd fixes the red light onto his eyepatch and turns it on.

"Much better." He comments dryly as they move swiftly toward the exit.

"On the ground all of you!" One of the guards yell as a rather large number of Russian guards surround Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot.

Speaking Russian rapidly, holding their guns out toward the three, Diggle reaches for his gun, however, before anyone can do anything two men race in wearing guard uniforms, beginning to take out all the armed guards themselves, distracting them away from Diggle, Deadshot and Lyla.

Diggle looks on in surprise at their rescuers, knowing that they're Oliver and Slade.

They came to back them up…

With the guards distracted with battling Oliver and Slade, Diggle fires his gun and the other guards that keep coming, Lyla also having managed to secure a gun, joins Diggle in the shooting of the guards, which despite being shot at by both Diggle and Lyla are also being dealt with in hand to hand combat by Oliver and Slade.

Worried that either he or Lyla is going to end up shooting either Oliver or Slade, Diggle calls out to them to get their attention.

"Guys get down!" He yells before he shoots at the remaining guards until all guards are down, Oliver and Slade looking toward Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot briefly before suddenly another guard jumps out at them. Oliver finishes him in a matter of seconds.

"Follow us." Oliver calls to Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot.

"Move!" Oliver yells as he and Slade begin to race toward the van, Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot hot on their heels as they see the doors of the van opening, Oliver and Slade managing to climb in first.

Not willing to take any chances, Slade sits up from with Anatoly to stay out of Lyla's line of sight as she gets in the back of the van with Diggle and Deadshot.

Oliver quickly shutting the van door as the van finally drives away with all of them inside before anything can go down, seeing that some of the guards are on their feet again and are armed, racing toward the van in an attempt to stop it from leaving.

The van drives off into the right under heavy gunfire, nothing stopping it from escaping…

 _Sometime Later_

In the dark of the night, the van continues to drive at top speed, only slowing down when quite a distance away from the Gulag.

"We're clear." Anatoly comments as he finally begins to slow down.

"Stop the truck." Diggle mutters dryly, glaring at Deadshot.

Anatoly complies and the truck comes to a somewhat stop.

"Get out." Diggle continues to glare at Floyd.

"Get out!" He snaps at Floyd, whom gives Diggle a tired look before glaring at him and complying with Diggle's commands, climbing out the side of the van, Diggle following him, taking his gun with him, aiming it at the back of Deadshot, who glances back to see the gun in Diggle's hand.

"Move Lawton." Diggle mutters, keeping the gun on him and following him down the street.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Diggle raises the gun to Deadshot, whom turns around to face Diggle again, watching as he holds the gun in hands that shake almost uncontrollably.

"That's the thing about honor, John." Deadshot comments with a smirk.

"You can't turn it on and off. Unless you got ARGUS here waiting for me or something." He comments as Diggle glances at him, lowering his gun slightly.

"Yeah lucky for you, they're not. Could have been though. I was given a choice Lawton. Trade a friend of mine in to them to get my revenge on you for everything you did and now I here I am with a gun to your head and I can shoot you, end you right now and ARGUS can got to hell but." Diggle stops, hand still shaking.

"Honor. Like I said, can't turn it on and off." He chuckles before turning to walk away.

"You know you got saved by one of your targets." Diggle comments, watching as Deadshot turns around to face him, nodding toward the van.

"The Australian? Your girlfriend know your friends with Deathstroke?" He comments with a smirk as Diggle glares at him.

"Shut up Lawton." He mutters.

"That ain't gonna end well you know. Read up on my targets sometimes if I'm bored and that one I did considering I never got to put a bullet in his head. Imagine if your girlfriend realized one of the men she's hunting is right under her nose right now, working with you. Didn't think you had it in you to work with criminals, John. ARGUS don't like that guy."

"And yet he and another friend of mine saved your ass." Diggle cuts in. Deadshot shrugs.

"Well he obviously decided to let bygones be bygones unlike someone you know I'm just curious how is it you think your brother ended up dead?" He questions.

"You shot a client that Andy was protecting and you missed!" Diggle snaps, hand on gun.

"I don't miss!" Deadshot yells as Diggle freezes in shock at his words.

He's Deadshot. The assassin that never misses his target…

"Your brother was the contract." Deadshot announces plainly as Diggle shakes his head at him in horror.

"Who would want to kill Andy?" He protests.

"I don't know their names just an alias. HIVE." Deadshot responds a moment of silence passing between the two men as Deadshot turns to walk away again.

"Food for thought John." He says as he departs.

"Food for thought."

 _Starling City_

Upon returning to Starling City, the seven exit the plane.

Felicity first, happy to be free from the plane, then Diggle and Lyla, who exit the plane holding hands, Diggle wrapping an arm around Lyla as they go.

Oliver and Sara depart the plane next, finding that someone has been waiting for them to return, Sin.

"You kick ass out their?" Sin questions as Sara and Oliver approach her, Sara pulling her into an affectionate hug before nodding.

"Well Ollie did." She comments as Sin smirks at her.

"You've got to let me come on the next mission!" Sin protests as Oliver and Sara look at her with strict expressions on both their faces.

"Absolutely not!"

Meanwhile, noticing her exiting the plane, Slade moves toward Isabel as she walks toward her car.

"Are you and I going to discuss what happened last night." Slade questions quietly.

"Why would we?" Isabel glances at him as she climbs into her car.

"I'll see you in the office tomorrow. Unless, of course you want to continue what we started later?" Isabel smirks as Slade rolls his eye at her momentarily before turning toward where Sara and Oliver are stood with Sin.

"Do not get what you see in her." Sara comments as Slade reaches them.

"Sara. Just leave it." Slade mutters, glancing at Oliver, who shrugs.

"She ain't wrong." He murmurs as Sin looks at the three in confusion.

"Wait… He's with her? Isn't she that, what did you call her, crazy bitch from that other company?" Sin looks to Oliver and Sara, who nod as Sin glances at Slade.

"Are you on drugs or something?" She asks with enough sincerity, making Oliver and Sara start to laugh at her comment.

"Thought that myself before now." Oliver smirks.

"You three are a nightmare." Slade grumbles, not hearing Sin's next comment as she nudges Sara with a confused look in her her eyes.

"I thought he was with Smoak." She whispers to Sara as Sara just shakes her head, quietly responding so Slade doesn't hear them.

"He's an idiot."

Moments later, after taking Lyla toward his car, Diggle moves back toward Oliver, Sara, Slade and Sin.

"Thank you." Diggle murmurs to Oliver and Sara and Slade kindly.

"You had my back." He looks to each of them in turn.

"And now you know what it feels like." Oliver beams at him as he shakes Diggle's hand, who looks at the three of them gratefully, watching as Oliver puts an arm around Sara's shoulders, the two, Slade and Sin moving away from him.

"Slade." Diggle calls to him, watching as Slade turns around to face him.

"You know Lyla could have know who you really were." He comments as Slade shrugs.

"Yet you came anyway, with Oliver to rescue us." He adds.

"Said we'd get her back, didn't we." Slade responds.

"But even after everything you've got against them to come on the mission was good enough, let alone what you did, rescuing us like that despite everything that could have gone wrong if she'd have know who you were. I just wanted to say thanks, man." Diggle gives him a genuine smile.

"You're welcome. It's as Oliver said, now you know how it feels. I may not have always approved of Oliver's decision to recruit you in the very beginning but things have changed since then. We're partners." Slade responds to Diggle's surprise, he smiles gratefully though and the two men shakes hands.

"Surprised she didn't know the true identity behind the monster she's hunting." Slade comments as Diggle shrugs.

"What can I say, ARGUS are tricky." Diggle sighs.

"That's one word for them." Slade murmurs as he begins to walk away.

"Hey man. There's something you need to know." Diggle starts nervously as Slade turns back to glance at him.

"What might that be?" He responds.

"Before the mission, when I found out about what had happened to Lyla. I was contacted by a woman named Amanda Waller…" Diggle explains, knowing he's hit a nerve when Slade freezes at the mention of his name, a dark look crossing his face.

"She told me she knew who you and Oliver really were, Arrow and Deathstroke and she said if I handed you over to them I'd be allowed to do what I liked to Deadshot." He admits.

"Sounds like her a'right." Slade grumbles before adding.

"You considered it?" He questions, more of a statement than a question. Diggle says nothing in response.

"Don't think I ever could have gone through with it though." He says after a moment.

"Me, you, Oliver, Sara, Felicity. We're a team. Partners and even thinking that I even considered Waller's proposition feels like a somewhat betrayal." Diggle admits as Slade shakes his head in disagreement.

"Waller offered me a proposition once. I could get my revenge for what they did but that would have meant Oliver's death. Did I consider it? Yes. Yes I did and Oliver is like a brother to me. Don't think I blame you for considering it as I would have done the exact same thing. Revenge is a powerful thing." He admits to Diggle, whom nods.

"She was the one who ordered it wasn't. Amanda Waller, she ordered the deaths of your ex wife and son?" Diggle questions quietly as Slade glances at him.

"She was in charge of the whole bloody thing." He growls.

"She enslaved us, she killed my son and nearly killed Oliver and made it so if we didn't do as she asked the price would have been Oliver's life. You do me a favor Diggle." Slade mutters as he moves away.

"Get given the opportunity put a bullet through that bitches head. Or hand over to me because if we ever met again." Slade growls as he walks into the distance.

"I'd very much like to finish what I started."

 _Iron Heights_

Thea, having come to the prison to visit her mother is shocked beyond words when she reaches her mother's cell to see Roy, her now ex boyfriend standing their beside her.

"What are you… What are you doing here?" Thea asks in deep confusion.

"Good question. I've gotten a lot of calls from prison but never from my girlfriends mother." Roy murmurs, looking quite bewildered as Moira just smiles and reaches for Thea's hands.

"It occurred to me that I've never been given the opportunity to meet the man in your life." She comments with a beaming smile.

"Well I don't know if she told you but your daughter kinda dumped me." Roy admits.

"And what you should know is that she did it for me." Moira smiles at him kindly, turning back to face Thea.

"Jean told me she came to see you I told her she shouldn't have." She frowns as Roy shakes his head.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth." He sighs.

"Us being together it can hurt her case." Thea admits sadly.

"Thea…" Moira shakes her head.

"Your social life is not going to be the determining factor in my trial. Sweetheart what you've had to endure this last year is more than most people go through in two lifetimes but you've not only survived you've flourished and I think a lot of that has to do with Roy." She rests a hand on Roy's arm kindly, whom still looks slightly bewildered.

"So as your mother I forbid you not to see him." Moira smiles, especially when Thea laughs and hugs her tightly, glancing at Roy the whole time.

Her boyfriend.

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea And Roy's Apartment_

"Ooh that sounds cold even by a Russians standards." Leonard comments through the phone, having rang Slade, as he'd been having a break from something Slade is pretty certain was a criminal activity but Leonard soon shoved their don't ask pact in his face and Slade had ended up recounting some of his trip to Russia, rather glad he can tell Leonard more of the truth now.

"Well as much as I would love to chat. I gotta run." Leonard says, sounds of a somewhat commotion in the background before he hangs up.

Slade doesn't even want to know what he was doing and rolls his eyes at his phone, moving toward the couch and slumping down onto it somewhat miserably as he thinks of Amanda Waller. Everything she took from him, everything she nearly took from him…

"What's up, you okay?" Oliver's voice travels from the kitchen as he moves toward the couch, sitting beside Slade.

"Hey, we did a good job saving Lyla." He reminds him as Slade nods.

"Thinking about ARGUS?" Oliver guesses and Slade doesn't deny it, just nudges his friend.

"Just glad I still got you kid." Slade murmurs, thinking back to Waller trying to to take Oliver from him.

The times she separated them. The realization that she could kill Oliver with a simple touch of a button…

Oliver just smiles and leans against his friend.

"And you'll always have me. Brothers?" Oliver says with a kind smile as Slade nods.

"Brothers."

 _Somewhere In Starling City: Next Day_

Diggle lies quite content in bed, watching as Lyla walks across the room to him with a smile on her face.

"I have to admit. This is not how I anticipated my trip to Russia ending." She grins as she climbs into bed beside him.

"I just feel lucky we made it out of there alive." Diggle comments, wrapping an arm around her as she smiles down at him.

"Thank you." She whispers as he strokes her hair lovingly.

"Not just for coming for me. For doing what you had to once you did." She whispers.

"You mean working with Deadshot?" He questions.

"I'd have done it for you to." She admits as Diggle smiles.

"So your telling me if I was stuck in a prison and the only way to rescue me was to work with, I don't know. Deathstroke. You'd do that?" He smirks.

"Hmm don't know. Monster did massacre a large percentage of ARGUS. God I want to find out the identity of the son of a bitch and take that scumbag down for good." She sighs as Diggle doesn't say anything, pulling her closer instead.

"You know, me and Carly broke up because I couldn't love her and hate Deadshot at the same time." He admits.

"I'm honored to be the exception." She whispers.

"Lyla, you're always the exception." Diggle responds, the two sharing a kiss, which Lyla has to unfortunately break.

"I have a debrief with ARGUS at 0800." She sighs, moving to get up.

"No, no. Let Waller stew." Diggle protests pulling her back into his arms, Lyla laughing softly.

"Stay for breakfast." He smiles, kissing her cheek sweetly.

"Throw in your blueberry pancakes and you may be able to convince me." She grins, kissing him quickly before getting to her feet, giggling as she moves out of the bedroom, Diggle watching her go momentarily before leaning over to grab a phone off the bedside table, pulling up the search engine and typing a four letter word.

HIVE…

 _Queen Consolidated_

Felicity works at her desk hurriedly, getting her work done efficiently, all expecting for either Oliver or Slade to call her in for something and kinda hoping they don't all the same when she hears heavy footsteps approaching her desk.

"Can you deliver this to Isabel's office, please." Slade requests, dropping something on her desk before turning to walk back toward his and Oliver's office, whom is on the phone in the doorway.

"Why her?" Felicity finds herself whispering, regretting it instantly when Slade stops abruptly in his tracks, spinning around and fixing her with a somewhat disapproving one eyed glare of his.

"I mean, besides the… Obvious leggy model reason." She sighs.

"It just happened Felicity. Didn't mean anything." He mutters as she shakes her head at him and looks down at her desk.

"Felicity." He says almost sharply, causing her to glance up at him reluctantly.

"Because of the life I lead. I think it's best not to be with someone that I could really care about." He admits before admitting.

"I've made that mistake before and it didn't end well." He murmurs as Felicity just gets to her feet, moving past him, stopping just beside him, ignoring Oliver watching them.

"Well I think…" She whispers before looking down at her feet.

"I think you deserve better than her and I know you've been hurt before but having acceptance that you can find love again is the key to be truly free from whatever happened in the past that hurt you so badly you resort to the likes of her." Felicity says plainly.

"Resort to the likes of whom Miss Smoak?" Comes the familiar voice of Isabel as she enters the room.

"These are for you." Felicity all but shoves the files at her before moving quickly back toward her desk, turning to her computer where she finds true comfort, ignoring the smiles Isabel is giving Slade as she walks toward him.

"I want you in my office. Now." Isabel commands, resting her hand on Slade's arm briefly before strutting down the corridor.

Oliver subtly humming 'Cruella De Vil' as she passes him, Felicity biting her lip as she tries not to laugh.

Slade smacks him hard around the head.

"Ow. What the hell was that for." Oliver sniggers as Slade shakes his head at him before walking away after Isabel.

Oliver glances at Felicity, moving toward her desk and tapping on it to get her attention.

"What is it Oliver and no I'm not getting you coffee." She sighs.

"Just thought I'd let you know." He smiles as he waits until he can hear the elevator doors shutting to.

"I think he's an idiot to."

 _The Amazo_

 _Oliver glares at Harley, Ivo and the guards as he closes his eyes in desperation._

 _"We have their location. This ones no longer of use to us." The guard points out to Ivo._

 _"Let's see how good you are at removing a bullet from your head." The guard raises the gun to Oliver's head sharply and quickly._

 _"Woah, woah. Hold up." Harley steps in before he can pull the trigger. Oliver glancing at her in surprise, before quickly at the gun again before once more at Harley, who moves toward Ivo and leans against him, fluttering her eyelashes at the guy._

 _"He could still be of use to us." She grins with a mad giggle._

 _"She's right." Ivo says moments later._

 _"Once we get rid of his friends. We'll need him to lead us to the graves." Ivo informs the guard, whom reluctantly lowers the gun, glaring at Ivo and Harley._

 _"Sometimes I wonder who gives the orders here." He mutters to them._

 _"You. Or your little bouzin." He grumbles as he leaves the room, leaving only Oliver, Ivo and Harley left. Ivo leans toward him._

 _"You're going back to the island." He smirks._

 _"Oliver."_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Slade we're sorry we didn't tell you." Sara whispers as Slade just glares at her and Shado, the two girls having grabbed weapons when Slade had done, Shado also having applied more stuff to the burns on his face, which now looks like he has a somewhat mask upon his face, one side normal, the other mostly dark._

 _"We were concerned…" Shado starts softly._

 _"I don't care about. That right now." He growls._

 _"My anger with the two of you. For. Lying to me. Can wait." He hisses through his agony._

 _"I care about. Getting the kid back, now. That's what we're going to do." He snarls as he moves toward the door, limping, stumbling, almost falling down all the way, grabbing onto basically everything in his path to keep himself upright._

 _Shado and Sara are pretty much convinced he'd crawl if need be as they follow behind him cautiously and quietly, not wanting to incur the man's wrath anymore._

 _"We're going to get Oliver back right now and anyone. Who stands… In my way of getting that… Kid back is a dead man…"_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! And to all of you kind people who have reviewed, followed and favorited this story. Next update will be soon. Thanks again for reading and please, please do tell me what you thought of this chapter**.


	90. State V Queen (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety**

 _Queen Mansion: Night Of The Undertaking_

 _"My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated and God forgive me I have failed this city." Moira had admitted with utmost confidence, despite knowing what trouble her words of the truth will bring her…_

 _"I have been complicit in an Undertaking with one horrible purpose…" She had stopped, looking to the side of her before back to the cameras and the press in front of her._

 _"To destroy The Glades and everyone it it." She had revealed._

 _"If you reside in The Glades, please. You need to get out now." She had begged the already muttering members of the press in front of her._

 _"Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please." She'd begged…_

 _"Please."_

 _Iron Heights_

 _A guard, sitting at his desk having watched the clip of Moira Queen admitting her guilt about something called 'The Undertaking' on live TV, watches it intently and it is only moments afterwards that another guard bursts into the room._

 _"Warden says we got to evacuate." The guard says, moving toward a cupboard as the guard watching the computer screen gets to his feet, seeing if he can help._

 _"Help me get these our of here." The guard requests as he turns around and places the weapons in his hands._

 _"What about the inmates?" The guard questions in confusion._

 _"Leave 'em." The other man responds as they escape the room._

 _The computer screen still on…_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _Elsewhere in a distant cell in the prison, surrounded by drawings and with a book balanced in his two prosthetic hands, courtesy of The Masked Man, The Count lies with a smirk on his face as he looks boredly at the paperback in his hand, only looking up at the ceiling when he hears the light begin to move back and forth, a somewhat distant rumbling coming to his ears as he just continues to lie there, shrugging it off and turning back to his book._

 _Yet when he does this the whole cell suddenly begins to shake, the walls, the ceiling, the bed he's on, which he rolls off of onto the floor due to the, what he believes to be an earthquake._

 _As plaster and bricks begin to fall from the ceiling and the sink across from his bed breaks, spraying water over the cell, The Count moves to take cover underneath his bed as the world begins to shake._

 _When it had somewhat eased off, The Count could then hear alarms and the sounds of the other inmates in the prison yelling, which is when he sees that his cell door has been bent and blown off. With that, he soon crawls toward the exit, freeing himself from his cell after all this time and walking down the already rather destroyed corridor, ignoring the yells of protesting prisoners around him as he moves toward a body of a guard on the ground, ripping the set of keys from his belt and all but skipping down the corridor._

 _"Give me the keys!" One prisoner yells to him._

 _"No, no, too violent." He sniggers as he dangles them triumphantly from a prosthetic hand._

 _"Sloppy too stupid." He comments as he passes the prisoners still chained in their cells._

 _"Too ambitious." He comments as he moves through the corridor, stopping outside the cell of one man._

 _"You." He looks at the man. The Dollmaker._

 _"Love your work." He passes the keys through the bars to the man._

 _"Big future." He smiles as he turns to leave._

 _"Hey, be careful there's liable to be aftershocks." The Dollmaker whispers to him as The Count grins back._

 _"Oh, I'm counting on it."_

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea and Roy's Apartmen_ t

Standing by the window watching the rain pour down the windows, Thea Queen nibbles on her nails worriedly as she thinks of what tomorrow will bring.

Moira Queen's trial…

Watching the rain, she tries to immerse herself in the banta going on between Sara, Oliver and Slade in the kitchen as they cook dinner for the six of them.

"You know I don't think you cooked a single thing on that island, kid." She hears Slade say.

"Yes I did! Um… When we were looking for the sub." Oliver calls back.

"No that was me. You babysitted Slade." Sara retorts.

"That I did. Look there's got to be other times I cooked on the island." Oliver sighs.

"Think like now it was mainly a joint effort." Sara decides.

"Yes joint effort." Oliver glances at Slade with a smile.

"You okay Queen?" Sin asks as she crosses the room to Thea, who turns to look at her with a sad look on her face, head filled with thoughts of her mother's trial.

She sees even Oliver, Sara and Slade have stopped what they're doing to glance at her and she smiles at them reassuringly.

"Yeah. My heads all over the place." She sighs.

"You two can help me set the table." Sara decides suddenly, trying to distract Thea, who nods and moves with Sin toward Sara.

Sin having been the new edition to the apartment, due to her home mostly destroyed from The Glades. Thea and Roy had been surprised when they'd found out Sara was friends with Sin but we're perfectly fine with it, the both of them also friends of Sin of course.

"You know guys, me staying here isn't necessary I have a home you know." Sin looks to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"That wasn't a home that was a accident waiting to happen." Oliver replies.

"It had four walls and a ceiling, that may have had a few chunks missing out of it..."

"And looked like it was about to collapse in." Oliver adds.

"It was about to collapse in." Sara corrects him.

"Sure it wasn't. Lived there since The Undertaking and it hadn't moved a bit." Sin points out.

"As Ollie said. Accident waiting to happen." Sara smiles.

"Roy had to move in because his home was destroyed." Thea reminds her.

"Yeah. His home was destroyed mine, he didn't have a choice but to move. Mine was still standing, mostly." Sin tilts her head to the side.

"Mostly being the biggest understatement of the century." Oliver murmurs as Sin just rolls her eyes at him.

"Look, we had a spare room and I was not going to let any friend of mine stay in a death trap like that thing you called a home. Okay?" Sara smiles as she starts to lay six plates out.

"When's Roy getting in?" She asks Thea, who shrugs.

"Who knows." She responds.

"Well you call him or text him and say dinner is almost ready and the six of us are going to eat and enjoy a meal together for once and to get to his behind here right now." Sara commands as Sin and even Thea smirk at her being all authority like.

"Yeah he'll be late." Thea sighs.

"Don't get why you like that boy." Slade comments in passing as Thea rolls her eyes at him.

"Got to admit I was skeptical at first." Oliver adds.

"Ok you two both need to be nicer to Roy." Sara holds her hands up as she moves back to the kitchen, receiving a smile from Thea.

"Thanks Sara." She thanks her just as Roy comes racing through the door at top speed.

"Heard there was food." He says in greeting as he moves toward the table.

"Hoodies off at the table." Sara commands, Roy removing his red hood moments later, tossing it onto the couch, earning a glare from Slade.

"You are literally causing trouble for yourself." Thea groans, noticing the glint in Slade's eye.

"This is a home, not Roy Harper's personal dumping ground." Slade mutters as Roy sighs and moves his hoodie to the coat wrack, knowing tomorrow to be the day of Moira Queen's trial and that it wouldn't make Thea best pleased if he spent the evening arguing with Slade.

Which happens more frequently then you'd think.

Yet instead of responding to him, Roy moves toward Thea, who hugs him as tightly as she can as soon as in reach, holding onto him until she sees Oliver, Sara and Slade moving toward the dinner table with the food, the six sitting down.

"So where were you today Roy?" Sara questions as Roy dumps a load of food onto his plate.

"Verdant. You know, when you're dating and living with your boss it is impossible to fake a sick day." Roy grins at Thea.

"And of course you wouldn't do that." She pats his arms as Roy just shovels a load of food into his mouth.

"I feel your pain Roy." Oliver adds through a mouthful of food, glaring once at Slade.

"Thought I might take a day off today, you know, spend it with Sara, get something done that doesn't involve Queen Consolidated, even though I had a meeting with Isabel Rochev but I couldn't do that, could I, Slade." Oliver mutters with mock resentment.

"Why not, your CEO right?" Roy smirks.

"I am and I had a great excuse all lined up, I was going to take a sick day but the very woman I was supposed to be meeting with throughout the day was already in my apartment. So that failed." Oliver still stares daggers at Slade, who doesn't even look his way.

"So the rumors are true about Slade sleeping with Isabel Rochev?" Thea pipes up.

"Thea." Slade growls warningly.

"Yeah we all think he's insane." Sin adds.

"Have to agree with you there." Thea smirks.

"Can we change the subject." Slade mutters sharply.

"What from your poor choice in women?" Roy comments with a smile, regretting his words instantly as he looks up to see Slade glaring at him, table knife in one hand.

"Ok. Ok. Slade you are not going to stab Roy with a table knife." Sara glares at him.

"Sure about that?" He snarls.

"Can we all just enjoy a nice meal, all of us together, for once." Oliver steps in.

"Ohh I am enjoying this." Thea smirks.

"Yeah. This is great." Sin sniggers as Thea looks to Sara.

"How's Laurel?" She asks her kindly.

"Ohh she's good. Back home thank god, I've missed my sister and she said she's going to be there tomorrow even though she's no longer on the opposition." Sara informs them, biting her lip slightly when she realizes she's brought up the trial.

"Think we all feel a lot more comfortable about that." Oliver sighs.

"I don't know Ollie. Still a friend of ours on the prosecuting side. Cat Grant. She filled in for Laurel." Sara reminds them as Thea nods.

"Yeah Jean told me about that. You know, I like Cat. She's really nice and she's a good friend to Laurel and to all of us really but. I've heard mom mention her before Ollie." Thea looks up at him nervously.

"They have a history." She winces as Oliver groans.

"Just gets better and better doesn't it, kid." Slade mutters.

"Well. There's one silver lining here, at least they don't know Moira tired to have you killed." Roy points out, Thea having told Roy about Moira's attempt to have Slade killed and neither around the table is surprised that he knows.

"Yes that is fortunate." Oliver murmurs grimly before adding.

"But Thea's right Cat's a good friend to us but she's apparently one hell of a lawyer, according to Laurel anyway and if Laurel's saying that." Oliver stops as Roy nods.

"Doesn't help that she's got beef with your mother either." Roy reminds him.

"And knowing your mother, kid. If she had a previous disagreement with someone there's certainly going to be some left over resentment." Slade points out.

"And sadly he's correct." Thea sighs as Roy helps himself to another serving of food.

"Well tomorrow's going to be eventful isn't it." He says in passing, Oliver glancing toward Thea with a sad look in his eyes.

The trial of Moira Queen is certainly going to be something and realistically, both Queen's know it's not going to be something positive…

 _Starling City Court_

Climbing out of the car; Oliver, Thea, Sara, Diggle and Slade are ambushed instantly by the press, reporters and journalists, all looking for a scoop on the trial that will be commencing in only a short time now.

It reminds Thea of her own trial when she was being tried for using Vertigo and drive under the influence of it, hauntingly so, especially when the press swarms them like vultures and like that time last year, Thea grabs both Oliver and Slade's hands tightly as they walk through the crowd, thankful toward Diggle who's shooing most of the reporters as they ask their various questions.

Questions like, what do they think Moira's chances are? More disturbingly, they ask if she's on suicide watch…

Thea tries desperately not to listen as she follows her brother, Sara and Slade toward the court where the trial will commence…

 _Meanwhile…_

Watching Oliver and Thea Queen, Sara and Slade battle through the the crowd of reporters, Cat Grant folds her arms as she stands beside her boss, Adam Donner, whom had rather reluctantly let Cat take over the position of second chair instead of letting Laurel do it, whom is with them also, standing beside Cat.

"You know, I dislike Moira Queen deeply but this isn't fair. They're not the ones on trial here." She muses as Laurel nods.

"No it's not right." She sighs sadly.

"Well that may be. That won't stop Jean Loring from using them as props to drum up sympathy." Donner reminds them.

"You don't seem overly concerned." Laurel points out.

"Laurel. I know you pulled out of being second chair, but she's as guilty as hell. She confessed to being an accomplice on live television." He sighs.

"She also said that Malcolm Merlyn coerced her." Laurel retorts as Cat snorts.

"Cat!" Laurel protests.

"Laurel I've know that woman for many years, she's manipulative. I don't want to destroy my friends family but honestly I think Oliver and Thea would be better off without her and I don't want to see her dead but lifelong imprisonment. I consider it fair." Cat admits.

"Too fair in my opinion." Donner says with a smirk as Cat wraps an arm around Laurel's shoulders, pulling her friend close.

"Look, I know Oliver and Thea are our friends and the last thing I want to do is hurt them, you know that but as lawyers we've got to do what's right." She sighs.

"I know, I know." Laurel nods sadly.

"Well put Cat and I'm sure Moira Queen will receive the verdict she deserves." Donner continues to smirk as Cat looks to him, arms folded.

"You have something, don't you?" Donner just grins.

"I thought I was your co council, Adam. If you're holding a trump card, don't you think perhaps you should share it with me?" Cat points out as Laurel looks at him nervously.

"All I'm going to say is that it's going to be a good trial." He continues to grin as he reaches toward both women.

"Let's go inside." He says, Cat following after him with a momentary sigh, Laurel hangs back though, looking toward Oliver, Sara, Slade and Thea, seeing their gazes on her to as they all walk into the court room.

The trial about to begin…

 _Near Slade's Plane_

 _Oliver practically bites through his lip with his teeth, nibbling on it furiously as he, Ivo, Harley and all of Ivo's guards approach Slade's Plane._

 _Stopping to look at the plane with thoughts running through his mind._

 _Sara, Shado and Slade could still be in there._

 _From the sounds he heard, the sounds of pain, if the guards decided to fire upon the plane, he fears Slade wouldn't be able to get out and they'd kill him, Sara and Shado to as they wouldn't leave Slade behind._

 _Losing Sara would be the end of him, Oliver thinks as he stands still facing the plane._

 _He'd never love someone in the way he loves Sara again fin he were to lose her._

 _Never again…_

 _"You don't have to do this." He whispers._

 _"Sorry, honey Ivo says we do." Harley shrugs as Oliver just looks at her sadly._

 _"Your friends are a danger to his men." She sighs as Oliver storms over to her, despite the threats from the guards._

 _"The woman I love is in there. You told me the man you loved died and how much that hurt you. You know how it feels to lose a love like that. Do you really want to inflict that on anybody else? Please don't do this. I can't lose her." Oliver begs, noticing a look in her eyes._

 _"Can I just take him somewhere else. He doesn't need to hear this." Harley turns to Ivo._

 _"He's staying right here Harley." Ivo speaks back as Oliver looks around in horror._

 _"Cover your ears." Harley suggests sadly as Ivo looks to his guards._

 _"Go. Quick and quiet." A guard instructs the guards with guns, who race toward the plane._

 _"SLADE SARA SHADO RUN!" Oliver yells loudly before being knocked to the ground as the guards to his utmost horror, open fire on the plane._

 _They fire their weapons for a good few minutes, filling every surface with bullet holes as even Harley looks unnerved, placing a hand on Oliver's shoulder._

 _She'd heard his friends voice, he didn't sound to good and if he was hurt by the explosion theirs no chance he'd have gotten out and from the impression she has of the group of friends, they don't abandon one another so the other two would be in their also…_

 _Ceasing the gunfire, the guards move toward the plane, looking inside as on the floor, Oliver keeps his eyes tight shut, waiting for the worst…_

 _"There's no one here!" The guard yells, Oliver sighing in utmost relief, feeling Harley pat his shoulder before helping him to his feet._

 _"You were right, hard to kill." She smiles at him quietly before moving back to Ivo's side, who doesn't look very happy that they haven't managed to kill Oliver's friends._

 _"They must have moved on from their position." Ivo snaps before pulling a device from his pocket, tossing it to the guard._

 _"Chargers are places, here's the detonator. Make sure they have no place to return to." Ivo says plainly as the guard moves to place the detonator in the plane, Oliver closing his eyes again in horror._

 _"And you. Now you're going to take us to the graves. Let's go." Ivo snaps as dragging Oliver away from Harley they push him toward the forest, leaving Slade's Plane to explode…_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Did. You. Find the detonator." Slade rasps as he and Sara climb out of their hiding places._

 _Having left the plane the day previous and realizing the freighter was docking, they'd decided to wait where they were to see if they could apprehend anyone who left the plane._

 _That has been what Shado and Sara had decided on._

 _Slade wanted to take the freighter and shoot everyone in sight until they got to Oliver and brought him back to them._

 _Due to his extensive injuries, Sara and Shado had won the argument and both women had actually dragged Slade back toward the plane as he wasn't about to listen to them, still rather angry with them, pulling his weapons close, he collapses against the boxes._

 _"Yes." Shado replies pulling the device apart in seconds before sighing in relief._

 _"We were lucky." She sighs._

 _"Lucky you. Know. What. Your doing." Slade hisses through his pain, placing his head on the wall and slumping forward ever so slightly._

 _"Either way." Shado says as she gets to her feet._

 _"They've got Oliver." She murmurs grimly as Sara buries her head in her hands in despair._

 _"We're going after him now." Sara says with a determined glare._

 _"I'll get. A head. Start." Slade murmurs._

 _"Slade sweetheart you can barely walk. Sara and I will do this." Shado reaches for her bow and arrows, glancing nervously at her boyfriend, who looks about to collapse even from a seated position and in horror when Slade pulls himself to his feet._

 _"All. The more reason… Not to. Stay here." He groans, grabbing his weapons tight._

 _"Give them. Another chance at blowing. Me up an you and Sara. Will do this. Will you? How. Do I know I'd they kill him. You won't. Lie to me about that. As well." He hisses before collapsing._

 _"Ohh god Slade." Sara whispers fearfully as she moves to help him up, Shado following her and reaching his side in seconds._

 _"You can't keep moving like this. You need to lie down." She reaches for her, but he pushes both Sara and even Shado away from him, using the wall to pull himself up, keeping hold of his weapons._

 _"Needed help. Wouldn't ask either of you. Right now." Slade mutters, still angry at Sara and Shado for lying to him about Oliver, letting him believe the kid was safe._

 _"Main priority. Getting that kid back." He hisses Shado and Sara exchange worried glances at one another before reluctantly following the, staggering, limping and rather angered Slade Wilson…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so so much for reading and for the lovely reviews, next chapter should be up soon, thanks again for reading please please do tell me what you thought of this chapter.**


	91. State V Queen (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety One**

 _Starling City Court Room_

As the five climb the stairs, they are still continued to be hounded by members of the press and all the journalists, shoving microphones and cameras in their faces, shouting rapid questions at them as Diggle confidently leads the way up the stairs.

"Are you guys ok?" He glances to Oliver, Thea, Slade and Sara before coughing.

"Think we should be asking you that question." Sara points out.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Diggle shakes off her concerns in a second.

"You sound like you've got the flu." Oliver adds to the concerns.

"If that's true, I shouldn't have wasted my time getting vaccinated." Diggle murmurs before coughing again as he leads the way up the stairs, whilst the others still continue to fend off the reporters who continue to shove cameras and microphones in their faces.

"Diggle, whatever it is just go home. Don't do a Slade." Oliver sighs, knowing if Thea wasn't still clutching onto both his and Slade's hands, Slade probably would have smacked him around the head as he still gives him the evils.

"Guys, listen. I can take care of things. Out of curiosity what did Slade do?" Diggle tries to change the conversation.

"Kept downplaying that he felt like crap for days until he passed out and fell off a freakin ladder. I was stuck inside looking after that stubborn man for at least a week." Oliver recounts the story, which even makes Thea smile.

"Sounds like something I to would have done." Diggle admits.

"This is because you and I are made of sterner stuff than him." Slade quips.

"No, no, Diggle. We'll be fine, alright? Go rest and don't make us call a cop." Oliver says sternly as Sara nudges him gently as they finally reach the top of the stairs.

"There are a few of them around here."

 _The Court Room_

As Oliver, Thea, Slade and Sara enter the court room, they move to sit near the front, just beside where Moira will sit.

"Sorry I'm late." Roy apologises as he slides into the court room, moving to sit beside Thea, expecting to scold him for being late, considering Oliver, Sara and Slade are glaring at him for being later than he'd expected to be.

"You're here. That's all that matters." Thea whispers as she laces her hand with his, not wanting to let go and keeping it in what could be described as a death grip.

Especially when the door in the far corner of the court room opens and a prison guard enters with Moira Queen standing behind him, cuffed.

Confidently, Moira walks into the court room, stopping only once in the door when she sees how many have turned out for the court session.

Oliver, Thea, Roy, Sara and even Slade and she walks quickly to the defence table where Jean Loring is sat, turning to the guard so he can take away her cuffs, noticing that on the prosecution side, Adam Donner has a confident smirk upon his face and that Cat Grant is sat beside him as the new second chair.

Remembering her rivalry with the woman, Moira already feels disconcerted, yet keeps her eyes away from the two of them and instead turns to smile somewhat at Oliver and Thea behind her once as the trial begins…

 _Later…_

"Have been complicit in an Undertaking with one horrible purpose… To destroy The Glades and everyone in it." Adam Donner plays back Moira's confession video to the court, Moira looking down at the table when he pauses it and turns to address the court.

"And it worked. The Glades were destroyed. Homes and lives were lost." He sighs, turning to point at Moira.

"All because of her actions. True, she had second thoughts, remorse which compelled her to deliver this statement but on behalf of the five hundred and two lives that were extinguished that day, I say Moira Queen, your remorse comes too late."

 _Later…_

"For the last five years. Under the threat for my life and the lives of my family…" Jean Loring pauses her own video.

"Why wouldn't those threats silence her?" Jean folds her arms.

"Why wouldn't Moira Queen be terrified? Malcolm Merlyn killed her first husband, abducted her second husband. Why wouldn't she be in fear for her life? For the lives of her children?" She indicates toward Oliver and Thea.

"What would you do? If it were your children in the crosshairs of a mad mans rage." She says, falling silent a moment to let people think on that, from the audience, Laurel looking down at her lap as she thinks of what she would do in a situation if someone ever tried to harm her children.

The Undertaking took Tommy from her, her and their children and he may still never wake up from his coma but Moira did what she had to do for her children and as Jean implied.

Who wouldn't do anything to protect their children?

 _Queen Consolidated_

"STAR Lab's particle accelerator will be turned on right on schedule. In other news we have just received word that both sides have now completed their opening statements in the Moira Queen trial." Upon seeing a rather wrecked looking Diggle nearing her desk at Queen Consolidated, Felicity clicks off the news she was watching instantly to eye her friend worriedly.

"Don't take this the wrong way but you look disgusting." Felicity winces as he moves to pick up a stack of papers.

"Yeah, well I don't feel great, Felicity. Is there a right way to take that?" He queries as Felicity gets to her feet.

"You should go home." Felicity states plainly.

"I am going. I just need to make arrangements for a replacement bodyguard." Diggle says as Felicity moves past him and into Oliver and Slade's office.

"Dig, they're vigilantes. Don't think they need a replacement bodyguard." She smiles.

"Yeah but to the world they're not, remember." Diggle points out.

"You say that now but the world knows that Slade Wilson is some super ex Australian Intelligence solider. They'll be fine, you go home." Felicity reminds him.

"You may actually have a point there." Diggle notes before coughing.

"Did you get the flu shot? Personally I never do. I know that I should. I just have this thing about needles. All pointy things really, which is ironic considering who we work with and the fact that one of them has a sword collection that takes up half the space in The Foundry, think I've gotten used to the swords now…" She trails off mid babble.

"Yeah, it's not the flu Felicity. It's more like…"

"Dig!" Felicity cries as Diggle collapses before he can even finish his sentence…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Hello?" A man asks as he enters an abandoned warehouse. Looking around as he walks.

"Are you here?" He inquires.

"Here… There…" The Count says in a sing song voice as he walks out of the shadows toward the man, a briefcase held in one prosthetic hand.

"Everywhere." He grins creepily as he stops in front of the man.

"So. How goes our little science project?" He questions, tucking the briefcase under his arm.

"Working like you said it would." The man responds.

"How wonderful." The Count nods, silence passing between the two men.

"Ah, so listen. Doing the thing was fifty thousand. Keeping quiet about it, I'm thinking it should be another fifty more." The man requests as The Count hums, putting the briefcase down by his feet.

"Oh, I want word to spread. It's kind of the whole objective actually." He informs the guy as he walks around him, pulling something from the inside of his coat.

"You see my point." He says as he sticks a two syringe needle into the man's arm, who groans in pain instantly when the drug hits his bloodstream.

"You should know, I find post hoc negotiation… Distasteful." He lets the man's body fall to the floor.

"Such a shame you won't get to see what your works have wrought, doctor." He sighs as he leans down beside the now fallen man.

"But soon, everyone else will." He notes as he touches the man's head creepily.

"And they'll beg for it to end."

 _The Foundry_

Wrapped in a blanket, courtesy of Felicity, Diggle groans and shudders as he lies against the table, shaking uncontrollably as Sin watches on from her chair by the computers cautiously.

"Thing this is the worst come down from a high I've ever seen." She notes.

"That's. Vertigo. For. You." Diggle hisses through the shakes.

"Vertigo? Damn that ain't good." Sin notes, glancing up to see Oliver, Sara and Slade entering The Foundry.

"What the hell are you three. Doing here?" Diggle growls.

"Well we heard you passed out." Oliver says worriedly, moving toward him.

"I. Told. Felicity. Not. to call you." He whispers, glaring up at Felicity.

"Yeah well if she calls one of us, it's going to get to all three of us." Sara points out.

"And not to mention before I called Slade you said 'gaw' and 'thud'. So I didn't take it very seriously." Felicity growls at him back, hands resting gently on his shoulder, trying to provide some sort of comfort to her friend.

"She was right to call us Diggle. You need medical attention." Oliver states sternly.

"Think he needs more than that." Sin calls from her chair as they glance to to her once.

"She's right. When Dig passed out. I sent a sample of his blood to a chemist I know at Queen Consolidated. The guy owes me a favor. Long story, I fixed his parking ticket… Huh. I guess it's not that long." She babbles.

"Felicity." Slade mutters, halting the Felicity babble.

"The blood sample?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Yeah. It came back positive for trace amounts of Vertigo." She admits carefully, seeing the enraged looks crossing Oliver, Sara and Slade's faces in an instant.

"I never. Used. Vertigo. Before. In my life." Diggle hisses.

"You were exposed to it somehow." Felicity says softly.

"Vertigo's in play again?" Oliver growls, remembering The Count, Vertigo, how it almost killed and caused his sister to go to jail and when Slade nearly OD'd on the stuff…

"Ain't hallucinating. Yet." Diggle mutters, noting the looks on their faces.

"Don't. Think. I've. Been. Hit with as much… As Slade was." Diggle adds.

"What he did Vertigo?" Sin speaks up.

"Not by choice I can tell you that." Slade murmurs.

"Now that's savage." Sin winces before frowning.

"Thought I heard that the vigilantes dealt with The Count?"

"Yes we did. We put him behind bars and Slade cut off both his hands." Oliver explains.

"Ohh yeah you chopped of his hands didn't you. Well played, man." Sin nods, impressed.

"When The Count recovered from his OD on Vertigo. He was sent to Iron Heights." Felicity moves toward the computer, Sin moving aside to let her work.

"That got hit in the quake." Sara murmurs.

"He got out the same way the Dollmaker did?" Oliver snarls, feeling Sara entwine her fingers with his.

"And just like with the Dollmaker. Prison officials worked overtime to keep the lid on the escape." Felicity mutters, seeing the angry looks on the faces of Oliver, Sara and Slade before Oliver moves toward his rack of arrows and snatching something up sharply from it.

"We should have finished the job, kid." Slade grumbles.

"Ohh you got that right." Oliver snaps as Felicity moves toward Slade, placing her hands cautiously on his arms.

"I know what you're thinking…" She whispers softly.

"I can assure you, you don't." He snarls.

"We made a choice not to kill that guy and it was the right choice." Oliver intercepts.

"You and I are not on the same page right now, kid." Slade mutters as Felicity sighs.

"No, Slade. No. There's no more killing." Oliver states firmly.

"And how many more people have to suffer…"

"I know. I know but we can deal with this. We can deal with this and put him back behind bars." Oliver cuts Slade off mid rant, before glancing down at the syringe in hand.

"We worked this up to counteract the effects of Vertigo." Oliver informs her.

"Give it to Diggle. It should help." Sara adds, noticing Oliver looking at his watch again.

"We need to get back to court." He sighs, moving toward the stairs.

"While we're gone, just work up whatever you can and figure out his Diggle got Vertigo into his system without his knowledge." Sara instructs as the three leave Felicity standing their, syringe arrow in hand…

 _The Court Room_

"When was the first time you heard about this so called Undertaking?" Adam Donner questions Thea, whom had been called as a witness to the stand.

"When everyone especially did, when my mother gave the press conference." Thea responds honestly.

"Doesn't seem like you took it too well." Donner retorts.

"I was surprised." Thea corrects him, shaking her head.

"Who wouldn't be?"

Donner is silent a moment, looking down as if he were somewhere else before clearing his throat and looking up at Thea again.

"Uh, your mother was, um. Immediately taken into custody, but I assume you went to the precinct to see her?" Donner questions.

"Um, actually, I didn't see her until she was moved." Thea admits.

"To the prison?" Donner basically answers for her and she nods.

"Do you remember when you visited her?" He asks.

"Uh, not the exact date." Thea responds.

"It's ok. I have the visitor log here." Donner moves to pick up a book from the desk.

"October ninth." He says to murmurs from the audience.

"Five months later. Why so long?" He questions, pitting the book down.

"Um. I. I.. Are you okay?" She asks Donner when he suddenly leans over his desk.

"An answer please." He states clearly.

"Why did it take you five months to visit your mother?" He shouts.

"Your honor, if I may…" Jean stands up to interject.

"No. I want to hear this." The Judge cuts her off.

"I needed time." Thea admits.

"I was…" She trails off, thinking about the time when she didn't visit her mother, because the of The Undertaking, what happened to Tommy because of it, the fact her own mother put an assassination attempt on Slade…

"Angry. So angry perhaps, that it took you five months to forgive her?" Donner frowns.

"It was complicated." Thea snaps.

"No. It's very simple. You blamed your mother for what she had done." He looks around r court room, a triumphant look on his face.

"So why shouldn't the jury?" He questions as silence passes for several moments whilst those around the room take in the new information.

"Your honor, we have no further question for the… Witness." Donner stumbles over his words, leaning against the desk once more before collapsing.

"Adam!" Cat and Laurel call instantly as he begins to shake…

 _Lian Yu_

 _Pushing Oliver forcibly into the cave where only days previous, he, Shado, Sara and Slade had found the skeletons, which are still there. Ivo instantly races toward them, dropping to his knees and searching the skeletons hurriedly, practically pulling them apart in search of what he's looking for, whilst the guards stand by the entrance, Oliver standing with Harley._

 _"Where is it?" Ivo whispers._

 _"Come on. Where is it!" He bellows as he scrambles around on the ground before getting to his feet, facing Oliver._

 _"The Hosen, where is it?" He growls at him._

 _"What?" Oliver just looks at him blankly._

 _"The Arrowhead." He snarls._

 _"Every report said it was with these bodies. You said you and your friends were here. Now where is it?" He snaps as Oliver just stays silent and as still as a statue._

 _"Take him outside." Ivo spits, instructing his guards without even looking at them once, his eyes locked on Oliver._

 _"Make him show you where his friends are hiding." He shoves Oliver toward the exit, one of the guards throwing him forcibly to the floor outside._

 _"Take us to them." The guard snaps at him as Oliver groans._

 _"I don't know where they are!" Oliver growls as the man bends down beside him, pulling s gun from his pocket and holding it against Oliver's hand._

 _"Tell me or you lose your hand." He threatens._

 _"Let us suggest another option." Comes the familiar voice of Shado as she suddenly appears through the trees, bow and arrow in hand._

 _"Get the hell away from my boyfriend you son of a bitch." Sara hisses as she and Slade advance, both with rather large guns._

 _They're alive…_

 _All three of them are alive. They're ok._

 _Sara's okay, she's alive. Oliver can't stop looking at her in just plain relief that she's alive and Slade, his friend. He's alive._

 _He survived the bombs but Oliver looks up at his face in horror when he sees that half of Slade's body looks burned, his face especially wrecked._

 _"You hand the kid over to us and we don't kill you." Slade rasps threateningly._

 _Pure shocked silence passing between the group at the three armed assailants, all the guards holding their weapons up toward the three, ready to shoot at any given moment as Ivo suddenly appears from within the cave, Sara, Shado and Slade fixing their weapons on him in an instant and both sides fall into silence…_

 _The Court Room_

Adam Donner is led away from the court room on a stretcher after collapsing in front of everyone.

Thea moves away from the stand nervously, moving instantly back to where Oliver, Sara and Slade are.

"Hey, are you ok?" Oliver asks softly.

"Don't worry about me. I can take it." Thea sighs before moving back toward Roy…

 _Meanwhile…_

Elsewhere, in the ambulance that Adam Donner has just been loaded onto, he is lowered gently onto a bed, despite his shakes and shudders threatening to keep him upright.

The engine begins and The Count drives the ambulance away…

 _Starling City Court_

"Was that as bad as it seemed?" Moira questions as she follows Jean into a private room.

"Thea's testimony? It was a set back." Jean murmurs as she opens her briefcase.

"We were counting on her to…"

"Humanize me?" Moira queries,

"Frankly, yes and now we're going to have to go another way." She winces.

"No, no. I told you, I won't testify." Moira shakes her head.

"I know you did. But now you have to." Jean snaps firmly.

"She's right mom." Oliver's voice suddenly arrives from the door.

"Jean, can you give us a minute?" He requests, noticing as his mother turns away from him.

"Yeah." Jean nods before exiting the room, Oliver walking around the table so he's facing his mother head on.

"I know what you're going to say but if I testify it will destroy our family." Moira protests.

"And if your lawyers right you don't have a choice." Oliver protests back before sighing, watching as she looks away from him.

"Mom. Secrets are what put you in this situation. Secrets and lies and now it's time to give the truth its day."

 _The Foundry_

"Now I don't want us to lose sight of the other major event in court today. Was there any indication of Adam Donner being ill?" A news reporter woman questions on the screen.

"No. There was very little warning before Mr. Donner collapsed to the ground." A man in the computer screen responds.

"I've spoken to several people that were in the courtroom with me…"

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asks Diggle in deep concern as he enters The Foundry with Sara and Slade to see Diggle sitting upright, yet still shaking and wrapped in the blanket.

"Fine." Diggle murmurs.

"You have a lousy poker face Diggle." Oliver sighs.

"Did he take the antidote?" Sara looks to Felicity.

"Didn't work. The Count must have futzed with his recipe." She responds.

"Crazy bastard this Count guy." Sin notes.

"Think crazy is an understatement in the case of The Count." Slade mutters, moving to sharpen a sword.

"Heard what happened with Donner at the court and with Thea. How is she?" Diggle asks.

"Going to be fine." Oliver smiles as Diggle folds his arms.

"Your poker face isn't much better than mine, Oliver." Diggle sighs.

"Woah Smoak, is that meant to do this?" Sin inquires as the computers suddenly begin to go on the fritz, all screens distorting.

"Hello Starling City!" The Count grins from the screen.

"Felicity!" Slade growls, causing her to turn and face the screen in shock at where she sees.

"Miss me?" He chuckles from the screen as Oliver, Sara and Slade move toward the desk.

"Many of you have noticed that you're not quite feeling like yourselves…" Felicity moves to begin typing instantly.

"He's taken over all the local station feeds." She informs them.

"Track his signal. Get his location." Slade snaps.

"Like our good assistant District Attorney here." The Count turns the camera toward Donner, whom is sat in a chair.

"You might recognize him from his work in the ongoing Moira Queen trial." He nods before turning the camera again.

"Hi Adam!"

"What do you want?" Donner snarls bravely.

"I want what you want." The Count responds plainly.

"For you to feel better." He says, camera in hand.

"Go to hell!" Donner spits.

"I do think you want this pain to end." The Count sighs, turning the camera on himself.

"And I can do that… With Vertigo." He reveals, smirking into the camera.

"It's what all of your bodies crave. Fortunately, the power of relief is right here and all you have to do is go to your friendly neighborhood Vertigo dealer and request the cure. Simple supply and demand at work. Now." He stops to turn to face Adam Donner again.

"Tell me you want this." He holds the double syringe toward him.

"And it's yours." He smiles, holding the needle close to Donner's neck.

"All of the pain will just… Disappear. Say it." He grins at Donner, who winces and scrunches his eyes together.

"Say… You want it." The Count hisses eerily.

"I. I… Want… I want it." Donner murmurs, stumbling over his words as The Count tunes back to the camera.

"You see… A simple solution. I'm Count Vertigo and I approve this high." He declares before switching off the camera causing all screens to go blank.

"What do we do now?" Felicity turns to face, Oliver, Sara and Slade in an instant.

"We find this son of a bitch." Slade snarls.

"And we shut him down." Oliver hisses as he folds his arms and looks toward the computer.

"Where's he broadcasting from now?" He questions sharply.

"He bounced the signal off STAR Lab's satellite. He could have sent that transmission from Markovia." Felicity replies.

"Wouldn't he want to stay local?" Sara queries as Oliver nods.

"Scrub the footage frame by fame if you have to. There's something on here that gives us a clue to where he is." Oliver mutters determinedly.

"If he dosed the whole city. Why are only some people showing symptoms?" Diggle queries.

"Maybe exposure was selective?" Sara points out, Oliver nodding.

"Count contaminated something that only certain people, like you and Donner consumed…" Oliver trails off as the group look toward the computers at the continuous news report…

 _District Attorney's Office_

"A most dramatic turn. City officials are urging calm, hoping to avoid widespread panic…"

"The Count has turned Starling into a city of junkies." Sebastian Blood speaks over the news as the District Attorney switches off the tv, Cat and Laurel sitting at a desk, surrounded by Donner's case notes.

"Any leads on where he's holding ADA Donner?" He questions.

"Hmm, no. As cold as it sounds. I've got other concerns." The District Attorney responds, before looking to the two women at the desk.

"Cat, Laurel?" She calls to them.

"Adam's trial notes are very thorough." Cat nods.

"They better be. You're lead counsel now." The District Attorney responds as Cat nods again, having expected this outcome.

"Laurel. You're second chairing again." She adds, Laurel looking up in surprise.

"Wait. Ms. Spencer, the fact I was brought onto the case was to replace Laurel as second chair. She shouldn't be involved in this case." Cat responds.

"Second that." Laurel can't help but murmur.

"I'm sorry. I understand your hesitation Laurel due to your relationship with the Queen family. But we all need to do our part in achieving justice." The District Attorney knows.

"The jury knows the both of you rather well and as lawyers we have to do our jobs. No matters how much it hurts." The District Attorney responds as Laurel looks bewildered at Cat, who knows theirs no changing the mind of the District Attorney and instead focuses on the trial notes again, passing a load of them toward Laurel regrettably, knowing as second chair again Laurel needs to see the notes and Laurel looks through them, her hand going to the ring on the necklace she wears, wishing Tommy was around so she could talk to him about what she's got to do now.

She figures she probably should call Sara to say that she's now second chairing again and Leena to say she needs her to babysit for longer and if she can't do that, see if either her dad or Martin is available to cover for her as she can tell this is going to be a long one…

Then something in the stack of notes Donner has made catches her eyes.

"You two will do just fine." The District Attorney speaks up when she sees Laurel suddenly grabbing Cat's arm.

"Laurel what's wrong?" She questions as Laurel wordlessly shows her.

"Ohh." Cat murmurs and takes the papers from Laurel, who looks horrified.

"I think I just found Adam's trump card."

 _Verdant_

Listening to her music quietly, Thea sits at the bar in Verdant, trying not to cry as she thinks about her mother's case and how her testimony may have destroyed it.

A hand being waved in front of her face causes her to look up immediately, pulling her headphones out when she sees that the hand belongs to Roy.

"Sorry. I just want to be left alone." She mutters as Roy drops a bag on the table.

"Well, too bad that's not an option for you but maybe I know something that is." He states as he begins to open the bag, pulling two red boxing gloves out of it to Thea's confusion.

"Hit me." He says plainly when he turns to face her.

"What?" Thea looks at him in bemusement as Roy simply chuckles before picking up the gloves and beginning to put them on Thea's hands for her.

"You wonder why I used to go out at night looking to throw down with bad guys. Part of it was to help the city and the other part was to help me." He informs her as he straps the gloves tightly on for her.

"Getting tuned up but street thugs helped you?" Thea frowns.

"Yeah, well, I gave as good as I got." Roy smiles as he finishes fastening the gloves to her hands carefully.

"There you go." He smiles again before taking both her gloved hands in his.

"When I would throw a punch, I'd be so angry. I'd feel this heat rising inside of me, in my jaw, in my chest and my fists but it needed somewhere to go." He explains as he wraps a hand around one of her gloved ones.

"Come on." He leads her the the centre of the room, standing her so she's right in front of him for what's about to happen next.

"Thea, you're angry. At your mother, the D.A, yourself, maybe but that anger is going to chew up your insides if you don't let it out." He warns her as Thea shakes her head.

"I'm not going to hit you Roy."

"Try." Roy snaps back, Thea shaking her head and sighing.

"Try!" He shouts as Thea punches his arm, more of a playful hit than anything.

"I said hit me, right? Cause that felt like… That didn't really feel like anything." Roy responds and at annoyance with his tone, Thea punches him again.

"Better." Roy nods approvingly.

"But keep your wrists straight don't just use your arm. Put your entire body into it." He instructs as she punches him hard in the shoulder.

"Come on, again." Roy responds and she does, punching him harshly once and then again before over and over and over again, using both hands after a while, continuing to land punch after punch as Roy just stands there and lets her continue to punch him before she stops, tears streaming down her cheeks as she staggers, falling into Roy's arms, letting him hold her as she cries, never wanting him to let her go.

 _The Foundry_

"At least let me call Lyla." Oliver suggest as he moves toward Diggle.

"All she could do is worry about me." He sighs.

"I found something." Felicity suddenly reveals.

"Don't see anything." Slade mutters.

"Because you have to see what Donner does." She replies she says, enhancing the image she has of Donner's eyes.

"His eye caught a reflection." Oliver gasps in surprise.

"Can you enhance that?" Slade questions.

"It hurts me that you feel a need to ask." Felicity muses as she complies with the demand.

"What are those, wings?" Diggle queries as she enlarges the reflection.

"It's the city seal. Starling Municipal Records Department. That buildings been abandoned since the city went digital. Dollars to donuts. That's where The Count is operating out of." Felicity says quietly as Oliver, Sara and Slade move toward their vigilante equipment.

"Not for long."

 _Iron Heights_

Moira sighs as she enters the visiting room of the prison to see that her visitor is none other than Laurel Lance.

"You shouldn't be here." She states plainly, knowing from Jean that due to Donner's illness and disappearance, Cat is now controlling the whole case and Laurel is her second chair once more.

"My attorney needs…"

"Moira. I know I could be disbarred for speaking with you and not to mention I'm probably betraying a friend of mine right now but this is not something for lawyers." She shakes her head quickly.

"This is a family matter." She informs Moira, as the two simultaneously toward the table, both women sitting down.

"Jean told me she's calling you to the stand tomorrow." She starts.

"Yes." Moira replies curtly.

"You can't testify." Laurel says plainly.

"Well. The fact that you don't want me to, Laurel, is a good indication that I should." Moira responds with a sigh.

"If you take the stand. Cat will have to cross examine you and she'll do it to the best of her ability and because of some altercation you two in the past she really doesn't like you. She wants to see you go to prison and if that happens Oliver and Thea will lose their mother and you will lose your children. No mother should have to go through that." Laurel says softly.

"You don't understand." Moira cuts her off.

"No I don't think you do." Laurel pushes the file in her hand in front of Moira, opening it and revealing the information.

"Forget about what this will do to Oliver and Thea. It also could undermine your entire case and if you testify Cat is going to use this. So Moira, please." She begs.

"Please." She reaches for her hand.

"Don't make us use this. Everything is at stake for you and I don't want Cat and I to be the ones to take it all away." Laurel shakes her head as Moira pulls her hand free from Laurel's, glaring down at the file that could very well destroy everything…

 _Starling Municipal Records Department_

"Faster, faster, please." The Count commands as he moves through his laboratory filled with many of those who are working with him to make more Vertigo.

"Faster! We have a city full of customers and I mean this literally." He says, moving around with a spoon in hand.

"I'm afraid my production apparatus is a little over taxed with the increased demand, I can live with it though. I can't say the city can." The Count comments as from where Adam Donner is sat on a platform, chained to a chair, the three vigilantes suddenly jump down, moving swiftly toward him. The Arrow cutting through Donner's restraints.

"Go." Black Canary urges him as The Count watches the three of them free Donner in shock.

"Be still my heart." He muses, watching as one of his men engage with the three vigilantes as Donner desperately tries to make a run for it.

Simply, The Arrow throws the man they're fighting over the side of the platform, where he falls to the ground on a selection of boxes before the three vigilantes jump down from the platform also, The Counts men flipping over a table in an effort to barricade themselves, grabbing guns and aiming them at the three vigilantes, who each hold their weapons out.

"Step away from them." Arrow snarls at The Count, where he stands by a bunch of people.

"Yes I've heard you three have developed an allergy to killing…"

"Do it!" The Arrow snaps.

"Or what?" The Count questions as he pushes the people wearing masks out of the way to get nearer to the vigilantes.

"You three will kill me?" He stands on top of the table as the three vigilantes continue to aim their weapons at him, silence passing between them.

"Not sure about them but I certainly will." The Man In The Mask snarls as he begins to advance on The Count, yet before he can do anything each of the vigilantes see that another one of The Counts men have Donner again…

Without warning and before anyone can do a thing, The Arrow shoots at a gas canister, causing an immediate fiery explosion, Black Canary spinning around, engaging briefly I'm a fight before knocking down the man holding Donner, saving him again before the three vigilantes exit the room with Donner, leaving The Count behind, barricaded by flames.

"You three are really on the no killing wagon? Shame." The Count muses as he watches the three of them go.

"Really letting one of life's true pleasures pass you by."

 _Starling City Court House_

"But you said you didn't want to testify!" Thea growls at her mother, getting to her feet as her mother reluctantly nods.

"But you have to. Because of me." She sits back down again, defeat in her eyes.

"No." Moira reaches toward her daughter.

"You have to do damage control." Thea murmurs.

"None of this is your fault. We're here because of what I did. Now you both know the truth but you don't know all of it. Laurel and Cat Grant do." She replies calmly.

"What do they have on you?" Oliver questions instantly as Moira looks at them both desperately, silence passing between them all.

"You shouldn't have to find this out in court." She shakes her head.

"Find out what?" Thea queries as Moira looks down at her hands.

"Years ago… It was many years ago… Your father was engaging in his… His extramarital activities and I had a moment of weakness. I cheated on him." She reveals, stopping for a moment to look both her children in the eye.

"With Malcolm Merlyn." She admits as Thea looks at her, horrified.

"No." She shakes her head.

"No. I… I asked you about this. Last year. You said that there was between you two!" She shouts at her mother.

"There wasn't, sweetheart, it wasn't an affair. It was very brief and a long time ago…"

 _The Court Room_

"And despite it, you remained friends with Mr. Merlyn. In fact he frequently attended parties at your home." Cat Grant addresses Moira, who sits on the stand.

"You would know this Ms. Grant. You also used to be in attendance long ago, did you not? You know I remember you and Malcolm used to be quite friendly." Moira retorts as Cat looks at her, a glint in her eye.

"I'm the one asking the questions here." Cat all but snaps as the rest of the court looks to her, Laurel just looks down at her hands.

She knew this wasn't going to go well.

"As you know. He was my husbands best friend until Malcolm killed him." Moira mutters.

"And this is why you claimed to feel as though you were in fear for your life and the lives of your children?" Cat moves forward.

"Well, I think it's a fairly compelling reason." Moira retorts as Cat stops in front of her.

"Last year, your second husband Walter Steele was abducted by Mr. Merlyn, is that correct?" Cat questions.

"Yes, so you see…"

"Why didn't Merlyn kill Walter, the same as he did your first husband?" She cuts her off.

"I convinced Malcolm not to." Moira replies nervously.

"And Malcolm listened to you. Your friend spared Walter Steele's life and yet you would have this jury believing that you and your children were in danger?"

"We were. I was afraid…"

"Afraid of getting caught out." Cat retorts.

"Despite whatever youthful mistakes I might have made. Malcolm Merlyn was a dangerous man." Moira says firmly but Cat cuts her off…

"To other people but the only person who infact truly posed a danger to Moira Queen and her family was Moira Queen."

 _Later…_

As Thea sits on a bench, biting her nails and leaning into Sara and Slade. Oliver paces the room back and forth after the session in court.

Spinning on his heel to pace the other way again, he sees Laurel and Cat exiting, arm in arm, both of them looking horrified as they almost walk straight into Oliver and quickly race in the other direction.

"Stay with Thea." Oliver murmurs to Sara and Slade before racing after Laurel and Cat.

"Hey, hey." He calls to them, Cat and Laurel stopping, Cat barely even looking up at Oliver.

"It had to be done." Is all she can murmur.

"I'm so sorry Oliver." She apologizes.

"Hey, you were doing your jobs. That's just the way it is." Oliver shakes it off as if it doesn't bother him, even though it does, it really does.

"If you want to attack us, go right ahead but you should know that you're not going to say anything to either us we haven't already said to ourselves." Laurel babbles quickly as Oliver rests both his hands on Laurel and Cat's arms.

"Woah. No. I get you two had to do your job, it must have been hard. Are you both okay?" He asks kindly.

"I'm sorry Oliver." Is all Cat can say before racing off, Laurel moving to follow her.

"Laurel…" Oliver starts as she shakes her head.

"No. No. I don't understand how you can forgive us for what we just did in there, what we spent last night planning together…" She stops, tears appearing in her eyes as she races after Cat.

"I don't understand how anyone could."

 **Authors Note: thank you all so much for reading and to all you awesome people who have reviewed, followed and favorited this story, next update should be very soon, please do tell me what you thought of this chapter.**


	92. State V Queen (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety Two**

 _Lian Yu_

 _Oliver continues to lie on the ground, a gun against his hands, courtesy of the guard, whilst still looking up toward the heavily armed Sara, Shado and Slade._

 _"So obviously you three are the ones who took the Hosen out of the cave?" Ivo addresses Sara, Shado and Slade, before looking to his guard._

 _"Lift him up." He commands._

 _"Now I know he doesn't have it, which means one of you three do. Give it to me and we'll discuss and exchange." Ivo bargains as the guards drag Oliver to his feet, Sara cocking her gun in an instant when he groans in pain._

 _"Hold your fire. That. Won't end. Well." Slade hisses to her and knowing Slade knows what he's talking about, she restrains herself from shooting the entire group out._

 _"We don't know what your talking about." Shado retorts._

 _"Give us Oliver and we'll leave you alone to look for it." She bargains as a guard looks about to shoot Shado, yet is immediately shot in the legs by Slade._

 _"Anybody else want to be stupid?" He snarls as Sara turns her gun on Ivo._

 _"Ohh I'll shoot you don't think I will." She growls as Ivo just glares at her._

 _"Want a demonstration? That what you want? Sure." Sara snarls before shooting the same guy Slade shot other leg out._

 _"Next bullet is going through someone's head. Or through your girlfriends leg." She gestures with her gun toward Harley, who surprises them all by pulling a bejeweled gun out._

 _"Don't." Oliver hisses._

 _"What! I ain't gonna shoot her. It's just everyone else has their guns out." She shrugs, Sara, Shado and Slade just looking at her in deep confusion._

 _"Want to start making a decision. I'm not in a good mood right now." Sara snarls._

 _"Hey. Hey. Fine, take him." Ivo decides, glancing toward the guard._

 _"Cut him loose." He orders and with a knife, the guard slices open his restraints and the moment he does so, Oliver punches him hard in the face, Shado firing arrows and Sara and Slade their weapons, as before racing toward them, Oliver snatches up Harley's hand and drags her with him._

 _"What are you doing?!" She protests as Oliver pulls her with him, chasing after Sara, Shado and Slade, never letting go of her as Ivo's guards shoot rapidly after them as the five race into the trees to avoid being hit by the hailstorm of bullets._

 _"We have to keep moving they're following us." Oliver cries as they run quickly after one another, Shado throwing something to the ground on the way, knowing with the way Slade is, outrunning them could be a major issue and just as Ivo's men come into the clearing, nearing the five, the explosive device they had set on Slade's Plane explodes, courtesy of Shado's quick thinking, knocking all the guards out of the way and to the ground, taking them down as Shado, Slade, Sara, Oliver and Harley just keep on running…_

 _The Foundry_

"Obviously we're continuing to monitor both of these major stories in what had become a significant news day here in Starling. What can you tell us about…"

"Oliver's going to be pretty wrapped up with his mother." Diggle talks to Felicity over the ongoing news they're leaving on the computer screen.

"Yeah Sara just texted to let me know it ain't going well." Sin supplies.

"Yeah well did any of us think it was going to go well?" Diggle frowns.

"Damn straight." Sin nods as Felicity sighs and rests her head in her hands.

"You making any progress on how The Counts getting Vertigo into people's systems?" Diggle glances at Felicity.

"Not much." She sighs.

"Sure you weren't, you know. Living a little?" Sin smirks at him.

"No I was not. I do not do drugs." Diggle rolls his eyes at her.

"Okay, I believe you." Sin holds her hands up in surrender as Felicity directs both of them toward the computer screen.

"Each dot is the home of somebody with withdrawal symptoms." She murmurs.

"Seems pretty random." Sin comments.

"That's because it is very random." Felicity sighs, leaning back against her chair.

"Ok. Us three can do this… What if people weren't exposed at home. What if they got dosed at work?" Diggle suggests.

"Can you do this by their employment addresses?" He looks back to Felicity.

"I'm really starting to wonder what it would take to impress you guys." Felicity muses as she turns back to face the screen.

"It's a trail. A path through Starling City. Any place you've been?" She asks Diggle.

"Fifty ninth and Dell. That's where I got my flu shot." Diggle points to the screen.

"You got your vaccination from one of those trucks, right?" Felicity glances to him before dragging her chair to the side and typing on one of the keyboards.

"One of those roving flu trucks?" She types a few more commands into the computer.

"The route. It's a flu vaccination tour. A truck sent out by Starling City Mobile Care." Felicity reads off the screen.

"I got addicted after one injection?" Diggle looks bemused.

"That can happen?" Sin queries.

"Sure, try heroin some time. Not try, try." Felicity babbles quickly.

"All right, where's the truck right now? Diggle queries.

"Downtown." Felicity responds.

"What do you think? Call the guys?" She suggests.

"No, no. They're busy with Moria's trial, I'll go." Diggle tries to stand, almost falling straight back down again.

"Yeah, no. That's not happening. I'll go." Felicity smiles.

"Felicity it's too dangerous." Diggle protests.

"Well she won't be going alone." Sin gets to her feet.

"No, no, no, no, no, you're staying right here and your going to watch over him and make sure he doesn't do something stupid." Felicity retorts.

"Smoak, I can fight you know. Used to go out as Woman In Black." Sin reminds her.

"Yes and you shouldn't have been doing that should you?" Felicity folds her arms.

"No offense Smoak, but I probably know more about fighting than you if you run into trouble." Sin points out carefully.

"I do agree with what your saying but then again she did almost stabbed Slade Wilson with a pen." Diggle can't help but add.

"Seriously?" Sin folds her arms, Felicity smiling at the memory.

"Yes. Now, Sin please do as I ask and stay here with Dig. Sara would never forgive me if I let you do this. You're going to stay here." Felicity nods as Sin sighs before slumping down into the chair, a bored look crossing her face as Felicity turns toward the stairs.

"It could turn out to be nothing and if it's not, I'll call." She says quickly, grabbing her coat and wrapping the old-rag-Slade-gave-her-turned-cute-scarf around her neck and before Diggle can't try to stop her, racing toward the staircase.

"Hey Smoak!" Sin calls to her, causing Felicity to turn around, grabbing something that is thrown at her by Sin.

A pen from her desk

"Don't forget your pen!" She grins as Felicity exits, the news still playing in the background.

"Courtroom drama we've just witnessed." The news reporter continues.

"No one expected the turn that testimony took." The other news reporter nods.

"A revelation that Moira Queen once had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn became the sole focus of the prosecutions cross."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the darkness, Felicity Smoak walks bravely down a deserted alleyway toward the van she was looking for.

Looking around to see if she can see anyone, Felicity walks straight up to the van, tapping only slightly on the door but it opens anyway and she jumps back ever so slightly.

"Hello?" She whispers quietly.

"Hello?" She speaks again, with more courage this time as she bravely steps inside the van, peering around the entrance way.

"Anybody home?" She queries, staying still for a moment as she waits for something to happen and when nothing does, she climbs into the van, moving straight for all the drawers and tops of counters within it, looking for anything incriminating, bending down and looking briefly through a draw before standing again and opening a few cupboards above her head, sliding one door across to reveal a load of syringes filled to the brim with Vertigo.

"Vertigo! Gotcha." She muses to herself.

"Funny…" The eerie voice of The Count whispers from behind her as she whirls around, instantly afraid to face The Count

"You took the words right out of my mouth." He muses, advancing toward her, Felicity moves to evade him, as he reaches toward her, grabbing her shoulders with his prosthetic hands and dragging her toward him, only for Felicity to stamp down hard on his foot, distracting him enough that she attempts to escape through the door, yet he recovers quick and grabs her arm, dragging her backwards, Felicity trying to hurriedly think of the times Slade tried to teach her something to defend herself and throws her leg back, kicking The Count, yet he twists her wrist painfully, with a vice like grab thanks to his prosthetic hand, so she's facing him and the very minute she does face him he punches her hard in the nose, she doesn't hear a crack but feels the blood pouring from it and the pain that comes with that and tries to launch another attack at The Count, however, something unexpected happens.

Something or someone with incredible strength it feels, grabs her scarf from behind, promptly strangling her with it.

Desperately, she claws and fights against her captor with the iron grip, but the grip the person has on her is relentless and the darkness pulls her down into unconsciousness before she even knows it…

 _Starling City Court House_

"You've gotta stop with this pacing thing kid." Slade mutters, reaching out and grabbing Oliver's arm sharply to pull him to a stand still.

"Sorry, sorry. I know… That didn't go well." Oliver winces.

"Yeah, kid, come on. When was any of this ever going to go well?" Slade reminds him as Oliver sighs almost defeatedly and drops into the seat beside Slade.

"I know." He sings sadly, looking to Sara, who drops her head to his shoulder the minute he sits down, Thea just looking gratefully at Slade for getting to stop Oliver from pacing!

"Laurel won't even answer my calls." Sara sighs, running a hand through her hair.

"They were doing their jobs." Slade retorts matter of factly.

"Yep and unluckily for us, they're good at their jobs." Oliver sighs again.

"Very good at their jobs." Slade corrects him.

"Thea." The voice of Jean Loring calls, all of them getting to their feet in an instant, expecting this to be it.

"Can we call it a night?" She asks quietly.

"Jury just signalled that they could have a verdict." She reveals to their surprise.

"Judge will not send them home. He wants to get this over with." She informs them.

"Line forms behind me." Thea mutters sarcastically.

"A verdict that quickly is bad isn't it?" Oliver whispers quietly as Jean looks to the group with a reluctant look in her eyes.

"I think you all should prepare for the worst." She sighs as Thea buries her head in her hands, tears falling from her eyes, beyond grateful when Sara pulls her into a hug and holds her close whilst Oliver turns to his ringing phone.

"Excuse me, sorry. I'll be right back." He apologises to Thea as he moves to answer the call, mouthing Felicity to both Slade and Sara.

"Felicity…"

"Oliver…" Responds the ohh so familiar voice of The Count…

The Count calling from Felicity's phone…

Oliver cannot move, frozen in place as he waits for more words from The Count.

"Is it ok if I call you Oliver?" He queries.

"Surprised to here from me right? Not as surprised as I was. You see, I find this not unattractive blonde getting all up in my business and what does she have on her?" He stops, Oliver hearing the sounds of Felicity whimpering.

He has her.

The Count has Felicity.

"A Queen Consolidated ID badge. Now, I think to myself why does that name ring a bell? Oliver Queen. He and his friend Slade Wilson tried to buy off me last year just before the three vigilantes put me in a padded cell and The Man In The Mask took away my hands. Ipso Facto. Arrow, The Man In The Mask. The blonde in black. Don't know who that one is. She your girlfriend or something?" He growls the sound of him cocking a gun is heard before he hangs up…

Oliver breaks into a run in an instant.

"Kid?" Slade looks to him in confusion.

"Where are you going?" Thea cries as Oliver grits his teeth and moves back over to her.

"Something's come up at the office. Slade will stay with you…" He says before looking to Sara, with a pained look in his eyes and she begins to follow him.

"Two who actually work their can get a job done quicker. Sara should stay with Thea." Slade folds his arms, as Oliver looks at him reluctantly knowing the moment he explains to Slade what's going on he's going to lose it.

"Good point. Get back here as quickly as possible." Sara nods, moving back to wrap an arm around Thea's shoulders, who looks horrified at Oliver.

"What about the jury?" Thea cries as Oliver and Slade move toward the stairs.

"We have to go." Oliver calls back desperately as he races forward with Slade.

"Kid, what's going on? What did Felicity tell you?" Slade questions as they near the doors.

"Slade." Oliver starts carefully as they exit the court room.

"That wasn't Felicity on the phone…"

 _The Foundry_

"Slade we're going to get her back." Oliver calls after Slade as he storms down the steps of The Foundry, his face a mask of pure rage and fury.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. I'm going to tear that bastard limb from limb." He bellows as he crosses the room toward his vigilante uniform.

"Woah, woah man what's going on?" Diggle asks quickly, getting up shakily from her chair to face Slade and Oliver, Sin rolling her chair out of the way to just steer clear from Slade, whom is currently seemingly to be on a somewhat warpath.

"The Count has Felicity." Oliver replies, calmly yet grimly.

"What? No. No. Ohh my god." Diggle sinks back down into his chair.

"I left Sara with Thea. Slade and I are going after him and we're going to deal with this." Oliver explains carefully as Sin looks horrified at the revelation.

"Deal with this? We are going to do more than just deal with this. The streets will run red with his blood tonight and that is a promise." Slade snarls.

"Slade…"

"If you tell me to calm down one more time, kid." Slade glares at him warningly as Sin looks up at Oliver anxiously.

"He's got Smoak?" She whispers carefully.

"Yeah but she's going to be okay. We're going to get her back." Oliver says reassuringly as he pulls his vigilante gear on quickly.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have let her go. I should have made her stay here. I shouldn't have let her go out there alone like that." Diggle buries his head in his hands.

"What." Slade snarls as Oliver just looks at Diggle and closes his eyes.

Diggle really shouldn't have said that.

"She got a lead on The Count and she didn't want to pull you guys away from the trial and I could barely move and she my wouldn't let Sin go out there…"

"I told her she should have." Sin shakes her head.

"You should have called us." Oliver snarls.

"Your mothers trial… She didn't…"

"Me then, me or Sara. We don't need to be there. We're there to support Oliver and Thea that is all." Slade bellows, even advancing on Diggle and Sin, who looks a bit anxious as Oliver pulls him back carefully.

"Slade we're going to get her back." Oliver says softly, stepping back a bit as Slade grabs his sword sharply

"Ohh we will, kid and if he hurts her he will suffer until that son of a bitch has know despair like no other…"

 _Queen Consolidated_

Bow and sword in hands, The Arrow and The Man In The Mask move down the corridor In Queen Consolidated toward their office.

Having of course been down this corridor so many times but never like this.

Never like this at all and they look behind them once to check the area around them for hidden attackers before approaching the office.

Neither Arrow or The Man In The Mask wear either their hood or mask.

Approaching the office, Oliver and Slade can see Felicity through the window, strapped to a chair by her wrists by painful looks zip ties.

Yet angering both of them to the point of full blown rage is the fact that Felicity has blood streaming from her nose, a terrified look upon her face as The Count sits right behind her, using one prosthetic hand to pull on her ponytail…

"Pretty swanky offices." The Count comments as Oliver and Slade step into the office, stopping a few feet away from them, Slade holding his sword outwards, a vicious look upon both his and Oliver's faces.

"You can see all the destruction Moria Queen caused from up here." He gets to his feet.

"Hmm. I count two vigilantes. Thought their was a third? Don't let me guess… Is she one of your girlfriends, your pretty blonde, perhaps Oliver Queen?" The Count questions, tilting his head to the side.

"Sara Lance?" He queries.

"What do you want?" Oliver hisses, cutting The Count off in a moment.

"World peace and personal satisfaction." The Count shrugs before dropping both his prosthetic hands to Felicity's shoulders.

"Though not necessarily in that order." He muses as Felicity whimpers fearfully.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Her." Slade snarls.

"You see, can't do that. Don't have hands thanks to you, masked guy. You three chopped off my hands, poisoned me and put me in a hole. You have no idea how much I hated the three of you for that." He hisses.

"Turns out someone else hates the three of you too." He smirks.

"Who?" Oliver snaps.

"Who?" He stops to chuckle.

"Oh, you three are going to be so surprised when you find out. Person of many means. Set me up with my new operation so I could draw the three of you out got me these new prosthetic hands, makes them feel just like the real deal, which you took from me." He nods toward Slade.

"Organized this whole affair really." He muses.

"Do do what?" Slade hisses.

"This!" The Count snarls, pulling two guns out and shooting at Slade and Oliver rapidly, smashing many of the windows in the office as Oliver and Slade leap behind the nearest couch to avoid being shot at by The Count.

"You're going to have to try harder." Oliver calls back.

"Much harder." Slade snarls.

"Done!" The Count shouts back, shooting at them again, only hitting a vase this time, completely missing both Oliver and Slade.

Hearing both of them move, having survived his recent shooting session, The Count reaches across the table for his knife, grabbing it and sharply slices through Felicity's restraints, cutting her free from the chair, as she closes her eyes shut tightly, waiting for him to stab her, slice her throat or something.

But that's not what happens, instead he grabs her by the ponytail and pulls her sharply to her feet, dragging her up and into the room Oliver and Slade raced to take cover in.

"Come on!" He snarls at her as she cries out, dragging her toward the couch he saw Oliver and Slade dive behind, pointing his gun at nothingness.

Spinning around he sees Oliver and Slade behind him in the other room, Slade holding his sword out and Oliver an arrow poised in his bow.

The Count dumps his gun before turning to face them.

"So now we move on to plan B." He hisses, pulling a double syringe filled to the brim with Vertigo from the inside of his coat and places it against Felicity's neck.

Oliver and Slade advance instantly with their weapons.

"Slade, Oliver don't! Not for me!" She practically begs.

"Quiet please, I'm threatening." The Count growls.

"Lower your weapons." He orders, watching as Oliver and Slade comply, Oliver dropping his arrow to the floor and reaches out to place his hand on the top of Slade's sword somewhat lowering his sword for him.

"Your problem is with us. It's not with her." Oliver protests.

"Well consider this your penalty for making me go to plan B in the first place." The Count snarls, seconds away from stabbing Felicity when Oliver fires an arrow into his chest, knocking him away from Felicity, whom he drops and is about to fire more arrows when Slade advances on The Count, swinging his sword gracefully and slicing The Counts head right off in a few swift moves, kicking his body hard towards the window with so much force it sends him crashing out of the window, his body falling a thousand feet below, Slade grabbing his head from the floor and throwing that out of the window as well, Oliver moving to the window, glancing out of it where he sees down, down below, on the roof of a car, The Counts body with his arrow in his chest.

That had probably killed him before Slade had beheaded him Oliver thinks to himself.

They'd killed again…

Moving away from the window himself, Slade races toward where Felicity lies crouched on the ground.

"Felicity, Felicity." He murmurs as she cries, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's a'right. You're safe." He murmurs as she looks at him.

"Ohh god you two were shot…" She whispers as she sees Oliver's bleeding arm and Slade's from where The Count has managed to hit both of them during the shooting session he had.

"We're good. It's ok." Oliver assures her comfortingly as Slade rests a hand against her cheek, Oliver moving back toward the window again as he hears the approaching sirens, once more glancing down at the body of The Count.

They'd killed again but because of that they're friend is alive.

There was no other choice.

 _The Foundry_

"You two need to get back to court." Felicity whispers as Slade carries her down the stairs and into The Foundry.

"We're going don't worry. We just need to make sure your ok first." Oliver replies as Slade sits her down on the table carefully.

"Felicity. Ohh thank god." Diggle whispers as he and Sin get to their feet.

"Perhaps you were right about going out their Dig." Felicity muses as Slade uses a soft towel to wipe away the blood from her nose.

"You're never leaving The Foundry again." Slade growls.

"Second that." Diggle mutters.

"Third it." Oliver adds as he pulls off her Arrow uniform, hanging up his bow before turning to grab some supplies to get the bullet out of his arm.

"What happened here?" Slade murmurs, noticing the redness around her throat underneath the 'old rag' she uses as a scarf.

"Someone came up behind me and tried to choke me with this thing." Felicity murmurs.

"Probably one of The Counts men. I don't know, didn't get to see who it was. Hopefully if they know what's good for them they've gone underground after seeing what happened to their boss." She glances at Slade as he just shakes his head.

"Well not even their boss. Seems like someone hates us." Oliver muses.

"What do you mean?" Sin questions.

"The Count was hired by somebody who apparently hates me, Sara and Slade, set up his whole operation to draw us out." Oliver informs them.

"Who would do that to the three of you?" Diggle frowns.

"One of our enemies." Oliver mutters.

"Exactly how many enemies do you have?" Sin queries.

"Do you want the book?" Slade murmurs.

"And that's just Slade." Oliver can't help but say.

"He's not joking." Slade responds dryly.

"Somehow I didn't think he was." Diggle winces.

"We better get back to court." Oliver sighs, wrapping a bandage around his arm before pulling on his shirt and smart jacket.

"Yes." Slade nods as Felicity rests her hand on his uninjured arm.

"You haven't gotten the bullet out…" She whispers are his hurriedly changes out of his vigilante uniform.

"Left one in for longer before now as you full well know." He reminds her.

"Hopefully this won't be too much longer either." Oliver says quietly.

"Good luck, man." Diggle pats his good arm.

"Thanks Dig." Oliver smiles as he heads for the stairs.

"Thank you for saving me." Felicity calls to him.

"Anytime Felicity." Oliver says softly as Slade puts a blanket around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She whispers to him as he kisses her forehead briefly but gently.

"As Oliver said. Anytime." He murmurs before turning to follow Oliver.

Anytime at all...

 _Starling City Court House_

"Ollie!" Sara immediately calls out to him as he and Slade enter the court house, moving back to where Sara and Thea are sat.

"Hey. We're so sorry." Oliver apologies as he draws Sara into an embrace, holding her tightly and stroking her hair.

"Diggle messaged me. Is she ok?" She murmurs almost of inaudibly in his ear.

"Yeah. Yeah she's ok." He replies silently.

"I'll fill you in later." He murmurs as Thea just looks to him and Slade incredulously.

"Where have you two been?" She cries.

"Was their any news?" Oliver asks after a moment.

"No. No there wasn't." Thea snaps with her arms folded.

"Thea something… Something happened at Queen Consolidated. You will see it on the news later." Oliver winces.

"Just don't worry about it right now." Slade tries to assure her.

"What would you two have done if there'd been a verdict?"she glares at them both.

"Thea… I don't know." Oliver whispers as she looks to them both more worried than angry.

"Are you two okay?" She asks them softer this time, Oliver and Slade about to answer when.

"Hey." Comes the voice of Jean Loring from behind them. The four spinning around to face the woman in an instant.

"Jury's back." She whispers as Thea looks to each of the three.

"Come on." She says as they all move toward the court room where Moira Queen's trial will be concluded and a judgment will be passed…

 _The Court Room_

"I have received note that the jury has arrived at a verdict." The Judge starts as both sides get to their feet, watching eagerly as the piece of paper with the verdict on it is read by the judge before being passed to the jury.

"Please publish the verdict." He commands to the jury as she opens the piece of paper before facing all those In the court room.

"In the superior court of Star County, State Versus Moria Queen verdict." She stares clearly as Thea looks anxiously at Oliver, Sara and Slade before at her mother, stood and waiting the judgement to be given.

"On one count of conspiracy in the first degree, the defendant is found. Not guilty." She says clearly, Moria looking shocked as murmurs from the crowd rise up at the verdict, but there is still one more judgement to be passed…

"On the five hundred and two counts of murder in the first degree. The defendant is found…" She stops as Moria clasps Jean's hand, Oliver and Thea watching and waiting, a hundred percent on edge.

"Not guilty." The woman reveals after a moment as Moria sighs in relief, amazement at the sentence passed of not guilty as Laurel and Cat try not to look horrified at the outcome, shocked more than horrified.

This shouldn't have been the verdict, not after what they did and they're not the only ones shocked as Oliver looks to Slade.

"Unbelievable." Oliver whispers.

"You can say that again." Slade murmurs, Oliver shaking his head in amazement as he watches Moira embrace Jean, before racing away from the table toward Oliver before throwing her arms around her son, who clutches onto his mother tightly, as she pulls Thea also into the embrace, holding both her children close, ignoring all the reporters, cameras and murmurs just to face her children and her children alone.

"I love you both so much." She whispers as she holds them both close to her, never wanting to let them go ever again.

Reporters and members of the press swarm them but they don't care, Moria just keeps holding her children in her arms, thinking of how lucky she is to have them and a not guilty verdict. Never in million years did she ever expect that would be the sentence.

Not guilty.

It's a miracle and she's not the only one surprised with the outcome and the worst part of it is that Oliver was expecting his mother to be found guilty…

 _The Foundry_

"A stunning result as Moira Queen is acquitted of all charges in a day that's proved a weeks worth of shocks and legal twists." The TV reports as Oliver, Sara and Slade walk into The Foundry, dropping some of their things onto a near by table.

"Congratulations." Felicity smiles at Oliver as he approaches, frowning when she sees the expression upon his face.

"Is that appropriate?" She queries nervously.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Sara cuts in moving to hug Felicity before Oliver can reply.

"How bad did he hurt you?" She questions sharply, looking her over for injuries, hissing when she sees the red marks around her throat.

"Ohh that wasn't The Count, some one who worked for him managed to get behind me and tried to strangle me with my own makeshift scarf." Felicity sighs.

"Where is The Count? I want to personally smash his skull in myself." Sara mutters.

"You might have a bit of a problem with that, honey as his head is no longer attached to his body." Oliver retorts as Sara looks at Slade.

"I'd expect nothing less." She responds with a reassuring smile in Slade's direction.

"We killed again." Oliver sighs, before adding.

"And I wouldn't have done it any other way. No one goes after one of us like that should expect us to show leniency." Oliver says firmly, wrapping an arm around Sara's shoulders.

"You beheaded the guy? Dude that's freakin awesome!" Sin smiles at Slade, who rolls his eye at her and moves to get some equipment to finally dig the bullet out of his arm.

"So. Your mother was found not guilty." Diggle looks to Oliver to continue that.

"She should have lost." Oliver replies bluntly.

"She should have been convicted." He adds as the others look at him in surprise.

"Now you're starting to sound like Slade. Did you want her to be convicted or something, Oliver?" Diggle asks quietly.

"I expected her to be verdict doesn't make sense and my best friend is still in a coma and she put an assassination attempt on my brother in all but blood. I don't know." Oliver shrugs, wincing momentarily at the pain in his arm.

"Still, your mom must be pretty happy she ain't going to prison." Sin notes.

"It's more like shock I think. They're processing her now, we just wanted to check in on you two." Oliver admits.

"I'm feeling better." Diggle nods with a smile.

"And with the Vertigo tainted vaccine Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division was able to formulate a non addictive treatment." Felicity informs them.

"Good." Oliver nods, pulling Sara closer with one arm, glancing briefly at the time.

"We need to meet my family back at Queen Mansion, so you guys go home, get some rest. Try and get Roy to keep the apartment clean if he gets home." Oliver looks to Sin.

"Oh I wouldn't be asking her, she's just as untidy as Roy." Sara chuckles.

"Guilty." Sin smirks.

"I think that's impossible." Oliver smiles, patting Diggle's arm as he heads for the stairs, taking Sara's hand in his as they too head for the staircase.

Finishing bandaging his arm, Slade also heads in that direction yet stops in front of Felicity.

"Do you want a lift home?" He questions.

"You have a car?" Felicity frowns, tilting her head to the side, having never actually seen Slade drive a car before.

"I have a motorcycle." He responds as she smiles back before nodding.

"Sure."

"Wanted to ensure you got home safe after tonight." He comments.

"Thank you." She says softly, following him as he turns to the stairs but finds herself stopping.

"Slade. I just wanted to say thank you for earlier and I'm so sorry." She whispers, Slade turning around to face her and looking at her in surprise.

"For what?" He queries.

"I got myself into trouble again and you and Oliver killed him. You two killed again and I am sorry that I was the one to put you two in a position where you two have to make that kind of choice." She apologizes quickly.

"Felicity." Slade reaches for her hand, she grips his fingers tightly.

"He had you and he was going to kill you." He reminds her sternly.

"There was no other choice." He states plainly before squeezing her hand and leading her to the stairs, Felicity never wanting him to let go.

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Why'd you do that for me?" Harley frowns as after finally stopping running, Oliver releases her hand and turns to her._

 _"Because you stopped the captain from killing me." Oliver responds plainly as Sara, Shado and Slade finally stop running also, having been slowed down what with Slade in the condition he's currently in._

 _"I'm so glad to see you three." He smiles at them in pure relief as Sara and Shado reach him._

 _"Your alive. Your okay." Sara looks at him, eyes filled with love, happiness and relief and having Oliver back, yet soon fill with worry when she hears Slade coughing._

 _"Which one of us are braving going over their and checking on him?" She asks quietly._

 _"I'm. Good." Slade practically chokes._

 _"Don't. Need. Either. Of. You." He mutters in a tone that to Oliver, suggests annoyance and he frowns at Sara and Shado._

 _"Has something happened between the three of you?" He queries._

 _"Doesn't matter right now." Sara replies, taking and squeezing Oliver's hand as he looks worriedly over in Slade's direction._

 _"He doesn't look to good." He murmurs._

 _"That's because he's not." Shado murmurs, both she and Sara noticing Harley for the very first time since they'd stopped running._

 _"Who's this?" Shado queries._

 _"Harley Quinn, nice to meetcha." Harley smiles widely as Shado nods._

 _"Likewise." She comments, glancing at Oliver for an explanation._

 _"It's complicated." He murmurs before adding quickly._

 _"That Hosen thing they're looking for is back on the plane." He reminds them._

 _"No, we've got it." Shado pulls it out from her top, revealing that she'd turned it into a somewhat necklace._

 _"It has a Buddhist inscription on one side. It reminded me of my father." She replies._

 _"I'm pretty sure they aren't… Interested. In Buddhism." Slade chokes, voice still laced with sarcasm, making Oliver pretty much convinced something not quite right is going on between Shado, Sara and him as despite his usual asshole demeanor he isn't usually like that with Shado._

 _"What's on the other side?" Oliver queries as Shado flips it over._

 _"Thirty. Thirty. One seventy five. Twelve." She reads._

 _"Ok, numbers, what…" Oliver frowns._

 _"Coordinates." Sara responds._

 _"But to what?" Shado folds her arms._

 _"Probably to a Kariyu-class Japanese submarine which ran aground here during World War Two." Harley chirps up._

 _"What. Do these guys… Want with a. Seventy year old. Sub?" Slade groans._

 _"Ohh the sub ain't important honey but what's on it. It'll save the freaking human race." She grins as an idea hits Oliver at her words._

 _"Will it save him?" He asks softly, with a look to Slade who's look about to collapse again._

 _"Can't hurt to try it. Oliver's right he doesn't look to good." Harley muses._

 _"That's good enough for me. Let's get moving." Shado starts an urgent look in her eyes._

 _"Yeah. Yeah of course but first." Oliver stops and moves toward Sara, pulling her into his arms and kissing her quickly._

 _"I thought you were dead." He murmurs, glancing at Shado and Slade as well._

 _"I thought you were all dead." He whispers._

 _"Not. Easy. To. Get. Rid. Of." Slade murmurs as Oliver holds Sara close._

 _"I thought you were dead to." She whispers, clutching him tightly._

 _"We all did." Shado sighs._

 _"Well. The. Girls. Did. Didn't. Know. You were even. Gone. Kid." Slade mutters as Oliver frowns upon hearing Shado and Sara sigh._

 _"What?" He queries._

 _"How many times have we got to say we're sorry?" Shado sighs, Slade not really saying much as Oliver decides to ask later and continue holding onto Sara._

 _"And you were freaking wonderful out there, showing up all armed like that. Sara Lance my beyond badass girlfriend." He smiles, kissing her once more._

 _"I love you." He kisses her for the final time._

 _"I love you too." She smiles._

 _"Can. You not. Feeling pretty rough. As it is. Kid." Slade rasps with a pained roll of one eye, Oliver can't help but smile and rest his forehead against Sara's a moment before pulling away and moving toward Slade._

 _"Hey, how are you doing?" He asks softly when he reaches his friends side, holding an arm out immediately when Slade turns to face him and practically collapses whilst doing so._

 _"Better now." He murmurs with what if Oliver isn't mistaken is a somewhat smile._

 _"So. I was right. You do care about us." He smiles as Slade grips onto him from support. Slade doesn't say anything at all, yet doesn't push Oliver away like he basically did to Shado and Sara._

 _"Who else. Am I. Going to enjoy, beating. The crap out of. Every day. If. I ain't. Got you." Slade mutters as Oliver smiles and let's Slade use him as a crutch._

 _"Missed you too Slade."_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _One of the guards of Ivo's having been injured in the explosion, crawls along the forest floor whilst heavily bleeding, using the leaves, twigs and who knows what to pull himself along._

 _"Well. You survived your own stupidly, congratulations." Ivo mutters before bending down beside the man._

 _"You know. I needed you to deal with any resistance that I encountered on the island. I got to say, you've done a fairly lousy job of that." Ivo comments before taking the gun out of the man's pocket and shooting the man in the head with his own gun._

 _"Congratulations." He shoves the gun toward another of his guards._

 _"You're the new captain."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

A knock on the door, pulls Sebastian Blood out of his annoyance as he watches the TV reporting The Count's death, rather incensed about the whole affair.

"I arranged for The Count to take out the vigilantes and all I accomplish is reigniting their killing spree." He spits angrily.

"Yeah. The boss ain't too happy either. Apparently met one of the vigilantes associates earlier, blonde girl I think was said by the guy I was taking with about it. Apparently boss said she's getting too close to matters. Far too close to the masked guy and the boss ain't happy about that, think the messenger said before he lost an eye." Office Daily informs him.

"He lost an…" Blood trails off.

"Told you boss is in a very bad mood, but this might but the boss in a better mood. There's been a development." He informs Blood, who silently gets up and moves toward the cupboard for his Brother Blood mask…

Wearing the mask, he follows Officer Daily into a room where many men sit upon chairs, bleeding from their eyes and quite frankly, dead.

All but one, that is and Blood moves toward him in an instant.

"Brother Cyrus." He addresses the man.

"How do you feel?" He asks the man named Cyrus, who looks up at him, blood in eyes but unlike the others, alive.

"Stronger." Is all he says as Blood looks at him.

"Good. Than your ready."

 _The Court House_

As she is finally released, Moria Queen is ambushed by reporters as she makes her way down the stairs as a free woman.

"Mrs. Queen how does it feel like to get away with murder?" One asks, shoving a microphone in her face as Moira just turns to Jean for help.

"Once you go out back, there's a car waiting for you." She murmurs.

"Did you kill your first husband?" Another asks as she freezes in place.

"Just keep going." Jean says to her calmly before turning to face the press herself, Moria hearing every word as she takes the back exit as Jean had told her to do.

"Obviously Mrs. Queen is overjoyed that the jury has ruled that she was acting under terrible duress…"

Stepping outside, Moira smiles as she breaths in the fresh air of freedom momentarily before heading toward a man she believes to be her driver.

"This way, Mrs. Queen." He indicates toward a car, which she quickly gets into, happy to be free from that dreadful place at long last…

 _Later…_

Moria gazes out of the window as she is driven home, smiling at the sight of the city she was very skeptical about seeing again as a free woman and opens the window to breath it all in.

"The freeway will be quicker." She informs the driver.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Queen I was instructed not to take you home." The driver responds.

"Not yet." He reveals as he pulls into an empty car park, parking the car and moving around to open the door for Moria, whom gets out reluctantly.

"Where are we?" She questions quietly.

"I. I don't know this place." She whispers nervously.

"I've got her sir, ma'am." The driver says to two individuals standing behind him, before being shot in the chest with an arrow, Moria shrieking once before spinning around only to see none other than Malcolm Merlyn standing behind her, a bow in hand and very much alive, walking toward her with a smirk.

Malcolm Merlyn is alive…

He isn't alone either, a woman stands with him with long silver grey hair, Moria suspects a wig, wearing black except from the boots and her makeup resembles something from the day of the dead parade.

"How are you…"

"Hello Moira." Malcolm cuts her off as she continues to stammer.

"They said you were dead." She whispers in horror.

"There are parts of the world where death is an illusion. I've been to one. I learned to be very convincing." He reveals as Moria looks at him fearfully.

"I returned because of several reasons. My first was because you needed my help." He responds as Moria runs a hand through her hair.

"Help?" She shakes her head.

"With your trial. You didn't think that jury acquitted you without a little persuasion. Especially after Cat Grant's performance. Remember those good days Moira, when the three of us used to be friends? Me, you and Cat? I would have initiated her into our little plan but unfortunately I always had the feeling that she was just too good and I was right. That woman is a lot of things, but she is not like us." He comments.

"Ohh dear god." Moria whispers in fear.

"What do you want Malcolm?" She whispers.

"Ohh a lot of things, I also heard that my son is still in a coma. I would have expected them to have let him go by now but then. Then I found out something interesting about Dinah Laurel Lance." He smirks.

"Don't you dare hurt Laurel. She loved your son…"

"Ohh I know that. In fact the day of The Undertaking, Tommy revealed to me he was going to propose to Ms. Lance." Malcolm reveals before adding.

"I still have my resources in Starling City, some infact work in hospitals and they told me that Dinah Laurel Lance gave birth two two children. My grandchildren." Malcolm tells her.

"Ohh my god." Moria whispers, remembering how insistent Laurel had been earlier to her about not testifying to stay with her family, saying how no mother would ever recover from losing her children.

The only way she could possibly know how that felt like was if she had her own…

"You leave them alone!" Moira shouts at that point.

"You know I can't do that Moira. They're my grandchildren and it's very unlikely they're ever going to have a father in their lives and they're so, so young. I plan to take them from Ms. Lance and raise them in my own image and my plan to take my grandchildren has already been put into motion. I would like to introduce my associate." He nods toward the woman.

"Meet Silver Banshee." He introduces her as the woman waves sarcastically.

"Yet Silver Banshee is of course, not her real name. Her name is Siobhan Smythe and coincidentally she works with child protection services. I scheduled an associate of mine to lace Laurel Lance's drinks with alcohol which resulted in a DUI for her and I almost, almost succeed in having Siobhan here have her proved an unfit mother but unfortunately, Cat Grant and some professor from Central City got in my way. You know, perhaps you and Cat should try and bury the hatchet. Could be mutually beneficial." Malcolm comments.

"Doesn't she speak?" Moria snaps at Silver Banshee/Siobhan Smythe.

"Ohh she speaks alright. I just have a device that allows me to keep her quiet." Malcolm smirks as Moria looks at the woman fearfully.

"Have you enslaved this woman Malcolm?" She questions.

"It's a partnership. Poor thing, found her struggling with an ability she just could not control. In Becoming my associate I have helped her find that control." He smiles before moving toward Silver Banshee, using a key to unlock a thin black collar from around her neck.

"Banshee." He says in a commanding tone of voice as she opens her mouth and the most piecing, loud, shriek comes from her, smashing all the car windows and street lights.

"Okay, okay." Malcolm chuckles as he fixes her collar back on, looking it in place before pocketing the key as Moria holds her now ringing ears.

"You know, in hindsight I should have let go on for longer." Malcolm muses.

"What?" Moria whispers holding her ears still.

"I have many associates Moria. Including one in the D.A's office which is how I got alcohol into Laurel's drinks. I followed Mr. Donner's investigation of you with interest. The ease with which you liked about us for years. It made me wonder whether you lied to me." He hisses.

"No, no, no." Moria shakes her head quickly.

"It was a matter of a simple surreptitious genetics test to confirm my suspicions." He spits.

"Don't." Moria whispers.

"Imagine my joy that learning that not only has my son had two children I can take but also that Thea is my daughter…"

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Resting on her couch, Felicity sits with her arms wrapped around her legs, rocking slightly back and forth as thoughts of her encounter with The Count come to mind, how he'd chained her to the chair, she still has the marks on her wrists from where he chained her to the chair, how he basically forced Oliver and Slade into killing him.

Not for me. She'd yelled to Oliver and Slade, trying to keep them from killing but they did anyway, to save her from the monster...

They'd saved her life and Slade had makes sure she'd gotten safely home, taking her himself and made a point to check all her doors and windows to make sure everything was locked and safe for her even though she assured him it was, regretting that when Slade found the lock in her doors were pretty basic and he'd promptly declared that when he wasn't working he would get her a new door, windows and a proper state of the art alarm fitted, having noticed hers barely even worked and knowing Slade, Felicity is pretty much convinced he would do all of those things to her apartment having stated that her safety was important, which when he'd gone Felicity had been smiling like the Cheshire Cat at.

She'd wanted him to stay for coffee with her but he'd declined, having had a meeting with Isabel to 'discuss' what had happened at Queen Consolidated.

Felicity had been skeptical at the word 'discussion' and may or may not have joked that Oliver was CEO Isabel should bother him, in a joking way of course and Slade had fortunately believed she was having a laugh, which of course she was replied that he thinks Oliver's trying to get revenge for certain moments on the island!

A sudden loud knock on her door causes her to almost jump off her couch in fear as she does roll of it, hitting the floor briefly.

"Coming!" She calls upon hearing a loud knock again, opening her door.

"Sorry. I was in my own head." She apologies, seeing that there are about four SCPD police officers standing outside her door.

"Felicity Smoak?" One asks.

"Yeah that is me. Is their a problem officers?" She asks sweetly, smile fading in a split second when one of them pulls out a set of handcuffs...

"If you could turn around and put your hands behind your back." One officer requests.

"What?" She whispers but she does comply.

"Good girl." The officer says, glad that she didn't resist arrest as he snaps the cuffs tightly around her wrists.

"Felicity Smoak. You are under arrest for the misuse of a computer, hacking and stealing personal files. You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should hopefully be soon. Thanks for all your kind and great reviews, and for following and favoriting please do tell me what you thought of this chapter and leave a review if you can. Thanks again so much for taking the time to read this story.**


	93. The Scientist (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety Three**

 _SCPD_

"What the hell happened?" Oliver bombards Laurel the minute he and Sara storm into the precinct in the early hours of the morning.

"Ollie, Sara…" Laurel starts, running a hand through her hair tiredly, having not had much sleep having been called in for this case, luckily Martin Stein had offered to cover for her with the kids so she could come and do her job.

"Why did Felicity get arrested?" Sara cries, worry crossing both her and Oliver's faces.

"She's been accused of hacking into and stealing personal files. It's not good. They have evidence." Laurel says quietly.

"What? Who… Who did she supposedly hack?" Oliver frowns.

"This is where it gets even more complicated. She hacked and stole personal files from Isabel Rochev." Laurel reveals as Sara's eyes widen.

"What?" Oliver runs a hand through his own hair.

"I know. I know. I've already spoken with her as a lawyer and she's denying it but the evidence doesn't lie. I want to believe her. I really, really do. I just." Laurel stops.

"Look. It's ok, Laurel. Can we see her? Please." Sara requests as Laurel glances at her.

"You really shouldn't…"

"Laurel. Please." Oliver all but begs as she sighs.

"She's in that room over their. I'll give you ten minutes." She murmurs reluctantly as Sara embraces her sister tightly.

"Thank you." Oliver smiles gratefully as he and Sara move toward the room Laurel has indicated towards.

"Do you think she did it?" Oliver murmurs once outside as Sara looks up at him.

"I don't think she did it. I know she did it." Sara admits reluctantly.

"What?" Oliver turns on her in a split second.

"What do you mean by that Sara?" He questions.

"I watched her do it whilst we were in Russia. I told her not to but she was angry. She was…" She stops, knowing exactly what Felicity was and now her actions could imprison her…

 _Interrogation Room_

They'd taken the cuffs off, that was the only saving grace in the whole situation, Felicity Smoak thinks as she sits at a table, alone, tears streaming down her cheeks at the whole affair, the circumstances surrounding her arrest.

The worst part of it all is that it makes no sense at all.

Yes she'd hacked Isabel, but she'd stopped before she'd gotten much information after she had realized her stupidity with some help from Sara and she'd back rooted her way out of their, deleting any trace that she was even there as she always, always does every time she's ever hacked somebody.

It makes no sense at all…

They're also telling her she did it from her Queen Consolidated computer, that they have evidence to support that fact and they'd showed her the evidence and it was there, that she'd used her Queen Consolidated computer to hack Isabel Rochev, but she hadn't!

No one will believe her. Nobody believes her at all…

"Felicity." A familiar voice pulls her out of her thoughts as she looks up with eyes filled with tears to see Oliver and Sara standing in the door way.

Only Oliver and Sara…

"Ohh thank god you're here." Felicity whispers upon seeing them.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Oliver mutters as he and Sara sit across from her.

"Guys. I didn't do this…" Felicity starts.

"Felicity, I was there. I watched you hack Isabel and I warned you not to." Sara sighs.

"I know. I know I did that but I back rooted instantly I didn't leave any trace behind…"

"Well you obviously didn't do a good enough job." Oliver cuts her off.

"Oliver, Sara. You have to believe me. I didn't do this, well I did but not what they're saying I did. They said I used my computer at Queen Consolidated but you know I used my tablet Sara!" Felicity protests as Sara glances at Oliver.

"She is telling the truth." She replies as Oliver just looks at Felicity.

"What I don't get is why you did it in the first place. Neither of us ever asked you to look into Isabel in that way." Oliver sighs.

"I. I was just concerned. I mean she just shows up out of the blue with that Stellmoor International and tries to take your company? I thought there had to be more to the story then that and the possibility that she could be dangerous and a danger to the company and to you…" Felicity babbles quickly as Sara shakes her head.

"You know lying isn't going to get you out of trouble." Is all she says.

"Sara I am not lying to you. You've got to believe me." Felicity begs.

"I believe what I saw in Russia, you were upset with Isabel…"

"I was concerned about Isabel… I mean don't you think it's a bit odd as how the minute we decide to leave the company she's suddenly ready to go with us? I thought it was pretty suspicious. I wasn't upset with Isabel I just don't trust her. Why would I ever be upset with Isabel. She's mean and cruel but…"

"She's with Slade." Is all Sara says as Felicity is silent for a moment.

"That… Has no relevance to this whatsoever."

"I think it's got everything to do with this." Sara responds, Oliver looking to her in agreement.

"Felicity you hacked her because you were upset that she and Slade were together. Don't lie to us about it yet you say the error of your ways and shut it down which is why the whole, you hacked her in your office is confusing me." Sara admits.

"No. No I was just concerned…"

"Ohh just stop Felicity. Just admit it you did this because you were jealous of Isabel." Oliver rests his head on his hands as Felicity looks at them both fearfully.

"I betrayed my own sister because I was jealous of a man she was with. I could have destroyed everything between us because of what I did." Sara reminds her as Felicity buries her head in her hands, tears appearing in her eyes.

"He's going to hate me." She whispers tearfully.

"He's going to be pissed that's for sure." Oliver murmurs as Sara glances at him, knowing that Oliver's words are those of truth.

Slade's not going to be happy about this. At all.

"Hey guys." Comes the familiar voice of Diggle from the door, as he enters the room.

"Laurel let me in. Felicity what the hell were you thinking?" He folds his arms.

"There has to be a mistake somehow. I did this in Russia and I left no trace. I don't leave traces. You all know that." Felicity protests.

"Yeah but the evidence isn't lying here Felicity. This is serious. You could be looking at time according to Laurel if this thing goes south." Diggle warns her as Oliver sighs.

"I'm just going to tell them that I instructed you to look into Isabel because I had concerns about her, what with her trying to take my company like she was planning on to do in the beginning." Oliver suggests.

"You can't do that Oliver. They could actually decide to hand the company over to her if you admit to that. I won't let you get into trouble for me." Felicity shakes her head.

"Felicity. You're in real trouble here." Oliver warns her.

"I know, I know." She whispers as the door opens and Laurel stands in the doorway.

"Felicity. I've managed to call a meeting with Isabel and her lawyers in five minutes to see if we can discuss a plea agreement to this. It might be our best shot now to avoid a trial." Laurel leans against the door as Felicity nods, not really wanting to be in a room with Isabel at this time but not wanting to go to jail either.

"Sure." Felicity replies softly as Laurel smiles and nods toward the door.

"Good luck Felicity." Diggle pats her shoulder affectionately as she looks between Oliver and Sara nervously as she exits the door, Diggle hanging back for a moment to look at Oliver and Sara with a somewhat nervous look in his eyes.

"And it ain't just Ms. Rochev I'm wishing her luck with either." He indicates to where Slade is stood talking to Isabel, hearing Oliver and Sara groaning in an instant as Diggle sighs.

"This ain't going to be good…"

 _Later…_

"Ok. Now we're all here, I'd like to discuss a plea agreement, some easy solution we can come up with right now to save the hassle of a trial. Which no one in this room wants I'm sure." Laurel starts confidently, looking at Isabel and her lawyer, both who are glaring at Felicity with looks that, if looks could kill, Felicity would be six feet under.

"Um… She hacked into my personal files. Personal files Ms. Lance." Isabel snips.

"Not only did your client break the law but it was a complete invasion of privacy your client committed to my own." Isabel's lawyer responds.

"She says she didn't do it." Laurel replies plainly.

"The evidence says otherwise Ms. Lance. It was her computer, the hack traced straight back to her, all the files were on her computer at Queen Consolidated…"

"Someone could have used her computer could they not?" Laurel cuts her off.

"The only person who has been on that computer is your client. Believe me we have been through the Queen Consolidated security footage and the only person to use that computer was your client here." Isabel's lawyer responds plainly.

"Was it worth it Miss Smoak? All this for a man who has no interest in you whatsoever?" Isabel cuts in.

"Isabel." He lawyer sighs warningly.

"It's why you did this to me, isn't it because I'm with the guy you like? Thought you could find something on me to pull us apart. It's sad, it really is." Isabel folds her arms, no one around the table saying a single word.

"You know what. I'm actual in a good mood today. I pity you Ms. Smoak, your desperation. As I said. It's quite sad really. I'm willing to drop all the charges." Isabel smiles wickedly as Laurel nods at the revelation.

"Isabel." Her lawyer glances at her.

"No. I'm willing to drop the charges but the only way I'm going to do this if she is fired from Queen Consolidated immediately. She's guilty I'm more than convinced that she is and I think we all are but there's no need to waste time with a trial, Ms. Lance is correct but someone like her cannot be allowed to continue to work at Queen Consolidated and not just for my peace of mind either. For the peace of mind of all the employees at Queen Consolidated she could decide to commit this crime to." Isabel stops, folding her arms.

"Those are my terms. I'll drop the charges but she's fired from Queen Consolidated. Effective immediately."

Laurel nods and leans in to talk to Felicity.

"I know it's your job but this is a good deal." She states.

"It's a much better outcome than I was expecting." She admits.

"I think my client Ms. Rochev is being more than fair here." Isabel's lawyer butts in as Felicity looks at Laurel once before reluctantly nodding.

"I think due to the circumstance I'm being beyond fair." Isabel says ensuring she has the final word as Laurel nods.

"We accept the deal." She says plainly.

"Good. I need to get out of here." Isabel says with a roll of her eyes as she gets up, brushing her hair back as she struts out of the door.

"Thank you Laurel." Felicity turns to her.

"It's no bother. I'm just relieved this is the outcome." She pulls Felicity into a hug.

"I know you had to leave your kids…"

"Felicity. It's fine. My neighbor covered for me." She smiles before taking both Felicity's hands tightly in hers.

"I don't know if you did this or your didn't and quite frankly I don't want to know what happened that's caused this but just be careful Felicity, you got off lightly here." Laurel squeezes her fingers as Felicity nods, turning to the door, beyond grateful that she's leaving the precinct as a free woman after the drama she just endured.

"How did it go?" Oliver asks the minute Felicity steps into view.

"You're going to need a new assistant. Perhaps you'll let me choose one for the two of you this time." Isabel says in passing as she storms out of the precinct after spending the last few moments talking to Slade.

"What happened?" Sara looks to Felicity, who touches her glasses nervously.

"Isabel dropped the charges." Felicity admits.

"Now I wasn't expecting that one." Diggle comments.

"Me either. What happened?"vOliver frowns.

"She dropped the charges because it was agreed that I would be fired from Queen Consolidated instead as punishment for my crimes." Felicity reveals as Oliver sighs.

"Great." He mutters under his breath.

"Just great." He grumbles as he takes a few steps away.

"It's better than jail Oliver." Diggle reminds him.

"Yeah. Yeah I know. This just makes things a little complicated for us when we need to discuss our nights." He mutters.

"Yes that is a problem." Comes the quietly dangerous voice of Slade as he steps out of the shadows having been talking with Isabel, moving toward the group, glaring at Felicity rather frighteningly.

"But what I would like to know is what the hell were you thinking."

 _The Foundry_

"Slade you have to believe me I didn't…"

"I've said this to Oliver and Sara before now, many a time. Lying will only get you into more trouble with me." He snarls viciously.

"I'm not lying to you Slade! I didn't hack Isabel from my Queen Consolidated computer. You have to trust me." Felicity begs as she stands a few feet away from him, near her desk, the five having returned to The Foundry after the precinct.

"I trust Sara and she said she saw you doing it." He growls.

"In Russia! And that's because, like I keep saying, I had a bad feeling about her and I wanted to make sure she wasn't part of anything that could destroy Queen Consolidated or that something bad could happen to you and Oliver." Felicity protests as Slade glares at her.

"I'm very good at telling when people are lying to me and you Felicity, are." He snarls as she shakes her head.

"Slade please. Please just trust me." Felicity whispers.

"Than enlighten me on why a smart woman such as yourself would do something as stupid as this! Tell what the point of it was and if you're as smart as I've always believed you to be. You will not lie to me this time." He growls almost threateningly, silence passing between the two of them as Felicity can't even look him in the eye, Oliver, Sara and Diggle watching nervously from the sides.

"It's getting late. Perhaps we should all call it a night..."

"Stay out of this kid." Slade snarls, glowering at Felicity.

"Go on. Tell me." He folds his arms as Felicity looks fearfully up at him.

Not like this. She can't tell him, not like this…

"I was worried for you and Oliver…"

"Stop. Lying. To. Me." Slade snaps.

"Why don't we all just go home, get some rest before someone says something they regret." Oliver steps in again.

"OLIVER!" Slade bellows at him to silence him.

"You know he's right. I'm going to go. I'll see you all tomorrow. Here, not at work anymore obviously." Felicity whispers after a moment, reaching for her bag.

"You know lies destroy partnerships Felicity." Slade mutters.

"Are you saying its destroyed ours?" She can't help but whisper.

"I don't know about that but we're going to have a problem here if you're going to do stupid things like this that could have had consequences on us all and if I can't trust you." He hisses, causing Diggle, Oliver and Sara to wince.

"You can trust me Slade." Felicity replies quietly.

"After tonight I have reason to doubt that." He finishes sharply as Felicity looks at him, a beyond hurt expression crossing her face as she moves quickly toward the stairs tears filling her eyes, waiting until she is far away from The Foundry before letting them fall…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the dark of a normal night in Starling City, two men walk through a warehouse owned by Queen Consolidated whilst a thunderstorm sounds out from outside.

A sudden boom causes one of the men to spin around.

"What was that?" He asks worriedly as a sound of a motor revving sounds out, the two man moving toward the door that suddenly begins to shake.

A sudden hit to it causes both men to pull out their guns just as the door comes tumbling down, both me firing their weapons instantly to no use as one of them is thrown backwards, the other begin strangled in an iron like grip, lifting him right off the ground before being thrown against barrels as the unnaturally strong man responsible for these actions simply walks away…

 _Queen Consolidated_

As the elevator dings Moria exits it onto the top floor of Queen Consolidated for the first time since her freedom with her son, the new CEO and his best friend, second in command.

Now she doesn't say anything, knowing she has no right to speak considering what happened but never in a million years did she expect or want a man like Slade Wilson to be the second in command to Queen Consolidated.

"How's the company been doing?" Moria asks quietly, breaking through the awkward silence in the room.

"Good. Good, glad I haven't been dealing with it alone." Oliver smiles in Slade's direction as they pass Felicity, whom is at Queen Consolidated for the last time to clean out her desk, yet still politely addresses Moria.

"Mrs. Queen. Welcome back to the company." She smiles.

"Thank you." Moria nods.

"You look fabulous really, better than ever, did you do something to your hair?" She asks sweetly as she puts her vase into her box.

"Yes. I shampooed it without eight woman and a guard watching me." She responds.

"Is it ok to laugh? Because I was ordered not to say anything about you being in prison. Just to avoid any awkward exchanges." She looks to Oliver as they pass her.

"Like that one." He murmurs as they go, Slade not even looking at her once.

"Why was she clearing out her desk?" Moria questions after passing Felicity.

"That really isn't important right now, mom." Oliver responds carefully as they approach the main board room where Isabel is in control of a meeting.

"We need to drill down on these numbers before the earnings call… Oliver, I didn't realize that your mother was stopping by for a visit today." Isabel cuts off her meeting to address the three of them, standing in the doorway.

"Well, it's not a visit. It's her company, too." Oliver smiles as Moria sits down.

"Of course. How are you Moria?" She asks politely.

"Back, Isabel." She replies, frosty silence passing between the two women a moment before Isabel turns her attention to Oliver and Slade.

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson, may I speak to you both for a minute?" Isabel requests, moving from her desk toward Oliver and Slade and pulling them outside so they can talk, out of Moria's earshot.

"What sort of message does it send to the investment committee, to the city. If we hand Queen Consolidated right back to your mother Oliver?" She snaps.

"She was acquitted." Is all Oliver says.

"By a jury. Not by the city! Oliver stop thinking like a son and start thinking like a CEO." She speaks sternly, moving back toward the meeting, resting her hand on Slade's arm in passing.

"Talk to him about this and try and get him to see reason. He'll listen to you." She suggests, smiling at him once before disappearing into the board room.

"Your company, kid." Slade says the minute she's gone, Oliver about to respond when Diggle and Felicity burst into the room.

"Guys." Diggle starts as they turn to them in an instant.

"There's been a break in."

 _Starling City Train Station_

Covering his head with a science showcase magazine due to the heavy rainfall, a young man exits the train with a suitcase in another hand, letting go with one hand to look at the large watch upon his wrist.

"Damn." He murmurs upon seeing that he's late.

Again.

He takes off running in a flash…

Running toward a can through the rain as it drives away the minute he approaches.

"Whoa, Hey, stop wait!" He calls desperately as it drives away.

"You don't even have a fare!" He cries, turning down the street again just as another car drives by, covering him completely in water.

It's just going to be one of those days.

 _Queen Consolidated Warehouse_

"This door is made of expanded reinforced titanium." Diggle comments at the scene of the crime as he, Oliver, Slade, Felicity and even Sara, whom had arrived at the scene of the crime upon hearing that there had been a crime at Queen Consolidated.

"What do you think they used to do this?" He muses.

"Not sure yet. No sign of any explosives." Quentin comments as he walks around the scene.

"Maybe a crane? Maybe a forklift. I'm guessing there was at least three of them, maybe four and given how quick they got in and out of here… They were fast." Quentin assumes as he folds his arms, glancing to Oliver and Slade, the two he knows who actually work at Queen Consolidated at might know what these people were after.

"Any idea what these guys were so hot to break in here for?" He queries.

"You didn't happen to leave a spare Earthquake Machine lying around did you?" He jokes.

"Dad." Sara scolds him sharply.

"Sorry." Quentin says after a moment as they're approached by Kelton.

"This is what we're able to pull off the security cameras." He shows the group an iPad, on which is a video of the security footage, showing one man standing there, her he picks something up and destroys the camera before anything else can happen.

"He was the only guy we got on video. The rest of the crew must have come in after him." Kelton shrugs.

"Actually it was only one guy." An unfamiliar voice calls, the group turning around the face the source of the voice.

"Ah. Sorry I'm late. But actually my train was late. Well, the second one. The first one I did miss but that was my cab drivers fault. I've got this great traffic app and…" The guy trails off mid babble, a young man, who looks like he's been out in the rain.

"But he thought that he was right." He adds, glancing at the group once more.

"I'm here now, though so…"

"Great. Who the hell are you?" Quentin snaps.

"And do your parents know that you are here?" Slade question sharply.

"I'm Barry Allen." The young man responds, pulling something out of his coat pocket.

"I'm from the Central City Police Department. I'm with the Crime Scene Investigation Unit." He shows them all his badge.

"We're working on a case with some similar unexplained elements in Central City. So when the report of your robbery came over the wire. My captain sent me up here." He smiles as Slade and Oliver just look at him distastefully.

"And you think one guy ripped through this door like it was tin foil?" Quentin questions rather sarcastically.

"One very strong guy, yeah." Allen nods as a dark look crosses Slade's face as a memory hits him and with once glance sideways he sees Oliver and Sara wear similar expressions…

"Uh. It takes about thousand two hundred pounds of torque to break someone's neck. You see the marks on the guards neck." Barry shows them all the picture of the dead guard on his iPad as they all crowd around.

"The bruising pattern suggests the killer used only one hand." He finishes as Oliver takes on step forward slightly, memories racing through his mind and resists the sudden urge to touch his own throat where the ghost of the fingers that were once wrapped around it ohh so long ago suddenly coming to mind as if it just happened...

He steps closer toward Slade instinctively, seeing his tensed up, frozen posture.

He's remembering…

"I'm guessing you guys don't know how hard it is to break someone's neck…" Barry starts, pulling Oliver our of his thoughts.

"Hmm? No. No idea." He says quickly.

"Ohh I can imagine." Slade mutters quietly as Allen glances at the unnerving man with momentary fear.

"Uh… We're going to need a list of the entire inventory here to figure out exactly what was stolen." Kelton asks from behind the group.

"Actually I think I know what was stolen." Allen butts in again as everyone turns to face him.

"A centrifuge. An industrial centrifuge. Probably the Cord Enterprises 2BX 900. Maybe the sixth series. Both have a three column base." He explains as he walks the group toward where it should have been.

"Here. You can see the three sets of broken bolts where the thief just… ripped it out of the ground." He winces as Oliver and Sara look worriedly to Slade, seeing his still rather quite tensed up posture.

"And what exactly is a centrifuge?" Quentin looks rather confused and Allen looks about to butt in again when Felicity beats him to the chase.

"It separates liquids. The centripetal acceleration causes denser substances to separate out along the radial direction." Felicity informs the group.

"And lighter objects move to the top." Allen continues, Felicity smiling at the guy.

"What did you say your name was again?" She asks politely.

"Barry. Allen." He says slightly nervously.

"Felicity. Smoak." She says in almost the same manner as he, Barry grinning at her before getting rather vicious looks from Oliver and Slade, Oliver just looks annoyed but in Slade's case, murderous Barry believes and it unnerves him greatly.

"Um… You can see the cracks heading toward the door. Footsteps. One guy." Barry nods as Oliver, Sara and Slade move in an instant to look.

"Anyway. It's just a theory. One backed with a lot of evidence." He adds as Quentin just rolls his eyes at them, this is unbelievable even for him and his daughter and friends are a bunch of vigilantes!

"Yeah. I'm sure your right." Barry nods.

Everyone in the room bar Oliver, Sara and Slade are in agreement.

"It's something else. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation to this somewhere. It's not that. You know it can't be." Sara just whispers to Oliver and Slade, who's still in a frozen somewhat state of shock…

"Slade, breathe." Oliver murmurs, trying to pull Slade out of his frozen state.

"She's right. It's gone. We destroyed it all, you know that. It's all gone." He whispers as Slade exhales slowly before nodding briefly.

"You're right kid. You're right." He murmurs, trying to rid his head of all thoughts…

Meanwhile, Quentin glances at the three before at Felicity and Diggle.

"Think they're onto it?" He queries as Felicity nods.

"Think they were onto it the minute they stepped into the room…"

 _Lian Yu: Night_

 _"What do you think they're talking about?" Sara queries as she and Shado look over to where Oliver and Slade are sat by a tree._

 _Slade couldn't keep going much further and they decided that if they were to get him to the submarine without loosing him, he needed rest and Oliver had decided to watch over him, also because he was curious to know why Slade upset with Shado and Sara._

 _Yet trying to talk to him was hopeless, he just spent the whole time groaning and writhing in pain, his words a jumbled mess, barely audible, so instead Oliver had just sat with him, making sure he stays alive and trying to soothe him in anyway he can._

 _It honestly terrifies Oliver to see Slade like this._

 _Slade is the strong one. The one that holds the four of them together and now they could lose him at any given moment…_

 _Currently, Oliver is murmuring something to Slade, talking to him, saying words that Shado and Sara cannot here, but want to know what he's saying…_

 _"So who do you think she is?" Shado turns her attention to Harley, who is sitting against a tree, looking bored and chewing on a gum she'd got from a pocket on a jacket she has over her black and gold dress._

 _"I don't know. Ollie hasn't really said much about her, then again he has been watching Slade." Sara shrugs her shoulders as she sees Oliver moving towards them._

 _"You don't happen to have any painkillers in those coat pockets do you?" He asks Harley who shakes her head._

 _"No, sorry Ollie." She replies causing Sara to raise her eyebrow at her._

 _"I just wish there's something I could do to ease his pain. Considering. It's all my fault." Oliver sighs as he sits down beside the two women._

 _"What do you mean?" Shado looks at him in confusion._

 _"I thought you two were going to be killed in the plane so I ran toward it, despite the explosions and Slade came after me. I'm the reason he's like this." He murmurs quietly._

 _"I'm the reason that if we don't get this miracle cure. He's going to…" He trails off as Shado and Sara shake their heads._

 _"No. No Ollie. This isn't your fault. That Ivo and his men set of the bombs. They're the reason Slade is hurt like this. Not you." Sara assures him as Oliver wraps an arm around her, holding her close before looking between her and Shado._

 _"What's going on between you two and Slade. I couldn't get much out of him." He says quietly as Shado and Sara look between one another._

 _"When the bombs hit. Shado and I got out of the plane, we found Slade on the field but you weren't there, Ollie. We couldn't find you we didn't know if you were dead or alive and Slade. Slade was in a really bad way, we didn't think he was going to survive and one of the things he kept asking about was you. He kept talking like you were there so Shado and I kinda lied to him and kept pretending you were outside, busy just in the plane then he started talking to you and then you didn't reply but at that point he was really out of it then we kept it going and then you started up the radio." Sara admits._

 _"He's hurt that we lied to him and he's probably right that we shouldn't have but we thought if he learnt the truth it would have killed him." Shado adds as she shakes her head._

 _"I'm gonna go talk to him." She sighs as she gets up and moves toward where Slade is slouched against the tree, eyes closed. Shado spent a second frozen in fear until she saw that he was still breathing and kneeled down in front of him, sliding her hand into one of his gloved ones._

 _"Shado." He murmurs, registering that she's there._

 _"Are we. Moving. Or. Something?" He coughs as she rests a hand against his cheek._

 _"No, no. I'm here to talk to you." She responds._

 _"Not in the. Mood." He mutters._

 _"I'm sorry. Both Sara and I are really sorry we lied to you about Oliver. You were in such a bad way I thought we going to lose you and Sara and I mutually agreed it would make matters worse if we told you he wasn't there because we didn't know where Oliver was. He could have been dead for all we knew and with the position you were in. We couldn't put you through that." She admits._

 _"If the roles had been reversed…"_

 _"I know. You would have told me and I'm sorry I didn't. I should have told you. I was just afraid of losing you. Fyers killed my father. I don't know where my sister is. All I have in the world is you. Oliver and Sara and I can't lose you Slade." She admits, sadness in her voice._

 _"You. Won't. Lose. Me." Slade murmurs back, squeezing her fingers back._

 _"How about from now on we agree to total honesty between us?" She suggests._

 _"I agree. Total. Honesty." He grumbles in pain as she leans forward to kiss him gently._

 _"You. Mean. The world. To. Me." He mutters as Shado just looks at him in surprise._

 _"Can't. Lose. You. Either." He winces before glancing toward Oliver and Sara._

 _"Any. Of. You."_

 _Lian Yu: Morning_

 _As soon as light had broke, the five were on the move again._

 _Shado and Sara up front, Harley hovering on the sides and Oliver heavily supporting Slade as they move down a sharp hill, Slade groaning in pain every move they make as Oliver holds him close, trying to keep him upright and not to jolt him._

 _"We need to change directions. Ten degrees north." Shado spoke many hours later._

 _"We need to rest." Oliver suggests for Slade's sake._

 _"If Ivo and any of his men survived that blast they'll be tracking us. We were. Stupid enough. To stop for the. Night. We. Keep moving." Slade hisses before crying out in pain, holding onto Oliver tightly to keep from falling, Sara reaching out for him instantly as well._

 _"Five minutes." He begs as Oliver and Sara settle him down on the side of the hill, Sara gently stroking his arm trying to soothe her friend._

 _"I'm ok. I'm ok." Slade murmurs, trying to reassure both Sara and Oliver, who look toward Shado before at Harley._

 _"Will you watch him for us please?" He looks to Harley desperately._

 _"Sure I will." Harley nods as Oliver looks to her gratefully._

 _"Thank you." He says as the two move toward Shado, who is running her hands through her hair desperately, her eyes never leaving Slade for a minute._

 _"Do you believe them? That this Hosen will lead us to a wrecked Japanese sub?" She queries almost sarcastically but Oliver and Sara are sure it's just because she's worried for Slade._

 _"Ivo seems to think so. I just hope whatever miracle serum they're after is actually onboard. For his sake." He says with a glance to Slade as Shado just shakes her head and moves toward Slade and Harley._

 _"So how exactly did you meet her?" Sara asks Oliver with a glance to Harley._

 _"Ivo was keeping her prisoner I think aboard his ship. Someone had tried to kill her and succeed in killing the man she loved and Ivo had taken her in but I think she was more a prisoner there I'm not sure. Apparently she was a psychiatrist. I don't know. I think she saved my life. Figured I'd do the same for her." Oliver shrugs._

 _"Looks to me like she's quite taken with you." Sara muses._

 _"Sara. No." Oliver looks to her, horrified really as Sara folds her arms._

 _"Feel. Like. Taking a walk. Anyone care to join me." Slade cuts them off, moving forward without help. Shado pulls him into her arms before he can fall…_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. Next chapter should hopefully be soon, kinda depends on how long it takes me to get over my sadness for the event in this episode that to me is the worst moment in Arrow ever. But hopefully I'll get there. Thanks so much for all the really kind reviews, follows and favourites. It means the world. Thanks again for reading, please leave a review if you can.**


	94. The Scientist (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety Four**

 _Queen Consolidated_

Standing in his office, Oliver and Sara watch as the rain pours down the window, Oliver with his arm around Sara, holding her close to him, his other hand resting on Slade's shoulder, who sits on a chair beside the window, Oliver and Sara.

"Guys." Diggle's voice pulls them out of their rather disturbing thoughts.

"Got the final inventory from applied sciences. That CSI from Central City was right. The on it thing missing is a centrifuge." Diggle informs them gravely, Oliver basically snatching the piece of paper from Diggle's hand.

"You have to see this. I pulled up CC traffic camera footage from across the street of applied sciences. This is three minutes after the alarm went off." Felicity enters the office with an iPad, still in the process of clearing out her desk, due to this being the very last day she will spend in Queen Consolidated.

Oliver, Sara and Slade watch the video.

The video that has one single man, carrying something that no human man should possibly have the strength to lift…

"Can we help you with something, Detective?" Slade growls as he turns to the door, which Barry Allen is entering from.

"Oh, CSI's aren't actually detectives. We don't even carry guns. Just some plastic baggies." He chuckles with a grin as Felicity smiles and laughs to.

"Uh, where should I set up my equipment?" He asks.

"Ohh I'll show you." Felicity says, moving toward him.

"What's going on?" Oliver questions.

"Your assistant said that you guys preferred to keep the investigation in house, so I cleared it with my captain to give you guys a hand." He smiles widely.

"She's no longer our assistant and when she said that I think she meant the five of us." Slade snaps almost threateningly as Oliver drags Felicity toward them.

"What are you doing?" Oliver questions sharply.

"Making another stupid choice, evidently." Slade growls, a sad look crossing Felicity's face.

"We need to find this intruder and he seems to know more about it than any of us." She admits quietly, trying to ignore the glares both men are giving her.

"Forensic science isn't exactly my forte so…" She trails off to look over at Barry with a smile, whom is currently looking around the office.

"I'd say we need him, wouldn't you guys." She tries to reason with them.

"I'd say that isn't your choice to make." Slade mutters.

"I'd say okay. We're no genius forensic experts either." Sara steps in holding her hands in up in almost surrender as Oliver and Slade glare at her to.

"Fine. Last job as our assistant. Take him somewhere that isn't our office." Oliver mutters as Felicity beams at him, mainly Sara as Felicity practically jogs over to Allen.

"I'll show you around." She grins as she disappears.

"I don't like him." Slade grumbles once they're gone.

"Yeah. We could all tell that." Diggle sighs.

"There's just something not right about that boy." He mutters.

"Ohh I thought he was really cute." Sara smiles.

"You're the only one." Oliver sighs, putting an arm around her and turning back to the window and the rainy outdoors.

"Why am I getting the feeling you three know about this than Felicity's new friend?" Diggle questions as Oliver shakes his head.

"We don't." He lies.

"Told you before, your poker face is lousy not to mention you look like your about to put Slade's shoulder out." He comments, nodding toward the fact that Oliver still has a death grip on Slade's shoulder.

"So?" Diggle looks to the three of them, expecting them to say something, anything and Oliver does say something.

"Pray we're wrong."

 _Queen Mansion_

After being at Queen Consolidated, Oliver had decided to pop in on his mother to see how she was doing after the mornings rather disastrous meeting.

Sara had accompanied him but Slade had wanted to go back to The Foundry, having not said really a word since the crime scene.

Talking to Moira, Oliver hopes shall distract him and Sara at least momentarily from the case at hand.

Moira sits on a couch, holding a picture of Thea in her hands, smiling at it when Oliver and Sara enter the living room.

"Hi. I'm sorry about what happened at the office this morning." Oliver apologies instantly.

"There are a lot of people who think I got away with murder, Oliver. Maybe I did." She sighs as she puts the photo down.

"The trial, the Undertaking, Malcolm Merlyn. All of that is gone now, Moira. You're free from it now." Sara tries to assure her.

"Doesn't feel that way Sara." Moira looks at her sadly.

"Mom. It has and we need everyone to see that." Oliver holds his hands up.

"How are we going to do that." Moira murmurs.

"We throw a party." Oliver says, footsteps behind him cutting him off.

"Thea, Roy." Moira smiles as she gets to her feet to greet them.

"Did I hear you guys say something about a party?" Thea grins.

"A welcome back to Queen Consolidated party for mom." Oliver smiles widely.

"I don't think so." Moira folds her arms.

"If things are going to get back to normal, then we need to start acting normal." Oliver reminds them all.

"Normal for us is a lavish party." Thea adds as Roy's phone begins to buzz, he pulls it out of his pocket to check it instantly.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Mrs. Queen I can't stay for brunch." Roy apologizes.

"I guess we got to go." Thea grabs his arm before moving to embrace her mother, who kisses her daughter's cheek lovingly.

"Bye." Thea says before chasing after Roy.

"Sara and I'll take care of everything." Oliver grins as they head out also, Oliver feeling rather pleased he's managed to put a smile on his mother's face at long last.

Now there's someone else he needs to deal with…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Switching on the fluorescent blue lights, Felicity watches as Barry Allen gets to work in the center of the room curiously.

"What exactly are you looking for?" She asks him quietly, bending down to watch him.

"Well your thief's shoes touched the ground, which means he tracked in dozens of clues as to were he's been the past few days." Barry responds, using tweezers to pull something off the floor.

"Gotcha!" He grins, standing up carefully and carrying whatever he got in his tweezers across the room, Felicity following him, to a machine, in which he inserts the dirt.

"Shouldn't take long." Barry informs her as Felicity moves toward the computer screen, which has flickered to life.

"So you've seen them, right?" Barry questions causing Felicity to frown.

"The three vigilantes?" He adds quickly.

"I read that they saved you." He says as Felicity looks away from him.

"What were they like?" He queries.

"Orange, black and green." She murmurs in response after a minute.

"Orange, black and green." Barry repeats, looking away a minute.

"I mean that's interesting right? I mean, why orange, black and green? I mean the black on The Woman In Black is good as the majority of black The Man In The Mask wears as black is good for stealth as would urban camouflage but the bright orange part of The Man In The Mask's mask. That's weird as is green. Me, personally. I think that they trained in some sort of like forest or jungle environment and the green the Arrow wears is a nod to that. The female has sense and the masked guy just likes orange." Barry babbles as Felicity crosses the room to the other side of the table.

"I don't give the three vigilantes much thought." She says, bending down to work on something so she's not looking at Barry in case he realizes she's holding something back from him.

"Police reports show that the Arrow uses carbon arrows, but if he switched to an aluminum carbon composite he would have far better penetration. The Woman In Black she had these batons then she suddenly switched to the massive staff that breaks down into smaller batons. That was a fantastic switch. I mean and The Man In The Mask he uses those swords right? From the police reports I read it sounds as if he's used various swords but one is used more frequently than others. I'd say he's a guy who really likes swords and has a somewhat collection of them. I'd love to design a sword, one with fantastic one hundred percent chance of penetration." Barry continues to babble about the three vigilantes as Felicity moves toward the table again.

"Maybe he thinks he penetrates just fine." Felicity sighs as she approaches Barry.

"Do you want to know something else? I think they have partners. Definitely someone with a background in computer sciences." He continues as Felicity moves past him.

"Yeah." She nods as she clicks a few keys on the laptop mainly to cut Barry off but finds that she does in fact have a question for him.

"Why are you so interested in the three vigilantes?" Felicity asks him as Barry sighs and looks down at his desk, silence passing for a couple of moments.

"When I was eleven my mom was murdered." He admits.

"I'm so sorry." Felicity says almost instantly afterwards.

"They never caught the guy who did it." Barry sighs.

"Maybe they would have." He adds as the computer bleeps, pulling him away from his sad thoughts of the past and back to work, where he types quickly at the computer.

"The soil… There's a crystalline structure in it." He reveals as he clicks a few more keys.

"That's weird." Barry murmurs.

"What's weird?" Felicity asks.

"It's sugar."

 _The Foundry_

When Oliver jogs down to The Foundry he sees Sin sitting on the stairs.

"What's up?" He asks her in passing.

"Think he's in a really bad mood." Sin winces as the sound of growling and punching can be heard from within The Foundry, Oliver glancing to where the sounds are coming from only to see Slade rapidly punching a boxing dummy with enough viciousness he looks like he's about to break it.

It won't be the first. Oliver notes upon seeing the other broken dummy he must only recently have shattered.

"Slade." The sound of Oliver calling his name, causes Slade to pause briefly before picking up the pace again.

"What is it, kid." Slade snaps as Oliver moves toward the dummy and stands beside it, backing away once as Slade punches at it with, what Oliver sees instantly, bleeding hands.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asks softly, genuinely concerned.

"I'm concerned if you don't move you're gonna end up getting punched." Slade grumbles as Oliver nods and takes off his suit jacket.

"What are you doin' kid?" Slade sighs as he steps away from the dummy a mere moment.

"You and I are going to sparr. You can kick my ass up and down this place for as long as you want if it distracts you." Oliver smiles somewhat as Slade just folds his arms.

"We got a party to attend soon. Decided to throw one as a welcome back to Queen Consolidated gift for my mom…" Oliver is cut off as at his words Slade takes a swing at him.

"There you go!" Oliver smiles as he ducks to deflect a sudden attack from Slade, aiming one of his own that is only intercepted by Slade, who twists his arm around, swinging his leg out and kicking Oliver into the dummy, who ends up meeting the offending object head first, his nose taking most of the impact and ducks when he sees Slade about to take another swing at him, moving to the other side of him and attempts to land an attack of his own, yet misses and Slade grabs him, throwing him to the ground as he's done countless times before, Oliver using a leg to try and knock Slade down to, moving so he can regain his footing before bending backwards to avoid a well aimed punch, yet makes the mistake of getting up too quickly and Slade catches him in the side of the mouth, Oliver already feeling the blood appearing from the lip wound.

"Sorry. Kid." Slade moves away the minute he sees the blood.

"No, no. Don't apologize. It's okay. Keep going." Oliver encourages him as he avoids an attack from Slade and before Oliver can counter, Slade aims another attack, knocking him backwards and eventually to the ground.

"Dead." Slade hisses, reminding Oliver of one of their earlier training sessions on the island.

"Feel…" Oliver stops a minute to cough due to the blood in his mouth.

"Any better now?" He smiles up at Slade, despite the fact he's almost certain he's got a bloody lip and possible bloody nose.

"Don't know about that." He murmurs as he pulls Oliver up from the floor, running a hand through his hair briefly.

"I'm going to be wrong about this Slade." Oliver says softly as he looks over at his friend, his brother.

"I'm going to be wrong."

 _Starling City_

"Dude you said this was an emergency." Roy mutters as he and Thea approach one of his friends from the days in The Glades, whom had been the one to message him.

"No offense. But your girlfriend shouldn't be here." The other guy retorts sharply.

"In the alleyway of the club I own?" Thea frowns as the friend of Roy's just glances at her before at Roy again, pulling out a phone.

"It's my friend Max. He's missing, haven't seen him for a week. No one has. Something happened to the guy. Word on the street says that you know someone, or some people who can help us." He glances at Roy who shakes his head.

"Roy can help you." Thea speaks for him.

"I thought you wanted me to stay out of trouble." Roy protests as Thea glances at him.

"I kinda like that you never turn away from someone who needs help. I'll just get someone to cover the club." She pats his shoulder in passing.

"What do you mean?" Roy frowns.

"Ohh I'm coming with you." Thea smiles as Roy just sighs in despair as Sin appears putting her head around the door.

"Hey. What's going on guys?" She asks them.

"Max. You know him don't you Sin?" Roy's friend asks her as she nods.

"Yeah. I know him. He's a friend why?" She asks worriedly.

"He's missing. No ones seen him in about a week apparently." Thea fills her in.

"Wait what?" Sin looks to them in shock.

"Which is why I've decided to get Roy here, involved. You know, the rumours that he knows three individuals that could help track him down." The guy glances at her as Sin nods.

"Oh yeah. I heard them." She says.

"We were just about to start looking into it. Do you want to join us?" Thea offers as Sin reluctantly nods.

Oliver, Sara and Slade are going to kill her for going solo like this but if she can find something.

She can directly involve them herself…

 _Queen Mansion_

Walking into her bedroom, Moira moves across the room toward her bed where a set of her shoes lie.

"I hear you're throwing a party." The sudden voice of Malcolm causing her to jump.

"I didn't get my invite." Malcolm shrugs.

"Where exactly should I have addressed it? Starling City Cemetery or to Siobhan Smythe, or what is it you called her, Silver Banshee?" Moira mutters.

"I know the cemetery is where you wish I was right now. Lying beside probably where my son shall be buried when they finally realize that he's a lost cause." He murmurs back.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Malcolm? You put Tommy in his coma. You're going to be the one that killed him when he doesn't wake up. He doesn't wake up and honestly after all this time I'm sure he won't, you will have killed your son." She snaps.

"You cannot have Laurel's children and my daughter…"

"Our daughter!" Malcolm snaps.

"I think we both needed someone that night. I felt so bad about betraying Rebecca's memory. That I left Starling. Left Tommy behind… That's when I made my way to Nanda Parbat, where I found a new purpose. In a way Moira. You made me the man I am today." He smirks wickedly.

"Laurel's babies and Thea are innocent. Thea loved Robert, please don't take that away from her and I'm pretty sure those babies are the only thing that is keeping Laurel from losing herself to the grief she must be feeling for Tommy. I saw the sadness in her eyes when I spoke to her when she came to visit me, saw how she held that ring around her neck, her phone always in hand. Just leave them alone. I'm begging you." She whispers.

"Thea and my grandchildren are all I have left. Tell Thea the truth." He snaps as he begins to walk away from her.

"And tell her soon."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Found something?" Oliver questions the minute, he, Slade, Sara and Diggle enter the room where Felicity and Barry have been working.

"We found something? What happened to your face?" She looks at Oliver nervously.

"Ohh. Tripped over." Oliver retorts as Felicity glances between him and Slade.

"Ah." She murmurs, looking quickly away from both men, having a pretty good idea that she knows what's just happened.

"There were trace amounts of sucrose and a spec of dirt the killer dragged in her on his boot." Barry informs them.

"Which for me thinking. There is a sugar refinery two miles from here." Felicity finishes Barry's point.

"The land around it is suffused in waste sugar so I checked. They had a delivery truck stolen a few days ago…"

"Their truck matches the make and model of the truck the their used to steal the centrifuge." Barry finishes her sentence for her.

"Can you track the vehicle?" Oliver questions dryly.

"We've been trying." Felicity replies as the computer from behind her bleeps.

"What was that?" Slade mutters sharply, Felicity looking away from him and at the computer instead.

"You guys are not going to believe this… The truck. It was just used to rob a blood bank." Felicity shakes her head in confusion.

"Are you sure?" Sara folds her arms.

"Yeah. Our guy just made off with thirty thousand CCs of O-Negative." Felicity replies.

"So what? He has super strength, likes blood? Please don't tell me we suddenly believe in vampires." Diggle glances at the group with a raised eyebrow of disbelief.

"We should give this information to the local police." Barry starts.

"We'll take care of that. Her dads a cop." Oliver nods toward Sara.

"Didn't you say that you were working a similar case in Central City?" He queries.

"Oh, yeah, um… Yeah you know it's similar." Barry says quickly, too quickly.

"Has similar elements. A lot of similarities." He babbles.

"Right." Slade mutters before he and Oliver grab Diggle and drag him to one side, leaving Sara and Felicity with Allen.

"We want you to look into this Allen kid." Slade says to Diggle the minute they're out of Allen's earshot.

"There's more to him than he's letting on." Oliver adds.

"I think his intentions are pretty clear to me." Diggle smirks toward Barry and Felicity.

"It surprises me that you think that we care about whatever that is. What we do care about is what his intentions are concerning this case and why he's so insistent on sticking around, have you got that?" Slade says sharply as Oliver nods.

"Just do this for us please." Oliver speaks firmly as, reluctantly Diggle nods before looking between Oliver and Slade.

"Guys when are you going to tell me what exactly were up against?"

Oliver and Slade just simply walk away…

 _Starling City_

In the dead of night, a truck zooms down an empty Starling City street, the driver, wearing a black mask over his face as he drives, completely unaware of the two motorcycles coming in from behind.

The three vigilantes riding them…

Swiftly the two motorcycles take a side of the van each, the driver finally noticing them through the mirror and abruptly begins to swerve in an attempt to cut both motorcycles off, taking a sudden turn when the Arrow aims something at the wind-mirror shattering it instantly in an attempt to distract the driver before swapping sides with The Man In The Mask, the driver watching as the motorcycle goes past him with only the Black Canary on it, the Arrow no where to be seen, until suddenly, out of nowhere, the Arrow jumps down from the roof of the van and kicks at the driver through the open window, swinging down momentarily when the driver attacks back.

The Arrow begins to pull himself up again, punching the masked man repeatedly.

He barely even flinches…

No… The Arrow thinks at the driver looks barely even affected by it.

No...

He's wrong. He's got to be wrong it. It isn't…

The driver punches him hard in the face before The Arrow can do an trying else, causing him to fall across the windshield, in the distant he sees that the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask have parked their motorcycles and are running toward the van upon seeing their partner thrown out of the window, and dragged back into it again by the driver, who simply just grabs a hold of the Arrow and drags him in to the passenger seat.

Thinking quickly, the Arrow jams a dart into the guys leg, just as he pushes him hard, sending him into the car door, which breaks upon impact and the Arrow goes spinning out of the van on the door, straight down the road, skidding down it until he finally crashes sharply into the bins and boxes.

Due to the pain in his surely broken ribs, The Arrow just lies there deeply pained.

"OLIVER!" He can hear The Man In The Mask and Black Canary yelling his name as they approach his practically motionless form.

"Ollie, Ollie open your eyes." Black Canary begs him.

"Talk to us, kid." The Man In The Mask growls as The Arrow blinks rapidly, causing both his partners to sigh in relief.

"Ohh god." He groans as they both instantly move to help him up.

"You're gonna be a'right kid. We got you." The Man In The Mask murmurs as they both hold him up, helping him walk.

"No. No. It's not that. The guy… I think." He stops as the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask look to him worriedly.

"You think what Ollie?" She asks him softly.

"That. I was right…"

 _The Foundry_

"Yeoowww!" Oliver yelps deeply pained as Sara sticks more black tape across his damaged ribs from the crash.

"Sorry Ollie." She whispers, resting her hand against his side and kissing his cheek softly.

"Thank you honey." Oliver murmurs as Sara nods and helps him into a soft grey jacket.

"What the hell happened out there?" Diggle and Felicity look anxious toward Sara and Oliver, hearing the rapid click clack of Slade using The Salmon Ladder in the background, which, after his main priority, which was ensuring Oliver was ok and and had no internal injuries he had immediately turned to and has been using it aggressively ever since.

"And don't try to tell us you three don't know anything about this." Diggle adds as Oliver looks to Sara before sighing.

"Okay you were right to ask if we knew more than we were letting on." Oliver stops as he takes Sara's hand in his and ensures he can still hear Slade using The Salmon Ladder before continuing.

"We've seen people with abilities like that before." He admits.

"You have?" Felicity cuts in instantly, before moving to stand next to Diggle, in front of Oliver and Sara.

"Where?" She asks softly.

"The island." Oliver and Sara say simultaneously as Diggle and Felicity just look at them to continue, also glancing toward where Slade is still on The Salmon Ladder.

"Our second year marooned there, we…" He stops, squeezing Sara's fingers tightly.

"We came across the remains of a Japanese World War Two military project. It was a serum designed to create human weapons." Sara informs them.

"Human weapons. My god, what's next? Aliens?" Diggle questions sarcastically.

"This is real. Diggle." Oliver snaps loudly causing both Diggle and Felicity to fall silent.

"Those five years that we were away. We came across things that just… Defy explanation." Oliver informs them, glancing up at Sara again, whom nods grimly.

"There's a doctor his name is Ivo and he came to the island to test the serum on people. The ones that survived, their endurance, reflexes and strength were all enhanced." Oliver explains to them quietly.

"And you guys think this Ivo's in Starling City?" Diggle questions.

"Impossible." Sara counters instantly.

"I watched him die with my own eyes. Trust me he's gone." She says firmly.

"And so is everyone that he injected with the serum. The last of which… I burned personally." Oliver murmurs.

"You think someone found the recipe?" Diggle queries again.

"The centrifuge and a large supply of blood. I think someone wants to make more of it. A lot more." Oliver admits as Diggle sits down.

"Why couldn't you guys have been marooned on Aruba?" Felicity questions softly.

"There's a third component." Oliver continues.

"A strong sedative. They don't have that, the people injected with it tend to die instantly." Sara admits.

"Don't like that word, tend to." Diggle notes.

"Twice it was used without a powerful sedative and twice it worked. Those were apparently the only survivals they'd had without the sedative but then both those people were going to die anyway. One was practically already dead." Sara explains quietly as she gets up from where she was sat with Oliver, moving toward Slade is on The Salmon Ladder.

"Here." Oliver passes her a slightly mangled arrow he'd stuck into the guy.

"I think I preferred it when you left these in people." Felicity winces.

"We need you to analyze the blood on the arrowhead. If we can figure out which sedative they're using…"

"We can figure out where the next robbery will be." Diggle finishes for him, Felicity giving the arrow a nauseated look before heading toward the stairs.

"Barry and I will get right on it." She smiles before disappearing.

"Think our Miss Smoak is smitten." Diggle smirks as he glances toward where Sara is walking back toward them, talking to Slade, a sad look upon her face.

"Your still leaving stuff out Oliver." Diggle says in a warning tone.

"What do you mean?" Oliver glances at him.

"Ever since this began you and Sara have been walking on eggshells with Slade." He points out as Oliver just glances away.

"So what." Oliver mutters.

"So what? I think there's more to the story here Oliver and whatever it is, is really getting under his skin." Diggle glances toward Slade.

"It's not important." Oliver murmurs.

"Yeah you say that Oliver but…"

"DIGGLE!" Oliver bellows fiercely.

"Let it go." He snaps as Slade and Sara join him.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks him gently.

"Never better kid." Slade mutters glancing to Diggle with folded arms.

"Did you find anything out about Mr. Allen?" He requests as reluctantly, Diggle nods.

"He's not who he says he is."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Reluctantly, Shado had left her boyfriend in Oliver and Sara's hands to follow the directions on the Hozen._

 _Yet was finding it hard to concentrate when her thoughts were on Slade and the fact that every move they make causes him to groan in pain._

 _So many times she's wanted to turn and go to him but has resisted, not wanting to think of what could happen to him if they don't find this drug that could very well save him and that fact she can hear Oliver, Sara and even Oliver's new friend Harley trying to soothe him._

 _Yet when she hears him cry out for the umpteenth time, she turns around and races back to his side._

 _"How are you holding up, sweetheart?" She asks him softly._

 _"I could do with a better looking crutch, love." He responds with a somewhat smirk as Oliver and Sara just look at him in the usual way they'd look at Slade, but Slade tightens his hold on the Sara._

 _"Wasn't. aimed. At. You." He murmurs as Sara can't help but chuckle._

 _"Thanks." Oliver rolls his eyes with fake annoyance._

 _"Hey I don't know if Shado apologized on my behalf. But I'm really sorry for lying to you Slade." Sara apologies._

 _"S'a'right. I know why you did. What. You. Did." He responds._

 _"Just so you know. It was my idea. Not Shado's. She just went along with it because she was worried about you. So just be mad at me, not her." Sara continues._

 _"Forgive. Both. Of. You." Slade mutters, causing Sara to smile somewhat._

 _"We're here!" Shado suddenly calls from up front, the others stopping from behind, Oliver and Sara holding Slade up to stop him from falling when they come to a stand still as right in front of them in water, is a half submerged submarine…_

 _"There. Must be. A fissure. In. The island. Below the waterline. For it. To come that far. Inland." Slade groans as Oliver just looks at it in amazement._

 _"Unbelievable…"_

 _Starling City_

"They have the nitric acid next to hydrazine?" Barry questions as he walks around the lab.

"Permanganate on top of acetone? This is definition of dangerous!" He exclaims, shaking the bottles at Felicity.

"If it's so dangerous, maybe you shouldn't be touching them." Felicity suggests as thunder crackles from outside.

"Barry?" Felicity tries to get his attention as he's momentarily distracted by the thunder.

"I managed to get a sample of the perpetrators blood from the police department. We need to isolate a sedative in the blood it could lead us to the thief." She explains as Barry puts the bottles back and glances at Felicity.

"How did the police get it?" He questions.

"Apparently one of vigilantes shot him with an arrow." She responds.

"You're kidding." Barry looks at her in amazement, climbing down from the shelves.

"You know what this means, right? This means that the three vigilantes are working the same case as we are!" He cheers as Felicity chuckles.

"Heh. Go figure."

"How did you get it?" He questions.

"Slade and Oliver have a lot of connections." She smiles.

"Wow. Pays to work for a billionaire." Barry comments.

"Actually my take homes nothing special. Especially given I am rarely at home, since I'm with them every night. Actually. I got fired this morning. Today's my last day working at Queen Consolidated." She admits.

"What?" Barry looks at her in shock.

"What happened?" He gasps.

"Long story. I hacked into to someone I should have. However I instantly backed out of it, did this in Moscow, removed all trace that I was there. Yet theirs evidence I did in Starling City and it was either a trial and possible prison sentence or I agreed that this would be my last day working here and I'm no longer an employee at Queen Consolidated. Yet Slade, Oliver, Sara and. We hang out. We're friends and Oliver and Slade weren't the ones who fired me." She says quietly.

"Who'd you hack?" Barry looks at her In shock.

"A woman I thought was bad news but it may or may not have just been me being…" She stops as she looks at the arrowhead in hand.

"Anyways. Oliver and Sara. I think they've forgiven me for it but…"

"The scary Australian guy hasn't?" Barry questions.

"Slade? I don't think so no." Felicity murmurs, touching her glasses nervously, feeling tears fill up in her eyes again, remembering the conversation she and Slade had.

He doesn't trust her…

"He know the person you hacked or something?" He questions.

"You could say that." Felicity mutters.

"Is this person by any chance a woman?" Barry queries as Felicity looks up in an instant.

"Why would you think that?" She basically snaps, before shaking her head.

"Sorry Barry." She says.

"Well that confirmed that." He smiles.

"Why would you assume it was woman?" She decides to ask, regretting it instantly.

"Well… That, Wilson guy? He's terrifying and honesty I really don't get what anyone in the world would see in him and yet, even though theirs this going on, I have the feeling that perhaps you like…"

"No." Felicity shouts quickly.

"No, no no. I do not like Slade." Felicity looks up at him confidently as Barry just smirks and turns back to the shelves.

"Um. I was invited to a work function. My last work function. It's a party and I have a plus one." She looks to Barry, who turns around and simply nods.

"I was thinking that you would make a really good… Plus one." She smiles nervously as Barry grins widely in response.

"There's not going to be dancing, is there? I'm just not too good on my feet…"

Felicity just beams at him in response...

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Sin taps on the door as she, Roy, Thea and Roy's friend enter the apartment of Max.

"Ohh." Thea holds her hand to her nose instantly.

"It reeks in here." She notes.

"Man wasn't know for his housekeeping skills." Roy's friend responds.

"I guess your friend wasn't into painting landscapes." She also comments upon seeing all the dark drawings around the room as Sin shuts a mouldy pizza box, whilst Roy bends down to retrieve a leaflet that catches his eyes.

Sebastian Blood's Glades Relief Blood Drive leaflet.

"Max is like any starving artist. Starving." Sin comments as she picks up a picture from long ago of herself and Max.

"But before I moved in with you guys. I could always crash here when I didn't have a place to stay." She admits sadly.

"Hey, this blood drive was a week ago. When did you say he went missing?" Roy queries.

"That day." Roy's friend responds plainly…

 _Later…_

Meanwhile, sitting outside of Max's apartment is in fact Officer Daily, who sits in his car and watches as four young individuals exit the apartment, picking up his phone in an instant.

"It's Daily. Someone is looking for Maxwell Stanton." He tells the guy on the phone, whom is in fact Sebastian Blood stood by a fridge of blood.

"And they should find him." He replies simply.

"Yes Brother Blood." Daily says before hanging up as Sebastian Blood walks toward someone, a blood bag in hand.

"Blood provides life. Blood provides power and with power…" He stops to look at the man.

"There's no limit to what I can do."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Central City is just a day away from making history when the controversial STAR Labs particle accelerator is finally turned on." The news reporter reports as Barry watches it.

"Pretty cool right?" He turns to Felicity.

"You know there's been a hundred percent increase in Earthquakes since they've turned on the large hadron collider." She reminds him as Barry rolls his eyes at her.

"That data is misleading…"

"Oh, do tell." Felicity smiles.

"You know very much about misleading, don't you. Mr. Allen?" The voice of Slade cuts them both off as he enters the room with Oliver, Sara and Diggle.

"Slade what are you talking about?" Felicity looks to him anxiously.

"He's not from CSI, he's an assistant whose bosses aren't aware he's in Starling City." Oliver adds as Slade folds his arms.

"And there's no similar case in Central City. So tell us Allen… What are you really doing here and do speak truthfully this time, your new friend has probably told you from experience I don't like those who lie to me." Slade practically snarls, glaring at both Barry and Felicity, whom looks instantly to Barry in horror as he turns to her as well.

"I told you my mom was murdered…"

"By your father." Oliver cuts him off.

"He didn't do it!" Barry snaps.

"You said that the police didn't find the man who killed her." Felicity protests as Barry stops to look at her again.

"The police think they did. My dad has been serving a life sentence. They didn't believe me." He murmurs quietly.

"About what?" She asks him softly.

"I was eleven. One night… Something just came into our house, like a tornado. A blur. Somewhere inside the blur I saw a person. My dad went to fight it. I tried to get 'em when suddenly…" He stops before closing his eyes and sighing.

"I was twenty blocks away from our house. Nobody believed me. They thought I was trying to cover for my father but what I saw that night was real. As real as the man that ripped down that metal door with his bare hands. That's why I look into cases like this. The ones nobody believes are possible." He stops to look at Felicity again.

"Maybe if I can just make sense of one. I might be able to find out who really killed my mother and free my dad." Barry admits to them, looking down once before up again.

"I am sorry I lied to you." He says with a look around Felicity.

"Better find another plus one." He murmurs before departing.

"How could you." Felicity whispers once he's gone.

"He did lie about who he really was." Oliver points out.

"And what do we do every day?" She snaps at them before departing also, not looking back even for a second…

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter hopefully should be soon. Thank you all for the lovely reviews, follows and favourites. Next chapter will be whenever I can find it in myself to write the heartbreaking Mirakuru scene… See you all next update!**


	95. The Scientist (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**

 **Chapter Ninety Five**

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment Building_

Tommy had been the same, still in his coma, condition not changing any bit since the last time Laurel had gone to visit him which was yesterday, but still.

Admittedly, she'd cried a little on the way home, wishing their had been change, that Tommy had even woken up but that's not what happened at all.

She still has to go home to her babies alone without Tommy, who doesn't even know they even exist.

His own children and honestly, it breaks Laurel's heart.

They know he exists, Laurel believes as she shows them the picture of him nearly everyday and sometimes they even start to cry when she shows it to them, as if they know he's not there and she's learnt that crying along with them doesn't exactly help.

Moving towards her floor, she is deeply surprised to see Moira Queen on the stairs.

"Moira." She looks at her in deep shock at seeing her.

"Hello Laurel, how are you?" She asks her kindly.

"Good. I was going to drop by and see how you were. Is everything okay?" Laurel smiles kindly as Moira nods.

"Everything is good thank you Laurel, I mean some still believe I've gotten away with murder but Oliver and Thea and your sister even have been doing everything they can to make things better. They're actually throwing a welcome back to Queen Consolidated party for me tonight. You're more than welcome to come." She offers as Laurel shakes her head.

"I'd really love to but I'm really busy tonight." She declines politely, having wanted tonight to be for just her and the babies.

"You can bring them with you Laurel if you're having problems getting a babysitter." Moira offers causing Laurel to freeze in place.

"What?" She looks at Moira in shock.

"I know Laurel." She responds plainly.

"You know what?" She asks softly.

"You have children." Moira replies as Laurel just runs a hand through her hair.

"How. How did you…"

"I suppose I guessed really Laurel when you came to visit me to warn me about what you and Cat had on me. When you told me no mother should ever face losing their children. You look like you understood and the only way you could understand such a thing is if you had children of your own. Am I wrong?" Moira asks her as Laurel shakes her head.

"I don't really take them out due to who their father is. Not many people know about them." Laurel admits.

"Understandable. They're of Merlyn blood, yes? Tommy's the father." Moira queries as Laurel nods in response.

"Yeah. The Merlyn name isn't exactly what it was and I feared if any reporters got a hold of it then they'd be put into unfair limelight and I won't let that happen to them which is why only my dad, Sara, Oliver, Slade, Leena my babysitter, Cat, Felicity Smoak, Diggle, my neighbour and you know of their existence." Laurel responds.

"I'd love to meet them sometime." Moira smiles.

"You can meet them right now actually." Laurel replies as she heads toward her apartment, unlocking her door, smiling when she sees her two babies playing happily in their playpen whilst Professor Stein sits on the couch watching them vigilantly.

"Moira. This is my neighbour Professor Martin Stein and these are Brandon Thomas Lance Merlyn and Rebecca Sara Lance Merlyn." Laurel moves to picks both babies up, carrying them toward Moira, who smiles at them both.

"Rebecca was Tommy's mothers name." She points out as Laurel nods.

"I know. I figured. Tommy would like that." She smiles as Moira nods, wondering perhaps if she told Malcolm this if we're to bother her again. That Laurel named her daughter after his wife than he'd somehow leave Laurel and these two innocent babies alone…

"Would you like to hold them?" Laurel suggest as Moira nods.

"Yes I would like that." She smiles as Laurel passes them over before heading over toward Professor Stein.

"Thank you for watching them." She says quietly.

"You're very welcome Ms. Lance. How was Thomas?" He asks her kindly.

"The same. No change at all." She sighs sadly.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." He responds.

"I still have hope. Even after all this time I still have hope he'll wake up and come back to me and Brandon and Rebecca." She looks down miserably.

"I'm heading back to Central City tomorrow." He informs her.

"For the STAR Labs particle accelerator?" Laurel queries.

"Yes. You could say that. It's all quite astonishing." He comments, glancing at her.

"Do you have any interest? You could come if you like. Clarissa would love to see you and the children again." He offers as Laurel shakes her head.

"I really would love to get of here for a few days but I've got so much work to do." Laurel practically groans as she heads back toward Moira and her babies.

"They're lovely, Laurel. They really are." Moira smiles as she hands Rebecca and Brandon back to Laurel.

"I'm so sorry about Tommy." She apologises.

"Oh, no don't apologise. It wasn't your fault." Laurel shakes her head instantly.

"Well Laurel you're one of the only people who believe that." Moira replies and the sad thing about this is that it's the truth.

A sentence or not guilty or not…

 _Night: Queen Mansion_

As the night hours began as did the party at Queen Mansion. Moira walking confidently down the staircase followed by Thea, Oliver, Sara and Slade all five of them dressed appropriately in formal dress for the night.

"Hey. How's everything going in there?" Oliver calls to Felicity whom is standing at the bottom of the stairs looking pretty in a pink dress, hair down and no glasses.

"Good evening guys." She smiles at Moira and Thea appropriately before looking at Oliver and Sara.

"Can I have a word?" She asks softly.

"Yeah sure." Sara pulls her over to one side.

"We're sorry if we overreacted a little bit earlier…"

"I'm not. It was not an overreaction, kid." Slade mutters under his breath as Sara bravely stamps down hard on his foot as Felicity folds her arms.

"You think?" She murmurs before adding.

"Look. Right now Oliver. You need to apologise to your mother not to me." She replies.

"For what?" Oliver frowns.

"Your being wrong." She whispers as Oliver, Sara and Slade move toward where Thea and Moira are standing in the opening to the living room, where unlike the hundreds of party guests Oliver excepts to see there's barely anyone but the staff their.

"I guess these days I only draw a crowd when I'm on trial for murder." Moira murmurs.

"Mom, you don't have to." Thea starts.

"No, we have guests. However few of them there are." She replies before heading bravely into the living room.

"This is not your fault Ollie." Thea assures him before heading toward Roy and Sin.

"God I hate dresses. I'm going to kill Sara and Oliver for making me come to this." She complains as Thea smirks at her.

"Thank you for coming anyway." Thea smiles.

"Ohh I didn't have a choice." Sin responds as Roy places a hand on Thea's arm.

"How's your mom doing?" He queries.

"Ohh you know us Queen women. Nothing gets to us." She smiles.

"You must take after your dad." He chuckles as she smiles at him just as his phone rings.

"Hey what's up?" He says, seeing that it's his friend.

"I found Max." His friend responds.

"Where?" Roy queries as he freezes upon hearing the response.

"I'm on my way." He says instantly.

"They find Max?" Sin questions.

"Um no. Just wants me to stop by." Roy responds.

"We can come with you." Thea suggests.

"You two should stay here. Thea, your mom needs you and someone's going to notice something if all three of us take off." Roy decides, pulling Thea close and kissing her cheek.

"I'll see you later." He murmurs before leaving.

"Will you go after him, please?" Thea looks to Sin, whom nods with a smirk.

"Anything that gets me out of this dress I'm already out the door."

 _Meanwhile…_

Walking around the living room with a sad expression upon her face, Felicity joins Oliver and Sara where they're standing side by side.

"Time for a dance?" Oliver suggests.

"Not really feeling like dancing with you Oliver. Why don't you ask Sara. She's standing right there." Felicity reminds him.

"Ohh I didn't mean me, or Slade if you were wondering. Even though you two seriously need to make amends." Oliver smiles.

"Why don't you talk to him about that." Felicity murmurs.

"Ohh we're going to don't worry about that but for now. Don't think about that." Sara suggests as Felicity sighs.

"But hard not to when he'll barely even look at me."

"Which is why we've called him to get your mind off all that." Oliver spins her around to where Barry is stood in the door way, smartly dressed and with a smile upon his face.

"And FYI. They will card him at the bar." Oliver sniggers as Sara nudges him.

"Come on Ollie. Thought you said you were up for dancing." Sara grins as she drags him off to the centre of the room, leaving Felicity alone with Barry.

"Hi." She says instantly.

"Hi." He replies nervously before smiling at her.

"I was serious about not being able to dance." He says quickly before adding.

"But I'll hold your hands and sway." He offers.

"Sold." She smiles as he takes her hands and begins to sway with her happily and for once in quite a while recently. Felicity is happy too.

 _Elsewhere…_

Meanwhile, whilst Felicity is dancing with… Allen. (Slade is determined to have a word with Oliver and Sara about why in the world he's here) Slade himself, is at the bar having a long awaited drink.

"Hey." He hears the voice of Isabel from behind him as she leans against the bar, ordering a drink before glancing at him.

"I tried to warn Oliver about this. I thought you were going to have a word with him." She queries as Slade glances at her.

"Kids more stubborn than he looks." He responds.

"Basically I just ignored you." Oliver calls as he moves toward the two, she rolls her eyes at him yet the three raise glasses to one another anyway.

"I am sorry Oliver." She apologises.

"Yeah." Oliver mutters before grabbing another drink and heading over to Sara with it, leaving Slade with Isabel, yet the two are joined by Moria soon afterwards.

"Slade. Isabel." Moira greets them politely.

"Mrs. Queen." Slade murmurs in response.

"Oliver threw you a lovely party." Isabel comments.

"Oliver's a good son. If not the best judge of character." She mutters, glancing to Isabel and Isabel alone as Oliver and Sara reappear.

"Is everything ok?" Oliver queries.

"Everything's going perfectly. Coming?" Isabel glances to Slade with a smile as he follows her, leaving Moria, Oliver and Sara.

"I told you Oliver that she was not a woman to be trusted. She's dangerous." Moira murmurs as Oliver glances at her.

"I know. You told me." He responds.

"Think you need to remind Mr. Wilson of what I said. For his sake. I know there isn't anything you said Sara wouldn't do for him after all." She says cautiously, leaving Oliver and Sara in surprise.

Did Moria Queen really just advise them to keep Slade of all people out of possible danger?

 _The Submarine_

 _Getting to the submarine was hard, yet getting inside of it was worse._

 _Harley and Shado went in first, whilst Sara and Oliver helped Slade down the ladder as carefully as they could._

 _He's been getting even worse during the trip to the submarine and even when Oliver gently lowers him down the ladder to the best of her abilities as with Slade being such a strong man he's ever so heavy. He falls almost instantly, Sara catching him in her arms as best she can and for a moment just holds her friend close as he cries out in pain from his burns as Oliver hurries down the rest of the ladder to get to them, Slade clutching onto him to as he joins them._

 _He's not going to last much longer. Oliver fears if he's holding onto he and Sara like this._

 _"You'll be okay. You're going to be okay." Sara whispers softly, almost desperately as Shado has also turned around also to race back to Slade upon seeing him basically unconscious in Oliver and Sara's arms._

 _"Go. Find the drug. We got him." Oliver assures her as she bends down and presses a kiss to the top of Slade's head._

 _"You're going to be just fine." She murmurs as she races into a room._

 _"Harley. Will you help me find this thing? You seem to know the most about it." Shado asks as Harley nods and moves to follow her as Oliver and Sara basically carry Slade into the room with them, bending down beside him instantly, Oliver resting a comforting hand on his shoulder whilst Slade grips Sara's hand._

 _Oliver glances up to see Shado looking visibly distraught._

 _"Sara stay with him." Oliver murmurs as he gets up._

 _"Kid." Slade rasps the minute he feels Oliver's hand leave his shoulder._

 _"I'm just going to Shado. I'm coming right back." He says softly, looking to Sara worriedly, whom just clings tighter to Slade's hand in response._

 _"He doesn't have long does he." Shado mutters in a quiet voice as Oliver reaches her as she runs a hand through her hair._

 _"If this miracle drug is onboard than we need to find it now." Oliver basically snaps._

 _"Shado do you want to stay here with him in case…" He stops closing his eyes as reluctantly she nods as moves toward Sara and Slade, sitting by him and taking his other hand in hers._

 _"Harley and I'll look for it." Oliver looks to Harley whom nods._

 _"Kid…" Slade starts again._

 _"Slade. Harley and I are going to look for the drug. We're going to be back in a few minutes, ok." He explains to him._

 _"I'll. Just… Get comfortable then." He murmurs, moving closer to Shado and Sara as Harley grabs Oliver's arm and drags him further into the other rooms of the submarine._

 _"Where are we looking Harley because we need to find this thing now." Oliver runs a hand through his hair._

 _"We can't lose him." He whispers quietly._

 _"You three really care about him." She responds._

 _"Yeah." Oliver can't help but admit there and then._

 _Despite all the times he's beaten he and Sara up in the name of training, the mean comments, the death threats._

 _Daily death threats actually but despite all that. He came for both he and Sara in the beginning when Fyers was at large._

 _Killed his ex partner to save them and has nothing but try to keep them alive ever since._

 _Despite how much he protests against it, Oliver knows he must care about him and Sara somehow, he must._

 _Yet even if he'll never admit it. Oliver can admit that he cares about the Australian man who has become, truly a close friend to him this past year…_

 _"Ollie." Harley tugs on his arms as she opens a box under a crate, revealing a load of bagged syringes, she grabs one instantly._

 _"Mirakuru." She whispers, knowing it to be the drug instantly._

 _"Miracle. This is it." Oliver whispers, remembering Ivo's words._

 _"This is it all right. I was never sure it was a real thing." Harley whispers with it in her hand._

 _"Wow there's a lot." She comments as she pulls out more syringes labeled Mirakuru._

 _Unbeknownst to Oliver, sliding one into her coat pocket,_

 _"What happens if we give it to Slade?" He questions to silence from Harley._

 _"Harley come on. If we're going to do this we've got to do this now. Please." Oliver begs._

 _"Ollie. I'm really sorry but. He needs a sedative in his bloodstream first." She responds, before getting to her feet, pulling open the cupboards._

 _"They might have something on here we could use. Um possibly potassium bromide, or barbital. Think they'd have something in this place." Harley muses._

 _"Harley come on." Oliver whispers hurriedly, a sense of urgency in his voice._

 _"Wait I might have something. Ohh great it's empty!" She sighs._

 _"What happens if we give it to him without the sedative?" Oliver queries quietly as Harley looks away from him and at the cupboards again._

 _"HARLEY!" Oliver practically snaps._

 _"He'll die for sure!" She admits._

 _"Oliver he's gonna die anyway. We've got to do something. If there's even a small chance it can save him we've got at least try it." Shado cries from the door, Slade's condition having continued to get worse._

 _She fears he has minutes…_

 _Oliver takes the Mirakuru from Harley just as clanging can be heard above their heads._

 _"What was that?" Oliver groans._

 _"Ivo and his men. They're on the sub." Harley winces, tilting her head to the side._

 _"We're so screwed."_

 _Queen Mansion_

"Have you made contact?" Moira enquires to a man in the room with her.

"Yes." The man responds plainly.

"He said to tell you that your information was gratefully accepted." He adds as Moria spins around to face the guy.

"Thank you." She says politely as he departs, which is also when Oliver, Thea, Sara and Slade enter the room.

"Who was that?" Oliver inquiries.

"Nothing to worry about. Thank you for tonight, Oliver. It was a lovely party and you to Sara. I know you helped." Moira beams at them both.

"I'm so sorry I put you thought that…" Oliver starts.

"Oh listen. I don't care what anyone else in this city thinks of me. I only care what you and Thea think." She smiles, taking both of their hands as suddenly Oliver's phone begins to ring, Sara and Slade's buzzing as well.

"And we have to get back to the office. Excuse us." Oliver informs Moira and Thea before heading out of the room with Slade and Sara.

"Think I might head home." Thea smiles as she squeezes her mother's hand once before releasing it and heading in the direction of the door.

"Thea." Moira calls her back, watching as Thea turns around in an instant.

"There's something I need to tell you." She says quietly, walking toward her.

"Sure. What is it?" Thea queries as Moria looks at her for a few moments, silence taking over during those moments as she smiles at her daughter.

"I love you." She whispers and just simply draws her into a tight embrace. Thea beams at her mother.

"I love you too."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Yes." Barry winces as he is in the process of a very painful phone call to his boss, whilst Felicity, still in full dress and make up from the party, types quickly onto the computer.

"Yes sir I…" Barry stops again, Felicity glancing up from the computer to Barry.

"Yes, director. I know that this not the first time. Yes sir I do value my job very much." Barry says quickly and Felicity is momentarily concerned he's about to become unemployed like she currently is.

"Look I will be on the next train. Mm-hmm I'll be back tonight. Ok?" Barry winces again before hanging up his phone.

"Well my boss found out I don't have food poisoning." Barry address Felicity, who looks up again at him.

"I need to get back to Central City is I still want to be employed." Barry admits as he picks up a bag from the floor.

"Which I do. Tell the SCPD that the sedative in the thief's blood is ketamine, it's a scheduled three controlled substance. It shouldn't be too hard to track." Barry informs her.

"Yeah. I'll make sure they get it. Thank you." She beams at him.

"It was really nice…"

"Thank you for…" Both Felicity and Barry start at the same time.

"Working with you…"

"Everything, we couldn't have done it…" They talk over each other again.

"Without you." Felicity finishes with a small smile as Barry blinks rapidly before chuckling.

"Goodbye Felicity." He grins as he heads out of the lab, leaving Felicity with still a wide smile upon her face.

"Goodbye."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Max!" Roy's friend calls as he's dragged back from his friends body by cops.

"Get off. Let go! Max! Get off me!" He growls as the SCPD members push him toward the police roadblocks where Roy is stood.

"Hey! Let him go." He snaps as he rescues his friend from the SCPD officers.

"Stupid cops." His friend mutters as Roy glances at him.

"They're saying Max ODed." He snarls.

"Was he using?" Roy can't help but query.

"No! He made extra cash by donating blood. You really think the hospital would let him be a donor if he was an addict?" He shouts at Roy, as suddenly from behind them they hear a fight break out as a woman, wearing a black hoodie and a mask covering her eyes begins to take on the cops surrounding Max's body, not expertly but enough to keep them back, just before she grabs something from her pocket causing a loud ear piecing noise to erupt from it causing Roy and his friend to cover their ears and fall to their knees, each of them noticing that all the cops are down as well.

The noise stops abruptly and the masked woman beckons them over before taking off into the night, Roy pulling himself to his feet and racing underneath the police line, phone in hand, approaching Max's body and taking a picture with his phone that perhaps he can give to the three vigilantes later.

Max's body has blood pouring out of the eyes…

"Hey, you can't be here, kid." An officer, whom has just pulled himself to the ground after his believes his eardrums have been destroyed by the unknown assailant!

Roy leaves the scene of the crime instantly with his friend.

Never looking back.

"Let's go." He murmurs.

The police officer. Officer Daily, just watches them leave…

 _The Foundry_

"They found trace amounts of ketamine in the thief's blood." Felicity informs Oliver, Sara and Slade the minute they enter The Foundry.

"It's a common surgical anesthesia derived from hydrochloric salt." She explains.

Oliver wants to slam his face into the wall at the revelation.

They're worst fears are coming true…

"Can you use that to track him?" Sara questions.

"With the current concentration ration in the blood sample there's only one possible location with a large enough quality of the sedative that correlates with the amount of blood the stolen centrifuge can process." Felicity explains rapidly as she types, bringing up an image on screen.

"What is that?" Diggle frowns.

"There's no sign." He adds, seeing that it's an abandoned warehouse or something.

"ARGUS doesn't like to advertise." Felicity reminds them.

"ARGUS don't like a lot of things." Slade snarls as Felicity indicates back to the computer.

"It's a disaster bunker right on the edge of The Glades. ARGUS has them all over the country. They store relief supplies: food, clothing…"

"Medicine." Diggle finishes for her, the three glancing toward Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"We're on our way." Oliver growls as they head toward their vigilante uniforms, finding that Slade's already mostly in his and is grabbing his weapons.

"Guys. I can't believe I'm actually saying this but the way this arrowheads is bent." Felicity pulls it out of a case and moves toward Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Save it." Slade mutters as he grabs his sharpest of swords.

"Are we going or what?" He snaps, ignoring Felicity's protests point blank.

Oliver and Sara don't move though.

"It means our thief's muscle density is at least one hindered and twenty pounds per cubic foot. That's almost the same density as common concrete. Your arrows and even his sharpest of swords may cut this guy but they will not stop him." Felicity whispers, noticing that Slade has already left The Foundry.

"Ollie." Sara winces upon realising that Slade is gone.

"We need to catch up to him before he does something stupid." Oliver closes his eyes before putting a hand on Felicity's shoulder.

"Felicity. I've beat someone like this before. I can do it again." He assures her.

"What if you can't?" She whispers as neither say a word for a few minutes.

"What the hell are you wearing! Is that my mask?" Sara suddenly snaps as Sin appears from the top of the stairs, pulling down a black hoodie and apparently had been wearing Sara's Black Canary mask.

"Sara chill. It was nothing. Friend of mine has been killed and they're saying he ODed but theirs hard evidence saying he didn't. Roy was messing around with it. Actually." She glances toward the computer where there is a distinct imagine of Roy's small arrow dug into a wall.

Oliver and Sara spin around instantly.

"That's probably him now."

 _The Submarine_

 _Despite the threat of Ivo and his men taking the submarine, Oliver, Harley and Shado race into the room where Sara and Slade are, Oliver instantly bending down beside Slade, resting his hand on top of Slade's to try and get his attention and all but shoving the syringe containing the Mirakuru in front of him._

 _"Now this." Oliver starts, ensuring he's got Slade's full attention before continuing._

 _"This. It could save you…" He stops again._

 _"Or it could kill you." He reveals as Slade looks to each one of them in turn._

 _"By the looks on your faces… I'm going to. Die anyway." He coughs, no one saying a word for at least a minute._

 _"It could work. Couldn't it? It could save him?" Sara whispers, looking at Oliver, whom just simply looks to Harley._

 _"Well I did say he would die for sure without the sedative but I suppose theirs always a chance it could work. Don't know unless you try and well, he ain't gonna make it either way." She replies bluntly as Oliver, Sara and Shado ignore her, watching Slade closely._

 _"Don't. Want. To see. Any of you. Crying. Over me." Slade murmurs._

 _"We're not." Shado can't help but sniff as a tear escapes from her eye. Slade lifts a hand shakily to wipe it away before also lifting his other hand to wipe away Sara's tears._

 _Shado just grasps his hand tightly._

 _Oliver getting to his feet and trying to not start pacing with the Mirakuru in his hand, his face a mask of horror as the reality that the man he considers a friend could possibly be dead very soon…_

 _"I'm. Sorry, love." Slade murmurs to Shado._

 _"For what? Sweetheart. You've done nothing wrong." Shado whispers._

 _Silence passes between the two for what seems like an eternity._

 _"For not telling you that I. That I love you." He murmurs, his fingers momentarily in her soft black hair as tears stream down her face._

 _"I love you too." She whispers tearfully before leaning forward to kiss him for what could be the last time she ever kisses the man she loves._

 _Holding her hand tightly, Slade looks up at Oliver._

 _"Do it." He murmurs to him as Shado rests her forehead against his, tears streaming down her face as Slade uses his other hand to rest on Sara's arm._

 _"No. Tears. Both of ya." He murmurs, then looks up at Oliver._

 _"All three of ya." He says with a somewhat smirk as Shado squeezes his hand and Sara basically hugs him as gently as she can._

 _"The first time I met you I hugged you." Sara whispers._

 _"That. A hug? Thought you were being smart. Trying to. Choke me. Out." He smiles as Sara shakes her head._

 _"C'mere both of ya." He murmurs as he briefly somewhat hugs both Shado and Sara for what could be the very last time before looking up at Oliver._

 _"Come on. Kid. Oliver. Do it." He says again as Oliver reluctantly moves forward and jabs the syringe containing the Mirakuru into his leg._

 _Seconds later he begins to cry out in agony..._

 _Outside Verdant_

"What?" The Arrow snaps at Roy as he and the Black Canary approach him.

He is momentarily surprised not to see the third vigilante with them. The masked guy.

"I need your help." Roy says simply.

"A friend of mine's friend, well, the cops think he ODed, but we think he was murdered." Roy informs them quickly.

"Why?" The Black Canary snaps at him.

"Well he wasn't an addict for starters and this…" He pulls out his phone to show the two vigilantes the image of Max on his phone.

"This doesn't look like any OD I've ever seen." He shows them the photo causing the Black Canary to close her eyes as she remembers seeing something like that.

Right in front of her.

Right in front of both of them…

"Stay away from that." The Arrow shouts firmly.

"You two know something?" Roy whispers as the two vigilantes don't say a word just look down, The Arrow taking the Black Canary's hand.

"What happened to him?" Roy questions to silence from the two.

"You two are the ones who told me to be your eyes and ears on the streets. You know what that is not good enough for me anymore! I know theirs a fourth vigilante anyway. I've seen her! Yeah. Black hood and mask. She was there, she came to help. Used your sonic device and knocked the cops out so I could get this picture." He shouts at them as the Black Canary closes her eyes.

She will certainly be having words with Sin later.

Both she and the Arrow will be.

"Fine. What you have is not good enough for you? Then the four of us are done altogether." The Arrow snaps fiercely, grabbing the Black Canary's hand and pulling her away.

"I don't need you three!" Roy shouts when they turn their back on him.

"I have friends who can help me. Forth vigilante? Think she's on my side already." He snaps, stopping only for a brief moment before continuing.

"You can't stop us." He growls.

"I can slow you down." The Arrow hisses, inaudible to everyone but himself and the Black Canary before spinning around and firing an arrow straight through Roy's knee, before simply walking away with the Black Canary.

"Was that necessary?" She questions sharply.

"Yes it was and hopefully this will put the fear of god into Sin if she ever decides to pull a stunt like that again, you and I are going to have words with that girl." He snarls as Black Canary nods.

"Ohh definitely. We're having words with her." She mutters as he pulls her to a sudden standstill again.

"What? We need to go and take this guy out."

"Yeah about that." The Arrow murmurs before he stops, glancing to Black Canary in momentary horror as he realises something.

Something they'd been too distracted with Roy and Sin to notice.

Slade had already left The Foundry to fight the man they're more than certain is filled to the brim with the Mirakuru.

Went to fight this man alone…

"Where the hell is Slade?"

 _Queen Mansion_

A decanter held tightly in hand, Moria Queen pours herself a glass of whiskey and sighs when she hears the familiar sound of footsteps approaching her.

Two sets of footsteps.

"And I thought it couldn't hurt to add extra security guards." She muses, knowing that it's Malcolm in her living room and possibly his new toy. Silver Banshee.

"It hurt them." He responds quietly, tossing the guns he'd retrieved from the guards onto the living room floor.

"Badly." He murmurs dismissively as Moria doesn't even look at them.

"Have you prepared Thea?" He questions.

"No." She replies firmly.

"You will not go near Thea. You will not speak to her, you won't send your assistant after her and this goes for Laurel's son and daughter as well and you two shall never set foot in this house again." She growls.

"I set you free Moria. Your life belongs to me." He hisses as she spins around to face Malcolm and Silver Banshee with a fearless expression upon her face.

"I am through being afraid of you." She replies.

"You think you can stop me? Even the three vigilantes couldn't kill me and I've acquired a new toy. You've already seen her power. What she can do." He growls.

"Yes I have and no they couldn't kill you but I know someone who can." She smiles at Malcolm just stares blankly at her.

"Ra's Al Ghul."

"How do you know that name?" He snaps.

"Well, I didn't. Until you mentioned Nanda Parbat." She smirks as she folds her arms.

"The League Of Assassins, however twisted their aims, believes very deeply in a code of honour. Your Undertaking betrayed that code." She reminds him.

"You told Ra's I'm still alive?" Malcolm questions sharply.

"He was so grateful to hear it." She murmurs as she looks him straight in the eyes.

"Because he so very much wants to kill you himself. So my advice to you, Malcolm… Run." She snarls as he smirks at her and exits the room with Silver Banshee.

"This isn't finished Moria."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking through the ARGUS owned building with a sword in hand, The Man In The Mask walks down a corridor without the Arrow and the Black Canary.

They'd been held up so he'd gone without them.

Simple as.

This man has to be destroyed. Right here right now.

He doesn't need help because once upon a time he too was like this man…

Suddenly a wooden box comes out of nowhere and nearly crushes him, causing him to quickly roll out of the way to avoid being hit by it.

He throws a dagger toward the man he knows is above him, achieving a hit as he hears the man grunt as he jumps down a level, The Man In The Mask throwing another dagger and then another as the man keeps jumping down level as until he is on the same level as The Man In The Mask, moving to attack him, yet with ease The Man In The Mask avoids him, grabbing a device from his belt and throwing it at the man, changing him to the wall across from him.

It won't hold a man with his abilities but it will give him some time to make a move that could kill this son of a bitch.

First he needs answers.

"Who are you?" He snarls.

"Merely a follower." The man murmurs.

"Of who?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"My brother." He snaps back.

"And this brother. Was he the one to give you the Mirakuru?" He snarls again to nothing but silence from the man.

"DID HE INJECT YOU WITH IT?" He bellows.

"No. He saved me with it." He hisses before breaking through from the restraints, The Man In The Mask throwing daggers at the man achieving enough hits to make the man growl, in what he hopes to be pain as he engages the man in hand to hand combat, expertly. Using all of this strength to attack the man.

He makes some hits, some attacks, but not enough to take the man down and normally most men attacked like this by The Man In The Mask would be dead already.

Not this one.

He grabs his sword, swinging it around.

If he cuts off the head of the man that should kill him, or if he managed to run his sword through the man's heart and that's where he aims as he dodges various attacks from the man, who reaches for The Man In The Mask's wrist, in which hand he's holding the sword and he twists it painfully, causing The Man In The Mask to growl in pain but not enough that it stops him and advances forward.

"Don't give up do you?" He snarls as The Man In The Mask dodges to avoid an attack, advancing forth with his sword as the man uses grabs a hold of the sword, using it to try and force The Man In The Mask backwards, and despite using his full strength to stay where he is, the man slowly pushes him back, yet The Man In The Mask throws out his leg to kick him in the face, grabbing his gun from its holster and shooting at the man in any attempt to put him down, he ducks before the bullet can hit him in the head and once again engages The Man In The Mask in hand to hand combat, lasting several minutes.

"You've fought a man like me before." The other guy hisses.

"Ohh. I was a man like you before." The Man In The Mask snarls back as he releases his sword from the man's grasp swinging it around in an attempt to behead him, yet the man ducks down and whilst he bends down to avoid being beheaded by The Man In The Mask, he shoves two thick syringes into The Man In The Mask's leg.

The effects of whatever was in the syringes hitting him instantly and his legs collapsing in from under him sending The Man In The Mask to the ground due to the effects of what was in the syringes, the poison flooding his bloodstream…

Still he crawls across the floor, sword in hand trying to at least cut the legs off of the man.

He's almost taken over by unconsciousness before he can even move an inch.

The guy stands down hard on his wrist causing him to release the sword due to the force of how hard the man stands on his wrists.

He's amazed he hasn't broken it.

Fighting unconsciousness, The Man In The Mask reaches for his gun again, attempting to put as many rounds as he can in the guy.

If he's to fall. The other will fall as well.

The other guy simply walks away.

The Man In The Mask is ripped away by unconsciousness…

 _The Submarine_

 _For so many minutes Slade cries out in agony, groaning and crying out in pain, sobs of just complete agony as Oliver, Shado and Sara try to hold him. Comfort him in some way as he just screams out in pain._

 _He's in so much pain…_

 _He grips onto Oliver's arm as he cries, the three of them terrified beyond terrified._

 _It never seems to end, he just keeps screaming out in so much pain._

 _Then he goes limp, the grip he hand on Oliver's arm and Shado's hand faltering._

 _Blood begins to pour from his immense brown eyes…_

 _Eyes that never open again._

 _Oliver, Shado and Sara sit in front of him terrified, all but expecting him to wake up._

 _Get up and start ordering them about or something, saying he's fine. The Mirakuru worked and they saved him…_

 _He doesn't move._

 _He isn't breathing…_

 _Neither of the three able to move, Harley does for them and checks him for a pulse._

 _Oliver, Sara and Shado look to her instantly, eyes fearful as she shakes her head._

 _"Ohh he's dead." She says quietly, she rests her hand on Shado's shoulder._

 _"Sorry." Is all she can say to her._

 _She knows how she feels. She's lost the man she loved to._

 _She knows what Shado must be thinking right now._

 _"No." Oliver whispers._

 _He can't be gone. He's the strongest of them. Slade the undefeated, the man he's seen defeat so many of Fyers' men._

 _The strongest, most bravest man Oliver has ever met._

 _He can't be gone._

 _"Please." He whimpers._

 _His friend can't be dead._

 _"Please!" He shakes Slade's body, but nothing happens._

 _His friend is dead._

 _The man who protected them, cared for them, even when he adamantly protested that he didn't care._

 _He did._

 _He's gone…_

 _Slade's gone..._

 _Oliver is numb, he can hear Sara and Shado sobbing behind him but the only thing he can focus on is his friend lying dead in front of him._

 _Slade Wilson is dead…_

 _He feels a hand on his shoulder, Harley and she pulls him to his feet without words and simply pushes him towards Sara and Shado who are both beside themselves with grief._

 _Not knowing how he even manages to walk he stumbles toward them both, pulling Sara and Shado into his arms, holding them close, turning around so they can no longer see Slade's body as they sob, clutching onto him tightly as they cry in anguish._

 _Oliver has tears in his own eyes as he just holds onto Shado and Sara…_

 _That's when the doors to the submarine burst open and Ivo and his men descend on the four._

 _The four that used to be a five…_

 _Starling City_

"Slade!" The Arrow calls as he enters the warehouse with the Black Canary, Diggle, Sin and Felicity, whom had met with the two vigilantes on the way to the scene as Felicity had informed them the tracker she'd apparently placed in Slade's Man In The Mask uniform had suddenly gone dead…

"Slade!" The Black Canary yells loudly, the five of them waiting for a call from him or at least the sound of a battle going on between him and the man both she and the Arrow are beyond convinced is on Mirakuru.

"Slade!" Diggle yells as well as they race through the warehouse.

"Where the hell is he?" The Arrow snarls.

"Slade where the hell are you!" The Black Canary yells again.

"Guys." Sin points toward the broken wooden box.

"Theirs definitely been a fight…" Diggle trails off as he sees something Felicity's about to walk into.

A sword…

"Ohh god." Felicity whispers as she picks it up from the floor.

"SLADE!" The Arrow yells again, looking around hurriedly and fearfully.

"Why didn't he wait for you guys, what the hell is wrong with him?" Diggle shouts.

"Trust me we'd be here all day answering that question." The Arrow growls.

"Slade!" Felicity calls as she races around a corner, her eyes finally landing on something on a pile of debris.

Slade. Two thick syringes imbedded into his leg…

"SLADE!" She cries racing toward his seemingly unconscious form in an instant, bending down beside him the instant she gets to him, carefully pulling his mask off.

"SLADE!" The Arrow and The Black Canary yell as they all see Felicity beside Slade, The Arrow ripping down his hood instantly as he and Sara watch frozen as Felicity lifts Slade's head gently.

"Felicity. Is he alive?" Oliver growls.

Deeply severe de ja vu hitting both he and Sara in an instant.

"FELICITY!" They yell at her as she finally looks to them.

In almost the exact way Harley looked to Oliver all those years ago when Slade was lying in front of them, blood pouring from his eyes…

"His pulse is weak but it's there. Slade!" She tries to wake him.

Upon hearing him to be alive, Oliver and Sara find that they can move again, no longer frozen to the spot and race toward his unconscious form.

"Slade can you hear us?" Felicity whispers, pulling away from him briefly.

"His pupils are dilated." She whispers as she glances at the two thick syringes stuck into his leg, before ripping both of them out.

"Stay with him." She cries to Oliver and Sara and they don't need to be told twice as Felicity gets up and races to the computer in the room.

"What the hell was that? Diggle questions as she stands, the syringes in hand.

"I don't know it's coded." She cries as Diggle moves towards where Oliver and Sara are trying to awaken Slade.

"Damn it. Damn it!" Felicity basically sobs as she types furiously into the computer available in the room.

"What?" Sin races over to her to see if she can help Felicity in anyway, knowing the situation is dire right now.

"I can't break into the dispensary files. I have no idea what he was injected with." Felicity cries hurriedly as she sees Oliver and Sara with Slade.

"Stay with me. Open your eyes Slade. Don't do this to us." Oliver whispers hurriedly to his friend, shaking him as he'd done all those years ago.

"Don't do this to me again, please." Oliver growls.

"Please!" He shouts to nothing, nothing at all…

"I think poisoned with is a better term here." Sin whispers as Diggle hurriedly rips a phone from his pocket.

"We have no choice this time." He murmurs.

"What are you doing?" Felicity cries.

"Calling 9.1.1." Diggle reveals.

"Dig. Wait." Felicity moves toward him.

"It can't wait!" He shouts.

"How are we supposed to explain this? Everyone's going to find out that Slade's The Man In The Mask and that those two are The Arrow and Black Canary!" She reminds him.

"Which won't matter if he's dead Felicity!" Diggle snaps.

"Oliver, Sara!" She calls to them.

"If we take the uniform off him…" Oliver starts.

"Oliver that's not going to work." Sara cries.

"WE CAN'T LOSE HIM SARA!" Oliver snarls.

"The herbs. They saved him from the infection." She reminds him.

"We used the rest of them last year when we had to counteract the effects of the curare!" Oliver points out.

"We can't call anybody." Felicity whispers.

"Felicity we can't save him!" Diggle protests.

"I know you're all right! We can't!" As she looks to Slade, Oliver and Sara.

"FELICITY IF YOU'VE GOT AN IDEA NOWS THE TIME TO SHARE IT!" Oliver bellows at her as Felicity looks timidly at them.

"I think I know someone who can save him."

 _Starling City Train Station_

Late again, yet this time for the train home, Barry Allen races through the train station, suitcase in hand, reaching the desk in seconds.

"Hi. One way to Central City." He says quickly.

"It left ten minutes ago." The man at the desk responds.

"Of course it did." Barry practically moans before patting the desk.

"When is the next one?" He queries.

"In the morning." The man replies before walking away. Barry groans miserably as he moves to sit down.

"So I'm going to be unemployed." He says to himself.

The last thing before he's hit in the neck with a dart…

 _The Foundry_

Coming into consciousness, Barry tries to remember what happened to him.

He was hit in the neck with a dart whilst talking to himself.

That's all he can remember and now he can see bright lights, sitting up he sees three empty glass cases that look like they're supposed to hold clothes or something.

Uniforms…

Barry blinks rapidly as he sits up, rubbing his eyes, which widen when he sees what's in front of him.

Cases upon cases of arrows, swords and other assorted weaponry…

Yet that's not what is the most shocking thing to him, the fact that he must be in the three vigilantes lair.

No what's more shocking is that on a table in front of him lies The Man In The Mask.

An unconscious Man In The Mask, without the mask.

Slade Wilson…. Scary Australian guy Slade Wilson. He's The Man In The Mask.

Looking up he sees that right next to him stands The Woman In Black. Sara Lance and the lead vigilante.

The one in charge. The Arrow…

Oliver Queen.

John Diggle and Felicity Smoak move toward him.

Felicity… She looks at him with pleading eyes.

"Please save my friend."

 **Authors Note: thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be really soon. This one was so painful to write so I'm glad I've gotten it out of the way with. That Mirakuru scene truly is just horrible… Thanks so much for all the follows and favourites and reviews. Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you all thought of that chapter.**


	96. Three Ghosts (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety Six**

 _The Foundry_

"Hold him!" Barry commands as he gets up from his position against the chair, after hearing what Felicity had to say, his mind became instantly fully focused.

Slade got poisoned.

Slade is currently going to most certainly die if they don't do something to counter the effects of the poison and quickly.

"He's not going to make it." Diggle murmurs.

"NO!" Oliver and Sara snarl at him instantly.

"Slade, Slade stay with us. Don't you dare give up. Come back to us!" Sara yells ferociously at her dying best friend.

"He will. He will. He's strong." Felicity starts, to keep Oliver and Sara calm more than anything as Oliver currently looks like he's about to murder someone.

Oliver currently feels like he's about to murder someone if nothing changes in Slade's condition for the better in the next few seconds.

"Haven't we just got to find out what that psychopath put in his system?" Oliver snarls.

"I. I. I usually only work on dead people." Barry stutters nervously, as in a split second of saying those exact words, Oliver has a vice like hold on the collar of his shirt.

"YOU'LL BE DEAD IF YOU DON'T FIX HIM!" Oliver shouts.

Barry immediately grateful that his hand isn't wrapped around his throat right now…

"BARRY!" Felicity and Sara yell at him.

"All right. All right. I can think of four possible diagnosis." Barry starts, moving across the table to retrieve something off the other table.

"For what's causing his body to react this way." He continues as he returns to his position.

"Ok make that three possible diagnosis." He says after a minute and after flashing a light into Slade's eyes.

He races around to the other side of the table again, stopping in his tracks, a million and one thoughts going around his head.

"BARRY?" Oliver snarls.

"Um. Two. Two diagnosis." He moves toward a table.

"Someone start chest compressions." He commands, Oliver moving in a split second as Barry races toward the cart of medical stuff the three vigilantes keep in in their lair.

He's actually surprised his much medical stuff they have.

But then again they must get injured a lot as there is three of them and some of the things he's heard that they've done.

Some of the cases he's heard about, it's not surprising they get themselves hurt occasionally.

If he were to apply maths to the situation, he'd guess that at least one of them is injured every few missions. One if not all three…

None of which is currently helping save one of said vigilantes, Barry has to remind himself as he pulls himself away from his thoughts at to the Petri dish he just grabbed.

Looking at the dish, he picks up a syringe, which he moves to inject into the IV line Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Diggle must have already stuck into Slade.

"Got it!" Barry says suddenly, looking down again.

"Got it. Got what Barry!" Oliver snarls, still working on keeping Slade alive.

"He's suffering from intravenous coagulation." Barry responds.

"What?" Felicity queries.

"ENGLISH BARRY!" Oliver snaps.

"Ok. Ok." He holds up his hands in almost surrender, already sensing that that the lead vigilante wants to murder him.

"His blood is unnaturally clotting." He explains quickly to them as they still stare at him with almost complete blanks.

"It's like maple syrup." Barry finishes.

"You can save him right?" Felicity whispers hurriedly.

"BARRY!" Oliver and Sara yell at him in unison again as Barry looks around bewildered for a brief moment as he looks at the group of people trying desperately to save someone who means the world to them.

Means the world to Oliver and Sara at the very least.

Barry knows he can't let them down…

He has to save him and thankfully he knows a way how to.

"Ok. There might be something. Hang tight." Barry starts as he leaves the group with Slade, racing toward the shelves they have at the back of their with a various assortment of objects and stuff and what Barry hopes is that these shelves hold what he going to need if he's going to be able to save Slade and beyond fortunately they have the exact item he needs.

"Lucky you guys have a rat problem." He muses as he acquires the large tub of rat poison, holding it tightly in his hands as he races toward the table again, whilst the others realise what he's just grabbed a hold of.

"Are you kidding?" Diggle is the one to exclaim.

"That'll kill him!" He yells.

"He dies if I don't!" Barry protests

"Guys." Diggle looks toward Oliver, Sara and Felicity.

"He's going to die anyway." Is what Sara says, her words causing Oliver to almost freeze.

"Ollie. Ollie. Don't think about that right now." Sara whispers quickly realising instantly what Oliver's remembering, what they're both remembering…

"Guys!" Barry shouts over to them again as shakily Oliver nods.

"Do it." He whispers.

"Do it!" He shouts more forcibly that time as Barry hurries to pull the lid off the rat poison, getting a syringe and measuring the required dosage that may just save Slade.

Or kill him.

Honestly Barry fears that if he's wrong, he gives the wrong dosage or something or it all just fails and the rat poison kills Slade. He Barry Allen himself will become the vigilantes next victim…

"Just the right amount of thus stuff will thin his blood enough to get it circulating again." Barry explains to them quickly as he races back over to the group with the syringe filled with rat poison, injecting it into the line...

Meanwhile, completely really oblivious to what's going, Slade thinks he can hear yelling, a lot of yelling.

He wants them shut up already due the ache in his whole body from whatever he got hit with by that son of a bitch.

Yet other then the constant yelling of several voices all at once, he can hear soft whispering.

"Slade." He'd know that voice anywhere.

Shado…

But she can't be here at all.

It's impossible…

"Let go, Slade." He hears her voice again amongst the yelling and ignores it to tilt his head toward the sound of her voice.

She stands across from him, looking just like she did before the...

"Don't fight anymore." She whispers and he watches as she holds her hand out toward him, a smile crossing her beautiful features.

"Slade stay with me!" He believes he hears Felicity yell.

"No, listen to me. Stay with me." Shado speaks softly.

"Slade! Slade don't do this. Don't leave us!" He thinks he can hear Sara crying.

"Please don't do this to me again." Oliver. He thinks he hears Oliver this time..

"Please." Definitely Oliver.

A hazed memory from five years ago tells him that it's Oliver.

It's not a good memory, he thought it were a dream before now but it wasn't. It was Oliver distraught after the Mirakuru had for all intents and purposes killed him…

"You've done enough for them you can let go." Shado continues.

"Let go." She whispers as he reaches out for her.

"Please!" He thinks Oliver cries again as Shado seemingly just moved closer toward him.

"Let go of everything…"

 _The Foundry_

He can hear voices, some soft, some raised, as if their was an argument going on.

Someone is close by, he can sense them…

Slade goes into attack mode instantly, sitting up and wrapping his fingers tightly around the throat of the individual who dared to lay a hand on him, trying to choke said person out…

"Woah. Woah. Slade stop, Slade its ok. Stop its just Allen!" He hears a familiar female voice.

Sara.

"Let him go. It's ok. You're okay." Sara whispers soothingly to him until he realises where he is and that the person he's currently attempting to strangle to death is Barry Allen.

However, it still is a few seconds before he realises the boy, watching as he drops the floor, coughing and rubbing his throat from where Slade had almost chocked him out, or snapped his neck.

"You're okay." He hears Sara say again, feeling her hands wrap around his wrists, to stop him from possibly attacking anyone again, pulling him toward her.

"We're all safe." She whispers as she holds him against her.

"Sara." He murmurs as she nods.

"Yeah, I'm right here. You're back in The Foundry. You got hit by this toxin but we got it out of your system and you're okay now. We're all here." She assures him slowly, waiting a few moments, just in case he hasn't completely calmed, before releasing his wrists and wrapping one arm around his shoulders.

"Kid…" Slade mutters, looking around anxiously, only seeing Allen, Sin and Felicity whom is at her desk, glancing anxious at Slade, yet when he looks her way, she spins around instantly the minute they make eye contact.

Diggle and Oliver are nowhere to be seen.

"Kid? Oliver… Where's Oliver?" Slade murmurs quickly as he feels Sara freeze before tugging him closer.

"Sara where is the kid?" He all but growls.

"Ollie's not here Slade." She whispers softly.

"Where is he then? Don't tell me he and Diggle have gone out after that son of a bitch alone!" He tries to move but Sara holds him still.

"Slade who's Diggle?" She says softly.

"You're shitting me right? Diggle. Dig. John Diggle?" He looks to Sara but she just stares blanks at him.

"I haven't got time for this. Felicity! Where are Diggle and Oliver! He snaps at her, watching as she jumps and alms or falls from her chair.

"Oliver? We. We don't know anyone called Diggle. Wilson." She whispers, stuttering on most her words as if she were afraid.

"Wait. Wait. Actually the name rings a bell. Wasn't he that guy who got killed by Deadshot when he shot him with Curare last year?" Sara suddenly says as Sin shrugs.

"Sara this is far from amusing. Where is he and where the bloody hell is Oliver!" He snarls.

"Ollie's not here Slade. You know that." Sara whispers tearfully, before looking to the stairs.

"Ohh thank god you're back. I think Slade's hallucinating or something, he's been talking about that guy who got killed by Deadshot the other year and he thinks Ollie…" Sara stops whilst talking to someone who's racing down the steps.

"What the hell were the side affects of that rat poison Allen!" Comes an ohh so familiar voice. But it's impossible, she shouldn't be here…

She can't be here.

Shado…

Shado, who races toward him instantly, her hands instantly resting against his face.

"How can you be here? You're dead. Oliver…" He stops as she shushes him, wrapping him into a tight embrace as she used to do all those years ago and Slade just holds her back, burying his face into her hair.

"I think either the toxin or the rat poison has caused you to hallucinate, sweetheart. You know what happened to Oliver. He's not here anymore." She whispers soothingly as she just holds him close, saying the words that have the power to destroy Slade completely…

"You know that Oliver's dead."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be up really soon, thank you all for your kind reviews, following and favoriting this story. Please leave a review if you can, see you all next update :)**


	97. Three Ghosts (2)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 ** _Chapter Ninety Seven_**

 _The Foundry_

Slade looks at Shado and Sara in horror.

Oliver can't be dead.

Oliver was right there with him only minutes ago.

Shado's the one who's dead and gone, not Oliver…

Because of what he did…

"Ohh god." Sara whispers, before covering her hand with her mouth and moving away, toward where Sin is, who puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Shado." Slade starts but Shado shakes her head, resting her forehead against his, before pulling back and looking him straight in the eye.

"Slade. Please tell me you know what happened to Oliver. That's he's gone." She whispers as Slade shakes his head pulling out of her grasp.

"He's not gone. You're gone… You're not real. Oliver…" He stops as she kisses his forehead, resting her hands against his arms.

"I'm real, sweetheart. I'm here. You know what we to do to Oliver." She says softly.

"I need some air. I'll be back in a minute." He hears Sara whisper before she races up the steps of The Foundry, both Shado and Slade hearing the door slam shut seconds later.

"Slade." Shado whispers as she takes both his hands in hers.

"You know I had to kill Oliver." She says quietly as Slade squeezes her hands back.

"I can't." He stops as she just shakes her head and spins around to face Allen, who glances up at her timidly.

"What was in that rat poison? Hallucinogens or something?" She snaps at him.

"No. No. I. I didn't think their would be. Look he's alive isn't he? He's ok. We saved him… Somewhat." He winces with a glance at Slade.

"Well whilst I'm going to talk to my friend. You two can stay here, keep an eye on him for me and look up what in the hell is causing this. Ok?" Shado shouts at them both with folded arms, Slade watching as Allen practically falls off his chair in a nervous race to get to the nearest computer, the bottle of rat poison he'd used on Slade in one hand and how Felicity just looks positively terrified as she begins to type hurriedly.

Shado rolls her eyes at them momentarily before turning back to Slade.

"Now." She starts with a soft smile.

"You are going to stay here and you're going to try and get some rest. You've been through quite the ordeal." She reminds him.

"I will go and speak with Sara, you know how she gets when we mention Oliver and what happened to him." She sighs as she turns to walk away.

Yet before she can take even a few steps, Slade grabs her arm and drags her back toward him, pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

Surprised, but happy at his sudden action, Shado smile against his lips and kisses him back, until Slade releases her and wraps his arms tightly around her once before eventually letting her go, hand still in hers though.

"I love you." He murmurs softly to her as she beams at him, the way she always used to do before… Well what he thought was before she…

"I love you too." She replies normally as if nothing was wrong at all...

There isn't, but to Slade it feels like there should be…

 _Later…_

Sometime after Shado had left, Slade moves from the table, finding himself a little bit unstable on his feet, but not much as he moves toward Felicity, resting his hands on hers.

Deeply confused when she flinches and pulls away from him.

"Felicity. What's wrong?" He asks her quietly. She shudders…

"Felicity." He spins her chair around so she's facing him and can't escape.

"Ohh nothing. Nothing at all. I'm fine thank you. I'm just doing exactly as Shado instructed." She says quickly, yet it's not her usual nervous babble, she's just nervous.

Afraid almost…

"Is this about what happened the other day between you and I?" He questions as she just looks at him in confusion.

"What? What happens that other day, I swear I haven't done anything wrong." She says quickly again as Barry looks up at them.

"Um. I don't want to interrupt. Cause I don't want to lose my life but. Um…' He looks at the two before picking up the rat poison.

"You know what? I'll go test this elsewhere. I'll be right back. Please don't kill her for revealing your identity to me. It was Shado and Sara's choice to and Sin…"

"Thanks for dropping me in this asshole!" Sin hisses at him as she grabs a knife from the table and basically chases Barry up the stairs, leaving Felicity with Slade.

"You know what Felicity. What with you hacking into Isabel Rochev…"

"What? What no. No why would I hack the CEO of Queen Consolidated, my boss no less? I don't want to sound rude please don't take this the wrong way but you're wrong. I didn't do a thing like that." She replies hurriedly.

"You did. You got arrested for it and fired…"

"What? No I've never been arrested. Well I was picked up by Detective Lance before well The Undertaking but that was for questioning about you guys, but I didn't get arrested for hacking and I still work at Queen Consolidated." She says quickly.

"Felicity." Slade murmurs before sitting down beside her, watching as she flinches away from him hurriedly, not speaking another word.

"How did you join us?" He muses to silence from her.

"Felicity!" He calls causing her to jump.

"Ohh you recruited me. Remember, you and Shado told me that you'd met me during a mission to Starling City during the five years and that she had a good feeling about me and you three recruited me when returned properly. Sorry." She replies quickly.

"I never told you that Oliver and I met you during the five years…" Slade murmurs.

"Please don't, you know. Kill me for saying this but. Isn't Oliver Queen dead?" She says softly, tilting her head to one side.

"It's always just been the three of you. You, Shado and Sara… Sorry. I'll shut up. Actually I might go to see Laurel. I mean she needs help with the kids and all. Well you know me and Sara do what we can." She babbles.

"Of course. Thomas is in a coma." He nods as Felicity frowns.

"What? No Tommy died during The Undertaking. Again forgive me for stepping out of line by saying this but you need to rest perhaps. I mean that toxins really got to you. I mean this is the most you've said to me probably ever." She says quickly before getting to her feet.

"Felicity…" Slade starts, reaching toward her, yet she flinches away again and races quickly toward the stairs leaving him alone in a reality he just cannot seem to make head or tail of…

 _Later…_

Alone in The Foundry, Slade sits at the desk, Felicity had only recently been at.

They don't talk…

They've always talked.

Even after how he thought he'd treated her when she'd hacked Isabel. She still tried to talk to him, get through to him.

But apparently that never even happened…

So much he thought was real isn't…

He thought Oliver was…

"Wilson." He hears a beyond familiar voice and he spins around in his chair, a relived look upon his face.

"Oliver." He breaks into a somewhat smile as he gets to his feet.

He knew it couldn't be real.

That Oliver couldn't be dead because he knew what happened.

Shado is the one they lost. Not Oliver…

It must have all been nothing but an illusion.

A hallucination…

"Kid where have you been." Slade folds his arms as he moves toward Oliver, whom looks rather different from the last time he'd seen him.

His hair is long, like it was during the five years, a glare upon his face as he simply loads his bow and shoots an arrow at Slade, which thanks to his quick reflexes, Slade catches…

"What's the matter Wilson? You look like you've seen a ghost." He hisses.

"Kid…"

"Don't you dare call me by that name again. I am no kid." He snaps viciously, firing another arrow at him, which Slade had to duck to avoid.

"What's happened to your aim, kid?" Slade retorts.

"Ohh I don't want to kill you, just yet. No. I want you to suffer. The way I have suffered. Make you feel the pain I did when you destroyed me." Oliver snarls as Slade reaches for his gun from the table, shooting Oliver through the shoulder, just to stop him.

Oliver barely flinches.

"You destroyed me with Mirakuru, Wilson. A bullet isn't going to stop me, neither is a sword. I am stronger than you." He fires another arrow, Slade catching it again.

"Yet your aim sucks." Slade hisses.

"If you want me dead. That's got to improve."

"Ohh I don't want to kill you that way, as I just said. I want you to suffer first. Suffer absolutely horrifically… Then I want to put one of these arrows through your other eye." He snarls as he stops in front of Slade.

"You are not a hero. Or a friend, or a brother. You are nothing to me." He growls as Slade closes his eye, taking a few steps away from Oliver.

This cannot be real.

Oliver cannot be here like this…

Oliver came home with him and Sara.

Oliver began the whole crusade.

The Mirakuru never even touched him, it was only he and…

This is all just impossible…

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, not again!" Oliver shouts.

"This isn't you kid."

"I'm more me than I've ever been." He snarls back, firing another arrow, which Slade deflects once more as Oliver races toward him, engaging him in combat, Slade managing to knock him backwards into one of the glass cases that smash when Oliver makes contact with it, recovering almost instantly and throwing an attack at Slade, who only just manages to avoid it, reaching for his sword on the near by table.

Yet, seeing what he's trying to do, Oliver reacts quickly, by grabbing Slade's arm and with enhanced strength, pushes Slade into the table, grabbing the sword himself and tossing it half way across The Foundry, as Slade manages to break from Oliver's iron like hold, kicking him backwards into another of the glass cases, which breaks once more, Slade using a large shard of glass as a weapon against Oliver's rapid oncoming attacks.

He thinks he manages to cut the kid at least once, but it doesn't effect him.

Of course it doesn't but it slows him down, giving Slade the upper hand to snatch the arrows away from him, discarding them elsewhere and he moves to block Oliver's attack, whom instantly launches one back, Slade bending to avoid it, grabbing an escrima stick from behind him and using it to hit Oliver hard across the face, causing him to stumble once, giving Slade the opportunity to try a get him in a chokehold, which Oliver moves instantly out of the way before Slade can achieve it and slams his boot hard into Slade's face, knocking him down, grabbing one of his arrows as he advances on Slade, who tries to crawl backwards in an attempt at finding his feet again as Oliver approaches him.

"You can't stop what's about to come." He hisses as he raises the arrow.

"None of you can."

 _The Foundry_

"Is he going to be alright?" Oliver snaps at Barry, who stands by the table across from the one that has Slade, still unconscious after his very near death experience, upon it.

"Only time will tell. If he wakes up. I mean he appears to be stable for now." Barry starts, falling silent when Oliver glares at him, running a hand through his hair, his other hand practically crushing Slade's.

"Ollie. I'll watch him for a bit it if you want to take a break." Sara suggests as Oliver shakes his head.

"No. No I need to stay here. I know how to handle him if he wakes up and tries to kill us all…" He murmurs.

"As do I." Sara says quietly.

"She doesn't." He hisses toward Felicity, who is standing the other side of the table and has placed a cool cloth against Slade's forehead, having been tending to him ever since they'd got him into a somewhat stable condition.

"She's going to get herself killed." Oliver mutters.

"Ollie. Slade would never hurt her." Sara starts.

"He wakes up in fight mode he'd try and kill any of us!" Oliver snaps, glancing to Felicity.

"You're going to want to get out of the way Felicity." Oliver says sharply as she looks up at them, a determined look in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere." She says fiercely.

"Felicity. Move unless you want to get hurt." Oliver snarls.

"He wouldn't hurt me." Felicity replies calmly.

"He'd hurt any of us if he thinks he's in danger. He once thought we both in danger from something once and he lashed out, you know what it was. It was just me and he nearly cut my hand off. So unless you want that. Move away and let me deal with this…"

"No. I'm not going anywhere…"

"FELICITY! Sara and I've been doing this for a lot longer than you have. We know what we're doing. You don't." He snaps as Sara rests a hand against his arm.

"What?" He glares at her.

"Ollie. You need to calm down." She starts quietly as they all hear his phone ringing.

"Go and and answer that. I'll watch him." She instructs calmly as with much reluctance, Oliver releases his brothers hand and moves toward his phone, whilst Sara moves over to Felicity, whom is still tending to Slade.

"Think you're enjoying this way to much." She smiles causing Felicity to jump instantly.

"What? What are talking about. I was just trying to help umm. Make him comfortable. I mean when he wakes up he's probably going to kill me for revealing who you guys are to Barry because we all know he's going to wake up..." She babbles quickly as Sara just laughs at her softly.

"You know I think it's nice that you care about him in the way you do. Just wish he'd get his head out of his stubborn ass and realize it to." She comments as Felicity closes her eyes.

"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, or ever." She murmurs.

"Hmm you never know." Sara shrugs.

"Think there's someone else who needs to get their head out of their ass." Felicity adds with a glance toward Oliver, whom is glancing at his phone with an anxious expression upon his face as he reads the message.

"Don't mind him. It's not you. He's just worried out of his mind." Sara sighs, with a glance down at her closest friend.

"We both are." She says quietly.

"Completely understandable." Felicity sighs also as she gently smoothes his dark hair back lightly with her fingers, draping another cool cloth against his forehead and wiping another cool cloth down his chest.

"You know I did explain to Slade what happened in Russia you know, that I didn't think you hacked Isabel from your computer at Queen Consolidated as they said you did. That you did stop when we talked about it." She informs her.

"Yet he's still beyond angry at me for it." Felicity murmurs sadly.

"Honestly, I think he's more angry that you won't tell him why." Sara points out.

"But. But I. I can't do that." She whispers.

"I think you should." Sara replies simply as Oliver heads back toward them again.

"That was Thea, she said theirs an emergency…" He stops with a glance to Slade.

"Ollie. We'll look after him, you go and check on Thea." Sara advises him, seeing the immediate hesitant look in Oliver's eyes at the prospect but he nods.

"If anything changes, he wakes up anything, call me straight away." He says sternly as Sara, Felicity and Diggle all nod, Barry moving out of the way as Oliver storms toward the stairs.

"Wait up Queen. I'll come with you." Sin calls as she follows him.

Oliver's too distracted by his own thoughts of worry for the people he cares about to reply…

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

"Thea?" Oliver calls the instant he enters the apartment, looking around anxiously for his sister, Sin coming in behind him.

"Thea?" She calls, glancing toward the stairs, moving up them toward Thea's room, whilst Oliver is momentarily distracted by the fact that his mother is in his living room, putting up a Christmas Tree.

"Mom?" Oliver frowns at her in shock.

"Is everything alright?" He questions.

"Well I don't know. I got here to find that your sister has locked herself in her room and she won't talk to me." Moria responds.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her." He says, still looking toward the tree. The realization dawning on him in shock.

"It's Christmas." He whispers.

They'd all been too wrapped up in being the vigilantes to even realize it…

"Yes. Thea and I were discussing it and she told me the last time we had a Christmas you four spent it here together, with minimal effort. So we'd decided that we'd decorated the place as a surprise for you, Sara and Slade. Not to mention Christmas time is also Sara's birthday…" She reminds him as Oliver wants to slam his head into a wall.

They'd all forgotten that to...

Well he's certain it had been in the back of his mind, but he'd never registered the fact that Christmas and Sara's birthday was coming up so soon.

He looks around at all the decorations his mom has put up.

When he wakes up and sees all this. Slade will be the one trying to kill his mother this time round, without a doubt!

"But given the last gala that we threw, I think we're going to skip this years Christmas party, perhaps I could come and join the six of you for Christmas this year?" Moria suggests as Oliver chuckles before heading toward the stairs quickly in search of Thea…

 _The Foundry_

Something's close by… Slade registers as he drags himself to conciseness again.

The last thing he remembered was Oliver.

Oliver on Mirakuru, trying to kill him for what he'd believed had happened to someone else.

Shado. Shado, who was alive…

The minute someone or something touches his wrist, Slade sits up instantly, just like before, wrapping his fingers around somebody's throat, squeezing tightly to either choke the attacker out or snap his neck…

"Stop, stop. It's okay, you're with us. You're okay." He hears Felicity first, he thinks she's holding his other hand.

"Slade let him go." He hears Diggle's voice.

Diggle is back. Diggle is still alive…

"Slade, Slade its okay, you're safe. You're safe." He hears Sara whisper to him, feeling the three of them restrain him.

"You're safe." He hears her say again and he releases his death like grip on Allen's throat, upon seeing it to be he whom he'd attacked.

Shado's not here anymore.

Oliver's still not here...

In fact, what is Allen actually doing here? That was part of the dream surely…

"What is going on here?" He snarls, almost falling off the table in an attempt to sit.

"You were injected with a strong acting blood coagulant." Felicity explains to him softly, resting her hand on his back gently.

"We saved you." Sara adds, one of her arms around him, just like before...

Meanwhile, coughing in an attempt to recover from almost being chocked out by Slade, Barry glances at the scariest of the three vigilantes, in his opinion anyway.

"You would have stroked out but fortunately you had a very effective blood thinner handy. Warfarin, better known as rat poison." Barry explains.

"Kid saved your life Slade." Diggle adds.

"This is the point in the lifesaving emergency where you thank the person that did the lifesaving." Felicity speaks up bravely, ignoring the look that Sara gives her as Slade spins around shakily to face her.

Knowing it could have only been Felicity to involve Allen.

To reveal the secret…

"You told him who we are." He snarls.

"Yeah I did…"

"That is not your secret to tell, Felicity. We decide who finds out our identities." He growls.

"Well we didn't have time to get your vote what with you unconscious and dying!" Felicity snaps back.

"And what happens if we let him go and he takes this straight to the police, telling them our names and the location. We cannot allow for that to happen!"

"He wouldn't do that." Felicity sighs.

"I wouldn't do that." Barry adds slightly fearfully.

"I trust him." Felicity adds.

"I don't." Slade snarls.

"What are you going to do? Run him through with your sword?"

"Now there's an idea!"

"Don't worry he's kidding." Sara cuts in with a glance to Barry, her hands held up.

"Slade…" She starts softly.

"No. No you can wait a minute Sara! How is this any different from when Oliver's mother shot you both and you two came for me for help because Oliver was dying?" Felicity shouts over Sara.

"Oliver's mother shot her own son and you?" Barry looks horrified, Slade holds up a hand whilst evidently glancing around for a weapon to use.

"Or when you three brought Dig down here when he was poisoned with curare?"

"The difference is the three of us did our homework on both of you. We do not just tell people our identities with ease." He snaps at her, seeing the surprised look on her face when he just admitted they'd done their homework on her…

She doesn't know the truth like she did in that horrific dream…

"Slade. Slade it was a mutual decision. Yes, neither of us are exactly happy with this choice but there was no other design to make. You were dying. We couldn't lose you." Sara explains quietly, managing to calm Slade down just a little bit at the knowledge this wasn't a decision just made rashly by Felicity.

"Yes! Exactly! You know, Oliver and Sara didn't exactly stop us. In fact Oliver wanted to take you to the hospital and possibly expose all of this but god forbid you take it out on the almighty Oliver and Sara!" Felicity snaps, patience gone.

"Felicity not helping." Sara sighs, glancing at her warningly as she looks to Slade.

"We were beyond terrified Slade. I think both Ollie and me would have gone along with anything that could have saved you." She rests her hand on his shoulder as he looks at her.

Oliver's still alive…

"Well I'm not going to tell anyone and you don't have to thank me but you should thank her instead of being kind of a jerk!" Barry snaps bravely as Slade pulls away from Sara to advance on Barry.

"Mr. Wilson." Barry folds his arms,

"Woah, woah, woah. Slade calm down. Don't kill him." Sara moves to stand in front of them both, to stop Slade from actually killing Barry as they're all pretty sure he will, given the opportunity as Diggle's phone suddenly buzzes, pulling them all out of the nervous silence.

"It's Oliver. Said he needs me back at the apartment, he's on his way back." Diggle informs them all, not realising those few short words have calmed Slade quite significantly.

It was all an illusion.

Shado's the one who's gone, not Oliver and it hits him fearfully.

His illusion was a reality where the choice had been different.

He'd always imagined what it would have been like if he'd realised their was a choice.

If he hadn't have unwilling made one, not knowing there was actually a choice to be made…

"Slade?" Sara's hand on his arm pulls him out of his haunting thoughts.

"Kid, a'right?" He murmurs quietly almost inaudibly as Sara nods.

"Yeah. Yes of course Ollie's okay. I mean he's really shaken up. That brought back bad memories for both of us but he's fine." She assures him as Slade nods briefly.

"What's wrong?" She asks him then.

"Nothing. Nothing, that son of a bitch I fought in the bunker. He has what he needs to mass produce the serum from the island. We have to stop him." He growls, back to business in a matter of moments before stopping upon seeing someone walk up the stairs.

Someone who shouldn't be here...

"Slade where are you going?" Sara calls to him worriedly.

"Think I'll wait for the kid up there." Is all he mutters.

"Um he touched your skin when he grabbed your wrist to get the sword off you. I was able to absorb the residual oils from his skin which when added to a gel based polymer might be able to recreate his fingerprint." Barry explains as Slade just glares at him, heading toward the stairs, whilst at the same time Felicity moves toward Barry.

"Never meet your heroes right?" She murmurs as she sees Sara glances at them before beginning to pace the room whilst Slade staggers toward the steps after the man he'd once called a brother, the man who betrayed him, the man he stabbed through the eye with his sword, the godfather to his son.

Billy Wintergreen...

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

Having jogged up the stairs Oliver moves toward Thea's room.

"Thea it's Ollie, open the door." He calls.

"Not. Not now Ollie." She replies.

"Speedy open the door, Sin are you in there with her?" He calls.

"Open the door you idiot." He hears Sin mutters after a minute.

"Is mom still there?" He hears Thea says soon after.

"No." Oliver replies as the door finally opens, folding his arms when he comes face to face with an anxious looking Thea.

"What's going on?" He questions, looking for Sin also.

"I didn't want mom to see." She whispers.

"See what?" Oliver queries.

"This!" He hears Sin call just as Thea pulls the door open to reveal Roy on her bed, an arrow in his leg.

Courtesy of himself, he remembers before that whole nightmare with Slade.

"What happened to him?" He questions, ignoring the glares Sin is giving him.

"Seems like one of the vigilantes decided to use him as target practice." Sin folds her arms.

"You were right, those three are psychos." Thea murmurs as Oliver folds his own arms.

"Why didn't you got to the hospital?" He questions sharply.

"In this city, an arrows the same as a bullet if you want to cops involved." Roy murmurs as Thea rubs his shoulder lovingly as Oliver approaches them.

"Roy. This is going to hurt." Oliver says in order to prepare him for what's coming next for him, trying not to think about his first day on the island, Yao Fei…

"My angers dulling the pain." Roy mutters.

"This will dull it better. Found it in the cupboard." Sin passes him a tall bottle of alcohol, Oliver rolling his eyes at them as Roy takes it and drinks deeply before Oliver takes it from him and promptly pours it over the wound to groans and moans from Roy as Oliver suddenly grabs the arrow with the towel and rips it out of Roy's knee.

He's definitely become Yao Fei. Oliver thinks to himself as he grabs the towel again.

"Going to put pressure on it, right there." He says as Roy continues to groan before grabbing his phone and messaging Diggle.

"Diggle I need you to come to the apartment, Roy's been shot." He waits for the speech he's sure he's going to get, yet is more focused on what's going on in the background.

"Ohh Slade's awake." Diggle replies as Oliver sighs with utmost relief at the news, barely hearing Diggle ask him what Roy was shot with.

"With an arrow… It's a long story. Just bring the first aid kid to Thea's room. Thank you." He says before hanging up, wanting to get back to Slade now this crisis has been averted.

"Roy, my drivers Mr. Diggle he has medical training from his time in the army. He's going to patch you up." He explains quietly.

"Thank you." Roy nods breathlessly.

"It's the least I can do, you do live with us remember? And with saying that. I'm putting the three of you on house arrest. I want you all to stay right here. I don't know what the three of you are up to but maybe the vigilantes were just trying to keep you safe." He says as Sin glances at him skeptically.

"By shooting Roy?" Thea queries.

"I. I'm just saying. Maybe you should let this go. Now heed my warning here or if anything like this happens again I'm setting Slade on you three and trust me. You do not want that." Oliver says in farewell as he heads for the door, leaving the three alone.

"Perhaps he's right. Maybe we should let this go." Sin suggests.

"No." Thea shakes her head as Sin closes her eyes, knowing that this won't end well...

Thea glances to Roy determinedly.

"But now we're going to do things my way."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Ivo and his men storm into the submarine forcibly, Ivo ahead of them all, each of them aiming guns at Oliver, Sara and Shado, both who still in tears and holding onto Oliver, Slade's body is still across from them and Harley is hiding in the corner, until Ivo grabs her arm sharply._

 _"GET OVER THERE!" He bellows at her, shoving her in the direction of Oliver, Shado and Sara, Oliver grabbing her and putting all three of them behind him as Ivo glances down the ground where the Australian lies, blood pooling from his eyes._

 _Kneeling down beside the man, Ivo sees that he's well and truly dead._

 _The Mirakuru… He realizes upon seeing the discarded syringe beside the man, he turns around then to see that one of his guards has a whole box filled with syringes._

 _"Mirakuru." He beams almost ecstatically before a glare crosses his face._

 _"Take them." He growls, indicating to Oliver, Shado, Sara and Harley, watching as his guards move toward them, weapons raised and neither one moves to fight._

 _Oliver, Sara and Shado still in a state of shock from losing Slade._

 _The four are tied up and dragged outside the submarine._

 _It's dark when they get outside and Ivo and his men take them toward a clearing, only a little bit away from the submarine._

 _"Anthony. You got what you wanted." Harley starts as the walk._

 _"You can let them go." She whispers as he spins her around so she's facing him._

 _"If you ever cared about me." She starts as the guards push Oliver, Shado and Sara into the centre of the clearing._

 _"But I do care about you Harley which is why I shall spare you life. Come here." He pulls her to his side._

 _"But I will make your new best friend choose which one of his friends I will kill." He says clearly, getting Oliver's attention._

 _"What? What are you talking about?" Oliver says as suddenly Sara and Shado are ripped away from him and shoved to their knees upon the ground._

 _Ivo pushes Harley behind him and holds out his gun._

 _"Time to choose Oliver." He calls as Oliver is moved so he's stood facing both Shado and Sara, who are on their knees in front of Ivo, in front of him._

 _"Who lives." He points the gun at Shado's head._

 _"And who dies." He points the gun at Sara's head._

 _"But pick quickly because in thirty seconds I will shoot them both."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"The incubation process has begun. Serum will be ready for distribution in forty eight hours." The man, Cyrus Gold says to Sebastian Blood.

"Two days and we'll be able to create a hundred more like you." He muses.

"And the people who run this city will see what real power looks like."

 _Verdant_

"Billy!" Slade calls as he heads the through the door of the basement after the traitor.

"Billy!" He snarls as he sees him spin around to face him from a distance away.

"I killed you, you son of a bitch." He growls.

"Yes. Yes you did. I was your partner…"

"You betrayed me!" Slade snaps back, advancing on him.

"I wanted you to join me, you said no. Don't you think perhaps you betrayed me Slade by abandoning me when I wanted you to join me?" He questions with folded arms.

"Billy…" He starts yet in that split second he's gone and Oliver is there.

"Kid." Slade sighs in somewhat relief.

"Did you just call me Billy?" Oliver frowns in that moment as he slowly begins to approach Slade, who runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

"Are you okay?" Oliver queries as he approaches him, resting his hands on Slade's arms, realizing that he's shaking.

"Slade?" Oliver looks at him worriedly.

"Glad you're here kid." Slade murmurs.

"You're glad I'm here? I'm glad you're here. Do you have any idea how worried I was Slade? You basically died in front of us. Again!" He reprimands him.

"You shouldn't have gone without us. I know we got sidetracked by Roy and Sin but I know why you did it and you almost got yourself killed! Do you have any idea what it would do to me and Sara if we lost you?" Oliver just shakes his head at him before pulling Slade into a brotherly hug and Slade hugs him back, tightly.

He thought he'd lost Oliver after all, thought his brother was gone...

It had all been an illusion, all of it. It's confirmed now...

Yet from behind Oliver he can see Billy again and freezes in place, something which Oliver notices and pulls away to glance at him even more anxiously than before and addresses his concerns, expecting an answer with his words.

"Slade's what's going on?"

 _The Foundry_

Barry chuckles as he looks at the three vigilantes costumes in their glass cases.

"I knew you three vigilantes must have had other partners. Woman In Black." Barry looks to Sara with a beaming smile.

"Black Canary." She corrects him.

"I go by Black Canary now." She responds as he nods.

"You five have messed with some really nasty people." He comments.

"It's seven actually. My friend Sin and my dad." Sara informs him.

"The cop? Isn't your dad a cop?" Barry's eyes widen.

"We didn't have a choice." Sara responds and Barry glances at Felicity.

"And Wilson was concerned about me knowing you guys identities." He winces as Felicity just rolls her eyes at him in agreement.

"But seriously, some really nasty people. The Dollmaker, Count Vertigo, Dodger, The Huntress…" He trails off.

"Slade dated her once." Felicity comments.

"Why am I not surprised?" Barry smiles.

"We weren't keeping score." Sara murmurs.

"I was." Barry retorts, backing away when he hears her sigh in almost frustration.

"Barry." He hears Oliver calls as he enters The Foundry with Slade.

"Kid." Slade glares at him.

"Hush. The rat poison that you gave Slade. Is there any side effects?" He questions sharply as Slade just glares at him whilst Oliver glares at Barry.

"Um, yeah. I think hallucinations maybe and excessive sweating. Are you sweating excessively?" He glances toward Slade, whom just glares at him again.

"There. That's why." Oliver rests a reassuring hand on his friends arm as, all anger forgotten, completely overpowered by worry, Felicity races to Slade's side.

"You're hallucinating?" She whispers softly.

"What are you seeing?" She asks gently.

"A man named Billy Wintergreen." Slade mutters as Sara moves toward him also, giving him a sympathetic glance, but also looks skeptical.

"That's not all though is it? You saw something else didn't you?" She questions quietly.

"Sara." Slade growls at her.

"Slade it's okay, you should tell us. Are you seeing her?" Oliver asks him carefully.

"Don't want to talk about it kid." He murmurs, moving to sit down in a chair.

"Who's her?" Felicity asks quietly, each of them keeping a watchful eye on Slade.

"Her name was Shado. She was with us on the island, she was the forth one of us we keep referring to." Oliver explains.

"Shado." Felicity repeats.

"How many people were on this island with you three exactly. How many other women? Sure it wasn't fantasy island?" She questions trying to make light of the situation.

"As much as I love your humor, Felicity, now is not the time." Sara says quietly.

"So you three did train in a jungle or forest environment!" Barry suddenly just appears out of nowhere.

"Hence the green for you, Arrow." He looks to Oliver, who just glares at him and moves with Sara toward Slade, whilst Barry just looks purely afraid of all three of them.

"Hey, let me draw some blood, see what's up with him." Barry suggests before looking at Oliver in confusion as he collects equipment to draw Slade's blood.

"Why no mask?" He asks Oliver, whom continues to glare at him.

"Not to tell you how to do your vigilanteing but Sara's got a mask, as does Slade. His being probably the best even with the orange, what is with that orange thing you've got going on?" Barry questions Slade, who doesn't even look at him.

"Anyway. The grease paint thing Oliver. It's a poor identity concealer." He says quietly.

"So find me a mask that conforms perfectly to my face and doesn't affect my ability to aim whilst I'm on the run." Oliver mutters sharply.

"You should look into a compressible micro fabric. It could be great. I mean I think it's amazing how you guys fight crime. I mean Slade, you've got one eye, right? Unless the eyepatch is an accessory… What did you do with the mask? Do you have something built into it?"

"Found Cyrus Gold!" Felicity suddenly calls, thankfully ending Barry's babbling session, which surely would have resulted in somewhat injury for Barry, courtesy of Slade, whom just looks at him as if he wants to kill him.

"Who's Cyrus Gold?" Oliver questions as the three approach the computers.

"The human weapon that left Slade nearly dead the other night." Diggle informs them.

"The kid did manage to pull his print off him." As Oliver and Sara look to Barry, slightly impressed. Slade barely lifts his head from the chair.

"I've had facial recognition software scanning closed circuit cameras all over town. He's at the corner of Delgado and 25th right now but we're about to lose him." Felicity winces.

"What else is at that intersection?" Sara questions.

"A parking lot, a market, a motel." Felicity lists off.

"Could be where he's holed up." Diggle suggests.

"We got this." Oliver nods as Slade moves to get up.

"Slade. You stay here, Sara and I will go. We'll handle it." Oliver says quietly.

"No, no, kid. You two are not going out there alone." Slade murmurs, almost falling over when he tries to stand up again.

"No Slade. You're staying here." Sara says firmly.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll go as their back up." Diggle speaks up.

"It doesn't, No offense." Slade mutters.

"We'll be fine. It's just recon." Oliver smiles with a glance to Felicity.

'Keep an eye on him' he mouths to her as she nods and the minute Oliver, Sara and Diggle have left The Foundry, Slade practically passes out in his chair.

"Ohh god." Felicity whispers as she moves her chair closer to him, Barry watching them.

"Don't worry. I'll figure out what's wrong with him." He assures her as Felicity sighs.

"You'd be the first.

 _The District Attorney's Office_

Laurel is surprised when she arrives at her desk to find flowers awaiting her, a message from, Sebastian Blood attached to it.

She sighs.

"Secret admirer?" The voice of Thea pull her from her thoughts.

"No actually they're from my father." She lies as Thea approaches her.

"What brings you by?" She questions.

"I need your help, a friend of Roy's was murdered but the police aren't going to investigate. They said that he ODed. End of story. Check this out." She passes the leaflet noting Sebastian's Blood, Blood drive toward Laurel.

"He earned extra money donating blood. We found it in Max's apartment and I sincerely doubt that they would have accepted his blood if he was using, right? Max went missing the same day as the blood drive. If he donated blood there maybe they at least know something that happened to him." Thea shrugs her shoulders as Laurel nods.

"I'll ask around." She replies.

"Thank you Laurel." Thea says before leaving Laurel alone with her thoughts.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Having parked their car in an alleyway, Diggle, The Arrow and Black Canary head into the place they believe Cyrus Gold is hiding out, Diggle and Arrow going weapons first.

"It's clean." Diggle comments as Black Canary approaches the table where a book sits.

"Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday…" She reads.

"Christened on Tuesday. I know the poem it symbolizes the seven stages of life. From birth to death." Arrow adds.

"What stage is this guy in?" Diggle questions as suddenly his hands is grabbed from behind.

"Dig!" Arrow growls, firing an arrow at Cyrus Gold, only for it to do nothing whatsoever, Diggle attempts to fire his gun, but Cyrus Gold twists his hands behind his back, causing him to shoot it backwards, Black Canary smashing the man around the head with her baton, in a move that normally would have crushed her victims skull, but not with this guy, whom simply stretches his hand our and wraps it around her throat.

"GET OFF HER!" Arrow snarls as he fires arrows into the man's arm in attempt to at least get him to release her, the arrows distract him but don't cause him to let her go until Diggle regains his gun, shooting at the man until he finally releases the Black Canary, Diggle pulling her up and with the Arrow following behind them, shooting arrows as he goes, the three dive out of the nearest window, jumping down the fire escape as quickly as they can, racing into the car, which the Arrow drives.

"Sara are you okay? Sara talk to me!" He calls as he hears Sara coughing in the back.

"I'm good Ollie." She says between coughs.

"He picked us up like we were nothing!" Diggle exclaims as Oliver opens the comms.

"Felicity call for back up. We're on our way."

 _The Foundry_

"Are you sure your okay?" Oliver asks Sara anxiously as she nods between coughs.

"Yeah. I'm good. Isn't much different from when, you know." She murmurs as they reach the final step.

"Hey guys." Barry calls cheerfully, looking anxious when he sees the looks on their faces.

"Woah. Is everything okay?" He questions as Oliver just nods, moving toward where Slade and Felicity are, Slade still slumped in his chair, eye closed.

"Is he okay?" He glances to Felicity.

"I'm good kid." Slade murmurs through closed eyes.

"You don't sound it." Oliver folds his arms.

"That's because he isn't." Felicity sighs, to something inaudible from Slade before looking anxiously over at Sara.

"What happened to Sara?" She asks worriedly.

"Tried to choke her out. Enhanced strength remember." Oliver mutters, Slade's eye snapping open at the realization that Sara could be hurt.

"Sara?" He calls out to her, worry in his own voice.

"I'm here. Ollie's just been dramatic." She smiles slightly.

"I don't think he is Sara." Diggle points out, whilst grabbing ice for his wrist as Quentin suddenly enters The Foundry.

"Okay, okay guys what's the emergency?" He questions, glancing over at Sara in worry when he sees her disheveled and deep red marks around her throat.

"Ohh my god Sara sweetie are you okay?" He moves toward her instantly.

"I'm good daddy." She replies as he looks around the room, his eyes falling on Barry.

"You're kidding right? Allen's in on this to?" He folds his arms.

"We didn't have a choice." Oliver responds dryly from his position beside Slade.

"What the hells going on. You guys look terrible. He looks like he's been hit by a bus. He okay?" He nods toward Slade.

"It's a long story." Sara sighs.

"Short version. Cyrus Gold." Slade glances up at him somewhat.

"Who the heck is Cyrus Gold?" Quentin folds his arms.

"The guy who robbed the Applied Sciences Division of Queen Consolidated last week." Oliver responds passing Quentin the file from the table, which he flicks through.

"He's extremely dangerous daddy. We just went up against him, me, Ollie and Dig and nothing the three of us combined did worked and then earlier Slade went up against him and he was almost killed." She explains quickly.

"Yeah I can tell. He looks terrible." Quentin comments before glancing toward Barry.

"Allen, you said this guy was like some kind of a monster…"

"He is." Slade mutters just as Barry nods.

"Well, what is it? Steroids?" He questions.

"Ohh much worse. It's…" Slade stops as glancing up at Quentin he can see, as clear as day. Shado standing behind him…

"Slade?" Oliver rests a hand on his shoulder the moment he sees the dark look on his face.

"Slade!" Sara calls trying to get his attention as Slade cannot take his eyes off her.

She has blood over her, just like she did when…

"You can't see her?" He murmurs.

"Can't see who? What's there?" Quentin frowns, turning around only to see the stairs and only that.

"Shado's not there Slade. It's okay. She's not there." Oliver says quietly, looking worriedly at Sara and Felicity as Slade just stares at Shado.

"It's your fault." She whispers and blood starts to pour from her mouth…

"It's all your fault…" The blood, just like it was all those years ago.

"Slade. Slade look at me, don't look at her. Just focus on me." Comes the voice of Felicity as she rests her hands against his face, guiding him so he's facing her.

"I'm here. Look at me, look at me." She says forcibly as he continues to glance toward where he can still see Shado.

"Eyes on me okay." She says softly as Oliver and Sara look to her beyond gratefully.

"What the hell did that guy do to him?" Quentin glances at the rest of them to silence.

"The point is this too much even for the three of us and with Slade compromised…" Oliver trails off as Quentin nods.

"What do you guys need me to do?" He questions.

"Gather as many men as you can and don't hesitate to kill the guy because if he's given the opportunity." Oliver murmurs before falling silent a moment.

"He'll do the same to you."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

Oliver, Sara and Slade having returned the apartment, Oliver heads in first, closing his eyes in horror when he sees all the Christmas decorations his mother has put up.

Not that he minds personally, he likes Christmas but Slade…

"Gonna lie down." Slade mutters fortunately just heading straight to the stairs, not even notching the decorations.

"Sara make sure he gets up the stairs." Oliver murmurs quietly.

"Think I can get up a set of stairs, kid. I ain't an imvilid." He grumbles, yet Sara follows anyway, just in case.

Watching them go, Oliver turns the door when he hears a knock upon it.

"Hey." He smiles when he sees that person to be Laurel.

"Hi." She smiles back.

"Are you okay Laurel what are you doing here?" He questions.

"I came by to see Thea." She smiles.

"Go on in. She's upstairs in her room." Oliver smiles back.

"Thanks. Ohh my god. This place looks great. Funny, I didn't really take you guys for the Christmassy people. I thought Slade was quite against it…"

"Ohh he is. My mother and Thea plotted behind our backs. When he sees all this… It's not even worth thinking about." Oliver smirks as Laurel laughs softly.

"If we do, do anything for Christmas it's only going to be the six of us. Perhaps nine, if you want to come and bring the kids, their first Christmas right?" Oliver reminds her.

"Yeah. Yes. You know that's sounds lovely, thank you for offering because of course, Christmas is also Sara's birthday. I would really love that." Laurel smiles gratefully as she heads up the stairs for Thea's room.

It really would be nice to spend Christmas with her sister, the kids, Oliver, Slade and Thea but an ideal Christmas for her, honestly would be one where it was just she, Rebecca, Brandon and Tommy…

 _Thea's Room_

"I checked into the blood drive and it's all legitimate." Laurel informs the group of three sitting on a couch, Thea, Roy and a girl Laurel doesn't believe she's met before but knows now that her name is Sin and that she's a friend of Sara's.

"In fact what Sebastian's done has helped save a lot of lives." She comments.

"So if the blood drives in on the up and up, then how are we supposed to find Max's killer?" Sin questions her.

"There is one other thing. All of the blood donors at the drive where subjected to a psych evaluation by the Langford Institute." She hands them a file.

"Is that, like, legal?" Roy comments.

"It's not entirely out of the norm and while someone at the institute might know if Max was on drugs, there's no way of finding our without a warrant, which we're certainly not going to get." Laurel admits as the three youths look to her with confused eyes, feeling guilty that she couldn't help them further in finding out the truth about their friend.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

 _The Foundry_

"What are you doing?" Felicity questions as she moves toward Barry.

"Just messing around with something." He replies honestly.

"Shouldn't you be trying to figure out what's causing Slade's hallucinations?" She says, patting his shoulder almost sharply as she moves to sit beside him.

"Samples still being scanned, shouldn't be too much longer. You're really worried about him, huh?" Barry comments.

"He takes crazy chances, even when he's not hallucinating about beautiful island girls. All three of them do." She muses.

"Hmm." Barry nods before chuckling.

"The other night I asked you if you liked Slade…"

"I told you I don't." She cuts him off quickly.

"I remember and I also saw how you handled him earlier when he was hallucinating and if you did like him Felicity, I could see why." Barry says to her utmost surprise.

"Thought you called him scary Australian guy the other night." She folds her arms.

"Ohh I did and I still think that and he's kind of a jerk to well I think everybody except Oliver and Sara but come on. He's second in command to Queen Consolidated by day and one of the three vigilantes by night." He reminds her as she bursts out laughing.

"Sounds like you want to date him." She smirks as Barry laughs.

"I just have a little experience with liking someone who doesn't see you the same way." He says before looking at his watch and switching on his laptop.

"Protesters continue into the final countdown for tonight's ignition of STAR Labs controversial particle accelerator. STAR Labs founder, Harrison Wells promises a new era of scientific advancement is at hand." The news reporter, reports as Barry sighs.

"I guess I won't be back in time to see them turn it on."

 _SCPD_

"Look, I know it sounds crazy…" Quentin starts as he walks beside Lucas Hilton.

"Human weapons?" Hilton raises an eyebrow at him.

"Look his name is Cyrus Gold. He's the one who broke into Queen Consolidated last week. He's the one that robbed the blood bank and he killed all those people…"

"Wait, hold on a second. Where are you getting all this Intel?" Hilton cuts him off as Quentin simply looks away.

"Oh man, what's the matter with you? Talking to the three vigilantes was what got you demoted in the first place." Hilton reminds him.

"Look, we take a small squad. McCarthy and Evans from SWAT, Jones. We can being this guy down!" Quentin begs.

"I promised Jeannie I'd take her Christmas shopping…"

"Lucas. Please." Quentin grabs his arm.

"Fine." He sighs after a split second.

"But you have to call Jeanie and tell her I'm not taking her shopping…"

"Hey sir, I don't mean to overstep but could you guys use an extra man?" Officer Daily cuts in as Hilton just sighs and walks away, leaving Quentin to make this choice, he smiles.

"Grab a vest, Officer Daily."

 _Later…_

Sitting at his computer, Sebastian Blood has his phone to his ear, taking to Officer Daily

"The police are onto Gold, they're looking for him. I made sure he's in the loop..."

"We are too close to let the police interfere." Blood hisses before hanging up.

"Brother Cyrus." He turns around to address Cyrus Gold.

"The police are eager to meet you. Introduce yourself."

 _The Foundry_

"So. Any plans for Christmas?" Barry asks Felicity kindly.

"Lighting my menorah." She smiles back.

"Hey Slade." Barry calls cheerily when he sees Slade walk into The Foundry.

"Hey how are you feeling?" Felicity asks Slade softly.

"A'right. Everyone I know has seemingly descended on the apartment right now and I just wanted some peace and quiet." He mutters as Felicity nods in complete understanding.

"Come on, Barry. We can watch the countdown at The Big Belly Burger." Felicity suggests as Barry gets to his feet.

"Oh your blood analysis is almost done." He informs him.

"Thanks Allen." Slade mutters as the two head up the stairs, together. Slade heading toward a chair when he hears the sound of high heels click clacking on The Foundry floor.

Expecting it to be Felicity having forgotten something, Slade turns around only to see that it's not Felicity.

It's Shado…

"What's the matter sweetheart, you look like you've seen a ghost."

 _Elsewhere…_

"Are you sure he's in?" Quentin hisses from up front as he races down an alleyway his small squad of SCPD officers behind him.

"Yes, sir. Sector car spotted Cyrus Gold entering, he hasn't left." An officer responds as they all reach a door.

"Safeties off." Quentin mutters as they snap the lock, bursting into the warehouse, holding their guns aloft as they race inside.

Suddenly a flying axe of some kind descends and hits into one of the officers, causing said officer to fall, Quentin and Hilton immediately beginning to fire their guns at the hidden assailant, whom jumps down from above, tossing an SCPD officer out of the way as if her were merely a toy, sending a piece of furniture into another one and chucks across the room one officer that begins to fire upon him.

Hilton and Quentin move around the warehouse still, guns raised looking for Cyrus Gold whom has suddenly vanished again, Hilton bending down beside one of the fallen officers, shaking his head at Quentin when he glances at him to see if the officer is still alive or not.

Spinning around, both men, knowing they're the only two left, begin to move around, guns held high in search of Cyrus Gold.

Suddenly a sudden rockslide of boxes fall upon Quentin, knocking him to the floor, yet when they clear, he's immediately grabbed by Cyrus Gold, whom throws him against a wooden board as if he were nothing.

Lifting up a hand, Quentin begins to punch Cyrus Gold in the face, yet no punch he delivers makes any effect upon the monster of a man at all.

In fact the only thing that stops Cyrus Gold from killing Quentin there and then is the sudden gunshot wounds he receives from Hilton, the bullets make no effect but they do cause him to drop a bleeding, wounded Quentin to the floor, watching as Hilton moves around the corridors trying to apprehend him, little does Hilton know though that Cyrus Gold waits for him at the very end of the aisle and forcibly grabs a hold of the hand Hilton is using to hold his gun, twisting his hand backwards, so Hilton's pointing his own gun in his own face…

Yet it's Cyrus Gold whom pulls the trigger…

 _The Foundry_

"This is a nice place you three have here." Shado comments as she approaches Slade, glancing around The Foundry.

She's doesn't look like herself.

Unlike the previous hallucinations she's not covered in blood, her usual self or anything.

This is completely different.

She wears a smart black dress, high heels and her pitch black hair is tied up neatly in an elaborate hair bun.

Yet it's still her… Another hallucination…

"It's a bit more comfortable than your plane on the island." She notes as she walks around.

"You're not real." Slade murmurs.

"Neither are you." She stops in front of the three vigilante uniforms.

"You three told everyone when you joined Oliver on is crusade that this was about Oliver and helping making up for his father's sins. We both know that was a lie." She hisses, snapping an arrow of Oliver's in half.

"This charade is to atone for all your sins. Yours and Oliver's mainly but Sara to. The three of you are a package deal. Always have been. Always will be." She snaps.

"You're dead. Oliver…."

"Oliver killed me? Is that what you were going to say. I once considered him the brother I never had, Sara a sister. You the man I was deeply in love with…"

"You're not here. You're gone." He murmurs, turning away from her.

"Wherever I am Slade… I think it's time you three joined me." She hisses before racing forward and pushing Slade into a near by cupboard, yet by doing so allows him to grab his sword, which he uses when Shado engages him in instant combat.

"They say a coward dies a thousand deaths but even that wouldn't be enough for the three of you after what you did to me. You should have let me die. I asked you to let me go but you made me into the monster I became. You let Oliver do that to me and then at the end of it all he killed me anyway…"

"We tried to save you Shado, Both Oliver and I did!" Slade growls.

"But you couldn't. You destroyed me because you and Oliver were cowardly. Because you thought you could just make a choice like that and still have it all. You couldn't save me. Just like the three of you couldn't save this city." She hisses, reaching for Slade's sword, engaging him in combat once more, landing many punches with utmost strength.

Inhumanly possible strength…

One move sends both of them into a table, which collapses under both of them, Shado moving and slamming Slade into one of the glass cases which shatter instantly with the force of the push, yet still she yanks him to his feet and pushes him away from her.

"The island didn't make the three of you stronger, Slade. It revealed all of you to be weak. Even you." She hisses before slamming him into another one of the glass cases which shatters also when he is forced into it, he scrambles to his feet, about to launch an attack at her when he sees something behind her, walking down the stairs…

"Slade, here to die?" Comes the voice of Billy Wintergreen.

"Billy." Slade mutters, noticing that the hallucination of Shado is still there and she had her arms folded.

"Billy? Who's Billy? Ohh. I know, I remember you telling me that story. He's your ex partner. Your sons godfather. You killed him. I remember him actually, he'd be the one to deal with me if my father stepped out of line with Fyers. Wow you really are hallucinating terribly." She folds her arms as Slade advances on Billy, trying to ignore the hallucination of Shado.

"You cannot escape this Slade. You cannot escape what is to come. Can't you see it?" Billy taunts him, pulling a sword free from its holder.

"Can't you see what's happening here? I remember you to be smarter than this Slade. That beloved pet of yours has made you soft. You call him your brother. I was your brother, Slade and due to your guilt of killing the one true brother you had, you tried to fill that void with a rather poor substitute…"

"Becoming a hallucination made you soft yourself Billy? Forgotten something haven't you. Don't get distracted." He snarls, launching forward with his sword, to run him through.

"Because you should never underestimate me." He growls and hallucination or not, he even hears a pained hiss from Billy when he stabs him.

Yet suddenly Billy is gone and the person whom he's ran through with his sword isn't the hallucination of Wintergreen.

It's Oliver…

"No." Slade whispers as blood begins to pool from Oliver's mouth, a horrified, shocked and scared look in his eyes as he looks down at the sword Slade has ran through his chest.

"No, kid. No." Slade murmurs as Oliver's eyes begin to close and he begins to slump toward the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"No, kid. Stay with me, kid. Oliver!" Slade catches him before he can fall, guiding him down to the floor gently, whilst falling to his knees himself.

Oliver's eyes begin to close shut, never to open again.

"OLIVER!" Slade bellows to no use. He's already gone…

"No." He murmurs shakily as he cradles Oliver's body in his arms.

As he'd held hers all those years ago...

But it's not her now.

No, now he's holding his dead brother in his arms…

 **Authors Note: okay so this chapter went on a lot longer than expected I apologise for that and if it wasn't exactly a good chapter. Thanks all so much for reading, following and favouriting. Next chapter should be soon. If it isn't already obvious who season 2 villain is yet for my fanfic. The proper reveal shall be next chapter! Thanks again for reading, please leave a review if you can :)**


	98. Three Ghosts (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter Ninety Eight**

 _The Foundry_

Slade cannot move.

He can barely even breathe as he holds Oliver's body in his arms.

He killed Oliver… His his brother in all but blood, his closest friend.

At one point during the five years, all he had left in the world.

His mind can barely comprehend what he's just done.

Oliver's gone… Oliver's dead and he killed him.

His brother…

Wintergreen was an hallucination.

Shado was an hallucination.

He never should have been holding the sword...

They were hallucinations he didn't need to be armed.

He fights back genuine tears as he holds Oliver against him.

Sara will never forgive him.

Sara will kill him without a second thought.

Slade hopes that's exactly what she does…

 _Starling City_

"Thank you for being my shopping guide." Sebastian Blood grins widely at Laurel Lance, whom walks beside him.

"I knew your boss would let you have the afternoon off." He adds, Laurel having initially refused to go shopping with Sebastian, saying she had just to much work to do and that her boss wouldn't be too pleased if she didn't get it done.

Yet after having a conversation with said boss himself, Sebastian had managed to free Laurel from her work.

Laurel just smiles, she knew her boss would let her go if she'd asked, she just really didn't feel like going out.

Just wanted to spend her evening at home with her babies, but she couldn't exactly explain that in a few brief moments and her boss had practically commanded her to go with Sebastian Blood, whom she figured, she could at least discuss matters concerning the mystery Thea brought to her with him.

Fortunately, despite said professor going to Central City by the days out, Professor Stein said he'd babysit for her.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian queries in concern, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, it's just, um. Can I ask you a question?" She looks over at him.

"It's about the blood drive your sponsored."

"Of course, it's a wonderful cause. Especially with the underfunded hospitals we're dealing with. What about it?" He queries as suddenly Laurel's phone rings.

She has it in her hand in an instant.

It's not Professor Stein's number, so it's not her babies.

It's unknown.

Tommy…

She answers it with shaking fingers.

"Hello?" She whispers as Sebastian glances at her with a smile.

"What?!" She cries at the news she receives.

It's not Tommy.

It's her father...

"Ok, I'll be right over." She says before hanging up.

"What happened?" Sebastian questions, concern in his voice.

"My father um… He's in the ICU. I'm so sorry." She whispers, her eyes filling with tears.

"I have to go. I'm sorry." She whispers as she races away in tears...

 _The Foundry_

Having arrived back from the Big Belly Burger, Felicity and Barry are chatting to one another happily as they walk down the steps together, Felicity babbling cheerfully away when...

"Ohh my god." Barry whispers, pulling Felicity from her babble instantly as she too sees what he sees and that is The Foundry practically destroyed.

Glass everywhere from the uniform cases, bits of weaponry, broken arrows…

"Slade?" Felicity calls as she races down the rest of the steps.

"What happened? Did someone break in or…" She stops upon what she sees.

Slade crouched down on the floor, shaking all over as he is kneeled down on the ground, surrounded by broken glass…

"Slade?" She whispers quietly, noticing with worry that he's clenching his hands together and in doing so he's pushing rather large glass shards further into his hands.

"Slade. Slade talk to me." She calls as she races toward him.

"Felicity I wouldn't do…" Barry starts as she begins to crouch down beside him.

"Slade…" Suddenly, one of his hands fly out, knocking Felicity out of her crouch in both due to shock at his reaction and the force.

"That…" Barry finishes his previous sentence as Felicity begins to fumble around in her coat for her phone.

"News on Gold?" Comes the voice of Oliver when the call connects.

"No. No. It's not that…"

"Are you okay?" Oliver queries upon hearing her voice shaking.

"I. I don't know what to do. It's Slade… I think he's hallucinating again." She stops as she hears instant movement on the other line before she can even finish her sentence…

 _Later…_

"Ok, ok. We're here. What's going on?" Oliver calls as he, Sara and Diggle race down the steps, nothing Barry and Felicity standing beside a desk, The Foundry practically trashed.

"My god, what happened…" Diggle starts yet stops as Oliver holds up a hand, a beyond worried look instantly crossing his and Sara's faces as they see Slade knelt down, surrounded by broken glass, shaking yet not speaking a word.

"Slade." Sara starts softly as she moves toward him.

"Felicity already got thrown backwards doing that. I wouldn't." Barry starts as Sara flashes him a glare instantly.

"How long as he been like this?" Oliver hisses at the two.

"We just came back from the Big Belly Burger and found him here like this, I mean I could try and give him a sedative but I kinda don't want to, you know, get killed!" Barry exclaims, each of them watching fearfully as Sara continues to try an get through to Slade.

"Slade it's me. It's Sara." She says gently as she moves to stand beside him.

"Sara." He says her name, barely even whispers it.

"I'm sorry." Is the second thing he murmurs.

"What?" She frowns as Oliver begins to move from behind.

"Just do it." He mutters.

"Do what Slade?" She questions.

"Kill me. Just get it over with!" He practically shouts at her.

"What. Slade no. Why in the world would I kill you?" She looks anxiously at her friend.

"I killed him. What are you just standing there for? I killed him. My brother…" He murmurs, his voice almost breaking.

Everyone in The Foundry has anxious expressions upon their faces.

"Slade you haven't killed anyone." Is what Sara says next as Slade finally looks up at her, rage, fury and sadness in his eye, moving so he drops something in front of her ever so carefully.

It's only broken glass shards to Sara and everyone else.

To Slade, it's Oliver's body…

"How can you… I killed Oliver. I…" He murmurs closing his eye as Sara looks horrifiedly to Oliver, whom instantly races forward, kneeling down beside Slade and grasping his shoulders gently.

"Slade. Slade you're hallucinating. You haven't killed me. I'm right here. I'm alive." Oliver says hurriedly, trying to break Slade out of it carefully.

Like they used to do during the five years when trying to break one another out of the nightmares they endured daily.

"Slade. Listen to me. I'm here, you haven't killed me. Listen to me." Oliver practically begs as Slade finally looks up at him then to the floor.

Oliver's body is gone…

Oliver's right in front of him, alive and well.

He didn't kill him.

It had all been a hallucination...

"Kid?" He murmurs, his voice hoarse as Oliver breathes a sigh of relief, knowing he's somehow broken through the hallucination.

"Oliver?" Slade glances at him properly, a fearful look in his eyes.

He's alive. His brother is alive…

"Yeah I'm here." Oliver says softly as he instantly wraps his arms around him in an attempt to comfort him, upon seeing the look upon his face.

It's all pretty evident what the hallucination had been about.

Slade had hallucinated himself killing Oliver.

He couldn't imagine what it would do to him if he'd hallucinated he himself killing Slade.

The man whom he views as a brother, so he just embraces him.

The only time Oliver has ever seen Slade in a similar position to the one he's in now is during the third year...

However, whilst his reaction then was much, much worse, this is similar.

"Kid." He hears Slade mutter again as Oliver nods and just tightens his hold on him.

"It's okay. It's okay, I'm here." He says to reassure him if nothing else.

"I'm here." He murmurs.

Continuing to hold on even when Slade tries to push him away.

"You need to get as far away from me as possible." He murmurs.

"Yeah, not likely." Oliver responds quietly.

"I killed you…"

"No. No you didn't. He's still here Slade and I know you won't hurt either of us." Sara says quietly, moving closer toward the two.

"You don't know that." Slade growls, as Oliver pulls away slightly.

"Yes we do and we're not going anywhere. Ever. We're not too easy to get rid of. You should know that better than anyone." Sara reminds him gently.

"We learnt from the master." Oliver smiles somewhat as Slade just glances at them both.

Not entirely convinced.

Not convinced at all.

"Come on, you need to get all that glass out of your hand." Sara says carefully as both she and Oliver, cautiously help Slade up, moving toward a table, where the three sit side by side.

Only minutes later a noise sounds out and Barry rolls his chair toward a device.

"The blood analysis is done." Barry calls.

"So you know what's in his system?" Sara turns to face him.

"That's the thing… Slade, your blood is clean. There's nothing wrong with you." Barry explains quietly and carefully.

"Then why am I hallucinating?" Slade snaps.

"I don't know but whatever your problem is it's not pharmacological. It's psychological. It's in your head." Barry explains as instantly Slade moves away from Oliver and Sara.

"It's my head." He mutters running a hand through his hair, despite the rather large cuts on his hand from the glass.

"Slade." Oliver starts, both he and Sara moving toward their friend cautiously as he backs away from them.

"It's in my head. I can't control it. I do not want to hurt either of you and I cannot be certain that I won't." He growls.

"But we can." Oliver says softly.

"We trust you. We know you won't hurt us." Sara adds as they both manage to corner him.

A memory coming to mind as they both rest reassuring hands on his shoulders.

A haunting one, but it worked then…

"And we are not going to let you go through this alone." Oliver says the words he's certain he said at that moment all those years ago.

"None of us are." Comes the soft voice of Felicity, whom had moved from her computer to join Oliver and Sara.

Slade's still looks deeply unconvinced.

Suddenly, pulling each of them out of their current state of minds, is the sound of the computer lighting up.

"Sorry." Felicity says, really not wanting to leave Slade but knows he's in safe hands with Oliver and Sara and moves quickly toward the computer.

"Ohh my god." She whispers upon seeing what had caused said computer to react in the way it did before spinning around.

"Sara." She calls to her, Sara glancing at her with curious eyes her blood running cold at Felicity's words.

"It's your father…"

 _Starling City General_

Quentin Lance awakens to the room of a hospital and Laurel in tears beside him.

"Dad!" Laurel cries the minute he turns his head in her direction.

"Oh Laurel sweetie." He grabs her hand instantly.

"Well I can wiggle my toes it must be a good sign." He murmurs, glancing once more at Laurel's tear stained face.

"I'm all right sweetie, I'm fine. The kids, you should be with them…"

"Dad. Dad they're with my neighbour. It's ok. I had to come, Sara's not answering her phone and…" She trails off sadly.

Quentin has a momentary idea why Sara hasn't answered her phone causing him worry.

He hopes she's safe and hasn't done anything stupid.

"How's Lucas, is he all right?" He questions, remembering instantly his partner and friend.

"I'm. I'm sorry." Laurel whispers.

"What do you mean?" Quentin asks her quietly as he sees the tears in Laurel's eyes again.

He's gone… His partner and close friend is gone.

"I got to call Jeannie. I got to call his wife." Quentin begins to stutter.

"No, no dad. I'll do it. You just… Stay here." Laurel says firmly.

"Get some rest." She adds, releasing his hand and moving toward the door, phone in hand to make the phone call and moves along the corridor and up a flight of steps until she's at the room where Tommy is still lying in his coma, she moves into the room with tear filled eyes as she crosses the room to Tommy's side, sliding her hand into his.

"I really need you right now Tommy." She whispers tearfully knowing that nothing will happen, which only makes her cry even more.

"You'd know what to do." She murmurs sadly.

"You'd just be here." She sighs as she bends down to kiss his forehead, smoothing back his dark hair with her fingers.

"I love you." She whispers through her tears as she heads back out of the door to make the phone call to Hilton's wife, one hand holding her phone, the other tugging on the ring hanging from around her neck, looking back at Tommy…

"Laurel." A voice calls her name. Sebastian Blood.

"What are you doing here?" She queries.

"Wanted to make sure your father was ok." He responds.

"He is." Laurel nods politely.

"I wanted to make sure you were too." He adds as Laurel nods and smiles sadly and Sebastian puts his arms around her comfortingly to Laurel's surprise.

Meanwhile, as he holds Laurel, Sebastian and Officer Daily share a knowing glance…

 _Elsewhere…_

As Quentin shifts on his hospital bed in an desperate attempt to get comfortable he receives two more visitors.

"Daddy!" He hears Sara cry as she races into the room, Oliver following her from behind.

"Hey baby. I'm okay, I'm okay." He says to reassure her, noticing the same distressed look in her eyes that Laurel had earlier.

"How are you?" Oliver asks politely.

"Well I'm alive." He responds, squeezing Sara's fingers tightly.

"Unlike most everyone else in my unit." He sighs.

"I'm guessing you heard about everything else?" He looks to them both.

"I'm so sorry about Lucas, daddy." Sara says softly.

"I took him in there sweetie." He replies grimly, whilst clutching Sara's hand.

"Because of us." Oliver sighs.

"No. No this isn't your fault. This is on me, not the two of you. Not every death in this city is on the three of you." He reminds them to silence before shifting toward his desk.

"I got this off Gold. Hopefully the two of you can do something with it." He places a key in Sara's other hand.

"I wasn't sure if I entirely believed it at first but this guy it's like he's not human. No wonder Slade's in the state he's in. How is he anyway? He's not with you guys." He questions to silence from Oliver and Sara.

"That bad, huh?" He murmurs as Sara passes the key to Oliver.

"Cyrus Gold. He is human." Oliver mutters after a minute.

"Well then, you can kill him right. For Hilton and for me. I know you have a no kill rule going on and I respect that. I really do but he took down a unit of SCPD officers and a vigilante. I need you two to promise me that you're going to do whatever it takes to take this guy down, okay." He looks to Oliver and Sara.

Neither of the two say a single word...

 _The Foundry_

After the visit to Quentin, Oliver stands in the corner of The Foundry, sharpening his arrows whilst Sara viciously attacks a dummy with rapid punches.

"I think those are sharp enough. That goes for the both of you." Diggle looks to both Oliver and Slade, whom is in a chair, still not one hundred percent in the right frame of mind, sharpening his sword.

"Think it's already been made apparent that I'm not." Slade mutters, glancing to Oliver, whom looks up at his friend worriedly.

"Do you think I'm losing my mind, kid?" He questions.

"No more than the rest of us." Oliver sighs as he moves toward Slade, taking the seat next to his friend.

"Think if you're losing it Sara and I will be soon to follow." Oliver manages a soft smile as Slade gets up and moves away from Oliver, taking his sword with him.

Oliver sighs and looks at Felicity and Sara, each of them with a worried glance in their eyes.

"Hey, man." Diggle moves toward Slade cautiously.

"I'm concerned I'll kill him." Slade murmurs, with a glance at Oliver.

"I was already hallucinating. I saw Billy…"

"Billy was your ex partner who betrayed you, right?" Diggle remembers. Slade nods.

"I ran that son of a bitch through but then he wasn't Billy. He was Oliver…" He trails off.

"That's why you thought you'd killed him. Because he was a hallucination within a hallucination." Diggle nods in understanding.

"A hallucination within a hallucination within another hallucination." Slade corrects him as Diggle frowns.

"There was someone else?" He folds his arms.

"Shado." He murmurs.

"Who is this Shado? I take it she was on the island with the three of you. The fourth one you've all referred to before now." Diggle questions.

"Shado was our partner on the island. Shado was..." Slade stops a moment

Unsure if he should reveal who she really is to Diggle.

"The woman I loved." He murmurs as Diggle glances to him with wide eyes.

"Ohh." Is all Diggle says in response.

"And she is dead because of me, because of a choice I made." Slade mutters.

"A choice we both made." Oliver says quietly as he stands near Diggle and Slade.

"Mr. Lance said that not every death in this city is our fault. There are plenty that are." Oliver sighs with a glance to both Slade and Sara.

"And if this is all just in my head I'm concerned that I'm going to add you to the list of deaths that are my fault." Slade mutters as Oliver looks at him sadly as Slade heads back to sharpening his swords again.

The task distracting him from his screwed up mind…

"You know Slade, when I got home from Afghanistan. I saw a ghost too." Diggle starts as he moves toward him.

"Survivors guilt. Why us, not them. I mean I know your partner Billy betrayed you but I remember you killing Gaynor for me so I wouldn't have to because, despite everything that happened Wintergreen was still your partner and you had to do what was necessary to take him out of the equation and even though you know what you did was justified, you probably do still feel the guilt that came with actually ending his life, that's why your seeing the son of a bitch now." Diggle points out.

"Ohh I know why it was them and not us." Slade mutters.

"Then the why's not your problem. I also don't think you'll hurt Oliver and Sara. They mean the world to you and you're afraid of losing them. A bond that strong isn't just going to go away. You love them both unconditionally, you're not going to hurt them, yet you're afraid you are." Diggle folds his arms as Slade says nothing in response, just continues to sharpen his sword.

"Do I think there's more behind what the three of you are letting on about this whole superhuman drug nightmare? Yeah I do and it's eating the three of you up."

"If you're expecting an answer you're going to be rather disappointed." Slade grumbles before glancing at Diggle.

"Kinda expected that." Diggle nods.

"How'd you get your ghost to go away?" Slade questions.

"I figured our what they were trying to tell me." Diggle responds.

"Which was?" Slade grumbles.

"That's for me to hear, Slade. You have to figure out what yours is trying to tell you…"

"Guys, we got something here." Felicity calls suddenly, cutting Diggle off and instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

"I scanned the key you guys gave me and traced the serial code back to the manufacturer…" "This particular key fits a locked gate somewhere on crescent circle in The Glades." Barry cuts her off as Slade moves to grab his mask and sword, Oliver his bow and arrows and Sara her batons.

"Whoa. Slade where are you going? You can't go out there in your condition." Felicity gets up from her chair and races toward him.

"I have to stop this." Slade mutters.

"We can do that. Slade, you're in no condition to go out there." Oliver starts.

"Save it kid." Slade murmurs back.

"No he's right Slade! Gold left you half dead which is fifty percent better then how he left Detective Hilton." She reminds him.

"I don't have a choice. This is my fight." He mutters.

"Slade. Ollie and I can do this together. You can't go out there." Sara continues.

"I'd like to see any of you try and stop me." Slade murmurs.

"Any of us could put you down right now Slade, let alone Cyrus Gold. We almost lost you once earlier. You almost died. We're not going to go through that again." Oliver snaps, trying to talk some sense into him.

"We have to end this Oliver!" Slade growls back.

"And I can do it. I know I can, I did it before…"

"And I won't put you in a position like that again." Slade mutters.

"That bastard almost killed you both earlier." He reminds them as he begins to move toward the stairs.

"Slade, wait." Felicity races forward to grab his arm, he pull out of her grasp.

"I know you're still angry at me. I know you and I are not in a good place but I'm beginning you, please don't do this. Stay here. Don't get yourself killed." She begs to silence.

"Then promise me you'll come back." She whispers pleadingly.

He doesn't even say a word to her as he walks up the steps, pulling on his mask as he goes.

"He's going to get himself killed." Felicity whispers, moving toward where Sara and Oliver are still collecting their weaponry.

"Promise me you'll bring him back. Promise me." She whispers to them.

"Felicity…" Oliver starts but that's when he hears the door slam shut.

"Oliver." Diggle says in a warning tone as both Oliver and Sara race up the stairs, finding that the door is locked, both hurrying to put in the code.

Only to find it overwritten…

"SLADE!" Oliver yells.

"Sorry kid. I won't be the reason that anything happens to either you or Sara. Said I'd protect you both didn't I." He murmurs from outside.

"Slade open the door!" Sara shouts.

"My fight." Is all he says in response as he moves away from the basement door, despite the constant banging upon it and shouts from Oliver and Sara.

"I started this." Slade muses as he walks away.

"And I'm gonna end it."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

After much insistence from her father, Laurel had returned from the hospital to her apartment to her babies, whom are still being watched by Professor Stein when she gets to her apartment.

"It was all over the news. How is your father?" He questions as she enters the apartment.

"Alive." Laurel sighs as she moves toward where her babies are in their playpen, giving them a warm smile as they look up at her, happy to see their mother.

"Are you going to be alright Ms. Lance? I do have to get to the train station soon, but I can take a later train if you need someone here…" Stein offers kindly.

"No, no. You need to get back to Central City for the particle accelerator, right? You can't miss that. You need to go, I'll be fine." She assures him.

"Are you sure Ms. Lance?" He looks at her anxiously.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Go. I understand completely." She nods as he gets to his feet from the couch, waving with a smile to the two babies before moving to the door.

"If you need me at any time, just give me a call and I'll be on the earliest train to Starling City, that goes for Clarissa too. If you need either of us, do not hesitate to call either one of us." He gives her a reassuring look as Laurel nods.

"Thank you." She smiles warmly back.

"I'll be back in a couple of days anyways. Still have some research to complete but remember. Even if you just need someone to talk to. Myself and Clarissa are always here for you. All three of you." He glances toward the babies with another smile before turning to the door.

"Goodbye Ms. Lance." He smiles, opening the door.

Yet before he heads out of it, Laurel crosses the room and hugs the surprised professor.

"Thank you Martin. Thank you for everything." She whispers as he hugs her back.

"Anytime. Laurel." He responds gently.

"Anytime at all."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Punching through the glass of the door, Roy Harper forces his way into a room, checking the room once to make sure he's alone before racing toward the filing cabinet, opening it and quickly riffling through them until he finds the one that has a photo of Max on it.

"Max." He murmurs as he flips through the file once before turning over the picture on the front to see a word stamped on the back in capital letters.

Mirakuru.

Hearing a sudden sound behind him, Roy races to hide behind a desk as someone walks into the office, hearing the sound of said someone pouring liquid…

Getting to his feet, Roy attacks the man from behind, shoving him into a wall before racing straight through a door, down a corridor, taking a quick turn and straight into someone who grabs him.

The last thing he sees before losing consciousness is a man in a black mask...

 _The Foundry_

"Felicity! Get the door open now!" Sara snarls as she punches the code in hopelessly.

"I'm gonna kill him." Oliver hisses.

"I'm honesty going to kill him." He growls as he can hear Felicity typing rapidly.

"FELICITY!" He bellows at her.

"Um he's somehow completely reprogrammed this. How did he even manage to…" Barry trails off as he watches as Felicity types.

"Knowing Slade he probably prepared for an event like this in advance." Diggle murmurs.

"No kidding Diggle!" Oliver snaps.

"He's going to get himself killed out there! We need to get out of here! How could he be so stupid!" Sara cries.

"Cares about you and Oliver more than his own life." Diggle glances at them as Oliver just kicks at the door angrily.

"I'm not getting anywhere. This firewall… Wow I didn't realise he was this good at computers…." Felicity muses quietly as she continues to type rapidly.

"FELICITY!" Both Oliver and Sara yell simultaneously.

"Okay, okay I've. Got it!" She cries suddenly as the door finally releases and less then a second later the Arrow and the Black Canary are out the door.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Opening his eyes, Roy realizes that he's strapped to a chair, his hoodie removed.

Looking around he hears the sound of a machine and looking to the left he sees a whole bunch of green vials that another man lifts.

"It's ready." He hears the man say as he hands a guy in a rather creepy looking mask a syringe filled with the green vial.

"Is this where you killed Max Stanton, hmm?" Roy snaps bravely as the man in the rather creepy mask approaches him.

"What are you doing? If you stick that in me, I'll kill you." He hisses as the man grips his throat viciously.

"No, brother Roy. You'll kill for me." He snarls as he injects the serum into Roy, whom begins screaming in pain the minute the serum hits his bloodstream which is at the exact same moment, part of the ceiling caves in and The Man In The Mask leaps down, throwing a knife into one of the men before holding his sword out toward the man in the creepy mask.

"Brother Cyrus told me he killed you." The guy mutters.

"Guess he's not as strong as you thought!" He snarls back, holding the sword closer to him.

"How did you acquire the Mirakuru? Who gave you the formula!" He bellows.

"It was a gift. A gift I would use to save this city from itself." The man responds as from the chair, Roy continues to groan and scream in pain from the Mirakuru.

The Man In The Mask looks at him in horror before Cyrus Gold races toward him, not stopping when The Man In The Mask throws a dagger into his shoulder, it just falls off him and he sends The Man In The Mask flying into a wall, where he lies on the ground, continuing to hear the screams of pain from Roy and blood begins to pour out of his eyes…

Just like The Man In The Mask almost five years ago…

Trying to crawl along the floor in an attempt to get to Roy. Cyrus Gold kicks him hard, sending him backwards, spinning across the floor, where he lies on the ground.

Roy having suddenly finished screaming, the man in the creepy mask moves to check him.

"Another failure." He mutters as The Man In The Mask looks on in horror.

They killed him…

Head spinning, he falls to the ground.

"Daddy." He hears a voice.

A voice he believed he would never hear again.

"Get up daddy." He hears the voice again and this time he lifts himself up from the floor to see none other than his son standing right in front of him.

"Joe." He whispers dazed, in amazement, sadness…

"Joe." He says again as he reaches out for his son.

"You're not going to die down here dad." He says softly.

"I'm sorry kid. I got you and your mother killed. I'm so sorry." Slade whispers.

"It wasn't your fault daddy. You're a hero. You've always been a hero, you got off that island. You escaped those bad ARGUS people. So fight daddy. Get up and fight back." He begs him, Slade's reaches out to pull him into his arms.

"Kill him." The man in the creepy mask hisses to Cyrus Gold as The Man In The Mask grabs air. It was nothing but a hallucination.

His third ghost was his son…

Getting to his feet he slams his foot into Cyrus Gold's face, whom kicks him backwards engaging him in hand to hand combat rapidly as suddenly an arrow soars past The Man In The Mask and traps Gold against the wall, turning his head he sees the Arrow and the Black Canary standing behind him.

"Our fight." The Black Canary says firmly.

"Meant it when I said we will not let you go through this alone." The Arrow adds as the three of them engage Cyrus Gold in battle, The Man In The Mask engaging him in hand to hand combat as the Black Canary launches at him with her batons, The Arrow and The Man In The Mask exchanging a glance with one another and with one swift kick, The Man In The Mask kicks Cyrus Gold backwards, the Arrow firing an arrow right into a machine which explodes, sending green acid all over Cyrus Gold's face, Roy off his chair and part of the building to crumble as the Arrow drags the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask backwards to stop them from being hit by debris.

The man in the creepy mask escapes the room.

The acid causes Cyrus Gold's face to begin to melt.

"Roy." The Man In The Mask growls.

"What?" The Arrow looks to him before seeing Roy's body on the ground.

"Son of a bitch in the mask hit him with the Mirakuru!" The Man In The Mask snarls as the three vigilantes race towards Roy, The Man In The Mask cutting through his restraints with a sword whilst the Arrow and the Black Canary gently turn him over.

"Roy." Black Canary whispers fearfully as she sees the blood pouring down his cheeks, causing both the Arrow and she to pause.

Just like five years ago…

The Arrow attempts to revive him.

"We are not leaving anyone else to die!" The Arrow yells at him.

"You're strong, boy. Fight this!" The Man In The Mask growls at him as the Arrow continues to try and revive Roy.

"Fight, come on fight!" The Arrow yells as Roy suddenly begins to cough, his eyes fluttering as the Mirakuru brings him back to life…

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

"Roy!" Thea and Sin cry as the race into his room to see him lying on his bed.

"Roy!" They yell at him as they race toward him.

"Where have you been? We've been looking for you all over town!" Thea cries as he awakens to the yelling and Thea gripping his arms.

"I was…" Flashes of what happened to him come back in varied pieces…

"I was running down another lead." He lies, glancing up at her.

"It didn't pan out." He adds as Thea rolls her eyes at him.

"I thought you were chasing after the three vigilantes again." She grumbles.

"I got so scared I thought something happened to you." She whispers as he clutches her hand in his.

"Hey, hey don't worry. I'm alive." He says in an attempt to soothe her.

"I'm alive."

 _Starling City_

"I want to serve the people of Starling. Not the men and women who think they own it." Comes the voice of Sebastian Blood from a television, announcing his mayoral run.

"Together we can help rebuild our city into a place where there are no elites and no oppressed. Where we are all brother and sisters." The woman watching the tv switches it off as the Sebastian Blood enters her office.

"So your campaign begins." She muses.

"The city needs a leader and putting the copycat hoods up to assassinating the mayor was just the first step." Blood says to silence from the woman. The boss.

"The three vigilantes… They destroyed the centrifuge and the serum along with it." Blood admits cautiously as a woman enters the room in passing, placing a blonde wig to cover her even lighter blonder hair with blue and pink curls.

"Haha you are so screwed." She chuckles, before placing her hands on the desk.

"I'm off to Laurel's to let her know Leena Quinn is back in town in case she needs a babysitter." 'Leena' smirks as the woman leans forward and slides a pair of glasses onto her face as part of her disguise.

"Good Harley. Thought we may have had problem with our plan earlier what with that professor she's had watching her children. Luckily he head back to Central City." She muses as Harley grins at her and places her hand over hers before passing Sebastian with a glare in her eyes as she leaves the office.

"What is it with you and her. She's crazy..." Sebastian mutters, yet falls silent at the look in the boss's eyes.

"With our centrifuge issue. I will arrange for you to receive another sample of my blood and then you can begin to mass produce the serum again. When you produce at least some of the serum. I have your next test subject for you." She informs him, Blood nods.

"Who." He questions plainly.

"You'll have heard of him his name is Thomas Merlyn. He's currently in a coma which he has already been in for quite some time, so if he doesn't survive it's not going to look suspicious. Yet I do believe the coma could act as the powerful sedative needed for serum to work." She mutters as he nods again.

"Why him? He questions her, she doesn't answer and instead begins glaring at Blood.

"Do not question my decisions. Also on the subject of that, when I ask you not to confront the three vigilantes you will listen." She growls.

"Do remember that your mask can be worn by another." She warns him dangerously quietly whilst clenching her fist.

"You know who they are under those hoods, masks and wigs don't you?" Sebastian murmurs, more of a statement then a question.

"I know exactly who they are." Shado snarls.

"The Black Canary was like a sister to me. The Arrow, a brother. The Man In The Mask. The Deathstroke. The man I was in love with…"

"That's why you don't want them dead." Blood guesses as Shado glares at him.

"Oh death would be a release from this life and their sentence is yet to be carried out. I am going to tear everything they care about away from them. Destroy those who choose to follow them. Corrupt those they love. Once they have lost everyone and everything they value I will drive arrows through their hearts…"

 _Lian Yu_

 _"You don't have to do this!" Oliver yells in protests to Ivo as he continues to wave the gun between both Shado and Sara._

 _"You got what you came for! Just take it and go!" Oliver cries._

 _"Ten seconds." Ivo says, almost boredly._

 _"YOU FREAKING PSYCHOPATH!" Oliver screams._

 _"History will make that judgment." Ivo says calmly._

 _"Five seconds."_

 _Oliver looks between both Shado and Sara quickly, both whom are still crying, from the pain of losing Slade, fear of the fact both of their lives are in Oliver's hands…_

 _Sara is the woman he loves..._

 _Shado is his friend…_

 _The man she loves is gone…_

 _Oliver feels ill realising that he's even just contemplated the choice Ivo had given him._

 _"Times up." Ivo says plainly._

 _"Wait! No! No." Oliver races to the front, putting himself in front of Ivo's gun._

 _It's an impossible choice. He can't make it._

 _But if he doesn't both Sara and Shado will be dead..._

 _"No!" Harley suddenly cries as grabs her own concealed gun from her coat pocket and shoots at Ivo, yet he ducks and she misses, the bullet only grazing the side of his head and he fires his gun, hitting Oliver in the shoulder, who goes down instantly…_

 _He hears Harley and Sara calls out his name, he thinks, blinded by the pain in his shoulder._

 _Suddenly, the sound of a commotion fills his ears, he tries to lift his head..._

 _He sees that Shado and Sara have broken free from their restraints and are, with Harley now battling with the guards, a few already having been shot by Harley herself._

 _The guards are trying to shoot at Shado and Sara, Harley is firing back, allowing Shado and Sara to get behind some of the guards in attempt to take them down from behind._

 _Oliver cannot move._

 _The pain in his shoulder excruciating from the bullet within it, he can hear footsteps around him and then suddenly a sound out of nowhere._

 _A roaring sound…_

 _"Impossible." Oliver thinks he hears Ivo's voice as suddenly the commotion grows louder, the sound of someone running toward them becoming apparent as Oliver manages to glance upwards once to see one of Ivo's guards that had just been about to shoot Sara, thrown across the forest._

 _No. He's not seeing things._

 _The guard was thrown…_

 _Then he hears Sara say the one word that makes Oliver really believe the pain is making him hear and see things._

 _"Slade."_

 _Oliver tries to move again, managing to tilt his head just in time to see none other than Slade Wilson rip a gun from another guards hands about to shoot Shado and snap it clean in half as if it were nothing._

 _Slade's alive._

 _Slade Wilson is alive…_

 _It's a miracle…_

 _Suddenly, Slade grabs another one of the guards and launches it toward Ivo, whom has to duck to avoid being hit by the guard, looking on at the, at least half an hour ago, definitely dead Australian man, now with superhuman strength and very much alive..._

 _"It worked." Ivo murmurs._

 _"It works." He muses before bending down and grabbing Oliver up from the floor._

 _He hasn't finished with these island folk yet._

 _Oliver screams out in agony as Ivo digs his fingers into the bullet hole in his shoulder._

 _"OLIVER!" Oliver hears Slade yell and despite the pain, he still hears him._

 _"Let's make things interesting here shall we?" Ivo hisses, Oliver feeling a gun being held to his head._

 _Oliver freezes and it's not because of the gun…_

 _"Now you're friend here was weak, but you. You're stronger by far." He hisses to Slade, whom barely even registers Ivo's words._

 _"Choice is in your hands now." He says, Oliver hears that clear as day and when his eyes finally clear, he sees Slade standing across from them, an enraged look upon his face._

 _Oliver doesn't even think he's even hearing Ivo…_

 _"Slade don't. Slade go to Shado and Sara now. He's making you choose! Listen to me! There's a choice! He wants you to make a choice don't…" Oliver is cut off by Ivo suddenly grasping his shoulder, fingers digging right into the bullet wound causing Oliver to scream in agony._

 _All Slade can hear is Oliver's screams of pain._

 _Oliver's injured. That son of a bitch Ivo has a gun to his head..._

 _"OLIVER!" Through the pain and haziness and the sound of his own screams, Oliver hears Slade bellow his name and he is abruptly thrown right into the path of Slade by Ivo._

 _"Well I was not expecting this, I really wasn't." Ivo muses, spinning around and seeing a clear line of shot as all three of the women are still fending off his left over guards, fires his gun twice at Shado, taking a second to make sure she's definitely been hit and has dropped before racing off into the trees…_

 _Both Oliver and Slade hear the shots and they hear the screams…_

 _"No." Oliver croaks through the pain._

 _"No." He croaks as he is abruptly thrown to the ground again by Slade._

 _"SHADO!" He hears Slade bellow._

 _No. Oliver thinks._

 _Ohh no, no no._

 _"SHADO!" Slade bellows again, racing toward her fallen form on the forest floor, punching his hand straight through the chest of the remaining guard due to his now beyond enhanced strength due to the Mirakuru now coursing through his veins._

 _"SHADO NO!" He bellows as he gathers her heavily bleeding form into his arms._

 _"Slade?" She croaks._

 _She's still alive._

 _Oliver hears her voice to and sighs in somewhat relief._

 _"Ollie." He hears the voice of Harley close by and feels her pull him to his feet, holding him up as the pain threatens to make him collapse again._

 _He can see everything now._

 _Sara stood by a tree, shaking all over, a startled, horrified look in her eyes._

 _She's in shock. Oliver thinks to himself._

 _Of course she is. Slade is somehow miraculously alive and Shado…_

 _Shado is currently being cradled in Slade's arms, blood pouring out of her mouth and from bullet wounds, one in her stomach, the other in her back..._

 _"No. No you keep your eyes open, love. You keep them open." Slade is whispering to her desperately as she looks up at him._

 _"I. Love. You." She croaks._

 _She's dying…_

 _Ivo shot her._

 _Oliver's blood runs cold, he cannot move, he cannot say a word as the horrifying truth hits him hard._

 _Ivo shot her because he manipulated Slade into making the choice Oliver was too much of a coward to make himself._

 _Except…_

 _Except Slade chose him._

 _Oliver doesn't even think Slade could hear him when he'd screamed at him to go to Shado and Sara, that there was a choice._

 _He doesn't think Slade could even comprehend what was going on._

 _Slade only heard the screams of pain Oliver has unleashed when Ivo dug his fingers into the bullet wound he'd created whilst jamming the gun into Oliver's head…_

 _Unknowingly Slade made the choice and unknowingly he'd made the wrong one..._

 _Now Shado's going to die without a doubt because of it…_

 _"Wait, wait hold on, hold on. Sorry honey." Oliver feels Harley slowly pull away as she reaches into her pocket, pulling out the syringe of Mirakuru she'd put in her pocket when they were on the submarine, just before Slade's supposed 'death'._

 _"You can save her! It worked on you, didn't it?" He holds the syringe out toward Slade, whom nods, bending down to kiss Shado's forehead._

 _"It's going to be a'right love. You're going to be a'right." He murmurs as weakly, Shado grips his wrist, looking up at him with pleading eyes._

 _"Don't do it." She croaks._

 _"What?" Slade looks at her, eyes ablaze with confusion._

 _"Let. Let me go. Don't. Don't give that stuff to me… I don't want to be like that. Just let. Let me go. Let me be with my. My father." Shado begs him as Slade looks at her in horror._

 _"No." He whispers, holding her close as her eyes begin to close._

 _"I love. I love you Slade Wilson. Thank. Thank you." She whispers back as her eyes close._

 _"No." Slade growls shaking her practically lifeless body._

 _"SHADO!" He cries, cradling her to him._

 _"SHADO THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR ME!" He yells and, despite all the agony it causes him to even move, Oliver hurriedly reaches Harley, taking the syringe from her hand and moving toward Slade and Shado, the syringe in hand._

 _"Slade." Oliver whispers hoarsely, gesturing to the syringe in his hand when Slade finally glances at him._

 _His face a mask of blood and devastation…_

 _Oliver can't stand to see the devastation in his friends eyes, hear the tears Sara is sobbing…_

 _"Do it." He hears Slade murmur almost mirroring his words previously when it was he consenting to the use of the Mirakuru on himself._

 _Shado didn't want it…_

 _Shado told him to let her go._

 _Let her be with Yao Fei…_

 _Because Oliver couldn't get his attention, Slade chose him over Shado._

 _This should be him in Shado's position right now and if Oliver doesn't do anything he's going to lose both of his closest friends…_

 _He jabs the syringe into Shado's leg._

 _Slade doesn't stop him…_

 _Now they wait…_

 _The Foundry_

Walking side by side, Oliver, Sara and Slade jog down the steps of The Foundry after the mission, both Diggle and Felicity waiting at the bottom of them for the three to return.

"Still have a ghost problem Slade?" Diggle questions as Felicity almost knocks Slade over when she throws her arms around him.

"No. I got the message." Slade murmurs as he glances at Felicity with a raised eyebrow before abruptly moving out of her embrace.

"Who was your final ghost?" Diggle asks to silence from Slade.

"Because for me, there was this last ghost that cleared it all up for me. Wondered if it was the same for you." He continues.

"It was." Slade murmurs as sad look in his eyes.

"Slade who did you see?" Oliver asks gently.

"My son Joe." Slade says after a moment, the four of them looking to him, eyes filled with deepest sympathy, knowing that whilst that may have been Slade's final hallucination it was probably the hardest.

"Yet we have other problems then me hallucinating my dead son." Slade mutters

"Wouldn't be us if we didn't." Diggle replies as Slade hangs up his sword before turning to face the four.

"You two can explain it to them." Slade mutters in passing as he moves toward the stairs.

"Where are you going now?" Sara asks as he turns back to face them.

"Someplace I need to be right now." Slade replies quietly before crossing the room and pulling both Oliver and Sara into his arms, holding them close for a few brief moments, as even after the ordeal he's suffered through, the fact that both Oliver and Sara are alive and well is still all that matters to him.

Releasing them, he heads up the stairs and out of the basement.

"So other problems?" Diggle and Felicity look to Oliver and Sara once Slade's gone.

"Roy was injected with the serum." Oliver announces.

"Ohh my god is he okay?" Felicity looks at them both in shock.

"He's alive." Sara murmurs.

"But we are going to have to keep an eye on him." Oliver adds.

"And Cyrus Gold?" Diggle queries.

"Died on a Saturday buried on Sunday but he was working with someone." Oliver admits.

"Yeah we saw the guy, he wore a mask with the image of a skull or something." Sara nods.

"He's trying to mass produce the serum to build an army." Oliver states.

"For what?" Diggle frowns.

"You're a solider. What's the primary purpose of an army?" Oliver folds his arms as Diggle sighs.

"War." He murmurs as Sara begins to look around The Foundry.

"Where's Barry?" She asks softly.

"He went back to Central City. Wanted to get home in time to see them turn on the particle accelerator." Felicity informs them both as her phone begins to ring, seeing it to be Barry Allen himself.

"I should take this." She smiles whilst answering the call.

"Hi."

"Hey!" Comes the sound of Barry's cheery voice.

"Did you make it?" She asks.

"Ah yeah I made it back to Central City on time but I missed the cut off in line at STAR Labs. I was late, as usual." He mutters as he opens a door to his own lab.

"But in the spirit of not being late again, uh. If you ever decide that Slade Wilson isn't the guy for you. If you decide that you want to go on a date with… Someone else. Um… You should know that, that guy… He'll be on time." Barry sighs in relief as he manages to finish his statement.

"Good to know." Felicity smiles.

"Oh, hey and I left something for Oliver. Hope he likes it." He finishes.

"Bye Barry." Felicity says quietly.

"Bye. Felicity." He says as she hangs up, Barry still smiling as he sets his own phone down on his desk as he switches on his computer.

"I'm Linda Park and we're live outside STAR Labs. Despite the inclement weather, which is only going to get worse. The torrential downpour has driven away almost all the protesters though STAR Labs CEO, Harrison Wells has assured us that the storm tonight will in no way affect the particle accelerator, which is up and running smoothly." The report says as Barry moves toward a whiteboard, where he glances at his board all to do with his mother's death with a sad look in his eyes as the storm continues on outside.

"Wait… We are now being told to evacuate the facility." The report continues as Barry spins around to glance at the computer.

"The storm may have caused a malfunction to the primary cooling system. Officials are now trying to shut down the particle accelerator but so far have been unable to regain control of the system…" Suddenly, the power shuts down, Barry glancing up at the window just in time to see an explosions happening exactly where STAR Labs is...

A explosion which causes a wave to fly outwards, knocking out all of the electricity all over Central City.

Moving quickly into the centre of the room, Barry grabs the chain that is used to shut the roof up as the rain is pouring into his lab.

However the minute he begins to tug on the chain, all liquids in his lab begin to rise out of their beakers and into the air...

Barry look up in time just to see a lighting bolt shatter his windows…

The last thing he sees is the lighting bolt as he too is struck by it and sent crashing down to the ground.

A trail of red electricity flowing up the side of his face…

 _The Foundry_

"Even the Arrow deserves a Christmas present." Diggle smirks as Oliver opens the box left for him by Barry to reveal an eye mask.

"Here." Sara lifts the mask from his hands and slides it over his head, getting it exactly into place before resting her hands against his cheeks.

"How do I look?" He questions to Sara's beaming smile.

"Like a hero."

 _Later…_

As the sun begins to set on Starling City, Slade stands underneath a tree, glancing toward the statue there.

The statue, he Oliver and Sara has placed on their very first ever week in Starling City.

As a memorial to Shado.

Standing to remember the woman he'd loved and the friend they'd lost.

To remember the woman she was…

"Though I'd find you here." Comes the familiar voice of Oliver, causing Slade to glance back at him as he walks toward him.

"No more ghosts?" Oliver questions.

"The ghosts are gone." Slade responds.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks him.

"Getting there kid." Slade mutters in response as Oliver moves closer, glancing at the small statue of the angel with the bow and arrow.

"I miss her you know. Shado. I wouldn't have become the Arrow without her, despite everything that happened." He stops for a minute.

"I still miss the woman who was my friend. The woman who said I was the brother she never had." Oliver admits sadly.

"When you had to do what you did. That wasn't her, kid." He reminds him.

"Doesn't change what I did." Oliver sighs.

"Doesn't really change what both of us, did kid." Slade murmurs.

"Yet. If I had heard you, kid. If a different decision had been made…"

"You would have had her." Oliver cuts him off.

"Would've lost you." Slade points out, turning to look at Oliver.

"On the island after you'd told me what was really going on, that I could have made a choice. You know I feel as if I basically told you I wish I hadn't apparently chose to save ya..."

"Slade it doesn't matter now." Oliver puts on a smile.

"Ya know kid, one of my hallucinations was of a world where I'd managed to evidently hear you at the time and chosen her. She was there, she was alive. She was Shado, Sara to. Yet. I kept asking for you and yet you were gone and after everything we've been through, kid. I couldn't accept that." Slade admits.

"But you had Shado…"

"I know. Didn't have Diggle in this hallucination either." He reveals.

"Wishful thinking?" Oliver smiles somewhat.

"John Diggle had been taken out by Deadshot. We never recruited him. You weren't there and he was killed and we may not always see eye to eye with one another but I've gotten used to the man." He informs Oliver, whom just looks on in amazement at hearing all this.

"Thomas. Didn't save him either. Wasn't even in a coma, just gone and for some unknown reason. Felicity and I. We didn't talk to one another. She'd barely come anywhere near me." Slade reveals as Oliver raises an eyebrow at him.

"Ohh I really don't think that's because I wasn't there." Oliver tries not to smile as he can guess the reason behind why in a hallucination world like that Felicity and Slade didn't converse as they do normally.

"Think it was, kid. Told her how we'd recruited her as well. That I'd been in disguise and met her in the office during the third year, whilst you were hid under the desk. Never told her that." Slade points out as Oliver just smiles.

One day. One day the penny will drop. He thinks to himself.

"You know, you and Felicity really need to sort your differences out." Oliver says to silence from Slade for a few moments.

"I'll consider it if she'll tell me the truth." Slade retorts.

"Yeah Slade. I think the truth is a bit hard for her to admit." Oliver starts.

"How so? You know why, kid?" He questions as Oliver sighs before falling silent.

Slade can work this out for himself.

"You know, in the hallucination you weren't dead either, kid." Slade admits after a moment as Oliver frowns.

"But if you said…"

"Did the exact same thing to you as I did to her. Except. You returned, vengeful for the choice I made. You had the Mirakuru." Slade reveals quietly. Oliver not saying a word as Slade looks at his friend.

"Made me realize something. No matter what choice I made. If I'd known there was a choice, outcome would have been similar. I would have lost someone I cared about either way. I." He stops a minute.

"I don't regret the choice I made." He murmurs. Oliver looking at him in an instant.

"You never would have been able to get through to me. You were wounded, that son of a bitch had a gun to your head. I wasn't to know he was going to turn the gun on her. I made the only choice I could at the time. He manipulated all of it. He knew you couldn't tell me that there was a decision to be made. It's what that son of a bitch wanted to happen. You are not to blame for any decision made that night." Slade assures him.

"You sure about that. I. I gave her the Mirakuru."

"Didn't stop you." Slade retorts instantly.

"We weren't to know what was going to happen to her. We went against her wishes because we couldn't bare to lose her. Would have done it for you, for Sara." He shrugs.

"As would I. I mean we did do it for you. We gave you the Mirakuru because we couldn't bare to lose you." Oliver nods.

"Just wanted you to know that I do not regret saving you, kid. Could've lost you both if I hadn't done a thing." Slade admits.

"You're probably right. Said if I didn't choose between Shado and Sara he would have killed them both." Oliver reminds him, both falling silent for a moment.

"Don't know what I'd do without you kid." Oliver smiles in response.

"Without both you and Sara." He murmurs.

"Speaking of Sara, think she wants us all to have dinner together tonight. She's managed to round up Thea, Sin and Roy. Well Roy was already at home." Oliver stops for a moment.

"Think he's going to be alright?" He queries.

"If it's up to you and I, which I'm pretty sure it will be, the boy will be just fine. I survived it." He points out.

"He'll do the same. We'll be there to help him through this. Similar to the way you were there to help me through the worst of it. Wouldn't have survived it without you, kid." Slade replies causing Oliver to nod.

"You said we were brothers remember." He grins.

"And I meant every word." Slade responds as Oliver smiles at him again, holding out a hand toward Slade, whom had briefly turned to glance at the memorial again.

"Coming?" He questions.

"Sure, kid." Slade murmurs taking Oliver's outstretched hand.

Brothers leaving side by side.

Leaving the ghosts behind…

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

"Hey were home!" Oliver calls as he and Slade enter the apartment.

Oliver having completely forgotten that Slade hasn't yet seen what Moira and apparently Thea had joined forces to do to the apartment.

Slade's reaction was as expected.

"Slade calm." Oliver holds his hands up after a rather strong language from Slade upon seeing the decorations.

"You have got to be shitting me. Who broke in?" He hisses.

"Told you so." Sara says In a sing song voice to Thea, who looks anywhere but at Slade, fearful for her life if he were to find out it was a plan by both she and her mother.

"My mom kinda invaded our apartment." Oliver responds plainly.

"Explains a lot." Slade grumbles, looking distastefully at the decorations before taking a seat on the couch as Oliver and Sara just look at one another and smile.

Things are already getting back to normal with Slade.

"Even Roy and Thea's mess was preferable to this." He mutters, causing Thea to start laughing softly.

"Swear your mother is insistent on torturing me." Slade mumbles under his breath.

"Hmm if I hadn't been in on this to I wouldn't have put it past her." Thea responds.

"What?! you were…"

"So. Here to discuss dinner right?" Sin speaks up with a smile before Slade can say anything else vicious about the state of the apartment or Thea!

"Yes. We were. Roy get your ass down here we're choosing food." Thea calls, the rest of them hearing an instant thumping sound before footsteps hurrying down the steps as Roy comes into view.

"Heard food… Ohh my god it looks liked Christmas threw up in here." Roy winces upon seeing all the decorations in the room.

"You and I are on the same page for once." Slade glances at Roy approvingly.

"Ohh definitely." Roy nods, jumping onto the couch causing it to almost break.

"Wow Roy, try not to break the couch, ok?" Thea rolls her eyes at him.

"Thea. After what else has happened on this couch when you and I…"

"ROY!" All five shout in an instant to stop him from expanding on that!

"What I'm trying to say is me jumping on it, not even that powerfully. Isn't going to break it and if so. It's the couch's problem not mine." Roy shrugs his shoulders.

Oliver, Sara and Slade exchanging a nervous glance to one another.

Pretty sure they know the answer as to why Roy almost broke the couch…

Again, grateful he lives with them so they can keep an eye on him.

"Didn't you say you were going to cook tonight Ollie?" Sara glances at him.

"How about we get take out?" Oliver suggests suddenly, causing Sara and Slade to look at him with folded arms.

"Trying to get out of cooking again, kid?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him again.

"Guessing you and Sara made all the meals on the island then?" Sin queries.

"Ohh indeed. If he could have ordered take out on the island he would have." Slade smirks.

"Imagine what he'd have done if that radio really had managed to work properly." Sara sniggers back as Oliver rolls his eyes at them all as Thea, Roy and Sin begin to laugh.

"Would have saved you two those six hours you spent up a tree if we could have ordered take out on the island." Oliver points out as Slade fixes him with a glare.

"Seriously though. I wouldn't mind take out." Roy points out, also trying to stop an argument between the three, knowing if they started arguing it would be even longer before they got food and honestly, a whole lot of food and just sitting down with the five other people he lives in this apartment with would suit Roy Harper just fine!

 _Lian Yu_

 _"I told you to let me go." Is the first thing Shado says in a dangerously quiet voice after the Mirakuru, quite frankly brought her back to life after many agonizing minutes of Slade, Oliver, Sara and Harley just waiting to see what would happen._

 _They watched the blood pour from Shado's eyes, just like with Slade earlier, yet this time they just continued to wait, Slade holding her in his arms the whole time._

 _They didn't give up and rightly so as just out of the blue, she suddenly came back to life in Slade's arms._

 _The Mirakuru had worked again…_

 _Oliver had instantly just felt relief due to the circumstances leading up to this moment._

 _Slade not knowing Ivo was trying to get him to make a choice and had made it, despite Oliver's protests, which he still doubts Slade even heard and had chosen Oliver and instantly Shado was shot down…_

 _However, all four of them are silent when Shado gets to her feet and moves away from Slade, knowing what's happened to her._

 _She can feel the change, feel the drug changing everything she once was._

 _Nothing feels the same to her anymore._

 _"I told you to let me go." She simply growled at Slade._

 _"I didn't want this." She shakes her head at him._

 _"Ohh honey, you didn't have a choice." Harley starts to sudden glares from Slade, Oliver and Sara, all three afraid instantly of what she's going to say next._

 _If she's going to tell Shado what really happened…_

 _"Ivo. He'd. He'd put the Mirakuru in the bullets." She reveals as everyone looks at her incredulously._

 _"What?" Shado folds her arms in disbelief, finding that her hands are shaking._

 _"I watched him do it whilst we were walking up ahead. He didn't want to kill anyone, just wanted to find another test subject, considering Slade, you were kinda dead. So he needed a new person to test the cure on. Unfortunately, Shado that was you and he shot up with the Mirakuru he'd placed in the bullets in his gun. Ha! everyone said I was the crazy one." Harley smirks as she folds her arms._

 _"He did this to you." Oliver adds, deciding to go along with Harley's creativity despite how utterly terrible it truly is, Ivo is decidedly that insane that this is in fact believable._

 _"He did…" Shado trails off as she looks right at the four of them before off into the distance._

 _Slade, Oliver, Sara and Harley exchanging a knowing look of caution with one another as Shado turns back to face the four._

 _"And he's going to suffer."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, I'm sorry it's been such a long wait for this update but literally I think this chapter is cursed I did several rewrites of it multiple times it just wasn't going great at all and it probably still isn't that good but thanks all for reading. So yes. The season 2 villain has been revealed to be Shado, well done to all of you who guessed this a long time ago and thank you all for your follows, favorites and reviews. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter if you can, see you all next update :)**


	99. Blast Radius (1)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter Ninety Nine**_

 _Starling City: Night_

In the dark of a plain old night in Starling City a car races down a street, tires squealing as it goes at a rapid pace, whilst two motorcycles approach it, rode by the three vigilantes.

Seeing the three vigilantes from a distance away, the car begins to race toward them, the man driving it pulling out a gun and shooting at said vigilantes.

The Arrow merely dismounts his motorcycle and shoots a single arrow at the car, causing said arrow to explode instantly, causing the man to lose control of the car and swerve off the road it's on, car flipping over until it's on its roof.

The three vigilantes walk toward it, the Arrow placing another arrow in his bow, The Man In The Mask, his sword outstretched as they approach the car, only to see that the driver is no longer in the car and is racing away from the scene.

Taking a route from above, the three vigilantes chase after the man, only to have to duck several times to avoid the gunshots the man shoots at them.

Out of bullets, the man scrambles around for more yet is shot by an arrow that causes him to be flipped upside down and as the three vigilantes jump down from their vantage point, the rope strings him up by his feet.

Yet when reaching the ground, the Black Canary tugs on the rope to pull the man down far enough for The Man In The Mask to grab him.

"The man in the skull mask. Who is he?!" He snarls.

"Who is he?" The Arrow snaps.

"I. I don't know." The man stumbles around on his words.

"You're the biggest street dealer in the crescent circle. You know everything that goes on over there." The Black Canary growls.

"Who is he?!" The Man In The Mask snarls again.

"I ain't seen the guy before! A skull mask, are you freaking kidding me? Come on, guys. I'm still on parole!" He protests.

"Not anymore." The Man In The Mask snarls before almost running him through.

"What are you doing!" Both the Arrow snaps as he catches The Man In The Mask's arm before he can kill the guy, who the Arrow simply knocks out as The Man In The Mask pulls out of the Arrow's grasp, storming away into the dark.

"Another dead end."

 _The Foundry_

"A spokesman for the Central City mayor's office confirmed the lack of any damage or radioactive fallout from the explosion that rocked STAR Labs five weeks ago." The report Diggle is watching says as he hears the door opening.

"What the hell was that out there!" Oliver snaps at Slade the minute the three enter The Foundry, anger evident on each of their faces.

"Well welcome back guys." Diggle sighs.

"He was a useless low life with nothing for us. Nothing again." Slade grumbles.

"We don't kill anymore Slade, you know that!" Sara folds her arms.

"What, Slade killed the guy?" Diggle spins around in an instant.

"Unfortunately somebody got in my way. I would never do that again if I were you. Don't forget who taught you how to fight, kid!" Slade snarls at Oliver who folds his arms.

"What?! Gonna run me through to!" Oliver snaps.

"Guys, whoa. Cool it!" Diggle gets up instantly as he sees the three glaring at one another.

"I take it didn't go to well." He says once Slade has stormed off to put his weapons away, which Oliver, Sara and Diggle are all grateful to see!

"No. Is Felicity not back yet?" Oliver questions due to notable absence of their blonde IT girl.

"She said she wanted to spend a few more days with Barry." Diggle reminds them.

"Of course that's where she is. We're going to need a new IT expert at this rate. First she gets herself arrested and now she's off swanning around in Central City because some moron decided to get himself hit by lighting!"

"Slade!" Both Oliver and Sara snap simultaneously.

"Ok you need to calm down." Diggle suggests.

"You're not going to get anywhere with that." Sara sighs at Diggle as they watch as Slade moves toward The Salmon Ladder.

"This whole Mirakuru things really got him spooked." Diggle muses.

"Tell us about it." Sara says with a brief roll of her eyes.

"You don't have to live with him." Oliver adds.

"Literally the only good thing that has come out of this is that he and Isabel have stopped sleeping together." Sara sighs quietly.

"One day the three of you are going to come clean as to what happened with the Mirakuru on the island that's caused him to freak like this." Diggle glances at them to silence.

"No time soon I'm guessing." He adds as Sara tilts her head to the side.

"Is their any improvement in Barry's condition?" She asks softly.

"Still comatose." Diggle shakes his head.

"So how exactly did it go out there tonight?" He adds.

"Same as every other pointer conversation we have with these low life's in crescent circle, other than Slade nearly killing the guy this time!" Oliver mutters as he moves to put his bow away as Slade finally jumps down from The Salmon Ladder.

"Nobody has seen a man in a skull mask." He mutters.

"But he's still out there." Sara sighs.

"Guys, for the last five weeks, you three have pushed yourself pretty hard looking for this guy and I think it's starting to get to…"

"HE HAS THE MIRAKURU!" Slade bellows at him, all patience gone as Diggle simply holds his hands up in surrender as Slade begins to pace the room, running a hand through his hair.

"You saw what it took to kill one guy who had been injected." Oliver says in a calmer voice.

"We practically had to drop a building on him…"

"Imagine ten or a hundred. Imagine a thousand!" Slade snaps, cutting Sara off.

"You three said Roy was injected." Diggle starts carefully, unsure of all three vigilantes state of mind right now.

"Yeah." Oliver snaps.

"And again I'm grateful he lives with us." Sara folds her arms.

"I've just never seen you three spooked like this before. I mean he looks like he's on a verge of a mental breakdown!" Diggle points out quietly so only Oliver and Sara can hear, with a glance at Slade.

Oliver looks Diggle straight in the eye before replying.

"Then that should tell you something then."

 _Lian Yu_

 _The five had walked away from the glade in silence._

 _It was daylight when they'd finally stopped moving._

 _The all just needed to get away from that place._

 _Slade and Shado had walked on a head in silence._

 _"We should stop for a minute." Slade's voice had broken through the silence when they were practically at the top of a hill._

 _Oliver notices that it is said hill where he buried his father…_

 _"Good idea." Shado murmurs before moving away from the group to stand elsewhere, glancing down at her trembling hands._

 _She used to feel at peace, almost connected with nature._

 _All those feelings are gone._

 _There's only emptiness, rage, but still love and care for the three people she's with._

 _Everything else just feels empty for Shado._

 _Her hatred for Ivo only intensifies…_

 _Sara glances worriedly at her friend before looking over to where Slade stands, alive._

 _Only hours ago he'd be dead. Her friend died in front of her._

 _Yet now he's here, alive and well._

 _Both he and Shado are._

 _"Slade." She whispers, yet instead of saying anything else when he turns to face her, she moves quickly towards him and wraps her arms around him to Slade's somewhat surprise._

 _"I thought you were dead. I thought we'd never see you again." She whispers basically what everyone of them is thinking about Slade currently._

 _"I'm a'right now Sara." He murmurs back as she releases him before moving over to Oliver, whom is looking at the grave._

 _"Hey Ollie." She says softly, whilst entwining her fingers with his._

 _"Hey." He murmurs as she rests against his good arm._

 _Other shoulder still shot up and bleeding heavily, the immense pain hasn't at all gone away._

 _Yet Oliver accepts it, he probably deserves it for what happened back there…_

 _"I'm gonna go talk to Shado." She says quietly before moving away, Oliver still glancing down at the pebbles in front of him before dizziness overcomes him and he all but collapses if it wasn't for Harley at his side holding him up._

 _"Ollie what's wrong?" She asks as she catches him._

 _"I'm okay, I'm okay. Just my shoulder." He murmurs._

 _"Yikes." Harley winces at the sight of the blood as Oliver moves away from her, moving to glance at it when someone catches his good arm._

 _"Want me to take a look at that for ya, kid?" Slade mutters, Oliver looking about to say something when he almost collapses again._

 _"Take that as a yes." Slade murmurs as he leads Oliver toward a log, which the two sit on._

 _"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch for doing this to you." Slade snarls as he examines the rather messy bullet wound in Oliver's shoulder._

 _"I'm gonna leave pieces of him all over this island for what he did to all of us!" He growls angrily, grabbing one of his knives from his pocket._

 _"Can you still move your fingers?" Slade mutters at him as Oliver nods and to prove it, painfully clenches his fingers around Slade's wrist._

 _"I thought we'd lost you." He murmurs, the realization that Slade is in fact alive and here and still with them after coming basically back to life hitting him in an instant._

 _His relief indescribable to see the man he's grateful to call a friend alive right now._

 _"You should know this already, kid. It's not too easy to get rid of me." He points out before tapping Oliver on the good shoulder._

 _"Sorry, kid. This is really gonna hurt." He informs him just before he digs the knife into the bullet wound, causing Oliver to cry out in ultimate agony._

 _"Ollie!" Sara cries, racing back toward him upon hearing his cries, only to see Slade digging the bullet out of his arm._

 _"I'm ok." Oliver calls through his cries of pain._

 _"Yeah you sound it!" Sara folds her arms._

 _"Might want to leave us to it. This might take a while." Slade muses as Sara looks at Oliver, eyes with deep worry before moving back to where Shado stands, noticing that she's taken her green hood off and is holding it in her hands._

 _"Nearly there, kid." Slade says quietly to Oliver after several more agonizing minutes of digging the bullet out of his arm, to which Oliver continues to cry out in pain._

 _"Got it." He mutters as Oliver sighs out in relief, still deeply in pain, but glad that's over and done with._

 _"Need to pray that doesn't get infected." Slade muses as Oliver rolls his eyes._

 _"Stay seated. You've lost a lot of blood." He suggests as he gets up to look for something to cover the wound with._

 _"Slade." Oliver murmurs, reaching out with his good hand to grasp Slade's wrist._

 _"What? Not going to pass out are ya?" He raises an eyebrow at him._

 _"No. Well not sure but I. I need to tell you something. It's really important." Oliver whispers._

 _Knowing what he needs to tell Slade._

 _The truth. Nothing but the truth right now._

 _"What is it?" Slade replies as Oliver tugs on his arm so he sits back down again._

 _"What do you. What do you remember when the Mirakuru revived you?" Oliver asks softly as Slade glances at him._

 _"Well. I was in the sub, got blood in my eyes. It's all a bit of a blur really. Got out, found you four. I can remember fighting, remember seeing that son of a bitch Ivo with that damned gun to your head. You were bleeding. I could hear you screaming in pain..." He trails off._

 _"Anything else?" Oliver asks softly._

 _"It's all a bit of a haze I'm afraid, kid." Slade murmurs._

 _"When you. When you died. Ivo took the four of us out of the sub and into the clearing. He held Harley to him and he put both Sara and Shado on their knees in front of me. He pulled out a gun and told me I had to make a choice. Sara or Shado. He'd shoot the one I didn't chose. Gave me a countdown. It was an impossible choice, Slade. I. I couldn't make that choice. Sara is the woman I'm in love with and I love her more than anything else in the world but if I'd chosen her I'd have murdered one of the only true friends I have here because he would have just killed Shado. I was coward. I didn't choose anyone Slade. I just knelt down before Ivo, perhaps hoping he'd just shoot me but then Harley, she pulled out a gun and she shot at Ivo, failed to kill him and he shot me though the shoulder. I couldn't move. I just lay there as Shado, Sara and Harley fought back. Then, they you were there and I think Ivo knew he could manipulate the situation or something and he pulled me up from the floor and put the gun to my head. He made… He put the choice in your hands. Me or Shado and I tried. I tried to get through to you. Tried to get to listen and tell you there was a choice so you could make the right one. So you could save Shado but Ivo kept digging his fingers into my shoulder you heard me cry out in pain. You were in a haze as you said and that's all you could here so you. You. You chose me and he shot her because of that. Because he thought you'd made a choice and in reality you hadn't. You didn't even know what was going on and I'm so. I'm so sorry Slade." Oliver finishes, noticing the dark look in Slade's eyes that has only intensified with every word Oliver had spoken._

 _"There was a choice." He snarls in a vicious tone._

 _"Slade…"_

 _"I appreciate your honesty." Slade grumbles quietly, dangerously quietly as he gets to his feet, Oliver attempting to join him but Slade pushes him back down._

 _"I said stay seated." He growls as he turns away from Oliver, thoughts running wild through his head._

 _"I'm so sorry." Oliver says again._

 _"Stop." Slade snarls, turning back to Oliver._

 _"Apologising. You told me the truth and I am grateful for that. Honesty is all I want. You're not a coward, kid. You could have chosen Sara. The woman you love without even thinking about Shado. You didn't and you say you tried to get though to me is that right?" He glances to Oliver whom nods._

 _"Yeah I did. I wanted you to make the right choice."_

 _"But I didn't hear you and that's my problem. That son of a bitch did that to her because of what I did. I was too wrapped up the Mirakuru to hear reason. I appreciate that you tried to get through to me, kid and again for telling me the truth about all this." Slade says sternly._

 _"We're partners." Oliver looks up at him. Slade says nothing._

 _"Friends." Oliver says quietly to silence from Slade._

 _"Now I must speak with Shado." He murmurs, starting to move away, when Harley, whom had been listening in to the whole conversation, moves toward them._

 _"If I were you I'd give her, her space." Harley suggests._

 _"Get out of my way." Slade snarls._

 _"We cannot lie to her. We need to tell her the truth." He mutters sharply._

 _"I agree we can't keep lying to her. We need to tell her why she got shot and that we went against her wishes and gave her the Mirakuru." Oliver says, with a look to Slade whom nods his agreement_

 _"No, not a good idea guys. Ivo did this to her. He pulled the trigger!" Harley protests._

 _"Because unintentionally I chose to save him." Slade growls._

 _"She needs to know the truth." Slade murmurs as both Oliver and Slade start to walk toward where Sara and Shado are._

 _"Wait Ollie, Slade." She reaches out toward Oliver._

 _"Get off me!" Oliver snaps as something in Slade snaps and he wraps a hand around Harley's throat, pushing her against the tree._

 _"Do not lay a hand on him." He growls as Oliver looks at him in horror._

 _"Slade, Slade stop!" He reaches out toward him only for Slade to knock him backwards, the force surprising Oliver, whom also groans in pain as Slade had pushed him in the shoulder._

 _At the sound of Oliver's groan of pain, Slade snaps out of the rage instantly, releases Harley and looks down at Oliver in the shock of what he's just done._

 _"I'm sorry, kid." He murmurs as Oliver shakes it off._

 _"All good." He says with a pained grimace._

 _"You see! You and Shado have the Mirakuru in your systems now." Harley says whilst rubbing her throat._

 _"What does that have to do with anything!" Oliver snaps through the pain as Slade joins his side, both men glaring at Harley._

 _"You're asking that after what he just did? Look the Japanese they experimented on hundreds of men working to develop Mirakuru and I was bored so I read all the research. The people who died? They were the lucky ones!" Harley exclaims with a glance at Slade._

 _"The ones who survived. They were deformed. Either their bones or their minds…"_

 _"Calling me deformed now?" Slade snarls as Oliver grabs his arm carefully as Harley sighs._

 _"Well they became someone else."_

 **Authors Note: Thanks all for reading and for all your kind reviews, follows and favourites. Next chapter should be really soon. Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you think of this chapter :)**


	100. Blast Radius (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred_**

 _District Attorney's Office_

"You two ladies summoned me here for a drink?" Adam Donner asks as he enters the office to see Laurel Lance and Cat Grant sitting at Laurel's desk, Laurel in formal wear.

"Laurel certainly looks dressed for it." He comments as Cat smirks.

"No. She has a 'meeting' with someone." Cat glances at her.

"Don't say it like that!" Laurel protests.

"I say it as I see it Laurel. I know you may be intending anything by doing this but you should make him aware of that to." Cat advises.

"Ohh we're just friends Cat. He knows I'm with Tommy." Laurel smiles.

"Hmm. Sure he does." Cat says with a glance at Donner, whom looks at Laurel with a smile.

"What are you working on?" He questions politely.

"Something to do with Sebastian Blood." Laurel responds plainly.

"AKA the next mayor of Starling City." Donner nods.

"Well maybe he shouldn't be." Laurel retorts.

"What does that mean?" Both Donner and Cat glance at her.

"I've just been doing some investigating. Blood had a connection to the Langford Psychiatric Institute. The one that burnt down under very mysterious circumstances." Laurel reveals to both Cat and Donner's surprise, as whilst Cat had been with Laurel throughout most the day, she hadn't realised that this is what her friends been working on.

"Do the police suspect arson?" Donner frowns.

"No. They're saying that it's inconclusive. But Blood also knew Cyrus Gold. The man that shot and killed four police officers." Laurel reveals.

"Laurel where are you going this?" Donner says, a cautious tone in his voice.

"Yes. I would like to know the answer to that as well." Cat adds as whilst she was a little concerned before about what Laurel was doing this evening and with whom, she is even more concerned now!

"I don't know but I do have to go. I'm going to be late and I need to make a phone call to a friend. I'll see you tomorrow Cat." Laurel smiles at her kindly before getting to her feet.

"So who's the lucky guy?" Donner questions with a smile.

"Sebastian Blood." Laurel smirks determinedly as she exits the office.

"Are you concerned or is it just me?" Donner glances to Cat once Laurel has gone. Cat sighs as she folds her arms.

"Beyond."

 _Verdant_

"He is the man we need to see in the mayors office. So please, join me in our efforts to send Starling City's favourite son there." Oliver says, a glass raised high in one hand as he addresses the crowd of many people at the club tonight.

"To Sebastian Blood! Sebastian for Starling." Oliver beams to cheers and applause as Sebastian Blood himself moves toward Oliver.

"Thank you Oliver and not just for your support, but also for your friendship." He beams at Oliver and Sara, whom now stand side by side on the sidelines.

"And thank you all for coming." He addresses the crowd.

"You know when Oliver calls me a son of a Starling City. It feels like the literal truth. I was a street orphan and this city raised me as one of its own. I am the man that I am today because of my Starling City family. So it's time that I start to give back." He nods with a raise of his own glass.

"So thank you all for your support." He says to more cheers and applause as everyone raises their glasses to him as he heads toward none other than Laurel, putting an arm around her shoulders with a beaming smile.

"What is going on there?" Oliver looks to Sara.

"Beats me." Sara says with folded arms as Thea approaches them.

"Nice speech Ollie. Who knew you cared so much about politics?" Thea frowns.

"Well, I care about the city and Sebastian has become something of a friend to Sara and I." Oliver responds as Thea chuckles.

"He's got a way of doing that apparently and I loved how you just said, 'Sara and I'. I take it Slade hates him, thinks he's a bore should I go on?" Thea goes on.

"Yeah Slade doesn't exactly…" Sara trails off.

"He's hates the guy." Thea smirks as she looks around.

"Where is he anyway?" She asks as Oliver and Sara glance to one another before glancing around the club.

"That's a really good question." Oliver responds, glancing around again.

"Well he hates Blood. We've just established that. I mean that's why Roy ain't here right now either. He doesn't exactly like the guy either." Thea smiles.

"Speaking of which, how is Roy doing?" Oliver questions kindly.

"Handsome, brooding, the usual. You know you could just have a friendly conversation with him. We all live together after all." Thea nudges him before frowning.

"Has he done something stupid or something I don't know about?" She folds her arms.

"No. It's just we were concerned. His idol put an arrow in him and we just wanted to make sure there wasn't any lingering issues." Sara smiles as Thea freezes.

"Ohh my god. Now that I think about it. You know, he did something completely out of character this morning." Thea says with a fearful look on her face causing Oliver and Sara to look at her in instant shock and concern.

"What?" They both say simultaneously.

"He showed up for work on time." Thea smiles as Oliver and Sara begin to laugh with her.

"But seriously. He won't bite, if you want to talk to him he's actually kinda approachable and even though he won't admit it he likes you two." Thea adds.

"Are you sure that's not just because we house him?" Oliver frowns.

"No, because he actually enjoys all the meals we have together and the company even though I still think he's still scared by Slade sometimes. Yet don't tell him I said that." Thea chuckles as Moria reaches the three.

"Thea. Oh it's. It's just wonderful!" She beams.

"Proud to do my civic duty." Thea smiles.

"No I'm the one who's proud. You've taken Oliver, Slade and Tommy's hobby and turned it into a successful business." Moria beams at them all again.

"Hobby?" Oliver mutters indignantly.

"Oh sweetheart." Moria laughs lightly as she embraces her son before heading away with Thea, leaving Oliver with Sara.

"Hobby!" Oliver exclaims the minute she's gone.

"Hey. I think you, Slade and Tommy did a great job with this place. I mean I still work here don't I?" Sara smiles up at Oliver.

"Shouldn't you be working now?" He glances at her.

"Thea gave my shift to someone else for this evening so I could enjoy the political festivities." Sara says with a roll of her eyes as she takes both Oliver's hands in hers, leaning up to kiss him tenderly.

"Oliver, Sara." Comes the voice of Sebastian Blood as Oliver and Sara break apart to see both Sebastian and Laurel behind them.

"Thank you so much for your kind words." Sebastian takes Oliver's hand pulling him into a friendly embrace.

"I'm just speaking the truth." Oliver smiles as he pulls back to hug Sara.

"I'm really glad the three of us have found friendship. I know we had a rough beginning and that rough beginning incidentally caused that horrible instant..." He glances with remorse in his eyes to Sara.

"That I can apologies enough for." He glances to them both.

"Ohh I blame the angry mob." Sara smiles back as Sebastian and Laurel both chuckle at her comment as Laurel leans forward to hug her sister.

"Where's Slade?" She queries.

"Still trying to figure that one out." Oliver responds with another smile to cover up the fact he actually really doesn't know where Slade is right now.

He'd left The Foundry earlier and hadn't come back and Oliver is certain both he and Sara mentioned this event but, due to the fact Slade deeply dislikes Sebastian and doesn't really cover that fact up and due to his rather, almost dangerous mood he was in earlier. It might actually not be a bad thing that he's not in attendance.

Yet his absence still causes concern for both Oliver and Sara as it makes them wonder where's he's actually gotten to and with the mood he was in…

Oliver and Sara are concerned to say the least!

"Oh forgive me, a friend just walked in." Sebastian says, pulling Oliver and Sara out of their thoughts as Sebastian smiles at them all one last time before heading elsewhere, leaving only Oliver, Sara and Laurel.

"Hey." Laurel takes no haste into pulling them both into a tight embrace.

"Glad you could come. I mean what with the kids." Oliver says in a quiet tone.

"Ohh Sebastian invited me here and my babysitter was thankfully available for the night." Laurel responds with a smile.

"Yes. I heard the two of you have been spending a lot of time together." Oliver responds with folded arms.

"We're just friends. I'm still with Tommy and when he eventually wakes up I want to accept that proposal and be his wife." Laurel replies confidently, fingers going to the ring around her neck.

"Does Sebastian know that?" Sara asks quietly.

"He knows Tommy's still in the picture." Laurel nods.

"Know about the kids?" Oliver asks as Laurel shakes her head.

"No, of course not. He's a good friend but sometimes I feel like I don't know the real Sebastian." Laurel replies quickly as Sara takes her hand.

"Are you okay sis?" She asks gently as Laurel squeezes her fingers back.

"I know the last five weeks have been tough what with your friend going missing. Is there any news on the professor?" Oliver questions as Laurel looks to him sadly.

He refers to one of the major events that has happened during the five weeks.

The sudden and mysterious disappearance of Professor Martin Stein.

After he returned to Central City he just vanished.

No one knows what happened to him, if he'd even made it to Central City and quite a few people assumes the worst…

"No. No. I. I talked to his wife, Clarissa today again. Still nothing. If I didn't have work and the kids I'd be down there right now." Laurel says in a quiet voice, sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sure they'll find him." Oliver says reassuringly.

"Yeah I hope so. You know he. He was one of the people who was just there for me. He just cared so much and I…" Laurel stops, another sad look crossing her eyes.

"We'll find him." She nods quickly.

"We'll find him." She says again as she turns away from the cautious looks Oliver and Sara are giving her.

She prays more than anything that they find him and soon because Laurel really doesn't know what she'd do if she lost another person she cares about.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Long time no see." Comes a familiar drawl from behind him as Slade turns around from where he's sat at a random bar someplace in Starling City to see Leonard Snart standing behind him.

"Leonard." Slade mutters in greeting as Leonard sits down on the stool beside him.

"So what's wrong with you? Fell out with your partner to?" Leonard glances at him.

"No yet by your tone of voice. I take it either Lisa or Mick have done something." Slade glances at him boredly.

"The latter." Leonard mutters back.

"This going to be one of our don't ask occasions?" Slade wonders.

"Ohh no I'm gonna tell you. That mission we went on? Went south." Leonard replies coldly.

"Lisa a'right?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Ohh yes we all survived it. Yet due to my idiotic ex partner we all very nearly didn't." Leonard grumbles before rolling his eyes.

"Funny thing is, he's the worst off out of all of us." Leonard comments.

"How so?" Slade queries.

"There was a fire. Mick very much likes fire, got a bit carried a way and has received some rather nasty burns. He deserved every single one of those burns." Leonard mutters before saying with a roll of his eyes.

"What made matters worse is that the loot we managed to get from the job got snatched from us by some crazy lady in black."

Slade frowns at him in almost complete disbelief.

"Sara?"

"No, not that kind of woman in black. This was a different one. This one I do believe was a monster." Leonard informs him.

"A monster?" Slade glances at Leonard, whom takes another swig from his drink.

"I call it as I see it. This whatever it was. Snatched the loot right from under our noses and disappeared before Lisa and I could do anything about it. Scaled a building right across from us and vanished. Just like that. Either one crazy acrobat or something monstrous." Leonard explains as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"I think acrobat is more believable Leonard." Slade smirks.

"Hmm I ain't sure." Leonard responds before glancing to Slade.

"So what's getting you down? Queen, the hot blonde?"

"It's a long story." Slade murmurs.

"Have time if you want to explain it to me." Leonard replies.

"Best not."

"Hey. Partners in crime, remember?" Leonard says with a smirk.

"This is. This is different." Slade mutters.

"How so?" Leonard asks.

"Different as in the past is coming back to haunt me different." He murmurs back.

"What can I do to help?" Leonard smirks again.

"Stay out of it to keep yourself out of certain danger." Slade responds sharply.

"Slade…"

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time I told you to stay out of it and you and Lisa almost ended up getting yourselves killed in The Undertaking?" Slade retorts. Leonard sighs before nodding.

"You have a point Wilson but if this is as dangerous as you say. You may benefit from a criminals insight." Leonard smiles.

"Normally I'd agree, considering criminals are what myself, Oliver and Sara are hunting down for answers, yet there's recently been a conflict of interest." He mumbles.

"Conflict of interest? So I was right. You have had a disagreement with Queen and Sara." Leonard guesses and its furtherly confirmed when Slade says nothing in response for several minutes before continuing with what he'd been saying before.

"Despite the fact you are a criminal. You are also my friend and I would not want any harm to befall you from getting involved in this." Slade responds plainly.

"And you're mine and with Mick out of the picture. I'm a crew member down. The jobs yours if you want it." He smirks.

"I cannot believe you just asked me that." Slade rolls his eye at Leonard.

"Why not? I trust you. Me, you and Lisa. We'd be unstoppable and you look miserable here. A good heist is always a great cure for that." He smiles.

"I should be putting you behind bars, ya know that right?" Slade retorts.

"You wouldn't."

Slade simply shakes his head at him in disbelief.

"Come on! The past is coming back to haunt you and you're not on good terms with Queen and Sara. What's keeping you in this godforsaken city any more? Join me and Lisa in a rewarding life of crime and if it pleases you, you don't even have to steal. Just be our back up, you're one hellva fighter Wilson." Leonard smirks to just a glance from Slade.

"If you change your mind. You know how to contact me or Lisa. She's stopping by later. She's missed you." Leonard smirks as he gets to his feet, passing Slade and stopping.

"But seriously. Wanna join us. Offers always open."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Freedom." A voice in the darkness whispers.

"Liberty. Justice. Long have the people of this city suffered under the shackles of a corrupt government…" A man speaks, hands on the wheel of his car.

"Slaves to self interested politicians and their lobbyist puppeteers. I declare war on them all." He finishes with a press of a simple button.

A building in front of him explodes into flames and smithereens…

 _A Bar In Starling City_

Slade sits alone after Leonard's departure, thoughts running through his head at a rapid pace of current events.

It really would be so simple to just join Leonard and Lisa and run away from the past.

Yet he's Slade Wilson and he never runs away from anything.

Never has. Never will.

"Wilson. Fancy seeing you here." A familiar deep voice calls.

"You just missed Leonard." Slade responds, seeing it to be Mick Rory.

"Have I now? Excellent." Mick smiles as he takes a seat beside Slade.

"So what's Snart been saying about me?" He questions.

"Informed me of how your mission didn't exactly go to plan." Slade retorts.

"Did he. Guess he also told you that the two of us are done." He mutters.

"Definitely implied it." Slade murmurs, turning around in his seat to face Mick.

"Yet that was his side of the story. You gonna tell me yours now?" Slade glances at him, noticing the thick white bandages poking out of Mick's sleeves.

"There was fire. I like fire. It's all a bit of a blur. Something got in my way. I doubt you'll believe me." Mick responds plainly.

"Considering I've only just had Leonard recount his version of events which apparently included an acrobatic monster in black. That what got in your way?" Slade questions a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Snart mentioned that at the time but no. I saw fire and something green. Looked like a plant of some kind. Can't remember much but the fire burning after that." Mick replies.

"So let me get this straight. Leonard and Lisa were attacked by an acrobatic monster and you were apprehended by a plant?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him incredulously.

"Sounds about right. Crazy right?" Mick smirks.

"Hm never been apprehended by a plant before but I've seen my fair share of things that had defied explanation." Slade responds.

"Anyway. Mission went to hell and Snart and I are done. He tried to recruit you yet?"

"Yes." Slade replies.

"You joining him?" Mick queries.

"Didn't give him much of an answer. It would be a good way to escape from my issues here but I don't run away from inevitable fights that loom." Slade mutters.

"Fights? What's going on Wilson?" Mick asks, intrigued by the word fight.

"Something that should be long destroyed has returned to this city. The three of us are trying to find out information to seek the brains behind this operation. It's not going well." He mutters gruffly.

"Surprised. Saw how good you are in a fight. Figured you'd probably terrorise people to get what you want? You know, leave a trail of bodies behind. Someone's going to speak up eventually." Mick smirks.

"Well that's the thing. The three of us decided on a no kill rule, well Oliver did. I was always skeptical about it but we've followed it apart from some dire circumstances where we needed to kill someone. Honestly. I think this is one of those circumstances." Slade mutters darkly as Mick moves to face him.

"Agreed. What you need Wilson is good old fashioned revenge. You want to go out there and kill a bunch of guys to get your information you go do that. Don't concern yourself with what a guy like Queen wants you to do and if you want a hand in going after the guys I'll join you for sure." Mick smirks as he takes a swig from his bottle. Slade looking at him gratefully.

"Queen's a tool." Mick mutters

"Sooner you realise that the better."

 _The Foundry_

"Was there anyone in the building?" Sara questions as she races down the stairs of The Foundry with Oliver and Diggle, each of them having heard of the explosion of a building in Starling City.

"Cleaning crew and a group of bankers working out a late night dead." Diggle responds to them grimly.

"Can you patch us into police and fire?" Oliver queries, hearing The Foundry door slamming shut, both he and Sara turning to see Slade walking briskly down the steps.

"Where have you been all night?" Sara questions the minute he reaches them.

"No where that concerns either of you. Heard about the explosion on the news. Know what we're dealing with yet?" He asks to blank expressions from both Oliver and Sara.

"I'm on it." Diggle responds, moving toward the computer with a sigh as he types.

"Apparently a cleaning crew and bunch of bankers were in the building." Sara sighs.

"Diggle's trying to patch us in to police and fire." Oliver adds.

"Yeah trying to do that." Diggle murmurs, several moments passing whilst Diggle types, whilst the three begin to get a little angsty.

"Diggle." Slade starts sharply.

"Hey man, this is not my thing." He holds his hands up in surrender.

"Of course not." Slade growls as Diggle finally manages to connect.

"It's too hot. We're falling back." One man yells from the computer.

"You've still got people on the fifth floor." Another yells.

"Can't get up there! Everything's blocked!" The man responds as in The Foundry, Oliver, Sara and Slade race toward their weapons…

 _Starling City_

The building is engulfed with powerful flames.

Flames that the water the firemen are spraying at it aren't even touching.

In the building a woman races through the burning building, crying out of help, only to walk into the path of the three vigilantes.

"Gary's still back there!" She cries to them.

"Get to safety." The Black Canary says to her as the three vigilantes race into building, finding a man trapped beneath part of the building that the Arrow and The Man In The Mask lift of the person trapped.

The Arrow trying not to think back to The Undertaking when it was Tommy trapped beneath a building on the verge of collapsing…

"Give me your hand." The Arrow says to the person trapped as he sees part of the ceiling is about to cave in, the person does so and The Arrow and the Black Canary help him up, the three vigilantes racing toward safety as the building continues to cave in.

"Thank you." The person says to the three vigilantes, whom disappear before he can even say another word…

 _Meanwhile…_

On a rooftop across from the burning building is where the three vigilantes stand, looking at it in disgust and wonder in what's caused it.

Or most likely, who's caused this…

"Can't stand here watching this all night." The Man In The Mask grumbles as he heads off across the rooftop.

The Arrow and the Black Canary glance to one another anxiously for a moment before following their partner…

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Do you think he's going to tell her?" Sara whispers to Oliver as they walk hand in hand through the forest as Slade and Shado walk up ahead._

 _"I don't know." Oliver replies honestly._

 _"He really shouldn't. The Mirakuru won't make her react well to the news." Harley cuts in._

 _"They love each other. That might over power the Mirakuru." Sara suggests._

 _"Yeah and the man she loves chose his friend over her." Harley murmurs._

 _"He didn't know what he was doing." Sara sighs._

 _"Because he would've chosen her if he was aware." Oliver says with a sigh of his own._

 _"Of course he would. I mean I'm still surprised you didn't just chose Sara when Ivo offered you the choice in the first place." Harley points out._

 _"It wasn't that simple." Oliver murmurs._

 _"Why wasn't it? If it had been Slade in your position and he'd been aware he'd chose that Shado girl over both of you." Harley points out before adding._

 _"I mean he's obviously regretting saving you Ollie."_

 _"Hey!" Sara snaps._

 _"What? I say it as I see it." Harley shrugs._

 _"Can you two just…" Oliver stops as he sees Slade and Shado nod at one another before both heading in one direction, Shado holding her hand out toward Slade._

 _Either Slade's told her and she's forgiven him because, as Sara said. They love each other._

 _Or Slade hasn't told her…_

 _"Hey." Oliver calls to them, jogging over best he can with his wounded shoulder._

 _Slade knocks him aside._

 _"Hey, you two okay?" Oliver says again as they both walk a little more ahead before stopping and turning back to face Oliver and Sara._

 _"Where are you going?" Sara asks softly._

 _"To the plane. To get geared up." Shado all but snarls._

 _"For what?" Sara asks in a gentle voice again._

 _Oliver doesn't think Slade has told her._

 _"Ivo is still out there." Slade snarls himself._

 _"We've going to find him." Shado adds._

 _"And when we do I'm going to cut pieces out of him." Slade finishes._

 _"Guys, you can't. Ivo had a ship full of men, of killers and I don't care what you did before Slade. You two can't take them all out. The only place here is to found safe ground and wait him out." Harley suggests, appearing behind Oliver and Sara._

 _"Of course she would say that." Shado mutters._

 _"You were working for him." She hisses both she and Slade beginning to advance on Harley._

 _"You're probably still working for him!" Slade bellows, pushing her back._

 _"Hey, hey!" Oliver grabs him pushing him away from Harley, yet looking concernedly at his clearly distressed friend._

 _"She's not." Oliver says softly._

 _"Would you be saying that if she was a man? If she didn't look like some kind of stripper!" Shado snarls as Sara races toward her friend._

 _"Shado. Hey calm down." She says carefully._

 _"Get out of my way, kid." Slade snarls at Oliver._

 _"Do as he says Oliver." Shado snaps as Sara rests a hand on her arm, only for Shado to push her away from her._

 _"Look you need to just take it easy…" Oliver starts as he rests his hand on Slade's arm._

 _"Leave him alone." Shado snarls, throwing Oliver against a tree as Slade advances on him, all patience gone, beyond gone as he wraps his fingers tightly around Oliver's throat, easily lifting him off the ground as he begins to choke the life out of him._

 _"I said…" Slade snarls as Sara tries to get to her feet, only for Shado to knock her back down again and when she does manage to get up, Shado secures her tightly as Slade continues to strangle Oliver._

 _"Get. Out. Of. Our. Way."_

 _Queen Consolidated_

"You guys okay?" Diggle asks as Oliver and Slade step into their office at Queen Consolidated.

"Long night." Oliver sighs in explanation.

"Yeah news report said the bomber didn't steal any money." He adds

"I think this guy just wants to make a statement." Diggle mutters as he hands Oliver and Slade a tablet.

"That went online an hour ago. His manifesto, three hundred pages of anti government hate. You guys think this psychos any way connected to our psycho in the skull mask?" Diggle asks carefully as Slade gives him a death glare.

"This guy has a completely separate agenda. He's a lone wolf but we need to find him before he finds his next target." Oliver hands the tablet back to Diggle.

"I'd start with the bomb. Everyone's unique. Maybe we can get some kind of signature on the guy but the bomb residue is with the SCPD." Diggle sighs as the door opens.

"Queen. Wilson. You guys have a visitor. Remind me again why I accepted the job of being you guys assistant?" Sin questions boredly from the door.

"Because you know how we spend our nights. You live with us and it was Sara's idea. Take it up with her." Oliver explains.

"You know, Queen. Considering she's your girlfriend. Why didn't you get Sara to do this job?" Sin folds her arms.

"She refused it. Prefers her job at Verdant." Oliver reminds her.

"At least you're paying me more money than I've ever seen before in my entire life." Sin grumbles as Oliver and Diggle smile at her.

"You said we had a visitor?" Slade mutters.

"Yeah." Sin smiles before glancing toward Felicity Smoak, whom stands beside her.

"So you're my replacement." Felicity smiles at Sin.

"Unfortunately but I'll say it again, I'm getting paid." Sin smirks as she heads off toward the desk that used to be Felicity's, yet is now hers.

"Felicity." Oliver smiles at her widely.

"Hey guys." She beams, noticing immediately that Slade doesn't even really look at her.

"Heard what you guys were saying, fortunately we have an in with one of the officers at the department." She smiles.

"I thought you were staying in Central City for a few more days?" Slade finally addresses her. She nods.

"I got a news alert about the bombing. Caught the first train out this morning."

"Good. We need you here how's Barry?" Oliver smiles reassuringly as at the mention of Barry, Slade just rolls his eye and heads out of the office, seemingly striking up a conversation with Sin.

"Ah, he's still sleeping. I prefer sleeping to coma. Cause coma sounds, you know. Not fun." Felicity looks down sadly.

"I'm sure he'll wake up. Sara will be glad to hear he's still alive at least." Oliver nods, placing a hand on his friends shoulder, as Felicity looks to him and Diggle.

"Speaking of not fun. I know we don't exactly have the friendship we used to but. Is he okay?" She glances out of the window toward Slade to sighs from Oliver and Diggle.

"Verge of a mental breakdown." Diggle mutters under his breath.

"Diggle." Oliver glances at him.

"What Oliver. I say it as I see it." Diggle shrugs as Felicity just looks anxiously at them.

"Ok. So so you want me to reach out to detective Lance? Or is Sara gonna do that?" She asks them, honestly just wanting to focus on anything else…

 _Starling City_

Accepting a file from a woman passing by his desk, Sebastian Blood looks up and smiles as he sees Laurel Lance entering his office.

"Hey." He beams wildly.

"Do we have a lunch today?" He questions.

"No. I was just in the neighbourhood. Thought I'd stop by to see my friend, but if this is a bad time. I mean, I can always come back." Laurel smiles back.

"Oh no, not at all. They're still setting up out there." Sebastian says with a wave of his hand.

"Wow. This is pretty impressive for a street orphan." She glances around.

"Are you suggesting I spread it on a bit too thick last night?" Sebastian wonders.

"No. It's just…" She stops as he gets to his feet.

"Laurel, if there's something in your mind give it voice. I don't bite, I promise." He walks toward her.

"You know my father's with the department?" She starts.

"Yes." He nods.

"He said the suspect that he was investigating when he and his partner were attacked was a man named Cyrus Gold." She says quietly as Sebastian sits down again.

"Cyrus Gold… Was a preacher at the orphanage where I was raised. Cyrus was a very good friend to me. Like an older brother. Or even a father figure to be honest. He was the first person I said a word to and this was after a month of not speaking at all." He admits as Laurel looks at him sadly.

"You talk a lot about being an orphan but you don't talk about your parents." He looks down at Laurel's words.

"Did you know them?"

"My father was a very unhappy man. One night he came home soaked in whiskey. He lost his job again so he broke her arm. I tried to stop him but he threw me off and the next thing I saw was my mother holding my father's gun in her hand and I watched her shoot him. She panicked, ran and was gone before the police even arrived. It was the last time I saw my parents." Sebastian admits to her sadly as Laurel just shakes her head.

"I'm so sorry." She whispers, feeling genuinely bad for her friend.

"I don't know. Why Cyrus's life took the turn that it did, I'm sad to say. All I know is that he helped a very young, very frightened boy find his voice again." He admits with a smile as someone knocks on the glass.

"I'm sorry. More later?" He states before departing his office, leaving Laurel there, trying to process the very sad, traumatic story he'd just told her.

Yet walking toward his desk, a piece of paper catches her eye.

A piece of paper with the address of a known mental institution on it…

 _Verdant_

A very exhausted, very bored Roy Harper lifts a bunch of boxes onto the shelf.

"Didn't hear you come in." Comes the voice of Thea from behind him.

"Yeah sorry, I got here early." Roy admits, lifting another crate.

"I just want to get these crates unpacked before lunch. You know, I still can't believe that Sin is now Oliver and Slade's assistant." He murmurs with a somewhat smirk.

"Tell me about it. Apparently she's only doing it because my brother is paying her a hellva lot of money, Sara convinced her and well she does live with us." Thea smiles as Roy turns away from her.

"Are you okay?" Thea glances at him.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just haven't really been sleeping much lately. I got a lot on my mind." He admits to her.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever's been going on with you for the last five weeks. Hell even Ollie and Sara asked if you were okay. I told them considering we all live together, they could talk to you if you want. That you don't bite." She smirks as Roy just glances at her again.

"Look, I'm fine." He murmurs.

"Ever since the Arrow shot you. You've been acting really weird Roy, with me, with everything. You barely come home anymore and I can't remember the last time I woke up in the morning and you were even in the apartment!" Thea exclaims.

"Look this isn't about the Arrow." He mutters.

"Is it me?" Thea whispers fearfully.

"Is it us?" Even more fearfully.

"Look. I really just want to get through this, okay?" He snaps.

"Ok. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Thea gets to her feet to go.

"Thea." Roy says with a sigh and walks toward her.

"You do help. Every day and honestly, right now. You're the only thing that's keeping me together." He admits truthfully to a smile from Thea.

"I do what I can."

"How did I get to be so lucky?" He shakes his head in disbelief.

"You stole my purse." She wraps her arms around his neck to his smirk and a kiss from her which he deepens, lifting her up with great ease and carrying her toward the racks, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist as they kiss, yet when they end up against the rack it collapses and glasses drop right on top of them. Roy acting quickly and throwing Thea out of the way, taking the full force of the glasses for her.

"Thea are you okay?" Roy calls to her anxiously.

"Yeah." She nods as she looks toward where Roy is sitting, a shard of glass deeply imbedded in his arm.

"Oh your arm…" Thea whispers upon seeing it.

"Thea!" Comes the voice of Sara from the door.

"I heard the crash are you all okay?" She glances to Roy and Thea anxiously, noticing the glass imbedded in Roy's arm.

"Ohh Roy." She winces walking toward him, holding her hand out toward him.

"No, no. I got it." Roy hisses as he pulls the chunk of glass out of his arm with ease.

"Um that looks really deep. It might need stitches. Um. I'm going to go downstairs and get the first aid kit, okay? Sara can you stay with him please?" Thea requests as Sara passes him a towel, holding it against his arm.

"You need you to keep pressure on it." Sara tells him as he nods.

"Thanks Sara." He murmurs as Thea races downstairs.

Yet when Thea is gone and Roy doesn't think Sara is watching, he pulls the cloth away to see really only the blood and the wound, slowly becoming smaller…

What is happening to him?

Unbeknownst to Roy, Sara is watching him and she knows what is happening to him.

And it's all because of the Mirakuru...

 _The Foundry_

Entering The Foundry, Quentin moves down the steps, having being summoned by Felicity.

"Sara?" He calls out as he walks down the steps, only to see Felicity and Sin at the computers, Diggle leaning against a table, Oliver in the centre of the room, Slade viciously attacking a dummy and no Sara.

"She's with Thea's boyfriend Roy, apparently there was some accident with glass." Oliver shrugs as Quentin nods.

"You guys do know most cops meet their informants in the backseat of a cruiser, or maybe a coffee shop, or something but I know you guys trust me but I still can't believe you just let me show up at your base like this." Quentin smiles at them.

"We trust your love for Sara." Oliver responds.

"Damn right Queen. My daughter means the world to me. I'd never expose this. Don't worry…"

"Did you bring us what we asked for?" Slade snaps.

"Nice to see you to Slade." Quentin says with a roll of his eyes.

"Just don't." Oliver holds his hand up as Quentin hands a packet to Felicity.

"That's a sample of everything the CSU collected from the blast. There's melted glass, multiple explosive fragments and trace reside and it looks like nitroglycerine, which means that we're dealing with more than just a basement nut job." Quentin says glancing around.

"No offense to you guys." He adds as Sin smirks.

"Ohh come on we are bunch of basement nut jobs." She agrees.

"It must someone with training." Slade cuts her off.

"To pull of a job like that? Yeah. I'd think so." Quentin nods.

"Thank you detective." Felicity smiles at him as Sara jogs down the stairs.

"Hey sweetie." Quentin smiles at her as she appears.

"How's Roy?" Oliver calls.

"He's freaking out. He got cut on some glass and it's just healing. You know. Thea's with him." She folds her arms.

"So what's going on with Harper?" Quentin glances to them.

"Trust me. Detective Lance. You don't want to know." Sin glances to him as he nods.

"I'll take your word for it." He mutters, silence passing a moment.

"By the way guys. I need a favor." Quentin requests as Sara nods.

"Yeah what do you need daddy?" She asks.

"The son of a bitch, who killed my men, my partner…"

"He's dead. Oliver and I saw to that." Slade cuts him off sharply.

"Yeah I know. You all went into great detail explaining how five weeks ago but whoever tipped him off, told him we were coming and he's doing just fine." Quentin mutters.

"What do you need?" Oliver asks kindly.

"Cell phone records for every cop in my precinct." Quentin retorts.

"You think there's a leak in the department?" Diggle folds his arms.

"I think those phone records are the only way to know for sure and Felicity you're pretty good with computers. Can you…"

"Ohh my god." Diggle cuts him off, racing toward the computer upon seeing the most current news article.

A new explosion only seconds ago.

Distracted, Felicity spins around in her chair to look at the computer.

"Ohh." She whispers.

"Where is it!" Quentin shouts, racing toward the computer.

"Downtown." Diggle responds quickly as Quentin grabs his radio.

"DC-52 to Central, 10-80, downtown!" He shouts, racing to the stairs as Oliver, Sara and Slade jump into action, racing for their vigilante uniforms, Oliver looking at the computer screen with a grave look in his eyes.

"He's hit again."

 _Starling City_

"Starling City municipal building!" Diggle calls though the comms as the three vigilantes race across rooftops.

"Give me a location!" The Man In The Mask snaps.

"I'll give you guys one better. I'm checking the surrounding cell towers." Felicity calls back as the vigilantes continue to run whilst in The Foundry, Felicity types away.

"Apparently there was a GSM spike of 3,800 megahertz two seconds before the blast. Felicity do you want to take over here or something?" Sin glances at her.

"Yes. Yes Sin's right and that frequency's way outside the approved frequency for U.S carriers." Felicity says as with a shake of her head to clear it of other thoughts begins to type rapidly, pulling something up on screen.

"Signals moving. I think he's mobile." Felicity informs them.

"Give us an intersection." The Arrow growls as the three vigilantes race away…

 _Moments Later…_

After a very brief period of time, the three vigilantes are each aboard two motorcycles and are zooming down the street at a rapid pace.

"Right in front of your guys, four hundred meters." Felicity explains quickly.

"We see him!" Black Canary calls back as the Arrow drives.

Suddenly, they see the truck take a turn, the two motorcycles racing after it instantly.

"Turn left on sixty seventh." Felicity calls through the comms to them, the two motorcycles heading that way instantly toward the truck, dodging and avoiding as many cars they meet in their path.

Meanwhile, the man in the truck throws a device out of it upon seeing the three vigilantes aboard the motorcycles.

The Arrow and The Man In The Mask swerving to avoid the explosion the device emits.

The driver throws another device, one their creates smoke.

The three vigilantes just ride straight through it.

"Shit!" The Man In The Mask snarls upon seeing that they've lost sight of the truck.

"Felicity. We've lost him." The Arrow calls through the comms.

"What?" She frowns.

"Me to. Hold on." She says quickly, typing rapidly, whilst Diggle and Sin watch her anxiously.

"Ok. Got him. Bank left on Gerard Street. You three are almost right on top of him." She assures them as they follows her directions and stopping when they come across a truck.

"It's not him Felicity." The Arrow mutters.

"You picked up the wrong damn signal!" The Man In The Mask snaps.

"What? I thought… He must have scrambled the signal." She whispers, checking her computers quickly to see where she went wrong.

"It doesn't matter." The Arrow responds to a growl from The Man In The Mask.

"The son of a bitch got away."

 _The Foundry_

"What happened!" Slade snarls the minute he enters The Foundry, ahead of Oliver and Sara who jog after him.

"He's using cellular technology to detonate his bombs. Clearly his expertise extends to obscuring that signal…"

"Felicity, your expertise was supposed to be superior to his!" He snarls.

"Slade." Oliver and Sara start as Sin gets up from her chair.

"I might go home, or find Thea and Roy. See you." She says quickly, noticing the dark look on probably the most fiercest vigilante of the three.

"Excuse me?" Felicity spins around in her chair.

"Felicity I wouldn't." Oliver holds his hand up toward her in warning as Slade begins to sharpen his sword almost threateningly.

"No Oliver. Slade if you have something to say to me, say it." Felicity gets to her feet.

"People are getting killed. So what I'd like you to do Felicity is pull your head out of Central City and get back in the game." He snaps viciously.

"Sure. Right after you get yours out of your ass!" Felicity shouts back.

"What do you just say to me?" Slade snarls, spinning around, sword still in hand.

"Woah. Woah Slade. You need to calm down." Sara calls as she and Oliver race toward him.

"Maybe we just need to all take a breath here and Slade you could possibly put the sword down." Diggle starts.

"No wait. I want to know, what exactly was that crack about Central City meant to imply? Go on, tell me but Diggle is right I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you weren't holding your sword to me right now." Felicity says quickly.

"Well when the first bomb went off, you were not here and when the second bomb went off, you sent the three of us in the complete wrong way…"

"After the three of you didn't catch him in the first place! Oliver, Sara. I'm sorry." She calls to them, her eyes not leaving the sword Slade has, honestly directed at her.

"Do not blame us because you weren't all there tonight!" Slade bellows, advancing on her slightly and at that Oliver and Sara race forward.

"Hey, hey! Look you need to take it easy!" Oliver reaches for him as Slade pushes him backwards into one of the uniform cases.

"Stay out of my way kid!" He snarls, ignoring the shocked look upon Oliver's face as he turns his back on them all, heading for the stairs and slamming the door shut behind him.

"Ollie." Sara helps him to his feet.

"Ohh god." Oliver mutters, wincing when he sees the cut on his arm from where Slade's sword had cut into him when he'd pushed him up against the case.

"I. I need some air." Felicity hisses angrily before storming toward the stairs.

"Didn't want to say this with him in the room at the risk of getting my head knocked off but him playing the blame games not going to help us catch this son of a bitch." Diggle sighs.

"Well neither is doing things half way and he has a point she has been occupied." Oliver replies quietly.

"Is that really what you guys think is going on here? You think he's pissed that she was distracted, that she wasn't giving it her all?" Diggle questions.

"He's... He's not in a good place right now." Oliver murmurs.

"You can say that again." Diggle responds.

"And it's not like he and Felicity have been on exactly good terms since she got arrested and she still wouldn't tell him the reason behind that." Sara folds her arms.

"She did almost run us into a bus Diggle.." Oliver admits.

"I think Slade didn't have a problem with Felicity's performance since she met Barry Allen and got herself arrested." Diggle reminds them with folded arms of his own.

"And are you two really going to stand there and tell me you're not seeing what I am here?" Diggle glances at them.

"That. That aside. Slade is not in a good place." Oliver repeats with a sigh.

"Ohh I know that and he's out there right now. Armed to the teeth and he hurt you just now Oliver." Diggle glances at the cut on his arm.

"He didn't…"

"What? Didn't mean to do that? He probably didn't but he's not thinking straight right now guys if he could hurt you with such ease Oliver and he's out there. I say we've got big problems right now."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Slade's grip on Oliver's throat is relentless._

 _He's beyond lost in his rage as he continues to choke the life out of Oliver._

 _"Slade. Slade stop this isn't you! Please Slade it's Ollie. You're friend. Let him go!" Sara cries yet is held back by Shado._

 _"Shado. Help me stop him, he's going to kill him!" Sara pleads with her._

 _"He's teaching him a lesson Sara. Be thankful I'm not doing the same with you." She snaps as Sara shakes her head._

 _"Shado please. This isn't either of you." She begs as out of the blue, Harley appears with a large branch in hand and smacks Slade hard with it causing his grip on Oliver to falter and he instantly drops him to the ground. Oliver crying out as he lands on his bad shoulder._

 _The cry of pain Slade hears and he looks across him to see Harley armed with the branch. Shado holding Sara back and Oliver in immense pain on the ground, clutching his throat, coughing and trying to move off his shoulder._

 _"Next time you hurt Ollie it's my gun not a branch!" Harley growls as Slade glances at all of them as the rage melts away and the realization hits him._

 _He almost killed Oliver…_

 _Oliver, kid… He almost killed him._

 _How could he do such a thing?_

 _His hands shake as he clenches it into a fist._

 _"I'm sorry." He murmurs, backing away from Oliver._

 _"Shado let her go." He mutters to Shado, whose still holding Sara._

 _"SHADO!" He bellows and his loud call of her name breaks though her rage and her eyes widen as she realizes what she's just done and drops Sara quickly._

 _"Sara I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispers as Sara shakes her head._

 _"It's okay." She replies reassuringly as Shado closes her eyes._

 _"I almost let him kill Oliver. I held you back… I would've hurt you. How. Why would I do a thing like that?" She whispers as she holds her hands out to ward Sara away, who moves toward Oliver, whom Harley is already helping up into a sitting position._

 _"Ollie are you okay?" Sara rests a hand on his good shoulder, he coughs and somewhat nods and groans out in pain as Slade just falls back against a tree._

 _"What have I done." He whispers as looks horrified at his own actions toward Oliver of all people, his dark immense brown eyes almost glassy looking._

 _"You're not well Slade. Neither of you are." Harley looks to both Slade and Shado who is leaning against a tree of her own._

 _"Hey. Hey… Ahh." Oliver hisses in pain as he tries to move toward Slade._

 _"It's the Mirakuru." Sara says softly to them both._

 _"It's messing with your heads." Oliver groans as Slade doesn't say a word and neither does Shado as Oliver and Sara bravely move toward Slade, whom honestly has a look in his eyes that neither Oliver and Sara ever expected to see from Slade._

 _He looks terrified._

 _"What have I done to you, kid?" Slade murmurs as he sees Oliver still massaging his throat and blood on his clothes, the force of being dropped on it causing his wound to start bleeding again._

 _That was all his fault…_

 _"Hey. Hey. You're okay. We're all okay. Ollie's ok. He's had worse." Sara says softly as she takes it upon herself to approach Slade's shaking and crouched form whilst Oliver carefully approaches Shado._

 _"Oliver I'm sorry." She whispers._

 _"No. Not it's okay. It's okay I'm ok…"_

 _"I should have stopped him. I shouldn't have held Sara back. I think I hurt her. Why would I do a thing like that? Why would Ivo do this to me? Why couldn't he have just killed me?" Shado whispers as Oliver tries not to think about her words and instead reaches for her hands._

 _"Shado please take my hand." Oliver begs._

 _"I. I can't. I'm afraid I'll hurt you." She whispers._

 _"Shh you won't. You won't. Come here." Oliver pulls her close and eventually into his arms stroking her hair soothingly._

 _"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay." He promises her, even though he knows he can't really make a promise like that and instead watches as Sara bravely approaches Slade, standing several feet away so she can jump back in case he reacts badly and rests her hand on his shoulder._

 _"We're here. Ollie and I we're not going anywhere. I promise." She whispers, taking a step closer when Slade's doesn't react to her hand on his shoulder and rests one hand on his arm before carefully resting her other hand against his forehead._

 _"Harley's right, you're not well. You're burning up." Sara comments worriedly._

 _"That's another one of the effects of the Mirakuru, elevated temperature and heart rate." Harley informs them._

 _"You neglected to say how you know so much about this stuff." Shado hisses as Oliver just shushes her and continues to hold her, kind of in restraint now as well._

 _"I read all of Ivo's notes. I can read you know. I'm a psychiatrist." Harley shrugs._

 _"Never would have guessed." Shado growls as they all stay silent for a few moments_

 _"It's going to be dark soon. We should make camp." Harley speaks up as Slade just stays crouched beside the tree like a statue if it wasn't for the fact he's shaking uncontrollably._

 _"Come on, we need to go." Sara says softly to her friend in an attempt to get him to move._

 _At that Oliver begins to move toward them with Shado and the second Oliver approaches Slade backs away so quickly that Oliver sighs sadly and exchanges a look with Sara, whom moves to stand beside Oliver as Shado shaking herself, holds her hand out toward Slade._

 _It takes a few more minutes but it's worth it as after glancing into the distance, looking anywhere but at Oliver and Sara, especially Oliver._

 _Slade takes Shado's hand…_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting. Next chapter should hopefully be soon, not sure. Please leave a review if you can and thank again for reading :)_**


	101. Blast Radius (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter One Hundred And One**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Good choice Wilson." Mick glances at The Man In The Mask as he walks toward him.

"So which scumbag are we going after first?" He questions.

"There's two who may have information that normally work together. We'll deal with them both." The Man In The Mask grumbles as the two set off down an alleyway in the dark of the night.

Mick is the one that moves first, pulling the criminal from the alleyway he is walking down, The Man In The Mask moving second, holding the sword to the guys throat.

"Woah. Woah. If this is about that murder. That wasn't me. I just happened to be there…" He is cut of by Mick punching him in the face.

"WHERE IS THE MAN IN THE SKULL MASK? WHO IS HE!" The Man In The Mask bellows.

"I. I don't know who he is!" The guy cries back, glancing to the side street where his partner in crime has appeared.

The Man In The Mask only has to look at Mick once for him to nod in understanding before heading off to deal with the other one.

"Last chance." The Man In The Mask snarls at the criminal in front of him.

"I don't know! I swear I don't know." He yells back, trying to escape from The Man In The Mask, whom holds his sword closer to the criminals throat, whom pulls a concealed gun from his pocket. The Man In The Mask knocking it from his hand with ease.

"Useless." He mutters before running the criminal through with his sword.

He doesn't regret it.

He was a criminal, a murderer of few he's heard.

"Hey we still got this one!" Mick reminds him from the far end of the alleyway, pulling his sword out of his most recent victim, The Man In The Mask makes his way over to them.

"The man in the skull mask. Where is he." He snarls, sword to the man's throat as he'd done to said man's partner previously.

"You saw how your partner ended up, that will be you if you don't give us an answer." Mick growls menacingly.

"I don't. I don't. I swear I don't know!" The criminal protests.

"Another waste of my time." The Man In The Mask mutters about to run the guy through when a sudden shout and a hand on his arm distracts him.

Roy Harper.

"Woah. Woah. What's going on?" Roy looks between The Man In The Mask and the criminal in an instance.

"Get out of here boy." The Man In The Mask snarls.

"Want me to deal with this one?" Mick questions, momentary excitement crossing his face.

"Need this one around. He's our eyes around the Glades regrettably." The Man In The Mask mutters sharply as Roy just folds his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere." He says stubbornly.

"That would not be a wise decision. Go home or I'll put you down." The Man In The Mask snaps loudly. Roy shakes his head and looks on at The Man In The Mask in horror.

"No! Look. I don't understand what your aim is here. Are you guys trying to make yourselves enemies to Starling City again? Because you know what? It's working! Your partner put an arrow in my leg whilst your other one stood by and watched and now here you are, out here trying to kill someone again. You guys gave up killing, you put that behind you and because of it, slowly Starling City is beginning to accept you three. That's not going to last if bodies start showing up again with swords and arrows in them!" He protests as the criminal trapped against the wall, The Man In The Mask's sword still against his throat tries to nod.

"Listen to him man." He winces quietly.

"Yeah. Listen to me. Do you really want to have the city against you again? Because that's what's going to happen and isn't it just going to make your jobs harder again if the cops are once more have all their efforts focused on capturing the vigilantes? Why do that? You've all proved you don't have to be killers, that you're better then that so just be better then that. Be what this city needs you three to be because you're not going to get anywhere in being a killer again and I think somehow you know I'm right. That's not what you three are anymore." Roy finishes with his hand still outstretched.

"Do you want me to punch him?" Mick glances toward The Man In The Mask, whom is momentarily distracted by Roy's words.

Because he knows he's right in more ways then one.

This is the person he was in the past, not who his is now.

He's not the monster he used to be even though he hurt Oliver…

It hits him then. All of it.

He'd been so blinded by the return of the Mirakuru it had brought back all those awful memories, thoughts and feelings from five years ago.

All that darkness, all that horror and he lost himself in it again and in doing so. He hurt Oliver… Felicity….

Distracted for several brief seconds however, is all it takes for the criminal to pull a concealed gun from his pocket and shoot at The Man In The Mask, Mick and Roy, the three whom attack instantly, Roy moving at almost lightning speed to kick the gun from the man's hand before punching him hard in the face.

Yet the minute he does so, he is overcome by a sudden rage and begins to repeatedly punch the man until The Man In The Mask drags him away before he can kill the guy.

"Wow. You're more ballsy than you look." Mick comments with folded arms as Roy tries to wrench out of The Man In The Mask's grip, whom simply grabs him and pushes him against it the wall opposite the unconscious man.

"ROY!" The Man In The Mask bellows at him in an attempt to get through to him.

"Control it!" He snaps as Roy just looks deeply enraged.

"Don't give over to it." He snarls at the furious Roy.

"ROY!" He snaps again eventually managing to pull Roy back, whom shakes his head in shock at the sudden rage that came over him.

"I don't know what… What happened to me?" Roy whispers quietly in fear of the sudden rage he'd felt, before noticing the blood on The Man In The Mask.

"You get hit?" He questions.

"It's nothing. Get out of here." He growls to Roy, whom only lingers a moment more before racing off into the distance.

"What's his deal anyway?" Mick questions once he's out of sight.

"That." The Man In The Mask grunts in pain, due to the bullet wound he'd actually suffered.

"Is a long story."

 _SCPD_

"What's going on are you okay?" Officer Daily asks Quentin as he sees him grip at his shoulder in passing.

"Yeah. It's just… Arm still hurts when it's cold and I lost the pain meds that the doctor gave me. How's yours healing up?" He asks the officer.

"Ah you know, good days and bad." Daily nods as Quentin sees Laurel in the doorway.

"I'll see you later." Quentin says in farewell as he moves toward Laurel.

"Hey. You doing all right?" Quentin asks his daughter with a smile.

"I thought I could use your help, if you have a second…"

"You being at the DA's Office now, it's almost like you joined the family business. Come on." He smiles as he pulls her over to a corner of the room.

"I'm trying to find someone." Laurel announces and at that Quentin sighs.

"You know there is a whole police force of cops in Central City right and I'm sure they're all focusing their efforts on finding the professor…"

"Actually I didn't mean Martin." Laurel says in a quiet voice as Quentin gives her a sad look, knowing how much Laurel's friendship with the professor had meant to her and honestly it had saddened him to learn that the man whom had been there for both his daughter and his grandkids on several occasions had gone missing and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about what the loss of someone else in Laurel's life could do to her.

"I meant a woman named Maya Resik. I searched the Internet, the DMV records, social security… Nothing." Laurel informs him.

"Why are you looking for a ghost?" Quentin frowns.

"Sebastian's paying her bills. A woman who doesn't seem to exist. I find that suspicious!"

"Thinking that your new best friend is up to no good? That's typically more my thing than yours." Quentin points out.

"Isn't exactly my best friend." Laurel murmurs.

"What he more then that? I can tell he wants to be? Does he know about the kids?" Quentin folds his arms.

"Of course not. He's just been a good friend to me and considering I lost one of my friends and my boyfriend is still in a coma. Friendship is honestly quite crucial to me." Laurel sighs.

"Well, that makes digging into his life a little less fun then." He smiles as Laurel smiles and turns to go when he calls her back.

"Hey Laurel. If I bring you something back. You know I'm gonna want to know why." He reminds her sternly, she smiles in response.

"Of course you are."

 _Queen Mansion_

Storming through the door of his childhood home, Oliver can hear the tv before he even gets to the living room.

"Ladies and gentlemen we are about to join Sebastian Blood…"

"Ah, you're just in time to see the show. It's lovely to see you dear. No Sara and Slade?" Moria looks behind him, shocked to see Oliver alone for once.

"Nice to see you to mom. I was in the neighborhood thought I'd drop by." Oliver smiles.

Isn't really a lie either. He'd been in the neighborhood as the Arrow, he and the Black Canary searching for Slade upon Diggle's suggestion and honestly, they'd already been basically out the door in uniform the minute Oliver had stitched his arm up from the rather deep slice in his arm that Slade had caused and they'd been searching for him ever since.

Sara had carried on when they'd gotten into the neighborhood as in all honestly Oliver was getting rather angsty the more time passed so Sara had suggested he'd take a break and perhaps visit his mother and he had decided to do exactly that.

"What's he doing?" Oliver glances toward the TV.

"Bringing the city together and if I'm not mistaken campaigning." Moria leans back as she turns the sound up.

"Tomorrow night I am holding Starling City's first ever unity rally at city plaza. We are going to show the word that the people of this great city will not back down to terrorists." Sebastian proclaims loudly as Oliver turns the sound down in horror.

"He's committing suicide and he just invited the entire city to join him." He snaps.

"Sebastian's your friend. Can't you talk him out of this Oliver?" Moria looks to him.

"Ha yeah sure I'm going to be able to talk him out of this if I can't get one the people closest to me to listen to me I don't think I'm going to get Sebastian Blood to listen to me!" Oliver snaps unintentionally speaking his mind.

"Well you might. I don't believe Sebastian Blood is a stubborn as Mr. Wilson after all." Moria glances at him with a smile.

"How did you?"

"Oliver I haven't seen you without Sara and Slade since the day you got of that horrific island. I'm not stupid." She reminds him as Oliver sighs.

"You have a point there but still Sebastian won't listen to me…" He says, his hand resting on his phone in his pocket.

But he might listen to someone else…

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

Sitting at his desk, flicking through a few papers. Sebastian Blood looks up in an instant the minute the power goes out unexpectedly.

"Sebastian Blood." Comes the deep disguised voice of the Arrow as he and the Black Canary approach his desk, Sebastian reaching for his concealed gun in an instant.

"This rally tomorrow night you need to call it off." The Black Canary speaks sternly.

"The Starling City vigilantes paying a visit to wave me off. I'm flattered. Only two of you though. I thought there were three of you?" Blood points out with folded arms.

"This event. Mr. Blood. You might as well be painting a giant bulls eye on your chest." The Arrow mutters to him as Blood just shakes his head.

"This city needs to come together and I need to show them how." He responds.

"You won't be able to show them anything if you're dead." Black Canary puts bluntly.

"Every night, you three risk your lives for the people of this city. How can the three of you expect me to do any less?" He queries.

"And what about the lives of the people coming to your rally?" The Arrow retorts.

"This rally is about Starling City standing up and declaring with one voice that living afraid isn't living. I won't send a contrary message to people telling them to stay home, to stay scared. I've made my decision." Blood says firmly.

"That's the thing Alderman." The Arrow mutters as he and the Black Canary turn to leave.

"Whatever happens tomorrow night. It's not up to you."

They leave him with the power restored.

 _The Foundry_

"Well that got us nowhere." Oliver sighs as he pulls down his hood upon shutting the basement door.

"Ollie. Were you really expecting Sebastian to listen to you?" Sara points out as she takes off her wig and slides her hand into his.

"Hoped at least something would go to plan tonight. I don't know why we're taking all our gear off. We're probably gonna need to go back out there again for Slade…" Oliver stops mid sentence as he sees that Slade is sitting on a table and a fair amount of blood around him.

"Oh god Slade what happened?" Sara calls both she and Oliver racing down the stairs instantly as he waves them off with his other hand.

"It's nothing." He mutters as Oliver glances at the bullet wound.

"Yeah it doesn't look like nothing." He replies.

"What do you do?" Sara practically sighs, both she and Oliver not really knowing if they want the answer for that and Slade is just quiet as he continues to stitch the wound.

"What go you nowhere?" Slade questions in a quiet tone of voice.

"Talking to Sebastian Blood. He's basically decided to commit suicide by arranging a rally for tomorrow night and he basically called out the ones behind the bombs in his press release. We tried to reason with him, didn't get anywhere." Sara shrugs.

"He's going to get a lot of people killed. Told ya. He's an inconsiderate idiot." Slade mutters as Sara nods in a agreement before glancing toward the stairs.

"I don't know about you two but I'm tired. Should we head off home?" Sara questions as Oliver nods before glancing to Slade.

"Coming?" He queries.

"Need to finish up. You two go on ahead." He murmurs as Oliver and Sara look at one another for a moment before heading toward the stairs, yet before Oliver can move Slade reaches out and grabs his wrist.

"Please forgive me, kid." He says in a barely audible voice. Oliver smiles at that, reassurance filling him and he rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Always."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

"Well you were wrong Ollie, something did go to plan tonight." Sara smiles up at Oliver from where she lies beside him in their bed.

"I know. I wasn't expecting to see him back in The Foundry like that. I don't know what he did before. I'm not sure I even want to know but this was a start." Oliver nods.

"He's just so absorbed by this whole return of the Mirakuru thing and we are to, we're handling it better than Slade, yes but it's all we're thinking about now. It should all be gone. Ollie it shouldn't be back." Sara sighs as Oliver kisses the top of her head.

"I know. I know. Sometimes I fear it might be something ARGUS related." He admits.

"Why do you think that?" Sara looks to him.

"Well the people Slade and I lived with during the third year away. They worked for ARGUS and it was they who gave the cure to us and ARGUS were extremely interested in Slade's abilities at the time. They knew what he was capable of and they knew how to convince him to use his abilities in missions to help them." He sighs as Sara nods.

"I think we're just lucky we found someone who could shut down that bomb. Say what you like about Harley, Sara but she did save me then." Oliver reminds her to an agitated sigh from Sara at the mention of Harley.

"I still can't believe either of you didn't think it was suspicious that a woman who said she was just a psychiatrist who was taken prisoner by Ivo could suddenly learn how to deactivate bombs." Sara glances at him.

"Slade told me the other year he didn't trust her one bit. Just was willing to do what it took." Oliver shrugs.

"You're all he had at the time. Of course he was going to do whatever it took to keep you alive." Sara reminds him as the two fall silent for a minute.

"Yeah it was like that a lot during the third year. I mean when I woke up in the apartment after you know, the Amazo. I couldn't believe I was still alive and it was just me there. They said I was the only survivor. I just wanted to give up." Oliver admits.

"I understand. When I was taken in by the League Of Assassins. Well giving up wasn't an option there but what they do there to make you one of them, they can help you shut out the pain. The continuous pain I felt the minute I realized I'd survived and I had lost you and Slade." Sara murmurs sadly as Oliver pulls her closer.

"I woke up alone. I didn't understand why I'd survived and at the time I thought you and Slade hadn't. I'd accepted my fate on the Amazo Sara, you were gone, Harley was gone, Slade was gone. The freighter was coming down. There was no way I thought I was getting off that thing so I just accepted that I wasn't going to survive and I went and sat beside Slade. He was gone. I still don't know how he survived that even with the Mirakuru. I was certain he was dead so I just sat beside him, knowing if that was it at least I'd be with the man I call my brother and then I wake up and I'm alive and I didn't think either of you were. That's when I just shut down. I wouldn't listen to ARGUS I wouldn't do what they told me to. To be honest, I just wanted them to kill me but they were insistent on keeping me alive." Oliver stops and shudders at the thought of a rather painful memory of that time and some of the methods ARGUS used to 'keep him alive'.

"Then I did something right and my prize was five minutes with someone and that someone was Slade. I can't even begin to describe how I felt seeing him alive after what happened but you were still gone and they wanted to keep Slade and I apart. I don't know what they were doing to him and still I don't think I want to know. But she thought we could just see each other one last time. Her exact words. One last time, before they sent us both who knows where. I sunk back into the state I was in when they found me and that's when they decided it was smarter to keep Slade and I together then apart. Slade helped me survive." Oliver sighs as his mind clouds with the memories of the third year.

"Whatever is going on with the whole Mirakuru thing. I just hope we can put a stop to it soon. For all of our sakes." Oliver sighs as Sara tightens her arm around him, reaching up to kiss him softly.

"We will." She smiles.

"The three of us will and we're going to do this together."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In a shop someplace in Starling City, the man at the desk looks up as a woman enters.

"Ah, Mrs. Fazekas. The train set for your nephew just came in. He's going to love it." He smiles at the woman.

"Oh. You are a miracle worker, Mr. Scheffer. How much do I owe you?"

"Fifty dollars even. Forget the sales tax." He smiles again.

"Are you going to the Alderman's unity rally tomorrow night?" She asks.

"I wouldn't miss it." Mr Scheffer, the bomber himself responds…

 _The Foundry_

"Gathered here, despite the rash of bombings that have plagued the city. Some have called Sebastian Blood's unity rally a cynical and dangerous PR stunt for his mayoral campaign but the crowd continues to grow." The news reporter speaks from the computer screen as Sara and Oliver enter The Foundry.

"We tried to get him to stand down." Oliver sighs as both he and Sara move toward Slade.

"You didn't come home last night." Oliver comments.

"Wasn't tired. Figured I could get some stuff done instead of wasting my time." Slade murmurs in response before moving to get some painkillers due to the pain in his wound.

Oliver and Sara watch him go with anxious eyes.

"Seems like Blood's as stubborn as the three of you when it comes to fighting back." Diggle folds his arms.

"Not possible." Felicity mutters with a glance at Slade.

"Hey is this how it's going to be with you two from now on?"

"Perhaps we should head down to the rally." Slade cuts Diggle off sharply.

"Maybe we won't have to." Felicity cuts in.

"I analyzed the bomb remnants we got from Lance. The designs identical to the bombs used by an anti government Militia group called the movement. Lucky for us, they have a very active and hackable message board. One of their most prolific fans has an IP address right here in Starling…"

"Tell us." Oliver nods, both he and Sara moving toward the desk.

"The computers in a local souvenir shop. The whackadoo in question goes by the username Shrapnel." Felicity glances up at them.

"Want a forth person?" Diggle looks to the three.

"No. We need you at the rally. Cover our bases." Oliver nods as he, Sara and Slade head toward the uniform cases.

 _SCPD_

"Is this all for me?" Laurel looks at all the papers in front of her father incredulously.

"No for me, SCPD phone records." He responds plainly.

"Why are you going through the departments phone records?" Laurel frowns.

"Um. So I checked up on your not exactly new best friend." Quentin changes the subject.

"And? Did you find anything?"

"Yeah. It turns out he's a hell of a guy. Covers the expenses of his dear aunt. Your Maya Resik." Quentin smiles at her as Laurel folds her arms.

"If Sebastian has other family then why was he placed in an orphanage?"

"Well maybe cause his Aunt Maya is nuttier than a snickers bar. She's a patient at ST. Walker's hospital. It's a mental institution and it's the kind you don't check out of. Now listen, you going to tell me what the hell this is all about?" Quentin glances at her.

"Something about him just seems off." Laurel sighs.

"Laurel. There is nothing sinister about a guy who is covering the expenses of his only living relative, the truth is its kind of nice. Listen I gotta get to city plaza. Pike wants all hands at this unity rally. You're not going right?" He enquires.

"No I need to go home to the kids and look into this more." She responds.

"Laurel. He seems like a good guy and he seems like he'd be a good friend to you and you deserve good friends, especially after what happened to your last one and the fact that your boyfriend is still in a coma, ok. So stop looking for reasons to distance yourself from a perfectly nice guy. Please." Quentin begs her, just wanting her to be happy.

Laurel being happy is all he wants...

 _Starling City Unity Rally_

"Alderman Blood, is this not dangerous?" A reporter asks Sebastian Blood as they walk.

"I'm afraid so." Sebastian replies plainly.

"Why are you gathering all these people here to be targets?"

"Please I'll get to all of your questions later." Sebastian cuts the reporters off as he makes toward the podium through the large crowd of many people with handheld candles.

From within the crowd, Diggle watches the surroundings with caution…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

A bell dings as the three vigilantes enter the souvenir shop Felicity had directed them to, walking in cautiously side by side.

Suddenly a sound rings out and the three vigilantes hold their weapons outstretched just as the three of them are entrapped in a very large number of red lines.

"Boom." A voice comes from a device in front of them.

"You're dead or will be if you three take one more step or move a single muscle and then the three of you will miss the show." The voice of the bomber proclaims as the TV turns on.

"Candidate Blood's unity rally. Already rigged with fifty pounds of RDX high explosives. Not unlike what's packed inside the drywall of my store. The city thinks Sebastian Blood can keep them safe. Tonight they learn that the only thing politicians care about protecting is their jobs." He finishes as a view of the TV shows other people in the crowd.

The three vigilantes instantly recognizing Thea, Sin, Roy and Moira.

It takes The Man In The Mask a minute but in the background he also sees Lisa and Leonard.

"Felicity." The Arrow growls through the comms.

"Here. Did you three get him?" She queries.

"No. He said he rigged the plaza with an explosive device." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"Guys it's crazy town there. That bomb could be anywhere." She protests.

"We can narrow that down. Get us Diggle." The Black Canary requests.

"Go." Diggle speaks when he's connected to the comms.

"Shrapnel said he rigged the perimeter with RDX." The Arrow informs him.

"I'm on it." Diggle responds.

"You three are headed to the plaza too right?" Felicity questions.

"Not yet." The Black Canary sighs.

"We need you to pull us up anything you can find on the store. Blue prints, permit schematics, everything." The Arrow adds.

"What's going on?" Felicity frowns.

"Well Shrapnel left us behind quite the surprise. Said he packed the drywall with explosives but the trigger would need to be connected to some sort of power supply…"

"That's assuming that the detonator's connected to the stores electricity and not something independent like a car battery. I know, not helpful." Felicity finishes having cut The Man In The Mask off.

"You sure you want me doing this? My head might not be in the game. Wouldn't you know how to deactivate a bomb like this anyway, you know being ASIS after all. Didn't they teach you this in Australian spy school?"

"FELICITY." The Man In The Mask bellows.

"Can the two of you have your old married couple argument some other time please?" The Arrow growls in slight annoyance.

"The building was built in the seventies. That's good news. The wiring in a lot of constitution back then is defective. So if you three sever one wire it will blow fuses in the entire building and shot off power to the bomb." She informs them.

"Hold tight. I see a fuse box." The Arrow mutters, glancing at the the other two.

"Let's do this carefully now." The Man In The Mask murmurs as the Black Canary steps aside just a little bit so the Arrow can get into the position he would need to be in to shoot out the fuse box with an arrow.

"Guys be careful." Felicity practically begs as the Arrow shifts his bow into position.

"If you screw this up. I'm gonna kill ya kid." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"If I screw this up you won't have to kill me because the three of us will already be dead!" The Arrow mutters, as he glances once at the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask.

He's with two of the people he loves most in the world and if this doesn't to plan he wouldn't want anyone else to be by his side than Black Canary and The Man In The Mask.

He fires the arrow and the fuse box explodes.

"Guys!" Felicity calls through the comms upon hearing the explosion and the crackling from the feedback on the comms.

"Slade?" She whispers to silence, her eyes fearful.

They can't be gone.

It's not possible…

"It's a'right Felicity. We're a'right." Slade's voice suddenly comes through the comms and Felicity couldn't be more relived.

"Get to the rally. Help Diggle, we're on our way." Comes the voice of Oliver as the three vigilantes race toward the door…

 _Unity Rally_

Diggle watches the crowd of people at the unity rally from a distance away, nothing Sin with Thea, Moira and Roy.

He wishes they weren't there but he's certain Sin is there to protect them and that settles his mind somewhat.

Meanwhile, Moria clutches her daughter's arm anxiously.

"Thea, I really don't think coming here was a good idea." She says in a nervous voice.

"It's going to be fine. Let's just go find Roy." Thea says as she, Moria and Sin head down the steps as Sebastian Blood begins to address the crowd to instant cheers.

"Please, please. You're the ones who deserve an ovation. A year ago this city survived a devastating attack but we rose up. You rose up." He speaks to the crowd as Diggle, upon finding a box, opens the back up to see many bleeping devices attached to it.

A bomb.

"And banded together, just like we are tonight." Blood continues as Felicity heads toward the crowd.

"Dig I'm on the east side." Felicity talks to him through the comms.

"I think I found the trigger." Is all Diggle says in response.

"To prove to the world that we cannot be broken. That the people of this city are too strong and that no bomb and no earthquake is strong enough to tear us apart." Blood finishes.

Meanwhile, Diggle is still standing at the place he believes the trigger to be.

"The guys said that this whole place was ringed with explosives. It's in the sound equipment and this is the trigger." Diggle informs Felicity as she moves toward him.

"Shrapnel activates it by cellular transmission." Felicity whispers.

"Listen we don't have to disarm it, just disable it." Diggle explains to her carefully.

"I can do that." Felicity nods before biting her lip.

"I think. I hope." She winces.

"Felicity be careful. He probably put in a safe guard…"

"That's how these things normally go. So there is a bomb here, thought so as soon as I heard the news." Comes the voice of Leonard from behind them.

"You're Leonard, right. I remember you." Diggle turns around to face him.

"The one and only. Your right about the safe guard tampering with it will set off a dead man's switch." Leonard drawls.

"That's a really depressing term and a little bit sexist." Felicity glances at Leonard.

"How do you know so much about bombs?" Diggle glances at him.

"Been around them now and again." Leonard says with a smile.

"Well you are a friend of Slade's." Diggle mutters.

"Ohh your that Leonard. The one with the sister." Felicity looks over at him.

"Nice to meet you. Yet you might want to focus on the bomb, get to know me later." Leonard advises her as Diggle glances at him.

"Your sister here?"

"Yes. We thought Slade would be in attendance due to his friendship with Queen." Leonard replies as Diggle glances between him and Felicity.

"Step away." Comes the voice of Shrapnel from behind them all, a gun raised.

"Or we all know how this ends." He says, hand on the trigger.

"Dig!" Felicity cries as Diggle runs forward, only to be shot in the shoulder by Shrapnel.

The gunshot causing people to start screaming and panicking due to the sound of the gun, the police moving to protect Blood whilst the three vigilantes arrive on the scene, each of them instantly noticing Shrapnel, who throws something into the air.

That something which is immediately shot out by the Arrow.

It explodes mid air.

"Dig!" Felicity races toward his fallen form.

"The bomb." Diggle coughs as Leonard move toward the box, glancing once anxiously out into the crowd to see if he can see Lisa and he does, she's moving toward them.

"Come on, Lisa'll take care of him. This one might take two of us. Felicity Smoak right?" Leonard pulls her to her feet as Lisa kneels down beside Diggle.

"Slade told me you're the genius." He directs her toward the box as Felicity, momentarily fixated on his last comment, moves toward the box again before saying.

"Let's take this thing out before it can take us out."

 _Meanwhile_

Meanwhile in the area of mass panic, Moira, Thea, Roy and Sin are trying to get out of the way. Sin leading the way through the crowds.

Suddenly a light explosion causes one of the light towers to fall down straight toward Moria.

However, abruptly Roy is at her side, shielding her for the impact of the light tower which he takes himself, his back holding up the metal tower.

Thea and Sin watching in shock horror as when Roy stands up fine and well, he lifts the light tower with him, allowing Moria to reach Thea and Sin, whilst he throws the tower clear.

"Mom." Thea embraces Moria quickly, her eyes on Roy and Roy alone.

How could he possibly have done that?

Sin watches them both with a knowing look in her eyes.

It's the Mirakuru…

 _Elsewhere_

Meanwhile, aboard their motorcycles, the three vigilantes race after Shrapnel, whom fires his gun at them.

It makes no effect and he keeps firing at them, in an attempt to stop them.

It doesn't work and the Arrow and the Black Canary knock him down with their motorcycle.

Parking them, the three vigilantes climb off the motorcycles as Shrapnel gets to his feet.

"Drop your weapons." Shrapnel calls the minute the Arrow raises his bow, The Man In The Mask, his sword and the Black Canary, her batons.

"I've got charges planted all over Starling. I drop this stick, they all blow." He threatens to nothing from the three vigilantes, they don't even move.

"Did you three not hear what I just said?" He glances at them.

"Yep." The Arrow responds before firing an arrow straight through the cord of the trigger.

The Black Canary finishes it with a final blow to Shrapnel's face…

 _Verdant_

Roy sits at the bar sometime later, watching the news report which reports the events of the night they'd been a part of and the arrest of the bomber.

"Hey." He smiles at Thea upon seeing her walk toward him.

"How's your mom?" He asks kindly.

"She's fine. Just a little shooken up. You saved her." She looks at him.

"I got lucky." Roy smiles back.

"That wasn't luck. That was impossible." Thea shakes her head.

"You know those stories of mom's lifting cars to save their kids? Things you can do when adrenaline hits. It was… It was one of those." Roy responds as Thea suddenly grabs his arm.

"Your arm. There's not even a mark." She looks at it incredulously, knowing how badly he'd cut it up before.

"It's… I heal fast. It's fine…"

"Roy…"

"I'm kind of tired it's been a long night, you know. I'm gonna go home, maybe you should stay with your mom tonight or something." Roy says quickly as races toward the door, Thea still calling out his name.

 _The Foundry_

"With the three of you dropping fewer bodies. Starling City should probably build a bigger jail." Felicity comments as Diggle moves past the group.

"Another night of skull mask hunting?" He looks to the three.

"Not exactly." Slade mutters as he sharpens a sword.

"How's your shoulder?" Oliver asks Diggle kindly.

"Oh, just a through and through. Walk in the park." Diggle smiles back.

"Still Dig, you should go home and get some rest." Sara suggests, looking to Sin.

"Sounds good. See you guys tomorrow. Ohh and Slade. Leonard and Lisa were looking for you at the rally. Your friend Leonard was particularly helpful with assisting Felicity with the bomb. He know about who we are or something?" Diggle glances at Slade, whom says nothing in response, Oliver and Sara looking over at him in an instant.

"Slade." They both say in a warning tone.

"Found out during the Undertaking. I trust him." Slade says with a sort of finality to that.

Oliver and Sara don't say anything after that.

They know if Slade trusts this guy then they should trust that.

Slade isn't known for being the most trusting person so if he does trust someone it says a lot and reassures them enough for them to drop the subject matter.

"You should get home to Sin." Sara adds after a minute.

"Might just do that." Sin gets to her feet, looking to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"You three gonna come to?" She asks.

"Yeah. Thought I might visit my mother. Was she okay when you left her?" Oliver asks.

"She was, bit freaked out, you know. I mean she would have died if it wasn't for Harper lifting a whole freaking metal light stand off her." Sin points out.

"Roy did what?" Oliver glances at her instantly.

"Seems like you guys were right about that serum enhancing strength." Sin comments as Slade rests his head in his hands.

Oliver and Sara glancing at one another, before at Slade.

"I'll see you three at home." Slade mutters with a glance at them and then one at Felicity, whom is focused on her computers and not them.

"Sure." Sara nods getting to her feet and pulling Oliver with her, wrapping an arm around Sin's shoulders when she joins them.

"Make sure you come home tonight, okay?" Oliver looks to Slade, both he and Sara having received the message that Slade wants them not to be here.

They just hope he's going to be civil with Felicity this time…

Slade just looks at Oliver.

"Sure, kid. See ya later." He responds as Oliver, Sara and Sin leave The Foundry, leaving Slade behind with Felicity.

The two sit in silence after that.

Felicity at her computers and Slade sharpening his sword.

The silence is lengthy, yet Felicity knows Slade is still there.

She just doesn't know what to say to him anymore…

"I'm sorry." He mutters gruffly.

His voice and words causing Felicity to spin around in her chair to face him.

"Are you apologising to me or were you talking to your sword?" She queries.

She honestly would not put it past Slade to talk to his sword.

"I didn't snap at my sword." Slade gets to his feet, moving slowly toward Felicity.

"You kind of more than snapped." Felicity sighs sadly.

"I know and for that I am sorry Felicity." He apologises stopping when he's in front of her.

"I should never have held my sword to you. I don't expect you to forgive me for that. I shouldn't have done that and to think I even hurt Oliver…" He trails off as Felicity looks up at him, resting her head on her hand.

"I understand that this Mirakuru thing has you freaked out. Even more so than it has Oliver and Sara and I know I have been in Central City, a lot…"

"Felicity. It's not that." He murmurs, silencing her instantly as she just looks at him.

"When you are there. Well. It's just made me realise just how much I need you here." He replies as she just nods quickly.

"In the beginning. It was just going to be Oliver, Sara and I and I was happy with that. You've probably heard about the disagreement Oliver and I had when he recruited Diggle. Yet now with Oliver, Sara, you and even Diggle..." He trails off, taking another few steps toward her.

"We rely on you. You know on the island, after Billy betrayed me. I didn't think I would ever form a partnership like that again. Then one day. Oliver walked into my plane and even then I was against him. I thought he'd betray me, turn on me the way Billy did. He didn't. He's still by my side now and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him in my life. He and Sara. They mean the world to me." Slade reveals to her as Felicity moves to the edge of her chair.

"So… Does that mean I have a shot at employee of the month? Well down here. Considering I was fired from Queen Consolidated because… Well you…"

"Felicity." Slade catches her hands in his, holding them both tightly.

"You're my partner." He murmurs softly to her, to nothing but silence having rendered Felicity speechless with his words.

"And for whatever reason you hacked Isabel in Russia…"

"Slade…" She sighs softly as Slade squeezes her hands.

"How bad can it be that you cannot tell me the reason why?" He questions as Felicity looks up at him, trying to keep as much emotion as she can out of her eyes.

"Slade. Trust me. You don't want me to tell you the reason why. I was stupid and you have all rights to still be mad at me. I know that people lying to you in the past have hurt you and I shouldn't…"

"Felicity. I'm not mad." He murmurs to silence from her again.

"I was." He admits as Felicity nods.

"I was mad at you up until that son of a bitch drugged me." He admits as she frowns.

"When I was unconscious. I thought I'd woken up. Sara was there, Allen was there. Diggle wasn't. You were there, as was someone I used to know. The woman from the island, Shado. I couldn't understand why. It felt so real but Oliver was gone. It was all an hallucination but in this hallucination... You and I. We didn't talk to one another. Quite frankly I think you were afraid of me. I'd told you things I couldn't remember ever telling you and you'd barely even look at me. As much as I would have wanted one aspect of that hallucination to be real." He stops, his thoughts straying to Shado momentarily, yet he breaks away from them moments later and releases her hands so he can rest his hands against her face.

"I couldn't imagine a world where you and I don't talk to one another Felicity." Slade murmurs and before he can say another word Felicity throws her arms around him.

"I couldn't either." She looks up at him before remembering something.

"So you told Leonard was it? That I'm a genius?" She smiles softly as he pulls away briefly rolling his eyes at her.

"Thank you." Felicity beams to no words from Slade in response as rests his hands on her shoulders gently.

"Allen's going to wake up and when he does you will be there." He assures her.

"I finally have a guy who's interested in me and he's struck by lightning, ends up in a coma. Typical…" Felicity sighs sadly.

"I can relate. Every woman I've been with has either ended up being a criminal or dead." He points out as Felicity fixes him with a sad look at his words.

"Perhaps you just haven't found the right woman yet." She smiles.

"Perhaps. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever find love again." He admits, silence passing between the two for a minute.

"Knowing Allen, he's probably dreaming about you." Slade smirks.

"You know, actually there's conflicting cases about whether coma patients can in fact dream normally or they're more like hallucinating." She babbles as Slade nods.

"Probably a bit of both. I was in a medically induced coma when I was getting this." He gestures to his eyepatch covered eye.

"Sorted out. Well. Actually I don't really think it worked considering…" He trails off before shaking his head.

"Anyway. I dreamed. Imagined a perfect world for myself, probably to distract myself from the pain and all but it was a pleasant dream. I was in Australia, I had my son, Joe. Sara and Oliver. So perhaps Allen is dreaming about a perfect world with you." He smiles as Felicity just wraps her arms around him again.

"I didn't think you'd ever forgive me." She whispers softly.

"You're not exactly the forgiving type." She adds as Slade chuckles briefly.

"That I'm not. But I told you Felicity." He mutters as he strokes her hair gently.

"You're my partner."

 _Lian Yu_

 _They'd somehow managed to fall asleep._

 _Sara and Oliver had wanted to sit up all through the night with Slade and Shado but they'd forbade them from doing exactly that, telling them they needed their sleep and only two people needed to keep watch._

 _This is why Oliver, Sara and Harley had fallen asleep._

 _Oliver and Sara watching Slade and Shado every second before eventually succumbing to their uneasy sleep._

 _"Harley." A voice over the radio awakens the three in an instant._

 _"Harley, I know you're listening. Answer me." Ivo's voice snaps as Oliver, Sara and Harley sit up instantly._

 _Neither say a word as Harley reaches for the radio, however, Oliver is the one to take it._

 _"This is very simple Harley. I know you and your new friends have the Mirakuru. You know I will lay waste to this entire island to get it." Ivo mutters as Sara looks around their camp._

 _"Slade?" She whispers, looking around for him._

 _"Shado?" She calls._

 _"I went to sleep after you two. They went to that tree over their." Harley whispers._

 _"Get them." Oliver murmurs as Ivo continues to talk._

 _"It doesn't have to be this way. All I want is the serum. In exchange I'll promise you and your friends safe passage off this island, I promise. Within ten days, you and your new friends could be making port in Shanghai. The alternative is I send my men into the jungle to take the serum from you. They'll be under orders not to kill any of you. Instead, you'll remain alive enough for me to indulge my scientific curiosity. Think about it, Harley." Ivo finishes as Oliver chucks the radio to the floor, burying his head in his hand, wrapping his other arm around Sara._

 _"They're gone!" Harley's voice suddenly cries out._

 _"What?" Oliver and Sara look up instantly._

 _"Slade and Shado are gone and they took the Mirakuru with them!" She cries._

 _"Ohh god." Oliver falls backwards slightly at the thought as Sara gets to her feet._

 _As she runs away through the woods Oliver can hear her cries for Shado and Slade…_

 _Verdant_

Heading through Verdant on his way to the apartment at long last Slade finds there is a person waiting for him.

"So what have you been saying to Felicity?" Slade grumbles as he approaches Leonard.

"Ohh nothing but the truth." Leonard smirks as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"You helped save this city tonight Snart and you tell me that you're a criminal."

"Ohh I am. I'm not a hero. Never plan to be either." Leonard responds.

"It was Felicity who deactivated the trigger."

"I heard you helped." Slade glances at him.

"Well. My sister and my friend were in the area. Wasn't going to let the two of you get blown up by some maniac. However, I wouldn't have minded so much if the target in question got blown up." He smirks.

"Sebastian Blood?" Slade frowns.

"He's so boring. Rather watch paint dry then listen to him." Leonard replies as Lisa enters the room, smiling at Slade in an instant.

"Ohh I agree. Are you seriously telling me Oliver and Sara actually like that guy?" Lisa folds her arms.

"Regrettably so." Slade says with a roll of his eyes.

"Well. If you're ever stuck in a situation where he's involved. Come and find us." Leonard suggests.

"We're a lot more fun." Lisa smiles.

"I don't doubt that." Slade responds.

"That offer of joining us permanently still stands, as does the offer of a heist…"

"Snart." Slade growls at him as Leonard smirks as he gets to his feet.

"It was worth the shot. Lisa and I plan to stick around in Starling for a few days anyway. Ever need us…"

"I'll find you." Slade finishes for him.

"Don't doubt that for a second." Leonard smirks before turning on a heel and leaving.

"You know he's serious about the whole heist thing." Lisa informs him once Leonard's gone. "Figured." Slade murmurs gruffly.

"He would have offered you a place with us even if he and Mick hadn't have fallen out." Lisa points out.

"Saw him, Mick." Slade tells her after a moment.

"He said he'd talked to you and that he joined you on a secret mission. You sure you don't want to join us on a heist?" Lisa smiles.

"Thought both of you weren't exactly on friendly terms with him." Slade frowns.

"Ohh Lenny won't speak to him. Me. Well other than you and Lenny, Mick is all I have. He's extreme but he's really all I've ever known. He's always been friends with Lenny for as long as I can remember." She looks down if remembering something sad.

"So…" Lisa smiles at Slade as she rests her hand on his arm, glancing up at him.

"You're single and I'm single and I'm sticking around in town for a bit. What do you say?" Lisa grins at him.

Slade simply smirks in response.

 _Starling City_

"You can ask all the questions you want, but I wouldn't count on getting anything back." The nurse at the institution warns Laurel as she opens the door labeled Maya Resik.

"She probably won't even know you're there." She informs her as she opens the door, revealing a simple room and woman sat humming to herself in the corner of the room.

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything." The nurse tells Laurel, leaving her with Maya.

Slowly, Laurel approaches her carefully.

"Maya. I'm here to talk about your nephew…" Maya continues to sing as Laurel speaks.

"Maya. My name's Laurel Lance. Maya?" She says softly whilst moving closer.

"I'm here to talk about your nephew. Maya?" Laurel whispers as she bends down beside Maya, who continues to sing over and over again.

"Maya, Que. Chico. Sebastian?" Maya finally looks up at Laurel then.

"Sebastian." She murmurs.

"Yes. Yes. Sebastian Blood." She smiles.

She's finally getting somewhere…

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

"There will always be those who seek to harm us but it will not weaken us. It will only make us stronger." Sebastian Blood watches himself on the TV until the power abruptly shuts out.

"Well done, Alderman." The Arrow speaks from behind him.

"Thanks to the three of you… Ohh again only the two of you, the third one not like me much or something?" Sebastian smirks upon seeing only the Arrow and the Black Canary again.

"Still a very big risk to take." The Black Canary reminds him.

"Tonight we all stood up for Starling City. The three of you and me. We can save this city. If we work together." Sebastian looks to them and holds out both his hands toward them.

It's a few moments of silence but eventually.

The Arrow and the Black Canary take them…

 _The Institution_

"Maya, can you talk to me about Sebastian? It's ok. You can trust me." Laurel rests a hand gently on her knee when she looks at Laurel fearfully.

"Sebastian is my friend." She nods with a wide smile.

"Sebastian is the devil! He's the one who put me in here." She screams suddenly, catching Laurel's wrist in her hand.

"He made everyone think I'm insane…"

"But why would he do that?" Laurel whispers.

"He killed his father and I was there. I saw it." She admits, her eyes glassy.

"Oh my god." Laurel whispers as it hits her, shuddering as she turns back to face Maya.

"Sebastian isn't your nephew. He's your son…" She trails off.

"Don't trust a word he says." Maya looks Laurel straight in the eyes.

"You can't trust Sebastian Blood."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy And Sin's Apartment_

"Wow. What happened to you, you look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards." Oliver comments upon seeing Slade's rather untidy self as he enters through the door.

A snort sounds out from the kitchen.

"Yeah you look like me after Thea and I…"

"ROY!" Oliver, Sara and Slade snap simultaneously.

"Night guys." Roy moves hurriedly in the direction of the stairs, hands filled with food.

"Is that my stash of biscuits." Slade starts quietly as at that Roy just legs it up the stairs.

"Hey, leave him be. He saved my mom tonight." Oliver smiles at Slade.

"And in doing so. He used his new found abilities. Just like the other night." Slade mutters and he sits down on the couch, Oliver and Sara joining him instantly.

"What do you mean by that?" Oliver frowns.

"Well. After I. I hurt you. I did go after the man in the skull mask."

"Thought you did." Sara sighs, the revelation not being much of a shock to either of them.

"And I was prepared to kill the people I questioned in order to get that information. I did kill one of them." Slade admits as Oliver and Sara just look at him sadly.

Yet neither of them say a single word.

"Would have killed the other one if it wasn't for Roy. He showed up and somehow managed to talk me out of it…"

"Wait. Hold up. You're telling me that Roy managed to talk you down from killing someone? Roy of all people?" Sara frowns.

"Honestly. I was expecting you to tell us you tried to kill him to and he fought back." Oliver admits as Slade slaps him gently around the head.

"No, kid. He was just there and he made me see what we've been doing hasn't exactly been morally right. Ain't too happy with the two of you for shooting him in the leg either. He's still quite sour about that." Slade points out.

"Well that's understandable." Sara flashes Oliver a glance.

"He was in the way and we had to slow him down." Oliver murmurs

"You mean you took a page out of my book?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"I think he did." Sara comments.

"You're a bad influence on me." Oliver nudges him.

"Probably right there, kid." Slade sighs.

"But Sara and I, who knows where we'd be if we didn't have you. Three of us, we're a team. We beat the Mirakuru before and we're going to do it again, together. I told you. We are not going to let you go through this alone." Oliver murmurs kindly.

"It's the three of us doing this together. Or not at all." Sara adds.

"Please don't shut us out again." Oliver practically begs.

"I won't, kid. I promise." He replies after a moment.

"I promise both of you." He adds as both Sara and Oliver nod.

"Good." He sighs and Slade hopes Oliver's words are truth.

They did stop the Mirakuru before, to devastating consequences but they stopped it. The three of them, together and they know more this time.

Going it alone isn't an option this time.

Preoccupied by his thoughts, Slade hadn't even realised Oliver and Sara had fallen asleep, their heads on his shoulders, practically trapping him in place.

"Great." Slade mutters to himself.

"They're goin' soft on me." He adds.

However, he would be lying if he said he didn't smile slightly and tighten his hold on both of them.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. I apologize if this chapter is awful. I know it isn't one of my bests, I'm just so glad to get it done and out there. Next chapter hopefully shall be better and should hopefully be released soon. Thanks so much for all of your support with this story, please tell me what you think if you can. See you all next update.**


	102. Blind Spot (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _chapter one hundred and two_**

 _Institution_

As the rain pours down outside the institution, shielded by an umbrella. Sebastian Blood walks up the steps and in or the building.

"Welcome to ST. Walker's, Alderman." A nurse greets him.

"Or should I call you mayor?" She smiles.

"Thank you for letting me come by so late." Sebastian replies.

"Well, I can imagine how busy your schedule is. It's really great of you taking the time to come and visit your aunt. Her health has taken a bad turn." The nurse sighs.

"Of course. She's family." Sebastian responds calmly as the nurse unlocks the door.

"Maya, look who came to see you." The nurse calls to Maya, whom stands in front of the window, a necklace in hand.

"It's your nephew Sebastian." She informs to her as Maya looks at them.

"Don't go, please." Maya practically begs.

"We'll be fine, thank you." Sebastian assures the nurse with a warm smile as she leaves to two be, shutting the door behind them.

"Still worshipping the old gods, I see." Sebastian moves to join her at the window.

"They're the last thing I have from your father's. They protect me." Maya murmurs.

"You were supposed to protect you." Sebastian mutters as he starts walking.

"A friend of mine, Laurel Lance, came by to visit you a couple of days ago. Do you remember her?" He sits behind her on the bed.

"She's muy linda." Maya responds with a slight smile.

"Yes, she is. What did you both talk about?" He inquires.

"Nada. Nothing." She responds simply.

"You know I don't like it when you lie to me." Sebastian practically snaps.

"I told her the truth. That you… You kill him. Your father. Mi Esposo!" She cries.

"I don't know what came over me. I am so, so sorry." She whispers when she hears Sebastian sigh in frustration, anger.

Neither is good when it concerns Sebastian.

"I hurt you mijo." She cries, now trembling.

"Esta bien. No te preoccupes."

"But you are my child, my son and I hurt you!" She practically sobs.

"I forgive you mama." Sebastian gets to his feet, moving toward her and pressing a brief kiss to the top of her head.

"I forgive you for everything."

 _Later…_

Lying down in bed, Maya clutches her beads and chants her prayers to the gods she has put so much of her faith in.

Praying to them more rapidly after Sebastian's visit.

Holding them up in her hands, Maya continues to chant her prayers.

"Los Dioses estan muertos." Comes the voice of the man in the skull mask that appears above her head.

Maya Resik's screams are all that can be heard throughout the whole institution…

 _Starling City_

An arrow and a dagger fly past a criminals head to keep him in place as he is cornered by the three vigilantes.

"Oh! Please! I don't know anything." He holds his hands outwards.

"The man in the skull mask. Where is he." The Black Canary snaps as the Arrow raises his bow, The Man In The Mask his sword.

"I don't know what you three are talking about!" He protests.

"He's been experimenting on people in the Glades. He's leaving a trail of corpses with blood running from their eyes." The Arrow growls.

"No, no, no, no, no. I deal in stolen merchandise, that is it." The man protests as The Man In The Mask throws a knife in his direction.

"Please!" The man begs.

"As him what colour his shoes are or something." Comes the voice of Sin through the coms.

"What?" The three vigilantes mutter in an instant.

"She's right. You want this guy to take a polygraph via Bluetooth, which is cool but I need to hear him establish a base line. I need to hear him tell the truth just once." Felicity explains.

"What colour are your shoes?" The Arrow then snarls.

"What?" The criminal frowns at the question, yet in fear of the three vigilantes, looks down all the same.

"They're blue." He responds.

"He's not lying." Felicity sighs from the coms.

"Please…" The criminal turns to face the three vigilantes, only to find that he is alone and that they have vanished into the dark of the night.

 _Later..._

Standing on a rooftop a few moments later. The Man In The Mask looks mournfully at the view of the city.

"You okay?" The Arrow rests a hand on his arm.

"Yeah kid. He's still out there." He mutters.

"Somewhere." He grumbles.

"We'll find him and when we do we're going to end this." The Black Canary vows.

"No doubt." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"We've just got to find this guy." The Arrow sighs in frustration.

"Come home guys." Sin says through the comms as the three vigilantes look hesitant.

"You two can if you want." The Man In The Mask grumbles.

"You're staying out here. We're staying out here." The Black Canary replies firmly.

"Just come home." Felicity all but begs in a quiet voice to them.

"We can't do any more tonight."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Slade!" Oliver calls as he races into the plane after Sara._

 _"Shado! Slade!" Sara cries as she runs inside first._

 _"Slade!" Oliver calls again, looking up to the top of the plane to see if he's on the roof._

 _That's how they first met._

 _Slade jumping down from the roof of the plane and holding a knife to his throat._

 _"They're not here Ollie!" Sara cries, despair evident in her voice._

 _"They're not here!" She buries her head in her hands._

 _"Why'd you guys come all the way back here?" Harley queries entering the plane last, remembering that this is the place Ivo had tracked them to._

 _Why would they come back here?_

 _"This is our shelter and I thought maybe they would come back here." Oliver sighs In both explanation and like Sara, despair._

 _"They've got to be somewhere. They can't just be gone!" Sara practically snaps._

 _"Slade's ex ASIS. If he doesn't want to be found he's not going to be and if he's got Shado with him, assuming they went together. This is going to be near impossible to find them…" Oliver growls at the last part, kicking at the ground._

 _"No. No we're going to find them. We lost them once. I'm not going to go through that again!" Sara cries sadly._

 _"They have the Mirakuru serum in their bloodstreams. They're not thinking clearly right now guys." Harley reminds them as Oliver keep his back to her._

 _Sara, however, looses her temper._

 _"You did this to them! You caused all of this. You told us to use the Mirakuru on Slade and Shado. Ivo may have leaded this whole thing but you're just as bad as him! Just because you know this Mirakuru serum doesn't mean you know Shado and Slade!" Sara snaps._

 _"Well forgive me for trying to save your friends. You say this Sara but you would have lost both of them without the Mirakuru! Slade would be dead from his burns and without him Ollie sure would have made that choice to save you and Shado would be dead and yeah I don't know Shado and Slade that well but what I do know is the Mirakuru and you're going to lose both Slade and Shado to it at this rate. Honestly you're going to wish they were dead. Would have been a lot kinder, the Mirakuru killing Slade then this happening…"_

 _"What did you say?" Sara hisses as she advances on Harley._

 _"Sara." Oliver starts, noticing the venomous look upon Sara's face and moves to stand in front of her before she can attack Harley but Sara pushes him out of the way._

 _"How dare you say that. You don't know them! You don't know what the four of us have been through together!"_

 _"Sara, Sara come on take it easy." Oliver holds her back, as he fears her actually physically fighting Harley right now and he already knows that Harley won't hold back in a fight._

 _"I'm going to look on the roof." Sara pulls away from Oliver._

 _" I don't put it past Slade or Shado to be up their right now." Sara she adds with a glance to Oliver, whom nods._

 _"Be careful." He warns her as she nods and disappears._

 _"So what should we do now?" Harley asks him._

 _"I don't know Harley!" Oliver turns on her momentarily, before noticing something._

 _"The sensor grid is still active. So at the least the three of us are going to know if Ivo and his men come back to the island." Oliver sighs._

 _"We we're just going to sit here and wait?" Harley frowns._

 _"Well, do you have any other ideas? Cause right now, two of my friends are missing, my girlfriend is so desperate to find them I think she's actually climbing the roof of this thing right now so I'm open to suggestions!" Oliver snaps in frustration._

 _"We find Shado and Slade and… Maybe we consider Ivo's offer." Harley sighs._

 _"What?" Oliver snaps curtly in response._

 _"Look Ollie. If we get the serum back from Shado and Slade then we can go home. Well you guys can and I can get off this island at the very least." Harley says as Oliver gets to his feet._

 _"I can try to talk to Ivo. I can get him to listen to me…"_

 _"Like he listened before he shot me and and practically killed Shado?" Oliver snarls upon approaching her._

 _"He's just tired and he's frustrated. Trust me everyone goes a little psycho when they're tried and frustrated…" Harley starts as Oliver scoffs and moves away from her._

 _"You don't understand what finding the Mirakuru serum has meant to him…"_

 _"You're right Harley! I don't understand!" Oliver shouts at her._

 _"And I don't get how you can even consider trusting him after what he did." He snaps, wincing as he jolts his injured shoulder._

 _"He's not evil." Harley tries to reason with him as Oliver just looks at her horrified._

 _"He kept me safe aboard that ship for over a year, lot longer than that even and he didn't just keep me safe. He taught me things. I actually learnt a lot from him." She cries._

 _"I learnt a lot to." Oliver mutters._

 _"This island taught me that you can't trust anyone."_

 _"You can trust me Ollie." Harley begs as Oliver just looks away from her._

 _"Ollie." Harley moves toward him._

 _"Let's get Sara back inside. Can you two try and be civil please? It's only the three of us now. We can't be at each others throats like this." Oliver sighs as Harley shrugs in response._

 _"Ok." Oliver murmurs before heading toward the door._

 _"Sara? Sara maybe we should stay here for the night." Oliver starts as he moves outside._

 _"Sara?" He calls, looking around for her as he walks into the glade, turning back to see if he can see her on the roof of the plane._

 _"Sara?" He calls again upon not seeing her anywhere at all in the area._

 _She's no where to be seen…_

 _"Ollie? Ollie what's wrong?" Harley joins him as Oliver looks around in fear._

 _"SARA!"_

 _DA's Office_

"Morning Laurel." Cat calls toward Laurel as she walks toward her desk.

"Hey Cat." Laurel smiles as she sits down.

"Are you okay?" Cat asks kindly as she sits beside Laurel, whom nods.

"Yeah. Just tired, worried I wasn't going to be able to find a babysitter today but thankfully Leena picked up." She smiles, resting her head on her hands.

"And that's why I'm glad mine are both in school." Cat responds.

"Ms. Lance?" A woman moves toward their desk.

"I have a call for you on line two."

"Thank you, Katherine." Laurel smiles back as she reaches for her phone.

"Laurel Lance."

"This is nurse Downey from ST. Walkers. You asked me to call if there was any changes in Maya Rezik's condition. I'm sad to report she passed away." The nurse informs her.

"What?" Laurel whispers in shock.

"Her heart gave out on her, pour soul…"

 _Later…_

"You think Sebastian Blood, the saint of Starling City, killed his own mother?" Donner looks at Laurel incredulously.

"Cat are you hearing this?" He glances to Cat, whom Laurel looks at desperately.

"He was the last person to see her alive. That isn't a coincidence." Laurel protests.

"He's a devoted nephew visiting a sick relative. You're right, that's very, very suspicious…"

"He didn't go there to visit her! He went there to kill her to cover up the fact that as a child, he killed his father." Laurel tries to reason with them.

"Laurel…" Cat starts.

"No Cat. Maya Resik told me what happened." Laurel glances at her.

"And she said this from a padded room, right?" Donner interjects.

"Which he had her forcibly committed to. She tells me the truth and then two days later has a heart attack. Neither of you find that strange?" Laurel looks around the room.

"It has merit Adam." Cat folds her arms as Laurel looks at her gratefully.

"Well, for one thing there's no record that Maya Resik was even Blood's mother and according to the hospital, she was in the late stages of heart disease." Adam inform them.

"I need you to call in a favour with Judge Carlin, get a search warrant for Sebastian's campaign headquarters. His phone records. I. I have to start somewhere." Laurel begs.

"Laurel this isn't some casual request. I'm the ADA who took Vertigo on live TV. I take a shot at Sebastian Blood and miss, my career is done." He moves away from her.

"Adam." Laurel follows him.

"Please." She begs.

"I'm sorry Laurel, you're on your own." He says before turning to Cat.

"Talk her out of all this, please." He murmurs as he moves through the door.

"Laurel."

"No. No I am not just going to let this go." Laurel cuts Cat off firmly.

"Actually I was going to say." Cat stops and smiles at Laurel.

"When do we start?"

 _Verdant_

Boredly, Roy tosses a trash bag into the bins as part of his job at Verdant.

Because of course, he gets put on rubbish duty and Sara gets all the bartending jobs!

He looks at the rubbish back in annoyance.

"Roy." A familiar voice calls out causing Roy to jump.

"Lurking in an ally, that's not at all creepy. You know, no offence and all but you're still one of the scariest guys I've ever met." Roy mutters as Slade smirks and folds his arms.

"When I ran the club with Oliver and Thomas, I learned about all of the secret entrances." Slade informs him as Roy picks up the next rubbish box.

"Apparently you saved Oliver's mother's life. Thea informed us of it, thought you would have shared it. What you did was rather brave." Slade comments to Roy's surprise and he glances back at Slade.

"I did what anyone would have done."

"Not anyone. It takes a lot to run toward danger. Not away from it." Roy stops in his tracks at those words.

"That. That sounded like praise. Thought even though we all live under the same roof, where I was concerned you and Oliver didn't approve, also considering, you know I think this is the most you have ever said to me that hasn't been that all threatening." Roy looks at Slade who rolls his eye at him.

"Thea also mentioned to us that you got hit by some falling debris." Slade stops for a moment before continuing.

"How are you?"

"Actually it mostly missed me. I'm fine, look. I got to get back to work." Roy moves quickly to grab another box.

"See you at home, I guess." Roy turns to where Slade was to find the alleyway empty.

Yep, still the scariest guy he's ever met!

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be really soon, hope you all enjoyed this one and thanks for all your kinds reviews, follows and favorites. See you all next update, please review if you can thanks again for reading**.


	103. Blind Spot (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Three_**

"You know, Watching you try to be nice to him looked so painful." Oliver sniggers as Slade storms down the steps into The Foundry, where Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Sin are all sat around the computer.

"It was." He grumbles as he crosses the room to get to Oliver.

"Well I was impressed with your efforts." Sara smiles.

"Could have tired perhaps a little harder…"

"Felicity. That was Slade trying that extra bit harder… Ow." Oliver grumbles as Slade slaps him around the head.

"Why'd you send me out there in the first place, hey kid? He saved your mother. Whereas I couldn't care less if he'd let that thing crush…"

"Slade." They all growl at him simultaneously.

"Joking." Slade smirks, yet by his rather 'I like swords' style smirk, they doubt he is.

"You know why." Oliver looks up at him innocently as Sara nods, moving closer so the others cannot hear her.

"You can relate to what he's going through."

Oblivious to what's going on, Felicity folds her arms.

"Did he mention anything about the man in the skull mask who injected him?" She asks.

"Roy is not the kind of guy who is comfortable discussing his feelings." Oliver shrugs.

"Not like you three and us. That why you sent Slade? Cause he's just as stubborn as Roy?" Diggle queries.

"More like because Slade's more stubborn than Roy." Sara smirks.

"You know, I'll keep an eye on Roy for your guys. I mean we all live together and me, Roy and Thea, we're sort of a team of our own. I can talk to him, might talk back to me as well." Sin points out.

"I like your thinking but it's too dangerous. I know he's your friend but he is a risk." Oliver points out as Sara nods.

"Your talking to the girl who used to go out there impersonating The Woman In Black when you guys were gone. I can deal with Roy."

"No you can't. What's happening to Roy is something you don't fully understand." Slade grumbles as Sin holds her hands up.

"Ok, ok. Don't go all scary vigilante on me."

"He has a point." Sara murmurs.

"I know but I want to help. I mean I know I help out down here, but it's not the same as being out there and I would be out there if…"

"No way!" Both Sara and Oliver cry simultaneously.

"Alright, alright. Don't bite my head off." Sin holds her hands up again as Felicity looks to interject.

"Don't yell at me but I really think we need a new plan on how to find this creepy mask guy. Scaring the crap out of low life's isn't yielding results." Felicity sighs.

"Felicity, I am open to any and all suggestions." Slade mutters.

"Guys, perhaps we're over thinking this. What if the mask simply got wind that the three of you were after him and decided to skip town?" Diggle queries.

"No, no." Oliver gets to his feet, noticing the rather pissed off look on Slade's face.

"He didn't go to all the trouble of recreating the serum and testing it on people just to walk away." Oliver reminds them.

"He is still out there and we need to find this guy." Sara adds as a phone suddenly rings.

"What? It's Lance for you guys. I thought he just called the normal phones now, or came to us in person?" Felicity frowns upon lifting the phone, Sara holds out her hand for it.

"Hello?" She starts.

"Can we meet?" Her father replies almost sharply, Sara frowns.

"Da…"

"I said, can we meet?" He cuts her off quickly, even sharper this time.

"What is it?" Sara asks in a voice laced with concern, glancing toward Oliver and Slade with a worried look upon her face.

"Someone wants to talk to the three of you."

 _Later…_

Standing on a rooftop, Laurel and Cat stand side by side, Laurel with a file in hand.

"I can't believe we're doing this Laurel. Do you understand how many laws we are breaking here? It was only several months ago, you and I were trying to arrest these three." Cat reminds her with folded arms.

"I know, I know but right now, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth. I can understand if you don't want to be a part of this…" Laurel starts carefully.

"Ohh I want to be a part of this. Someone's got to keep an eye on you." Cat sighs.

"Hello Laurel." Comes the disguised voice of the Black Canary from behind them.

"You three aren't very punctual are you?" Cat folds her arms.

"And we thought their was only going to be one of you." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"This is my friend, Cat. You guys can trust her. We work together." Laurel holds her hands up in almost surrender as the three vigilantes just stare at her.

"And she's right. You three are late." She comments.

"Well. We had to circle the perimeter to make sure there wasn't any SWAT teams waiting for us again." The Man In The Mask retorts.

"That's fair." Cat nods.

"Trust me, I wouldn't have asked my father to put me in touch with the three of you if I had any other choice." Laurel mutters.

"What do you need?" The Arrow asks bluntly.

"Sebastian Blood. He's about to be the new mayor of Starling City." Laurel informs them.

"We know who he is." The Arrow mutters.

"No, you don't. No one does. A few weeks ago, I was approached by your groupie, Roy Harper and friends. They asked me to investigate the death of Max Stanton." Laurel passes him the file as The Arrow remembers Roy showing him the imagine of the man, Max Stanton. He was one of those tested with the Mirakuru…

"You think Blood was involved in Stanton's death?" The Arrow questions.

"Possibly. It could be Sebastian Blood, or a man named Cyrus Gold, that Laurel discovered used to to work for him." Cat explains to them.

The Man In The Mask remembers his lengthy battle with Cyrus Gold…

The Mirakuru infected Cyrus Gold.

"Gold killed four cops, including my father's partner, Lucas Hilton. Blood and Gold knew each other from the orphanage that Blood was raised at. He would do anything to keep the truth about his past hidden. Including murdering his own mother." Laurel tell them.

"Why would he do that?" The Arrow questions.

"To cover up the fact that he allegedly killed his father." Cat replies as the three vigilantes turn around to face them.

"I tried going to the DA. The only person that would stand by me is Cat. Other then that. No one will believe me. I swear to the three of you, Sebastian Blood is dangerous and you three are the only people in this city who can stop him."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"I miss Felicity, but at least you make us coffee." Oliver smiles up at Sin as she puts two tall mugs of coffee on the desk in front of Oliver and Slade.

"What she didn't? I thought it was part of the job." Sin frowns.

"Well…" Oliver trails off.

"You know Felicity. Wasn't exactly happy to be our assistant in the first place." Slade smirks as Sin sits down at the large table with them.

"She's sent some stuff over. Apparently, Laurel was right. Felicity's hacked Blood's cell phone records and apparently the Alderman and that psycho who almost killed you three have stayed buddies since Zandia Orphanage." Sin reads from the laptop.

"So what? They kept in touch. Doesn't exactly mean that Sebastian Blood is the man in the skull mask." Diggle points out.

"I'd be happy to believe it to be him." Slade mutters.

"Oh of course you would." Diggle says with a roll of his eyes.

"Ok. Ok. Slade lets just keep your personal opinions on Sebastian out of this." Oliver glances at him with a slight smile.

"He's a suspicious son of a bitch." Slade retorts.

"With you there Slade. As is Felicity, she just send something else over. Apparently his last name is Blood so that can't be a good start." Sin smirks at the message.

"Guys. He's dedicated his life, risked his life to help the people of The Glades and in his spare time, he's a murderer? Trying to create an army of human weapons?" Diggle reminds them.

"Yeah and you're a personal bodyguard to Oliver Queen, who fights crime at night with Oliver and friends. Not a lot people show their real face in public." Sin points out.

"Oliver what are you thinking?" Diggle looks to him at long last.

"Laurel and her friend gave us a case number to start with. We need to know if Sebastian really killed his father, then we figure out if there's a chance he has the Mirakuru formula. Sin, can you get Felicity on it?" Oliver hands her the file.

"Sure boss." Sin nods as Oliver sits back down beside Slade.

"And what if this is just another trap? Set by Laurel and her lawyer friend. They could be setting you three up and this time of you're all together. You wouldn't have Sara to swoop in and save your asses." Diggle points out as Sin pops her head back around the door.

"Right I've got the info sent to Felicity. Might have another problem. Roy called, he wants to meet me. Mind if take an hour off?" Sin questions as Oliver and Slade glance at her.

"Suppose so. Just, just please be careful. Sara will have both mine and Slade's heads on a chopping block if anything happens to you." Oliver points out as Sin smirks at them.

"Told you earlier. If I can impersonate the Woman In Black, I think I can deal with a slightly more violent Roy Harper…"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Asking a cute girl to meet you down by the tracks, Harper? Good thing Thea and I are tight. Couldn't you have just had this meeting at home, I have a job you know." Sin points out.

"Yeah, executive assistant to Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson? What that the price of living with us or something?" Roy questions.

"Yeah, no. I do actually like Oliver and Slade and they needed a new assistant and you should see what they're paying me." She smirks as Roy rolls his eyes at her.

"So, why out here and not at home?" She asks again.

"I have to show you something." He mutters.

"Easy their tiger." Sin chuckles as Roy suddenly lifts his hand and punched out a brick wall.

Faking shock, Sin jogs toward Roy and rests her hand on his.

"Wow. You're not even bleeding! When did you start juicing?" She exclaims.

"I'm not." Roy mutters and she knows he's not.

He'd only ask questions that she can't answer.

"Then how do you explain what I just saw?" She gives what she's believes to be the expected question to what she sees.

"You remember that night around Christmas when I went missing?" Roy murmurs.

"Yeah, Thea and I were pissed." Sin retorts.

"I never told you guys wear really happened. We were right about Max. He didn't OD he was murdered. He was injected with something and I was injected with the same thing, but it didn't kill me. It made me. It made me stronger." Roy admits.

"Thea must be freaked." Sin replies, to see if he has told Thea about this.

"No, she doesn't know. I don't want her to." Roy replies quickly.

"Why not?" Sin decides to ask.

"No, I can't, not yet. Not until I know more about what happened to me. I don't want to scare her." Roy sighs as Sin folds her arms.

"And you're not worried about scaring me?"

"Come on, I was going crazy not telling someone." Roy protests.

"So what are you going to do?" Sin questions, this is answer she looks forward to hearing.

"Well the three vigilantes once told me all I was good for was taking a beating." He mutters viciously, a tone that concerns Sin.

"Maybe it's time I started handing out a few of my own."

"I don't follow." Sin says in hopes of getting more information.

"Now I don't need their help to protect this city. Let's find us a bad guy."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"I have some good news and I have some bad news." Sin starts as she moves back into Oliver and Slade's office.

"I suggest the good news first. It tends to soften the blow of the bad news. Good news is Felicity found the case file on Sebastian's dad's murder." Sin reveals, moving toward the computer, to show them the information Felicity sent over.

"Anything in it to suggest his killed his father?" Slade questions.

"Meet bad news part one." Sin sighs.

"That file was sealed years ago and since the file is over twenty seven years old. There is no digital copy Felicity can hack." Diggle mutters.

"The only hard copy is apparently stored the old fashioned way in the city archives." Sin reveals to them.

"So we go in and take it. The old fashioned way." Oliver glances at Slade with a smile and they turn to the door.

"Except according to Felicity, the security in the file room is so old school you need a key card to get in, which even if you had. You guys wouldn't exactly know where to start looking for the file." Sin points out.

"An assistant DA and a lawyer who works their would." Oliver points out.

"Man Sara's gonna love this plan." Sin says with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"What was the other bad news?" Slade questions.

"Well. I went to talk to Roy…"

"And!" Both Oliver and Slade interject instantly.

"Well. He. He's realized the true extent of his strength and told me he wants me and him to find a criminal and we're going to deal with whoever he picks and Roy's going to give him a beating because apparently the three of you told him he was only good for taking a beating." Sin explains quickly as Slade and Oliver look to one another.

"Where is he?" Slade snarls.

"I don't know. I had to come back here, don't think he went home though." Sin notes.

"This is just what I thought would happen the minute he got injected with the Mirakuru." Slade growls as Oliver sighs and reaches out toward he rather agitated friend.

"We'll deal with him later. Either go home or to The Foundry. Do not go with him. I mean it Sin. He's dangerous right now, especially with that mind set." Oliver mutters.

"Yeah. Wouldn't it be worse if he went alone?" Sin inquires.

"Sin." Oliver growls sharply as he and Slade head through the door together.

Sin knows what Oliver and Slade say are probably the truth and she should do what they say. But they're occupied with finding the man in the skull mask.

They're going to leave this and in Sin's mind.

The longer they leave Roy to his own devices, the worse it's going to get for him…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Just the three of us tonight, yeah?" Laurel smiles sweetly at her babies that rest in her arms, whom looks up at her with wide eyes.

"I don't have anywhere to go tonight." She whispers as she kisses each of their foreheads, holding them close to her as she can't help but glance at one of the pictures of Tommy on the table.

It should be the four of them…

The sound of a window opening causes Laurel to freeze in an instant and she instantly holds Brandon and Rebecca close to her in response whom both start to cry softly.

"Shh. Shh it's alright. It's ok." Laurel whispers as she gets up with them in her arms, moving across the hall to her bedroom, which she enters quickly, crossing the room to her babies crib, which she places Rebecca and Brandon in.

"Mommy's just going to go close that window. It's all going to be okay. I'm gonna come straight back." Laurel says softly to both of them before heading quickly out of her bedroom, ensuring to lock the door behind her as she moves out into the living room where the Black Canary is stood.

"You know I have children right? Didn't think to call first or something?" She snaps.

"We are aware. Which I why it's only me here. Say what you may about us but we didn't want to scare them and my partners would." She points out.

"Thank you for your consideration." Laurel mutters before folding her arms.

"Ok. So what do you want?" She asks.

"You said you needed our help. Now we need yours." The Black Canary informs her through gritted teeth, having not exactly liked the plan her colleagues came up with.

"What do you guys need?" Laurel questions.

"You." The Black Canary sighs before adding quickly.

"Or your friend Cat Grant could be more preferable. My partners are contacting her as we speak." The Black Canary informs her.

"I'll call my babysitter." Laurel reaches for her phone.

"Are you sure about that? Cat could do this…" The Black Canary can't help but say.

"I pulled Cat into this. She's only going a long with this because of me. We're doing this together." Laurel says firmly with her phone in hand.

"You might want to go. Don't want to be here when my babysitter arrives." Laurel mutters as the Black Canary takes one last glance at her before heading toward the window.

As she goes, beside the picture of Tommy, the picture of herself and Laurel catches her eye.

She and Laurel before the five years.

How different things used to be…

 _Lian Yu_

 _"She's gone Ollie." Harley grabs his arm as he races through the woods, calling out Sara's name, only halting when Harley squeezes his bad arm._

 _"Owww!" He snarls out in pain._

 _"Sorry! Sorry!" Harley apologizes quickly as Oliver rolls his eyes at her before turning away from her._

 _"SARA!" He calls out for her again._

 _"Ollie it's not use." Harley sighs as Oliver runs a hand through his hair._

 _"Why would she do this?" He whispers in horror, his mind running wild with thoughts._

 _"Well she hates me and from how damn defense she was, she really loves her friends." Harley shrugs as Oliver nods._

 _"She's gone after Slade and Shado." He mutters._

 _"Obviously someone was getting a little impatient…"_

 _"Harley." Oliver growls warningly._

 _"What?" Harley glances back at him._

 _"We needed to stick together. I can't believe she'd do this." Oliver muses._

 _"Love is a powerful emotion Ollie, even love for friends. You do realize she's going to fear herself killed right?" Harley points out as Oliver shakes his head._

 _"Shado and Slade wouldn't hurt her."_

 _"They're not themselves anymore Ollie. I mean look what Slade did to you." She reminds him as Oliver shakes his head._

 _"That was the Mirakuru…"_

 _"That's what I'm saying." Harley folds her arms._

 _"Still they won't hurt her. They… They cared for Sara more than me before. She found it easier to become friends with both of them. Hell, she could even bring out the kinder side of Slade on occasion. If anyone can get through to both of them, it's Sara. Not me." Oliver sighs with a shake of his head._

 _"Don't think they care about you are much as they care for her?" Harley queries. Oliver says nothing in response._

 _"It's getting dark. We should go back to the plane, maybe Sara has gone back there." Oliver murmurs as he jogs in that direction, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he does so._

 _"Hey Ollie. I'm sorry. I just wondered, you know." Harley says as she catches up to him._

 _"Yeah well honestly Harley. I don't know sometimes. Sara just works so well with both Slade and Shado. It's not actually Shado that's the problem. Slade. Even before the Mirakuru he wasn't exactly the easiest person in the world but I still care about him and I tried to tell him that before all this madness and he wouldn't let me speak. Just shut me out the way he's always done with everything except Shado and on that rare occasion Sara. How am I meant to help him now? The Mirakuru has made things worse and if it does what you say it does he's going to push me away even more. I just hope to god Sara finds them." Oliver grumbles as they reach the plane._

 _Despite Oliver's hopes, it's still empty._

 _Later…_

 _When the nighttime came, both Harley and Oliver have created a fire in the centre of the plane, Harley lying beside it and Oliver on a chair in the far corner of the plane._

 _"You what I miss about being at my home." Harley sighs whilst lying out by the fire._

 _"What's that?" Oliver sighs, looking into space._

 _"My bed." Harley giggles._

 _"I don't know if I even remember what a bed feels like anymore." Oliver chuckles._

 _"Ohh and my rug. We had a nice rug." She adds._

 _"Where was home for you?" Oliver questions._

 _"A nightclub." Harley responds._

 _"You lived in a nightclub?" Oliver glances over at her._

 _"Well the downstairs was a nightclub that we owned." Harley informs him._

 _"We? The guy you lost?" Oliver queries as she nods._

 _"Yeah." She says, a sad tone to her voice._

 _"Kinda envy you living in a nightclub. My best friend and I, we used to go to at least one every night." Oliver smiles._

 _"One of the things you miss?" Harley looks over at him._

 _"Yeah. I miss that." Oliver nods truthfully._

 _"I miss a lot of things." He sighs._

 _"Things you'll probably never see again." Harley mutters._

 _"And the things I miss, I'll never see them again either." She sighs again, hearing Oliver get to his feet after a moment of silence._

 _"Harley. You don't have to do that. We are going to find a way off the island." Oliver stops in front of her before sitting down beside the fire._

 _"Ok?" He looks over at her._

 _"You just. You just have to trust me."_

 _"Thought you didn't trust anyone on this island." Harley mutters._

 _"I. I didn't mean that. I mean obviously I trust Sara, Shado and Slade and you. Well we're all still getting used to you." Oliver reminds her._

 _"You're the only one who was nice to me Ollie." She looks up at him._

 _"Yeah? Well despite the road it took to get us here. You did get me off that freighter alive and you got me to Sara, Shado and Slade. I didn't really thank you for that."_

 _"It's no problem Ollie. Like I told you. I know what it's like to be without the person you love." She murmurs._

 _"And now. I'm without her again." Oliver mutters._

 _"I'm sure you'll find her again though and probably your friends when you do so." She points out as Oliver looks down at the fire._

 _"I hope so. I just. I just hope they're okay. All of them." Oliver sighs sadly as Harley smiles at him sadly._

 _"You look like you're holding something back." She points out._

 _"I'm not." Oliver protests._

 _"Ohh you are. They're not here Ollie." She reminds him as he looks into the fire again._

 _"Over this past year I've been with the three of them. I. I'm just so used to them now. I." Oliver stops again as Harley moves forward and rests her hand over his, causing him to jump slightly at the contact._

 _"I care about them more then they're ever going to know and as much as I want to get of this island Harley and I do want to get off this island more than anything else in the world but when I do. I'm going to lose them." Oliver whispers._

 _"I mean I'll have Sara. I'll never not have Sara but Shado and Slade…"_

 _"Yeah I gathered Shado and Slade weren't exactly from whether you're from." Harley tilts her head to the side as Oliver nods._

 _"We should get some sleep." Harley says after a moment, moving to lie down._

 _"Yeah." Oliver nods, looking at the fire once more before laying down himself._

 _Thoughts of Sara, Shado and Slade clouding his mind…_

 _Later…_

 _As the fire finally dies out, Harley, wide awake, walks quiet as a mouse toward Oliver's finally peacefully sleeping form._

 _She thinks he'd been suffering from nightmares as he kept calling out for Sara, Shado and Slade in his sleep and that had been what kept her from getting up earlier._

 _Yet now he's fast asleep, and carefully she moves toward him, bending down and lifting the radio he has beside him into her hand before racing toward the door of the plane._

 _However, she stops in the entrance way, her eyes on Oliver one last time._

 _She just hopes he forgives her for what she's about to do…_

 _Starling City_

"A rooftop, really?" Cat grumbles as she walks beside Laurel and the three vigilantes across the rooftop of the building they need.

"It will be worth it." Laurel sighs.

"I hope so." Cat mutters back as the Arrow shoots at the entrance hatch.

"You two ready for this?" He mutters.

"Whatever it takes." Laurel nods as the Black Canary opens the hatch up.

"We're going in." The Man In The Mask grumbles through the comms.

"At least the security cameras are from this century." Felicity responds, typing quickly.

"And now they're toast!" She cheers.

"You guys have exactly seven minutes until the system reboots." Felicity informs them as within the building, the guards, sitting quite boredly at their desks look up the minute their screens become grainy.

"Hey, check it out." One says to the other.

Neither of them knowing just quite what has happened…

Meanwhile, within the building, Laurel uses her access card to open the door, allowing the five of them inside.

"This could take a while." Laurel sighs.

"You think?" Cat folds her arms.

"You two have six minutes." The Arrow growls.

"Thank god theirs two of us." Cat mutters as she heads down one aisle, Laurel the other.

The Arrow and the Black Canary following Laurel and The Man In The Mask following Cat.

Meanwhile, in the security room, the guards are hurrying to get the cameras back online.

"I'm rebooting the system." One informs the other.

"There's a Trojan plugging our system. It's probably some punk…"

In the archive room, Laurel and Cat race down their isles in search of the files.

"Found it yet?" The Man In The Mask looks to Cat.

"Impatient are we?" She retorts.

"We don't exactly have much time." He mutters back.

"Got that." Cat glances at the shelves again.

"Surprised the three of you would help Laurel and I after what we did."

"What's between the five of us is irrelevant when we have common interests." The Man In The Mask retorts.

"We came so close to unmasking the three of you…"

"Look for the file." He hisses in response.

"I think the three of you are driven, whoever the three of you are under the masks." Cat admits as she looks at a shelf.

"Perhaps even heroes."

The Man In The Mask says nothing in response, glancing toward the Arrow and the Black Canary as they chase after Laurel, whom is looking at her row of shelves.

Meanwhile, whilst rapidly typing in The Foundry, Felicity notices something of concern.

"Uh oh. Guys…" She whispers through the comms.

"What's wrong?" The Man In The Mask questions her instantly.

"It looks like we've got the one rent a cop with a brain here. If there's a camera nearby I recommend hiding." Felicity cries as the the Arrow and the Black Canary dash out of sight in an instant, knowing their to be a camera directed right at them…

However, they're not quick enough as the security guards catch a glimpse of them.

"Look there." One points to the screen whilst the one picks up the desk phone.

"You got to send some officers here."

"Starling's finest will be there any minute. You guys need to get out of there now." Felicity shouts through the comms.

"We're not leaving without the file." The Black Canary responds sternly as she turns a corner to find Laurel and Cat on the floor beside an open box.

"Cat, Laurel." The Arrow snaps at them.

"We can't find it!" Laurel cries.

"I'll look in here, you go up their." Cat pushes her in the direction the ladders…

"Up there, third floor." The security guard says to the bunch of cops that burst through the front door…

"Hurry guys." Felicity whispers upon seeing the armed cops on the stairs, getting closer and closer to them…

Having left the Black Canary with Laurel and Cat, the Arrow and The Man In The Mask are near the door, in case the cops come, ready for a fight…

"Wait! Case number SC43878! This is it!" Laurel cries upon finding the correct file…

"Vigilantes! We know you're in here!" The cops yell as they burst into the room.

"Close everything off, now!" One yells as down one corridor, the three vigilantes, Cat and Laurel are looking for a way out, Laurel sticking close to the Arrow and the Black Canary, whilst Cat sticks close to The Man In The Mask.

"They're blocking our only way out." Cat protests.

"It's not our only way. You two get to the east wall and wait for us." The Arrow commands as Laurel and Cat run, leaving the three vigilantes to move toward the corridor members of the SCPD task force are.

"Drops your weapons!" One yells just as the Arrow fires an arrow that explodes midair, causing the SCPD officers to jump backwards as others begin to fire their weapons whist the three vigilantes run and they keep firing at them as they run to avoid gunfire, the Arrow shooting out a window the minute they near one.

The window near Cat and Laurel, who jump backwards upon the window breaking and the sounds of gunfire that are constantly nearing.

Racing toward the window, the Arrow and The Man In The Mask grab hold of Laurel and Cat, the five of them diving through the now shattered window and down straight to the pavement below, the file still tightly grasped in Laurel's hands.

"Ok, let's open it up." Cat encourages her, whilst smoothing her hair back, knowing it to be rather messed up after jumping out of a window.

Laurel quickly responds, opening the file in an instant.

It's completely empty…

 _The Foundry_

"We tried going through all the security footage at the City Archives to see if anyone swiped the file over the last few days." Felicity informs Oliver, Sara and Slade as they enter the Foundry, pulling off they're uniforms as they do so.

"Did you see anyone?" Oliver inquires.

"Just this." Felicity moves to pull up an image for all to see.

An image of a greyed out footage.

"It's all been erased." She folds her arms.

"So what happened when you reversed the footprint to see who hacked in before you?" Slade questions.

"I struck out again. It must have been an inside job." Felicity sighs.

"Meaning?" Oliver questions instantly.

"As a city alderman, Blood would have access to the files." Felicity explains as Slade nods.

"I'll have a go at it. Dealt with a lot of greyed out footage before now at ASIS. Could find a loophole." Slade moves toward the computer.

"I honestly love how good you are at computers." Felicity muses as Oliver and Sara roll their eyes at her.

"Guys, anyone on city payroll could have done this." Diggle reminds them.

"He's running for mayor. One hint that he killed his father and his political future is dead in the water." Sara points out.

"Wait. I thought the three of you were supposed to be friends. Don't you two think you ought to give him the benefit of the doubt?" Diggle suggests.

"They're actually taking my advice for once. Knew there was something off about that son of a bitch." Slade mutters, whilst banging the desk.

"Nothing. Whoever dealt with this is good." He spins around to face them in the chair.

"Please keep digging into Blood's past and say if there's anything that could help us." Oliver says after a moment, before heading to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Diggle questions.

"To give a friend the benefit of a doubt." Oliver responds, looking to Sara and Slade.

"Ohh you can forget it, kid." Slade mutters as Sara smirks at him.

"Don't worry. Ollie and I will deal with him, help those two look into his past." Sara smiles as she and Oliver take to the stairs.

"So the three of us… Think we can do some digging?" Felicity grins at Slade.

"Of course." Slade retorts.

"You know you're going to have to give me my chair back right?" Felicity says in a quiet voice as Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"Is that right?"

 _Verdant_

Moving down a set of stairs toward Thea, Roy stops when she doesn't even look at him when he passes her.

"What? Are you still giving me the cold shoulder?"

"Are you still not telling me what the hell is going on with you?" Thea sighs.

"Am I interrupting?" Sin queries as she approaches the two.

"He and I would actually have to be talking for you to be interrupting." Thea mutters.

"Can I try?" Sin glances up at her.

"Be my guest." Thea grumbles as she walks away from them.

"Tell her." Sin says firmly as Roy approaches her.

"No. Now what have you got for me?" He questions.

"Nothing! Except some advice, you shouldn't do this Roy. It's dangerous…"

"Sin! Whatever we face. I'm going to be more dangerous. In fact, I actually found something of my own. In case you didn't come through." He mutters as Sin rolls her eyes at him.

"He's called the Starling Slasher. Word on the street is, he's got a thing for prostitutes and by a thing, I mean he has a thing for slicing them up. Apparently mostly hunts in Crescent Circle." Roy informs her.

"Sounds like a great guy but still you shouldn't go through with this Roy, whatever this enhanced strength is. I don't think the answer to dealing with it is going out their beating the crap out of people, despite what they do." Sin sighs.

"Got another problem with this one as well." Roy continues, completely ignoring Sin's last comment.

"He's some big shot lawyer so no one has the sack to ID him."

"This sounds exactly like someone the three vigilantes would go after. You perhaps should let them handle this one, I'm sure they'll get around to it…" Sin folds her arms, making a mental note to tell Oliver, Sara and Slade about this guy.

"But we don't need the three vigilantes anymore. We have me. We're going to have to bait him." Roy starts as Sin folds her arms.

"Yeah right. What pro is going to let us dangle her in front of a psycho?" Sin points out before noticing the look on Roy's face.

"No, no. No way…"

"Thea!" Roy calls toward her when she appears again.

"Um. Sin has a date. She was hoping to borrow an outfit." Roy smirks despite Sin's glare.

"You know, something slutty." Roy continues despite the looks he's receiving.

"I have the perfect first date outfit." Thea grins as she moves toward Sin.

"Guarantees a second one. Let's go home and grab it." She beams.

"Great." Sin smiles at her through gritted teeth.

"This guy won't know what hit him. Or girl whatever you're into. I could do your make up and your hair…"

"You are not touching the hair, Queen." Sin warns.

"Ok. Let's go home." Thea smiles as she pulls Sin away.

Sin whom makes a rather rude gesture at Roy as she walks away.

Roy just smirks at her.

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

At the busy, hard working campaign office of Sebastian Blood, Oliver and Sara enter.

"You two looking for me?" Sebastian says from behind them.

"Sebastian, good to see you." Oliver smiles at him.

"You to guys." He smiles back.

"Listen, I'm so sorry but I'm right in the middle of a polling snafu…" He starts.

"We'll be quick. I just had a question about my sister." Sara cuts him off.

"Of course. Is everything okay?" He queries.

"I'm not sure. We ran into her the other day and something just didn't seem right and she's my sister, I can tell when something's not right with her. I know the two of you have been spending a lot of time together and I just wanted to know of you knew anything." Sara questions with folded arms.

"Well, we've traded phone calls, but she's in trial. I've been campaigning and from what she tells me she's been working every night, we haven't really been able to connect." He admits as Sara glances at him.

"Nothing happened between the two of you right? Not an argument or a fight or something?" Oliver questions.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were coming to me like a disapproving sister."

"No. No. I'm just looking out for her." Sara retorts.

"We all are. I mean she's been through a really rough patch, her boyfriend Tommy has been in a coma since the Undertaking and one of the friends she has has gone missing." Oliver points out as Sebastian nods.

"Yeah. I heard about her friend and it's a real shame about Tommy. The two of you were friends right?" Sebastian questions.

"Best friends since childhood." Oliver replies.

"And Laurel really loves him and always will. Which is why we all should be looking out for her until he wake up and they're reunited, which I believe they will be. I hope you're going to look out for her to." Sara smiles at Sebastian.

"Of course." Sebastian smiles back at them.

"Listen. I will take great care of Laurel. Thank you for letting me know."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As cars pass by, Sin walks down the street unsteadily in Thea's high heels.

Glaring as she does so.

She's going to kill Roy for this, she thinks, praying silently Oliver, Sara and Slade don't find out about this or they'd kill her before she could even start on Roy.

She knows she should be here or be doing this after Oliver and Slade warned her.

But she knows leaving Roy to go it alone could be worse. Much worse.

"You're new." The Slasher calls through his car window as he approaches Sin.

"Got to start somewhere, right?" Sin smirks.

"Get in." He grins lasciviously as Sin nervously does so, her hand in her jacket pocket.

The screeching device she and Sara created safely in there…

 _Later…_

The Slasher drives into an empty several story car park, parking dead center.

"Romantic." Sin mutters sarcastically.

"You're pretty." The man comments.

"You're disgusting." Sin retorts whilst looking out the window.

"I see you'd like to play rough." The Slasher retorts whilst pulling out a knife…

Sin moves toward the door the minute the man grabs her shoulder, her fingers hovering over the device and hitting it hard causing the noise, which shatters the windows of the car, giving Sin some time to scramble out of the car just as the door is thrown free of the car by a charging Roy Harper.

He seems unaffected by the screeching device which powers down only minutes later as a Sin grabs a hold of it, watching as Roy drags the Slasher out of the car, sending him spinning across the floor.

Roy advances on him instantly, Sin watching him anxiously.

"Wait!" He begs.

"I've got money."

"Keep it." Roy hisses as he kicks the man with enough strength it kicks him onto the bonnet of his car and over the other side.

Upon reaching that other side, Roy begins to kick the man, over and over again.

"Roy. Roy stop it, you're killing him!" Sin cries as she races toward him, trying to pull him away, yet Roy elbows her out of the way sending her flying across the ground…

Her groan of pain is what snaps Roy out of his Mirakuru infused rage.

"Sin. Sin I'm sorry." He whispers as he bends down beside her, Sin reaching out for the screeching device, just in case.

"I'm sorry." He says again.

"We have to call an ambulance." She says, her eyes glued to the man's bloodied and unconscious form across from them…

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

As Sebastian Blood walks through his campaign office, his eyes fall upon a meeting that appears to be happening in his main office.

A meeting between Shado and an unknown woman with curly blonde hair…

"I don't do overly thought out revenge schemes." The woman speaks.

"You already made a start, Selina." Shado retorts.

"Well I was unaware of that until you got your friend to contact Ivy and call for this meeting with me." The woman, Selina retorts whilst glancing at her nails.

"I'd like some more information on them." Shado declares.

"Would you now? You do realize they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Selina folds her arms.

"I'd say it was the right place at the right time considering." Shado responds.

"They were in mine and Ivy's way of our loot. We dealt with them, they put up a somewhat fight. They all usually do. These were slightly better. You know, I might send Ivy in. She all but hypnotized one of them. She may be able to give you more information." Selina says with a wave of her hand as she moves toward the door.

"You're a thief both you and your partner are. Harley says good thinks about your partner Ivy and has mentioned you in passing to be good at getting information and I need information on these three." Shado all but growls.

"I told you. I don't do revenge schemes." Selina reminds her.

"All I expect is for you to steal some information for me. That doesn't make you involved." Shado mutters before smiling.

"The two of you will be rewarded."

"How so?" Selina replies instantly.

"For the information on the three. I'll give you and your partner three times an amount of my deciding, yet trust me. It will more money you've ever seen in your lives. That's a promise and I keep my promises." Shado vows as Selina tilts her head to the side.

"We may have ourselves a deal." Selina holds out a hand toward Shado whom shakes it.

"I'll seek out some information for you, in fact I do have their names. They're known criminals." Selina informs Shado, who looks at her expectantly.

"Lisa Snart, Mick Rory and Leonard Snart." She says as she heads toward the door.

"I'll have Ivy contact Harlequin when I have more." She says in farewell as she walks out of the office as graceful as a feline…

"Who the heck was that?" Blood queries as she approaches the office.

"Someone who can get information I require." Shado replies.

"On a bunch of criminals?" Blood frowns, folding his arms.

"What? Wanna hire them or something?" He says to silence.

"Get revenge on them to?" He adds as Shado looks up at them.

"Not exactly but they are connected to our plans."

"Want to use them as test subjects?" He guesses.

"Not one of your worst ideas." She mutters, Sebastian noticing the glare on her face.

"Sure you don't have a grudge against these three, or are they connected to the vigilantes?" He queries, guessing he assumed correctly.

"Apparently they do. I've been tracking these three for a while now and somehow, despite being criminals as they appear to be they have connected with The Man In The Mask." She informs him as he nods.

"He's the one you said was your lover right? Isn't one of these criminals a woman, Lisa did that Selina say? Wow. You really don't like it when women get close to him do you, I mean there was that blonde with the glasses you almost revealed yourself to when we hired Count Vertigo…"

"Point blank range." She snaps, cutting him off.

"What?" He frowns in confusion at her sudden interruption.

"Single shot to the heart from a low angle. Obviously the handiwork of someone quite scared and very small." She drops a file onto the desk.

The file on Sebastian's father…

"How come the police didn't arrest you?" She queries.

"I knew how to cover my tracks." Sebastian replies instantly.

"A skill you've obviously lost since you've gotten bigger." She snaps as he looks away.

"You know how close you came to allowing the three vigilantes to destroy everything?" She hisses viciously.

"Someone spoke out of turn. I've taken care of the problem." He informs her as Shado bangs on the desk before getting to her feet.

"Your mother was not out problem. Laurel Lance is." She moves to stand in front of him.

"You were the one who told me to get close to her, you said that it was part of the plan to hurt the three vigilantes because they care about her. Hell you've even got your little pet watching her kids for leverage." Sebastian reminds her.

"It is. But you being sloppy isn't." She hisses.

"Fix this, Sebastian." She takes a step toward him.

"It can be done but there's the matter of her friend, Cat Grant but if we play our cards right we can pass her off as just being a good friend to Laurel. She's probably only involved because Laurel needed someone to believe in her." Sebastian says hurriedly as Shado grips the front of his jacket using her inhuman strength to almost lift him off the ground.

"You do not want me to have to fix this for you." She drives him into the doorway.

"I can call in some favors." He says quickly as Shado glares at him again.

"Have you produced enough serum yet that you can test on Thomas Merlyn?"

"Still in the works. It should be completed soon." He assures her quickly.

"Good. You do not want to screw up again." She pushes past him, leaving Sebastian visibly shaken by his encounter with his boss and instantly he reaches for his phone.

"Brother Daily. I need you to take care of something for me…"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be soon, please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter and thank you to all of you who have followed and favorited this story. See you all next update :)**


	104. Blind Spot (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter One Hundred And Four**

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Laurel." She hears Leena's voice the minute she reaches her corridor. Looking up, Laurel sees Leena in the corridor, Brandon and Rebecca in her arms and they're crying.

Instantly Laurel races over to her.

"They just barged in. I don't know why." Leena looks at her anxiously.

"Who barged in. What happened?" Laurel asks quickly, her eyes darting to Brandon and Rebecca whom are still crying loudly.

"The cops. They're in their right now. Told me to wait outside. I didn't know what to do. I tried calling but you must have been driving." Leena informs her as Laurel nods quickly.

"Ok. Ok I'm going to sort this out. I'll get the pram, take these two for a walk." Laurel darts into her apartment, finding the door already open and yanking the pram out from the doorway and putting it beside Leena, who gently places Brandon and Rebecca into it.

"Bring them back only when I call you personally okay. They don't need to be here right now." Laurel instructs as Leena nods.

"Of course. I'll take care great care of them." Laurel smiles.

"I know you will. Remember bring them back only when I call you directly." Laurel reaffirms as Leena nods again.

"Thank you." Laurel hugs Leena quickly before bending down to press kisses to both Rebecca and Brandon's heads.

"I love you both so much. Mommy will see you soon okay? This is all going to be over soon." Laurel promises them gently as they cry.

"Please don't cry. You'll see me soon. I promise." Laurel whispers as she looks up at Leena gratefully and waits until Leena has moved out of sight with the pram before heading into her apartment again.

Upon entering her apartment for a second time she takes note that everything's on the floor and much is broken and overturned.

Pictures, her desk, Brandon and Rebecca's toys.

"Remember me?" Comes the voice of officer Daily from behind her.

"Officer Daily, right? What's this all about? What are you doing in my apartment?" Laurel folds her arms, a stern look on her face.

"I have a warrant." He passes her a piece of paper.

"A warrant for what?" Laurel cries in shock.

"We found these in your bedroom, Ms. Lance." They hold up a plastic bag with a bottle of pills inside of it.

"These aren't prescribed to you. That's a felony." He informs her firmly.

"What? I've never seen these before in my life! Who are they prescribed to? I don't just have pills lying around the place. I have kids." Laurel whispers hurriedly as two police officers come from behind her and cuff her.

"What?! This is ridiculous!" Laurel cries as she is pushes toward her door.

"You are under arrest for possession of a controlled substance. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

 _SCPD_

Sat on a chair by a closed window, Laurel sits with her knees drawn up to her chest sobbing her eyes out after being dragged to the precinct, under arrest for the possession of drugs.

She needs to get out of her, she needs to get to her kids.

Thank the lord her kids are with Leena…

Suddenly the door opens and her father enters.

"I know what this looks like but I swear to god daddy I don't know where those pills are from. You've got to believe me. I'd never have bottles of pills lying around in general. Let alone since Brandon and Rebecca were born!" She cries the minute he enters. He is silent.

"You have to listen to me." She whispers as she gets to her feet and races toward her dad.

"I know what's happening here. Sebastian Blood… He's setting me up because he knows I'm on to him, just watch. Cat's going to be arrested to soon for working with me. He's. He's trying to frame me. I need to warn her…"

"So he planted drugs in your apartment?" He glances at her incredulously.

"Yes! Yes of course he did! Why else would their be unprescribed drugs in my apartment! He is the one behind this witch hunt." She cries tearfully.

"Sebastian called your boss. He's worried about you." Quentin informs her before moving away from her.

"No, no! He wasn't worried about me. He's trying to discredit me and he's going to do the same to Cat. Don't you see what he's doing!" Laurel cries.

"What I see is that you have tested positive for opiates…." Quentin retorts.

"What? No. I. I've never taken drugs. Why would I do that? Brandon and Rebecca. I'd never do that!" Laurel tries to reason with him.

"You've been lying to me and I see that you've been stealing from me! The pills are prescribed to me Laurel! You're supposed to be a mother to two babies. Babies Laurel, my grandkids and you're taking drugs?" He yells at her slamming the bottle down on the desk.

"No! Why would I do that! I'd never do this daddy, I'd never take drugs and I'd never steal from you! Someone's setting me up!" She yells back.

"Every person that stands where you're standing now says the same thing…"

"Dad." Laurel whispers fearfully.

"The DUI the other month…"

"Again! That was a set up! Someone was trying to frame me. Perhaps it is the same person this time or someone else. Or Sebastian Blood has been after me since the beginning."

"The paranoia about Blood, you're looking like hell…" Her father continues regardless.

"Of course I'm looking like hell! I'm a single mother looking after two infants and I have this job and now there's all this mayhem!" Laurel cries, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You've got a problem, Laurel." He murmurs.

"No." Laurel shakes her head tearfully.

"It's addiction…"

"No!" Laurel cries.

"It runs in the family. You can't pin it on Sebastian Blood and your. Your putting your kids at risk. They're babies Laurel… Where are they?" He questions.

"No. No daddy listen to me. I'm being set up. Please. I'd never put my babies at risk…"

"Laurel, where are they?" He questions.

"They're with Leena. I didn't want them in my apartment which was being ransacked whilst they were present." Laurel snaps at that.

"They're asking about them here Laurel, just like with the DUI and this time they're not going to let this go. They've called child services again and this time Laurel… Your going to have them taken away from you…"

"No!" Laurel weeps desperately.

"No they're not taking them away." She screams.

"They are Laurel and they think you're an unfit mother and they're not going to let me have them because of my previous addiction and they're not going to let Oliver, Sara and Slade take custody of them…"

"No. No. I'm being set up. I'm not an unfit mother. They're not going to take my babies from me." She whispers.

"I've. I've tried to come up with an alternative. I called your mom. Left her a message and she called me back. She's going to come and help. She's a respected professor and a blood relative. Cat thinks they'll give her custody…"

"She. She doesn't even know they exist. I couldn't get a hold of her…"

"She does now Laurel and she's on her way. Now tell me where Brandon and Rebecca are they need to be here right now." Quentin informs her.

"They're. They're with Leena." Laurel whispers.

"Laurel, come on. Where exactly are they with Leena?" He sighs.

"I. I." Laurel trails off, trembling.

"Ohh Laurel stop making this worse for yourself." He moves towed the door.

"Daddy please you have to believe me!" Laurel cries as she races after him.

"Please!" She begs, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Please. Don't let them take Brandon and Rebecca from me. I'm all they have. Tommy…"

"Yeah Tommy. You know if Tommy was here right now. He'd be agreeing with this course of action." Quentin mutters, turning on his heel.

"No, daddy. No you have to believe me please!" Laurel cries again as Quentin looks at her with a sad expression upon his face.

"I don't, baby." He murmurs before leaving his daughter behind in floods and flood of tears.

 _Elsewhere…_

"Daddy. What happened." Sara races toward Quentin in an instant the minute he approaches Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"How is she?" Oliver asks.

"I don't know." He murmurs.

"She wouldn't steal drugs from you daddy. She wouldn't do a thing like that. The three of us…" She stops to glance around the room before moving back to her father.

"We went looking into Sebastian Blood to try and retrieve a file on his father's murder. Laurel and her friend went with us and the file was empty." Oliver says in hushed tones.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Cat already informed me." Quentin murmurs.

"Well. Then he's setting her up, he's got to be. Laurel wouldn't do this."

"Sara baby. Addiction runs in the family and with the DUI…"

"Which was set up as well." She interjects.

"Yeah and who would do that huh? Who on the world would do that to her? She didn't know Sebastian Blood back then now did she. I'm sorry Sara. I don't know what to believe here." Quentin mutters.

"What about the kids, where are they?" Oliver asks carefully.

"Well that's the thing. We don't know. They've called child services. Luckily I got a hold of your mom Sara and she's coming down here to take custody of them to stop that Siobhan Smythe woman from placing them into care but Laurel. Laurel won't tell us where they are." Quentin shrugs as he looks to the three of them.

"And she is only making things worse for herself here." He mutters as Cat passes them.

"You're right there. I'm going to go in and talk with her." Cat informs them.

"Try and talk some sense into her, please. She's got to get the kids here. She's only digging herself in deeper." Quentin sighs.

"I will." Cat nods before moving back into the interrogation room where Laurel is.

"She's free to go as soon as she hands over the kids." Quentin murmurs.

"We'll get her home daddy." Sara assures him as Quentin glances at her.

"Thing is honey, that might take a while."

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Anthony?" Harley whispers through the radio the minute she switches it on and is far enough away from the plane that she's not at risk of waking Oliver up._

 _"Are you there?" She queries._

 _"I'm here Harley." Comes his reply only a few moments later._

 _"I was hoping that you would reach out to me. Are you alone?" He asks her._

 _"Yes." She replies quickly._

 _"Are you alright?" He questions, his voice laced with concern._

 _"You're not hurt are you?"_

 _"Do you even care? I shot you in the head then you went on to shoot Ollie and you were probably gonna kill me to." She cries._

 _"No Harley no, I swear, you were never in danger. I swear." He promises her._

 _"So it's ok because you were just planning on getting Ollie to choose between Shado and Sara and murdering one of them, to be honest you basically killed Shado?" Harley mutters as she folds her arms._

 _"Her name was Shado?" Ivo queries._

 _"Is. The Mirakuru worked again, Anthony, we used it on her." Harley points out._

 _"Well that really is fascinating to know it worked for a second time and you do realize that I'm going to have to live with what I did to that poor girl for the rest of my life. I never set out to hurt anyone. I started this quest to save people. To save the human race." He reminds her as Harley nods quickly._

 _"I know." She whispers quietly, pushing some of her hair away from her face._

 _"Harley. I know you think that this ship rescued you when you were stranded at sea. The truth is… You rescued me but how the darkness is threatening me again. I need you Harley. Please." He begs her._

 _"Save me."_

 _Starling City General_

From a door window, Roy and Sin observe the man they put in the hospital.

Well the man who Roy put in the hospital, on top the man's injuries however are pierced eardrums from the device Sin let off.

She is so dead when Oliver, Sara and Slade find out about this…

"How's he doing?" Roy asks the doctor that approaches them.

"The damage done to his head and lower abdomen is severe. He ruptured his spleen and he has massive swelling in his brain. Thankfully he got medical attention quickly, so he's got a shot." The doctor informs them both with a smile.

"You did a good thing here, Roy." The doctor says in farewell.

"What happened to you out there?!" Comes the yell of Sin the minute he leaves.

"I. I don't know." Roy whispers shakily.

"We nearly killed this guy." She snaps.

"Yeah and how did you get The Woman In Black's device?" Roy snaps back.

"Roy?" Thea cries from the other end of the corridor.

"Are you okay?" She races toward him.

"What are you doing here?" Roy asks instantly.

"Sin called me." She informs him.

"Why did you do that?" Roy glares at her.

"Because she was worried about you and because you need to let someone in." Sin informs him firmly, she's heard enough chatter in The Foundry. She knows Oliver, Sara and Slade have each other through all the hardships of their vigilante lives.

Roy needs Thea.

"Who is that guy?" Thea whispers upon glancing through the window.

"He was my date. Roy and I put him there." Sin murmurs truthfully.

"You… You did this?" Thea whispers as she turns to look at Roy.

"Just drop it, please." Roy begs.

"Roy, something is happening to you. I'm not judging you. I'm not angry with you. I'm on your side. I just want to help you." She pleads desperately.

"You can't." Roy murmurs regrettably.

"I got to go." He whispers before running away from the two girls.

"Roy!" Thea calls to him but he just keeps on walking.

Walking until he turns a corner and drops to the ground behind a wall, nothing left to stop his tears from falling.

He's never going to find someone who he can talk to about what he's going through.

No one who could ever understand this…

He's all alone.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

The four sit in silence as they each help to tidy up Laurel's apartment.

Oliver, Sara and Slade had offered to do it all for her but Laurel had refused.

She needed to keep busy.

Brandon and Rebecca were handed to Cat when Leena had finally brought them to the precinct on Laurel's reluctant orders.

They will be held at the precinct with child services until her mother can come and take custody of them for who knows how long…

Laurel's hands begin to shake when she sees the broken photo frames of the pictures of she and Sara when they were younger and the picture of Tommy…

Oliver picks up the pictures carefully, moving them out of the way.

"You three haven't said much." Laurel whispers.

"Working on lectures? I take it you three don't believe me either."

"No lecture and we believe you Laurel." Oliver responds.

"Yeah right. Why would you? The evidence is pretty incriminating." She mutters.

"Yet you would never do that to your kids." Slade retorts.

"You wouldn't put them in a position like that Laurel. I don't know what happened but this has got to be a set up." Sara agrees as she moves to grab another bin.

"A set up that has resulted in me losing my babies. My babies are gone." She whispers as she looks at the ground.

"You'll get them back Laurel." Oliver says quietly.

"How do you know that? Everyone thinks I'm an addict. Even my dad…" Laurel trails off, running a hand through her hair.

"He's just worried about you Laurel. He's just seeing the evidence, which yes is incriminating we can all see that but the truth will come out, you've got to believe that." Sara looks over at her sister with a sad expression upon her face.

"I suppose the three of you think I'm wrong about Sebastian as well." She whispers.

"Honestly, Laurel, none of us know what to think right now." Oliver sighs honestly as Laurel picks up some of Rebecca and Brandon's discarded toys, her hands shaking as she does so.

"Laurel." Sara rests a hand carefully on her arm at the look on Laurel's face and Laurel practically falls into her sisters arms, crying silently as Sara strokes her hair soothingly, keeping a tight hold on Laurel, whom doesn't want to let Sara go.

"I. I don't know what I'm going to do without them. My babies." She whispers through her thicks tears as Sara shushes her and holds her close.

"You'll get them back. We'll get through this. You're not alone." Sara promises her sister as she leads her toward the couch, straightening it out before sitting Laurel upon it, looking for a blanket for her somewhere in the mess.

"How do you do it?" Laurel murmurs, a blank expression upon her face.

"Which one of us are you asking about who does what?" Oliver looks over at her.

"Slade. How can you go on every day knowing that your son is gone and you're never going to see him again because mine are alive but I still don't know how I'm going to survive this." Laurel mutters, tears streaming down her cheeks as Slade moves toward her, kneeling down beside her and taking her hands in his.

"You will get through this Laurel. You be reunited with them. Even though, I never was with my son. I used to keep the belief I would every night I spent on that godforsaken island and the belief that you will be reunited with them will get through this. You also have people here, who care for you and as Sara says are not going to let you go through this alone. I had Oliver and your sister on the island. They helped me survive the pain and the three of us are here for you, whatever you need." Slade promises her as Laurel wraps her arms around him.

"Thank you." Sara mouths to Slade, whom nods as Sara and Oliver move toward her to and Laurel pulls them into the embrace also.

Without them being here she wouldn't have lasted a single minute.

The sound of her phone buzzing being the only thing that pulls Laurel away from them.

"What is it?" Oliver asks kindly upon seeing the way Laurel's hands start to shake upon glancing at her phone.

"Nothing, just. Just crap." Laurel sighs as she runs a hand through her hair.

"I'm just so tired. I think I'll just go and lie down." She murmurs after a few moments, moving toward her bedroom and closing the door, looking around the room and seeing her bedroom window open and the man in the skull mask in her room.

"Not a sound or your friend dies." He hisses as Laurel stands in front of him, another man behind them.

"What about them?" He queries toward the door.

"Leave them. They're not important." He reaches out for Laurel and grasps her arm.

"Hello Laurel, a friend of yours is going to be extremely grateful of your cooperation…"

 _Later..._

"You guys go home. I'll stay with Laurel." Sara glances toward Oliver and Slade about fifteen minutes after Laurel had retreated to her bedroom.

"No. We'll stay together." Oliver decides as Sara smiles at them both gratefully.

"She's going to need all the friends she has right now." He reminds her sadly as Sara nods.

"I'm just going to go check on her." Sara informs them as she quietly starts to walk toward Laurel's room, opening the door quietly as to not disturb Laurel if she's sleeping, which says believes she's probably is.

However, when she opens Laurel's door she sees nothing.

No Laurel…

"Laurel?" Sara whispers, switching the light on.

"Laurel!" She cries the minute she sees the writing on the wall…

"Sara?!" Oliver and Slade both race into the room only seconds later to find Sara standing in front of the wall, her hand over her mouth.

"Ohh god Laurel." Oliver murmurs as Slade reaches for his phone.

"Felicity." He starts the minute it connects.

"Someone's got Laurel." He informs her instantly.

"What ohh my god. Do you know where they took her?" Felicity questions quickly.

"I think we have a pretty good idea." Oliver calls as the three begin to move toward the door, the words on the wall saying.

'Tell the three vigilantes Starling Cannery'.

"And why." Slade comments upon lifting Laurel's discarded phone into his hand, open on the message.

'Don't react. Go to you room without a word or your friend Cat dies'….

 _Starling City Cannery_

Eyes snapping open in an instant, Laurel realizes she's lying upon a damp floor…

She remembers where she is instantly.

The Man In The Skull Mask took her from her apartment. Send her a message.

A message telling her to separate from Oliver, Sara and Slade and go to her room without a word or they would kill Cat…

They have Cat.

She was being set up by someone.

"Cat!" Laurel cries instantly for her friend, stumbling around on her feet.

"Laurel!" She hears Cat calling back before a sound of a scuffle.

"Get your hands off me you son of a bitch." Cat snarls as she comes into view, in the grasp of the man in the skull mask.

"Are you okay." Laurel calls to her.

"Other than being abducted I am." Cat growls, wincing as the man in the skull mask tightens his grip on her hair.

"If that mask is supposed to scare us. All that it's doing is confirming something I've already known for a while now." Laurel hisses.

"You're one sick son a bitch Sebastian."

"Yeah we know it's you behind the mask. Stop being a coward. There's no point anymore. It's over." Cat hisses as he drags her backwards by her hair.

"Cat!" Laurel cries as they disappear from view.

"Thirty thousand years ago masks invested their wearer with authority, like a god…"

"You're insane." Cat snaps as Laurel races off in the direction of her voice.

"I'm not the one making drug addled unsubstantiated accusations against Starling's favorite son." He retorts.

"Ohh like she is, you put those pills in her home." Cat growls receiving a low chuckle from the man in the skull mask.

"If we can find out the truth, then others can too." Laurel hisses as she spins around only to face the man in the skull mask and Cat.

"You two found out nothing. You know nothing." He hisses, grabbing Laurel to, which gives Cat opportunity to turn around and punch him in the face, which he dodges and grabs a hold of both women.

"Get away from them!" Comes the snarl of the Black Canary as the Arrow fires an arrow in their direction.

"Or we will put you down." The Arrow snarls, readying another arrow.

"And to think a few short months ago. The two of you were trying to arrest them." The man in the skull mask hisses to Laurel and Cat.

"You wanted us here. We're here." The Man In The Mask growls back.

"Let. Them. Go." The Arrow spits as the man in the skull mask throw Laurel and Cat aside, pulling out a gun and aiming it at the three vigilantes, only to have it knocked out of his hand by the Arrow as they jump down, engaging the man in the skull mask in quick combat, The Man In The Mask taking the lead and kicking the man in the skull mask backwards with utmost rage as the Arrow drags him back from behind, whilst The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary aim punches at him, the man in the skull mask dodging a few of them and ducking when the Arrow launches another attack at him, slipping away from the three.

The Man In The Mask snarls enraged the man in the skull mask races away, the three vigilantes chasing after him when suddenly the Arrow is tacked from behind by him. The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary jumping into action immediately, The Man In The Mask stabbing him hard in the leg with his sword to pull him off the Arrow, whom fumbles around for his bow when Laurel and Cat charge at him, wielding a gun of their own.

Yet before they can fire it, The Man In The Mask pulls out his own gun and shoots the man in the skull mask repeatedly.

"We had that." Laurel mutters indignantly as she and Cat glance over at The Man In The Mask whom lowers his gun.

"Take my advice. You don't want that on your consciousness's." He mutters.

"Take off his mask." Cat glances down at the still alive man in the skull mask.

"I need to see." Laurel hisses as the Arrow pulls the skull mask off to reveal.

Officer Daily…

"It wasn't Sebastian." Cat murmurs as Laurel looks around at the three vigilantes in shock.

She was wrong all along…

 _SCPD_

"It's alright Laurel. He had us both fooled. He worked in the SCPD had access to all of this. He wanted us to think it was Sebastian, to throw us off and we fell for it but…"

"Laurel, sweetheart!" Quentin cries, cutting Cat off as he races toward where Laurel is sat, resting against Cat, whom has an arm around her.

"Are you alright?" He pulls her into a tight embrace.

"Yeah. I am now." Laurel says quietly.

"You okay Cat?" Quentin looks up at her as she nods.

"Of course. It's going to take a lot more than an abduction by a psycho to bring me down." Cat smirks as she gets to her feet.

"Well, I have somewhere to be right now. I'll leave you two, but I'll be right back." Cat assures them with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Looks like Daily was behind this whole thing. Son of a bitch volunteered for the raid that got Hilton killed and we found the accelerant that he used to torch the Langford Institute in his apartment and another pot of my pills. He was the arresting officer at your DUI, probably planted the pills in your apartment he was around my desk, he must have taken them from there… I'm so sorry I didn't believe you baby. It's just with this family and what I suffered through... I'm just so sorry." Quentin holds her tightly.

"It's ok. It's okay dad." Laurel holds him back.

"I don't know how you can ever forgive me for not believing you sweetheart." Quentin whispers, shaking his head at the same time.

"The evidence was there. It was so incriminating…"

"But you're my daughter, I should know you well enough to know you'd never do a thing like that, especially now you have the kids." Quentin mutters.

"I thought it was Sebastian. I was so sure." She says quietly.

"Yeah well, that son of a bitch Daily probably made it look like that to throw you off." He murmurs, kissing her forehead and holding her close.

"Can we have a minute?" Donner calls from the other side of the room.

"Yeah." Quentin gets to his feet.

"I'm gonna see what's keeping Cat. Stay here Laurel." Quentin pats her knee as he heads out of the room.

"Are you here to say I told you so?" Laurel glances at him.

"We're dropping the possession charges. It was obviously a set up and I caught the tail end of that conversation. Daily probably made it look like Sebastian was the guilty party which is what set you and Cat off in his direction and I believe you when you say you don't have a substance abuse problem. I was concerned about you. We all were, but I didn't exactly know the full truth as to what was going on with you. I do now though and if you want any time off, want to leave earlier, just ask me." Donner smiles at her warmly.

"What do you mean?" Laurel frowns at him.

"I didn't realize you were a mother before now Laurel."

"Ohh. Yes. Yes I am." Laurel nods sadly.

"Tommy Merlyn's the father right?" He queries to a nod from Laurel.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asks gently.

"Because of who their father is. I don't want them in that sort of limelight." Laurel mutters.

"And they won't be. Your secrets safe with me." He smiles warmly as Cat and Quentin enter the room, in their arms. Brandon and Rebecca.

"Ohh my god." Laurel whispers racing toward her children and taking them both from Cat and Quentin, whom all smile at the reunion between Laurel and the her kids.

"All the charges have been dropped as I said Laurel." Donner smiles again.

"And the circumstances were all fully explained. No ones going to take them away from you." Cat promises her as Laurel holds her babies close in her arms, both of them settling happily against their mother.

 _The Foundry_

"Did you hear the good news? Laurel got her kids back." Felicity beams the minute Oliver, Sara and Slade enter The Foundry.

"Yeah dad told me. I'm going to go join them, just thought it was a good idea to leave my equipment here first." Sara smiles as she drops her vigilante wear on the table, grabbing her jacket, kissing Oliver and racing toward the steps.

"It's good news." Oliver smiles, Slade nodding also as he glances at his phone.

"What's up." Oliver looks over at him.

"And don't say nothing. That's what got Laurel into the mess she was in earlier." He folds his arms seconds later.

"Just Lisa. Said I'd meet her later." Slade smirks.

"Was Laurel and Cat really going to shoot that guy?" Felicity muses.

"Was being the most important word there. Got their before they could, didn't you Slade." Diggle folds his arms.

"Didn't want that on Laurel's conscious. We're used to it." Slade puts bluntly.

"You had to kill again though." Felicity sighs.

"Rather I did then either of them. What do you think, kid?" Slade looks over at Oliver whom nods in agreement.

"Yeah. Yeah we did the right thing." He smiles.

"Glad you didn't either, kid." Slade adds as Felicity rests a hand on his arm gently.

"You a'right, kid?" Slade glances at Oliver again after a moment.

"It's. It's just. I know it must have been set up that way but. She really had us believing that Sebastian Blood was a criminal mastermind and the only reason we believed her was because she's Laurel. We do have a blind spot where she's concerned. But then again I have blind spots for all of you, especially you and Sara." Oliver looks over at Slade.

"As I the two of you, kid." Slade agrees as Oliver rests a hand on his arm.

"Made me think of the island. The amount I defended you guys that I was blind to see what was happening, so convinced that we could all just go down one road and the five of us would come out okay." Oliver sighs as Slade nods.

"Wait five?" Diggle glances at them incredulously.

"So that's you, Sara, Slade, Shado and…" Felicity looks at both Oliver and Slade for a answer.

"Her name is Harley." Oliver replies after a minute.

"Another women? Ohh my god." Felicity rolls her eyes at them before muttering 'fantasy island' in a sing song voice.

"What happened to her?" Diggle questions.

"Honestly, I don't know. We sort of went out separate ways. Had a bit of a blind spot for her to be honest. Everyone else didn't. Just me and because if it I never saw who she really was until I was given evidence." Oliver explains quietly.

"You guys certainly know how to talk yourself out of a victory." Felicity murmurs.

"It's a gift." Slade murmurs as Felicity spins around to smile at him.

"Take the win, guys. Daily's dead, you guys destroyed the serum. It's over. Whatever happened in the past it's gonna stay there now. It's okay." Diggle smiles as Slade shakes his head as Oliver rests a hand on his shoulder.

"No it isn't." Oliver murmurs as both of them glance toward the camera that shows them a view of the Verdant.

A view that shows them Roy Harper…

 _Verdant_

"Hey." Oliver smiles toward Thea as she and Slade enter Verdant as Roy is wheeling a barrel across the club.

"Slow night?" He glances toward Roy, whom just moves past them without a word.

"Something I said?" Slade looks to Thea.

"Don't take it personally you two. He won't even make eye contact with me. He is so staying on the couch tonight." Thea grumbles.

"Something happen?" Oliver enquires.

"He and Sin put someone in the hospital." Thea sighs.

"They did what?" Slade snaps instantly.

"They're a little stingy with the details. Sin told me a lot of what happened but… You should have seen this guy. I don't understand how any human could have done that to another. Each day he becomes more and more like somebody I don't even know." Thea admits, looking down at the bar as Oliver and Slade exchange a knowing glance.

"He won't even listen to me. Or Sin for that matter." Thea grumbles miserably as Oliver looks to Slade again.

"I know someone he'll listen to."

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Harley, are you still there?" Ivo queries through the radio._

 _"When you first found me. I felt like you were my savior after what happened and letting me into your work. I felt like I was a part of something bigger." She admits._

 _"You are, Harley." He promises her._

 _"It was only because I didn't want to see what you were really doing. I mean what you did to those people on the boat and how you tortured them for science. I mean, good master plan and everything and I've done a lot of things myself in the past that have caused people pain and misery and I enjoyed it but that. What you're doing is kinda sick and that's me saying. I mean I spend nights thinking about how glad I wasn't one of them but now. I'd rather be dead than keep being a part of this." Harley decides suddenly._

 _"You ungrateful bitch." Ivo hisses through the radio in response._

 _"You think you know what torture is? You have no idea but I will show you. I am going to hunt you down, all of you and I will show…" Ivo doesn't get to finish his sentence as Harley switches off the radio abruptly, looking out into the distance for a few moments before spinning around, prepared to head back to the plane but the minute she turns around she sees that she's not alone and that Oliver is standing behind her._

 _Standing facing one another Oliver begins to slowly walk toward her._

 _She puts the radio in his hand._

 _"Let's go find Slade and Shado." She says determinedly._

 _"And Sara." Oliver reminds her as they begin to walk back toward the plane. Harley sighs._

 _"And Sara."_

 _The Foundry_

"He's gone to far this time." Slade mutters as he and Oliver make a move to grab their vigilante uniforms.

"Which is why we're stepping in. He's not going to end up like her." Oliver says firmly, yet quietly so Diggle and Felicity cannot hear.

"Or me." Slade murmurs.

"Slade. You got through it."

"Because of you. If I didn't have you I would have turned out exactly like her, possibly worse and even still, with you I still don't know how much longer I would have been able to hold onto my sanity if I hadn't have gotten the cure when I did." Slade growls quietly.

"Which is why you and I are going to help Roy. At least get him to control it, like you did." Oliver sighs, an unconvinced look upon Slade's face.

"Sara joining us?" He mutters.

"She's with Laurel. Think it's best to just leave her there." Oliver replies as Sin enters The Foundry, Diggle and Felicity turning around to glance at her.

"Ohh you're in a lot of trouble." Diggle comments as Sin glances toward the rather pissed off expressions upon Oliver and Slade's face.

"Hey guys." Sin winces as she looks around the room.

"Where's Sara? She okay?" She decides to ask.

"What the hell happened out there with Roy?" Oliver launches straight into it.

"We told you. We gave you strict instructions to leave it to us to deal with and look what's happened!" Slade snaps angrily.

"I didn't think guys. I'm sorry. I didn't realize he'd do something like that." Sin sighs.

"You do realize he could have killed someone out there. That he could have killed you to." Oliver growls, more out of concern than actual anger.

"And again I'm sorry. You both were right. I should have listened to you. He's dangerous guys. I don't know what we're going to do with him but I don't think he's safe enough to be let loose…" She trails off.

"You got that right." Slade snarls as he and Oliver begin to walk away.

"So you two are gonna…" Sin glances to the two of them as they move toward the stairs, Oliver turning back once more to face Sin.

"Have a little chat wearing our masks."

 _Starling City_

"It's done!" Sebastian calls into the darkness as he walks into an office, a bunch of three men following on behind him.

"They think it was all Daily. He sacrificed himself for our cause." Sebastian adds.

"A good start." Comes a hiss from nowhere.

"But the magnitude of your negligence requires a greater sacrifice." She hisses again as before anyone can say a word a masked figure comes charging at them, sword in one hand, crossbow in the other.

Shooting one of the men in the back of the leg with her crossbow before cutting them down, kicking Sebastian aside, slicing the throat of another one of the men before shooting another in the head with her crossbow.

"Your incompetence has now cost four lives, Alderman." The Woman In The Mask hisses as she holds her sword to his throat.

To Sebastian's surprise she is dressed very much like the masked vigilante...

She pulls off her mask, shaking her hair over her shoulders.

"Fail me again and yours will be the fifth."

 _Outside Verdant_

An dart flying into a nearby wall causes Roy to jump almost five feet.

"If that was supposed to go through my other leg." He mutters as he walks toward the dart, ripping it forcibly from the wall.

"You missed."

"You seem to be healing pretty well." The Man In The Mask retorts as he and the Arrow step into view, the moment the Arrow does though, Roy races to punch him.

Yet before he can The Man In The Mask grabs his arm and throws him to the ground.

"My fights not with you." Roy hisses at The Man In The Mask.

"It shouldn't be with him." The Man In The Mask pulls Roy to his feet, pushing him away from the Arrow, only for Roy to race after them both but that only results in Roy punching out a wall.

"You're stronger, you heal faster but you're not in control." The Arrow points out.

"The serum that you were exposed to, it changes your body but it also warps your mind." The Man In The Mask warns.

"How do the two of you know so much about it?" Roy hisses.

"We've seen it before." The Arrow responds.

"It twists men. Turns them into someone they don't recognize. Someone dangerous." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"Maybe you should put another arrow through me." Roy glances toward the Arrow.

"This time through my heart."

"There's another way, Roy. We can teach you to control your new ability." The Arrow responds plainly.

"And to control yourself." The Man In The Mask adds as Roy turns to them.

"Let us help you." The Arrow finishes as Roy finally faces them.

"When do we start?"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and for all your follows and favorites. Please do tell me what you think of this chapter. Next one should hopefully come soon. See you all next update.**


	105. Tremors (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights to to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Five_**

 _Iron Heights_

As a prisoner walks down the hall, a guard moves to open the door for him as he is led in.

"Got your latest customer." One guard calls.

"Genius who held up the convenience store across the street from a police precinct. Not the smartest plan." The guard comments as he beckons the prisoner forth.

"Come on through." He instructs as the prisoner walks through the metal detector.

It goes off instantly.

"Bum knee." The prisoner replies boredly.

"I had it replaced a few years ago." He says in explanation.

"Well I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Arms up." The guard sighs.

Once the search is complete, the prisoner is then led to a cell.

"Got you a new bunk mate!" He calls to the prisoner already in the cell.

"Play nice." He adds as the prisoner approaches the other.

"Ben Turner?" He questions as Ben Turner turns to look at him slowly.

"Tonight. Midnight. Redwood drive and Larkspur Avenue." The prisoner informs him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ben Turner questions.

"Redwood and Larkspur. The rooftop, be there." The prisoner responds.

"I don't know if you've looked around but we don't exactly have in and out privileges here." He mutters viciously.

"My son. Is with his mother. I won't get to see him anyway." The prisoner continues as Ben Turner begins to get to his feet.

"This way he's set. I do this. He gets the money." The man murmurs as Ben Turner frowns at him, now facing him fully.

"Do what?" He mutters just as the prisoner in front of him begins to rip a blade from inside of his wrist, another, he drags out of his leg and a knuckle duster from his chest…

 _Elsewhere…_

"What's going on down there?" The guard calls toward the cell as he hears the groaning.

Walking toward the cell, he sees the body of the prisoner he just placed in the cell lying slumped against the wall.

"Crap!" He exclaims as he begins to open the cell door.

"What the hell did you do to him?" He calls toward Ben Turner.

"I didn't do anything." He replies simply as the guard kneels down beside the body of the man, which is when Ben Turner makes his move.

Slicing the man's throat efficiently with his claws.

Reaching down, he grabs a set of keys from the guards belt before confidently striding out his cell a free man…

 _An Abandoned Building_

"Again!" The Arrow snaps loudly as Roy slaps a bowl of water.

"You know, I slapped water out of a bowl yesterday and I slapped water out of a bowl the day before." He comments in frustration.

"You must be getting pretty good at it." The Arrow comments.

"Yeah well. I can't wait to get attacked by a dog dish." Roy quips.

"This is how an archer builds his arm strength." The Arrow informs him.

"I'm not sure if you've been paying attention but strength isn't my problem." He grumbles as the Arrow circles around him.

"No. Controlling it is." He reminds him stopping in front of him.

"Again." He commands as Roy reluctantly slaps the water as the door opens.

"Ohh. Your still doing that." The Man In The Mask comments upon entering the building.

"Yeah. Thank you!" Roy calls gratefully.

"Where have you been?" The Arrow glances toward him.

"Got sidetracked. If I'd know he was still doing that. I would have been here sooner." The Man In The Mask retorts.

"As I just explained to him. It's how an archer builds up his arm strength." The Arrow reminds him as The Man In The Mask looks to him.

"I know it did some wonders for you but he's not you. He has the Mirakuru. This. Is only going to get on his nerves and make him lose his temper." The Man In The Mask points out.

"Thank you! The vigilante with sense." Roy grumbles.

"Quiet!" The Arrow glares at him.

"I know what I'm doing."

"Ohh do you now?" The Man In The Mask retorts.

"Yes." The Arrow growls.

"Look at him. He's losing the will to live standing there. I recommend a break and letting me take over. I brought some swords." He places a bag on the table as Roy looks over at them.

A look of almost longing in his eyes.

"That's only going to get him rilled up." The Arrow points out.

"And standing there slapping a bowl of water isn't?"

"It helped me become a better archer and it was actually quite calming after a few hours." The Arrow folds his arms.

"Calming my arse. It was frustrating as hell watching you do it!"

"Just. Just trust me. This is the best course of action. Throwing him into vigorous training too soon is only going to make things worse." The Arrow sighs.

"Or it could make things more balanced for him. That's what we did with you and the Black Canary. We alternated. I'd have her one day, she'd have you the other and we'd alternate and both of you turned our a'right…"

"We didn't have the Mirakuru in our systems!"

"You know you fight like two people I live with." Roy comments, his thoughts going to petty fights he's seen between his roommates and girlfriend's brother Oliver and Slade over the stupidest things at home.

"I'm right, you're wrong." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Really? Ohh really. You know I can distinctively remember having to disarm…"

"Ohh my god can you two stop fighting guys?" The Black Canary groans as she enters the room, cutting both other vigilantes off instantly.

"Can you tell him that he's wrong please? That Roy doesn't need to be involved in vigorous training at this stage of the game?" The Arrow glances toward her.

"Actually. I agree with him. I think we should alternate. He needs to be prepared for every eventuality and what I mean by that is what if he's walking home one night and he gets attacked this time he kills a guy? He learns control and how to fight properly. He has a chance of getting through this and learning control." She folds her arms.

"See?" The Man In The Mask folds his arms also as the Arrow looks to protests which is when Roy smacks the water so hard, he breaks the bowl and the table causing all three vigilantes to spin around and face him.

"And that's how you put a guy in the hospital last week." The Arrow glares at him before glaring at The Man In The Mask.

"And you wanted to start with the swords." He mutters.

"And I stand by that decision." The Man In The Mask retorts as they look over at Roy, whom is now staring at his shaking hands.

"How'd you know about the hospital thing?" He questions shakily before looking to the Black Canary an glint in his eyes.

"Sin told you didn't she? She's working for the three of you after all. Well you can tell her it's none of her business and it's none of yours either!" He snaps loudly.

"You made it our business when you agreed to let us help you." The Arrow retorts.

"We knew someone like you. Someone injected with the Mirakuru. Some people." The Arrow admits after a minute, Roy looking at him instantly.

"Who were they? The people injected?" He asks.

"A friend our ours and well the other…" The Arrow starts to explain, only to be cut of the by The Man In The Mask.

"I was in love with her but it. It warped her mind to the point where I didn't even recognize her anymore." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"Who was this woman? And the other person. You were starting to explain…"

"He wasn't." The Man In The Mask snarls with a glare to the Arrow, cutting Roy off instantly.

"How come I've never heard of them? Or that Mirakuru?" He continues with his questions to silence from the three vigilantes.

"Is there anything you can tell me about them? If not about the other one. About the girl? Can you tell me what happened to her?" Roy looks to each one of them.

"Yeah." The Arrow mutters with a glance to the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask.

"I had to put her down."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Eyes on the device in his hands, Oliver and Harley move through the trees in search of Shado and Slade and Sara._

 _Honestly, Oliver had hoped he would have reunited with Sara by now._

 _Finding her lost and looking for Shado and Slade._

 _Suddenly, something appears on screen and Oliver stops dead in his tracks._

 _"If I'm reading this right then Sara, Shado and Slade are back at the cave." Oliver sighs, in moderate frustration to think that Sara is now with Shado and Slade and they haven't come for him and Harley yet._

 _Even though a part of him wonders if Harley is the reason they ran._

 _All three of them…_

 _"Well, why would they go back to where the graves are and if Sara's there. Why don't we just wait for her to bring them back, don't you think she would have brought them back by now if she's with them?" Harley folds her arms._

 _"I don't know. We'll find out when we find them." Oliver sighs._

 _"And when we do. We better hope Slade hasn't told Shado about what really happened." Harley reminds him before adding._

 _"And if he hasn't. You can't come clean either."_

 _"Come clean about what?" Oliver mutters, not really with it._

 _His thoughts on Sara, Shado and Slade._

 _"Don't talk to me like I'm other people." She grabs his arm and pull him to a standstill, Oliver growling when she tugs on his bad arm._

 _"You've got that look on your face. The same one that you had earlier when you and Slade wanted to go and tell Shado there and then before they ran. Pure guilt." She points out._

 _"Because I am guilty Harley! Ivo shot and basically killed Shado because Slade was manipulated to save me. To make the choice he shouldn't have had to have made if I hadn't been a coward and then Shado lay then dying and begged us not to use the Mirakuru on her and I did anyway because I selfishly couldn't lose my friend and I couldn't watch Slade break like that after he was forced into making the wrong choice in the first place!" Oliver cries._

 _"But that's not true! Ivo's a psycho Ollie and that's me saying it and even if it was. Nothing good from telling Shado that you two think your responsible for how she ended up, for ignoring her wishes and the fact the man she loved was able to make the choice you weren't and was coerced into choosing his friend over her!" She folds her arms._

 _"Love is the most powerful emotion and that makes it the most dangerous. I would know, trust me." Harley mutters as the device bleeps and Oliver glances down at it again only to see it power down completely._

 _"Great." He mutters in annoyance._

 _"You still know how to get to the cave?" Harley queries._

 _"Yeah." Oliver mutters reluctantly._

 _"It's this way."_

 _Queen Mansion_

Walking into her living room, Moira is surprised to see Thea on the couch, looking positively and completely miserable.

"Thea? What are you doing home? I thought you were still living with Oliver, Sara, Slade, Roy and your other friend?" Moira frowns.

"I just needed a little me time." Thea sighs tearfully, glancing at her mother's attire.

"What's with the fancy fancy?" She queries.

"Oh, I'm. I'm going out to dinner. With Walter." She admits as Thea spins around to face her in an instant at her words.

"Like a date?" She queries with a smile.

"Like a dinner." Moira corrects her.

"Truly, I don't know what the evening holds." She admits as Thea chuckles.

"Are you alright?" Moira enquires.

"Mostly. Uh… It's Roy. He had some trouble last week and. I don't know how to help him." Thea admits sadly.

"Do you want me to stay home? I can call Walter and we can reschedule" Moira offers her daughter kindly.

"Absolutely not. If you and Walter and going to patch things up…" One glance from Moira cuts her off instantly.

"No pressure, but you're going!" Thea says firmly.

"It may be nothing." Moira points out as Thea smiles.

"Only one way to find out."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Be right back." Laurel whispers to Brandon and Rebecca, whom sit in their playpen, playing with their toys happily, only stopping when they hear the knock on the door, which is what pulls Laurel away from them.

"Hey dad." Laurel smiles as she opens the door to see Quentin standing outside of it.

"Wow this place is still quite the mess." Quentin comments on seeing Laurel's still mostly messy apartment from the unfortunate police raid.

"Yeah. I just sorted out the important things." Laurel sighs as she sits on the couch beside her babies playpen.

"Hey you two." Quentin smiles warmly at his grandchildren as he sits on the couch.

"Why the visit. You still worried about us after the…" Laurel trails off, one hand going down to stroke the top of Rebecca's head.

"Yeah. Well. I still feel terrible that I didn't. I didn't trust you." Quentin sighs as Laurel lifts both her babies into her lap, smiling as Brandon curls a hand around her hair.

"It's okay daddy. I forgive you." Laurel smiles.

"I know. I know. I just. I'm sorry, again Laurel." He looks at her apologetically.

"That why you here, to apologize again?" Laurel smiles at him.

"Kind of and I um." He stops after a moment.

"What?" Laurel questions.

"Ahh nothing. So. How's Tommy? You been to see him?" He asks.

"I go every day daddy and he's good. The same." Laurel murmurs sadly before adding.

"Joanna called. She's going to come visit me tomorrow."

"That's good. Good. She was always a good friend to you. Gonna introduce her to…" He looks to Brandon and Rebecca as Laurel nods.

"I am." She nods as Quentin sighs.

"Ok. Ok the real reason I came here was despite calling your mother off after the charges were dropped. She still wants to um. Come and visit." He admits after a moment, his words rushing out.

"Why didn't you just say that?" Laurel glances at him.

"Well. I had quite the lengthy phone conversation with her. She's kinda mad about the fact you didn't tell her she was a grandmother." Quentin sighs.

"Dad you basically had to break down my door for me to tell you I was pregnant. I didn't want anybody there because the only person I did wasn't. I mean. I. I almost destroyed my relationship with my sister in doing so." Laurel whispers upon remembering it.

Remembering it well…

"I'm never not going to feel guilty for that, I hurt her and it sent her away."

"Now you know how I feel Laurel." Quentin nudges her as Laurel nods, tightening her grip on her babies.

"Guilt. It's a funny thing."

 _The Foundry_

"How's it going with Roy?" Diggle questions as Oliver and Sara spar in the middle of the room, whilst Slade goes up and down The Salmon Ladder.

Felicity doesn't think she's ever seen him go up that far on it.

"Not well." Slade snarls, moving up again.

"Well it would help if you and Ollie weren't arguing about what course of action to take." Sara points out as Oliver flips her over onto her back.

"Ohh come on guys." Diggle sighs.

"Don't. You. Start." Slade hisses as he moves further up the ladder.

"So he's not doing okay?" Sin asks from the chair beside Felicity's, whom has gotten up to grab her bottle of water.

"Not really, Sin no." Sara replies as she sighs for her friend.

"Well. I don't know that kid all too well but he seems to be all five kinds of angry." Diggle glances to each of them as Sara aims a kick which allows her to pull Oliver onto the ground beside her, Oliver rolling her over so he's on top but it fails as Sara knocks him back before landing on him.

"You might me underestimating…" Oliver stops as Sara pushes him into the ground again, straddling him this time.

"Roy was mad at the world long before he was injected with the Mirakuru." Sara points out as she looks over at them.

"Second that. He's never exactly been the happiest person in the world from what I heard. Think Thea Queen was the best thing that could have happened to him." Sin comments.

"Can I get up please?" Oliver requests from the floor as Sara bends down to kiss him.

"Nope." She smiles as he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear before throwing her off and sitting on top of her this time.

"You three say you've seen this before?" Diggle enquires as Slade responds by moving up The Salmon Ladder.

"Shado. She was our friend." Oliver replies grimly.

"One of the women with you on the island?" Felicity looks to each of them.

"Wasn't just any woman though was she?" Diggle looks to Slade, whom continues to move up The Salmon Ladder.

"No." Slade mutters as Oliver and Sara look up at him sadly, Oliver pulling Sara to her feet.

"What do you mean?" Felicity and Sin glance toward Diggle.

"She was the woman I loved." Slade admits before moving up The Salmon Ladder.

"Ohh Slade." Felicity looks up at him sadly.

"That sucks man." Sin adds.

"I don't want you to take this badly but you said 'was'. Troubling use of past tense there." Felicity winces.

"We thought we could help her control it. We were wrong." Oliver admits as Slade continues to move up The Salmon Ladder with more aggression.

"But we know more now and we're not going to make the same mistake with Roy." Sara adds as Diggle folds his arms.

"There's more to this then your letting on. When you brought her up the first time. I guessed something bad had happened to that Shado woman but what happened with her? Did it really haunt the three of you that much because something is just not adding up here. There's something else. You two agree with me?" Diggle looks to Felicity and Sin. Oliver, Sara and even Slade watching them as they each nod.

"You gotta be straight with us here guys, come on. This has gone far enough." Diggle folds his arms as Oliver looks to him, then to Slade.

"Kid. No." Slade snarls viciously from The Salmon Ladder.

"Ok. Ok. Yeah there is something else we're not telling you guys." Sara sighs.

"All ears." Diggle looks to them as Oliver looks to each of them.

"Shado wasn't the only person to be injected with the Mirakuru. There was someone else. Someone else infected by it." Oliver murmurs.

"Oliver!" Slade snarls threateningly as Oliver sighs again.

"Slade Wilson."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so very much for reading and for all your kind reviews, favorites and follows it means a lot. Please do leave a review if you can and thanks again for reading!**


	106. Tremors (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Six_**

 _The Foundry_

Nothing but silence passes for the several moments after Oliver's reveal.

Slade had the Mirakuru.

Or still does...

To Diggle. It makes perfect sense. Clears everything up.

He knows the truth has been told.

"Ohh my god Slade." Felicity whispers, the first one to speak.

"You shouldn't have done that kid." Slade growls at Oliver.

"I'm sorry. They had to find out, we can't keep lying to them about it." Oliver sighs apologetically as Slade just glares at him viciously.

"Yeah. Yeah man you're right. You should have told us about this. So you definitely have dealt with this stuff before. God, no wonder this has you three freaked out." Diggle says with a shake of his head.

"How bad was it?" Sin glances up at them.

"And do you still have it?" Diggle asks, quite sharply, almost accusingly.

"No." Slade grumbles curtly.

"How did you get rid of it? Couldn't you do the same for Roy?" Sin queries.

"Not that simple." Oliver sighs.

"And that's an answer to your previous question Sin. It was bad." Diggle murmurs.

"Why do you assume that?" Sara folds her arms.

"Ohh come on. Slade isn't the most feared vigilante for no reason. No offense man." Diggle glances over at Slade.

"None taken." Slade growls as he moves up The Salmon Ladder in frustration.

"And that Mirakuru made has made Roy a bit of a loose canon." Diggle points out.

"How do you think I got the name Deathstroke?" Slade mutters.

"Because of the ARGUS massacre… Which you committed under the influences of the Mirakuru didn't you?" Diggle sighs, the realization hitting him instantly.

"That's because they killed your kid, right. Well at least we know there's hope for Roy. If you could come back from something like that, you guys are gonna save him." Sin looks around at Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"And I very nearly didn't." Slade mutters.

"What kept you from going off to the extreme deep end then?" Diggle looks up at him.

"Oliver." Slade replies plainly as he drops down from The Salmon Ladder at long last.

"Without Oliver. I would have probably shared the same fate as her." He murmurs, as Oliver looks to him with a slight smile, Slade doesn't look his way.

Still not exactly happy that Oliver chose to reveal this to the team like that.

"You talked about that fire you were severely burned in, the loss of your eye and the fact you were still conscious when you were having it dealt with. I asked how you could have possibly survived those things and you said…" Felicity trails off.

"That was due to the Mirakuru. Rapid healing properties. Except, it didn't exactly grow back my eye." Slade points out as Felicity just shakes her head and races toward him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Not caring one bit that he's just come off The Salmon Ladder and is sweaty and shirtless.

Doesn't mind that one bit.

"I'm so sorry all that happened to you." Felicity whispers to him.

"Bit more encouraging though. If you could get through to him, Oliver. You can get through to Roy." Diggle looks to him.

"Sure about that?" Sara glances back.

"Well I'm thinking about who's more stubborn for one." Diggle says glancing at Slade as Oliver rolls his eyes in response.

"Then there's also the fact that he's been through this and made it out the other side, unlike Shado. Slade can help him get through this probably more then any of us can." Diggle points out as Oliver nods.

"That's what I thought." Oliver agrees.

"With your guidance, of course. I mean what you must have done to get him through that…" Diggle trails off as Oliver glances over at Slade himself.

"I was just there for him." He shrugs.

"You were all I had in the world, kid." Slade reminds him.

"Most of this happen in the third year?" Sin guesses.

"Yeah. I couldn't be there. I thought they were both dead." Sara says quietly as Oliver leans against her, squeezing her hands, silence falls between the six for several minutes before the computer begins to light up and bleep.

"What's that?" Oliver questions.

"Ohh Iron Heights." Felicity informs them as she finally releases Slade from an almost bone crushing embrace, sliding her hand into his and pulling him along with her toward the computers, grabbing a chair so he can sit beside her.

"Due to their low security post quake. I thought it would be a good idea to keep an eye on their internal communications for a while." Felicity explains as Slade glances at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You hacked into a prison system network?"

"Is that judgement I'm hearing, Slade?" She turns to face him.

"Pride." He responds as Felicity beams widely at the unexpected praise from Slade.

"Iron Heights just put out a bolo for Ben Turner. AKA Bronze Tiger, which, BTW is a terrible nickname because tigers are not bronze." She murmurs.

"Turner escaped?" Oliver and Sara race toward the computer.

"Killed ten guards on his way out." Felicity adds.

"Damm. He's bad news." Sin winces.

"That he is." Oliver mutters whilst skim reading the information on the screen.

"You think that would have made the news." Diggle comments.

"Iron Heights is better at keeping secrets then they are at keeping prisoners." Felicity sighs as she types.

"Any idea where he's headed?" Sara folds her arms.

"Nope." Felicity looks up at them all as Slade rests a hand on her shoulder.

"Get one." He begins to get to his feet when Felicity catches his hand, spinning around in her chair to take both his hands in hers.

"Why didn't you think you could tell us that you had the Mirakuru?" She asks him softly.

"It's not something I like talking about. I was at my worst when I had the Mirakuru and I did many things I'm not proud of, or like to remember. I was the monster ARGUS claimed me to be. Just because I managed to get through it, doesn't mean I didn't do terrible things whilst under its influences." He points out.

"Afraid of what we'd think? Think we'd look at you any differently?" Sin wonders as Slade is just silent as Felicity just grips his hands tightly.

"I would never look at you any differently, you know that right? Whatever you did. It's in the past now. You don't have the Mirakuru anymore…"

"So he says." Diggle folds his arms, a little skeptically.

"He hasn't. I was there when he got the cure." Oliver glances at him sharply.

"Sometimes I don't know with the three of you. I trust you guys, but you do have a habit of hiding the truth. Would you have ever told us? If Oliver didn't?" Diggle looks to Slade.

"No." He replies firmly.

Because that's the honest truth.

He never would have told them...

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the dark of a Starling City night, a man stands upon a roof, men armed with many guns around where he is.

However, they aren't fast enough to spot the Bronze Tiger jumping out of the shadows just when the man checks his watch, holding his claws to the man's throat.

"Tell your men to take a walk." He hisses.

"Leave us." The man says quickly and slightly fearfully.

"They can leave their weapons too." Bronze Tiger adds as the man glances to the armed guards, who lower their weapons instantly, placing them on the ground before walking away from the site.

"Thank you for the early release." Bronze Tiger notes the minute then guards are gone.

"Thought about taking off but I'm… Curious. Who would break a stranger out of prison?"

"Someone who wishes to hire you for a job. I need you to help my men retrieve a certain item." He pulls a picture from his coat pocket and presents it to Bronze Tiger.

"This is the item. You know it, yes?" The man enquires.

"Yes I do. Do you know what you're messing with here? Won't be cheap." He points out, his face a mask of surprise after viewing the item.

"This is not a problem." The man responds.

"You do know that thing could kills hundreds of people?" Bronze Tiger reminds him.

"No, Mr. Turner." The man says with a shake of his head.

"It will kill thousands."

 _An Abandoned Building_

Quickly and rhythmically, the Arrow aims a variety of punches at rapid pace at a dummy in the centre of the room, whilst Roy, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask watch him.

"Now you." The Arrow looks toward Roy the minute he pulls away from the dummy.

It's safe to say, Roy doesn't look impressed.

"Go slowly." The Black Canary pushes him forward as Roy walks toward the dummy like an annoyed teenager and is soon punching the dummy hard.

If he imagines the dummy is the Arrow in his head. They aren't going to know!

"Stop!" The Arrow snaps as Roy sighs in frustration.

"This is not about learning how to throw a punch. This is about learning to control your strength." The Arrow points out as Roy rolls his eyes at him.

"First water slapping. Now this." He mutters.

"Well I approve of this more than the water slapping." The Man In The Mask points out.

"You wanted to alternate. This is your alternative." The Arrow folds his arms.

"When are you three going to run out of ways to make me look stupid!" He snaps, slamming his fist so hard into the dummy enraged he breaks the top of it clean off.

"All I'm learning is new ways to get pissed off!" He mutters.

"Told you so." The Man In The Mask glances toward the Arrow.

"This will help you." The Arrow says, ignoring The Man In The Mask.

"Just stick it out and you'll be at another stage before you know it." The Black Canary says encouragingly to Roy as he just glares at the three of them angrily.

"Ohh really? Well in case you three haven't noticed I'm already pretty good at getting pissed off and you are not helping!" He snarls.

"There's nothing wrong with anger Roy. Anger is energy but you need to learn to channel it in a positive way." The Arrow points out as Roy moves away from the dummy.

"You can talk about channeling anger. You shot me through the freakin leg and if you want to piss someone off about channeling anger in a positive way, your partner is a better candidate then me. Did you tell those two that it took me. Me on this Mirakuru to stop you from killing that scumbag in the street that night? That I had enough control to tell you to not go all psycho and you guys say I'm the loose canon!" Roy snarls as he kicks at the dummy in deep frustration as the three vigilantes look between one another.

"As my partner said. There's nothing wrong with anger boy. You just need to control it and that night, I wasn't in control. I let my my emotions get the best of me. You and I. We're more alike then you'd believe." The Man In The Mask points out.

"We're nothing alike!" Roy snaps suddenly.

"You're almost as stubborn." The Black Canary points out with folded arms.

"You know what would help me? Putting the hurt on guys going after the city. Let me try hitting something that'll actually hit back. Mask guy, you agree with me don't you?" Roy glances toward him.

"No. Too soon." The Arrow replies instantly.

"Get me out there with you guys. One night." Roy begs as he looks around the room.

"All of this. It would be a lot easier to take." He points out as the three vigilantes look between each other.

"No." The Arrow says plainly.

"For gods sake!" Roy kicks another piece out of the dummy.

"No. Let's have a discussion about this." The Black Canary suggests.

"Canary." The Arrow growls.

"No. Come on, The Man In The Mask can watch Roy for a little while." She says firmly as she pulls on the Arrow's arm.

"Shouldn't I be involved in the discussion?" The Man In The Mask points out.

"With you there. It wouldn't be a discussion." The Arrow grumbles as he looks to Roy.

"Keep him doing that until we get back." He mutters before he and the Black Canary walk away from the two.

"Again!" The Man In The Mask snaps, watching the Arrow and the Black Canary walk away as Roy snarls but still continues to punch.

"A'right. Stop." The Man In The Mask growls as soon as they're gone.

"What?" Roy sighs boredly.

"Come here." The Man In The Mask beckons him forth and toward a table.

"What exciting thing have you got lined up for me now?" Roy says, a hint of sarcasm his voice as he follows The Man In The Mask.

"Origami?" He quips, eliciting a chuckle from The Man In The Mask, whom directs him toward a table.

"Now." He says as Roy's eyes widen at the at the surprising selection of weapons upon the table he is taken to.

"You are going to choose yourself a weapon. Have you considered a sword? I like swords." The Man In The Mask points toward the table as Roy reaches down for the nearest sword.

"Why do you want to do this for me?" Roy questions as he picks up the sword from the table as The Man In The Mask heads toward the centre of the room.

"Your supposed to be worse than those two." He murmurs.

"Well. I think you need something to distract you from my partners methods as you're getting angry and that's not the aim here. Control is." He begins to circle around Roy with his own sword in hand.

"And to let you in on a little something boy. It was the Arrow that was once standing where you are. Unexperienced. Quite frankly useless until I taught him a few tricks. You however, are more experienced then both he and the Black Canary were when I first met them and I'd like to think I played a small part in creating them into the people they are today." He points out as Roy looks at him.

"You want me make me almost as good as them?" He queries.

"No, boy. I want to make you as good as them. You're capable of it. I can see that. You're at an advantage as I said and not because of the Mirakuru but the talents you possessed even before the Mirakuru. You just need to learn how to control your new found abilities and I will help you do that." The Man In The Mask promises him as he jabs the sword at Roy instantly, who jumps into fight position easily, deflecting the move.

"Could have warned me." Roy mutters.

"You'd heal." The Man In The Mask retorts as he and Roy circle one another once again.

"If it makes you feel better Roy. The Arrow complained even more than you in the early days. You remind me of him in that sense." The Man In The Mask comments as even he notices the smile that appears on Roy's face as he launches his own surprise attack at The Man In The Mask, pleasing him.

"Impressed. It took months before either of those two would attempt a surprise attack." He points out as Roy aims another one.

"Well, like you said, I already have some experience." Roy replies as he engages The Man In The Mask in a quick duel.

A duel that lasts longer than either of them had thought.

"Roy. Roy weapons down." The Man In The Mask growls as Roy swings the sword at him again in an animalistic way.

"Roy!" The Man In The Mask snarls, avoiding his attack.

"ROY!" He bellows as he pushes Roy into the table, gripping his arm to keep him there.

"Sorry." Roy shakes his head instantly of the rage that had suddenly filled him.

"I got a bit carried away." He sighs as he turns around to hand the sword back.

"No. That's a'right. You were doing well. You just need to learn to control this. I know my partner can be a pain in the arse but he's just looking out for ya. Listen to him. He does know what he's doing." The Man In The Mask admits.

"That sounds like a story." Roy looks over at him.

"What does?" The Man In The Mask mutters.

"That tone of voice you used just then when you said he's looking out for me. Like you had experience…"

"Again." The Man In The Mask snaps.

"Why do you always do that? Always try to change the subject. I have a right to know now surely. I mean if the Black Canary can tell Sin the truth. Why can't you tell me?" Roy mutters as he aims an attack at The Man In The Mask.

"Some people find it easier to tell people secrets than others." He retorts as he engages Roy in combat again.

"Yeah." Roy mutters as he dodges an attack, lifting his sword to block another.

"I can see that." He sighs as The Man In The Mask lowers his sword upon hearing the sound of footsteps entering the building.

"Roy." He holds his hand out for the sword and Roy places it in his hands as the Arrow and the Black Canary enter the room once more.

"Again." The Man In The Mask indicates to the dummy, which Roy punches calmly.

"Good." The Arrow comments in response and whilst he and the Black Canary are looking away, Roy looks toward The Man In The Mask and smiles.

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

"Moira." Walter beams, getting up and moving to greet Moira when she approaches the table he is sat at.

"Ah. I didn't realize we'd have company." Moira tries not to look disappointed as another person rises from the table to greet her also.

"This is Mark Frances. Mark here is the CFO at Kardak Holdings. We've been putting in some hours with the parties election steering committee." Walter introduces them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Mark shakes her hand.

"Those are words I'm not accustomed to hearing these days." Moira smiles.

"Ohh well you were a lioness doing what she had to do to protect her cubs." Mark replies with a smile as Moira sits down.

"You know, I'm not the only person in Starling who see it that way." He adds.

"That's a comfort." Moira smiles.

"It's the truth!" He exclaims to another smile from Moira.

"Well, it's unlike you to show such an interest in politics, Walter." Moira points out.

"It's part of my new position at the Starling National Bank. My board of directors is very concerned about the trajectory of the city." He informs her.

"You mean Sebastian Blood?"

"Yeah." Walter nods.

"We believe that his policies will bankrupt Starling within the next eight months. Not that the average voter cares. They're all caught up in his charisma." Mark says, rolling his eyes.

"And he's not running against a viable opponent." Moira reminds them.

"Blood's trounced every potential candidate we've focus tested." Walter sighs.

"But we believe that he's vulnerable on regulation." Mark adds.

"Even if he is. It hardly matters. Banking regulations are a sec issue. Starling City needs to use the means at a city's disposal." Moira says as Mark chuckles.

"Walter said you were smart."

"But you didn't invite me to dinner to hear my opinions. You wanted to hear my positions." Moira guesses as she falls silent a moment, the realization hitting her.

"You want me to run against Sebastian Blood."

 _An Abandoned Building_

The Arrow and the Black Canary watch Roy in surprise as he listens and learns and does what they tell him to for the next few hours.

"What do you think he did to him?" The Black Canary whispers to the Arrow whilst glancing toward The Man In The Mask, who watches from afar.

"Put the fear of God into him to listen to us?" The Arrow retorts.

"Probably. He can be scary when he wants to be." The Black Canary nods.

"Well whatever he did. It worked." The Arrow nods as he watches Roy punch at the dummy calmly and not with too much aggression.

Suddenly, the Arrow's comms begin to buzz.

"Go ahead." The Arrow calls.

"SCPD's network just lit up with a fresh homicide. Multiple stab wounds." Diggle informs them through the comms.

"Like claw marks. Bronze Tiger strikes again." Sin adds as Roy spins around to face the Arrow and the Black Canary upon hearing a conversation.

"Who was the victim?" The Man In The Mask enquires.

"The victim was an architect. Turner ransacked his place, took blueprints of his designs. One of the aforementioned designs… Malcolm Merlyn's house. I don't know much about architecture but this can't be good." Felicity adds.

"What would Turner want with Merlyn's house?" The Arrow questions.

"Not sure yet. All of Malcolm's holdings, including the house have been left to Tommy. Him being the only surviving Merlyn." Felicity informs them.

"Who's that you three are talking to?" Roy questions, having stopped his actions before rolling his eyes at them.

"Oh, wait. Let me guess. You guys can't tell me that, either." He mutters.

"A guy we put in prison got out and we have an idea where he's headed." The Arrow informs him as Roy shrugs.

Meanwhile, the three vigilantes looks between one another.

"I'm still not convinced." The Arrow starts.

"Yet he's progressed the last few hours. What do you think?" The Black Canary reminds him, looking to The Man In The Mask, whom looks toward Roy.

"Do you have one of your hoodies?" He enquires as the Arrow sighs, still unconvinced.

Roy raises an eyebrow at them.

"Do you seriously have to ask?"

 _Merlyn Mansion_

"Whatever happens. Whoever we run into do not engage." The Man In The Mask says firmly to Roy as the four walk down a corridor in Merlyn Mansion.

"We should split up." The Black Canary suggests.

"We'd cover more ground that way."

"Good idea. Roy will stay with me." The Arrow nods as Roy follows him whilst The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary head down different corridors.

"Great." Roy mutters to himself as he follows the Arrow, stopping to lift a cloth of a desk to peer under it, simply just a little bit bored…

"Don't touch anything!" The Arrow scolds him, yet stops when he sees what's beneath the cloth Roy had lifted.

"This is his kid, right." He indicates the the picture of Tommy.

"The guy in a coma?" He queries as the Arrow looks at the picture sadly.

"Yes." He mutters gruffly as he stares at the picture.

His best friend...

 _Elsewhere…_

Moving down a corridor alone, The Man In The Mask keeps his hand on his sword cautiously as he goes, ready to pull it free at any given moment.

Hearing a noise, he tightens his hold on it.

Walking around the corridor, carefully but slowly. He ends up pulling it free, holding it outwards as he moves.

"Canary?" He growls quietly, knowing that he would hear it if it were either Roy or the Arrow and steps around the corner straight into…

"Heyyyy. Fancy seeing you here." Comes the voice of Lisa as she leans against the corridor, a bag in one hand.

"What are you doing here?" The Man In The Mask snarls instantly.

"On a heist. Want to join us?" Lisa tilts her head to the side.

"You're on a… Where is he? Snart!" Slade hisses into the dark as Leonard struts toward him wearing the blue parka and everything.

"Hello Man In The Mask. Sorry, my dear sister insisted on a heist here. We're trying to practice without Mick you see as we got so used to relying on him. This isn't really my scene. An abandoned building, too easy." Leonard smirks as The Man In The Mask glares at both of them before pulling off his mask.

"This building was the home of Merlyn." Slade points out sharply.

"Even easier. No one wants it. The guys dead." Leonard says with a roll of his eyes at Lisa.

"His son isn't." Slade reminds him.

"Not so easy then Lenny." Lisa folds her arms.

"Still, abandoned. Everything here is just lying around. Waiting to be taken." Leonard retorts as Slade rolls his eyes at them both.

"Anyway. Whilst you're here with us now, join us on our heist." Leonard smiles.

"You two need to get out of here now." Slade growls at them.

"Aww Slade why. We've only just finished the first floor." Lisa protests.

"Because my partners are here and they, unlike myself are not going to hesitate in taking the two of you and then they would learn who you two really are. Do you want that?" Slade snaps as Leonard glances toward Lisa.

"Told you this wasn't your best idea." He points out.

"How did I know the vigilantes we're going to be here on a mission, Lenny?" She folds her arms as Leonard rolls his eyes at her.

"You are sleeping with one."

"Leonard." Both Lisa and Slade hiss instantly.

"Didn't think to mention your plans for the evening? Or didn't that come up?" Leonard questions as Lisa hits him.

"Would you two stop it!" Slade scolds them both, hearing footsteps from afar.

"Come on!" He hisses, pulling his mask back on and grabbing both Lisa and Leonard's arms before dragging them down a corridor.

"Exits that way." Leonard reminds him.

"Do you want to get caught?" Slade hisses as he nears a room with a large balcony, breaking the lock on the door, he pushes Leonard and Lisa through it.

"We'll be discussing this later." He growls at them both as they walk onto the balcony.

"Join us in a heist sometime now?" Leonard questions.

"Could use your help in escapes." Lisa smiles as The Man In The Mask just glares at them.

"Go." He hisses at them as Lisa blows him a kiss whilst Leonard smirks.

"I'll take that as a maybe then."

 _Meanwhile…_

"You know your way around this place." Roy comments as he follows the Arrow around another corner.

"Been here before?" He enquires to silence from the Arrow as a sound rings out.

"What was that?" Roy queries as a thud sounds out, causing the Arrow to frown.

"One came from underground." He mutters, guessing the other sound he heard could either be the Black Canary or The Man In The Mask.

"Merlyn has a large garage." He adds, glancing to Roy.

"Let's go." He decides, moving toward the stairs and walking straight into the Black Canary.

"Heard it to?" The Black Canary asks.

"Yep." The Arrow nods as he follows her down steps, the three reuniting with The Man In The Mask on the floor below.

The four now on their way to the garage below…

 _Elsewhere…_

As the doors to the garage are opened, a van drives straight inside of it.

A van which Bronze Tiger and another few guys exit from, some staying behind to ready the van whilst Bronze Tiger moves toward a door which is sealed by a code box, which is subsequently shattered by Bronze Tigers claws.

"What the hell is that?" One of the men asks as Bronze Tiger opens up the door.

"Looks like a prototype." He comments.

"Of what?" The man asks.

"A machine that killed five hundred and three people. Merlyn's own earthquake device."

"Ok. A simple snatch and grab." The man nods.

"Don't know why Mr. Armitage thought we needed you." He comments as Bronze Tiger glances to the left of him where the three vigilantes and friend are.

"For that." He sighs as they walk forth, each of them zeroing in on the earthquake device.

"Step away from the device!" The Black Canary growls.

"You don't know what it is you're dealing with!" The Arrow snaps.

"Big machine, makes earthquakes?" Bronze Tiger retorts.

"Do you have any idea what happens if the wrong people have it?" The Arrow snarls.

"Yeah. I get paid. Close it up!" Bronze Tiger commands as the Arrow fires at him, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask racing forwards to attack him, each of them engaging him in combat rapidly.

With the three vigilantes occupied with Bronze Tiger, none of them are watching Roy, whom takes it upon himself to race forward and attack the person in the van, smashing the window and ripping the man out of the van with all his Mirakuru strength.

Meanwhile, the three vigilantes continue to battle with Bronze Tiger, the Arrow uses his bow to defend a blow from the claws as the Black Canary kicks him backwards.

Elsewhere, Roy, moving toward the man on the ground, steps on his gun and breaks it.

"That thing killed eight of my friends!" He hisses viciously, whilst in the background, the vigilantes continue to engage Bronze Tiger, The Man In The Mask swinging his sword around in an attempt to decapitate the man, whilst the Arrow punches him.

However as he does so the Bronze Tiger intercepts him, kicking him backwards and is about to stab him with his claws when the Black Canary steps in, throwing her leg out in an attempt to kick him in the face when he takes his claws down her leg causing her to cry out in pain just as The Man In The Mask pulls in backwards, yet Bronze Tiger evades, knocking him backwards and sinking his claws into his arm.

The claws going all the way through and momentarily nailing him to the wall as the Bronze Tiger uses that distraction to escape, jumping into the van and beginning to drive away.

"Go kid!" The Man In The Mask snarls to him despite the agonizing pain in his wrist.

"Go." The Black Canary winces as the Arrow races to stop the van, shooting arrows pointlessly at it to no effect.

It drives a way.

"You son of a bitch!" He hears Roy hiss as he moves in his direction, yet The Man In The Mask is already there and pulls Roy away with his good arm, the Arrow moving to help.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The Man In The Mask bellows at Roy, pulling him away from the guy.

"ROY!" He snaps at him in an attempt to snap him out of it as the Arrow and the Black Canary watch as the truck slowly drives away into the distance…

 _The Foundry_

"Uh. Oh you got angry face… Ohh my god Sara?" Felicity calls, her face a mask of worry as she sees Oliver moving down the steps carrying Sara in his arms behind Slade, whom has a look that if looks could kill everyone in that room would be six feet under.

"Sara!" Sin cries, racing toward them as Sara looks up at her.

"I'm ok. Son of a bitch got me in the leg." She hisses as Oliver places her gently down in a table, kissing her forehead as he pulls her wig off before glancing at the deep gashes on Sara's leg from the claws of Bronze Tiger.

"He do that to you?" Sin questions worriedly as Sara nods.

"I know we have a no kill rule going on but I want to kill that guy!" She hisses, her hand in Sin's tightly as Oliver wipes her wounds with antiseptic.

"I'll help you with that." Slade hisses as he eases his gloves off, glancing at the wound on his forearm as Felicity moves toward instantly.

"You to?" She looks at him worriedly as she tugs on his good arm to get him to sit down beside her.

"I'm not an imvilid Felicity." Slade winces as she looks up at him.

"Hush you." She mutters as she cleans out his wound.

"Wow. None of you look happy, that bad hu. Anything else other than the um attack of the claws?" Diggle questions.

"Roy Harper." Oliver snaps as he stitches Sara's wounds.

"You three took him out in the field!" Diggle exclaims.

"Ohh damm." Sin winces.

"He wasn't listening to us Diggle! We're trying to reach him but he lost control when we thought possibly he could have mastered it. We made a mistake considering he nearly killed somebody which we obviously couldn't let happen, not to mention two of us nearly got taken out by that Bronze Tiger guy and in the process..."

"Turner got away." Felicity cuts Oliver off mid rage abruptly as she wraps bandages around Slade's injuries.

"What was he there to steal? Merlyn's art collection?" Felicity queries.

"Ha. Not Turner." Slade mutters under his breath, his thoughts going to Leonard and Lisa.

"Something much more dangerous. It's a prototype earthquake machine." Oliver sighs.

"Oh, holy god." Diggle whispers in shock.

"That ain't good." Sin shakes her head, worry evident in her eyes.

"Why would Turner want to destroy the city?" She adds.

"He doesn't. He's a mercenary, selling his services to the highest bidder." Slade retorts as Oliver leans over and passes something to Sin.

"This watch belonged to one of the guys Tuner was working with. Felicity, once you're done with Slade, can you analyze it for fingerprints? Turner's a loner which means that guys works for his client." He Oliver informs her.

"Yeah. Fingerprints equals name, equals known associates." Felicity nods as Oliver moves back to Sara, who rests her hand over his.

"Ollie. What's wrong?" She asks softly.

"It was the look in Roy's eyes…" He trails off as Diggle moves toward them.

"He looked like me." Slade mutters grimly, hearing Oliver's words.

"He's right. It was Shado and Slade all over again and none of us are as close to Roy as I am to Slade. I don't know how I can help him." Oliver admits.

"Guys what happened with Shado?" Diggle questions.

"Me…"

"No. No don't you dare blame yourself again for happened kid." Slade growls, on his feet and at Oliver's side in an instant.

"It was my fault Slade. I should have tried harder to get through to you and I shouldn't have given her the Mirakuru!"

"OLIVER!" Slade snaps to get him out of it.

"What happened to her is on me. It is much my fault as you think it's yours. You couldn't do anything to save her." Slade grips his shoulders gently.

"What happened?" Diggle asks gently, seeing the heartbroken look on Oliver's face.

"Someone shot Shado. It was my fault... I was a coward. I couldn't do what was asked of me so I wanted to give myself up then someone. Harley stepped in, a fight broke out. I got shot and I was in pain. I was in so much pain. We thought. We thought Slade was dead. None of us knew what to do and then suddenly Slade was there. It was the Mirakuru and then that madman was trying to get us to make the choice again. This time it was placed in Slade's hands and he didn't know that. I tried. I tried to tell him but he wasn't thinking straight. I don't think he could hear me except then he did. He heard me cry out in pain and mistakenly…"

"No." Slade shouts.

"Mistakenly. He chose to save me and in doing so he made the choice and that lunatic shot Shado." Oliver finishes.

"Ohh my god." Felicity whispers quietly as even Sin looks horrified at the revelation.

"Then she was dying. She was lying in Slade's arms and Slade loved Shado. I think he loved her as much as I love Sara and we'd just gotten him back. We thought we'd lost him but he survived. The Mirakuru saved him and so Harley suggested we use it on Shado and she begged us not to. She didn't want us to use the Mirakuru on her and she way dying. She was like a sister to me and to Sara and Slade he loved her and I couldn't lose a friend. I couldn't let Slade break like that so I gave her the Mirakuru anyway." Oliver whispers a blank expression on his face, his eyes almost tearful.

"I didn't stop you kid. It wasn't your fault." Slade murmurs.

"It was..."

"Ollie. It wasn't." Sara whispers, sliding her hand into his and wraps her arms around his waist from her place on the table as Diggle, Sin and Felicity look at them horrified and sad from the haunting story.

Diggle was right, there was definitely more than they were letting on and again. No wonder the whole return of the Mirakuru thing has them all spooked.

He doesn't blame them either.

None of them do.

It's beyond horrific…

"We wanted to tell her what really happened. I wanted to tell her because it would have been better coming from one of us but we didn't." Slade admits after a minute.

"And she found out another way." Felicity says in a quiet voice.

"If we had just told her the truth. We could have gotten through to her." Oliver murmurs.

"Yeah I can imagine how someone else made that look. Tried to convince her that the man she was in love with chose his friend over her." Diggle mutters.

"Exactly." Slade retorts quietly.

"I'm so sorry Slade…" Oliver starts again.

"No. Kid, Oliver. Listen to me. It wasn't your fault." Slade assures him again, deciding in the end to pull his brother into an embrace.

"I don't blame you for anything, kid." He promises him as Oliver closes his eyes, trying to keep all the painful memories at bay and failing miserably at it.

"And that's why it's so important for the three of you to get through to Roy." Diggle guesses.

"We lived a five year nightmare but if we learn something that could help us reach Roy now…" Oliver trails off as he pulls away from Slade.

"Come here both of you." Sara murmurs as both Oliver and Slade nod before moving toward Sara whom holds her hands out for both of them, Oliver and Slade taking them instantly.

"But you did it once. You got through to Slade." Sin reminds them.

"That couldn't have been easy and I don't mean… You know what I mean." Felicity says quietly as she looks up at the three of them.

"It's like I said. I was already close to Slade. We had each other and that was it…"

"Don't sell yourself short kid. What you did, keeping me from being consumed by the Mirakuru was hard and you worked hard everyday until I was thankfully given a cure." Slade reminds him.

"But we should have saved her. It's like Ollie said. We went to hell and back for five years. If there's anything we learn that we can use to help Roy now…" She stops, looking up at Oliver and Slade sadly as Oliver murmurs.

"It'll somehow be worth it."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Entering the cave with Harley at long last, Oliver looks around the cave._

 _A look of despair upon his face._

 _"They're not here." He whispers._

 _"They're not here!" He exclaims, all but punching a cave wall._

 _"Where else could they be? We already checked the plane." Harley reminds him._

 _"I don't know. I don't freakin know Harley!" Oliver snaps._

 _"Woah. Ollie." Harley grabs his arm._

 _"What?" Oliver all but snaps as he hears it then._

 _The muffled sound of crying…_

 _"What the…" Oliver and Harley move cautiously toward the sound only to find, hidden behind part of the cave._

 _Sara…_

 _"Sara!? Sara!" Oliver races toward her in an instant._

 _Her hands and feet are bound. She has also been gagged…_

 _"Told you so. Your Shado and Slade are gone." Harley comments as Oliver glares at her whilst freeing Sara from the gag so she can speak, she has tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _"Ollie." She throws her bound arms around his neck, Oliver holding her tightly against him, stroking her hair with one hand._

 _"Ohh god Ollie." She whispers tearfully._

 _"What happened Sara? Why did you go? Have you seen Shado and Slade…" He stops for a moment as he unties her legs and hands._

 _"Did they. Did they do this to you?" He whispers to only tears from Sara._

 _Coming to the realization that the answer to his question is yes. He tightens his hold on her, running a hand through her hair once._

 _"I. I just wanted to find them. We were all arguing and I thought the longer we left them out there the worse things would get for them. I just wanted to find them Ollie and I did and I tried to stop them but…" She trails off, wiping her eyes of tears._

 _"Tried to stop them what? What were they doing?" Oliver asks as she moves to get to her feet, gripping Oliver's good arm to help her up._

 _"See this. Remember seeing these before we came here first?"_

 _"Wasn't really looking around much but no." Oliver follows her to the wall in the cave she is indicating towards._

 _A wall covered in markings._

 _"They look familiar." Oliver does admit upon looking at them._

 _"Could be Lian Yu." Harley guesses._

 _"No. I mean the calculations. I've seen these before." Oliver tilts his head to the side._

 _"Maybe the first time you were in the cave perhaps?" Harley suggests._

 _"I don't think so. What were you saying Sara?" Oliver looks to her._

 _"It's Fyers launcher…" She admits quietly._

 _"WHAT?!" Oliver exclaims instantly._

 _"What's a 'Fyers launcher'?" Harley enquires._

 _"There were soldiers on the island the first year we spent here and they had a missile launcher. We saw one of these on the display. They're firing calculations… Sara what the hell are Shado and Slade doing with the firing calculations!? What did they tell you they were doing!" Oliver turns to her instantly._

 _"They're going to blow it up. I tired to stop them. Tried to talk to them but they wouldn't listen to me." Sara practically sobs._

 _"Wait… Who's going to blow what up when now?" Harley folds her arms._

 _"The freighter." Oliver whispers, grabbing Sara's arm and breaking into a run._

 _"They're going to blow up the freighter."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following and favoriting and for all your kind reviews. Next chapter should be out soon. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, see you all next update :)**


	107. Tremors (3)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Seven**_

 _Verdant_

Heading through the doors of Verdant, Roy closes them quietly behind him.

"Oh thank god you're here. I need your help…"

"I have to talk to you, it's important." Roy cuts Thea off instantly as she moves toward him.

"Ok. You look stressed out. Is everything okay?" She grabs his arms.

"You, you have to leave town. Grab Sin, your brother, Sara, Slade and your mother if you can and leave. It's just for a few days…" He hurries to say quickly.

"A reason would be nice." Thea frowns at his request.

"I need you to trust me Thea." He mutters.

"I do. I just… I can't up and leave with my family without a reason." She points out.

"No, you have to." He begs.

"Roy, you're not making any sense right now. Would you just tell me what's going on?"

"Why. Why aren't you listening to me?" Roy grips her arms tightly.

"I need you to listen to me!" He snaps at her, the rage inside from the Mirakuru suddenly building up at her stubbornness.

"Roy… Roy you're hurting me!" Thea cries as Roy let's go of her instantly at her cry.

He hurt Thea. He was going to hurt Thea…

The woman he loves…

"I didn't… I didn't… I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." He whispers hurriedly, looking at his now rapidly shaking hands in shock.

"I'm so sorry." He races toward the door in horror at his actions.

"I know. Roy!" Thea calls after him but he's already long gone…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Upon hearing a knock on her door, Laurel gets up off from the floor, walking backwards so her eyes are on her kids at all times as she moves to open the door.

"Joanna!" Laurel pulls her into a tight embrace instantly.

"Laurel. It's so good to see you. We haven't really seen much of one another since the…" She trails off as Laurel nods.

"I tried to get in touch but." Joanna shrugs as Laurel nods.

"There was a reason why I didn't." Laurel admits.

"Of course there was. I mean after what happened to Tommy no one can blame you for just wanting to shut out the world after that." Joanna smiles sympathetically.

"How is Tommy by the way?" Joanna asks kindly.

"The same. He's the same." Laurel sighs sadly.

"Still nothing? After all this time?" Joanna looks at her sadly.

"No but I still have hope. I'm at the hospital when I can be." Laurel informs her as Joanna nods as Laurel moves back into her apartment.

"And every other spare minute. I'm well. I'm a mother." Laurel admits as Joanna's eyes widen at her words, widening even more so when she sees the two babies sitting on a rug, surrounded by toys.

"Ohh my god Laurel." Joanna whispers.

"That's why I didn't get in touch. I just. I honestly just shut everyone out. My parents, my friends. I almost destroyed my relationship with my sister… I just couldn't." Laurel stops as Joanna embraces her again.

"I'm so sorry." Joanna murmurs sympathetically.

"It's ok. Things are getting somewhat easier. I'm more used to it now. At first I had no idea what I was going to do but then my dad. He well almost broke down the door to my apartment to get me to talk to him and he's been there for me ever since but it's. It's not how I pictured becoming a parent. I thought the father would be there with me." Laurel sighs as Joanna rests a hand on her shoulder as they both decide to sit on the rug beside the two playing babies.

"What are their names?" Joanna asks softly.

"Brandon and Rebecca." Laurel smiles down at them.

"Rebecca? Wasn't that Tommy's mother's name?" Joanna queries.

"It was. Figured Tommy would like that." Laurel says with a slight sigh.

"How's work going? I heard your in this fancy new firm?" Laurel turns to her.

"Well, there is a limit to the glamour, unfortunately. I spend days in document production and answering interrogatories. It doesn't feel like practicing laws so much as. Pushing papers." Joanna chuckles.

"I can relate. Working at the DA's office has been exhausting." Laurel agrees.

"It's certainly different from CNRI." Joanna reminds her as Laurel sighs.

"Different indeed."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Can I fix you a drink?" Moira offers Walter politely.

"Whatever you're having. It was good to see you the other night Moira." He admits.

"It was lovely. It's been a while since I've had such a good laugh." Moira agrees.

"It was no joke Moira. Mark was telling the truth. A significant number of people in Starling City feel that your actions with Malcolm Merlyn were justified to protect your family. Forty three point six percent in fact." He informs her as he sits down.

Not all the actions were justified… Moira thinks to herself, remembering well how she almost had her son's closest friend assassinated. That's when Walters words hit her.

"You polled people about me?" She frowns.

"Prudent course of action when vetting a potential candidate, yes." He responds.

"Six hundred thousand people in Starling City. I'd think you could find so one not responsible for destroying it with an earthquake machine." She joins him on the couch.

"Not with your name recognition. We need a game change candidate, Moira and there's no one in Starling with a higher profile than you…"

"Charles Manson is rather well know and no one is going to vote for him." She mutters.

"True. Equally true, voters like redemption stories. Bill Clinton, Elliot Spitzer, Martha Stewart." He reminds her.

"Oh I don't believe she ran for office." Moira retorts.

"But if she had she would have won." Walter reminds her.

"Would have won what?" Comes the voice of Thea as she enters the room with a smile.

"Thea." Walter beams, moving from the couch to embrace her.

"I didn't know you were living here still?" He queries.

"Ahh just had a few disagreements with my boyfriend. His house got destroyed so he moved in with us before Ollie, Sara and Slade got back. They. I think they're ok with it." Thea smirks as she looks to them both with a smile.

"What's going on?" She asks them.

"I'm just convincing your mother to run for mayor." Walter reveals.

"Of what?" Thea frowns.

"You see!" Moira chuckles.

"Sweetheart, are you alright? Are you really moving back here because that would be lovely…"

"You really need to stop asking that and no I'm not moving back in." Thea replies as she sits down with them.

"Are you serious?" She questions.

"It's hard to believe I know." Moira smiles.

"No, no. It's not. Look, this is actually the first election I can vote in and as a newly minted voter. I don't think it sounds that crazy." She admits to Moira's surprise.

"From out of the mouths of babes." Walter replies with a glance to Moira.

She has a big decision to make.

 _An Abandoned Building In Starling City_

"You're late." The Man In The Mask snaps as Roy walks through the door, much later than the three vigilantes had expected.

"I tried to get my girlfriend to leave town, then I went to look for a friend and even my girlfriend's brother and his friends to try and convince them to leave. Thought they might be able to talk some sense into her but I couldn't find them and she won't leave town." Roy admits, hands in pockets.

"You cannot bring her into this." The Arrow hisses, on his feet in an instant.

"But how am I supposed to lie to her and protect her at the same time? How do you three do it. How do you three keep secrets from people in your lives?" He questions.

"By remembering it's the only way to keep them safe." The Arrow answers.

"And it helps that we can lean on each other." The Black Canary adds.

"Yeah well I'm not going to be able to do that am I?" Roy snaps back as he shakes his head.

"And I think you're wrong. Keeping them safe, is what keeps them safe. Telling people the truth but you three won't tell me anything. Not about the Mirakuru and the other people infected with it. Hell you even tried to cover up the fact there was more than one other person, who you won't tell me about who had the Mirakuru and you got me slapping water and hitting dummies instead! Best thing that's happened to me is the sword fighting lessons from him when you two were gone discussing me!" Roy snaps as the Arrow and the Black Canary look to The Man In The Mask.

"You did what?"

"Oh come on!" They both hiss simultaneously.

"What else was I meant to do? He was whining worse than you!" The Man In The Mask snaps back as the Black Canary turns to face Roy.

"Roy, you're freaking out and you need to calm down." She says carefully.

"No I need to save Thea and my and my friends. They're all I've got!" Roy hisses as he turns away but the Arrow grabs his wrist.

"That thing is out in the open because of you. I think you've done enough." The Arrow growls slowly.

"Let go of me." Roy hisses.

"Roy…" The Arrow starts.

"I said let go of me!" Roy yells.

"Get control." The Black Canary snaps.

"If not for us or yourself. Then do it for Thea." The Man In The Mask glances at him, hoping using Thea may activate the control.

It worked for him after all…

"What the hell do you know about Thea? Don't you talk about her!" He hisses in response before moving to punch The Man In The Mask, whom simply steps aside.

"Hey!" The Arrow snaps at Roy, whom gets to his feet and moves toward the two vigilantes, aiming punches at them, which both deflect with ease.

"Roy! Roy stop it!" The Black Canary drags him backwards.

"Bitch!" Roy snaps, elbowing her straight in the face causing a cracking noise to sound out…

"ARE YOU DONE?!" The Arrow bellows, grabbing his arm and twisting it painfully behind him. He considers breaking it.

He'd heal soon enough!

Roy falls silent for a few moments and for a minute the vigilantes believe they have gotten through to him.

That the fact he may have hurt the Black Canary may have enabled him to regain control.

However, before anyone can do anything, Roy pushes the Arrow with so much force he goes flying across the room and into a table, which shatters under his weight and renders him unable to move for a minute.

"Stay!" Roy growls at The Man In The Mask, whom moves to deal with him.

"Or worse will happen to you." He threatens but that doesn't stop The Man In The Mask, whom engages Roy in slight combat, evading all Roy's moves and throwing him to the floor.

"You may think you're stronger than us but you lack experience boy. I. Don't." He hisses, kicking Roy to the ground when he looks to launch an attack.

However, Roy just scrambles to his feet and moves toward the door.

"No. I'm not done. I'm going to stop this thing and if you three want to stop me. Try. Try putting another arrow in me or try beheading me. Go ahead cause I heal fast now. But you three get in my way, then I'll give you a good look at that anger you three are so worried about me losing control of." He hisses before storming out the door, leaving three rather concerned vigilantes behind in his wake.

"Kid. Kid are you a'right? Can you move? Talk to me kid." The Man In The Mask calls quickly as he races toward the Arrow, whom is still amongst the mess of the table he got thrown into by an enraged Roy.

"Yeah." The Arrow murmurs as he attempts to sit up, only to groan out in pain.

"Sara?" The Man In The Mask calls over to her as she starts walking toward them.

"I'm good. Think he broke my nose though." She winces, hand over her nose, which is bleeding heavily.

"He's out of control!" Oliver growls as Slade helps him up.

"He's hurting people." Sara mutters.

As I once did, Slade thinks to himself as the three rather concerned vigilantes lose themselves to their thoughts and memories…

Fearful that after all these years, the past really is coming back to haunt them…

 _The Foundry_

"You both scoffed when I said we should invest in an X-ray machine for down here." Felicity mutters as she passes Oliver a couple of ice packs for his various injuries received from Roy.

"It's broken isn't it?" Sara mutters as Slade asses the damage done to her nose.

"God Sara you have been through the wars today." Diggle looks over at her sympathetically.

"Had worse days." Sara smiles somewhat, wincing as she tries to look up.

"Broken?" She inquires again.

"Yeah." Slade replies as he passes Sara an ice pack, leading her carefully to the chair beside Oliver and glancing down worriedly at both of them.

"You okay, kid?" Slade asks Oliver who nods.

"Just hurt. Everywhere." He murmurs as Slade passes him another ice pack, only to be bombarded by Felicity soon after.

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Felicity rests her hand on Slade's shoulder.

"I'm fine. I held him off. He may have these new enhanced abilities but he doesn't have the experience or the skill." Slade mutters.

"Yeah understandable, you had the Mirakuru. Even without it, you probably know how to fight someone with it being so familiar with it after all." Diggle notes as Slade nods.

"I know no one wants to ask this question but what are we going to do about Roy?" Sin queries, having being quiet for several moments before now, moving toward Sara and sitting beside her friend.

Neither Oliver, Sara or Slade say a word as Oliver tries to glance at Felicity.

"Where are we with the fingerprints?" He queries.

"I struck out on domestic agencies but I'm checking Interpol, PRC, Public Security and MVD databases now." Felicity informs them quickly.

"Guys. I know you've taken Roy on and why but Roy, Shado and even you Slade. A lot of guys I've served with… Don't behead me now but… Some people are just broken and some just cannot be put back together." Diggle sighs.

"Well I refuse to believe that. I got through to Slade." Oliver snaps back.

"Yeah you saved me kid and to contradict your point further Diggle. I remember a time on the island where there was another incident and it didn't involve someone being on Mirakuru. Sara, she'd been taken by these intruders to the island and myself, Oliver and Shado went to save her and we did but Oliver we were concerned about due to the way he smashed someone's skull in with a rock, repeatedly. I said to Sara something similar to what you said, I've seen men with that look in their eyes before and I was concerned due to past experiences that we might not have been able to get through to Oliver but Sara talked to him and she saved him. It can be done, people can be saved despite all the odds." Slade murmurs glancing between Sara and Oliver before getting up and moving toward the computer to join Felicity.

"And we're not letting what happened to Shado happen to Roy. We're not." Sara says firmly as Diggle shrugs his shoulders.

"Besides. He's not at the stage Shado was. More like Slade when he lost control and stab…" Sara stops abruptly, realizing what she was saying and when Oliver grips her hand tightly, both of them glancing toward Slade instantly in hopes he didn't hear them.

Fortunately he doesn't appear to have.

"What?" Diggle frowns in a hushed tone.

"When Slade got the cure. Some of the more violent outbursts he had whilst on the Mirakuru he um. Can't remember which is good. Very, very good." Oliver murmurs, the four of them glancing toward Slade, to ensure he isn't listening.

"What did he do that was so bad?" Sin queries softly.

"Heard stabbed. Which one of you?" Diggle sighs.

"Me." Oliver sighs as Diggle shakes his head.

"My god." He mutters.

"What?" Slade's voice cuts through the conversation.

"Nothing. Just well, explaining some of the full extent of the Mirakuru abilities." Sara lies.

"Stuff ain't good." Sin says with a shake of her head.

"I know." Slade mutters as Felicity looks up at him anxiously for all of a moment.

"Again. I can see why you three are so worked up about this now. By the sounds of it. You guys were lucky you could save Slade from it." Diggle points out to silence for a moment.

"We didn't do enough. Should have saved her from what she became and what we had to do." Slade mutters sharply.

"You still love her don't you?" Diggle guesses as Oliver and Sara glare his way, silence passing for many minutes as all look to Slade to see if he'll answer Diggle.

"Despite everything… I don't think I have ever stopped loving her." Slade admits as more silence moments pass whilst the team look at him with sad glances at Slade's admission. Felicity glances up at him for a few seconds, thinking about what he'd just admitted to them, before quickly turning back to her computer, just before a phone begins to ring.

"Mine." Slade murmurs before answering it, seeing it to be Thea.

"Who is it?" Oliver queries.

"Thea." Slade replies shortly before answering.

"Thea? Is everything okay?" He asks.

"Are you near the club?" She questions.

"Rather near, why?" He frowns.

"Yeah. Um some very scary looking guy is here and he's looking for you. Ohh wait. Lisa's here. I think they know each other…" Thea explains.

"I know who you mean. I'll be right there. Thank you for telling me." Slade responds.

"Where are you going?" Oliver glances at him.

"Hopefully for a drink. It's needed." Slade mutters as he heads up the stairs, the others watching him go.

"Hey, see who's upstairs." Oliver suggests to Felicity in a hushed tone as he hears Slade's still walking up the stairs and Felicity moves to switch the security camera's screen on.

"Thea's right, scary looking guy." Sin nods toward the image of the man beside Lisa.

"Ohh that's Leonard's friend Mick." Sara informs her whilst moving the ice pack to a more tender part of her nose.

"Wow. Picks a great time to go talk to his girlfriend doesn't he." Diggle says with a snort and a roll of his eyes.

"Well I'd be the same if mine weren't down here with me." Oliver points out, smiling as he squeezes Sara's hand tightly.

"He and Lisa are back together?" Felicity queries quietly.

"I for one am happy about this as at least it means he's not with Isabel." Oliver replies as Felicity looks at the screen and sighs, her tone of voice almost sarcastic.

"Ahh great!"

 _Verdant_

"Hey Slade." Thea greets him the minute he moves toward her, Lisa and Mick.

"Bad time?" Mick enquires.

"Needed a break." Slade replies.

"That's why you've got us." Lisa smiles as he raises an eyebrow at her.

The events of earlier still in his mind.

"So which friend is this? He Leonard, your brother?" Thea looks to Lisa.

"She thinks I'm Snart?" Mick rolls his eyes at Thea.

"This is Mick. Mick, this is Thea Queen. Oliver's sister." Slade introduces them.

"Nice to meet you." Thea nods as Mick glances over at her.

"Yeah. Prefer her to the other Queen already." Mick smirk as Slade just rolls his eye at them.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Thea smiles at the three of them before heading off to the bar.

"What are you two doing here then?" Slade questions once she's gone.

"Well I wanted a drink. Got any guys you want to beat up?" Mick glances at him.

"Mick." Lisa rolls her eyes at him before looking toward Slade.

"I just thought I'd try make peace after earlier." She admits.

"I can turn a blind eye to what you and your brother and Mick do in your spare time but when it crosses paths with what I do in my spare time. We are going to have a problem." Slade reminds her as Lisa nods.

"I know." She glances at him resting her hand over his.

"I wouldn't do anything to either of you. But Oliver and Sara wouldn't be as lenient." Slade points out as Mick smirks.

"We get into any trouble least we know you'll send them the other way."

"I'd do my hardest but I am vigilante." He reminds them.

"A vigilante with a soft spot for a couple of rouges." Lisa smiles as Slade rolls his eye at her.

"So. Forgiven me?" Lisa adds after a moment.

"Yes." Slade murmurs as she leans forward to kiss him briefly.

"Saps. Disappointed in you Man In The Mask." Mick mutters from the corner.

"Just because you've don't have anyone Mick." Lisa retorts.

"Don't want anyone. Never have. Never will." Mick grumbles gruffly.

"You say that now…"

"Watch it little Snart." Mick growls as both Lisa and Slade smirk at him.

"Seriously got no one I can join you in beating up?" Mick queries.

"Not currently." Slade replies as Mick grunts in annoyance.

"So just boring vigilantism?" He glances at Slade, who tilts his head to the side.

"Ohh Mick just fix things with Lenny." Lisa sighs with folded arms.

"I ain't apologizing for nothing. Snart's fault not mine." He retorts stubbornly.

"And this is why Lenny isn't here." She says with a roll of her eyes as Slade nods.

"Good decision." He murmurs as he glances at his phone to see a message from Oliver.

"I have to go." Slade says, squeezing Lisa's hand and looking toward Mick.

"Got some 'boring vigilantism' to be doing."

 _The Foundry_

"Had a good chat up there Slade?" Diggle questions with a slight smirk the minute Slade walks down the stairs, glaring at Diggle once before looking to Felicity.

"What do you have for us?" He enquires.

"Oh well the fingerprint is in Interpol's database. The guy works for Milo Armitage. He's a black marker arms merchant." Felicity informs them.

"He's trying to sell the device." Oliver mutters with a shake of his head.

"What could someone want with a device like that." Diggle murmurs.

"A lot of terrible reasons." Oliver sighs before looking to Felicity.

"Ok we need you to search for any indication that Armitage is in the city." He instructs Felicity as she nods quickly.

"Already done that whilst Slade was upstairs. His ship filed a loading manifest at the Starling City docks. I'll get you guys the slip number." Felicity smiles.

"Please do." Slade mutters moving toward The Salmon Ladder.

"He's going to end up breaking that thing." Diggle points out.

"One of us will." Sara sighs.

"Good stress reliever." Oliver adds as Sin nods, glancing toward where Slade is using it rapidly and vigorously.

"It's all getting to him isn't it? The Mirakuru, Roy?" Sin asks quietly.

"Yep." Oliver mutters grimly as Felicity looks down at her desk sadly.

"The further we get into this. The worse it's becoming for all of us." Oliver sighs, genuinely fearful of how worse this is all going to become…

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Slade!" Oliver calls as he Sara and Harley race through the woods._

 _"Shado!" Sara calls also as she pushes a few branches back._

 _"Ollie." Harley grabs his arm upon what she sees upon entering the clearing._

 _Nothing but the missile launcher itself._

 _Slade and Shado upon it._

 _"Slade, Shado!" Oliver yells upon seeing them._

 _"GET BACK!" Slade bellows at them as Oliver, Sara and Harley race toward them._

 _"We know you two are targeting the boat. Sara told us what you two were planning. Why'd you tie her up. It's Sara, guys. Why would you do that to her?" Oliver says quietly._

 _"She was in our way." Shado hisses before moving around the other side of the launcher to reach Slade._

 _"Have you put the code in yet or do you want me to do it?" She questions._

 _"Got it." Slade retorts, glancing down at Oliver, Sara and Harley._

 _"We're going to send that son of a bitch to the bottom of the ocean!" He hisses._

 _"No. You two are going to destroy our only way off the island." Sara protests._

 _"As long as Ivo dies. It'll be worth it!" Shado snaps back as she pushes the missile launcher in the right direction._

 _"We can't let you do it." Oliver says softly, trying to get through to at least one of them._

 _Slade doesn't think twice before pulling a gun on him._

 _Holding it directly at his head._

 _"GET BACK, OR SO HELP ME. I WILL PUT YOU DOWN!"_

 _Verdant_

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Thea frowns the minute Moira enters the club.

"I came by to get your advice on something." Moira informs her.

"Step right into my office." Thea leads her toward a table.

"This is about the campaign, right? It's really awesome that you're thinking of doing this."

"You said something that stayed with me. The idea that there could be voters out there that wouldn't dismiss me out of hand." Moira points out.

"Well, you did run a multi billion dollar company." Thea reminds her.

"Yes and an Undertaking that destroyed the city, put Tommy in a coma and I put an assassination attempt on Slade Wilson." Moira mutters.

"Yes. Yes you did and whilst it has taken me a long time to see past what you did myself. I have forgiven you for what you did and people will get over the undertaking eventually." Thea replies quietly.

"What makes you so sure?" Moira frowns.

"Because as I said. I did. I forgave, despite the fact you nearly killed a friend of mine. I still forgave you but can I make a suggestion? Instead of punishing yourself because you think you destroyed the city, how about you start by saving it?" Thea suggests as simply, with a smile upon her face, Moira embraces her daughter…

 _Starling City_

"Ten million dollars I believe was the negotiated amount." Armitage shows Bronze Tiger his phone that shows the transfer of the money for his job well done in securing the earthquake machine, which sits in a crate a few steps away.

"Congratulations, you're now in a new tax bracket."

"Just out of curiosity. You pay me ten million and you get…" Bronze Tiger frowns.

"Three times that." Armitage responds.

"You already have a buyer?" Bronze Tiger raises an eyebrow.

"I recommend that you stay clear of Markovia for a few months. I believe our business is now concluded." He smirks just as on zip-lines, the three vigilantes appear out of nowhere.

"Not yet." The Arrow snarls, shooting one of Armitage's guards in the shoulder, before Armitage himself in the leg.

The three vigilante then moving past the fallen Armitage and toward the earthquake machine, which stands, still in its crate.

"Looks like your partner abandoned you." The Man In The Mask comments.

"He's not my partner. He's someone I hired to do a job!" Armitage hisses as from above, Bronze Tiger leaps down, claws outstretched, straight towards The Arrow.

"Kid!" The Man In The Mask pushes the Arrow out of the way in an instant to shield him, only to get a shoulder full of claws himself.

"And it turns out it was money well spent!" Armitage comments as the Black Canary throws a knife a Bronze Tiger, whom deflects it.

His action, due to the Black Canary's interruption, frees The Man In The Mask and the Arrow pulls him to his feet, the two facing the Bronze Tiger with their weapons outstretched.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the three vigilantes. Roy Harper, red hood and all stands in the shadows.

"Just too dumb to stay down." The Bronze Tiger comments as The Man In The Mask advances with his sword.

Yet before he can get anywhere near Bronze Tiger, Roy Harper launches at him throwing Bronze Tiger to the ground, advancing on him quickly, avoiding all the slices from the claws Bronze Tiger aims at him and punches him hard in the face, the punch causing him to go flying across the street.

Meanwhile, the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask face Armitage.

A more pressing issue being the earthquake machine on their hands.

"Don't do it! You'll kill everyone here!" The Arrow cries.

"If I don't deliver this device to my buyer in Markovia. I'm dead anyway." Armitage responds, trigger in hand.

"No!" The three vigilantes yell as he places the device under foot and stomps down hard on it, activating the earthquake device.

The Black Canary punches him, whilst the Arrow shoots several explosive arrows at the crate that contains the earthquake machine.

Meanwhile, whilst the Arrow is doing that, The Man In The Mask is the one to notice Roy still repeatedly punching Bronze Tiger.

"ROY!" He bellows in an attempt to get his attention. To snap him out of the rage and anger.

"It's not working!" The Arrow snarls upon shooting another explosive arrow at the crate to no effect.

"Have an idea." The Man In The Mask replies before focusing on Roy again.

"Roy I need you to listen to me! Roy!" He bellows.

"Listen to us!" The Black Canary calls upon latching onto The Man In The Mask's plan.

"Roy we need to you help us! Stop!" The Arrow shouts, also realizing the plan.

"ROY! Ohh for the love of…" The Man In The Mask snarls and thinking quickly, he rips his mask off.

"What are you doing!" The Arrow calls in shock.

"Something either smart or stupid, kid." Slade growls before racing toward Roy.

"ROY I NEED YOU TO STOP!" Slade bellows, grabbing his arm and pulling Roy to face him.

"The earthquake device is in there Roy. The steel is military grade and is built to withstand a bomb but not someone like you." Slade explains quickly to him as Roy just looks at him in shock, his rage and fury still at its highest peak but now shock has joined his mix of enhanced emotions.

Slade Wilson is standing in front of him right now.

Slade Wilson is The Man In The Mask…

"Think about Thea because without your help, she could be killed. I know you love her, because I've seen it. She's like a sister to me Roy. Save her." Slade speaks sternly yet calmly, noticing Roy's still shaking hands.

"Control. Focus on Thea. She needs you right now or she dies. Everyone dies." Slade explains to him as Roy closes his eyes before following Slade toward the Arrow and the Black Canary, whom each stand in front of the crate.

"You can do this Roy." The Arrow says to him, as after his words Roy smashes his fist through the crate.

"Run!" The Arrow calls as he drops an explosive arrow through the hole Roy had made, before grabbing the Black Canary's arm and running, all four of them together as behind them the crate explodes.

The sheer force of the explosion knocking the four of them to the ground, each getting quickly to their feet though to watch the crate burn.

Yet there's something else on Roy's mind.

"Slade… You're…" He trails off in shock.

"Yeah." Slade responds plainly.

"The other two…" Roy glances at the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"Come on you two." Slade nods to them as the Arrow and the Black Canary remove their masks and wig.

Revealing to Roy, Oliver Queen and Sara Lance...

"Ohh my god. So. So earlier when I said. That you two fight like two people I live with... You are the two people I live with." Roy whispers, that thought suddenly coming to mind.

"Seriously we don't fight that much." Oliver folds his arms with a glance to Slade.

"Beg to differ." Sara smirks as Roy just looks shocked again.

"Holy crap I broke your nose…" He whispers, glancing at Sara, who shrugs.

"Had worse." She says with a tight smile as Roy just shakes his head with shock.

"The other year. You three saved my life and I don't mean from the guy who kidnapped me. I mean, you three… You three saved me. You three gave me purpose." Roy admits as Oliver and Sara just smile at him as sirens sound out in the distance.

Instantly Roy holds out his hand toward them, shaking the Arrow's first, the leader of the three. Oliver Queen, his sisters boyfriend…

If he hadn't already felt unnerved by Oliver Queen, the protective brother before now.

Now he knows he's the guy who shot him through the leg…

Then Sara Lance's, the Black Canary and finally The Man In The Mask's. Slade Wilson, the most fearsome vigilante and the scariest person Roy had ever met.

If he thought Slade could kill him before now just as the scary ex ASIS agent, he's definitely thinking that now, now he knows he's the most fearful of the three vigilantes…

Oliver smiles at Roy afterwards.

"We're just getting started."

 _The Foundry_

"So. The secret society of seven gets an eighth member." Diggle comments as Felicity tends to Slade's shoulder wounds from where he'd taken the claws for Oliver.

"Where is he now?" Sin comments in a quiet voice.

"Home. He's uh… Processing." Oliver replies, moving toward Slade.

"Thank you for what you did out there for me. It should be me sat there right now." He sighs as Slade glances up at him.

"I got ya back kid. Always." He groans as Felicity finishes taping the wound.

"Of course he's processing. The three people he lives with are vigilantes. Can't imagine what he's going to say when realizes I work with you guys. I mean he knows I do. But we all live together and I know." Sin points out.

"When I found out who you three really were. I processed my way through a pint of mint chip. I stress eat." Felicity admits quietly.

"Well you did have to basically watch Ollie and Slade die. So no one blames you. Think I killed a guy off the list myself that night actually I was so stressed." Sara points out.

"Yeah. I was there when you got back." Sin winces at the memory.

"Speaking of stress. I'm not trying to Monday morning quarterback here… It's Wednesday. Didn't this all start because you three were worried that Roy's marble collection was on the short side?" She winces at her choice of words.

"And that's not meant to be a comment against people with Mirakuru." She adds quickly with a glance to Slade.

"She had a point, guys. Roy's a loose canon and now he knows the secret." Diggle adds.

"You're right. It wasn't exactly Sara and I who made the choice to reveal who we really are to Roy." Oliver says with a glance to Slade.

"I wasn't thinking about the consequences." Slade murmurs.

"First for you." Diggle comments.

"But we needed his strength, his power. Think if you hadn't made the choice you did, I would have done." Oliver points out.

"It's a thing about truth as well. This could be our way of getting though to the boy, with truth. You told me the truth of what really happened with Shado on the island straight away, kid. We didn't tell Shado the truth, she found out later. That could be what went wrong with her." Slade gives a one shouldered shrug.

"Yeah. Yes. You know on the island Harley told me that love is the most powerful emotion. Well the three vigilantes couldn't get Roy to think about Thea but we could. Thank you." Oliver looks to Slade, whom puts his uninjured arm around Oliver.

"You did the same for me."

 _Lian Yu_

 _"I SAID GET BACK!" Slade snarls with his gun to Oliver's head._

 _"Slade. Slade stop. It's Ollie. You don't want to…" Sara is cut off by Slade pushing her backwards when she tries to move toward him._

 _"Gun down you crazy son of a bitch or its who gets it." Harley hisses pulling her own gun free just as Shado leaps down and instantly grabs Sara, holding her in a choke hold._

 _"Shado. Don't. Harley put the gun down!" Oliver calls bravely with the gun at his head._

 _"She shoots him I kill her." Shado hisses as tears appear in Sara's eyes._

 _"You don't mean that. You wouldn't do that. It's me. Sara." Sara whispers as Oliver just looks up at Slade._

 _"Think about what you're doing." He says in a calm voice, despite all that's happening._

 _At his words, Slade grabs Oliver's shirt collar and places him on his knees as he climbs off the missile launcher, his gun still at Oliver's head._

 _"I am. Thinking. About. What. I'm. Doing!" He hisses._

 _"There's something I gotta tell you." Oliver whispers as Harley looks momentarily worried._

 _Oliver said he'd already told Slade what had happened with Shado, who is also in the area._

 _What else could he possibly have to say? Is he just going to recount the story of what really happened again right now? With Shado here? Harley thinks rapidly._

 _"Harley put the gun down." Oliver says then._

 _"Ollie. He's gonna kill you honey." Harley warns him._

 _"No. No he won't." Oliver says, his eyes on Slade and Slade alone for a moment before looking to Shado._

 _"And neither will she. She's not going to hurt Sara either because that's not who you are Shado. You don't hurt people. Especially not Sara, your friend. Shado. There's something I need to tell you, something you need to know." Oliver says, now looking at her, completely ignoring the gun in his face from Slade._

 _Shado has Sara. That's the most important thing right now._

 _However, now Harley is even more fearful about Oliver spilling the truth to Shado…_

 _"Your father. He wouldn't have wanted this. He'd have wanted you to get home. To be safe, not throw your chance at getting home away and he wouldn't have wanted you attempting to kill your friends because that's not who you are. You're no killer Shado. Let Sara go." He begs as Shado looks down once, yet tightens her hold on Sara._

 _"Your sister. You want to get home to her right? You told me about her. How much you love her. The way I love my sister. I love my sister so much and if you kill me. I'll never see her again and if you and Slade destroy the freighter you won't see yours again either and you love her. She's your family and she needs you Shado. Your father's gone but you're still alive. Think about her Shado. Think about how much you love her." Sara begs as Shado's grip on Sara falters slightly._

 _"I know you won't kill me Shado. Even if you blow up the freighter because you're my friend. Honestly. You're been like a sister to me ever since I met you and I know that the Mirakuru is hurting you and that you feel like it's changing you but your still you. So are you Slade. Your still you and your not going to kill Ollie. You'll never admit it but you care about him and I think you care about me because I care about you. I've cared about you ever since you saved me from Fyers. You've been like a brother to me Slade. I care about both of you so much." Sara whispers as Slade blinks rapidly, gun still held to Oliver's head, yet Oliver can tell Sara's words have begun to hit his Mirakuru fueled shield…_

 _They have broken Shado's who releases Sara abruptly._

 _"Sara." She whispers, tears beginning to appear in both girls eyes._

 _"Sara. I'm…" Shado shakes her head as Sara just embraces her._

 _Meanwhile, Oliver turns his head to face Slade and the gun again._

 _"I've still got something to tell you." Oliver whispers as Shado, Sara and Harley instantly look to Oliver and Slade._

 _"Something you gotta know." He says bravely, eyes not leaving Slade's now._

 _"I tried to tell you this before but uh. You wouldn't let me speak and the only way your going to shut me up now is if you shoot me. So here goes." Oliver says calmly, almost trying to make light of the situation as Slade just glares at him, gun still to the head._

 _"We were on the top of the cliff when I tried the first time, before this happened to you. I was trying to tell you something and I think you knew what it was because you wouldn't let me say it." He says, his point proven when Slade jams the gun into his face again._

 _"I said you're an ass. Possibly the biggest ass I've ever met in my life but it's as I said when you were dangling of the side of that cliff. You're lucky I haven't avoided an attachment to you because Slade. I care about you. You're my friend and I care about you." Oliver admits quietly to Slade._

 _"You're the best man I've ever known."_

 _Slade just looks at him, without saying a word._

 _Oliver doesn't know if Slade even hears him._

 _He hopes he does._

 _More than anything._

 _"And you need to make it home. You need to see Joe again." He adds after a moment, using Slade's love for his son in an attempt to save him from the Mirakuru._

 _"You need to get home to him, your son. He's waiting for you and you need to get back to him. Don't you want that? To go home to him? To hug your son again?" Oliver says quietly before bravely lifting a hand and resting it over Slade's, gripping it gently as he gets to his feet so they're standing face to face._

 _"I know you're angry." Oliver whispers as Slade pushes him away, the gun still held to him._

 _"I know you both are and you want revenge against Ivo. But if you destroy the freighter then all this would have been for nothing, what happened to Shado…" He glances to her once before back at Slade._

 _"And this could be our only way of getting home, of you getting home to your kid. Who needs you. Joe needs you. I know that because." Oliver is quiet for a moment, trying to ignore the gun in front of him and just trying to look at Slade._

 _"Because I need you Slade."_

 _Eyes on Oliver, Slade's hands begin to tremble as he lowers the gun…_

 _The gun he'd held to Oliver's head._

 _Oliver, his friend._

 _Someone he cares about and who cares about him._

 _Oliver said he was the best man he'd ever known. Did he really mean that? Slade thinks to himself as thoughts run through his head as he just focuses on lowering the gun as far away from Oliver as possible._

 _He said he needed him…_

 _How could Oliver need him? How could he care after what's he's just done to him…_

 _To Sara…_

 _He and Shado bound and tied her up…_

 _How could he do a thing like that?_

 _Closing his eyes as he begins to shake, the gun falls from his hand, hitting the ground._

 _It's at that moment Harley also lowers her gun as she sees Oliver moving toward Slade, who whilst he's trembling from the shock and horror of what he almost did, Oliver disarms him._

 _"What is happening to me?" Slade hisses as Oliver moves toward him instantly, resting a hand on his friends shoulder._

 _"I don't know." Oliver responds truthfully as he squeezes Slade's shoulder lightly._

 _"I am not going to let you through it on your own." He vows. Slade doesn't even look up at him as Oliver looks at him with eyes full of sadness for his friend._

 _Yet also with relief due to the fact he managed to pull Slade from the brink of madness._

 _"The man who did this to me is still out there Oliver and whether the freighters on the bottom of the ocean or not. We're still stuck on this island." Shado breaks through the silence if nothing had happened._

 _If she and Slade hadn't almost lost themselves to the Mirakuru._

 _If they hadn't almost killed their friends…_

 _"He's still got to suffer." Shado mutters as Sara rests a hand on her arm momentarily before walking toward Oliver and Slade, pulling Shado with her._

 _"I'm sorry Oliver." Shado looks at him with heartbroken eyes._

 _"I don't. I don't know what happened to me. This Mirakuru, it's a poison. Why couldn't Ivo just let me die?" She whispers as Oliver pulls her into an embrace._

 _"I don't know." Is all he can say._

 _He wants to tell her the truth…_

 _That Ivo didn't do this to her. That he gave her the Mirakuru and the reasons why._

 _But now. Now just isn't the right time, so instead he just holds her._

 _Meanwhile, Sara moves toward Slade._

 _He's still shaking with rage, shock and more enhanced emotions as she approaches him._

 _"Slade." She starts carefully. He doesn't even look up at her._

 _"Sara… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He murmurs rapidly, his voice nearly breaking as Sara bravely moves forward._

 _The bravest of them all, probably as she takes no haste in putting her arms around him._

 _"It's okay. I forgive you." Sara says quickly as she just tightens her hold on one of her closest friends, not planning on letting go soon._

 _"Shado's right." He murmurs after a moment, keeping an arm around Sara as he slides his hand into Shado's when she breaks away ever so slightly from Oliver._

 _"We're still stuck here." He mutters._

 _"Not for long." Oliver says determinedly before glancing toward Harley, who stands away from the four, watching them comfort each other before at Oliver with confusion._

 _"Because we're going to take the freighter."_

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira is at the door ready to answer it the moment the doorbell rings, smiling to see Walter standing out there.

"I was glad to receive your email. Does it portend what I'm hoping?" Walter wonders.

"I'm going to run." Moira says with a beaming smile.

"What changed you mind?" Walter wonders as Moira just smiles again.

"Thea." He guesses.

"She reminded me that I still owe this city and I want to be remembered as something more than Malcolm Merlyn's pawn." Moira admits.

"As you should." Walter agrees wholeheartedly.

"But you know there was another reason for my reticence." She murmurs.

"You're afraid the people will learn that Robert wasn't her biological father." He guesses.

"I managed to get thought a criminal trial without the truth coming out but political campaigns tend to be a bit more adept at extracting skeletons from closets." She admits.

"But no one else knows." Walter reminds her.

"Someone does. My ob, Dr. Gill… There were complications when Thea was born and I had to tell him that Robert wasn't her father. So if we're going to move forward." Moira sighs.

"We need to make certain that he won't be a problem for us."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As a cell door opens a woman walks toward the cell of Ben Turner.

"Mr. Turner." He glances up at her, waiting a moment before getting off of his bed.

"I didn't realize this place allowed conjugal visits." He folds his arms.

"My name is Amanda Waller." She replies plainly.

"You say that like it's supposed to mean something to me." He retorts.

"To the contrary. My identity is highly classified." She informs him.

"Then why are you introducing yourself to me?" He points out.

"I have an offer for you." She reveals with a sly look upon her face.

"A way to work off your sentence. As it turns out. I'm in need of someone with your singular qualifications…" She trails off.

"For what?" He enquires.

"For a unit I'm putting together." She informs him plainly.

"What type of unit?" He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Actually." She starts, before giving him a confident smirk.

"It's more of a squad."

 _The Foundry_

"Is this the point where you kill me. Cause I know the secret?" Roy winces as he follows Oliver, Sara and Slade down a flight of stairs.

"Do you actually think I'd kill my sister's boyfriend?" Oliver looks back at him.

"He might." Roy gestures to Slade.

"Not to mention you did shoot me in the leg Oliver, whilst you stood there and watched. Forgiven, by the way." He says quickly as Oliver looks back at him once again, stopping in front of Roy, whom stops automatically, wanting to take a few steps back to be honest!

"Thea. She can never know." Oliver retorts strictly.

"I get the feeling that if I did tell her that would be when you three would kill me." Roy says, wincing slightly at the look he gets from Oliver, Sara and Slade in response.

"Trust that instinct." Oliver responds sharply as they continue down the stairs.

"He's getting smarter." Slade nudges him.

"How many people know what… Who you three are?" Roy decides to ask.

"Seven." Oliver replies.

"Too many." Slade murmurs at the exact same time,

"But they are the only people that matter." Sara points out as they walk into main area.

"This is John Diggle and Felicity Smoak and well. You know Sin." Oliver introduces Diggle and Felicity as they move forward toward their stairs to greet Roy.

"Welcome to the club." Is all Sin can say as she approaches them.

"So you really did work here after all? You knew all this time and you never said anything." Roy says sharply, folding his arms.

"You met these three? They'd kill me if I said anything. Well Sara wouldn't but Oliver and Slade." Sin glances at them as Sara puts an arm around her shoulders.

"You don't let her go out there with you guys do you?" Roy questions.

"Haven't managed to convince them of that yet." Sin replies.

"And you never will." Sara reminds her as Sin just rolls her eyes at them.

"Explains why you took that job at Queen Consolidated." Roy adds.

"Ohh best job in the world that is." Sin replies, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm as Roy can't help but smile before looking to Diggle and Felicity.

"Does this group have a name? Like Team Arrow or something?"

"We don't call ourselves that." Oliver mutters sharply.

"I do, occasionally. Actually I call it team Death-Arrow at times cause you know, you and Slade are joint leaders and I know you don't go by that Deathstroke name at all Slade but it works better then Team Mask-Arrow and I'm going to shut up. Right now."

"That would be my preference." Slade mutters as Diggle extends a hand toward Roy.

"Welcome aboard." He smiles as Roy shakes his hand and then Felicity's.

"Honestly this is a relief. I didn't know how long I was going to be able to keep this from you." Sin nudges Roy as he just looks around at the lair.

All the weapons, the technology. The vigilante uniforms in their glass cases…

It's all so much to take it.

The people he lives with are vigilantes...

"Think I'll head home. Still got to uh. Adjust. Adjust big time." Roy moves toward the stairs.

"Don't be surprised if he's eaten all the food in your refrigerator when you get home." Felicity smirks once he's gone.

"Hard to do when there's nothing it in. Kinda forgot to go shopping." Oliver points out.

"Well. You have some free time to do that now Ollie." Sara smirks at him as he sighs.

"Come with me." He all but begs.

"Sorry Ollie I'm going to see Laurel. Said I'd go hang with her and the kids tonight. See you later." Sara stands on tiptoes to kiss him on her way out.

"Will you come with me?" Oliver looks hopefully at Slade who shakes his head.

"No kid." He starts as he moves toward the stairs.

"There's something I need to do."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

Sometime later, Slade enters the apartment, looking around it for Roy, whom he sees standing near the rather empty fridge, who whirls around the minute he sees Slade.

"This is not what it looks like." Roy murmurs with a mouthful of food.

Slade's secret stash of biscuits no less.

"On this occasion, you're forgiven." Slade mutters as Roy almost let's out a sigh of relief.

Now he's knows Slade's The Man In The Mask, he's somehow even more fearful of him them before!

"Where's the other two?" He murmurs through another mouthful.

"Occupied with other things." Slade replies.

"I really am sorry for breaking Sara's nose. I didn't mean to…" He trails off.

"It's okay. She isn't holding a grudge neither is Oliver or myself." Slade assures him, a reassured look crossing Roy's face.

"We're not going to do any training are we? I mean I'm not complaining I'm just…"

"No we're not. I actually came here to talk to you." Slade responds as he sits on the couch.

"What about? I swear I'm not going to tell anyone about who you three are and I'm going to try and stay in control." Roy promises quickly.

"Not that. I want to answer your questions about who had the Mirakuru in the past." Slade replies as Roy nods.

"Yeah you said there was a woman. You were in love with her."

"Her name was Shado." Slade nods as Roy glances at him.

"What happened to her, when Oliver said he had to put her down…" He trails off.

"She's gone. She's dead." Slade replies firmly.

"You couldn't help her?" Roy guesses before adding.

"Is that why you three are so adamant on helping me?" He queries.

"Yes. I don't want the same thing had happened to her, happen to you." He admits.

"Didn't realize you three cared." He murmurs.

"We care about Thea." Slade corrects him.

"Makes sense. You know this is the nicest you've ever been to me, right?" Roy points out as Slade just glares at him.

"I know you three wouldn't answer me earlier but now you've told me who you guys are… Are you, um… Going to tell me who else was infected by the Mirakuru?" He asks carefully, not wanting to push his luck.

"Me." Slade murmurs after a moment as Roy looks at him with wide eyes.

"What? Wait. Let me get this straight. You had the Mirakuru?" Roy glances at him.

"Yes." Slade nods as Roy continues to look at him.

"You still have it?" He asks, everything becoming clearer now.

"No. Not anymore." Slade admits.

"How did you get rid of it. Could you do the same for me?" Roy all but begs.

"I had the only cure available during the five years. If we ever come across more now. It's yours." Slade promises him as Roy nods.

"So that's why you're being so nice to me. Because you've been though this to?" Roy asks carefully as Slade remains silent.

"Anything else you can tell me… What about… How did you get through it? How did you stay in control?" Roy asks quickly.

"I had Oliver." Slade retorts.

"Oliver? Oliver helped you stay in control? Seriously. I thought I was actually going to kill him earlier." Roy rolls his eyes at Slade.

"You don't know him as well as I do. He was there for me and without him I would've ended up like Shado." Slade retorts.

"So how did…" Roy starts to ask something else.

"That's enough questions for one night." Slade murmurs.

"Hmm. I still want to know more but got to admit my head feels like it's going to explode." Roy winces as he gets to his feet.

"Mind if I stick a movie on?" Roy says after a moment.

"Go ahead." Slade retorts as Roy glances at him.

"You know this thought just came to me, you do realize that you guys have like five years worth of movies to catch up on right?" Roy points out as Slade just rolls his eye at him.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Thank you again Leena." Laurel says as she hugs her friend.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow." She beams as she heads through the door, Laurel watching her go as she takes a sip from her water bottle, before moving to close her door, turning back to smile at Brandon and Rebecca, sitting happily in a pile of their toys.

Suddenly a feeling of lightheadedness overcomes her and before she can reach the couch she falls to the ground...

 _Meanwhile…_

Heading down the corridor toward Laurel's apartment, Sara knocks on the door.

Waiting for a few moments, she hears nothing but the sounds of the babies crying.

"Laurel?" Sara calls, frowning slightly. Some thing doesn't feel right.

She knocks on the door again, this time, the door opens by itself.

"Laurel?" She calls softly as she moves into the apartment…

The first thing she sees is Brandon and Rebecca, sitting in their playpen, crying.

The next thing, her sister on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

Or worse...

"Laurel. Wake up! Laurel!" Sara cries as she races to her sisters side, seeing that her eyes are still slightly open.

"Laurel what happened?!" Sara whispers as Laurel looks up at her, dazed.

"Sara." She whispers, clutching Sara's arms before her eyes begin to close…

"Laurel no. Laurel! Please wake up ! No, Laurel!" Sara cries, Brandon and Rebecca crying in the background as she holds her sister in her arms…

 _ **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all your kind reviews and to all of you who have followed and favorited this story. Next chapter should be updated soon. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter. see you all next update.**_

 _ **PS: A few of you have requested a 'watching arrow' fanfic where the characters watch 'legends of Canarrow' Just like to say I love the idea and it's something I will do once I get to the end of legends of Canarrow.**_


	108. Heir To The Demon (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Eight_**

 _Starling City International Airport_

At the rather overcrowded Starling City airport, a beautiful woman with long brown hair and a hat upon her head smiles as she approaches a customs desk.

Walking over with confidence, she presents her passport before finally taking off her hat, winking to a young kid whom she noticed looking at her.

"Business or personal, Miss Raatko?" The customs agent asks her.

"Personal." She replies with a smile as her passport is scanned.

However, when that is done, on the customs agent computer screen a warning pops up.

An ARGUS security warning…

"My computers froze. Can you hold on a sec? I'll be right back." He requests as she nods, glancing to the side of her when she believes to see another agent touching his earpiece before finally hearing the cocking of a gun.

"Down on the ground! Down! Put your hands on your head!" The guard yells at her.

She glances at him skeptically.

"I said. Put your hands on your head lady, I will shoot you." He growls as the woman raises her hands, glancing toward where everyone else in the airport is down on the ground.

However, as she places her hands behind her head, she grabs the guard and throws him into the glass window, which shatters against his head.

Grabbing a pen from the desk, she stabs another man in the arm before punching him sharply in the head, choking him with part of a rail, before using the rail stands as two batons to attack the other guards that advance on her until she's the only one standing.

Glancing around her surroundings, she simply grabs her suitcase and walks away…

 _Queen Consolidated_

"A successful mayoral campaign isn't about polling. It isn't about fundraising or raising hot button issues. It's about connecting with people. That's why, right after we announce tomorrow, Moira. I want to get you in front of as many cameras as possible." Mark France's speaks to the table, where at sits Moira Queen, Thea Queen and Oliver Queen, whom keeps glancing down at his phone.

Sara didn't come home last night.

She said she was staying for a while at Laurel's but he thought she would have at least said that, or contacted him by now.

Slade's also taken the morning off to do some training with Roy, upon hearing about this meeting that will take place and despite Oliver trying to convince him to come, Slade had replied with that he would rather 'lose his other eye' then be in a meeting discussing campaign strategies for someone he doesn't even believe should be mayor!

"Are we boring you Oliver?" Moira's voice pulls Oliver from his thoughts, suddenly realizing that all eyes in the room are on him seemingly staring at his phone.

"Sorry. Just concerned about my girlfriend." Oliver replies in explanation.

"Continue." Moira smiles at Mark Frances, whom is more than happy to oblige.

"Morning shows, talk shows. We should be doing a load of them…"

"Mark. I want to help rebuild the city, not pander to it." Moira points out.

"It's not pandering mom, its campaigning." Oliver explains.

"Let the people get to know the real Moira Queen and they are going to fall in love with you." Mark agrees.

"Speaking from experience. This man knows what he's talking about, Moira." Walter adds from the other end of the table as Moira grimaces slightly.

It's going to be one long road…

 _Later…_

"Is everything alright Oliver?" Walter asks him kindly when he sees Oliver looks down at his phone with a rather disgruntled look, having called Sara and it having gone to voicemail.

Again.

"Yeah. Yeah. I just can't seem to get hold of Sara. Just worried about her." Oliver smiles back as Sin enters the office.

"Sin have you heard from Sara?" Oliver calls the minute she walks in.

"No, she didn't come home last night did she? Call Slade, her dad. Sure one of them will know something. I'll try, she always answers for me." Sin smiles as she places a set of files on Oliver and Slade's desks before moving back to her own.

"Where's Miss Smoak?" Walter enquires as Oliver looks up at him.

"Ohh she doesn't work here anymore." Oliver admits.

"She rang a few hours ago. Said she had something to discuss with me. Thought she'd be here." Walter comments as Oliver nods.

"Call her." He suggests as he looks down at his own phone in dismay.

"Bet you'll get an answer from her."

 _The Foundry_

"Wow you really don't hold back do you?" Roy comments, wincing slightly as Felicity hits the ground sharply, due to an attempt at trying to engage Slade in combat.

"Never have. Never will." Slade retorts sharply as he reaches for Felicity's hand, pulling her up from the floor.

"But still Slade, come on its Felicity. Go easy on her." Diggle suggests from the other side of the room.

"Perhaps I don't want him to go easy on me." Felicity retorts.

"That's my girl." Slade smirks at her proudly.

"Still. She not one of you guys." Diggle adds as Felicity moves to get her water, whilst Slade's phone begins to ring.

"You say that now Dig. But who knows! I keep at this with Slade and maybe one day I can join you guys out there." Felicity smirks.

"Please tell me I didn't just hear what I thought I just did?" Comes the sound of Oliver's voice from Slade's phone.

"Ohh you did, kid but don't worry." Slade starts, moving toward Felicity so he's standing right in front of her.

"As long as I'm alive I intend to ensure that she never joins us as a vigilante ever." He says firmly as Felicity rolls her eyes at him.

"Killjoy." She murmurs.

"Keeping you safe." Slade retorts, before turning back to his phone.

"What's up, kid? Your mothers campaign killed you yet?" He says with a smirk.

"No. No. I just, I haven't heard from Sara all morning and I just wanted to know if she was in The Foundry, or if she'd checked in with you or..." Oliver is cut off by the sound of Slade's surprised cry when, taking advantage of the fact he has her back to her and is on the phone, Felicity leaps at him in a surprise attack.

Slade however, always ready for anything and even when she knocks him off his feet, he spins her around so she's beneath him.

"You were saying kid?" Slade queries.

"What was that?" Oliver questions.

"Felicity showing more intelligence than you ever did in training…"

"Hey!" Oliver snaps indignantly.

"Truth hurts kid." Slade retorts before adding.

"No I haven't from Sara. Think she's in trouble?" He says, concerned instantly.

"I. I don't know. If she calls you. Just let me know ok and get over here. You do work here at Queen Consolidated you know, my second in command." Oliver reminds him as Slade just rolls his eye.

"That all, kid?" He questions.

"Ohh also. Walter was looking for Felicity." Oliver finishes as Felicity nods.

"Stay in touch." Oliver adds before hanging up.

"I'm impressed Felicity. You tried to take me by surprise." Slade comments as he stands, pulling Felicity to her feet again.

"I will get you one day." She says determinedly.

"Wouldn't hold out on that. I have the Mirakuru and I still can't put him down and believe me I've tried and I still don't think Oliver and Sara have ever beaten him and they've been at it for five years." Roy points out as Slade smirks at him.

"Now you're getting it." He smirks.

"takes a lot to take me down." Slade adds confidently.

"Yeah? Let's put that to the test shall we." Roy grins.

Felicity shaking her head at both of them as she move to grab her phone. Dialling Walters number."Mr. Steele. Hey. It's Felicity. I had something to tell you." She starts, rolling her eyes at Roy and Slade, whom are currently throwing each other around The Foundry.

"I'm no longer your boss, Felicity. So let's make it Walter from now on." He replies.

"Ok. Walter." Felicity continues, yet is cut off by a sudden crashing sound.

"Is everything alright?" Walter asks at the rather loud crashing sound of Roy flying across the room, courtesy of Slade.

"Ohh yeah. Yeah sorry. Some pets got loose in the building. Think they're really going at it." Felicity winces, glancing toward where Roy and Slade are still sparring it out, completely ignoring the look Felicity is giving them both.

"What I wanted to talk to you about was Tempest. Mrs. Queen's super sketchy offshore LLC you asked me to look into last year." She reminds him.

"I remember." He responds.

"So, the thing is I left an embedded account alert on it so we'd know if anyone ever accessed it again. A few days ago, there was a wire transfer made from Tempest to a numbered account at Starling National Bank." Felicity informs him.

"Probably the campaign accountant shutting it down." Walter retorts.

"Or it could be something else." Felicity continues cautiously.

"That is the money Mrs. Queen used to do some really bad things. I mean you guys did get divorced for pretty good reasons… Which is not my business." She adds quickly.

"I'll talk to Moira first thing and thank you for bringing it to my attention." Walter adds.

"Of course." Felicity says as she hangs up the phone, biting her lip nervously.

"Is everything okay?" Slade glances toward her, taking a step to the side before Roy can attack him, causing him to end up crashing into a near by wall. Felicity nods.

"Yeah. Yeah everything's great."

 _Queen Consolidated_

Having moved back into the conference room to rejoin his mother, Thea and Mark Frances, Oliver sits back down at the desk.

"Well. We're starting a campaign." Moira beams.

"Oliver, can I have a word." Mark requests as Oliver nods.

"Yes." He says as he moves toward him.

"I know that you, your girlfriend and he are friends but you'll all need to end your support for Sebastian Blood." He warns him as Oliver nods again.

"I will speak to Sebastian." Oliver agrees to a smile from Mark as Oliver's phone begins to ring, he pulls it out instantly.

Detective Lance…

"Hello? Do you know where…" Oliver stops at the words Quentin tells him.

"I'll be right there."

 _Starling City General_

"Sara!? Sara ohh thank god." Oliver races toward her upon seeing her at the end of the corridor beside a room, Brandon and Rebecca in her arms.

"I was so worried. You weren't answering your phone, you didn't come home last night." Oliver says in hushed tones as Sara tightens her hold on her niece and nephew.

"I'm sorry. I didn't call you. I just had to get to the hospital with Laurel. Then I had to look after these two as we can't get a hold of her babysitter and Laurel doesn't want them in their with her right now… I'm sorry Ollie." Sara apologizes rapidly as Oliver just kisses her forehead, resting a hand in her hair.

"What happened. Is she okay?" Oliver asks worriedly.

"I don't know. I just got to her apartment and she was just lying there." Sara whispers, shushing Brandon and Rebecca when they start to whimper again.

"Oliver." Comes a familiar voice from the door.

Laurel and Sara's mother, Dinah Lance…

Despite her visit to Sara and Laurel the other year. Oliver hasn't seen her since before the five years.

"Mrs. Lance." Oliver smiles as she moves to embrace him.

"I came back as soon as I heard. I was on my way anyway. To see my. Well. My grandchildren I didn't know about." Dinah points out, smiling down at Rebecca and Brandon in Sara's arms, reaching for them.

"I'll take them off your hands. You've been here all night Sara. Your sisters alright. You deserve a break sweetheart." Dinah says softly as Sara hands her Brandon and Rebecca, whom look quite content being held by their grandmother as Sara moves into the hospital room where Laurel is lying on the bed, Quentin beside her looking at her worriedly.

"Thanks for coming Oliver." Quentin looks to him gratefully.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Oliver questions Laurel kindly.

"I've been better. Does mom…" She looks up at Sara.

"She's got them. Said I should take a break. I don't want to leave you though." Sara admits as Laurel slides her hand into her's.

"No, no you go. You've been here all night, you saved me Sara. Go. I love you." Laurel murmurs softly as Sara kisses her sisters forehead before moving toward the door.

Oliver even thinks he sees her wiping tears from her eyes as she does so.

"What happened?" Oliver asks carefully as Quentin shrugs.

"Don't know. Sara found her passed out and she brought her here. It's probably stress getting to you after everything that's happened recently." Quentin looks at his eldest daughter sadly.

"You're not wrong." Laurel sighs sadly.

"But it's all going to be okay. We're all here for you and now your mom's back in town she's going to stay with you and help you with Brandon and Rebecca…"

"Dad. I don't need help with my kids. I'm fine. I just passed out." Laurel points out.

"Laurel…" Comes the voice of the nurse that walks into the room.

"The doctor wants to check your eye." She informs her when everyone looks to her.

"What happened to her eye?" Oliver asks quickly.

"Minor subconjunctival hemorrhaging. Probably from hitting her head when she lost consciousness. After the exam. We can discharge her." The nurse informs them before leaving the room. Oliver moving toward Laurel soon after.

"You feel better okay?" He says softly.

"Thank you." Laurel looks at him gratefully as Oliver wraps his arms around her before leaving her alone with her dad.

"I'll be right outside." He promises her as she catches his hand.

"What is it sweetheart?" Quentin asks her softly.

"Just wondering if I can go see Tommy before you and mom take me home." Laurel requests as Quentin tilts his head to the side.

"Laurel that might not be the best thing right now…" He trails off.

"I think it will be the best thing for me." Laurel points out.

"Laurel. You're obviously very stressed out. Seeing him like that everyday. I'm sure it's played a big part here." He reminds her.

"I know. I know but I need to see him. I mean if he were here…" Laurel trails off as Quentin just looks at her sadly.

If Tommy were here things, he's certain would be better for his daughter.

But he honestly doubts due to how long he's been in this coma. Tommy will ever be with her again...

 _The Foundry_

The sounds of The Salmon Ladder is the first thing Oliver hears when entering The Foundry.

Seeing Sara going up and down it rapidly and viciously.

"She's been doing that since she got back." Felicity winces as Oliver joins her, Diggle, Sin, Slade and Roy whom is just watching Sara in awe.

"You guys have got to teach me how to do that." Roy requests as the others roll their eyes at him.

"How is Laurel? Is she okay?" Slade glances at Oliver, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah I think so." Oliver nods as Sara drops down from The Salmon Ladder, a sad look in her eyes.

"All thanks to you Sara. You saved her life." Oliver reminds her as Sara nods.

"I'm just so glad I was there. It was awful… She was just lying there and Brandon and Rebecca were crying and…" She trails off as she all but falls into Oliver's arms.

"I'm really sorry I didn't get in touch with anyone. I know you guys must have been worried." Sara starts, her voice slightly muffled.

"It's a'right. You were looking after you sister." Slade assures her as Oliver kisses the top of her head and holds her close as Sara pulls away from him to move toward where Felicity is now sat at the computer.

"Do me a favor and pull up a copy of Laurel's blood-work from the hospital, please." Sara requests as Sin wraps her arms around Sara, whom still wears a devastated expression upon her face.

"Sure what are we looking for?" Diggle asks.

"I just want to make sure of something." Sara says softly as her phone rings.

"Sara?" Oliver glances toward her as she answers it.

"Just my dad. He wants to have lunch. I'll be right back." She assures them as she races toward the stairs as Roy folds his arms.

"She okay? I mean I know her sister passed out and got put in hospital… Ok you two look concerned." Roy points out upon seeing the looks on Oliver and Slade's faces. Oliver sighs.

"I don't know." He admits.

"I really don't know…"

 _Past Lance Family Home_

 _"Hilton, tell the lieutenant that the perp was practically lawyering up when I read him his Miranda. If we don't get on top of this situation the lieutenant is not going to be happy…"_

 _"Oh, it smells amazing dad!" Laurel cuts her father off as she practically skips through the kitchen to where he's stood at the stove, cooking whilst on the phone to Hilton._

 _"Ahh yeah." Quentin smiles warmly at her as she sits on the kitchen counter._

 _"Here try one of these." He passes her some of the food he's made._

 _"Thanks." She smiles as she accepts it happily._

 _"Beautiful… No I'm talking to Laurel." He growls into his phone._

 _"Quentin hang up the phone, spend time with your family." Dinah requests from the dinner table, where she works._

 _"Oh my family. You heard that? I got to go, bye buddy." Quentin hangs up on Hilton before turning to face Dinah and Laurel._

 _"Sorry ladies. Our doer hired some dirtbag lawyer and…"_

 _"Says the dad whose daughter just applied to law school." Laurel cuts him off._

 _"That is not the kind of lawyer that you're going to be, young lady. Because you, you're going to be a judge or you're going to be a professor, just like your mother." Quentin tells her strictly._

 _"Yeah. Come over to academia. The fun never ends!" Dinah retorts sarcastically._

 _"Dinner is at a crucial point." Quentin reveals as the front door opens and the youngest Lance daughter, Sara walks through the door._

 _"Hey!" Laurel cheers upon seeing her baby sister walk through the door._

 _"Hi!" Sara beams as she skips across the living room._

 _"Sar-Bear." Laurel grins as she pulls her sister into a tight embrace, keeping her close for several moments before finally releasing her so she can go and greet their mom._

 _"Sara, what a surprise." Dinah smiles as she embraces her youngest daughter._

 _"Please don't tell me you got kicked out of college." Quentin practically begs._

 _"Oh well thank you for the vote of confidence. I had a three day weekend so I figured I'd drive down and surprise everybody." Sara retorts._

 _"Well you're just in time to eat, come here." Quentin kisses the top of her head._

 _"Get yourself another plate. Come on." He pushes her in the direction of the sink, where Sara stands, phone in hand, reading the message that had only just come in._

 _'You here yet?'_

 _Oliver Queen._

 _She replies quickly before facing her family with a beaming smile…_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should hopefully come soon. Thank you all for your kind reviews, follows and favorites. Please do tell me what you all thought and thanks again for reading :)_**


	109. Heir To The Demon (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Nine_**

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

"Hi dad." Sara starts as she moves toward Quentin who pulls her into a close embrace the minute he sees her.

"How's Laurel?" She asks when she sits and Quentin pours her some tea.

"She's good. She's with your mom. Still really shaken up. Went to see Tommy, I was worried that was going to stress her out more but think it actually calmed her a bit." Quentin reveals as Sara looks to him.

"You didn't call me hear just for tea did you?" She guesses.

"No. No I didn't." Quentin admits after a moment of silence before he rests his hands over Sara's, squeezing hers gently.

"Sara. Earlier, what you did for your sister was beyond amazing. I'm so proud of you sweetheart. But you got that look in your eyes. Like you were afraid of something that wasn't just your sister passing out. You're my daughter, I notice these things." Quentin reveals to her as Sara is silent.

"Sara." He squeezes her hands tightly this time.

"Is there something I should know about?" He asks carefully.

"I was just really worried for Laurel." Sara says quickly.

"Yeah, I get that baby, I get that but Sara. Your good at keeping secrets, exceptional and I can't help but feel like your holding something back." He admits as Sara sighs.

"I don't know, okay? I just got there and she was unconscious and well… You know me now. Everything's suspicious to me. It just. It just didn't feel right. I know she's stressed, beyond so. But I didn't think she was at passing out point." Sara reveals quietly as Quentin rests his hand on her arm.

"Sara. What do you think it was then?" He asks carefully as she gets to her feet.

"I don't know." She whispers, shaking her head slightly.

"Sara." He starts as she embraces him quickly.

"I need to get back to The Foundry." She sighs, turning to leave when he catches her hands in his once more.

"We're in this together remember?" Quentin reminds her quietly as Sara closes her eyes before heading to the door, not looking back once…

 _Later…_

Walking down an empty road, all alone, Sara looks at her feet as she walks slowly down the road, tears in her eyes.

Sometimes she thinks it was better when her dad didn't know she was the Black Canary.

Didn't know the truth and wasn't in harms way because he was right. She honestly is fearful of there being something more to this than just stress for Laurel.

That's why she asked for the blood work after all.

But she remembers the sadness she felt when her dad didn't know who she was. The time he shot her, wanted the vigilantes locked away or even dead.

It's better now that fear is no longer present, yes.

She just wishes she could save her family from all the dangers that come with her occupation. She doubts she ever will.

As long as she's the Black Canary, no one she loves will ever be safe from danger…

Suddenly, from a road above, two pieces of fabric fall down as a figure drops gracefully down from the ribbons to the ground...

No. It can't be, Sara thinks to herself, thoughts running though her mind a mile a minute.

Sara would know that move anywhere…

The figure gets to her feet and pulls the hood from her head. A dagger clutched in one hand.

She approaches Sara slowly, who stands like a statue.

Waiting for the killing blow to come…

It doesn't. Instead, the woman wraps her arms around Sara's waist and pulls her close, kissing her deeply…

Lost in the kiss for many minutes, Sara stands as a statue again as she finds herself kissing the woman back.

It has been so long…

Yet she soon pulls away. It's not right… Oliver…

"I've had better greetings." The woman reminds her, hands against her arms.

"I'm sorry, I did. I just. I didn't know what you were going to do Nyssa." Sara speaks her name softly as Nyssa beams at her.

"To be honest, neither did I." She says, holstering her weapon.

"Yeah. We should talk." Sara says quickly.

"Of course." Nyssa says, extending her hand toward Sara.

It takes her a few moments but it isn't long before Sara takes it…

 _Queen Mansion_

"Mrs. Queen?" One of their maids addresses Moira, who sits upon a couch.

"Mmhh?" Moira barely looks up from her book.

"A Miss Smoak is here to see you." She replies.

"Who?" Moira looks up from her book at the unfamiliar name.

"Uh, me." Felicity says nervously from the door.

"If you're looking for Oliver and his friends, they're not here." She responds.

"I know. I'm here to see you." Felicity replies.

"Really? What about?" Moira queries as she gets to her feet.

"Tempest." Felicity says calmly, only to receive silence in response.

"I flagged a large wire transfer you made. When I mentioned it to Walter, he said he would talk to you about it. I could tell in his face he wouldn't. British people are really bad liars." Felicity babbles as Moira looks up at her.

"Yes, they are." Moira murmurs in response.

"So I looked into it myself. Because… Full disclosure… I don't trust you. You tried to have someone I care a lot about killed." Felicity admits as Moira flashes a glare in her direction.

"How is it that you know about that Miss Smoak?" She questions sharply.

"I'm good friends with your son and his friends. They talk to me a lot." Felicity replies before continuing with the point she was trying to make before.

"You paid a substantial sum of money to a Dr. Gill. He was the doctor who delivered Thea, which didn't make any sense to me. So I went through like a dozen different theories until I remembered… Your testimony at trial. You had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn, one year before Thea was born." Felicity reminds her, stopping at the look on Moira's face.

It confirms her suspicions…

"Merlyn is Thea's father."

"I can see why Walter, my son and his friends have such a high appraisal of your capabilities." Moira says sharply as she gets to her feet, moving toward Felicity.

"So… What are you going to do with this information?" She questions, circling around Felicity, like a predator about to attack its prey.

"Felicity." She says her name with evident dislike as Felicity winces slightly anxiously.

"I don't know. Confronting you in your living room was as far as my plan went." Felicity babbles nervously as Moira turns her back on her.

"I thought you deserved the chance to tell Oliver yourself. He should hear it from you." Felicity admits as at her words, Moira spins around to face her again.

"I'm not going to tell my son anything and neither are you. If you won't keep my secret for Oliver's sake, you should keep it for your own because if you tell Oliver this. You will rip his world apart and a part of him will always blame you. Ohh he'll hate me for sure but he will hate you too and my point is that if one of them hates you. Then the other two will. My son has a strange relationship with Sara and Slade. Don't think I've ever seen them apart. I suppose spending five years on an island together has damaged them to the point they can't function without the other. Always agreeing with one another, you get my point." Moira smirks as Felicity gulps, yet tries to remain brave.

"I. I don't think I do." She starts bravely.

"I see the way you look at Mr. Wilson." Moira smirks wickedly, knowing that she's finally shut Felicity Smoak up.

"We all have to keep secrets Miss Smoak." She reminds her as Felicity walks nervously toward the door.

Yet before she can even make a few steps, Moira wraps her fingers around her wrist.

"And don't forget Miss Smoak. If I could find it so easy to place an assassination attempt on someone my son practically worships, be so willing to take Mr. Wilson out of the picture. Imagine how easy I would find it to do something about you."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"You look different." Nyssa comments as she walks beside Sara.

"I'm still me." Sara glances back at her with an almost smile.

"The Sara I know wouldn't have betrayed us, pretended to commit suicide and fled Nanda Parbat under the cover of darkness." Nyssa reminds her.

"I didn't have a choice. I couldn't take the killing Nyssa." Sara all but cries.

"Where did you find yourself afterwards?" Nyssa questions, almost sharply.

"Russia. A friend took me in and. I. I was going to stay there and then I found them Nyssa. I found Ollie and Slade. They were alive." Sara whispers as Nyssa just folds her arms.

"You know how much they mean to me. You know how I felt believing I was the only survivor…" Sara stops as Nyssa nods.

"Ohh I heard they were alive. The fact a rather large number of my father's assassins never returned home after he sent them to collect you suggested you had help." Nyssa mutters as Sara pulls a picture out of her pocket, the one the assassin had.

The one of she, Oliver and Slade.

"Someone also supplied one of them with this." Sara says in a quiet voice as Nyssa glances at the picture yet says nothing.

"You know that I love Ollie, Nyssa. How it destroyed to me to think he and Slade were dead." Sara repeats with folded arms.

"I am aware of that Sara but that doesn't make any difference to me at all." Nyssa reminds her as Sara sighs sadly.

"Look. I'm guessing another reason you're here could be about all those assassins who died trying to bring me back." Sara starts as Nyssa almost glares at her.

"You were always gifted Sara but even I can't believe you took them on alone or even with help from two other individuals." Nyssa says the latter with evident distaste.

"You've never met Ollie and Slade." Sara murmurs.

"You told me about them. That Oliver is the man your in love with and Slade was the one who taught you how to fight. I'm guessing a lot of those deaths was due to him. You said he was a good teacher." Nyssa folds her arms as Sara remains quiet.

"If it wasn't for the fact he killed a large number of us. My father would be interested in recruiting him." She muses as a glare crosses Sara's face at her words.

"Nyssa, leave them alone." Sara says in warning tone as Nyssa sighs.

"I have no interest in them Sara. I just want you. I want you come home." Nyssa says, an almost sad tone to her voice.

"I can't! I have a life here. For the first time in five years I'm home and I'm with the people I love and who love me. I can't go back Nyssa. I don't have much of a soul left in me but what there is. It can't take the killing anymore and I can't leave my family, Nyssa and I'll never leave Ollie and Slade." Sara replies firmly, yet unable to keep the emotion from her voice.

"You swore an oath." Nyssa retorts sharply as Sara closes her eyes.

"My father sent me here to make sure you honor it. One way or another." Nyssa reminds her in a stern tone to her voice.

"We both know the real reason why you came here." Sara sighs as Nyssa looks away, her hands resting on Sara's arms before taking her hands in hers.

"When I found you. You were starving and alone, simply waiting to die. You'd lost two people you loved and you wanted to die but…" She stops as she tucks a stand of Sara's hair behind her ear.

"The League took you in… Nursed you back to health. The only reason you're alive today is because of me." Nyssa points out.

"Hey, I wasn't with you because you saved me. I was with you because I loved you and the man I loved had died and I didn't think I was ever going to see him again and I had to move on before my grief killed me." Sara explains, tears filling her eyes.

"But not anymore… You have Oliver back." Nyssa reminds her as Sara nods.

"Yes. Yes I do have Ollie back and yes he and I are in love but I'll never forget what you did for me Nyssa. Look, Ra's listens to you and you can ask him to release me." Sara begs.

"My father has never released anyone from the League." She scoffs.

"He released Malcolm Merlyn." Sara points out.

"An action he and the citizens of this city dearly regret." Nyssa reminds her as Sara reaches forward to stroke Nyssa's hair before pulling her into an embrace.

"Do what you have to." Sara whispers as she feels Nyssa's hands move toward her dagger.

Sara waiting for her to use it. To use it and kill her but she doesn't, she just pulls away.

"I can't. I can't Sara. I'm going to give you one more chance." Nyssa starts as Sara nods.

"I. I need to talk to Ollie and Slade." Sara whispers.

"Of course." Nyssa says with a nod of her head.

"Goodbyes are never easy. Is that why I never got one?" She points out as Sara turns away from her, closing her eyes before shaking her head and turning back to face Nyssa.

This could be a bad decision. A terrible one.

But right now she's willing to risk it for the safety of her family…

"No. No Nyssa. I. I." Sara stops before extending her hand toward Nyssa.

"I want you to come with me."

 _The Foundry_

The only sound that can be heard throughout The Foundry is the sound of Oliver, Roy and Slade rhythmically smashing a rather large object in the centre of the foundry with hammers.

"Ok. This. This is a lot more fun than slapping water." Roy hisses in between hits.

"Helps build control as well. It's not meant to be fun Roy." Oliver points out.

"If it keeps him in control and satisfied think we've done our job, kid." Slade glances at Oliver, who smashes the hammer down more firmly.

"It's been two hours since she left." He mutters.

"Didn't she say she was going out with her dad?" Sin points out from the desk.

"Two hours though." Oliver grumbles worriedly.

"Her family is a bit shaken up right now. She probably just wants to spend time with them." Sin suggests as Oliver shakes his head.

"She's normally in touch with me at least once!" Oliver mutters, swinging the hammer around and almost hitting Slade with it.

"Hey, kid. Calm down." Slade starts as Oliver shakes his head.

"I'm sorry." Oliver starts quietly as Slade rests a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure she's fine. She's Sara. She gets into any trouble. She'll call us." He assures him as Oliver nods before looking toward Felicity.

"I. I just want to make sure… Felicity." Oliver calls over to her, where she is staring off into space, an almost fearful look in her eyes.

"Felicity!" Oliver snaps as she jumps.

"What?!" She asks quickly, snapping out of whatever was on her mind.

"Sorry. What?" She asks a little more sharply.

"Are you a'right?" Slade places his hammer down upon seeing the look on her face.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just things in here." She says quickly.

Slade doesn't look at all convinced, watching the way her hands are shaking…

"Ollie. Slade." Comes the voice of Sara from the stairs.

"Sara. Ohh thank…" Oliver stops upon seeing the unfamiliar looking woman beside her.

"Sara what is this?" Slade folds his arms as the woman moves past Sara, who follows her quickly, both Oliver and Slade taking note of her appearance.

The weapons and the style of clothes…

"I am Nyssa. Daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. Heir to the demon." She introduces herself as Oliver and Slade glare at Sara once before moving closer, Slade picking up his sword from where it lies on the nearby table.

"Slade don't." Sara starts as he holds it toward Nyssa, standing so he's in front of Felicity.

"Roy!" Sara snaps at him, seeing that he's holding the hammer in his hands and in the direction of Nyssa whilst even Sin is on her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver growls.

"Sara swore her allegiance to the League Of Assassins. It's time for her to return home." Nyssa replies bluntly as Slade and Oliver advances on her.

"That… Is not going to happen." Slade hisses.

"I am also here because Sara requested I come with her for some reason." Nyssa glances to Sara, who moves in front of Nyssa and in front of Oliver, Slade and Roy.

"I brought you here because I wanted you to meet them." Sara says in a quiet voice.

"Sara…" Oliver starts.

"Ollie. Not now." Sara holds up a hand as Nyssa folds her arms.

"Nyssa. This is my family. My boyfriend, Ollie. My best friend Slade and my friends Sin, Roy and Felicity. Guys this is Nyssa. Yes she's the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and yes it appears the League Of Assassins are here for me but from what I see it's just her and she. She saved my life. When I was taken away from Ollie and Slade it was Nyssa who found me, who brought me into the League Of Assassins. Ollie, Slade you know the rest and Ollie. You know who she was to me because I told you." Sara explains carefully as Oliver nods.

"You're that Nyssa." He murmurs as Nyssa frowns.

"You told him about us?" Nyssa asks in a quiet tone.

"I didn't see the point of hiding it. I thought he was dead. I tried to move on. We told to truth to one another. I told him about you and he told me that he hadn't found anyone since and he accepted it." Sara informs her as Oliver nods.

"Yet why have you brought her here? You remember the last time the League was in town right?" Slade growls as Sara nods.

"I brought her here as I said to meet you guys to try and convince her to let me go from the League Of Assassins." Sara responds as Slade and Roy snort in disbelief.

"Yeah she looks like she's going to let you go." Sin murmurs sarcastically as Nyssa glares at her and is about to address Sara again when Oliver walks toward her and holds out his hand.

"Thank you." He starts as Nyssa and everyone looks at him in shock.

"You saved the woman I love. You kept her safe and loved when I couldn't be there for her. You kept her alive." Oliver says genuinely as Nyssa just looks at him in shock.

"I've heard a lot about you Oliver Queen." She says in response before placing her hand in his as Oliver looks at her.

"Just let Sara go. She belongs here with her family, us and then there's her dad, her sister and her niece and nephew." Oliver starts as Nyssa pulls away looking at Sara in shock.

"Your sister… Has children?" She asks in a cations tone.

"Yeah why?" Sara glances at her worriedly at her reaction.

"Sara I had no idea…" Nyssa starts as Sara looks at her.

"Nyssa… What are you saying?" Sara asks quietly, caution in her voice.

"Sara. Your suspicions about Laurel may have actually been right." Comes the voice of Diggle as he walks down the steps, a file in hand, stopping as he sees Nyssa.

"Ok, who the heck is this now?" Diggle frowns as Sara shakes her head.

"It doesn't matter. What about Laurel?" She asks quickly as Nyssa closes her eyes.

"Just got a copy of Laurel's blood work. She tested negative for any drugs but they did find traces of snake venom in her blood from a Tibetan pit viper." He reveals as Sara turns on Nyssa instantly at his words.

"You poisoned my sister!" Sara cries as Oliver, Roy and Slade and even Sin begin to advance on Nyssa who pulls her sword out in case they do actually attack her.

"Sara get out of the way!" Oliver yells as Sara doesn't move.

"No! Was that what you were just trying to tell me?" Sara asks sharply as Nyssa looks away.

"NYSSA!" Sara yells as Nyssa looks down once more before at Sara.

"I had no idea she was a mother. I wouldn't have done that if I'd have known she had children depending on her. My father never told me he just told me to poison your sister as a warning…" Nyssa trails off.

"A warning which worked." Oliver hisses as Sara folds her arms.

"SARA MOVE!" Slade bellows at her as Sara shakes her head.

She can see the honest guilt in Nyssa's eyes.

"She's telling the truth guys." Sara starts.

"You cannot honesty tell us you trust this woman!?" Slade hisses.

"Right now I'm not so sure but she was just trying to tell us." Sara points out.

"She poisoned your sister!" Roy exclaims with a shake of his head, about to move forward, the Mirakuru rage starting to flare up until Slade pulls him back by his hood.

"I told you Sara. You swore an oath which my father sent me here to ensure you upheld. Your family will be safe if you come with me." Nyssa starts.

"You want to take her. You've got to go through all of us and the last time the League Of Assassins came to town it didn't end all to well for them." Diggle warns Nyssa.

"Yeah okay. We don't need to discuss that right now." Sara starts, cautious of what would happen if they got onto that topic.

She doesn't want Nyssa trying to kill Slade for all the assassins he took out.

"Nyssa. I have a family here, you've met them. Even you have to see how much I love them and that I can't just leave them. I understand the oath I swore but I swore it thinking I was alone in the world but now I have my family and you can be a part of it…"

"No way." Slade cuts her off sharply.

"Slade." Sara barks at him before turning back to Nyssa.

"Tell your father you killed me." Sara starts.

"He'd never believe that." Nyssa retorts as Sara sighs.

"Nyssa please." Sara begs, taking both her hands in hers, Oliver watching her cautiously.

He's completely unsure of what to think right now…

"There's got to be another way." Sara begs as Nyssa looks to her, then to 'Sara's family' behind her.

To Oliver Queen… He's just how Sara described him.

Sara loves them and she loves Sara…

"There… Could be another way." Nyssa starts as Sara looks up at her, hope gleaming in her eyes at Nyssa's words.

"I could speak with my father about a compromise. I could remain around here to keep an eye on you and you could still." Nyssa starts before signing.

"Remain here." Nyssa murmurs as Sara just throws her arms around the woman, surprising everyone in the room.

"You're expecting us just to accept this? Accept her?" Roy cuts in.

"Roy." Oliver mutters to silence him.

"He has a point." Slade retorts as Oliver just sighs.

"I am being beyond generous here." Nyssa retorts sharply.

"I'd be happy to accept that proposition." Sara adds with a glance to the others with a sigh of her own as she stands in front of Nyssa.

"It's best deal we're going to get." Sara points out as everyone looks to Oliver and Slade to make the decision, the leaders of the team.

"Kid." Slade starts as Oliver looks to Nyssa.

"Talk to your father." He says only a moment later as Sara looks at him gratefully before back at Nyssa whom nods.

"I will. If you like, one of you can come with to ensure what I propose is for-filled?" Nyssa suggests as Slade looks to Oliver.

"Not a bad idea." He murmurs as Oliver nods.

"Thank you." Sara rests her hand on Nyssa's arms.

"Of course beloved." Nyssa replies before moving toward the steps, glancing back at Sara and her 'family.'

"You know, you're very fortunate it was just I my father sent!"

 _Past Lance Family Home_

 _As Laurel enters the living room where Sara is sat curled up on the couch, texting rapidly, Laurel reaches for the remote to switch of the TV before turning to smile at her little sister._

 _"Who are you texting?" Laurel enquires._

 _"No one." Sara smirks as Laurel rests a hand on her shoulder._

 _"Did you meet a boy at school?" She queries with a smile._

 _"Cut it out! Boys at school are lame." Sara pulls away as Laurel pats Sara's hair into place._

 _"Hey, how's everything going with you and Oliver?" She asks sweetly._

 _"Great! We decided to start looking at apartments together." Laurel beams as Sara gives her a skeptical glance before looking away._

 _"I know it's a big step, but… We're ready. I think we'll live together for a year, engaged for another and then…" Laurel looks off into space, a dazed look of happiness on her face._

 _"Mrs. Laurel Queen." Sara smirks._

 _"Maybe one day." Laurel smiles back happily._

 _"This is kind of assuming that he's ever ready to settle down." Sara says after a moment._

 _"What's that supposed to mean?" Laurel questions with a frown._

 _"Well, we both know at least ten girls that he's slept with." Sara points out._

 _"Can't you just be happy for me?" Laurel retorts with a shake of her head in disbelief._

 _"I mean if you met some amazing guy who wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. I would be so supportive and so happy for you…" Laurel snaps at her angrily._

 _"Ok, Laurel. I wasn't trying to be a bitch." Sara sighs as Laurel snorts in disbelief._

 _"The title of your autobiography." Laurel murmurs as Sara gets to her feet._

 _"I'm going to get some sleep." She mutters before walking away, phone in hand._

 _'See you at the docks'. Is the message she was wondering if she should or should not send to Oliver._

 _Yet after the conversation she just had with her sister she takes no haste in pressing send…_

 _Starling City General_

Smoothing her daughter's hair back, Dinah places a kiss on the top of a deeply sleeping Laurel's head.

Thankfully her grandchildren were taken by Laurel's really kind babysitter, Leena, who promised to look after them for the night.

Kissing Laurel's forehead again, Dinah moves toward the empty water jug, picking it up and moving out into the corridor to refill it.

Completely unaware of the person disguised as a doctor following behind her until the moment he places a cloth over her mouth and drags her away…

 _Somewhere In Starling City…_

"How is she going to get a message to her father?" The Arrow queries as he walks alongside the Black Canary, who watches Nyssa from a distance away.

"She knows a way." The Black Canary sighs as The Man In The Mask scoffs.

"I don't trust her." He admits bluntly.

"Understandable." The Black Canary responds.

"Neither do I honestly but she saved you. That to me counts for something, even if she did recruit you to the League Of Assassins…" The Arrow stops as the comms come to life.

"Guys are you still with that woman?" Felicity's voice whispers through the comms quickly.

"Yes. Why?" The Man In The Mask questions sharply.

"Sara… It's your mom. Your dad called. Apparently she's missing and I hacked the hospital security footage and one of the cameras showed a bunch of people putting her in a van." Felicity explains hurriedly as the Arrow and The Man In The Mask race toward Nyssa, all weapons aimed at her in an instant.

"Are you still tracking it?" The Arrow questions as the Black Canary covers her mouth with her hands…

First Laurel, now her mom… No…

She'd wanted to believe Nyssa so badly.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Nyssa hisses as she turns to face the Arrow and The Man In The Mask, who both have their weapons held out in her direction.

"We were going to trust you!" The Arrows hisses yet is cut of by the Black Canary who races toward Nyssa.

"I wanted to believe you Nyssa!" She cries desperately as Nyssa frowns at them.

"What are you three talking about?" She retorts, folding her arms.

"Her mother! According to our friend she was taken by a bunch of men from the hospital where Laurel is. Coincidence much?" The Man In The Mask growls as Nyssa shakes her head.

"What? What. I never… It's just me here. My father…" She trails off as the Black Canary lowers her batons upon seeing the look on Nyssa's face.

She honestly doesn't know what they're talking about…

"My. My father… He must have sent them. I am so sorry Sara. I had no idea…" Nyssa starts as the Black Canary looks to the Arrow and The Man In The Mask.

"She's telling the truth." The Black Canary whispers.

"Are you sure about that?" The Man In The Mask hisses as she looks to Nyssa.

"I swear it. My father only sent me. He must have gone behind my back." Nyssa growls.

"Thought you might let Sara go because of your connection to her?" The Arrow guesses.

"You believe me?" Nyssa glances to him.

"Whether I do I don't. Sara's mother is out there right now. Felicity as you still tracking…"

"Yeah! Do you want me to give you the street name!" Felicity calls back.

"That was be useful." The Man In The Mask growl as he starts to walk away from the three.

"If you want to win my trust, Nyssa. Our trusts. You'll join us." The Arrow glances to her.

"I can't. My father…" Nyssa starts with folded arms.

"They took my mom Nyssa! Please. If you ever loved me. You'll help us save her." The Black Canary begs as Nyssa looks between the two…

Could she truly go against her father for the woman she honestly still loves?

 _Sometime Later…_

As the van containing Dinah Lance zips down a road, as does two motorcycles. One holding the Arrow and the Black Canary, the other. The Man In The Mask, zooming down the streets after the van, which begins to swerve when the Black Canary unleashes the screeching device she had made with Sin, the noise instantly affecting the assassin drivers and smashing all the windows on the van.

Some of the assassins move toward the back of the van to fire arrows at the two motorcycles, which they avoid by rearing up and still continue to approach as the Black Canary moves her arms from around the Arrow's waist to begin to climb up the motorcycle so she's standing upon it as they approach the van getting closer and closer by the second as The Man In The Mask drives his along side the van, hoping to cut them off from the front.

Meanwhile, the Black Canary, in hopefully the exact position to complete such a move, jumps from the motorcycle, onto the roof of the van.

She wouldn't have made it and would have fell most likely if it wasn't for Nyssa grabbing her arms and keeping her from falling as she to had just dropped down onto the top of the van from the vantage point she'd held.

The assassins fire their arrows upwards at hearing the sound on the roof.

Both the Black Canary and Nyssa rolling out of the way to avoid the arrows.

"Stand down!" Nyssa yells as she moves to avoid the arrows.

"I am Nyssa Al Ghul. Heir to the demon, how dare you do this!" She hisses as they fire more arrows despite her protests, one causing the Black Canary to roll off the side of the van.

However, she grabs the broken windows to stop herself from falling to the road.

Seeing her mother unconscious inside…

The sight causes her to falter momentarily and the distraction allows one of the assassins within to punch her swiftly in the face causing her to lose her grip and fall to the road…

It doesn't take her long to get to her feet and start to limp after the van.

"NO!" She screams desperately, tears streaming down her face as the van zooms away.

However, Nyssa still remains on top of it, glancing toward The Man In The Mask, who is still zooming after it on his motorcycle.

"I command you to stop!" Nyssa hisses only for the van to make an abrupt swerve to the left just as The Man In The Mask gets close to overtaking it and that serve causes Nyssa's grip to finally falter and she falls, just like the Black Canary from the top of the van.

Yet also the abrupt swerve causes the van to crash into The Man In The Mask sharply sending him a far distance away across the road where he lies motionless as the Arrow finally parks his motorcycle, he and the Black Canary, who snaps about of her sobs at the sight of the accident, racing toward him in an instant even Nyssa races toward him, the Arrow and the Black Canary crying out his name…

 _The Foundry_

"God he's heavy." Oliver hisses as he, Sara and Nyssa help practically carry Slade down the steps of The Foundry and toward the nearest table.

"Hey guys. Did you… SLADE?!" Felicity cries instantly upon seeing Slade's unconscious and bleeding form, racing toward him.

"What the hell happened?!" Roy calls as he races toward them to.

"Well we tried to get Sara's mom back and they crashed into him. He's out cold." Oliver hisses as Sara shakes her head.

"Don't you guys want to get him to a hospital? He might have internal bleeding!" Felicity exclaims as Oliver shakes his head.

"I already checked, he's broke a few ribs but I don't think he has any internal bleeding. He's had a lot worse than this before now. Just hopes he comes round soon." He whispers, his hand in Slade's, glancing down at his brother in all but blood with so much concern for him in his eyes, watching as Felicity moves to take Slade's other hand, Oliver's other hand in Sara's as she sobs for everything that has happened.

Her mom's addiction, Slade's accident.

"This is all my fault." She whimpers, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Slade, my mom…"

"No. No it's not. It's not your fault." Oliver whispers back, wrapping an arm around her.

"Its her's!" Diggle snarls as he and Roy advance on Nyssa.

"No. No it's not her fault either! Her father went behind her back. She didn't know this was going to happen to Sara's mom. She joined us out there and tried to convince them to free her." Oliver exclaims in Nyssa's defense.

"Yeah right, she's with them. She's that assholes kid." Sin folds her arms.

"She was out there with us, she tried to save my mom." Sara says again as the rest of the team look at Nyssa with evident distrust in their eyes just as Quentin bursts through the door, racing toward the team.

"Sara…" He starts as she pulls away from Oliver to race over to him.

"Dad, it's my fault. I'm so sorry." She sobs as he embraces her tightly.

"The assassins group that you were apart of. They took your mother!" He cries as she nods.

"I know. I know I'm sorry. We tried to save her but we couldn't stop them and…" She indicates toward Oliver, Nyssa and Slade.

"My god." Quentin mutters upon seeing Slade's injured form before looking to Nyssa.

"She. She's dressed like one of them." He hisses.

"That's because she is. Her name is Nyssa. She is a powerful figure in the league. Yes she poisoned Laurel, she didn't mean to and she didn't taken mom. Her father he's trying to get me to come back to the League and he sent Nyssa but we came to a somewhat agreement but it turns out he went behind her back anyway." Sara explains quickly.

"And why would she want to help you now?" Quentin snaps, glaring at Nyssa.

"Because. Because." Sara stops as Nyssa walks forward.

"Because Mr. Lance I was your daughters lover." She reveals plainly as Quentin freezes.

"Oh." He starts glancing between the two women as Nyssa's phone begins to ring.

"Hello?" She starts before a dark look crosses her face.

"How dare you do this. You will listen to me and free that woman right now. I am heir to the demon and you will listen to me and follow my order!" She growls into the phone as Sara snatches it abruptly from her hand.

"Don't do this!" Sara hisses.

"You were given a warning and yet you wouldn't listen to that warning." An assassin responds sharply as Sara look to Nyssa, Oliver and her father.

"You do not want to hurt my mother." She growls.

"You have on day Ta-Er Al Safer. Make the right choice." The assassin warns her as Sara hangs up the phone, passing it back to Nyssa.

"We have twenty four hours." Sara whispers.

"Ohh my god." Quentin shakes his head in horror as he looks to Nyssa.

"Can't you do something?!" He snaps at her.

"I have already tried when I joined you daughter and her friends in an attempt to rescue her. It appears my father has made up his mind." She mutters.

"We'll find her Mr. Lance." Oliver assures him as Quentin nods, looking at the group in front of him.

"Ok. Ok. I've got to go. Laurel's losing her mind. I gotta go." He says quickly, glancing to Sara.

"Keep me updated." He mutters as he races up the stairs, leaving the team behind in an honest state of despair…

 _Past Lance Family Home_

 _"Oh come on! You ought to buy a ticket if you're going to play like that!" Quentin exclaims at the sport on the TV as he moves to the sink when Laurel enters, a sad expression upon her face._

 _"Hey, kiddo. How's the apartment hunt going?" He queries kindly._

 _"Terribly. I really wanted to find the perfect place to show Ollie when he gets back from his boat trip. Everything good was already taken by the time I walked in the door." She murmurs sadly as she moves to help her dad with the dishes._

 _"Maybe it's a sign that you're not supposed to move in with the frat boy that you call a boyfriend." Quentin retorts._

 _"You and mom were my age when you moved into that place on Spring Street." Laurel reminds him with a grin._

 _"You weren't even engaged yet." She points out._

 _"Well, that's cause your mother kept turning down all my proposals." Quentin says with a roll of his eyes as Laurel picks up a plate._

 _"She did?"_

 _"Oh, you know your mother, free spirit and all. Why do we need rings when we have love? You know I spent a year with that damn ring burning a hole in my pocket?" Quentin beams, not noticing the look on his daughters face a she watches the news report that has just shown up on the TV._

 _"A mayday transmission was heard, but so far there has been trace of the 'Queen's Gambit'. Among those missing are local residents Robert and Oliver Queen…"_

 _The plate falls from Laurel's hands…_

 _The Foundry_

"SARA! OLIVER!" Slade yells as he suddenly comes to. In attack mode instantly despite all his various injuries.

"Hey, hey. We're here. You're safe." Oliver says soothingly, squeezing his hand gently.

"You're with us, Oliver and Sara are here, they're okay. They're safe to." Felicity adds, squeezing his other hand whilst resting her other on his shoulder.

"Don't try to to move you were in a bit of wreck." Sara adds carefully, the three of them managing to coax Slade out of attack mode before he can make his injuries worse.

"Your mother… Did you get her?" Slade glances up at Sara who shakes her head sadly.

"Do we have any leads on her?" He adds, groaning as he tries to move.

"Slade don't move. Oliver said you have broken ribs." Felicity warns him.

"Had worse." He hisses as Oliver, Sara and Felicity roll their eyes at his stubbornness.

"She still here?" He glances toward Nyssa.

"Hey she helped us out there." Oliver reminds him carefully.

"She did, would have thought though that she was going to go crawling back to them." Slade mutters as Nyssa shakes her head.

"None of this was my intention, just so you all know that." She says carefully as Sara look up at her with a sad look in her eyes.

"We researched the poison in which she used on Laurel." Diggle mutters with a glare at Nyssa as Sin spins around from the computer.

"Lucky for us Tibetan Pit viper venom is surprisingly difficult to transport. It apparently starts losing its potency the moment it leaves the fangs. Never thought I'd actually have to say something like that aloud." Sin mutters as Roy glances at the computer.

"So it was brought locally?" He queries.

"Stolen from a zoo." Nyssa murmurs quietly from the corner of the room.

"Wait. It was a local break in. The perps didn't steal anything so the cops chalked it up as a bunch of kids looking for a thrill." Diggle places his hands on his hips.

"Yes I was there. I used a rented car." Nyssa responds honestly.

"Felicity." Oliver glances toward where she is gently dealing with some of Slade's wounds.

"Go." Slade murmurs as Felicity looks anxiously at him, resting her hand against his face for a brief second before moving to the computers, typing quickly.

"Pulling up the CCTV footage from the zoo. Got a plate. Nyssa's telling the truth there's a rental car there. Address is in The Glades." Felicity looks to them as Oliver looks to Sara.

"Call your father." He starts as Oliver's own phone begins to ring. He sighs deeply.

"Sebastian I am so sorry. I have a bad habit of standing you up." Oliver starts carefully.

"Look I know you have to pull your support for my campaign. Blood is thicker than politics and it should be." Sebastian responds kindly.

"Well, thank you for understanding and I really hope that this doesn't affect your friendship with me and Sara. It's important to us." Oliver informs him.

"And to me." Sebastian replies before hanging up.

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Can I help you Alderman?" Moira Queen questions as she enters her son and Slade's office to see Sebastian Blood stood by a window, phone in hand.

"Oh I had a meeting with you son and his friend. I'm sure you can guess the topic." He replies with a wide smile at his opponent.

"I hope my decision to run against you for mayor doesn't affect your relationship." Moira responds as Sebastian glances at her.

"Out of respect for that relationship I share with your son and his girlfriend. Can I offer you some advice?" He queries.

"Please." Moira replies.

"Get out. Now." Sebastian advises plainly.

"The fact that you are advising me to get out before I even announce my candidacy suggests that you're threatened." Moira retorts.

"I'm apprehensive about destroying my friend's mother." Sebastian reveals.

"I can take care of myself." Moira points out.

"Really? During your trial you portrayed yourself as a fragile creature living under Malcolm Merlyn's thumb. So which is it? The woman strong enough to lead this city, or the one too weak willed to save it?" Sebastian questions with folded arms.

"The one who should not be underestimated." Moira retorts sharply as Sebastian simply smirks before leaving the office…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"So what exactly is the plan here?" Quentin sighs as he exits his car and approaches the Black Canary and Nyssa.

"We wait. Oliver will lead them right to us." She responds as Quentin sighs.

"Slade not with him?" He queries.

"We locked him in The Foundry." She replies matter of fact.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not joking here?" Quentin raises an eyebrow at her.

"Because he was in a bad wreck and we do take care of each other dad. Always have always will." The Black Canary replies as Nyssa glances at her.

"You know you haven't yet said how you two met. You didn't bring her up the first time." Quentin glances toward Nyssa.

"She was barely alive when I found her, brought her into the League. She had no one left. She believed the man she loved and her closest friend had both died." Nyssa responds plainly as Quentin glares at her.

"So you were the one to put her though that League Of Assassins hell!" He hisses.

"Dad. At first I wanted it. Nyssa is right. I thought Ollie and Slade were dead. I had no where to go. No way of getting home so I joined them and during that time. Nyssa and I fell in love." She admits quietly, glancing at the look on his face.

"Are you upset?" She queries.

"Honestly, Sara. To think what you've been through those past five years and the fact you actually believed you'd lost Oliver at one point during that time. The pain, the loneliness. I'm just happy to hear you had someone else that cared about you." Quentin admits.

"Sounds like approval to me." Nyssa says with a slight smile, which soon fades.

"Sara." Nyssa calls her name to get her attention, Black Canary pulling out her baton as the Arrow jumps down to the ground from above along with an assassins which, the three engage quickly in combat, the Black Canary using her baton in an attempt to put him down, yet when he knocks her aside its Quentin who takes him down with a punch to the face.

"What's the matter? They didn't teach you about right crosses in assassin school?" Quentin snaps at him as Nyssa shoots a glare in his direction as Sara and Nyssa pull the assassin up from the ground.

"Where are the assassins!" The Black Canary hisses as Quentin raises his gun.

"Tell me where my wife is!" Quentin hisses as the man begins to speak Arabic.

"What the hell is he saying?" Quentin snaps.

"He's praying, don't you dare!" Nyssa hisses at him as he suddenly downs a vile of liquid.

"No don't!" The Black Canary cries as he drops out of her and Nyssa's grip, dead.

"Son of a bitch!" Quentin growls at him as the Arrow bends down for the vial.

"It's over detective. He's gone." He mutters as the four stand around in even more despair then before...

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favoriting and following and for all your kind feedback. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter. See you all next update!_**


	110. Heir To The Demon (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Ten**_

 _Starling City: Next Day_

"How are you holding up?" Diggle questions when he reaches Sara, who stands beside Oliver with a glum expression up her face.

"Not good Dig. I need you to pick up the trail of the assassins. Nyssa is back at the foundry she'll help you. My moms running out of time." She whispers desperately as Diggle rests a hand on her arm.

"I'm on it. It's all going to be fine Sara but do I have to work with…"

"John." Sara growls, an angry look in her eyes.

"Still don't trust that woman Sara." Diggle says as he moves away from them.

"Trust her more than I did." Slade admits from beside Felicity.

"That actually means a lot coming from you." Sara says with a slight smile.

"Not sure yet." Sin admits as Sara nods.

"I don't expect any of you to trust her to be honest so the fact you guys are so willing to go along with her working with us means a whole lot guys." Sara says softly.

"It's because we trust you." Slade retorts as Oliver kisses the the side of Sara's head, squeezing her hand tightly.

"And love you." Oliver murmurs as Sara leans into him.

"I love you to." She whispers as Lisa approaches them with a smile, which disappears the minute she sees Slade.

"What happened to you?" She looks at the various cuts and bruises on his face.

"Those damn assassins returned." He murmurs as Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Sin look at the two in shock as Lisa smiles at them all.

"Ohh I know about who you all are. Me and Lenny found out awhile ago now. It's ok. Your secrets are safe with us and it's not like Slade wanted to tell us. I mean he saves Lenny and I during The Undertaking, doesn't say a word. It's only when we were all attacked the other month at your apartment did my brother put the pieces together." Lisa admits as Sara, Felicity, Sin and Oliver just look stunned before Oliver smiles at her.

"Thank you for keeping our secret and also thanks for coming to this." Oliver beams at her.

"Saving me from the inevitable boredom aren't you?" Slade smirks at her.

"Of course." Lisa smirks back, as her phone buzzes.

"Be right back, it's Lenny." She smiles, kissing Slade's cheek before moving to take the call just as Moira and Thea approach the group.

"Oliver, Sara, Slade, Sin… Felicity. Hi." Moira beams at them, glaring at Felicity for a second yet not so anyone notices and embraces her son.

"Ohh well I haven't been this nervous since my wedding day. Both of them." She admits as Thea grips Slade's arm.

"What happened to your face?" She exclaims.

"Ohh nothing to worry about. Slight motorcycle accident." Slade replies calmly as Moira shakes her head.

"And Oliver, this is why I fear you constantly out on yours." She nudges him as Roy reaches Thea's side.

"Sorry I'm late." He apologies as Thea shakes her head at him.

"Are you ever on time for anything?" She grumbles.

"He'll never be as bad as Oliver." Moira smiles as Mark France's approaches them.

"Moira, it's time. Oliver are you ready to introduce your mother?" He queries.

"With pride." He smiles as he hugs her again, Moira glaring at Felicity once more before leaving with Thea, Roy following them.

This time Slade notices the looks exchanged as does Oliver, Sin and Sara.

"Felicity." Oliver murmurs as the four follow her.

"Felicity. What is wrong with you and don't say it's nothing because I can see it's not…"

"It's nothing!" She says quickly.

"Do not say it's nothing. The truth please." He says sternly as Felicity glances once at Oliver before at Slade again.

"Might have noticed that I talk a lot." Is all Felicity says.

"It has not escaped our attention." Slade retorts.

"You guys might also have noticed that I don't talk a lot about my family." She winces.

"We have noticed that." Slade murmurs.

"My mother is… She's… She's my mother and I don't really know what my father is, cause he abandoned us. I barely remember him. But I do remember how much it hurt when he left and just the thought of losing someone that important to me again…" She whispers, tears appearing in her eyes.

"Felicity, You're not going to lose any of us." Slade rests his hands on her shoulders.

"Whatever's bothering you… Is it about your family?" Sara asks softly as Felicity shakes her head as she looks to Oliver.

"It's about yours Oliver." She whispers as Oliver frowns at her.

"What about my family?" He queries as Felicity closes her eyes.

"I. I. Remember when I wanted to talk to Walter… Well. I uh. I wanted to talk to him because a transaction had been made from the account Moira used during the whole Undertaking scheme. A whole load of money had been paid to this guy and I asked Walter to talk to your mom about it. I knew he wouldn't so I. I went to talk to her about it myself. That I'd found this transaction she'd made to this doctor guy and then she admitted the truth to me when I guessed it and… and she said that if I told you Oliver then you'd always hate me for it and if you hated me then…" She stops, looking to Sara and Slade.

"Then you two would hate me to and whilst I didn't exactly believe it. Once that thought was in my head I couldn't get rid of it at all and well…" Felicity trails off as Oliver rests a hand on her shoulder.

"Felicity. I would never hate you and neither would Sara or Slade for anything. I can't believe my mother would speak to you like that… How dare she… What was it all about anyway?" Oliver questions as Slade and Sara look deeply enraged.

"I don't know if I can…"

"FELICITY!" The three growl simultaneously.

"She was paying this doctor off. The doctor who delivered Thea. Um… Malcolm Merlyn. He's. He's Thea's father." She whispers as Oliver takes a step backwards.

"No." He murmurs with a shake of his head, thoughts running through his mind instantly.

"No." He growls as he closes his eyes as Felicity closes her own.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Oliver." She whispers.

"No. No you've done the right thing telling us the truth." Slade assures her, yet seeing the way she's still trembling he knows theirs more to this.

"What else?" He questions as Felicity looks up at him.

"What do you mean?" Felicity whispers as Slade rests his hands back on her shoulders.

"Felicity. What else are you not telling us?" He growls quietly as Felicity closes her eyes.

"Not only did she say you three would hate me for the truth but. Uh she. Um she said if I told you Oliver. Well if she could find it so easy to try and kill Slade. How easy she would find it to do something about me." Felicity whispers, knowing theirs no point in keeping it from them now. One way or another. They'd find out.

"That bitch." Slade hisses as he pulls away from Felicity.

"I'm going to kill her. This time I am going to kill that woman." He snarls.

"Slade. I completely understand why you feel that way but for now just calm down. I will deal with this. Felicity. Don't worry. I don't hate you. I will never hate you I'm happy you told me the truth thank you for that. Your honestly means a lot to me and don't you worry about her. We won't let her…"

"She won't lay a hand on you. I'll kill her before I let her harm a hair on your head." Slade hisses, cutting Oliver off who rests a hand on Felicity's shoulder, whilst another one on Slade's arm in restraint, yet when he pulls away from Oliver he pulls Felicity into his arms.

"You're safe. I'll never let her harm you." He murmurs as he releases her, turning to face Oliver, whom wears a devastated look on his face.

"I'm so sorry kid." He mutters as Oliver closes his eyes.

"I can't believe this." He murmurs, anger and sadness in his eyes.

"I can't believe she'd do this." He hisses as unbeknownst to the group Sara's phone begins to ring, seeing it to be an unknown number Sara looks up at Oliver.

"Just going to the bathroom Ollie. I'm so sorry." She wraps her arms tightly around him first, patting Sin's shoulder and also briefly hugs Slade, both of them looking momentarily surprised at her sudden actions watching her as she heads back over to Oliver again.

"I love you. I'll be right back." She murmurs, kissing him quickly before racing off, leaving Oliver standing with Slade, Felicity, Sin and Lisa who rejoins them.

"Everything okay, you look like someone's died or something." She moves to stand beside Slade, who glances at her gratefully whilst Oliver closes his eyes.

No one has physically died.

Except his relationship with his mother has most certainly died…

His mother threatened Felicity. One of his closest friends.

His mother lied. Malcolm Merlyn is Thea's father…

His mother means nothing to him right now…

 _Meanwhile…_

Having snuck out of the building Sara answers the call at long last.

She should be in there with Oliver right now. Comforting the man she loves.

His mother has betrayed him awfully. Not only has she lied but she's threatened the life of another of their friends.

She's not going to get away with it this time…

Sara will see to that herself even if Oliver doesn't.

Yet right now, her mom is still missing and whilst it could be Nyssa calling. It could also be one of the assassins holding her mother captive…

She's made up her mind…

"Times up." The assassin informs her the moment she takes the call.

"Have you made your decision Ta-Er Al-Sahfer?"

"Let my mother go and I will return with you and Nyssa to Nanda Parbat." Sara responds.

"You're doing the right thing Ta-Er Al-Sahfer." The assassin informs her before hanging up leaving Sara standing by the wall, phone clutched in one hand, a bottle of Tibetan pit viper venom in the other…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Here you go, sweetie. Your chamomile, just how you like it and I just checked in with your babysitter, Leena. The kids are safe with her. She's really looking after them for you. Is there anything else I can get you?" Quentin asks her softly, stroking her hair gently with one hand.

"My mother." Laurel whispers through her tears as Quentin's phone rings.

"I'll be right back sweetie." Quentin murmurs as he gets to his feet.

"Sara?" Quentin whispers as soon as he picks up the phone.

"Dad. I've found mom. Meet me at the lower boat yard in thirty minutes and come alone. Don't tell Oliver and Slade and don't tell Nyssa, Diggle, Felicity, Sin, Roy. Just come alone." She begs as Quentin frowns.

"Why?! Sara what…"

"Just promise me that dad, please!" Sara cries through the phone as Quentin sighs.

"Copy that." He murmurs before turning to face his crying daughter.

"I got to go, sit tight sweetie." Quentin says, moving to the door in an instant and leaving Laurel behind in her continuous flood of tears…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I say this with confidence because the Moira Queen that I know is more than a successful CEO and philanthropist, she is a loving mother who has devoted her life to raising two wonderful children." Walter speaks with a smile at the podium as Oliver stands, head still running with thoughts of his mother.

The liar…

"Just to tell you how special she is, I'd like to welcome her son. CEO of Queen Consolidated, Mr. Oliver Queen." Walter smiles toward him.

"Good luck kid." Slade murmurs, patting Oliver on the shoulder and giving him the slight shove he needed to start moving toward the podium.

"He looks pissed off." Lisa comments quietly to Slade.

"That's because his mother is a lying, selfish bitch who deserves to burn in hell." Slade replies so casually as he stands beside Lisa, Felicity, Diggle and Sin, each of them all now watching Oliver as he makes his way to the podium with deepest sympathy in their eyes.

"Agreed." Sin adds as Oliver begins to speak.

"Phew, thank you." He says, falling silent a few moments before clearing his throat and focusing on the faces of his family, Slade, Sin, Felicity and Diggle who has only just rejoined the group.

"Well, I'm here today to say a few words… About Moira Queen. I bet many of you think that you know her, because you… Read about her in the press, or you saw her on TV. But I. I can promise you… You don't know my mother." He says with a tight smile as beside him, Moira looks at him cautiously whilst Thea watches intrigued and Roy is just confused.

He falls silent again as he once again looks over at Slade.

"You don't know her like I do." He stops again, moments of silence passing as he closes his eyes for a few moments.

"And you don't know what she's capable of… When it comes to helping the people of Starling City. Ladies and gentlemen… My mother, Moira Queen." He beams as she moves to embrace him, yet when she does he leans down and whispers in her ear.

"I know." He hisses before moving to wrap an arm around Thea, watching as his mother takes the podium whist Oliver moves off the stage.

"Thank you. Thank you Starling City!" Moira beams as Oliver just moves toward Slade, Felicity, Lisa, Diggle and Sin, ever grateful when Slade puts an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, you did it kid. You did great." Slade assures him as Oliver closes his eyes.

"I can't believe her." He murmurs closing his eyes for a moment before looking around the group of people he's with before it hits him.

He'd been so distracted by his lying, betraying mother he hadn't noticed…

Sara.

She's nowhere to be seen…

 _The Foundry_

"Sara!" Oliver calls loudly as he races down into The Foundry.

"Sara!" Slade shouts as they both race down the stairs.

They'd tried to call her but she wasn't answering her phone at all.

Oliver barely remembers her leaving. He'd been so distracted by his mother he hadn't even fully acknowledged she was gone.

Sara, the woman he loves more than life.

He vaguely remembers her saying she was going to the bathroom.

"I should have said something, I thought she was acting weird when she hugged Slade and I before going to the 'bathroom'." Sin says with a shake of her head.

"What's wrong. What's going on?" Nyssa questions the moment she sees the looks on everyone's faces.

"Sara. Have you seen her? Has she contacted you?" Oliver moves toward her quickly.

"No. Yes. She came down here after you left." She indicates to Diggle.

"What did she say. Did she say where she was going? What was wrong!" Oliver cries desperate for something, anything.

"No she just came to check if I'd found anything. We had a conversation she…" Nyssa's eyes move toward the table she'd stood at with Sara.

"She took it." Nyssa whispers.

"What? She took what?!" Slade snaps instantly.

"The venom. It's gone." Nyssa murmurs a look of pure shock in her eyes.

"She's found the assassins that are holding her mom." Oliver mutters, more of a statement then a question.

"And she's going to poison them?" Sin exclaims.

"We need to stop her before she does." Oliver growls as Slade glance to Felicity.

"Activate her tracer." Slade commands.

"You put a tracer on your best friend?" Diggle folds his arms.

"Well they both have a bad habit of being self sacrificing idiots." Slade mutters.

"So you put one on Oliver to?" Diggle guesses with a slight smirk.

"I got one on him." Oliver retorts with a glance to Slade.

"We have a bad habit of disappearing on each other." Oliver points out as Felicity types hurriedly as Nyssa moves toward them.

"I hate to sound cold but why should you all care if Sara kills the assassins that are here to capture her and use her family against her? You wanted to kill me the minute you knew who I was and don't you say didn't." Nyssa says with folded arms.

"Because Nyssa, if half of the stories that I have heard about your father and his League Of Assassins are true if Sara kills the assassins we will all pay." Oliver points out.

"You're not wrong Oliver. I was also supposed to track down the person responsible for the deaths of the assassins my father sent before. I take it I have found those people." She glances between him and Slade.

"They had it coming." Slade hisses as he grabs his sword.

"Woah. Woah. No you're still recovering you can't go out there." Felicity starts as Oliver grabs his bow, arrows and a small little pouch from the wooden box they brought home from the island.

"She's right. Slade your ribs…"

"Kid. You've seen me out there before with much worse. I'll be fine." Slade grumbles.

"You should listen to him. We're going to need all the help we can out there." Nyssa agrees as Slade glances at her.

"I'm starting to like you." He comments with a slight smirk.

"I look forward to seeing you in a fight. Sara told me great things about her teacher, what you did for her gave her a good starting point in the League and saved her life." Nyssa informs him as Felicity, Oliver, Sin and Diggle still look at him cautiously.

"If any of you want to stop me go ahead and try but I'm going out there. It's Sara." He murmurs with a glance to Oliver who sighs before heading toward the stairs, Nyssa and Slade following behind him.

Each of them willing to do whatever it takes to save Sara and knowing the League Of Assassins, they're going to need all the help they can get…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"They're coming for you now." One assassin says to Dinah as he unites her…

"Dinah! Move away from her! Move away!" Quentin snaps loudly as he abruptly enters the room, gun held aloft as he enters a room which holds Dinah and seventeen assassins…

"It's alright, it's alright." He whispers, shocked when the assassins just stand aside and let Dinah run into his arms.

"What's happening?" Dinah questions hurriedly as she turns her head.

"Sara." She whispers as she sees her daughter walking toward them.

"Sara what are you doing here? What is she doing here Quentin? It's dangerous Sara! Go, run!" Dinah begs as Sara just walks toward her and embraces her.

"I love you so much mom. I have to go." She whispers as she pulls out of the embrace, her mother clutching her arm still.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Dinah cries as Quentin restrains her.

"Dad, get mom out of here." Sara cries, turning to face the assassins.

"Sara what are you…" Quentin trails off as Sara closes her eyes, hearing her moms cries…

"I. I love you dad. Tell Laurel I love her, Brandon and Rebecca, tell them aunty Sara will always love them. Do that for me please and Oliver and Slade. Tell them that I love them both so much and that it was always Oliver that he is and always will be the love of my life." Sara practically sobs as she continues to walk toward the assassins.

"We've got to go." Quentin whispers as he pulls Dinah from the room as she continues to cry for her daughter.

"Ta-Er Al-Sahfer." One of the assassins starts, yet before they can say another word Sara collapses, several assassins crowding around her shuddering form.

"She took the poison." One hisses as Sara shakes her head defiantly.

"I can't go back. I can't take the killing anymore. I can't let you kill my friends, my family." She hisses sharply as the assassins continue to crowd around her.

"SARA! Delta Charlie 52 to Central. Need back up at the lower boat yards. Ambulance, paramedics!" He cries as he races toward his daughters barely conscious form, cradling his daughter in his arms.

"If you want to be with your family so badly. They can join you in eternity!" Another assassin hisses as Dinah joins Sara's side.

"You get the hell away from my daughter. All of you!" Quentin pulls out a gun yet one assassin immediately deals with him, knocking him out as pulling a knife out, which is instantly knocked out of the assassins hand by the Arrow.

"Live or die. It's up to you but if you don't stand down and listen to me. These two men here are going to to kill all of you." Nyssa hisses.

"And trust me. I'm more than happy to kill you all." The Man In The Mask snarls as the seventeen assassins in the room turn on them instantly.

"Think you got your wish." Nyssa mutters as she and the Arrow fire at the assassins, one even jumps to grab their own bow and arrow, yet end up shooting at darkness.

The vigilantes and Nyssa gone.

"Split up!" One assassin yells as they do exactly that, all seventeen of them spreading out to search for the vigilantes and Nyssa.

Whilst they may not be able to kill Nyssa, they are allowed to wound her…

Suddenly, two assassins are taken out by Nyssa shooting two arrows at them, another by the Arrow whom shoots an arrow of his own, he and Nyssa climbing the scaffolding along with several of the assassins whilst The Man In The Mask engages a large number of them in combat in the ground with his sword.

"Oliver!" Nyssa knocks him aside before an assassin can shoot him, Oliver bending down to take out said assassin as he and Nyssa run along the scaffolding, shooting multiple arrows as they go.

"You're a talented archer." Nyssa comments as she and Oliver run along side on another, shooting arrows at rapid speed at oncoming assassins.

"So are you." The Arrow responds.

"We make a good team." She adds as he and Nyssa shoot down two assassins blocking their path, jumping down to the ground where thirteen assassins are in battle with The Man In The Mask, who they are not finding easy to kill.

"Sara was right. He's a good fighter." Nyssa muses in slight awe.

"One of the best." The Arrow comments as the two race into battle, watching as six assassins are cut down by The Man In The Mask almost one after the other whilst the Arrow engages one in hand to hand combats, which he soon avoids, hitting the floor and managing to choke one out before getting to his feet when Nyssa drags him up from the floor, taking down an assassin from behind him before the two move to aid The Man In The Mask in taking down the final number of assassins.

Yet both Nyssa and the Arrow find they don't really need to help much as The Man In The Mask cuts each one of them down with his sword one by one, dodging and ducking to avoid attacks and countering with many of his own until there is one assassin left standing.

However, one isn't left standing for long as with a swing of the sword, the final assassins head is no longer attached to his body.

"Anymore?" The Man In The Mask hisses.

"That was impressive. If this was any other situation I'd be asking you to join the League Of Assassins." Nyssa comments.

"I don't do well with taking orders." The Man In The Mask retorts as the Arrow glances around at all the assassins that lie on the ground either dead or unconscious.

He's pretty sure nearly all of them or all of them are dead.

"We did it." The Arrow murmurs quietly.

"Never thought we wouldn't." Nyssa responds.

"Neither did. I. God. I love you guys so much." Comes the hoarse voice of Sara as she limps toward the three before collapsing…

"SARA!" The Arrow cries, he, The Man In The Mask and Nyssa racing toward her almost unconscious form in an instant.

"SARA!" The Man In The Mask growls as the Arrow reaches her first.

"Sara no! What's wrong with her. What has she done?" Nyssa whispers as she lifts her head carefully from the ground.

"She took the poison." The Man In The Mask hisses, gripping her hand.

"Sara hold on. Stay with us Sara!" He yells at her as the Arrow is busy with the small pouch he'd taken from the wooden box, feeding the contents to her in an instant whilst clutching her other hand in his.

"SARA! SARA COME ON! DON'T DO THIS TO ME SARA! He begs.

"Stay with us beloved, please Sara. Don't leave us." Nyssa begs, her eyes filling with tears as Sara remains unresponsive.

"Not again. Please god no not again." The Arrow whispers, tears filling his own eyes.

"SARA COME BACK TO US!" The Man In The Mask bellows at her as three of them hold her.

"Sara please, I love you, please don't do this to me. I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" The Arrow cries as suddenly Sara gasps and sits up abruptly, coughing and clutching tightly to the three people around her, the three people she loves so much…

Oliver, Slade and Nyssa, who's arm she clutches.

"I can't go back Nyssa. Please." She whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks as Nyssa shakes her head and kisses the top of Sara's head as she clutches to the Arrow and The Man In The Mask, both who hold her close.

"Ta-Er Al-Sahfer. In the name of Ra's Al Ghul… I release you." Nyssa whispers quickly as the Arrow and The Man In The Mask look at her gratefully.

"Thank you." The three of them say to Nyssa in an instant as sirens begin to blare.

"I'm not in costume. You guys need to go." Sara looks up at the Arrow and The Man In The Mask who do not move.

Not caring a bit if they're arrested there and then.

They don't feel like they can just leave Sara…

"Go, please I'll find you both as soon as I can." Sara begs as the Arrow and The Man In The Mask reluctantly race away into the darkness along with Nyssa, leaving Sara alone…

"Sara! Sara! Thank god, you're okay!" Quentin's voice soon rings out as he and Dinah race toward their daughter, pulling her into their arms not wanting to let her go anytime soon…

 _The Foundry_

"What happened is everything okay, where's Sara? Oliver? Nyssa?" Felicity cries as soon as Slade enters the Foundry.

"Sara's with her family. Her mother is safe. Don't know where Nyssa's gotten to and Oliver is on his way to talking to his own mother." Slade mutters as he drops his blood stained sword to the table.

"It's taken everything in me not to go with him and give her a piece of my mind!" He hisses as Felicity rests a hand on his arm.

"Yeah that's not a good idea. I don't think we want Moira Queen dead." Sin winces.

"Some of us do." Slade grumbles as Roy enters The Foundry.

"What's my girlfriends mother done now?" He queries as Felicity looks between Slade and Sin as Slade is the one to answer.

"She lied to Oliver about something and in doing so also threatened Felicity if she revealed the truth to him. She did and Oliver is going to talk to her right now about it and hopefully the consequences of her threatening one of us. Again." Slade mutters as Roy shakes his head in disgust.

"I love Thea and Oliver's not the worst guy I've ever met but there's always been something about her I just can't trust. What she lie about?" Roy queries with folded arms.

"How about you trust us to tell you that later when Oliver is around?" Diggle speaks up as Roy looks momentarily confused but nods.

"Sure, ok. So what now, that woman gone back to her creepy group?" Roy questions.

"Not sure. However, she was a good ally to us today and she freed Sara from the League Of Assassins. I doubt they'll be coming our way any time soon." Slade says with a slight smirk.

"How many did you kill this time?" Diggle asks with a sigh.

"Oliver, Nyssa and I killed about seventeen." Slade replies.

"Badass." Sin comments as everyone smiles at her.

"So that's it. They're not coming after Sara anymore?" Felicity looks to Slade.

"Hopefully not." Slade nods.

"Well even though all this is all still really confusing. Sounds like a win. There's a Big Belly Burger not far from here, how about we all go get celebratory food?" Roy suggests.

"Roy I swear all you think about is food." Sin nudges him as Roy shrugs.

"Not a bad idea." Felicity glances up hopefully at Slade, who rolls his eye at them.

"Fine." He mutters as Roy silently cheers before grabbing his hoodie.

He, Slade, Felicity, Sin and Diggle heading for the stairs.

Even Slade has to admit, they do deserve the break!

 _Queen Mansion_

"And starting today, we're going to take it back!" Moira announces from the TV as Moira Queen herself watches her own speech with a slight smile.

However, the minute she sees Oliver she switched the TV off.

"I know we need to talk." She starts carefully.

"You need to listen. For the past year I have stood by your side and I have fought because I wanted to believe that you weren't this… Monster who could so easily put an assassination attempt on the man I call my brother and one of my friends and I've tried. I've tried so hard to see past what you did to Slade, that I nearly lost him because of you. I tried to forgive you for that. I never forget it but I've spent all this time trying to see past it somehow, trying to move on from it because I needed to believe that I still had a mother…" He murmurs.

"You do, Oliver…" She stars to move toward him yet he holds up a hand to ward her off.

"Oliver. I only lied about Thea to protect her from Malcolm." She exclaims.

"No you lied because that is what you do and that is who you are mom. Lies and now you've mad a liar out of me, Sara and Slade because Thea could never find out about Merlyn and she could never know the truth about us. She genuinely hated you when she found out what you had planned for Slade and the fact. The fact that you had the audacity to threaten Felicity Smoak. I. I just can't believe you after all that happened. Thea would never see past it this time and you know what mom. You should count your self lucky it's me here right now and that I have restrained Slade from coming over here himself and having a conversation with you about threatening Felicity himself because, trust me he's got a lot he wants to say to you on that matter!" Oliver hisses stopping a moment whilst shaking with rage, clenching his fists together.

"And he has a lot less restraint then me and honestly there is a lot I am restraining myself from saying to you mother but one thing I will say is that as of now. We have no relationship. I will keep up appearances for Thea's sake, as will Sara and Slade and publicly we will support your campaign but privately…" Oliver stop as Moira just shakes her head.

"You and I are done." He mutters as she moves toward him.

"Oliver." She starts as he moves toward the door.

"Oliver!" She cries as he stops, thinking he's going to turn around and they can have a better conversation. Yet that's not what happens.

"And if you ever, ever threaten to hurt anyone I care about again." He mutters as he opens the door.

"You won't like the consequences."

 _Past Lance Family Home_

 _"Hold on." Quentin murmurs to Laurel upon hearing a knock on the door, moving from the couch where his devastated daughter sits, wrapped in a blanket, in complete shock and moves toward the door._

 _Seeing it to be Moira Queen he opens it._

 _"Please, come in." He moves aside to let her in as she enters, moving to the living room where Laurel instantly is on her feet and races into Moira's open arms._

 _"Tell me Oliver is ok!" Laurel begs tearfully as Moira holds her son's girlfriend._

 _"Tell me everything's ok!" Laurel continues to beg._

 _"I wish I could." She whispers._

 _"Moira, I'm so sorry about Robert. About Oliver. I really am." Quentin reaches for her hand._

 _"Yes, um, I need to tell you both something." Moira whispers regrettably._

 _"What is it?" Laurel queries as Moira looks at them both with tear filled eyes._

 _"Robert and Oliver weren't the only ones lost. Along with the crew. A friend, invited along by Oliver at the last minute…"_

 _"Tommy." Laurel practically sobs in horror as she waits for her to say his name._

 _"No. It was…" Moira whispers, unable to look at Quentin and Laurel._

 _"It was Sara. Your Sara. I'm so sorry Quentin." She whispers as Laurel falls to the couch._

 _Not Sara… Not her sister… Her little sister…_

 _"The dock master saw her sneak on board." Moira admits as Laurel dissolves into tears…_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment Building_

Walking toward her sisters apartment building, Sara wears a slight smile on her face.

She's free from the League Of Assassins.

Nyssa freed her at long last, despite the compromise they'd come up with hours ago, she still freed her.

Nearly dying might have been what finally convinced Nyssa, but she's free nevertheless and her family are safe, something she is going to furtherly ensure by visiting them, knowing her mother is at Laurel's with their dad.

However, just as Sara is walking down the street she hears the sounds of footsteps from behind her.

"Thought you'd gone home." Sara starts, spinning around to face Nyssa.

"Not likely. My father didn't trust I'd bring you home. Now we've lost seventeen of our best assassins thanks to myself, Oliver and Slade. My father will not be pleased." Nyssa winces.

"Well, as long as you don't go after anyone I love here or bring the League here. You're more than welcome to stay until it all blows over." Sara suggests.

"You'd let me stay?" Nyssa frowns with folded arms.

"Well. I've kinda liked having you around and I think you've actually won Ollie and Slade over. If that's what you want. You can stay for a bit." Sara smiles.

"I'd. I would still probably have to check in with my father but yes Sara. I would like that. I mean my punishment would probably be a rather long mission anyway. I could make something up for my father's benefit." Nyssa suggests as Sara nods.

"Well. I'm just going to see my sister but I'll be back soon and we can go talk to Ollie about this decision." Sara smiles as Nyssa grabs her arm.

"Talking about your sister, can forgive me for what I did to your sister?" Nyssa asks softly as Sara folds her arms.

"I'm still not happy about that Nyssa but there is a way you can make it up to me." Sara decides as she holds out her hand toward Nyssa.

"How?" Nyssa questions softly.

Sara just smiles.

 _Later…_

"Sara this isn't a good idea." Nyssa glances at her as they approach Laurel's front door.

"Hey, if you want to make it up to me and if you want to stay. You've got to meet my sister. Don't you want to meet the woman I always used to talk about?" Sara nudges her as Nyssa just sighs as the door opens.

"Sara… Nyssa." Quentin starts, moving out into the corridor.

"What is it? What's going on? What is she doing here I thought it was over?" Quentin asks quickly as Sara rests a hand on his arm.

"It is. I just wanted her to come meet my sister. Nyssa may be staying for a little while so I said she's gotta meet Laurel properly." Sara explains as Quentin just rolls his eyes at the both in dismay.

"I hope you know what you're doing sweetie." He murmurs to her.

"I always do dad." Sara nudges him before taking Nyssa's hand and leading her into the apartment and toward the couch where Laurel is wrapped up in blankets.

"Hey mom." Sara embraces her mother the minute she sees her beside Laurel.

"Ohh sweetheart thank god you're alright. I thought I'd lost you." Dinah whispers as Laurel grips Sara's arm, pulling her to sit down beside her.

"What were you thinking?! Mom said you went to try and rescue her?! Sara you could have gotten yourself killed! What was your grand plan there? How did you think you were going to take on some crazy assassin people to save mom?" Laurel cries.

"I. I don't know Laurel. I just wanted to save mom, I would have done anything." She whispers as Laurel pulls her into a tight embrace.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter Sara. Just as long as you're okay." She whispers, stroking her sisters hair until Sara pulls away, indicating toward Nyssa then.

"Laurel. This is my friend Nyssa. She's quite an old of friend of mine, I wanted you to meet her. Nyssa this is my sister Laurel." Sara introduces them quickly.

"It's nice to meet you." Laurel smiles up at Nyssa who nods.

"You too Laurel. I've heard a lot about you." She replies.

"All bad probably." Laurel smiles somewhat.

"No. All good actually. Sara would always say such lovely things about you." Nyssa responds.

"Really?" Laurel glances to Sara who just shrugs as Laurel tugs her closer.

"So how did you and Sara meet?" She asks kindly as Sara sighs.

"Oh you know, just met some place." Sara shrugs.

"Instant connection." Nyssa adds with a smile of her own, Quentin rolling his eyes in the background, unbeknownst to the others.

"Where's the kids?" Sara asks after a moment.

"With my babysitter. They didn't need to be around all this drama tonight." Laurel responds.

"Sara told me you had children." Nyssa notes.

"Yeah I do. Girl and a boy. They're a handful but they're everything to me." Laurel beams at the mention of her kids, Nyssa closing her eyes momentarily.

If she'd just made wrong move she could have killed Laurel and taken a mother away from her children. The thoughts of that do bother her.

"We'll leave you to get some rest." Sara smiles, at Laurel after a few moments, hugging her sister tightly once more before getting to her feet along with Nyssa.

"It was lovely to meet you Nyssa." Laurel calls with a smile as Nyssa turns to her.

"Likewise Laurel. I do hope to see you again soon." Nyssa says genuinely.

"Me to." Laurel beams at the woman as she and Sara move toward the door.

"Hey, you did great in there." Sara nudges Nyssa once they're out of the door.

"Really?" Nyssa raises an eyebrow to her.

"Yeah. I think Laurel liked you." Sara points out.

"She wouldn't if she knew who I really was." Nyssa sighs as Sara grabs her arm.

"And she will never know who you, like she'll never know who I really am." Sara points out.

"Some secrets need to be kept." Nyssa notes as Sara nods.

"Especially this one."

 _Later…_

"Leena called. The kids are good just so you know." Quentin rubs Laurel's shoulder affectionately from where she sits on the couch about half an hour after Nyssa and Sara left.

"I'm glad she's looking after them tonight. Everything's just really, you know. Hectic around here right now." Laurel says quietly as Dinah wraps an arm around her shoulders.

"Yet it's all okay now Laurel. Everything's going to be just fine." She promises her as Laurel sighs and leans against her mother as there is a sudden knocking sound upon the door.

"I'll get it. Bet Sara's forgotten something." Quentin murmurs as he moves to open the door.

He is completely unprepared for the person standing behind it…

"Ohh my god." Is the only words he can form.

From the couch, Laurel frowns in confusion at his reaction.

"Dad what's wrong?" She calls as Quentin shakily walks toward her, gesturing for the person to follow him.

"Laurel, sweetheart. You um. You've got a visitor." Quentin whispers as Laurel frowns.

"Dad… You're acting weird. What…"

"Dinah Laurel Lance." Comes the voice of the 'visitor'.

No. It. It can't be. It's not possible, she's hallucinating…

It's a side effect from the poison…

It can't possibly be…

"Tommy…" She whispers, unable to form any other word as Quentin moves aside to reveal none other than Tommy Merlyn himself.

Tommy Merlyn. Awake, alive and well.

"Laurel." He says with that dazzling megawatt smile that only Tommy Merlyn is capable of.

"Ohh my god. Ohh my god." She whispers as she scrambles up from the couch instantly, yet Tommy is already at her side before she can even get up and she falls into his arms.

"Tommy." She cries as she hugs him tightly to her, only pulling away to rest her hands against his cheeks.

"How can you be here? Ohh my god how are you here right now." Laurel whispers.

"Uh I don't know. I just woke up and I feel great. I just got out of bed and all I could think of was finding you." He replies with a smile as Laurel rests her forehead against his before his words sink in and she pulls away.

"Wait. What?! You just came here from the hospital. You were in a coma for nearly over a year! You shouldn't be here right now. You shouldn't be able to walk that…" She is cut off by Tommy hugging her in an almost bone crushing hug again.

"It's a freaking miracle." Quentin whispers as he stands beside Dinah, the two also in shock at seeing the man who they'd been so convinced would never awake here, awake and seemingly alive and well.

Like nothing had ever happened…

"If you hug me any tighter you're going to break me." Laurel laughs softly as he loosens his almost death grip on her.

He honestly didn't think he was holding her that tightly...

"Sorry, honey. I'm just so happy to see you. Last thing I remember is you, you were trapped under the building at CNRI. I came for you to save you…" He is cut off by Laurel resting her hands against his cheeks.

"And you did and you almost died Tommy. What the hell were you thinking!" She cries as he laughs softly and kisses her forehead.

"I don't know. I just knew I had to save you. I couldn't let you die in there. I love you Laurel Lance. Sorry it's taken a little while for me to say that to you again." He smiles.

"You're forgiven." Laurel smiles, tears appearing in her eyes.

Tears of pure happiness.

"You sure?" Tommy grins.

Laurel just kisses him….

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"With Moira Queen's impressive speech earlier today, some pundits are suggesting her candidacy might not be so far fetched and while Blood's campaign has yet to issue a public response to Mrs. Queen's announcement…" The TV is abruptly switched off by Shado as she turns to face Sebastian Blood with a glare.

"I warned you not to underestimate Moira Queen." She hisses as he approaches.

"What do you want me to do?" He queries with a sigh as Shado gets to her feet.

"Nothing." She replies plainly as she reaches for her coat and moves past him.

"I'll take care of it."

 _The Foundry_

After the conversation with his mother, Oliver found himself in The Foundry and is taking out all his rage on a dummy.

He was wondering wether or not to call Slade and have a proper fight with something that will most certainly fight back, but honestly, he just wanted to be alone right now…

"You are just as Sara described, you know Oliver." Comes the voice of Nyssa as she walks down the steps.

"How did she describe me?" Oliver mutters as he punches the dummy.

"Brave, very brave and a very good man which I suppose you must be if you were willing to trust me." Nyssa points out.

"You looked out for Sara that was enough for me. Also, you did good out there. What you did was amazing, Nyssa. It couldn't have been easy." Oliver points out.

"It wasn't but I know how I feel for Sara and I know how much she loves her family. She would talk about you, Slade and Laurel all the time, wouldn't you?" Nyssa glances toward the stairs which Sara is walking down currently.

"Sara." Oliver looks toward the stairs in an instant.

"Hey Ollie." She smiles.

"Are you okay?" He questions softly as Sara races toward him and embraces him.

"I'm a lot better now." She whispers as he kisses her forehead, before turning back to the dummy to hit it as Sara stands beside him.

"You know Sara. She. Offered to let me stay here." Nyssa calls over to them.

"Well would you like to?" Oliver queries.

"I don't know. But I don't think returning home would be the best thing for me right now." Nyssa points out as Oliver nods, before hitting the dummy again.

"Yeah, I don't think you're father would be all too pleased." Oliver reminds her.

"He wouldn't trust me." Sara agrees.

"We made quite a team earlier. Like I said, you did good out there. You'd be a good asset to the team." Oliver adds as Nyssa smiles slightly.

"I like the sound of this." She admits as both Sara and Oliver smile at her.

"What exactly are you taking out on that dummy?" Sara questions with folded arms.

"My mother." Oliver mutters as Sara rests her head against his back.

"Sorry I had to leave like that. I just. I had to save my mom." Sara apologizes quickly.

"That's okay Sara. Your mom is kind unlike mine." He growls.

"I sense there has been a few issues." Nyssa folds her arms.

"Yep. I'd explain it to you but right now. It's just pissing me off!" He growls, punching the dummy until his knuckles bleed, Sara pulling him away at the sight of blood.

"Ollie. Calm down." She says softly.

"Don't know how to do that right now." He mutters as she kisses his wounded knuckles gently as he slowly begins to calm due to Sara's loving touch.

Calm enough that he ends up facing Nyssa again.

"So what now." He smiles.

"I don't know." Nyssa admits with a shrug.

"I don't know either." Sara adds before smiling at them both.

"I know one thing." Sara smiles as she takes Oliver and Nyssa's hands in hers.

"What's that?" Oliver and Nyssa both ask Sara simultaneously.

"I'm happy." She smiles at them both.

"We make a nice picture, the three of us." Nyssa says with a slight smirk as Oliver glances at Nyssa and Sara in front of him with a beaming smile.

"WOAH! I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Comes a voice.

A voice that should not possibly be present right now.

"I mean if this is a bad time, I can come back. Considering, Sara I literally had to escape your sisters apartment like a ninja and if she wakes up and I'm gone. I really am dead but I, you know. Kinda wanted to see you guys." The voice continues as both Oliver and Sara look to the bottom of the stairs.

Tommy Merlyn…

"Tommy?" Oliver whispers as Tommy grins at them.

"Heya buddy." He smiles before chuckling.

"You know, comas suck." He says just as Oliver crosses the room and pulls his oldest friend into a tight embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you. I thought you'd never wake up." Oliver murmurs as he holds him.

"Well Oliver and Sara to. You know how it feels now!" Tommy chuckles as Sara shakes her head in disbelief, a smile crossing her face.

"I think we're equal now Tommy." She beams as Oliver pulls away slightly.

"What are you doing here? How can you be here right now, you were in a coma for over a year. We didn't even think you were going to wake up Tommy! I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for what happened to you that we couldn't get the building…" Oliver babbles quickly.

"Hey, hey. You saved me, even Wilson helped and I'm sorry for everything I said. I didn't mean it. You're not a monster you're my best friend in life. Always have been always will be. I love you and I'm so happy to see you right now and to why I'm here? I don't know, I don't know but what I do know is I'm back." Tommy beams as he continues to embrace Oliver.

"I'm back."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favouriting and following and for all your kind reviews, next chapter should be up really soon, please leave a review if you can and thanks again for reading :)_**


	111. Time Of Death (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Eleven_**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the early working hours of a plain old Starling City morning, a man enters a busy building he is spoken to over his ear piece.

"In six seconds, lobby security will undergo a shift change. When that happens make for the elevator bay." The man in his ear piece explains.

"Copy." The man murmurs after a moment as he begins to walk again, past a man and into an elevator.

"Now remember what I told you. Timing is everything." The voice in his earpiece warns him as the man, joined with another exit the elevator.

This time, they're dressed like janitors and, pushing a cleaning cart, the move onto an office floor of the building.

"Maintain a pace of 1.3 meters per seconds to the target. Five, four… Now is the time gentlemen." He informs them as suddenly the men take down the person they were following quickly with a taser.

"It's a fingerprint reader. I can't crack it." The man mutters into the earpiece.

"I can." The man in the earpiece responds as suddenly the box in front of the guy trying to open it bleeps then opens, revealing the object.

"You have five point three seconds to get down the east stairwell." The man informs them as the two men begin to move quickly.

"Stop, stop!" One of the men hisses only seconds later.

"What the hell are we doing? We got what we came for?" The other guy asks.

"He said to wait." The other responds.

"Out in the open? Forget this!" His partner scoffs racing down a corridor only to come fact to face with a security guard, who begins to pull out a gun.

"Don't do it! Don't do it!" The men hiss as the guard pulls the gun free anyway, which cause one of the other men to shoot the guard down.

"Security clocked us." He informs the man in the earpiece, who growls in annoyance.

Meanwhile the main security desk have witnessed the whole thing on the cameras and are in the process of calling the SCPD.

"SCPD? You've got to send some officers here!" One security guard yells as a bunch of other security guards begin to race up to the third floor where the criminals are.

"They're alerted the SCPD. Exit the east lobby in twenty two seconds." The man mutters from the earpiece to the guys who continue to run, straight out the door, firing their guns rapidly at the SCPD officers they run into.

"PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN!" Quentin yells, ducking to avoid the bullets which are fired at rapid speed by the two men, who race down the road away from the officers and down a street, where they dispose of their weapons, quickly pursued by Quentin and the SCPD.

"Delta Charlie 52 to Search. I need back up, downtown!" Quentin yells into his radio as he races after the men who continue to run toward a protest, which they soon quickly join by pulling off their janitor costumes.

The man in the earpiece, who has witnessed the whole thing on his monitor, smirks.

"Power to the people."

 _The Foundry_

Throughout The Foundry, the only sound to be heard the sounds of Escrima Sticks being hit against each other rhythmically by Oliver, Sara, Slade, Nyssa and Diggle.

Oliver, Sara, Nyssa and Slade soon knocking aside as Oliver, Sara and Nyssa engage each other in a small battle, which ends the minute Slade smashes the stick into Oliver's face.

"What the hell!" Oliver groans whilst chuckling.

"Women are a distraction." Slade reminds him as Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"As is Slade." Nyssa sniggers as she too hits Oliver around the head once he's facing Slade.

"At least you're not falling over anymore!" Slade smirks as he engages Oliver in a quick battle, whilst they both try to fend of Nyssa, Sara and Diggle, who leaps back into the fight.

Meanwhile, in the background Felicity and Sin watch the five. Sin with a look of awe on her face as she watches them, thinking it amazing of how in time they are. The moves, the dodging, the way they avoid getting hit by one another as they move at such a rapid pace.

Felicity watches them with a different look in her eyes, a nervous one.

A part of her kinda wanting to join them and be like them…

"Dig!" She cries just as she sees him slip and when he stands he accidentally smashes the Escrima Stick into Sara's face, even harder than Slade had hit Oliver.

"Sara, I'm so sorry!" Diggle cries instantly as Sara cries out and rubs her eye.

"It's ok, I'm fine." She winces.

"Yeah. He hit you harder then even Slade hit me. Let me see." Oliver and Nyssa moving toward her.

"Let us see." Nyssa rests a hand on her arm as Sara tries to push them away.

"She's bleeding but it's not deep." Oliver reports as Sara snorts.

"Good I can't take anymore scars." She laughs.

"Understandable Sara. Speaking of scars. Diggle, motor round?" She guesses upon the sight of one of Diggle's own scars.

"Yeah. IED. The parktika province in Afghanistan. Good eye." Diggle notes.

"I know my wounds." Nyssa points out as Sara nods.

"Yeah we all do. Grenade, Algiers." Sara points to one of her own scars.

"I've never been hit by a grenade." Oliver comments.

"Think I win. Hit by a large bomb and destroyed half my face." Slade smirks.

"That is nothing to be proud of. You scared the shit out of me and Ollie." Sara folds her arms as Oliver nods.

"Why is there no scar… Ohh the Mirakuru, of course." Nyssa nods, remembering a story Sara had told her back on Nanda Parbat.

"Still. There isn't really any part of me that hasn't been scarred." Slade notes as Oliver and Sara just close their eyes, sad for their closest friend.

"Didn't get all of them from the five years either." Slade adds.

"Of course. You were in the military right?" Nyssa glances at him.

"ASIS. Australian Intelligence." Slade informs her as Nyssa nods.

"Back to what you were saying Oliver. All those scars and you've never been hit by a grenade?" Diggle frowns.

"Arrow, knife, knife, Slade's brutal training, A lot of bullets, one particular bad one in my shoulder, no grenades." Oliver says with a smirk as Slade smacks him around the head.

"I've got myself a new bullet. Nine millimeter right here." Diggle points to it.

"Thirty eight. I'm mostly swords, some knives, courtesy of Wintergreen, one arrow, bad bullet wound from this battle on the island when is jackass decided to shoot Slade and I to make a point and a spear." Sara gestures to her own scars.

"No eye." Slade indicates to the eyepatch.

"Ok. He wins." Oliver says, holding his hands up in almost surrender.

"Ohh I have a scar." Felicity suddenly speaks up, causing the five to look at her in an instant as even Sin looks up.

"No offense Smoak. But I've probably got worse scars from my time on the streets than you will ever have." She smirks as Felicity rolls her eyes at her.

"It's in my mouth. I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was sixteen. Three stitches. They were really badly impacted." Felicity informs them as the others chuckle at her.

"You're still cute. Didn't I tell you she was cute, Nyssa." Sara nudges her as Nyssa smiles.

"She's lovely." Nyssa smiles at Felicity.

"Go again?" Slade smirks toward Oliver, Sara, Diggle and Nyssa.

"Ohh I will." Nyssa smiles back.

"Kid, Sara?" Slade glances to them.

"I can't take anymore today." Sara smiles back as she moves to place her sticks down.

"My face hurts quite enough as it is Slade." Oliver adds as he follows Sara.

"Just you and I then." Slade smirks at Nyssa.

"I'll join you guys!" Felicity smiles brightly.

"NO!" Practically everyone yells at the same time as Slade just rolls his eye at her in disbelief as Nyssa engages Slade in a battle with the Escrima Sticks.

Felicity trying to keep the disheartened look from her face as they do so.

"She could join us Slade." Nyssa comments as she as she sends an attack his way.

"No way." Slade retorts.

"She wouldn't last five minutes against you two." Oliver points out.

"Standing right here." Felicity sighs sadly.

"She could learn." Nyssa says in Felicity's defense.

"I teach her a few tricks now and then. She has promise and she does well but we don't need anymore vigilantes out there and I'm just trying to teach her how to defend herself. Besides. I think we have more than enough help now." He says with a smile to Nyssa, who counters with an attack, that almost catches Slade, but he soon spins around to block her.

Meanwhile, Felicity moves to sit at her desk, the sad look ever present.

Slade's words in her mind.

'We have more than enough help now'. Evidently referring to Nyssa considering how suddenly Oliver and Sara had been adamant about Nyssa joining them.

Four vigilantes…

"I'm impressed. Haven't seen fighting expertise from a woman like that since…" Slade stops as he and Nyssa finally stop sparring.

"Shado?" Nyssa guesses as Slade frowns.

"How do you know that name?" He mutters.

"Sara and I talked a lot. I'm really sorry for what happened to her, she said you loved her. All three of you did." Nyssa smiles sympathetically at Slade as the two move to put the Escrima sticks away.

"We should get going. We don't want to be late for Tommy's welcome back party." Oliver smiles warmly.

"It's amazing how much he's recovered. It's a miracle." Diggle comments.

"A bit too quickly if you ask me." Slade mutters.

"Slade!" Both Oliver and Sara snap in an instant.

"What? The man wakes up after being in a coma for over a year and is suddenly up and walking about like nothing happened? That's not how it works." Slade folds his arms.

"Like Diggle said. It's a miracle and I'm grateful for it. I got my best friend back. Who cares about anything else. He woke up, he's alive." Oliver points out as he moves toward Sara and Nyssa to speak to them as Slade sighs.

He knows he was never exactly fond of the Merlyn boy but him being here and alive makes Oliver happy and whilst Oliver being happy is important to Slade.

He can't shake the feeling that there's more to this then meets the eye…

 _Lian Yu_

 _"We're never going to make it. Ivo has eight guards on deck at all times. All armed." Harley informs Oliver, Sara, Shado and Slade from where the five of them are all resting against a log, binoculars in hand, looking at the freighter._

 _"The second they see us. We're dead." She adds._

 _"Assuming we can deal with Ivo's defenses. How are we going to get close enough to board the ship?" Shado hisses._

 _"Maybe we build a raft." Oliver suggests._

 _"Ollie. It'll take us weeks to find the timber." Sara reminds him._

 _"We don't exactly have weeks." Harley adds._

 _"I've been on this island two hundred and sixty four days. All I have is weeks!" Slade snarls angrily at her._

 _"Shut up!" Oliver snaps._

 _"You don't have to stick up for me Ollie." Harley looks at him with a slight smile._

 _"What? No all four of you shut up!" Oliver shouts as he holds his hands up._

 _"Listen." He whispers as a familiar sound fills his ears._

 _"Do you guys hear that?" He calls as the sound of an airplane sounds overhead, the five of them on their feet in an instant, hearing the sound of an airplane just as Oliver does, each of them racing in its direction, waving their hands and yelling loudly in an attempt to get it to notice the five of them._

 _"HEY DOWN HERE!" Oliver yells as he races in the direction of it._

 _"HEY HELP!" Sara cries as it approaches them._

 _Approaching them at rapid speed…_

 _Only then do they see that part of it is on fire as it comes closer and closer._

 _The five of them instantly trying to jump out of the way as the plane comes crashing down around them…_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be done really soon, please tell me what you all think of this chapter. Thanks again for reading!_**


	112. Time Of Death (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twelve_**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"You left us sitting in front of the security camera." One of the men hisses to their boss, the man who'd been on the other end of the earpiece, giving them directions.

"Guards could have killed us." The other hisses.

"Are you even listening?!" The other man snaps.

"If you had simply waited for five more seconds like you were told no one would have died." The boss responds plainly.

"Sorry, I wasn't going to bet ten to twenty up in Iron Heights on your skills with a stopwatch!" The man snaps back.

"The strongest of all warriors are these two. Time and patience." The boss replies.

"What?" One man folds his arms.

"It's from War and Peace. Fourteen hundred pages. It takes a while but it's worth a read." The boss informs them whilst coughing.

"Tolstoy knew that patience was the epitome of strength. It takes fortitude to stand still. Just as it is a sigh of weakness or cowardice to move when you should not!" He snaps.

"Look. We did the job. You owe me." The man mutters as the boss smirks, spinning around a piece of a clocks mechanism on the table.

"The dead are owed nothing." He hisses before stabbing the man multiple times, watching as the body falls to the ground.

Smirking to himself as he wipes the blood from his glasses…

 _Queen Mansion_

Upon hearing the doorbell ringing, Oliver, Sara, Nyssa and Thea are at the door in an instant, pulling it open to reveal Tommy, Laurel and Quentin.

"Come in, come in!" Oliver beams as Tommy embraces him again.

"Welcome back buddy." He smiles again.

"We couldn't have had this at the club?" Tommy smirks.

"Tommy!" Laurel exclaims.

"Ohh I wanted to. My mother had other ideas." Oliver mutters slight resent in his voice about having to mention his mother as Thea embraces Tommy tightly.

"I missed you so much. Come on! Come on!" Thea pulls him along with her, straight toward Roy and Sin.

"Tommy meet my friend Sin and Roy, I think you met him. He's my boyfriend, remember." Thea introduces them as Tommy smiles and shakes Sin and Roy's hands.

"Yeah I remember you. You came to work at the club. It's nice to see that you both are still together." Tommy beams as Roy smile back.

"Welcome back." He nods as Laurel moves back to Tommy's side.

"Hey." She smiles, kissing his cheek as he slides an arm around her waist tightly, Sara smiling happily at Laurel, overjoyed at how happy her sister looks to have Tommy back.

To everyone, Laurel looks the happiest she's been since losing Tommy and now having him back has made her just so happy, relieved so many emotions all of them positive for once…

"Come on!" Thea grins as she pulls Tommy into the living room to greet everyone that has showed up for his welcome back party.

"Before you drag him off, can I have a word?" Quentin requests from besides Laurel and Tommy, who nods.

"Sure." He smiles as Laurel glances at her dad.

"Being him back." She says almost threateningly.

"Of course." Quentin smirks as he leads Tommy to one side and down a corridor, away from the group and most specifically, Laurel.

"Hey, Mr. Lance. So what did you want to talk to me about?" Tommy queries with a smile.

"Not much Tommy. I just wanted to let you know something." Quentin admits as Tommy frowns yet continues to smile widely.

"Before the uh accident. I may have not exactly been the nicest person in the world to you. Or approving of your relationship with Laurel and I just wanted to say. I. I was out of line. Especially when I accused you of dealing Vertigo in Verdant. I was out of line completely there Tommy. I mean. Hell, you saved my daughter's life. You almost gave up your own for her's and I am so grateful for that and I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for what you did." Quentin smiles as Tommy nods.

"Of course and I'd do it again a thousand times over for Laurel."

"You stick by her side, alright. No matter what. You look after my daughter." Quentin warns him sharply as Tommy nods.

"Of course. I'd never leave her. I only just got her back." Tommy reminds him as Quentin pats his shoulder.

"Good man, good man." He notes as Tommy glances at him.

"Mr. Lance. Before the uh, accident. I wanted to ask you something." Tommy starts.

"Ohh you have my blessing Merlyn. Don't worry about that." Quentin smirks as Tommy frowns in confusion and surprise.

"How did you…"

"Ohh. I know you wanted to propose to Laurel considering we found the ring after the accident." Quentin reveals as Tommy sighs in relief.

He thought his mother's ring was lost forever...

"I thought that was lost during the accident. It was my mothers. I just knew I wanted Laurel to have it... Wait. Where is it?" He queries with a furrowed brow as Quentin pats his shoulder once more.

"You'll have to ask Laurel." He smirks before moving away, leaving Tommy standing behind, a stunned look upon his face.

Laurel knows he wanted to propose?

She never said anything to him since he woke up…

He'd wanted to wait at least a couple of days before he asked, due to the time he has spent in the coma and he was more than amazed waking up to find Laurel hadn't moved on and was eager to just resume their relationship like nothing had ever happened.

If he didn't know vividly what had happened to him it would be as if the accident and coma never even happened.

Everything has just been so normal.

Except one thing…

Tommy winces as he pulls his hand away from the table he'd been leaning against.

Where his hand was, there is now a dent…

Tommy shakes it off. It's just an old table right…

Just like that door at the Merlyn Mansion he had opened and ripped from the hinges by doing so. It was just old.

That's all it was. Nothing else.

Everything's back to normal…

"Hey what did my dad want with you?" Laurel beams at him from across the corridor.

Looking up at her, Tommy practically races toward her, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'm not at all complaining. It's just what was that for?" Laurel says with a smile.

"I love you." Tommy murmurs as Laurel beams at him.

"I love you too Tommy." Laurel whispers as Thea appears.

"Come on, there's so many people here to see you!" She cheers.

"I'll be right back, honey." Tommy kisses Laurel quick once more before letting Thea drag him away into the crowd, Laurel watching him with a smile on her face until she feels a hand on her shoulder from behind.

"I'm so happy for you Laurel. This past year that he's not been with us was cruel on you. You and your children. How he did he take it? The news about Brandon and Rebecca?" Moira questions as Laurel bites her lip anxiously.

"Umm. I um. I haven't exactly…" She trails off, panic gripping her once more.

She's yet to tell Tommy about Brandon and Rebecca.

She's tried to but they've both been busy, Tommy's return bringing a multitude of issues want with everything Malcolm Merlyn left behind now in Tommy's hands and she honestly has just been working out how exactly to tell him about them.

She is so grateful toward her mother, Leena and father for looking after them both for her.

Her mother especially, whom is with them now.

"Everything okay Laurel?" She hears her sisters friend, Nyssa's voice as she approaches her.

"Yeah. Yeah everything good." She whispers as Nyssa nods, glancing toward Moira.

"Your father wanted a word." Nyssa informs her and Laurel nods.

"Excuse me." She smiles at Moira as Nyssa leads her away.

"Did he tell you what he wanted to speak to me about?" Laurel frowns.

"No he didn't. I made that up." Nyssa replies with a slight smile. Laurel looks to her gratefulness in her eyes.

"Thank you." She whispers as Nyssa smiles back.

"Anytime Laurel." She says, glancing back toward Oliver and Sara, who exchanging a look with Nyssa, move toward Moira.

"What did you say to my sister." Sara all but growls at Moira.

"Well hello Sara. Nice of you to be here." Moira mutters.

"Laurel looked upset." Sara retorts.

"I was just asking her how Tommy took the news about Brandon and Rebecca. Turns out she hasn't told him." Moira points out.

"If you say anything…" Oliver hisses viciously.

"What? What will you do Oliver." Moira retorts as a glare crosses Sara's face and Oliver has to wrap an arm around Sara's waist in an attempt to calm her.

"Now if you two will excuse me I would like to talk to Tommy." She says with a glare to them both as Oliver sighs, both he and Sara glancing toward where Nyssa is with Laurel.

"Thank god for Nyssa." Oliver murmurs as Sara nods.

"What we do without her?" She mutters as they both look gratefully in their direction.

Meanwhile, as Moira moves away from Oliver and Sara, Thea moves quickly to her sister, seeing the looks exchanged.

"Is everything ok with you Ollie and Sara?" She queries sweetly.

"Yes. Of course." Moira smiles at her reassuringly as she moves away from Thea, who then turns to Oliver and Sara, who smile at her to.

Meanwhile, whilst he's standing around, honestly keeping an eye on Nyssa. Quentin not exactly sure if he entirely trusts that woman yet, especially around Laurel, which is whom Nyssa's currently speaking to. His phone begins to ring.

"Lance." He mutters into the phone.

"I'll be right there." He sighs after a minute.

There's a homicide in The Glades.

Oliver and Sara watch as Quentin heads past them which is exactly the moment both of their phones begin to ring to.

"We're on our way." Oliver says upon answering.

"How did you know I was calling?" Felicity queries back.

"Because my dad just got the same call." Sara smirks as the two simply glance toward Nyssa.

 _Somewhere In The Glades_

"What. You guys just show up to every crime scene now?" Quentin folds his arms as the four vigilantes approach him.

"Ollie and I saw you leave." The Black Canary says in explanation as he pulls something from the inside of his coat.

"CSU just pulled this out of a skel I know named Eddie Walczak." He hands the package to The Man In The Mask, whom frowns.

"Never seen a knife like that before." Nyssa comments as Quentin nods.

"That because it's not a knife. It's a minute hand. Like from a clock." He shows them the image of the man stabbed with it on his phone.

"I popped Walczak for a B&E a few years back. This morning, he and an accomplice were involved in a robbery homicide." Quentin informs them.

"What did they steal?" The Arrow questions.

"Some high tech gizmo. Kord rep called it a, um, skeleton key." He reveals as the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask instantly sigh and look annoyed.

"What? You three know what it is?" Quentin queries.

"It was intended as a military tool to aid in code breaking on foreign intelligence targets." The Man In The Mask replies.

"At Queen Consolidated they were working on something similar but Slade and I shut it down once I realised what it could be used for." The Arrow explains.

"What could it be used for?" Nyssa glances toward the three.

"It could be modified to open up a bank vault. Any bank vault." The Black Canary replies.

"Ok, listen. Walczak's a small time on a good day. I mean I doubt he'd even know how to use this thing. Let alone break into a place like Kord and steal it on his own." Quentin points out.

"Walczak was just the muscle." The Arrow mutters.

"We need to find the brain."

 _The Foundry_

Alone in The Foundry, the only sounds that can be heard is of Felicity Smoak hitting one of the training dummies quickly and aggressively, a slightly annoyed look on her face as she does so as she thinks about the previous day.

The fact Nyssa has joined the team and is just as capable of handling herself as Slade, Oliver and Sara.

The fact she herself isn't like Nyssa or Sara in terms of fighting skill.

How they all exclaimed 'no' with genuine worry in their voices at her suggestion when she'd asked to join in with the sparring.

How Oliver said. 'She wouldn't last five minutes.'

She thinks of Slade's words again.

'We've got more than enough help now'.

She hits the dummy with more power behind her hits.

No where near as powerful as the likes of Nyssa, Sara, Oliver and Slade.

"Plant your feet." The voice of Nyssa comes from behind her, Felicity not saying a word as she glances toward Nyssa, whom moves toward her.

"Strong foundation." She kicks one of Felicity's feet backwards with her own foot.

"Equals stronger punch." She says, stepping back as Felicity punches the dummy again.

Even she has to admit, with a lot more power than before.

"Good. If this is for self defence I'd recommend wing chun. It uses your opponents strength against him. So it's ideal for smaller people." Nyssa stops to demonstrate expertly.

"Like us." She finishes.

"You seem like you can take care of yourself just fine, heir to the whatever." Felicity murmurs as Nyssa smiles slightly.

"I was taught how to fight before I was taught to walk." Nyssa points out as she folds her arms when Felicity looks away from her.

"Are you alright?" She asks softly.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." Felicity says quickly as Nyssa moves past her gracefully.

"I said that technique was for self defence. I'm more than happy to teach you whatever you'd like." She says stopping beside Felicity to whisper.

"I could teach you enough to give you a shot at putting Slade Wilson down if that's what you'd like." She says with a smirk, patting Felicity's shoulder before moving toward where Oliver, Sara, Slade, Sin and Diggle are walking down the stairs.

"Where are we with the skeleton key?" Oliver calls as he and Sara greet Nyssa.

"And what are you wearing?" Slade questions from behind Oliver.

"I just thought I'd…" She stops when she catches his eye.

"I'm cross referencing Walczak's know associates with decryption experts on the NSA watch list, but it's taking some time." She admits.

"Which we don't have. This key is not just a code breaker, in the wrong hands it can become a weapon." Slade mutters quite sharply as Felicity looks down to the computer again.

"Whoever killed Walczak, in addition to finding creepy uses for clock parts, is very good at covering his tracks." Felicity murmurs back.

"Lucky for us uncovering tracks is what your really good at. Sin'll stay and give you a hand." Oliver smiles, pushing Sin forward as Felicity turns to the computer again as the others walk away from her.

"Right."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Racing toward the plane, Slade and Shado ahead of Oliver, Sara and Harley._

 _Slade rips the door of the plane off, completely ignoring the pilot as he does so to pull out the already broken radio._

 _"Of course." He hisses to Oliver, Sara and Harley as he storms away along with Shado._

 _Approaching the plane and the pilot, Sara is the one to notice him, resting a hand on his shoulder to which he abruptly reacts to._

 _"Wow. I thought he was dead." Harley comments._

 _"He's barely alive." Sara whispers as she looks to Oliver._

 _"We've got medical supplies back at the plane… Some, not many but possibly enough." She looks up at Oliver desperately._

 _"Yeah some." He murmurs as she looks to him and Harley._

 _"Just go. I'll be fine." She whispers as he kisses the side of her head in farewell before racing away with Harley and Slade following him. Shado remains._

 _"I was a pre med student remember? I can help." Shado says quickly as she and Sara turn their attentions to the wounded, barely alive pilot._

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Hey sweetie." Quentin starts as he enters Laurel's apartment with a smile, looking around the room.

"Tommy not with you?" He queries noticing the absence of the man.

"Ohh he's got a few more legal issues to deal with concerning stuff his father left behind." Laurel replies from the couch, where she sits, book in hand.

"You told him yet?" He queries.

"Told him about what dad?" Laurel queries with a smile.

"You know full well what and I take that as a no." Quentin folds his arms.

"Laurel. You got to tell him about Brandon and Rebecca."

"I know. I know I do and I'm going to. I'm just trying to work out how to…"

"How to what Laurel?" Comes the voice of Tommy as he enters the apartment with his key, all smiles as he moves toward the couch, resting a hand on Laurel's shoulder, smiling when she grips his hand.

"Something I have to tell you. It can wait." Laurel says, before looking at her dad who nods.

"Perhaps she'll tell you before dinner tonight." Quentin assures him.

"Dinner?" Both Laurel and Tommy say simultaneously.

"Yeah dinner. I mean your moms still in town Laurel, Tommy's awake and well since your mom got back. Well we…" Quentin stops a smile crossing his face.

"What?" Laurel frowns at him.

"I don't know how to describe it its just, we've been seeing each other more recently spending more time together and there's been um signals and feelings and I'm not exactly sure what's going on but I figured if we were all together as a family maybe it would be remind her of how happy we were, you know? I mean I don't know, maybe it… Is it stupid?" Quentin chuckles as both Laurel and Tommy shake their heads.

"No. It…" Laurel is cut off by the sound of Quentin's police radio.

"Go for Delta-Charlie 52." Quentin sighs.

"415 in progress. Widmeer Bank. Lieutenant requesting all units." The radio sounds.

"Delta-Charlie 52 responding. I got to go. See you two later." He gets up from the couch, heading toward the door. Laurel follows him.

"Tonight then. Eight thirty. Tell everyone to be here, mom, Sara, Ollie, Slade…"

"Oh really Laurel. I've managed to avoid him even since I woke up!" Tommy sighs as Laurel glares at him playfully.

"What?" Quentin frowns.

"Well your place is too small and no offence, it's kind of a mess. I mean it's better since…" Laurel stops mid sentence as Quentin embraces her.

"Thank you sweetheart!" He squeezes her tightly before racing out of the door, leaving Laurel and Tommy alone, Tommy talking the opportunity to move across the room and wraps his arms around Laurel from behind.

"So." He pushes some of her hair back so he can rest his head on her shoulder.

"What were you going to tell me?" He questions as Laurel spins around to face him, resting her hands against his face and kissing him softly.

Tell him. She tells herself as she embraces him tightly.

Tell him…

"Nothing." She smiles, kissing him again.

"Nothing at all."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Device is hot." One of the hired criminals speaks as he and his a partner attach a device to a bank wall.

"Three point two seconds." The Clock King hisses through the earpiece, smiling with relief when it works and the bank door opens.

"Extract as much money as you can in ninety seconds." He adds as the hired criminals begin to pile money into empty black bags.

"Stop! Get out of their!" The Clock King growls suddenly.

"We've still got twenty seconds?!" One hired criminals cries in protest.

"No you don't." He replies, seeing the Arrow on the monitor…

Meanwhile, the Arrow rejoins with The Man In The Mask, Black Canary and Nyssa in the vault where they find the criminals already gone.

"They're already gone!" The Arrow exclaims through his earpiece.

"I think I have an idea where." Felicity responds quickly.

"The skeleton key operates on an OFDM wireless signal. I'm picking up a transmission signal in the alley next to the bank…"

"But you won't be heading there." Comes the sudden voice of The Clock King over the coms.

"What was that?!" The Man In The Mask snarls into his earpiece.

"He hacked our transmission." She cries as she hurriedly starts to type.

"My associates may be headed into the alley, but the nine ten bus from Crescent Circle is about to collide with the Starlight Freight Express." The Clock King hisses as Felicity types even quicker to pull up an image of a map.

"Ohh my god he's right. The nine ten's headed for the track at Amherst." Felicity whispers.

"My guess is you can't be in two place at once Arrow. Should have brought your two friends. Such a shame." The Clock King taunts as the Arrow looks to the Black Canary, The Man In The Mask and Nyssa.

"He's doesn't know there's four of us."

 _Later…_

"Come on! Come on!" The Clock King yells to his two hired criminals from his van as they race toward it with the bags of money on hand.

However, when they're approaching as does the Black Canary and Nyssa.

Surprised at their sudden appearance. The Clock King shoots at them hurriedly with his gun as the Black Canary throws one of her batons expertly at his head, making a direct hit and causing him to groan in pain and drop the gun.

Meanwhile, just before Nyssa can fire a single arrow, the hired criminals begin to fire at them with machine guns, the Black Canary pulling Nyssa behind a set of bins with her to shield them both from the gunfire which continues until the minute the van drives away, which is when the Black Canary and Nyssa race down the road after it, the Black Canary stopping to retrieve her baton.

The baton covered in the Clock King's blood…

 _Elsewhere…_

"He's in the transit department network! He's… He's hacked the signalling system. I can't get the crossing barriers down" Felicity cries, as the nine, ten bus heads down the road, unbeknownst that they're about to collide with a train.

Meanwhile, racing after it, two motorcycles rode by the Arrow and The Man In The Mask.

"Those buses have radios. Can you break in and wave them off?" The Arrow suggests.

"No, he's keeping me out!" Felicity calls in response as the Arrow and The Man In The Mask drive along each side of the bus, hoping to cut it off from the front.

Meanwhile inside the bus, passengers look out of each windows at the two vigilantes, racing in each side of the bus, finally overtaking it and meeting right at the front of the bus.

The driver instantly putting the breaks on sharply to avoid running both vigilantes over as they reach out to rest their hands against the bus just as the train races only just behind the two vigilantes heads…

 _Verdant_

"I guess it's not real until the media comes up with a nickname." Sara comments upon watching the news which has dubbed the criminal. 'The Clock King.'

"How ridiculous." Nyssa says with folded arms.

"How can I run a bar with only one bartender! For that matter, how can you quit without giving me notice?" The sound of Thea's voice instantly causing the four to turn around.

"No one hour before opening is not notice, Mandy!" She hisses before hanging up.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" She glances toward Oliver.

"Ohh and Sara can you do a shift tonight. As you've probably just realised I only have one bartender and that is you." Thea says with folded arms as Sara nods.

"Sure. I got this meal I've got to go to with my family but I can start now." Sara replies as Thea hugs her.

"You're my lifesaver. I'll get Roy or maybe Sin to cover you when you have to go for your dinner." Thea smiles warmly as Sara moves toward the bar.

"I other places to be." Nyssa adds as she to heads away, leaving only Thea, Oliver and Slade.

"Everything okay?" Slade asks Thea kindly.

"Well. I was hoping Ollie could tell me. Other than the party. I haven't seen you at the mansion all week." She points out.

"Uhh. I've been busy, being a CEO doesn't leave me a lot of free time and we don't exactly live their anymore Thea." Oliver points out.

"Yeah but I do know you go every other day to see mom and you haven't. So to me it looks a whole lot like your avoiding her." Thea folds her arms.

"I'm not avoiding mom." Oliver replies quickly as Slade closes his eye in disbelief.

Despite all the lessons he gave the kid, he has always screwed up when it comes to lying about something simple!

"You're lucky your life does not revolve around lying." Thea mutters.

"Thea. Everything's fine." Oliver replies calmly.

"You know. It's secrets that pushed this family apart in the first place Ollie." She folds her arms as Oliver catches her arm.

"Speedy, Speedy. Really. Everything's fine." Oliver pulls her into a quick hug as Thea nods.

"Ok Ollie." Thea nods, hugging him back before spinning around to face Slade.

"What's going on between them?" She questions with folded arms.

Oliver looks at him almost desperately as Slade rests his hands on her shoulders.

"From what I know, everything's ok." He assures her.

He hates lying to her. He really, really hates it.

"Are you sure because he's acting all kinds of weird and whenever I even mention my mom you get this murderous look in your eye." Thea sighs as Slade smirks slightly.

"Ohh you know my views on your mother Thea. Don't worry, everything's okay." Slade replies as she smiles at them both before heading elsewhere.

"Thank you." Oliver whispers to Slade the minute she's gone.

"We should tell her the truth, kid." Slade mutters.

"No. No we can't. She can't ever know." Oliver points out as they approach the door to the basement as Slade rests a hand on Oliver's arm.

"Kid. We can't keep lying to her like this. We both know honesty is always best." Slade reminds him as Oliver shakes his head.

"Slade this is different. It's… Look we need to focus on this case ok?" He practically exclaims as they walk down the steps, Slade keeping a cautious eye on him still...

"What do we know?" Oliver asks as they reach the bottom step.

"Sara's was serious about the bartending?" Nyssa folds her arms.

"It's. It's her job and we got you so it's okay for her to do that right now." Oliver beams, his hand in Nyssa's shoulder.

"Felicity?" Slade glances at her with folded arms.

"He hacked into our frequency, somehow gained remote access but I upgraded our firewall." Felicity explains as Sin nods in agreement.

"Now he won't be able to talk into our comms even if he had a bazooka. You know, the computer version." Sin smiles.

"Good." Oliver nods.

"I think Sara got us something might help us track him down." Nyssa informs them.

"What?" Slade frowns.

"His blood. Her baton caught him." Nyssa responds.

"I can run that to the lab." Felicity says quickly.

"I spent a good year once learning about genetic blood anomalies. I know my way around a microscope." Nyssa cuts her off as Felicity nods and leans back in her chair, unable to keep the sadness from her face.

"There's some significant cell damage and the platelet count is extremely low. Felicity, may I use your computer?" Nyssa requests as Felicity just nods as Nyssa gets up and moves toward it, typing hurriedly.

"Macgregor's Syndrome. It's a genetic defect that creates fluid build up in the lungs which leads to oxygen deprivation and multi system organ failure. It's terminal." Nyssa reads from the screen before looking up at Oliver and Slade.

"But the syndrome may give us a way to ID him. People with Macgregor's are extremely rare and people with Macgregor's and a degree in computer science are even more rare." Felicity mutters, typing quickly until something finally pops up on screen.

"William Tockman. Former encryption engineer at, wait for it, Kord Enterprises." She reveals as Diggle looks at her skeptically.

"What's the point? He'll be dead before he can spend all the money." He points out as Felicity continues to type.

"He's not stealing the money for himself. He's using it for his family. His sister specifically. She's got cystic fibrosis and needs a lung transplant." She reads.

"Give us an address." Slade requests as he, Oliver and Nyssa get to their feet.

"Fifty two Nelson Way." She reads, the sad expression returning to her face as she watches the three of them walk away…

 _Later…_

In the dark if the night, near fifty two Nelson Way, three motorcycles driven by the Arrow, The Man In The Mask and Nyssa zoom toward a street.

"This area doesn't look very residential." Oliver comments as Nyssa moves past them both.

"Over there. That's Tockman's van." She informs them both as the three of them approach it, weapons held outwards as they do so.

Nyssa opening the door to the van quickly, only to reveal…

A small device.

"What the hell is that now?" The Man In The Mask mutters with folded arms.

"Tockman's not here. Just some device." The Arrow says through the comms.

"I'm on it. Whatever's in the truck is transmitting the same OFMD signal Tockman used at the bank." Felicity replies as she types hurriedly.

"Can you trace it?" The Man In The Mask questions.

"As we speak. It's leading… Back to our network." Felicity whispers in horror as the address pops up on the screen.

"Tockman's piggybacking off my hack. It's a trap! He's… He's trying to break into our network." She cries as suddenly the computer screens become hazy.

"Ok. That's just freaking creepy!" Sin winces.

"I'm not trying. I am." The voice of the Clock King hisses.

"Creepy as hell." Sin mutters as Felicity types.

"Where are you? Are you home? Are you safe? Somewhere where you think you're safe… Somewhere without windows for anyone to creep though? Underground perhaps? You think no one can get to you? You think no one can touch you in the safety of your hidey hole?" The Clock Kings voice continues to sound out through both the computers and the comms as Felicity types hurriedly in attempt to block him from the system.

"Felicity." The Man In The Mask hisses through the comms.

"But I can!" The Clock King hisses back just as an explosion sounds out…

"FELICITY!" The Man In The Mask bellows at the sound of the explosion which was the sound of all the computers and their systems exploding in The Foundry…

 _The Foundry_

"How bad?" Oliver questions to Felicity, who sits on the floor beside on of their systems which has exploded and is completely fried, he, Slade and Nyssa having raced back to The Foundry to discover that somehow the Clock King has destroyed all their computer systems. Even Sara had stopped bartending early to come down to them, leaving a rather disgruntled Roy who had wanted to join them with the bar, much to Thea's delight!

"Tockman used the skeleton key to penetrate our firewall and recode our security. Basically he told our system to commit suicide." Felicity murmurs.

"And it did." Sin finishes as she passes Felicity a broken piece of system.

"Bravo Clock King." Felicity mutters sadly.

"Sara and Nyssa stopped Tockman's men before they could get away with the cash. So Tockman is going to be looking for another score." Oliver reveals.

"Well, then kid. Maybe we should give them one." Slade suggests.

"Sin. Would you call Walter and have him liquidate five hundred thousand shares of Queen Consolidated stock?" Oliver looks to her as Sin grabs her phone.

"Sure thing boss. You know as you guys assistant at Queen Consolidated this is the most exciting job you've ever given me, right?" Sin smirks at them both.

"Put it in cash in my vault at Starling National and ask him to do it tonight." He instructs.

"If Tockman wants to make another score…"

"Who better to rob than a suddenly cash flush Oliver Queen?" Oliver responds.

"And what if he doesn't take the bait Ollie?" Sara folds her arms.

"That's a good point honey. Sin, make it eight hundred thousand shares." He glances to her as she nods.

"What can I do?" Nyssa looks toward Felicity.

"Nothing. I've got this. I mean you could go out there looking for possible leads on the Clock King. That would be worth your time." Felicity mutters.

"Very well." Nyssa nods as she gets to her feet, picking up her bow and arrows again before glancing toward Slade.

"Would you like to accompany me?" She offers as Slade grabs his mask and sword.

"Of course, we'll call if we find anything." Slade glances toward Oliver and Sara, whom both nod, smiling once at Nyssa as she follow Slade up the stairs.

None of them, except maybe Diggle, hearing Felicity's disappointed sigh.

Whilst she didn't want Nyssa there she didn't exactly think Slade would go with her…

"We better be going to our dinner. This is more important though…"

"Can't do anything here guys. Your families important too." Felicity reminds them as Sara nods in agreement.

"Yeah. Come on Ollie." She extends her hand toward him as the two head for the stairs.

"Call any of us if you need us." Oliver calls once to Felicity and Diggle.

"Do you think Slade knew he'd been invited too?" She glances toward Oliver, the thought just hitting her at that moment in time. Oliver just shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"Yep!"

 _Meanwhile…_

"Well. I better go make that call." Sin says about ten minutes after Oliver and Sara had left.

"Normal cell reception without your fancy computers suck down here." Sin comments in passing as she leaves Felicity and Diggle alone.

"You know it's not your fault, Felicity." Diggle starts as Felicity chucks pieces of computer system at him at almost rapid speed.

"Really? Which one of the rest of you put up the security safeguards? Maybe if it had been Nyssa… We wouldn't be in this mess." She mutters sarcastically as she pulls out a circuit board from the system, ripping out the wires before sighing.

Her hands going to the scarf around her neck.

The scarf she'd crafted out the old rag Slade had once wrapped around her hand…

"Now I know we haven't talked about this but you know you needn't worry I think…"

"I'm not worried. Why do you think I'm worried?!" Felicity exclaims.

"Because I'm not blind Felicity." Diggle sighs as Felicity quickly turns back to the fried compartments.

"You have feelings for Slade." He puts bluntly as Felicity stops messing with the scarf and instantly turns to the circuit board.

"This isn't about Slade. This is about me. Ok! Nyssa can analyse blood. She can kick ass. She can do anything. Ha! She can kick ass so well that she reminds Slade of freaking that Shado woman!" She can't help but snap out the last part.

"So this is about Slade? Like I said I don't think you need to worry because I think she's in some sort of relationship with both Oliver and Sara." Diggle points out as Felicity groans.

"This is not about Slade! Ok, Dig. It's about me, like I said and the one thing I'm supposed to be good at I'm failing at miserably and why do you even need me now that you have Nyssa?" Felicity murmurs as she tosses more computer pieces aside as Diggle simply places a hand on her shoulder.

"Because you're irreplaceable, Felicity." Felicity turns around to face him at his words.

She doesn't believe him but they're nice words to hear.

"I have a lot of work to do." She sighs as he gets to his feet and moves away, leaving Felicity alone surrounded by circuit boards, wires and her tears…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and thanks so much for all your kind reviews, follows and favourites. It means a lot. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter and thanks again for reading :)_**


	113. Time Of Death (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirteen_**

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Laurel moves out of kitchen, phone in hand.

Everyone's going to be here soon.

She'd called Cat and asked her, well begged her to look after the kids for the night and Cat had said yes but only after at least a ten minute reprimand of how she needs to tell Tommy the truth about Brandon and Rebecca.

She plans to tell him after dinner…

Definitely after dinner.

"Laurel. Sara and Oliver are here!" Dinah calls as Tommy appears in the doorway.

"Come on." He smiles at her, moving toward her and taking her hand when she doesn't move, pulling her along with him, an action which causes her to smile.

"Hey mom." Sara beams as she embraces Dinah.

"It's lovely to see you both. Thank you Oliver, these are lovely." Dinah beams when he passes her flowers whilst Sara moves embrace Laurel tightly before finally Tommy.

"Still a shock seeing you back with us." She comments as she hugs Tommy.

"A great shock. Hey buddy." Oliver smiles as he to hugs Tommy.

Both Oliver and Sara noticing the absence of the babies.

She still hasn't told him… Sara thinks with a look to Tommy.

A look Laurel notices quickly and she races to change the subject.

"Well dad's making his famous chicken cacciatore, it should be done soon…" She looks anxiously toward the door.

"Actually… Excuse me." Quentin winces as he walks straight into Dinah.

"We're uh. We're having pizza. I'm sorry. I had a little incident in the kitchen. I guess that's what hapless when you haven't used an oven in six years!" He chuckles causing everyone in the room to laugh. Even Laurel.

Perhaps they can get though this dinner together as family after all…

 _Later..._

"Yeah, when I was pitching a tower of cacciatore. A cacciatore tower, yeah." Quentin smiles much later on when the six of them are sat around Laurel's dining table eating the pizza.

"Couldn't Slade make it?" Laurel questions after her father's anecdote.

"Thank the Lord." Tommy mumbles under his breath.

"Ohh he couldn't make it. One of us had to stay behind at Queen Consolidated and he volunteered to get the work done so I could come." Oliver lies with a knowing look at Quentin as Tommy smirks.

"What a shame." He comments.

"It is isn't it? You know I've yet to meet him. You must introduce me to him Sara." Dinah glances toward her as she nods.

"I will do mom." She promises as Oliver looks up at Dinah.

"Are you still teaching, Mrs. Lance?"

"Yes, I am. Greek and medieval history at Central City university." She responds.

"Wow." Oliver comments as Sara smiles at her.

"What are you teaching now?" She enquires, genuinely interested.

"Ohh, Greek literature. This old classic called 'The Odyssey.'" She reveals as Oliver almost chokes on his pizza as a smile creeps across his face, Sara laughing to.

"What?" Dinah frowns at them.

"Yeah Oliver what's so funny about that book. Didn't we get murdered by it in college?" Tommy smirks at Oliver as he shakes his head.

"No. I was just thinking about something that happened to us on the island. My knowledge of The Odyssey actually came in handy." Oliver reveals as Sara nods.

"You're kidding?" Tommy laughs with a wide smile.

"No. First time I actually knew more about something than Slade." Oliver grins.

"And then 'The Odyssey' basically became Oliver and Slade's thing." Sara chuckles as a sudden shattering sound, sounds out as the glass Tommy was holding suddenly shatters…

"Woah!" Tommy winces dropping the glass shards as Laurel is on her feet in an instant.

"Bit of death grip their?" Quentin says with a laugh.

"No. Not at all. It must have been an old glass or something." Tommy murmurs, wincing at the pain in his hand from the glass shards.

"Your hand, let me see." Laurel whispers, as she takes his clenched hand in hers, yet when Tommy unclenches it, just glass shards fall from it.

No cuts or anything in sight.

"Woah now that is lucky. I did that once. Hand full of glass. Had to have about five stitches." Quentin comments as Oliver and Sara look toward Tommy's uninjured hand.

From all that glass there should be at least one cut at the least…

That's when it hits Sara and she squeezes Oliver's leg tightly, a memory hitting her…

A recent one…

No, no, no. This can't be happening.

It's got to be just sheer luck. It can't be that. It can't be...

"Guess I'm just full of luck." Tommy beams as Laurel clears away the glass before sitting down, Oliver glancing toward Sara with a frown as she clutches his leg.

"Sara?" Laurel asks softly with a smile.

"Sweetheart are you okay?" Dinah frowns as Sara just shakes her head.

"Yeah. Yes I'm fine. Sorry. Just lost in my thoughts." She smiles as she looks to her mom.

"I'm glad your jobs going well mom." She says as Oliver rests his hand over her's.

"You could probably give them your notice Dinah." Quentin chuckles.

"Why would I do that?" Dinah replies with a frown.

"Well, I mean, you're going to come back to Starling right?" Quentin smiles.

"What? No. I'm not moving back to Starling, Quentin. I mean obviously I'll be making more visits down here but I have a new life in Central City and I um. I have a wonderful job…"

"Well there's jobs here." Quentin replies, still ever hopeful.

"More than a job… Um… I have… Someone." She reveals to silence from the table.

"Well, congratulations Mrs. Lance." Tommy breaks it after a minute.

"You know, it's great, mom. You deserve to be happy. Everybody does." Sara adds.

"Yeah. Good for you Dinah." Quentin says with a tight smile, trying to keep the sadness from his eyes at having leant that the woman he still loves has moved on…

"You know what Sara just said made me think of something, how privileged I feel to be here right now. I mean well, congratulations mom, of course but. Six years ago I wouldn't have imagined this. Our family at the table having dinner, me and my sister both with two wonderful men. Sara. We had an argument before you left on the Queen's Gambit and I just wanted to say I'm sorry because look how things have changed. I'm happier then I ever thought possible with someone else. I'm glad you followed your heart Sara because." Laurel stops as she takes Tommy's hand in hers tightly.

"I think the four of us are better off for it."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Unable to do much for the wounded pilot except wait for Oliver, Harley and Slade to return with some supplies._

 _Shado hasn't been able to do much for him, his injures are that severe._

 _"I don't think he's going to survive." She murmurs bluntly._

 _"Let. Let's not call anything until Ollie, Harley and Slade get back ok?" Sara glances at her with sad eyes._

 _"Sara. The injuries he's sustained…"_

 _"Please." Sara cuts her off as Shado just shrugs and moves away from Sara and the pilot to see if she can see Oliver, Harley or Slade approaching them._

 _"My wallet." The pilot groans, fumbling around suddenly. Sara instantly moves to help him, pulling it out of his coat pocket for him and placing it in his hands._

 _He pulls out a picture of a girl, a picture he shows to Sara._

 _"She's my daughter. She's twelve. I need to talk to her." He cries silently._

 _"Your radios broken." Shado replies softly, having moved back toward them when she'd heard him begin to talk._

 _Looking at him with tear filled eyes, Sara continues to rest her hand upon his shoulder as he groans from the pain of his injuries._

 _"Her mother died. Just after she got out of diapers, cancer And without me… She's not going to have anybody to look after her. So…" He croaks and strokes the picture with his fingers._

 _"I know don't know you two girls and I know you two don't know me but…" He reaches out with both hands for Sara and Shado's hands, squeezing them tightly in his own._

 _"Please make sure my daughter's ok. Please."_

 _He dies soon after…_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Well that was lovely Laurel." Sara beams as she and Oliver head toward the door, stopping to embrace her sister tightly.

"We must do it again soon. The four of us." Tommy nods as he and Oliver embrace again.

"You must come down to the club soon." Oliver adds.

"Ahh yes. What happened to it? You and Wilson still running it?" Tommy questions.

"No. Thea took over. You're looking at the new CEO of Queen Consolidated." Oliver smiles as Tommy snorts with laughter.

"You have got to be kidding me right? Ohh my god." Tommy sniggers.

"Literally we all had the same reaction." Laurel smiles as Oliver and Sara head through the door, Laurel closing it behind them.

"Oliver the CEO of Queen Consolidated?! Seriously the next thing you guys will be telling me is that we had an alien invasion whilst I was in my coma. Seriously I've missed so much. Perhaps I'm still in it? Perhaps. This is an alternate reality." Tommy chuckles as he wraps his arms tightly around Laurel, who had fallen silent.

"What?" He questions spinning her around so she's facing him.

"Seriously Laurel are you okay?" He queries, frowning at her sudden sad expression.

This is it. She thinks.

"Tommy." She whispers, resting her hands on his arms.

"Laurel, what's wrong? Honey, whatever it is. You can tell me." He moves his hands to cup her cheeks as tears start to fall from her eyes.

"I need to tell you something."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Well that was really nice." Oliver smiles as he walks hand in hand with Sara toward Verdant, back to work...

Sara, having been silent the whole journey their.

"Sara." Oliver stops as moves to face her, resting a hand against her cheek.

"What is it?" He frowns, pushing some of her hair out of her face as she fights back tears and just wraps her arms around him.

"Sara?! Sara what's wrong, talk to me Sara?!" Oliver whispers whilst pulling her away to see her now red rimmed eyes.

"Ohh my god. Ollie… Slade he was right. There is more to Tommy's sudden recovery." She cries as Oliver frowns.

"Sara is this about whatever freaked you out at Laurel's?"

"The glass… When Tommy broke the glass in his hand. Ollie he should have been cut by the shards and the other month. I saw something like that. Roy…"

"Wait… What? Roy?" Oliver frowns.

"Roy and Thea. They were doing something together and this box fell on Roy and he got all glass caught up in his hand it was cut open but then when Thea and I came to look at it. It wasn't Ollie. There was nothing!" Sara cries as Oliver takes a step backwards.

"Sara…" He starts quietly, his head running with a multitude of thoughts.

"What are you trying to say?" He whispers as Sara closes her eyes.

"Ollie… I. I. Think Tommy has the Mirakuru…"

 _The Foundry_

"Have either of you seen Felicity?" Diggle questions as Oliver and Sara storm into The Foundry, thunderous looks upon their faces.

"Woah. Woah. What's wrong guys?" Sin looks at them in surprise as Oliver grabs something from the desk and throws it across The Foundry.

"Oliver!" Diggle looks at him then in shock.

"When the computers come back online I need you to all pull up any CTV footage from the hospital the day Tommy woke up." Oliver hisses.

"Wait. Guys what's going on?" Diggle looks to them both, holding his hands up surrender.

"We think. We think. Tommy may have the Mirakuru." Sara mutters as Diggle takes a sudden step back.

"Ohh my god no." He whispers, shaking his head.

"How do you know?" Sin moves to rest a hand on Sara's shoulder.

"He broke this glass and he didn't get cut from it. It was an almost identical incident to one Roy had earlier on in the month." Sara murmurs as Oliver looks to Diggle.

"But until we can get the system back online we can't do anything to start researching how… Wait. Where is Felicity?" Oliver says then after a minute, noting her absence then.

"Sin and I went to Big Belly Burger to get some take out. When we came back, she was gone. Haven't seen her for hours." Diggle admits as Oliver's phone suddenly begins to ring.

"Hey Felicity." He starts, about to ask her where she is when she cuts him off.

"Tockman took the bait. The money you guys had Walter deposit. I'm reading his signal at Starling National." She replies quickly.

"Wait. How do you know that?" Oliver queries.

"Because I'm here." She admits.

"What?!" Oliver hisses.

"Felicity. What are you playing at?" Sara calls through the phone upon hearing the conversation between Oliver and Felicity.

"Wait. Wait. Is Slade and Nyssa with you right now?" Oliver questions.

"I'm here, kid." Comes the voice of Slade from behind him, where he and Nyssa have just arrived back in The Foundry.

"Yeah. No I'm kinda alone right now." Felicity responds as Slade glances toward where Oliver and Sara are stood with grave looks upon their faces.

"Kid, what's going on?" He questions with folded arms as Oliver closes his eyes before hanging up on Felicity.

"We need to suit up." He growls.

"Now."

 _Starling City National Bank_

By a dimly lit computer, Felicity stands bravely alone, typing quickly and glancing at cameras, one hand messing with her scarf nervously, honestly not really believing she's actually doing this right now.

Secretly she feels like such a badass being out here, alone without the assistance of Slade, Oliver, Sara or Nyssa.

Another part of her, however is completely scared stiff…

Trying to keep ru get bravery ahead of her fear, Felicity types all up until the minute she hears multiple sets of feet on the stairs.

Instantly fearing it to be Tockman and perhaps a few of his hired criminals, she instantly drops behind the desk as pulls the knife she'd secretly snuck out of The Foundry from the leather jacket she'd pulled on.

"Ahh!" She shrieks when she's grabbed, wheilding the knife in an instant, only to have it ripped out of her hand by the person who had grabbed her.

The Man In The Mask.

"What the hell were you thinking? What are you doing here!" He growls at her as he pulls her to her feet, where she looks at him timidly before at Diggle, Nyssa, the Arrow and the Black Canary whom are all currently surrounding her.

"And Is this one of my knives?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"What? A girls got to defend herself. You sentimental about this knife or something?" Felicity questions as she types, using her other hand to straighten out her scarf.

"I'm. I'm tracking Tockman. He fried our computers, so I'm using the banks to trace the skeleton key's signature." Felicity whispers quickly.

"And the jacket?" The Black Canary asks with folded arms.

"I was cold." Felicity replies instantly.

"That why you grabbed the scarf to?" The Arrow adds.

"Ohh now that one was for courage." Felicity admits silently.

"Diggle get her out of here." The Man In The Mask commands as he pushes her toward Diggle, almost the exact moment the alarm goes off.

"Tockman disabled the banks security system. I re abled it." Felicity breaks away from Diggle to race back toward the computer, typing hurriedly and pulling up an image of two men entering the bank.

"They're blocking our way out." Diggle informs them.

"Slade and I'll deal with them. You two stay here in case of trouble." The Arrow says to Nyssa and the Black Canary as he and The Man In The Mask race up the steps, leaving Nyssa and the Black Canary behind.

"Tockman's signal is close." Felicity whispers.

"Find him Felicity, you can do it." Diggle notes.

"No need. I'll tell you exactly where I am." Tockman hisses, as just like in The Foundry, he takes over the computers at the bank.

"I'm everywhere at the moment, I'm particularly focused on the sub level. The gas mains specifically." He hisses as Felicity delves into her bag for her iPad.

"Oh my god he shut down the gas main release." Felicity whispers upon viewing her iPad.

"And why is that bad?" Nyssa questions.

"A build up could cause an explosion." Diggle replies.

"It will, it'll blow up three square blocks." Felicity cries as Diggle races away.

"No it won't." He hisses as the Black Canary looks to Nyssa.

"Stay with Felicity, I'll go with him." She says as she races after Diggle in an attempt to stop a devastating explosion…

 _Elsewhere…_

As the hired criminals move into the building they're not expecting the Arrow to suddenly appear, sliding down the steps and firing an arrow as he does so, which causes the criminals feet to instantly become tied together whilst The Man In The Mask punches the other, multiple times before knocking him down the steps.

Meanwhile, the other man who the Arrow had tied the feet of sits up, gun in hand, shooting at the Arrow and The Man In The Mask, whom both dive out of the way to avoid the bullets, jumping down each sides of the staircase and running down opposite sides of the room as the criminal continues to fire rapidly at both of them.

Yet he is unable to keep shooting at them both at the same time as they come from different directions, yet continues to fire his gun all the way up until the moment the Arrow shoots the gun from his hand.

Suddenly, the hired criminal breaks through the Arrows feet restraints and even without the gun attempts to engage both the Arrow and The Man In The Mask in swift combat the Arrow kicking him in the back of the knee as The Man In The Mask throws him across the floor…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Through here." The Black Canary pulls Diggle along a corridor when she sees gas valves that are already smoking with gas.

"Good god." Diggle mutters, covering his mouth with one hand as he and the Black Canary grab onto the wheels and tug in a desperate attempt to get it to move…

 _Elsewhere…_

Meanwhile, stood together by the computer, Felicity notices something whilst Nyssa paces back and forth, waiting for an attack.

"Wait… Tockman overplayed his hand. The gas main's in the city's network. That's where I live." Felicity grins as Nyssa just folds her arms.

"Am I meant to understand that?" She queries.

"Ohh. In trying to blow us up, he gave me a way to track him down." She reveals as Nyssa nods, pulling her weapons free.

"Now that I did understand."

 _Meanwhile…_

As the gas intensifies the Black Canary and Diggle begin to cough as they yank on the wheel in an attempt to shut of the gas.

Now both using the Black Canary's metal baton as a way of hopefully spinning the wheel, which with several grunts, growls and pushes they do and the gas subsides.

"Great job." Diggle smiles at the Black Canary who nods, whilst rubbing her now sore arms.

"Think we stopped the explosion?" She glances to Diggle.

"Think we've stopped the explosion!"

 _Elsewhere…_

In an darkened room, Nyssa races ahead of Felicity, bow and arrow in hand as she looks around for Tockman, whilst Felicity tries to catch up with her.

Yet as Felicity sees Nyssa begin to turn a corner, she spies Tockman.

Armed with a gun that he has pointed directly at Nyssa.

"LOOK OUT!" Felicity screeches, leaping at Nyssa just as Tockman fires the gun.

The bullet hitting Felicity in the shoulder as she pushes Nyssa to the ground to save her from being killed by the bullet which most certainly would have killed Nyssa if it had hit her…

Pulling herself up from the ground, in shock of Felicity's action, she rests a hand on her back in almost comfort to make sure she's alright before getting to her feet and facing Tockman with her bow and arrow in hand.

"You don't even know why I'm doing this!" Tockman exclaims as Felicity attempts to sit up, crying out in pain from the bullet wound in her shoulder.

She just took a bullet for Nyssa Al Ghul…

"The money's not for me! I'm doing this all for her!" He cries.

"Doesn't make it right." Nyssa responds.

"Tempus Fugit." He hisses as he raises the gun again, only to have it shot out of his hand by Nyssa's arrow.

However, he soon pulls another gun from his coat.

"Time flies!" Felicity hisses through the pain as before Nyssa can actually kill the guy, she presses a button on her iPad causing an explosion to emit from the inside of Tockman's coat, sending him to the ground…

"What the hell was that?" Nyssa questions, glancing toward Felicity.

"His cell phone…" Felicity whispers as Nyssa races toward Tockman.

"I uploaded the same virus he used on my gear in The Foundry!" Felicity cries through the pain as Nyssa bends down beside Tockman.

"I didn't just kill him, did I?" She questions as Nyssa glances toward her.

"You just knocked him out." She murmurs before racing back toward Felicity to look at the bullet wound in her shoulder.

"We did it!" Felicity cheers weakly.

"You did it." Nyssa assures her with a genuine smile as Felicity cries silently.

"Ohh that really hurts." She whimpers as Nyssa strokes her hair.

"Thank you Felicity." She replies softly, as he hears the sound of footsteps.

"Nyssa! Nyssa are you alright? Tockman…" The Black Canary glances toward his unconscious form before the wounded Felicity.

"FELICITY!" The Man In The Mask snarls as his eyes land on her bleeding form.

"Hey." Felicity whispers through the pain as he bends down beside her, pulling off his mask and assessing the damage quickly.

"What the hell happened?!" The Arrow growls, looking between Tockman and Felicity.

"Bastard tried to kill me. Felicity pushed me out of the firing line before using her devices to render him unconscious by frying his cell phone." Nyssa responds.

"Son of a bitch is going to be more than just unconscious in a second!" Slade hisses, honestly ready to get to his feet and go finish the man who shot Felicity off with his sword right here, right now.

"No, don't do that. He's unconscious now. We stopped him. You don't need to kill him." Felicity whimpers, clutching his hand with her uninjured one.

"She stopped him." Nyssa adds with a look to the Arrow, the Black Canary, Diggle and Slade before smiling once more at Felicity.

"This is all over thanks to her."

 _The Foundry_

"Are you certain you don't want to go to the hospital?!" Slade snarls as he paces back and forth across The Foundry whilst Nyssa and Sara extract the bullet from Felicity's shoulder, Nyssa now gently stitching the wound.

"Mm-mm, you guys never go to the hospital. Besides Dig, gave me some of those aspirins. Are you spinning?" She queries in a daze.

"No, but Slade is pacing up and down looking like he's about to commit a murder." Sin points out from the corner of the room as Slade stops to glance at Diggle.

"Aspirin?!" Slade growls at Diggle.

"Oxycodone." Diggle whispers as Slade nods approvingly before continuing to pace up and down The Foundry again.

"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't been so brave, thank you Felicity." Nyssa smiles as she stitches Felicity's shoulder carefully whilst Sara holds Felicity's hand.

"It was nothing. I've always wanted to say I've taken a bullet for someone and now I can! So really I should be thanking you." She murmurs dazed.

"All done." Nyssa smiles, placing the equipment down.

"Not bad but you're still going to have a scar." Sara points out.

"My own scar!" Felicity cheers through her haze.

"Slade still wins." Sin comments from the desk.

"Guys, you know this is not a scar competition right?" Diggle smirks with folded arms as Slade finally stops pacing and moves toward Felicity, causing her to beam happily.

"Hiya handsome." Felicity grins as Slade approaches her causing Oliver, Sara, Diggle and Sin to start instantly sniggering.

"You know I can't decide what I love more about you. Your accent. Or… Watching you on the salmon ladder." Felicity giggles, dazed by the drugs as Slade raises an eyebrow at her whilst smirking, especially when she continues.

"You know that's probably one of the best things about my job with you guys, it's like right near my computer so I have a great view of everything and everything is seriously so, very, very, impressive…" Felicity babbles as Oliver, Sara, Diggle and Sin are almost doubled over with laughter at this point as Slade just shakes his head at her, chuckling himself.

"Now. I know you're in pain and you probably won't remember a lot of this so I'm going to wait until tomorrow to give you a lecture about how reckless you were going out there like that and how you could have almost gotten yourself killed!" He mutters.

"You're literally giving her the lecture right now." Sin smirks from the corner of the room.

"Ok. You're getting the extended edition tomorrow." Slade mutters as Felicity giggles.

"You're cute when you're worried. I mean you act all tough and gruff but secretly you're a big softie really and I think that's awesome." Felicity murmurs as Oliver, Sara, Diggle, Sin and this time even Nyssa continue to snigger as Slade just glances at her.

"Also. Diggle has mentioned that perhaps you were feeling somewhat left out." Slade adds.

"What? No. No. Yeah." Felicity nods after a moment.

"I was just… Used to being your girl." She murmurs through her haze, before somewhat shaking her head of her thoughts.

"I mean… Not your girl, girl. Your girl.. I know it sounds like the same word, but it means something so different in my head… I think." She murmurs, still dazed even when Slade rests his hand against her cheek, she instantly leans into his hand, sighing happily.

"Hey." He murmurs as she looks up at him slightly.

"You will always be my girl, Felicity." Slade murmurs causing her to smile, whining slightly when he moves his hand.

"Now where's your car keys?" He asks her gently.

"Bag. I think. Why. Thought you had a motorcycle or was that just one of my fantasies?" Felicity muses to laughter from the others as Slade moves to retrieve her keys.

"Going to take her back to the apartment." Slade says in explanation to Oliver and Sara.

"Just be careful, you and driving cars Slade… Just stay in the speed limit." Oliver warns him as Slade rolls his eye at them.

"I have told you time and time again, kid. That was my first time driving a car in almost six years!" He hisses as he pockets the keys before moving toward Felicity.

"Hey, you're back!" She smiles happily again as Slade lifts her ever so carefully into his arms, Felicity immediately wrapping her good arm tightly around him as he carries her toward the stairs, Oliver, Sara, Diggle, Sin and Nyssa still listening to her babble as they go,

"I feel like a kola attached to a tree right now… A really awesome tree, like the best tree ever, strong and powerful and awesome." They hear her say to Slade's laughter in response.

"I better go back to Verdant to relieve Roy." Sara says, leaning up to kiss Oliver's cheek before taking Nyssa's hand and pulling her toward the stairs with her, leaving Oliver, Sin and Diggle alone.

"Think Felicity's going to be okay?" Diggle questions as Oliver nods.

"Slade's helped me though so many painful bullet wounds before now. Yeah she'll be okay." He smiles back as Sin sniggers.

"Just so you know, guys. I got all of that recorded." She grins as Oliver and Diggle bust out laughing instantly.

"Ohh please never let that go." Oliver begs almost as Diggle rests a hand on his arm.

"I don't want to destroy the mood here Oliver but what do you want to do about Tommy?" He questions as Oliver stands with folded arms.

"I mean Oliver. I know what he means to you, he's your best friend but if he's got the Mirakuru we have to do something. We got to get him away from Laurel, the kids…" Diggle reminds him as Oliver sighs and looks away.

"I'll deal with it." He says heading toward the stairs.

"I'll deal with it."

 _Verdant_

"Hi." Oliver smiles at Sara and Nyssa as he finds them behind the bar at Verdant.

"Try this." Nyssa passes him a glass, which he soon downs.

Honestly, with the thoughts of Tommy possibly having the Mirakuru. He feels the urge to drink right now.

"Good, huh? Nyssa made it." Sara grins.

"It's really good and what are you two doing back here mixing drinks?" He frowns at them both in confusion as Sara pours another one.

"Thea hired Nyssa to join me as the other bartender." Sara reveals.

"Really?" Oliver raises an eyebrow at them.

"Hey, I'd mix my own drinks all the time back on Nanda Parbat and of I'm going to be staying here, Sara pointed out I should get a job." Nyssa informs him.

"And It's kind of hard to get one when international assassin is the highlight of your resume." Sara nudges her.

"You're going to do great." Oliver smiles warmly at Nyssa, wrapping his arms around both she and Sara just as his phone begins to ring.

"I have to go to Queen Mansion." Oliver reports upon seeing the message from Thea on his phone, which reads. 'Come home, home. 911'.

"Is everything alright?" Nyssa queries.

"I hope so." Oliver winces as he makes his way toward the door quickly.

"He looks a little shaken up." Nyssa comments as Sara frowns.

"He does. I'm sure he'll call if it's something bad." Sara replies as she turns back to the drinks they were mixing.

"So how did you get so good at this Sara?" Nyssa questions.

"Ohh before the island I used to bartend at this skeevy bar called Oblivion. Ha, it always used to have peanut shells all over the floor." Sara chuckles as she nudges Nyssa.

"We're going to have so much fun doing this together." She grins as Nyssa smiles herself.

"Maybe we will." She says nudging Sara in the side, yet when she does, Sara's wallet falls from her pocket.

"Sorry." Nyssa apologizes quickly as Sara rolls her eyes.

"It's ok!" She calls as she bends down to pick it up, noticing some things have fallen out of it.

A small piece of paper, which Sara instantly grabs and when she turns it over she sees that it is her small picture of Sin that was given to her so long ago…

 _Lian Yu_

 _Sara cries silently as she looks at the picture of the now dead pilots daughter in her hand, whilst leaning against Shado, who keeps her arms around her friend whilst looking at the picture of the girl to._

 _"Sara there's nothing you could have done." Shado whispers, tears in her own eyes._

 _"There's nothing either us could have done." She murmurs as she tightens her hold on Sara, who continues to sob silently and not just for the pilots fate._

 _For their own…_

 _"Got it." Comes the voice of Slade as he, Oliver and Harley appear suddenly._

 _"It's too late. He's gone." Shado murmurs as Sara closes her eyes again, Oliver bowing his head as Slade just storms off into the woods._

 _"We're all going to die here, just like him." Sara murmurs as they think they hear the sound of a tree falling._

 _"What the hell was that?!" Harley exclaims as she moves toward the sound._

 _Looking toward Oliver, he gets to his feet to follow her._

 _"I'll go with her. Are you okay?" He rests a hand on Sara's shoulder as she nods._

 _"Yeah. Yeah. You go see what that was with Harley." She whispers as he kisses the top of her head, patting Shado's arm before heading after Harley, leaving Shado and Sara alone once more with the picture._

 _"Let's just promise each other here and now Sara that if the impossible happens and we do get off this island we find this girl." Shado murmurs to Sara softly once they're alone._

 _"But we're…"_

 _"Sara." Shado puts a hand under her chin, moving her head so they're looking each other in the eyes. Sara nods._

 _"Of course we will." She replies as Shado moves abruptly._

 _"What? What's wrong?" Sara frowns as she follows Shado back over to the plane._

 _"Something caught my eye. Look." Shado points toward the opening of the plane as Sara moves toward what looks like parachute packs…_

 _"I think we've found our way onto the freighter." She whispers as she lifts the packs from the plane, laughing almost as she hands one to Shado._

 _"We parachute." Shado gasps, pleased with herself for noticing them in the first place._

 _Their could still be hope._

 _Sara starts to smile._

 _"We have to go tell Ollie and Slade."_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _"Ok, ok. You seriously need to cool it. I know your all jumped up on Mirakuru but seriously cool it." Harley snaps at Slade whom advances her in an instant, sword in hand when she approaches him, realizing he'd been the one the actually knock down a freaking tree!_

 _"What? Gonna kill me Slade?" She hisses as Oliver appears behind her, seeing the enraged look on Slade's face and the sword he has directed at Harley._

 _"Hey, hey. Slade. Slade calm down. You need to calm down. You don't want to hurt her." Oliver races in front of his friend trying to calm him down._

 _"You don't know what I want, kid." Slade snarls._

 _"I know you don't want to hurt her!" Oliver cries as he pushes Slade backwards a few steps._

 _"Now calm down. This isn't helping right now." Oliver starts slowly as Slade continues to advance on him and Harley with his sword._

 _"Ohh it will. It will help me a lot shutting up that bitch!" He snarls as Oliver continues to stand in front of him and his sword._

 _"Slade, take it easy you don't want to do this." Oliver continues._

 _"Get out of my way, kid." Slade hisses as Oliver shakes his head._

 _"No. I won't let you hurt her Slade! This isn't you!" Oliver cries in an attempt to get him to listen to him._

 _"Slade please!" Oliver begs._

 _"I. SAID. GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY!" Slade bellows._

 _"No! I won't…" Oliver stops the shock stopping him more than the actual pain of the sword Slade stabs him with…_

 _Verdant_

"Didn't think anything could make you cry." Sin comments from the doorway of the main office as she sees Sara sat on a set of crates, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Guess I'm not as tough as you thought." Sara replies as Sin moves toward her, sitting on a bin beside her.

"So… Why the running mascara? Did Nyssa say something to you. I thought she was in here with you." Sin looks around.

"Ohh no. She's still downstairs at the bar. I just, kinda lied said I was going to the bathroom when really I just needed to be somewhere else, alone." She admits.

"So what's wrong Canary?" Sin smiles softly at her.

"A memory of a time on the island." Sara replies, not wanting to tell her the truth.

"A bad one?" Sin questions quietly.

"A bit of both." Sara admits.

"You want to talk about it?" Sin asks as Sara shakes her head.

"No. No. It's… I'm just… You know. I'm so glad I found you." Sara whispers softly as Sin's smile only grows wider.

"Me to. I. I don't know what I'd do without you Sara." She replies before wrapping her arms tightly around her as Sara holds her close.

"Well you won't have to find out." She promises as Sin releases her eventually.

"Said I'd go meet a friend. See you at home." She grins as she all but skips toward the door, down the steps and toward the club entrance and around to darkened alleyway where she sees a figure standing by a wall.

"Hey! Where have you been?!" Sin smiles at the woman who approaches her.

"Very, very busy Cindy." She replies calmly.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sin, Mei?" She folds her arms.

"Many." The woman 'Mei' responds as Sin embraces her anyway.

"I missed you. I may have a whole lot of company now but I need you around to." Sin points out as 'Mei' smiles slightly at her.

"I'll always be around. No matter what." She replies as Sin hugs her again.

"Just said to my friend Sara. I don't know what I'd do without her. It's the same for you to. I don't know what I'd do without the both of you in my life." Sin admits.

"Remember that." 'Mei' murmurs as Sin frowns.

"Cause I will. That's why I said it. So how long are you free for?" Sin queries.

"I'm not. I just wanted to see you once before the meeting I have with this woman." She says, resting a hand on Sin's shoulder who frowns at her in slight confusion but nods.

"Ok. See you later then." She says, hugging her once more before watching 'Mei' leave whom moves to her car.

Knowing that is probably the last time Sin will ever look at her in that way, as someone who looked out for her and was there for her.

Now in a few short hours she'll be looking at her as the enemy she is to them because that's who she is. The enemy and that won't change but she'd connected with Sin because she had made a promise to her father and no matter what.

She keeps her promises, Shado thinks to herself as she gets into her car, checking her appearance once in the mirror before starting the car and driving off in the direction of Queen Mansion…

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

"Are we still moving?" Felicity murmurs as Slade manages to detach Felicity from where she literally is practically wrapped around him like a koala bear to a tree and places her gently on the couch.

"Not now." He smirks as he moves to get her a blanket.

"Hey, where did you go…" She murmurs, still rather hazed.

How strong were those painkillers? Slade muses to himself as he returns to her, draping a blanket over her legs.

"I'm right here." Slade assures her as she taps the seat next to her with her foot.

"Sit with me." She requests tiredly as Slade complies.

Yet the minute he does so, Felicity moves so she's practically sitting on his lap, wrapping her uninjured arm around him, practically trapping him in place.

"Mmm much better." She sighs happily as Slade raises an eyebrow at her and chuckles.

"You're warm." She adds as Slade continues to smirk at her as she cuddles even closer, resting her head on his chest and sighing contently.

"You know, I'm really sorry about Russia." She murmurs only a few minutes later, as Slade glances down at her, resting a hand on the side of her face so she look up at him.

"I told you. That doesn't matter anymore." He mutters.

"Yeah but I lied to you and that's why you were mad at me. Shouldn't have lied to you. Shouldn't have done it to be honest. I was so, so stupid." She sighs, before looking up at him again with sad eyes.

"Luckily Sara convinced me I was being stupid but obviously it was a bit little too late. Even though I'm sure I erased any trace of me being there and there is the fact I did in Russia not at my old desk at Queen Consolidated…"

"Felicity." Slade murmurs as he strokes her cheek once to cut her off her rapid babbling.

"I just. I just did not like her one bit and I just couldn't understand how you could just sleep with someone like that. I mean it was like I said, out of all the single women in Russia, you had to go sleep with her! I mean out of all the single women in the hotel, on the same floor as you and I really need to shut up." Felicity winces as what she's saying registers and she closes her eyes in embarrassment especially when Slade says nothing in response, only because he has a feeling she's going to carry on anyway.

"That's the real reason why I did it because I just. I just believed you could do so much better than her and I just couldn't understand… You are such an amazing man Slade Wilson and you deserve so much more and ohh crap I really have said too much." Felicity groans as she closes her eyes again as Slade glances down at her once more, unable to think of a single word to say in response to the honesty she'd given him.

So instead of words he kisses the top of her head gently.

"See? The truth wasn't so hard to say, was it?" Slade says with a slight smirk.

"Ohh there is still more that I should say but that's mostly all of it. I should have just been honest with you. I was just so embarrassed and…" She stops, smiling slightly.

"I think this is drug induced courage." She admits as Slade chuckles lightly.

"Yet now I've sort of given you some honesty. Can you give me some?" She queries quietly as Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"What about?"

"This 'old rag' you bound my hand with, which I then turned into a scarf and wear like probably way more than I should. Why do Oliver and Sara start laughing and smirking every time I wear. I get it's weird turning a rag into a scarf and all but I swear you once threw something at Oliver. I could be imagining that but…"

"You weren't." Slade assures her as he sighs.

"The reason Oliver and Sara find it amusing is because that 'old rag' is in fact, a scarf." He admits after a moment as Felicity glances up at him with wide eyes.

"It was mine." He reveals as Felicity can't help but gasp.

"I wore it every day I spent on the island. The reason it's singed is due to that unfortunate firebomb I got caught it but yet it still survived. That was when I took it off after I was infected with the Mirakuru. I left it in the plane and it remained their until I used it to bind your wound. Can't think to myself why I allowed myself to leave it there it in the first place as it does have a sentimental value to it." He admits as Felicity continues to look at him in shock of at words of the truth.

"I wore it on all my missions since it was given to me by my son Joe." He reveals.

"Wait. If your son gave you this. Why. Why would you give it to me?" Felicity looks up at him in shock, her head running with thoughts of the truth he'd given her.

Slade glances at her with a quiet sigh before saying with a slight smile.

"Because you're important to me Felicity."

 _Queen Mansion_

As Oliver opens the front door to the place that used to feel like a home, he races through the door at almost lightning speed.

"THEA!" He cries loudly, looking around hurriedly for her.

"Oliver. What's wrong?" Moira asks in a hushed tone from behind him.

"Is everything alright?" She queries, worry in her voice as Oliver spins around to face her.

"Thea texted me to say there was an emergency at the house." He replies coldly.

"No emergency. I'm in the middle of a meeting and Thea's not even here. She's probably at her home, your home." Moira retorts.

"Well then, why would she…" He stops as it suddenly hits him.

"I can't believe she would do this." He mutters with a shake of his head.

"Do what?" Moira frowns.

"She's trying to force us to talk because she's sensing the tension between us." He mutters.

"And what did you tell her?" Moira folds her arms.

"Nothing. We said nothing to protect her. Not you." He practically hisses.

"Mrs. Queen. Is everything alright?" Comes a quiet voice from inside the living room.

"Yes, thank you. Uh, my son just dropped by." She grabs Oliver's arm and practically drags him toward the living room, walking in ahead of him, introducing him to the person she is currently meeting with.

"Oliver, I'd like you to meet Shado."

No.

Ohh, no, no this, this can't be happening. Oliver thinks to himself as he freezes in place, like a statue the instant his mother speaks the name.

No. It's not possible, it must be someone else.

It can't be. It just cannot possibly be…

She rises from the couch.

She looks just like he remembers, except she's very smartly dressed, her hair pinned up in an elaborate bun, she wears a confident smile upon her face as she approaches him.

She extends her hand toward him when she walks over.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She takes his hand in a firm handshake.

"Mr. Queen."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! This chapter was great to write, finally present day Shado reveals herself to Oliver! Next chapter is already in the works and should be updated soon, thank you all so very much for your very kind reviews and for all your favorites and follows. Thanks again for reading and please leave a review if you can :)_**


	114. The Promise (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Fourteen_**

 _Queen Mansion_

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Oliver hisses each word slowly to Shado who's still stood in front of him.

Shado…

"Shado just made a sizable contribution to my campaign." Moira moves toward them, glaring at Oliver for his apparent rudeness.

"How generous of her." Oliver mutters.

"Well I felt compelled. It was the least that I could do for you mother. I mean, what this city need is a pro business mayor like Moira to spread growth through urban investment." She retorts simply and so, so calmly it makes Oliver feel genuinely sick.

"And we were just discussing how to combat the rising wage gap." Moira adds sternly.

"And the answer lies in your budget proposal." She starts as she moves back toward Moira, resting a hand on her arm whilst giving her a warm smile at the same time.

"You when when I look at your mother, I think about everything you went through after that awful earthquake and all I can say to you Moira is that you and I have something in common." She informs her, still with the smile on her face.

"And what's that?" Moira smiles at her.

"I know how difficult it is to pick yourself back up when other people have written you off." She reveals as Moira glances toward Oliver.

"Indeed." She nods as Shado to turns back to Oliver.

"What's wrong Mr. Queen? You look a little piqued?" She turns her attention back to him.

"I'm fine, thank you." Oliver nods quickly as one of their maids enter the room with a trolley.

"Ah, thank you, dear." Moira thanks her kindly with a warm smile before turning back to Oliver and Shado.

"Oliver, Shado was kind enough to bring a bottle of authentic Australian rum, which she tells me she brought during some time she'd spent in Australia." She explains as she moves toward the trolley whilst Shado smiles.

"Yes, I spent some time there and New Zealand where I stayed in this very nice two story cottage overlooking the sea. It was very out the way, peaceful." She informs them whilst smirking at Oliver as he closes his eyes.

Not the house!

"Oliver will you join us in drink?" Moira questions as the three of them walk toward the trolley where Oliver's eyes instantly go to the bottle…

"Yes of course." Oliver nods as Shado beams at him.

"Great." Shado says as the three bend down to pick up their glasses.

"You know Shado, one of Oliver's closest friends is from Australia." Moira notes.

"How interesting." Shado says with a knowing glance to Oliver as Moira lifts her own glass.

"What shall we drink to?" She queries as Shado glances to Oliver.

"To friendship." She smirks as the three of them drink from their glasses.

Oliver practically just downing his in a second.

"Oh, delicious." Moira smiles as Shado spins around to face the figurine of a ship.

"This here is a rather exquisite piece. Does your family spend much time out on the waters?" She asks softly.

"No. Not since my late husband." Moira admits quietly.

"I'm so sorry Moira, please forgive me. I do recall reading about that accident in the papers." Shado bows her head to Moira before glancing toward Oliver.

"You and your friends were very brave." She comments.

"We don't like to talk about it." Oliver practically hisses.

"I can understand." She starts as she moves toward him.

"All that time on that island it must have been like hell for the three of you."

 _Lian Yu_

" _Ollie? Slade? We might have found our way onto the freighter!" Sara calls as she and Shado move through the forest together._

 _What they never expected in a million years to see is Slade standing, sword outstretched, Harley across from him a gun in her hand and Oliver lying on the ground, coughing and groaning from a heavily bleeding wound on his side where he'd obviously been stabbed._

 _By Slade..._

 _"Like to say goodbye before I put a bullet in this son of a bitch?!" Harley snarls as Sara races toward Oliver._

 _"Ollie?!" She cries, dropping down beside him._

 _"Ollie talk to me. Ollie!" She cries as he just coughs in response._

 _"Sweetheart, what happened?" Shado moves toward Slade._

 _"He was in my way of getting to her." Slade hisses, his sword still pointed at Harley._

 _"Hey. It wasn't my fault he ripped a freakin tree out of the ground!" Harley exclaims._

 _"Now if you'd kindly move out of the way so I can shoot him for stabbing Ollie and being a complete crazy ass out of control psycho!" She hisses as Shado just raises her hand and knocks the gun from Harley's hand before punching her swiftly across the face, knocking her to the ground where she pulls her up by her throat and shakes her._

 _"Don't. You. Dare." She snarls as Sara gets to her feet._

 _"Shado don't! Stop, both of you. Just calm down. Please! This isn't either of you right now. It's the Mirakuru." Sara cries, holding her hands up resting on hand on Shado's arm._

 _"Shado. Shado, let her go, she's not going to shoot Slade…"_

 _"Um I think I am! He stabbed Ollie!" She protests, choking when Shado's grip intensifies._

 _"He didn't mean to do that. He didn't mean that. Slade. Slade it's Ollie. Slade!" Sara cries as she looks to him, where he stands with the sword still raised._

 _"Shado. Put her down now." Sara commands as she closes her eyes._

 _"Think of how we've got the parachutes. We have a way onto the freighter now, we can take it and go home this isn't helping. Please." Sara begs as Shado finally looks at her and she drops Harley straight to the ground._

 _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I thought she was going to… Ohh my god Oliver." She whispers as she races toward his bleeding form._

 _"Now Slade. Your turn. Put the sword down. Slade?" Sara moves toward him only to see that his posture has changed he still has the sword in his hands but his hands are shaking violently over and over again until the sword falls from his grip._

 _"No." He whispers, horror evident in his tone of voice._

 _"No…" He trails off, his eyes almost glassy looking as he runs his hands through his hair several times as Sara careful moves toward him._

 _"Slade?" She says as he just walks away from her before slumping down beside a tree, burying his head in his hands._

 _He just stabbed Oliver…_

 _He'll never forgive himself…_

 _Slade's Plane: Next Day_

 _Oliver groans the minute he opens his eyes, the pain in his side excruciating as he tries to sit up, which he is stopped from doing by Sara and Harley instantly._

 _"Woah. Woah stay still Ollie. You lost a lot of blood." Sara says, resting a hand on his arm._

 _"So that really happened?" Oliver says in a quiet voice as a grave look crosses Sara's face._

 _"Yeah, thanks for saving me honey!" Harley throws her arms around an uninjured part of him in an instant._

 _"I need to go talk to him. Has he calmed down?" He questions as Sara nods but grips Oliver's arm tighter when he tries to get up._

 _"Ollie I really don't think…" She starts yet he's already on his feet, hobbling to where Slade is pacing back and forth in the plane. Shado sitting near him._

 _"Slade." Oliver starts as he approaches him, Slade whirling around the instant he hears Oliver's voice and backs quickly away, as if Oliver had the plague or something._

 _"Slade. It's ok. I forgive you. You didn't mean to do that. It's okay." Oliver holds one hand up toward him, the other clutching his wounded side._

 _"Slade, it's okay." He says again as he moves closer toward Slade, who backs even further away from him._

 _"Please. Please Slade just say something." Oliver practically begs._

 _"Stay away from me." He murmurs as Oliver reaches out toward him._

 _"Slade, no. I told you. It's okay…"_

 _"Stay. Away. From. Me." Slade hisses as he moves toward Shado, where she leans into him, hoping to provide her boyfriend with some comfort as Oliver looks toward him, a devastated expression on his face as Slade looks up at him once more and in that moment, Oliver thinks perhaps, there's some hope…_

 _"You never know." He hisses as he looks away from Oliver once more._

 _"I may decide to stab you again."_

 _Lian Yu: One Week Later_

 _Ignoring the pain in his shoulder and now side, Oliver raced through the woods at top speed, his bow and arrow in one hand as he jumps over a hill, shooting rapid arrows at targets painted on trees, not achieving many perfect cantered hits but near enough._

 _The next activity he focused his attention on is pull ups, which were near impossible to do with his still pained shoulder and side but he attempted them anyway._

 _He needs to be strong for this fight._

 _As strong as he possible can be._

 _He cries out in agony every time he does one._

 _Another training activity he par takes in is running._

 _'I'm more a runner.' He remembered saying to Slade once, a happier memory he keeps in his mind as he runs._

 _He is also joined by Sara when he runs and together, they'd race through the island together, leaping over various obstacles, running along the waters edge together._

 _Yet his main focus is his archery skills, which he keeps on practising over and over again until the day he jumps from a vantage point and finally achieves a perfect centre._

 _It's been exactly one week since they found the parachutes._

 _One week since the incident and Slade stayed to his words._

 _Other thank to discuss strategies he would stay well away from Oliver._

 _Oliver had stopped trying to approach him after the first day, hoping perhaps if he left him alone, Slade would come to him._

 _He didn't. He'd mostly avoid Sara to and everyone would ensure never to leave Harley and Slade alone with one another!_

 _Shado is the only one he'd properly converse with._

 _Shado, who is the one to pull the arrow from the target, Oliver had just shot through, giving him a wide smile at the same time._

 _"I'm so proud of you Oliver." She smiles at him warmly._

 _"You have come very far since I first met you, both you and Sara have." She says as she links her arm with his as they walk along the shore._

 _"Thank you. But those trees don't move. Or shoot back, Ivo's men on the freighter will." He points out as she squeezes his arm._

 _"Then shoot first."_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"I want you to have something." Shado starts as she leads Oliver into the plane where Slade is looking around for something, Sara is doing pull ups on a metal bar and Harley is doing something that involves a vary of different ingredients at a station._

 _"What?" Oliver queries as Shado directs him toward a box._

 _"Open it." She nods toward it._

 _"What is it?" He frowns._

 _"Open the box. Find out." Shado folds her arms as Oliver does so._

 _Shado's green hood. Previously, Yao Fei's green hood._

 _"Shado… What?" Oliver frowns as Shado pulls out the hood and places it in his hands._

 _"My father would hate what I've become. I don't deserve to wear this Oliver. You, the successful student. The hero you've become. You deserve it." She says firmly._

 _"Shado. No. It's yours. Your dad would never hate you for being a survivor. I can't wear this." Oliver protests as she rests her hand on his arm._

 _"Oliver. The hood is yours. You are the one worthy of it. Do this for my father, do this me." She requests as Oliver sighs, looking at her smiling face._

 _He's not worthy of this…_

 _He did this to Shado. It's all his fault._

 _If she knew she wouldn't think him worthy. She'd hate him…_

 _He hasn't earned the hood._

 _"Thank you." He says anyway before simply placing back into the box. Shado folds her arms as Oliver shrugs._

 _"What. Battles not here yet." He points out._

 _"But you will wear it?"_

 _Oliver says nothing._

 _"Ivo's freighter is located here." Slade's voice sounds out as places maps on the table, pointing to a location with his finger._

 _"He keeps eight men on deck. Three on the starboard, three on the port and two up in the bridge. However, our bigger concern are these GP twenty five grenade launchers that they're walking around with at all time." He reports to Shado and Sara, whom had dropped from the metal bar to listen._

 _"Do they have night vision?" She questions._

 _"Not according to 'er." Slade glances toward where Harley is with a dismissive look before turning back to Shado and some what Sara. Not even looking at Oliver, who sighs and moves toward Harley._

 _"That's smells awful." He comments._

 _"And it will taste even worse." She grins._

 _"But it will work?" Shado calls over to her._

 _"I spent a year with Ivo. I know how he thinks, it'll work." She confirms._

 _"Good." Shado nods as Oliver places a hand on Harley's arm, she instantly looks up at him._

 _She frowns at him but as he tugs on her arm, she realises he wants her to follow him, which she does, straight out of the plane._

 _"Hey, what about the Mirakuru?" He questions quietly, leading her a slight distance away._

 _"What about it?" She frowns, hands on hips._

 _"Well. Look, I mean it can cure… I don't know, maybe anything. Maybe... Maybe it is a miracle drug but it's also something else." He reminds her._

 _"Something that people like Ivo should never be allowed to control." Oliver reminds her._

 _"What about Shado and psycho? They might not let us." She points out._

 _"Might not let you do what?" Shado voice comes suddenly from the plane door where she and Sara are stood._

 _"You think we should destroy the Mirakuru?" Shado questions._

 _"What?" Slade's voice comes through the plane as he joins the girls at the door._

 _"They were talking about destroying the Mirakuru." Shado fills him in instantly._

 _"Well Ollie and Harley might have a point here. This thing doesn't go our way… We can't let Ivo have it." Sara looks up at Shado and Slade._

 _"They're right." Slade agrees, all of them now looking at Shado who nods._

 _"We should burn it."_

 _Later…_

 _"Anthony devoted his entire life to finding this." Harley comments as she, Oliver and Sara watch the box containing the remaining Mirakuru go up in flames over their bonfire._

 _"Nobody even thought it was real. It was all his dream." She remarks._

 _"Did he ever say why?" Oliver queries._

 _"Wanted to save the world. I mean that I never got. It's like what I told him . What's the world ever done for people like us but he was adamant." Harley admits as she looks to Oliver and Sara._

 _"You know we need to talk about tomorrow." She says with folded arms._

 _"What about tomorrow?" Sara questions._

 _"About what we do with Anthony once we take the freighter." She points out._

 _"What do you mean?" Oliver frowns._

 _"Because Shado and psycho want to kill him." She reminds them._

 _"We're not going to let that happen." Oliver responds adamantly._

 _"Yeah really? Psycho's not even letting you anywhere near him right now, or letting you speak to him for that matter. What's the grand plan their then." She retorts._

 _"Ok. Sara's going to deal with Slade and I'll deal with Shado." Oliver decides._

 _"No. Psycho might actually and honesty, I can't believe I'm saying this, be the easier one to deal with here. Shado wants to kill him for what he did to her! For shooting her with 'Mirakuru bullets just to test his serum'." She says her lie in a sarcastic tone before grabbing Oliver arm tightly.._

 _"You guys don't know him like I do. Look if he's given the chance then he's gonna turn this whole thing around. He's going to make Shado think that it's your fault she got the Mirakuru. That Psycho chose to save you over her and because of that he killed her and when she begged you two to let her go and die at peace, because you two couldn't live with your guilt you poisoned her with the Mirakuru." She reminds them as Oliver closes his eyes._

 _"Well that's kind of what happened." He mutters._

 _"Ollie. It wasn't like that. Slade didn't know their was a choice. It was all Ivo…"_

 _"Giving her the Mirakuru wasn't Ivo. That was me. All this is my fault Sara!" Oliver shakes his head as Sara leans into him._

 _"It wasn't Ollie. It really wasn't." She whispers as Harley puts her hands on her hips._

 _"My point is guys. You can't give him that chance!"_

 _"Harley. We can't." Oliver mutters, realising what she's getting at._

 _"You've killed before." She points out._

 _"That's not what you are talking about. You are talking about executing somebody in cold blood!" Oliver cries._

 _"Now you're getting it! I mean if I get the shot. I'll take it no problem, no questions asked but the first one of us to get at shot at it needs to take it." She reminds them._

 _"Harley." Sara growls at her._

 _"Sara. Look, Shado and Psycho have the Mirakuru in them, they're kinda unstable or was Psycho stabbing Ollie last week an act of sanity?" She mutters._

 _"Harley!" Oliver snaps at her this time._

 _"I have a point! If either of them looses control. If either of them snap again. Then the three of us are dead and I know you guys don't want to hear this but Psycho is going to side with whatever Shado chooses to do. He'll choose her over you two in a heartbeat. Because this time he'll consciously be able to make the choice he wants and trust me. It won't be either of you. We gotta kill Ivo!"_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, next one should be coming really soon. Thank you all for your lovely reviews, favourites and follows and once again thanks ever so much for reading :)_**


	115. The Promise (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Fifteen_**

 _Lian Yu_

 _"What are you thinking Ollie?" Sara asks softly as Harley had left them._

 _"I. I don't know Sara." He whispers as she rubs his back comfortingly._

 _"She's not wrong. Nothing she said was wrong." He sighs._

 _"Ollie. We're not going to lose either of them. She's only been here with us for a matter of weeks. We've been together, the four of us for almost two years. We have to trust in that. Trust that we're not going to lose them."_

 _"Gonna lose who now Sara?" Comes the sound of a familiar accented voice as Slade appears from the darkness as Oliver gets to his feet._

 _"I'm gonna head back to the plane." He murmurs as he starts to move away and leave Sara and Slade be._

 _"Oliver." Slade calls at that point in a quiet tone of voice._

 _It stops Oliver in his tracks instantly._

 _It's the first thing Slade has said to him all week._

 _"Stay." He murmurs as Oliver turns around to face him._

 _"You'll never know how sorry I am kid. I. I. Couldn't. Please." He stops, closing his eyes a moment, both Oliver and Sara noticing his shaking hands._

 _"Forgive me, please forgive me Oliver." He murmurs in the same voice he'd used when Oliver had been trying to talk him down from using the missile launcher._

 _"Of course I forgive you. That wasn't you. It was the Mirakuru and it was my own fault Slade. I got in the way, I put myself in that position." Oliver starts to move toward him, when Slade holds his hands up in an instant._

 _"No. No, kid. Keep. Keep your distance."_

 _"Slade…" Oliver starts yet Slade fixes him with a stern look._

 _"No, kid. Keep away. I. I don't trust myself." He murmurs as both he and Sara look at him with sad expressions upon their faces._

 _"What was it you were discussing Sara?" Slade looks to her as Sara is silent before looking to Oliver who nods._

 _"We have to be honest with him Sara. You tell me we're not going to lose them. This could be away of confirming that." Oliver reminds her as they both turn to Sara._

 _"We were. We were talking to Harley." He admits as Slade nods._

 _"Glad I missed it." He mutters._

 _"No. No. We… We were talking about what we should do with Anthony Ivo once we take the freighter." Sara reveals as Slade glances at her with folded arms._

 _"Your point?" He questions._

 _"Well, Harley. She said that we might have a problem with him as apparently if given the chance he's gonna turn this whole thing around to Shado and tell her what really happened back there. That you were given the choice and that you chose to save me over her and that the whole 'Mirakuru bullets story' is a whole load of BS. That I did this to her because I felt guilty or something." Oliver informs him with folded arms._

 _"That's not what happened, kid. I didn't know that there was a choice to be made and you and I were in that together. We had to save her." Slade growls._

 _"We know. We know, but Ivo apparently will twist around this whole thing and if Shado snaps again. If. If both you and Shado snap again. She thinks the three of us will be dead so, so she wants me and Ollie to basically execute Ivo." Sara reveals as Slade sighs._

 _"She shouldn't have asked that of the two of you." He hisses angrily._

 _"What do you want to do? I told you about this because I know we need to be honest with each other. The three of us especially. So should we, perhaps consider telling Shado the truth now about what happened back there so we can answer questions she might have and be immune to anything Ivo tries to tell her?" Oliver asks Slade carefully._

 _"I'll take care of it." Slade mutters as he starts to walk away._

 _"Slade…" Both Oliver and Sara begin to walk toward him._

 _"I said. I'll take care of it." He snaps this time before spinning around to face them._

 _"I'll deal with Ivo. Don't you two worry anymore."_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Sat an hour later in the plane, Shado and Oliver busy themselves with filling their sheaths full of arrows, whilst Sara sharpens a couple of knives Slade gave her and Harley polishes her rather bejewelled gun._

 _"Oliver. I don't think you're going to fit anymore in that." Shado rests a hand on his arm as he looks up at her, having tried to force another arrow into the sheath._

 _"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm just in my own head right now." Oliver murmurs and his words are the truth, he just keeps thinking about tomorrow and about how many things could go wrong tomorrow and the slight possibility it ends up all going their way…_

 _"Come on." Shado holds her hand out for Oliver to take and he does so, letting her pull him to his feet before taking him back toward the box again, tapping her fingers on it._

 _"I feel like I went about this the wrong way. I want you to have the hood, Oliver. Me. I think you're the hero that deserves to wear my father's hood because I've watched you become this worthy hero even since the day I saw you pick up that bow for the first time. Ever since I started to get to know you. You've not only become a hero, Oliver. You've become one of my closest friends." She smiles, hand still tapping on the box as she takes one of Oliver's hands in her own again._

 _"Whilst I had a sister. I never had a brother, Oliver. That is until I met you. You are the brother I never had Oliver Queen." She admits as Oliver just tugs on her hand and pulls her into a close embrace._

 _The woman who sees him as a brother…_

 _The woman he sees as another sister._

 _"I told you before that, I have a little sister of my own. Her name is Thea." Oliver murmurs as he tightens his hold on her before admitting his own words of genuine truth._

 _"Never thought I'd end up having two sisters." He admits with a slight laugh as she tightens her hold on him._

 _"You better get used to that. You not going to lose me any time soon." She promises him as Oliver just closes his eyes and hugs her tight._

 _Suddenly the sound of tapping causes the four to spin toward the plane entrance instantly, only to see Slade stood there, knife in one hand. Bottle of alcohol in the other…_

 _"Who's thirsty?" He smirks as he enters the plane._

 _Instantly everyone's eyes widening at the sight._

 _"Where'd you get that I thought I drank it all?" Oliver looks at him in shock, remembering when he'd found, what he'd thought to be the only alcohol on the island and drank practically all of it and had the crap beaten out of him for it._

 _"That, was Wintergreen's bottle. He had one, I had another, which I hid after that particular event Oliver Queen. This is one of the few precious pieces of cargo to survive the crash, well the other one did to until Oliver drank it." He growls at him as Shado and Sara smirk at the memory of Oliver drinking the rum and becoming rather drunk and Slade punishing him for it later and all though the next couple of days!_

 _"Think actually, when we were crashing, these bottles were what Billy grabbed on to." Slade stops, chuckling slightly at the memory._

 _"I remember what he said at the time. 'Hey on the bright side we've survived but only that, I've saved the rum!'. Think I was stuck between deciding whether or not to strangle him or hug him." Slade admits as Shado goes to grab four tin cups._

 _"Who cares let's drink it!" Harley cheers as she approaches the group._

 _"Billy and I were planning on saving it for a rainy day. But considering, God willing, this is our last night on the island." Slade pours the rum into each one of their cups, before wrapping one arm around Shado._

 _"To taking the freighter." Sara smiles as each of them raises their cups._

 _"To getting off this island forever." Oliver adds._

 _"To the five of us." Shado finishes as they whack their cups together and drink from them._

 _"Even better the second time." Oliver smiles as Sara snorts slightly from her own._

 _"Not bad." Harley comments as Oliver looks at the four with a serious expression._

 _The four people he's spent this last few weeks here on this island with._

 _Sara, Shado and Slade. The three he's spent nearly two years here on this island with…_

 _Tomorrow it could be all over. They could be on their way home._

 _But tomorrow, it could also go terribly wrong…_

 _"You know, if something happens to me tomorrow…"_

 _"You can't think like that." Slade cuts him off instantly as he and Shado head to the other end of the plane together, leaving Oliver and Sara alone, Harley moving to her own corner of the plane.._

 _"If I don't make it… Sara. I need you to… To tell my mom and my sister that I wasn't that same, stupid kid that got on that boat. Tell them I was different." Oliver begs Sara._

 _"Ok but Ollie. We're getting off this island together, me and you." She squeezes his hands tightly before sighing._

 _"But if. If we don't. If. If I don't make it. Tell my family that I died on 'The Gambit'." She reveals softly._

 _"Why?" Oliver frowns._

 _"Let them remember me the way that I was." She asks as he nods before pulling her into a tight embrace._

 _"I love you." Oliver murmurs as he presses his lips to her head._

 _"I love you too." She whispers as she tightens her grip on him, never wanting to let go…_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _Trying to block out Oliver and Sara's depressing conversation, Shado fidgets with the blankets wrapped around she and Slade and doesn't stop until Slade drapes his arm around her, pulling her close to him where she laces her fingers with his, smiling slightly when he kisses her neck._

 _"So last night on the island." She starts as she hears him sigh._

 _"Seems like it." He comments dryly as she laughs softly._

 _"Their conversation is really not looking on the bright side here but I wanted to ask the same of you. If you make it off this island and I don't. Find my sister and tell her that I loved her to the end and tell her about what happened to our father. Will you do that for me please, sweetheart?" Shado requests as she feels Slade pull her closer._

 _"Sure, but I hope we're gonna get off this godforsaken island together my love. If we don't. I'll find your sister but you have to go to Australia for me… Find Joe and take care of him for me, a'right?" He murmurs as Shado nods._

 _"Tell him I loved him more than anything." He adds as Shado squeezes his hand tighter._

 _"Can we think of happier outcomes now. Like what happens if this all goes to plan?" She asks softly as Slade chuckles and holds her closer to him._

 _"Well. Haven't really thought that far ahead but. I know that I don't want to spend a day without you in my life, love." He points out as Shado smiles warmly._

 _"And I don't want to spend a day without you in my life either." She admits before snuggling closer to Slade._

 _"I love you." She murmurs as Slade kisses her hair._

 _"I love you to. More than anything." He adds before turning his head toward where Oliver and Sara and now Harley are having a conversation._

 _"You know we should all get some sleep!"_

 _Later…_

 _Unable to sleep, Oliver tosses and turns slightly whilst trying not to wake Sara, who is sleeping peacefully beside him._

 _Thoughts keep him from sleep. Thoughts of Shado finding out the truth and as Harley had warned him, twisting the whole thing around to give a distorted version of the truth._

 _Yet as distorted as Ivo could make it. It would be the truth all the same._

 _However, it's not just those thoughts that bother Oliver. It's leaving the island itself._

 _If it all goes to plan…_

 _If they get to leave. It'll be amazing, he and Sara will go home to Starling City._

 _They'll see his mom again, his little sister Thea, his best friend Tommy and Sara will see her parents and Laurel and both of them will spend every minute of everyday trying to win her forgiveness and establish a friendship._

 _It'll be perfect…_

 _But…_

 _It will be him and Sara returning to Starling City._

 _Harley will go who knows where and whilst Oliver cares about her, that doesn't really bother him as much as where Shado and Slade will go._

 _He never before really gave two thoughts about Slade being from Australia until right now._

 _That's where Slade's family is. In Australia._

 _That's where he and most likely, Shado will go._

 _He and Sara won't see them anymore. Yes theirs phones and ways of communicating but they won't be in each other's lives every single day like they have done for almost two years._

 _Two years he's hated completely on this island but he'd. He'd never have met Shado or Slade if they hadn't come here and he. He doesn't regret meeting them because._

 _Because they've become family to him and if he's being all honest._

 _He doesn't know how he's meant to say goodbye and go on without seeing them every single day now, which is what will happen when they go back to Starling…_

 _Suddenly, he find himself on his feet. Moving swiftly toward the plane door._

 _He needs some air… He needs to think…_

 _"Ollie?" Comes the voice of Sara from behind him as Oliver spins around to face her._

 _"I heard you leave, what's wrong? Is that about tomorrow. Ivo. Shado?" She asks in a quiet voice as Oliver looks behind her to make sure it's only the two of them here._

 _"No. No. I was just thinking about what happens if this plan works. If we make it home." Oliver reveals as Sara frowns._

 _"That will be beyond amazing Ollie. We'll all be home, with our families. We'll be safe." She reaches for his hands, squeezing them tightly in her own._

 _"That's the goal. Getting off this island and going home, right?" She reminds him._

 _"Yeah, yeah. Going home. All of us going home. To our homes and two of us live in completely different country." Oliver murmurs as Sara realises what he's getting at._

 _"Oh. Yeah. You're, you're right." She says in a quiet voice._

 _"These past almost two years Sara. It's been the four of us. Day in day out, the four of us, spending every minute of everyday together. They've. They've…" Oliver stops._

 _"They've become our family." Sara says the words he'd been unable to say._

 _"Yeah. Yeah they have and tomorrow if this all goes according to plan. We're all going to our own homes. Me and you to Starling and Shado and Slade to Australia and I know theirs phones and so many ways of communicating but we won't have this… What we have now and whilst that is good in so many ways…"_

 _"In others it's not." Sara finishes for him as Oliver reluctantly nods._

 _"And I doubt either our of families are going to let us fly out to Australia every other day." She adds as Oliver runs a hand through his hair._

 _"They're not." He says with a shake of his head._

 _"I'm going to go home and I'm going to be 'Oliver Queen' again. 'Billionaire's kid' I'll be back in the public eye and someone's gonna notice us going to Australia and back again over and over again." He sighs._

 _"Not to mention when I get back. My family is probably going to lock me in the house and never let me leave it again." Sara reminds him as Oliver just throws his hands in air._

 _"What if. What if we don't go back?" He exclaims as Sara frowns at him again._

 _"Ollie…" She starts carefully._

 _"No I mean, obviously we go back. Stay for a day or two to reassure our family. To let them know that we're alive and well then we just. We just leave! Because I could do it. I could give up everything. I'd give up being 'Oliver Queen the billionaire' to spend the rest of my life happy with the woman I love and the family I now have. Slade and Shado they taught me how to better that I'm not that stupid kid that got on that boat that I don't need to be that person anymore. Being here with the four of you has taught me how to be a better person. The real me and the real me is the me that has you, Slade and Shado in my life. I'd rather give up everything in Starling City then spend even a single day without the four of you in my life every day, because I can't imagine my life without the four of you in it with me every single step of the way." Oliver admits, relieved to finally get his thoughts and feelings off his chest as Sara just pulls him toward her and kisses him passionately._

 _"I feel the same way Ollie." She nods and continues to keep her lips against his as Oliver feels some of his fears simply melt away…_

 _Later…_

 _Oliver walks calmly through a field. He doesn't know why he's in a field but it's quite nice, there are a few flowers. It's all peaceful._

 _Shado is standing across from him, he smiles and moves toward her._

 _"Hey, what are we doing here?" He queries with a warm smile._

 _"Slade chose you over me." She mutters, a dark looking crossing her face._

 _"Because you were a coward. You couldn't choose between me and Sara so the choice got given to my boyfriend. The man I love and he chose to save you?" She whispers as Oliver frowns and approaches her quickly._

 _"Why didn't he choose me?" She murmurs._

 _"Shado. He. He couldn't hear me. He wanted to choose you he couldn't hear me! I begged him to choose you. He didn't know. It was Ivo!" Oliver cries quickly as he races toward her._

 _"Why didn't he choose me!" She screams as she stabs him over and over and over again with a knife._

 _Covering herself in Oliver's own blood…_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _His eyes snap open, gasping as he sits up._

 _It's was just a dream. It was only just a dream. Oliver thinks to himself as he gasps, sweat pouring off him as he feels Sara's hand on his shoulder._

 _"Rise and shine, kid. It's time." Slade calls from across the plane where he and Shado are packing and preparing for the mission._

 _It's today._

 _Today's the day they attempt to take the freighter…_

 _"Come on Ollie, got something better to do?" Harley calls as she puts a load of bullets in her coat pocket, whilst chewing on a stick of gum._

 _"Let's get ready." Sara whispers as she moves to grab a backpack and her knives from Slade as Oliver moves toward the box, opening it and taking out the green hood, putting it on._

 _He pulls the hood over his head._

 _Tuning in a circle to face others he sees that she, Harley and Shado are smiling at him._

 _Shado nods at him in approval._

 _Meanwhile, Slade, having gathered all his equipment at long last, reaches for his last item._

 _The black and light orange mask.._

 _Lian Yu_

 _They walk for what seems like hours through the island._

 _It's a killer to walk up practically a mountain side with all their equipment but they do so anyway in an almost perfect line._

 _Slade leads confidently, ahead of them all. Sara behind him, Oliver behind her, Harley behind him and finally Shado at the back of the line, keeping her bow and arrows in hand in case of an unlikely attack from behind._

 _They stay together like the team of five they are…_

 _The Amazo_

" _Glaza zmei!" Anatoly cheers as he throws two dice through his cell bars._

 _"Better luck next time, Hendrik." He calls to the guy in the cell next door to his._

 _"You cheat!" Hendrik hisses as he grabs a hold of Anatoly through the bars._

 _"He cheats!" Hendrik yells to the rest of the prisoners._

 _"So do you. He just cheats better." A man reading a bible in his cell speaks up._

 _"Get up preacher boy! I said get up coward!" Hendrik snaps at him, as he simply lowers his bible and picks up a small mouse, smiling at Hendrik who just spits at him whilst all the other prisoners begin to go insane as the captain enters the the cell block area._

 _He and another man move straight, twirling keys on one hand toward Anatoly's cell._

 _"Ivo wants to see you." The captain hisses at Anatoly, unlocking his door._

 _All the other prisoners begin to hit their metal cups on their cell walls in a sort of rhythmic pace as Anatoly is lead out of his cell._

 _"Have faith my friend!" The preacher calls after him as he's lead away._

 _"God will protect you!"_

 _"There is no God." Anatoly mutters in response._

 _"If there was… He's not on this ship!"_

 _Ivo's Office_

 _Meanwhile, Anthony Ivo sits at his desk, radio in hand as he waits for the prisoner to arrive._

 _"How is she?" He questions._

 _"I'm sorry, Anthony. I wish I had better news to give you but her condition is progressing quicker than we anticipated." The man on the other end of the radio responds._

 _"Have you tried upping her dosage?" He snarls._

 _"Twice already, but we both know that modern medicine has its limitations." The man responds as Ivo flicks through his set of research entitled 'Mirakuru.'_

 _"Ohh, yes. I know quite well. Thank you doctor." He adds, putting down the radio just as the captain enters the office with the prisoner, whom they drag toward a chair._

 _"No, no. Wait. Wait Mr. Ivo! My family is Bratva, Russian mafia!" Anatoly cries as they strap him down to the chair._

 _"They pay millions for me!" He begs._

 _"I'm sorry, I have very little use for money." Ivo responds before a smirk crosses his face._

 _"I do, however. Require an eye for my research!"_

 _Lian Yu_

 _Standing on a cliff top, alone, Oliver raises a pair of binoculars to his eyes to gaze at the freighter from above, he lowers them with a sigh._

 _It's time._

 _Lighting the end of his arrow on fire against a rock with ease, he moves to stand in place._

 _Why Shado couldn't have done this Oliver has no idea._

 _Slade wanted her to do it as he had commented. 'Kid's bound to screw it up.' Yet Shado had been adamant it was to be Oliver who was to fire the arrow._

 _So here he is! Standing in place, bow and arrow raised, aimed in the direction of the unlit bonfire he's supposed to light from this distance away._

 _He fires the arrow…_

 _It bounces off the bonfire._

 _He can hear Slade's disapproving sigh from a mile away before he even hears the sound of him, Sara, Shado and Harley coming up behind him._

 _"Well, we don't have all day." Slade quips as Oliver sighs in frustration, biting his tongue in an effort to stop himself from really tearing Slade Wilson a new one._

 _"There's a breeze!"_

 _Second Attempt_

 _Lighting his tip of his arrow again, Oliver raises the bow and arrow with more determination the second time around, focusing his eyes on the unlit bonfire._

 _Breathing in calmly as he pulls the arrow back slowly, running his fingers over the end of his bow as he directs himself in the correct direction._

 _Breathing out, he fires the arrow._

 _The arrow which sails all the way toward the bonfire and the second the arrow comes into contact with it, it ignites beautifully._

 _A genuine beaming smile crosses Oliver Queen's face..._

 _The Amazo_

 _Luckily for Anatoly's eye the bonfire Oliver had created, unbeknownst to everyone else sounds out loudly enough that it prevents him from losing an eye as the minute it sounds out, Ivo races toward the boat window, Anatoly's eye forgotten._

 _"They're on the beach!" Ivo snarls to his guards as he reaches the window._

 _"Take them! Alive." He spits sharply._

 _"What about him?" The captain glances toward Anatoly. Ivo doesn't say a word._

 _Lian Yu_

 _"They're coming." Harley comments with the binoculars at her eyes._

 _"Two men, armed." She comments as she heads toward where Sara and Shado are stood together, Shado sliding both of her hand into Sara's and turning her around so they're facing one another._

 _"What?" Sara frowns._

 _"Well when I couldn't sleep last night I went for a walk." Shado points out with a smile._

 _"And?" Harley queries from where she's glancing at her gun._

 _"Sara. I heard what you and Oliver were saying and I. I just have know. Were both of you being serious? She questions as Sara looks at her in shock._

 _She heard them…_

 _"Yes. Yeah we did mean it. It was keeping Ollie awake he was thinking about it so much. We really did mean it, he's willing to give up everything we know in Starling City just so we don't have to lose you and Slade. I am to. I mean. The two of you mean everything to us now. We're a family. I mean from where we started to where we are now. From threatening to kill each other, well that basically is Ollie and Slade's relationship in a nutshell from day one. We've become this unit of people who'll do anything for the other and we know that when we get home that'll end and neither of us want that. So yeah. We meant it." Sara admits as Shado draws her into a close embrace._

 _"I told Oliver last night he was the brother I never had and you. You Sara. You are just as much as a sister to me as the one I already have. You'll never know how much you mean to me Sara." Shado murmurs as she holds Sara, who hugs her tightly._

 _"It's the four of us." Shado mutters as she strokes Sara's hair._

 _"Always and forever."_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _After Harley left to go toward Shado and Sara, Oliver and Slade remain._

 _Oliver looking off into the distance, his mind running a mile a minute with thoughts of what is to come in only such a short space of time.._

 _"You know when we first tried to get off this island. It was a strangers." Slade's deep voice cuts through the air to Oliver's surprise._

 _He hadn't even realised Slade was still there._

 _A quizzical look crosses his face at Slade's words, whom waits until Oliver is facing him before adding._

 _"But now it's as brothers."_

 _Oliver stares him in shock, awe and amazement. So many emotions at Slade's words._

 _Brothers…_

 _Slade considers him a brother?_

 _Oliver knows that he's felt this way about Slade for some time now but never in a million years would he thought Slade felt the same way._

 _If Slade wasn't adamant on Oliver keeping his distance from him, Oliver knows he would have hugged him for the very first time._

 _He'd have risked the punch he's sure he'd have gotten but he knows Slade is fearful of hurting him again so he wouldn't put him through that._

 _So instead he just smiles warmly at Slade as he begins to walk away._

 _"See you on the freighter."_

 _Lian Yu_

 _As the boat approaches the Lian Yu beach, the two guards leap off onto the sand._

 _"There!" One calls upon seeing Oliver stood by the flaming bonfire._

 _He races away from them as the chase him at a rapid speed._

 _He knows they've caught him the minute he trips over the branch and when he falls he also receives a punch in the face from one of the guards._

 _"You're lucky Ivo wants you alive." One hisses in his ear as he's dragged away…_

 _The Amazo_

 _Upon returning to the Amazo. Oliver is ceremoniously dumped into a cell and left alone with only the other prisoners for company. He's in the same cell as he was in before so he knows who's in the cell next door to him._

 _"I told you I'd come back!" Oliver calls to Anatoly who just rolls his eyes at the young man lying flat on the ground._

 _"Fantastic! We're saved." Comes his extremely sarcastic reply._

 _Later…_

 _Having dozed off in his cell, Oliver sits up abruptly the moment he hears squeaking only to see a mouse on top of him which he pulls off him in an instant._

 _"He likes you." Comes the voice of another prisoner, who reaches for the mouse in the cell the other side of Oliver's._

 _"Don't worry he won't bite." He smiles at Oliver before introducing himself._

 _"Reverend Thomas Flynn."_

 _"Oliver Queen." Oliver sighs._

 _"This is Abraham." He introduces the mouse._

 _Oliver couldn't really give a damn what the mouse's name was but he smiles anyway._

 _"I remember you from before. You escaped." He smiles back._

 _"With that blonde whore!" Another prisoner yells._

 _"That's Hendrik. He's a charmer." The Reverend sighs._

 _"Yeah I hope she rots in hell." Hendrik mutters._

 _"Hey. Harley was a prisoner, just like all of us!" Oliver snaps in her defence._

 _"Right. Funny I never heard her scream." Hendrik retorts as Oliver turns to face Thomas._

 _"How long have you been here, Thomas?" He asks kindly._

 _"A little over a year, I was working as a missionary in Maliku, just off the coast of India. This ship docked there for supplies. Dr. Ivo asked me to come aboard to administer last rites for a dying man. My mistake." He sighs._

 _"I'm sorry." Oliver replies._

 _"Don't be. Can you imagine a better place for a man in my life of work?" Thomas points out as Oliver smiles at him, just before the door to his cell is ripped open by the captain._

 _Just like when Anatoly had been led out of the cell, the other prisoners hit their metal cups against their cell bars as Oliver is led out of his cell._

 _"Prochnost." Anatoly calls to Oliver as he passes his cell._

 _Strength…_

 _Oliver's more than a hundred percent certain he's going to need a lot of it right now…_

 _Ivo's Office_

 _Oliver is forced into a chair the instant he is taken to Ivo's office and is immediately chained down to said chair as Ivo approaches him._

 _"Mr. Queen. Welcome back." He says in greeting as he stands in front of him._

 _"My men are still searching the beach for your friends and Harley. They have the Mirakuru. So… Where are they?" He asks Oliver simply, who just glares up at him._

 _"Go to hell." Oliver hisses._

 _"Maybe you'd like to rethink that." He says as he picks up a pair of scissors and cuts out a piece of fabric in Oliver's long sleeved top._

 _"Ivo. You can torture me all you want to but I am never going to tell you where they are!" He snarls firmly, struggling briefly with his restraints._

 _"No. Not willingly." He lifts a syringe into his hand._

 _"What is that?!" Oliver calls fearfully in an instant, struggling with his restraints._

 _"Ohh this? See this is sodium pentathol. It's more colloquial, yet very descriptive name is truth serum." He says as he approaches Oliver with the needle, whom continues to struggle._

 _"No. No wait. No I'll tell you everything!" He cries just as he's injected with it as Ivo smiles._

 _"Let's begin."_

 _Queen Mansion_

Laughter fills the room as Moira finishes recounting an anecdote to Shado, whilst Oliver sits across from them, completely silent…

"Are you married, Shado? Do you have any children?" Moira asks her kindly to silence.

"Sadly neither anymore." She admits with a sad look in her eyes.

"Anymore? There was someone special in your life?" Moira looks at her sadly.

"There was but he's not here right now." She admits as Shado glances at Oliver.

"I'm sorry." Moira says quickly.

"My mother and I have had to deal with a lot of loss, unfortunately and eventually we learned. That you just have to move on from all the bad and appreciate those who are still alive." Oliver murmurs quietly as Shado looks to him again.

"I don't believe that." She says as she gets to her feet, moving toward a painting.

"You know I have heard that your family has an affinity with the fine arts." She comments.

"Yes, my husband amassed quite the collection of nineteenth century American landscapes." Moira responds.

"I'd love to see them…"

"Maybe another day." Oliver cuts her off sharply as he gets to his feet.

"We have some family business that we need to discuss right now." He hisses at Moira.

"I'm sorry. My son seems to have forgotten all his manners. Let me just get my staff to open up the rest of the house." She rests a hand on her arm in passing.

"Thank you." Shado smiles, spinning around and gripping Oliver's wrist in split second as the minute his mother had left them alone he launches knife at her.

She squeeze his wrist until the knife falls from his grasp, a smile crossing her face.

"Mom? Ollie?" Comes the sudden call of Thea as she enters the house.

"Not yet, Oliver. I'm still going to meet the rest of your family." She hisses.

"Hello?" Thea continues as she approaches the living room. Oliver putting his foot over the knife the instant she appears in the doorway.

"Hey Ollie. Have you and mom talked because despite both you and Slade reassuringly me I know there's something wrong cause the whole not speaking thing…"

"Thea now is not a good time." Oliver cuts her off as she looks to Shado.

"Who's your friend?" She asks with a smile.

"Shado. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've already heard such wonderful things about you from your mother." Shado smiles kindly.

"About me?" Thea smiles even wider.

"Thea, what perfect timing. This is Shado and I…"

"They've met." Oliver mutters sharply.

"Was just about to show her our art collection. But you're far better suited, come." Moira smiles at both Shado and Thea as she leads them away.

"Senior year I was obsessed with art. My teacher made me bring my entire art history class over here to show our pieces. It was exactly as mortifying as it sounds." Thea admits.

"Ohh I'm sure it wasn't that bad, you're a very lucky girl to have know such privilege and I am very fortunate to have your entire family here." Shado smiles back.

"Ohh not our entire family. If this was our entire family we'd have my boyfriend, Roy, Ollie's girlfriend Sara and his best friend Slade here. Ollie normally never goes anywhere without either of them. You know I should text them and get them over here. They seen the art before?" Thea glances back toward Oliver who nods.

"I'm sure I showed them." Oliver calls through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps you should get them over here. I'd love to meet them both." Shado looks to Thea as Oliver sighs deeply again and clenches his jaw tighter.

"Ohh don't bother Thea. They're unavailable. Sara's at work and Slade's looking after a friend." Oliver mutters.

"Of course. His girlfriend, Sara. She works at the club I own." Thea says to Shado.

"You own a club?" She frowns.

"I do. It's called Verdant. You should visit it sometime." Thea suggests as Shado smiles.

"I'd like that Thea."

 _The Amazo_

 _"Oliver." Ivo starts a few moments after injecting him with the truth serum later, shining a light in his eyes._

 _"Oliver what's your name?" He starts with simple question._

 _"Oliver Jonas Queen." He replies honesty as Ivo puts the light down._

 _"Oliver, where were you born?" He questions._

 _"Starling City." Oliver replies with a dazed smile._

 _"Why did you build a bonfire on the beach?" He snaps the next question._

 _"So you'd see it." Oliver replies with furrowed brows._

 _"I told you." The captain hisses at Ivo._

 _"Was the bonfire a trap?" He continues to question Oliver._

 _"Not a trap. It was a… A distraction." He winces as soon as he's uttered the words._

 _"How was the bonfire a distraction?" Ivo frowns._

 _"Where are Sara, Shado, Harley and Slade right now? Where are they!" He snaps._

 _"They're. They're on the freighter." Oliver reveals unable to stop himself._

 _"Where on the freighter?" Ivo growls as a pained expression crosses Oliver's face as he tries to remain silent._

 _"They're in the engine room because we have a raft." He reveals._

 _"Sound the alarm. I want every man on this freighter down in that engine room. Search the entire floor. Go!" He snaps at the captain instantly, who races out of the room._

 _"Oliver Jonas Queen." Oliver murmurs in his drug haze as he is lead out of the room, smiling as such a recent memory hits him._

 _"It'll taste even worse." Harley had told him back at Slade's Plane._

 _"But will it work!" Oliver had retorted._

 _"I spent a year with Ivo, I know how he thinks. It'll work." She'd replied._

 _"What is it exactly?" He had wondered._

 _"Cocculus indicus. It's a natural source of picrotoxin which will counteract effects of barbiturates." She had revealed._

 _"Like Sodium Pentothal." Oliver had guessed._

 _"Ivo's favourite. But you still got to act stoned to sell it." She had pointed out as Oliver had wrapped a hand around her wrist with a wide smile._

 _"Lucky for me, before all this. I had a lot of practice!" He had laughed at Slade's response._

 _"That is nothing to be proud of!"_

 _Opening his eyes fully. Oliver leaps into action, engaging the guards around him in instant combat, knocking one over the side of the railings, and knocking another one forward to the ground and takes no haste in grabbing the keys from his belt…_

 _Lian Yu_

" _They're clearing the docks. The top of the ship is emptying." Harley informs them as she looks through binoculars whilst Shado and Slade as busying themselves with the parachutes._

 _"Are you girls ready?!" Slade snarls at them both._

 _"I am!" Harley responds as she attaches herself to Shado._

 _"Slade. You really don't want an honest answer to that." Sara cries back._

 _"But you've done this before in the ASIS right?!" She questions as Slade wraps his arms around her._

 _"NOBODY'S DONE THIS BEFORE!" He yells as both he and Shado jump off the cliff, carrying Harley and Sara, whom screeches loudly with fear, with them as they fly the parachutes in the direction of The Amazo, landing right on the Amazo's dock_

 _"What a ride!" Harley cheers as she Shado releases her with a slight smile in Sara's direction._

 _"Have we landed yet?" Sara cries, eyes still shut tightly._

 _"Sara. Sara we've landed. You're gonna end up breaking my neck!" Slade mutters as Sara finally releases him as she feels Harley take the bow and arrows from her as she spies Oliver racing toward them._

 _"Here. I think these belong to you." She passes them to him as Oliver approaches them._

 _"You okay?" He looks to Sara who nods quickly._

 _"You know when I laughed at you for the tree swinging incident? Think karma came back to get me." Sara winces as Oliver smiles slightly before looking to Shado, Slade and Harley._

 _"We're on a clock and she says you wanted to save the prisoners!" Slade indicates toward Harley as Oliver nods._

 _"Yeah. Yeah. Harley and Sara can get them. Ivo sent his men to the engine room just like we planned." Oliver says quickly as they walk._

 _"More convenient for me to take them out." Slade growls, pulling on the mask before he and Shado turn to Oliver._

 _"Go find Ivo. He can't get off this ship. But don't kill him." Shado warns him sharply as she storms away with Slade, hissing as she goes._

 _"That son of a bitch is mine."_

 _Queen Mansion_

"And here we have a Curtis Swan from eighteen eighty two. Fun fact about this one. He actually pained with his left hand due to severe arthritis." Thea informs Shado as she smiles at the piece of artworks.

"It's absolutely exquisite." She muses.

"I know. I can't tell you how many offers we've had from private collectors for it." Moira points out as Thea nods.

"But it was one of dad's favourites." She adds unbeknownst to both of them, Oliver has his phone in hand and is discreetly calling Sara…

"Wasn't it Ollie?" Thea calls in an attempt to get his attention.

"Yes it was." He nods as he turns to face the three.

"He loved that one."

"Then you must never sell it." Shado comments as she faces Thea, Moira and Oliver.

"I believe that when we lose someone that we love we have the obligation to honour their memory."

 _The Foundry_

As Sara's cell phone rings nosily from the desk, an arrow is fired into a target wall by Roy, whom hasn't exactly had a perfect centre yet.

"I thought eventually I'd hit something." He muses as Sara pats his shoulder in passing.

"Be patient. Ollie and Nyssa make it look easy." She grins.

"Can I have a sword? I was good with one of them." Roy sighs.

"Roy. You are not going anyway near a sword unless under Slade's direct supervision." Sara says sternly as Roy readies another arrow.

"Is it true about Tommy possibly being infected with this crap to?" He asks after a minute.

"Yes. He could be. We'll get onto that as soon as Ollie and Slade are back." Sara admits.

"Where is Slade anyway?" He questions.

"Felicity got shot in the shoulder defending me. He's looking after her." Nyssa replies.

"Wow. She okay?" He asks, worry in his voice.

"Yeah. She's just fine. Probably feeling like she's on top of the world right now." Sara smirks as Diggle nods.

"And that won't be because of the drugs." He sniggers.

"Because she has the full undivided attention of Slade Wilson? Yep." Sara chuckles whilst Roy fires another arrow that once again, does not achieve a perfect centre.

"Look. Is anyone gonna get that damn phone?" He grumbles.

"Sara. It's yours." Nyssa calls, picking the phone up from the desk.

"Mine?" Sara frowns as she reaches for it to see that it's Oliver.

"Hey Ollie." She smiles as she answers the call to silence.

"Ollie?" She frowns as she places the phone down on the desk after a minute.

"Well I do think Ollie just butt dialled me." She chuckles as she moves toward the computer.

"Didn't think he'd be the type to 'butt dial.'" Diggle points out as he enters The Foundry.

"Neither do I but you should have seen Slade with a smartphone when we first got back. I swear he's had a vendettas against smartphones ever since. Ended up stabbing it." Sara smirks as she types.

"But you guys never heard that from me. Ohh and don't tell Felicity, she'd never speak to him again." She chuckles to laughter from Diggle and Roy as Sara pulls up Oliver's call.

"And here is a Joseph Cooper from eighteen ninety." Comes the voice of Thea.

"Hey that's Thea!" Roy breaks into a wide smile at hearing her voice.

"That's gorgeous." Comes an unfamiliar voice to everyone in the room. Everyone but Sara whom freezes in an instant.

"Sara?" Nyssa glances toward her the instant Sara grips onto the desk, breathing hard.

"Sara what's wrong?" Diggle moves toward her also.

"I actually have a painting from his first solo exhibition in Boston." The voice continues.

"No. No. Ohh god no. No." Sara cries running her fingers through her hair.

"Sara. Sara what's the matter who is it? What's wrong, tell me?" Nyssa places a hand on her back gently as both Roy and Diggle move toward Sara.

"Who is that Sara?" Diggle questions as Sara gets to her feet.

"Her name is Shado and unless we stop her, she's going to kill Oliver and his entire family." She admits as the bow arrow falls from Roy's hands.

"Sara please tell me you know another woman named Shado." He murmurs as she shakes her head, on her feet in an instant.

"We need to move. Now!" She snaps.

"Are you sure it was Shado? I thought she was dead?!" Diggle exclaims as he, Roy and Nyssa race after Sara as she grabs a knife.

"I'm sure, that's not a voice I'd ever forget." She whispers as she grabs a box, throwing it down on the table in front of Diggle.

"This might work." She nods as if to reassure herself.

"Might?" Roy winces, pulling his red hoodie on.

"She has the Mirakuru in her." Sara retorts.

"So do I." Roy reminds her.

"Can we trust you out there?" Nyssa folds her arms as Roy turns away from her.

"I'll be fine." He murmurs as the four of them start to move toward the staircase.

"Shado was well trained even before she was injected. Diggle you get the chance, you get the shot. You put her down." Sara instructs, trying to keep any emotion from her voice.

"Roy. You stick with me ok. You sure you can do this?" Sara glances to him.

"I said I'll be fine, just give me a minute to call Slade. We're gonna need him. I'm gonna need him out there." Roy reaches for her phone but Sara rips it from his hand and throws it halfway across The Foundry.

"NO!" She practically shrieks.

"No! We can't call Slade. Whatever happens. No one is to call Slade!" She cries as she turns to face them all.

"Sara. He needs to know about this." Diggle murmurs as he looks to the gun.

"No! He doesn't find out about this, ok. We go in. We take her out and Slade never finds out. We kill her now, keep it between us and to Slade she died on The Amazo. We do this. None of this ever happened." She cries as she turns to the stairs.

"And Slade will never ever learn the truth."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be updated really soon thank you all so much for your lovely reviews, follows and favourites it means a lot. See you all next chapter :)_**


	116. The Promise (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Sixteen_**

 _The Amazo_

 _A commotion sounds out all over the Amazo as in the cell block, Sara and Harley busy themselves with freeing all prisoners from their cells._

 _"Why are you doing this?" Anatoly calls as Harley unlocks his cell._

 _"I'm with Ollie now!" She points out as he glances at her quizzically._

 _"Ollie?" He frowns._

 _"Oliver! Now come on." She gestures for him to follow her._

 _"Why should I believe you?" He questions._

 _"Because you don't want to die. Go, his girlfriend's over their. Follow her!" She gestures toward Sara as she moves to unlock the Reverends cell, whom looks at Harley in shock, yet smiles at her and nods in thanks as he races away with the other prisoners, as she moves onto the next cell. Hendrik's cell._

 _However, he isn't as grateful to be let out as the others hand been and instantly advances on Harley the minute the door is opened._

 _"You helped that maniac torture us!" He snarls as he instantly grabs her by the throat, throwing her to the ground and starting to strangle her…_

 _Suddenly, he releases her as he slumps to the ground, having been hit on the back of the head by the Reverend, whilst Sara appears, pulling Harley to her feet as she does so._

 _"Follow us."_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _As Ivo's guards race through the freighter, guns in hands, shooting anyone that isn't a guard like them._

 _They're being chased…_

 _Chased by monsters…_

 _They are able to bear witness to the brutal throwing of other guards from one side of the freighter to the other by the two figures operating in the shadows._

 _The monsters…_

 _The guards fire their guns at rapid speed to no effect at the two assailants._

 _The two figures seem to just ignore the fact they're being shot at and instead continue to take down the guards, one by one._

 _Two of the guards begin to run once The Man In The Mask puts down the last guard in the room, shooting as they go whilst they are followed by The Man In The Mask and his partner._

 _However, the bullets continue to just bounce of the two assailants almost as the guards fire at them as they approach, coming closer and closer by the second._

 _The guards swear that they have even shot the two assailants in places that would have at least put them down by now._

 _Yet they continue to advance on them at rapid speed, the female partner knocking the first one aside as The Man In The Mask advances on the final one._

 _"No!" The guard yells as he races into a wall, clinging to it desperately as if it would somehow forgive way and let him escaped._

 _The Man In The Mask continues to approach the guard._

 _There's no escape for him._

 _Elsewhere…_

 _As the commotion continues, Oliver races through the corridors that are empty of guards and when a load of them appear he stands out of the way, listening in to the shouting._

 _"Where's Ivo?" One guard yells._

 _"He's heading to the bridge!" Another answers, giving Oliver the location of Ivo, which is the direction he heads in as throughout the Amazo all he can hear are multiple explosions and stampedes from guards and prisoners alike as Oliver finds himself a hatch, which he pulls himself through, hiding behind a wall when he hears gunfire near him._

 _Yet when he does, on the other side of the Amazo, he sees Ivo through a window and now knows exactly where he needs to be._

 _Leaping down a flight of stairs, he races across the deck. Engaging one guard in combat, ripping two grenade from said guards belt before continuing to leap over obstacles and run._

 _He has to get to Ivo before Shado does and now Shado's with Slade._

 _He said he'd deal with it._

 _Yet now, Ivo's fate lies in Oliver's hands…_

 _Meanwhile…_

 _"Answer the phone, answer the phone." Ivo growls repeatedly as he paces up and down the room, a phone in hand._

 _"Please." He whispers as it continues to ring._

 _"Hello?" A woman's voice comes through the phone._

 _"Jessica. It's me." He murmurs the minute he hears her voice._

 _"Who?" She questions._

 _"It's Anthony." He says a little clearer then before._

 _"Anthony… I was married to a boy named Anthony." She muses in response._

 _"I know sweetheart." He replies quickly._

 _"But he went away." Comes her almost dazed response._

 _"I went to find a cure and I found one sweetheart. I found it and soon we're going to be…" He stops as he hears a gunshot from outside._

 _"He was a doctor but he went away." She continues as an explosion suddenly happens from behind him causing him to drop to the floor._

 _Coughing and groaning, Ivo lifts himself up to see Oliver Queen in the entrance, his bow and arrow in hand, aimed directly at him._

 _"It's harder then it looks, isn't it? Killing an unarmed man." He muses._

 _"It seemed pretty easy for you when you practically killed Shado!" Oliver hisses in response._

 _"I didn't do that to her Oliver…"_

 _"Ivo you shot her!" He cuts him off with a growl._

 _"I gave you a choice! And you were a coward! You wouldn't make it so Slade was given the choice and he chose to save you!" Ivo snaps back._

 _"Only because he couldn't hear me tell him to save Shado! Because you hurt me to manipulate him into choosing!" Oliver snarls back as Ivo shakes his head._

 _"You blame me and I bet Slade does to but that's because the two of you can't face your own guilt. I loaded the bullets, yes. I pulled the trigger. But Slade. He aimed the gun and when she begged to be let go and die at peace you poisoned her with the Mirakuru to cover up yours and Slade's guilt! So he could cover up the fact he saved someone like you over her and the two of you hold yourselves responsible, you in particular. Don't you?" He questions as the bow and arrow shake in Oliver's hand as he nods._

 _"Yes." He replies with all honesty._

 _"But that doesn't mean I won't kill you!" He retorts._

 _"The question is… What will she do?" He whispers as Oliver freezes in place._

 _No. He thinks. No, no, no._

 _He keeps the arrow trained on Ivo. No ones behind him._

 _She's not there._

 _She hasn't just heard every single word of that…_

 _"Shado. It's not what you think." He hears the voice of Slade and at that he does turn around to see that Shado is infact stood behind them and Slade's behind her, removing the mask as he tries to talk to her._

 _"Is it true?" She hisses venomously._

 _"Shado. I didn't know there was a choice. It was all a haze. All I knew was that Oliver was screaming out in pain." Slade starts carefully, holding his hand out towards her, she steps away from him violently._

 _"Is. It. True." She hisses as Oliver looks up at Slade._

 _"Shado, we tried to tell you…"_

 _"Tell her Oliver. Both you and Slade tell her. I was angry, just like you are right now Shado and I wasn't thinking clearly…"_

 _"SHUT UP!" Both Oliver and Slade bellow at Ivo simultaneously._

 _"I acted rashly. You were there. You know I told him to choose between you and Sara and he didn't! He was cowardly! Which is when dear Harley attempted to shoot me. Then Slade Wilson arrived and I offered him the same choice. Except his was different, he was to choose between you, the woman he says he loves and him, the coward and he chose Oliver! He practically launched himself at Oliver! He made the choice and he chose to save Oliver over you and the whole Mirakuru in the bullets thing one of my men overheard over the radio. What utter bullshit. I mean Mirakuru in the bullet are all of you freaking insane? They gave you the Mirakuru by force even when you begged them not to, to cover up their own guilt because he chose to save Oliver over you." Ivo yells to her as Shado looks at Oliver for a few moments before at Slade, a look of pure devastation on her face._

 _Devastation, anger, rage… So many emotions all at once._

 _All dangerous…_

 _"Don't listen to him Shado. Listen to me. I didn't know. He manipulated this whole situation Shado! I love you. You know that I love you more than the world. This ain't the kids fault either, love. It's his! He manipulated me then and he's manipulating you now!" Slade shouts in a desperate attempt at getting Shado to listen to his words._

 _"He's a monster. He will say anything. You know that he will!" Oliver cries also._

 _"Tell her I'm lying Oliver. Or better yet, you tell her I'm lying Slade. Say it!" Ivo yells._

 _"You. You gave me the Mirakuru…" She hisses at Oliver._

 _"You chose him over me?" She turns to Slade._

 _"I can explain… We can both explain, Shado please!" Oliver cries just as she swings a weapon at him._

 _"OLIVER! SHADO STOP!" Slade races to get in front of Oliver to shield him from Shado's next attack as Ivo scrambles up from the floor._

 _"And look there he goes again! Calling after Oliver! Always Oliver, Oliver, Oliver. He will always choose Oliver!" Ivo yells as Shado kicks launches an attack at Slade, who deflects her easily as Oliver tries to move past them, yet grabbing a sharp object from the side, Shado moves quickly, grabbing onto it and just as Slade's arm is raised she stabs him straight through the arm, pinning him directly to the wall, allowing her to reach for Oliver, just as the freighter lurches to the side._

 _She grabs Oliver by the throat and holds him up in the air as Slade tries to free himself._

 _"SHADO NO!" He bellows as he tries to free his impaled arm, growling out in pain as he feels the Mirakuru trying to heal his skin around the sharp object imbedded into his arm._

 _"Shado…" Oliver groans as she chokes him against the ceiling._

 _"Please… Ivo…" He whispers._

 _"He's dead." Shado hisses at him._

 _"As dead as you are." She adds as a sudden explosion causes her to drop him and fortunately for the object to come loose, freeing Slade._

 _Scrambling to his feet, Oliver races toward the window where he sees an explosion._

 _"Kid!" He hears Slade call from behind him._

 _"Kid! Get out of here. Go!" He yells desperately._

 _"Aren't you coming with me?" Oliver looks at him, a look of pure fear in his eyes._

 _"I can't leave her, kid. I can save her kid." He protests._

 _"Slade. Slade…" Oliver starts carefully as Slade pushes him toward the door._

 _"GO!" He bellows as with one last look at the man he considers a brother, Oliver races at top speed through the door…_

 _Elsewhere…_

 _Meanwhile, on the main deck of the Amazo, guns are fired by guards at rapid speed, whilst explosions go off left right and centre from various things as the prisoners, lead by Harley and Sara break through a hatch, whilst Oliver battles his way past several guards in an attempt to get them and moves to take cover the instant he comes under a hail of gunfire._

 _Elsewhere, behind another vantage point. Sara, Harley, Anatoly and the Reverend are taking cover. The Reverend holding up a glass mirror to see the guards that are shooting them._

 _"How many?" Sara calls to him as the glass mirror is abruptly shot out of his hand…_

 _"I think a lot!" Harley calls as she leans past them to fire bullets with her own gun._

 _"Save your bullets!" Anatoly suggests as he glances in the direction of the Reverend._

 _"This one time. You can pray for me." He murmurs before rolling into the firing range to grab a gun of his own, which he then proceeds to fire at the guards._

 _However, his gun soon runs out of bullets at the exact time another guard is approaching him with a gun in hand. The Reverend, Sara and Harley watching on in horror as the guard approaches him, Harley moving to fire at him with her gun, just when the guard goes down due to arrows fired by Oliver, whom races toward them._

 _"BEHIND YOU!" Anatoly yells to him as Oliver whirls around to shoot at the guard about to fire upon him, rolling forward to avoid a knife that is thrown at him by another that he soon puts down with another of his arrows, before dropping behind to take cover with Harley, Anatoly, the Reverend and Sara._

 _"Ollie are you okay!?" Sara cries toward him before noticing something else._

 _"Where's Slade and Shado?!" She yells as Oliver looks her dead in the eyes._

 _"She knows." He murmurs as Sara's eyes widen and she shakes her head._

 _"She knows." Oliver whispers as Harley glances at him._

 _"I told you this would happen Ollie and I'm guessing Psycho's joined her right?" She mutters as Sara lets out a devastated cry at even the thought._

 _"No. No. He stayed behind to try and talk her down." Oliver calls as Sara looks somewhat relieved at the news they haven't lost them both to the Mirakuru…_

 _"We've got to get of of this ship!" Harley cries suddenly as another explosion sounds out._

 _"No!" Oliver shouts back instantly with a rapid shake of his head._

 _"Ollie. It's over! It's over! We've got to go! We can still swim back to the island!" Harley cries back as Anatoly nods._

 _"She's right! We must hurry!" Anatoly yells as Oliver looks to Sara._

 _"I don't want to die here Ollie." Is all she whispers as Oliver nods finally as, during a gap in the gun firing, Anatoly, followed by the Revered, Sara, Harley and Oliver race toward the boat side, leaping off the boat in that exact order._

 _However, just as Oliver is about to jump. He's stopped by something._

 _Slade. He can't leave Slade._

 _Yet Slade told him to go…_

 _"SHADO NO!" He hears Slade's sudden bellow as Oliver feels himself dragged back by a strong force he knows must be Shado._

 _"Slade! Get off the boat! They've gone back the island with Sara. It's over!" Oliver calls to him as he tries to free himself from Shado's grasp, whilst seeing Slade now stood at the side of the boat, yet doesn't move._

 _"Slade go!" Oliver yells._

 _"Not without either of you!" Slade snarls as Oliver shakes his head, thinking quickly as Shado's grip becomes unrelenting and pulls the other grenade he'd taken from his pocket, releasing the grenade before anyone can do a thing, the explosion destroying part of the side of the Amazo, causing Slade to fall as Oliver had wanted toward the sea._

 _Yet due to beyond quick reflexes, Slade catches Oliver's arm and pulls him with him._

 _Shado however grabs Oliver's legs and both of them begin to tug him with their Mirakuru fuelled strength._

 _Due to Shado's grip on his leg, Oliver staggers more her way, causing Slade to end up gripping onto Oliver's hand and as Shado tugs him backward toward her. Oliver knows he's either going to end up being physically ripped in half by both of them, or she's going to end up pulling Slade back onto the Amazo and both of them will then be trapped…_

 _Oliver knows the choice he has to make right now and makes it with ease._

 _For Slade, his brother…_

 _For Sara…_

 _"One of us has to make it out of here." He whispers._

 _"NO! KID DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU DARE LET GO!" Slade bellows at him._

 _"One of us has to be there for Sara." Oliver continues and he lets go of Slade's hand and the instant he does that Shado pull him backwards at such a force, it forces Slade to let go entirely as the part of the ship he had hold on breaks and he falls into the ocean whilst Oliver remains aboard is dragged backward by Shado._

 _"Shado wait..." Oliver starts as she stops dragging him, sending him into unconsciousness with one swift punch…_

 _Later…_

 _Oliver's unconscious form is disposed of by Shado herself in one of the cells back inside the cell block of the Amazo._

 _She shuts the door behind him forcibly as he lies there._

 _The traitor… the liar…_

 _The reason for all her pain…_

 _"Stop. Don't move bitch." She hears someone growl from behind her._

 _"Get in the cell." The captain continues, as four guards stand behind her, all armed with guns in each of their hands…_

 _"I do not take orders from you." Shado hisses as she turns around to face them._

 _"I am this ships captain, bitch." He hisses back._

 _Shado simply starts walking towards him, a glare crossing herself when he shoots her._

 _The bullet of course, making no effect to her whatsoever._

 _One of the only perks of the Mirakuru._

 _Healing properties beyond explanation._

 _She grips the captains head in both her hands._

 _"Not anymore." She snarls before crushing his skull with her bare hands, dropping his body to the floor before turning to face all in the room._

 _"This is my ship now!" She yells loudly, taking one of the overhead chains in hand._

 _"Any objections?"_

 _Queen Mansion_

"Shado is dangerous. No chances, no mistakes." Sara hisses through her comms to all those there as she walks up the drive.

"I'm in position." Diggle confirms as adjusts his rather large gun.

"When Shado comes out, I'll have the shot." He confirms as Sara brings up a map of the house she has on her phone.

Things would be so much easier if Felicity were around right now…

But Felicity is with Slade and if she knows what's going on so will he and that's something Sara is not willing to risk at all right now…

"Nyssa, I've brought up thermal imaging. They're in the northwest hall." She informs her as Nyssa nods, whilst Sara jumps up to bar attached to the house.

"Roy remember, just get Thea and Moira away from Shado. Don't start a fight, you'll lose ok?" Sara calls through his comms.

"Ok." Roy nods as he approaches the front door at the exact same time Nyssa does.

"Let's go." Sara says the word as they both enter through the double doors.

Meanwhile, locating Oliver's old bedroom windows, Sara creeps along side the window ledge until she finds two double windows she can easily open with one of her daggers and when she does so she jumps through the window, heading toward the landing where she waits for Shado, stopping when she hears her laughter and voice.

It's like a thousand needles to her heart…

"Thank you again, for such a wonderful and insightful tour." Shado beams at Moira and Thea as they head toward the main hallway.

"You were a remarkable guide." She nudges Thea kindly.

"Did you have a favourite?" Thea queries.

"I found 'The Promise' to be particularly compelling." She responds.

"Thea you in here?!" Roy's voice calls out as he approaches the group with Nyssa.

"Roy! I thought I was meeting you at Verdant." Thea frowns.

"Oh, yeah." He nods as he gives Oliver a reassuring glance.

"And I don't exactly have a vehicle yet so Roy offered to give me a lift to Verdant." Nyssa nods as she to looks to Oliver as Moira directs Shado to them both.

"This is one of my son's newer friends, Nyssa and uh…"

"I'm Roy Harper." Roy cuts Moira off with a tight smile.

"Ohh so you're the boyfriend Thea was telling me about. My name is Shado." She moves forward to shake his hand.

"That's a particularly firm handshake you have there." She comments.

"Yeah, you too." Roy replies with a confident smirk as Sara begins to walk down the stairs.

Upon seeing her, Oliver instantly shakes his head and she pockets her knife back in the sheath she has attached to her back.

"Ollie." She calls to him as Shado spins around to face her in an instant.

"There you are. You weren't at home so I figured you'd be here." She smiles as she walks down the stairs, Moira glancing at her as she does so.

"Sara, we didn't hear you come in." She queries as Sara moves past her, instantly moving toward Oliver's side, taking his outstretched hand and squeezing it tightly.

Both of them just wanting to hold onto the other at this exact moment in time.

"I didn't want to interrupt the tour." She replies with a tight smile at Moira as Oliver clutches to her hand.

"Shado. This is my son's girlfriend, Sara Lance." Moira introduces them.

"Of course. You're the other to come back from the dead." She remarks.

"It's been almost two years and I still can't believe they're both here right now. I mean still we're all just so glad they're home." Thea comments as Shado nods in agreement, her eyes never leaving Oliver and Sara's.

"Well I can see. I mean. It's hard to find that special someone who means everything to you. You were both very lucky." Shado comments, looking to them both for a few moments.

"So… What would you like to do now? Shado." Oliver questions confidently as Shado looks to both Oliver and Sara in turn before turning around to look to Roy and Nyssa.

"Well, I'd hate to break up the party but I think I should be going I have a long overdue meeting with someone I haven't seen in years." She smiles confidently herself as she turns to Moira, who leads her to the door.

"I look forward to seeing more of you Moira." Shado says in farewell before glancing toward Thea, Oliver, Sara, Roy and Nyssa again.

"And your lovely family." She smiles as Nyssa moves toward Oliver and Sara.

"Diggle got a shot lined up outside." She murmurs as Oliver tightens his hold on Sara's hand.

"Shado?" He calls toward her as both she and Moira turn around at his call.

"May I walk you to your car?"

 _Outside Queen Mansion_

Exiting the house, Oliver and Shado walk side by side down the driveway towards Shado's very nice looking fancy car.

Meanwhile, Diggle begins to aim his gun in the direction of Shado the instance he sees Oliver walk out with a woman that could only be Shado.

He focuses the target, finger on the trigger, which he slowly begins to pull…

An unknown assailant knocks him into unconsciousness before he can do anything else…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Cyrus Gold, The Man In The Skull Mask. All of this was you." Oliver murmurs to Shado, unable to believe he's even saying these words to her right now.

She should be dead. Long dead, she should be here.

The past really has come back to haunt them. He'd thought that before but he'd never once imagined that it would be to this extent.

He remembers Nyssa's words.

'Diggle has a headshot lined up'.

He's going to pull the trigger and it's all going to be over…

"They worked for you." Oliver mutters as Shado shrugs.

"Well, Oliver. I have my allies. Just as you have yours." She points out as they reach her car.

"John Diggle for example. I suppose you're wondering why he hasn't taken that head shot." Shado hisses as she walks ahead of Oliver.

No. No, not Diggle. No… Horrific thoughts race through Oliver's head in an instant…

"Don't worry." She replies almost boredly.

"He's still alive, for now." She finishes as she opens her car door. Oliver grabbing her arm.

"You're behind all of this."

"Thought we'd established that." She retorts.

"I have a friend. A friend I care about…"

"Let me guess. You want to ask me about Tommy?" She smirks.

"You…" Oliver trails off.

"I made him stronger. You know, you should thank me. There was no way that man was going to wake up from that coma. The Mirakuru brought him back to you Oliver. I gave him that. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me." She points out.

"You gave him the Mirakuru?" He snarls as she folds her arms.

"You know I wonder what path he'll choose. Perhaps he'll embrace it, just I did. Perhaps he'll turn against you, his best friend. You always told me how you cared for Tommy but even the closest of people to you can turn on you…" She trails off as she moves to her car.

"Shado." Oliver moves toward her quickly as she turns around to face him.

"What do you want?" He growls as she scoffs, getting into her car at the same time and closing the door at the same time she rolls down the window.

"Five years ago I made the three of you a promise. Don't you remember?" She hisses, judging by the silence and the look on Oliver's face that he does.

"Well, I'm here to for fill it. But for now. I wasn't lying in there Oliver. I do have a long overdue meeting with someone I haven't seen in years." She smiles as she starts her car.

"I'll see you around Oliver!" She calls before closing her window and driving away from the Queen Mansion…

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Despite how hard it was to finally tell Tommy the truth, his reaction was something Laurel had never prepare for.

She'd dreamt up so many different scenarios all of them ending badly one way or another.

Yet she'd never expected it to end with Tommy simply pulling her into his arms and holding her close and apologising over and over again.

"Why, why are you sorry? Why are you apologising to me. I should be apologising to you I. I didn't say anything." Laurel cries after several hours of just sitting in Tommy's arms on the couch where he holds her close and tightly as he had tried to process everything Laurel had told him.

That she found out she was pregnant during the time he spent in the coma.

That he's now a father...

A father to not one, but two kids.

He Tommy Merlyn, a father...

"Because you had to go through all that alone. Because I wasn't there for you Laurel. I should have been there for you. I missed all of it. Their birth, probably their first words, everything. I've missed out on it all… It. It just makes me resent my father even more… He caused that freaking earthquake and if I. If hadn't have gotten to you. If I hadn't have saved you from that building you would have died and our children along with you…" He mutters, holding Laurel tighter, until she winces slightly and he releases his hold on her instantly.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you Laurel." He murmurs, kissing the top of her head.

"That's ok. It's ok. You're here now and Tommy. I know this is a lot to take in and I don't expect you to…" He cuts her off by kissing her instantly.

"Laurel. I swear to you I'm never going anywhere again. I will never leave you or our kids. I will be there now with the three of you every single step of the way to my best ability. I love you Dinah Laurel Lance and I always will." He vows as she tightens her hold on him.

"You know the one thing you haven't mentioned is their names." Tommy points out after a moment as Laurel looks up at him with tear stained eyes.

"Our son is called Brandon Thomas Lance Merlyn." She tells him as Tommy's eyes widen.

"You named our sons middle name after me?" Tommy glances at her with a smile.

"Yeah. Yeah I did." She nods as he rests his forehead against hers.

"Our daughter?" Tommy continues.

"Rebecca Sara Lance Merlyn." Laurel replies as Tommy's eyes widen once again.

"You. You named our daughter after my mom?" He looks up at her with genuine tears in his eyes this time. Laurel nods.

"I figured you'd like that. I know his much you loved your mom Tommy and I thought we would have decided on that name for our daughter if you'd have been there with me anyway. It just. It just felt right." She admits as Tommy holds her close.

"It's perfect." He responds as he kisses Laurel again.

"You never said, who else knows?" He queries after a minute.

"Well not many. I didn't want to risk it getting out what with the Merlyn name being dragged through the mud due to what your father did. I didn't want our children in the public eye. So only few know the truth. My dad, my mom, Sara, Oliver, Slade, Sara's friend Nyssa, Diggle, Cat, Leena, my boss, Moira Queen and a friend I made named Martin Stein. He used to stay in the apartment down the corridor and he would always help me look after them but he. He went missing." Laurel stops, thinking of professor Stein.

"He's still missing." She muses as Tommy is amazed at the fact Oliver never even said anything to him to even hint it.

Well, then again. Oliver is great at keeping secrets.

"Where are they now?" He asks gently.

"They're with my friend Cat Grant. I couldn't get a hold of my babysitter. She's probably out of town. Cat. She, she like I said she's been there for me and the kids. Never lets me down, I don't think I could have done all this without my dad, Sara, Oliver, Slade, Leena, Cat and Professor Stein and honestly Tommy. Even though you weren't physically there. You were with me every step of the way." Laurel smiles at him kindly as he takes both her hands in his, squeezing them tightly, yet she pulls her hands free and instead pulls the chain out that the ring hangs from.

Tommy beams at the sight.

"Honestly. I thought that was lost. Your dad may have mentioned to me that it wasn't but…"

"You talked to my dad?" Laurel raises an eyebrow at him.

"Well that was on my things to do list before the coma because well… I… Laurel. Wow I thought this would be easier to do." He stops as he smiles up at Laurel.

"I love you Laurel and I always will love you." He murmurs as Laurel smiles happily.

"And you know I love you too." She says as he takes her hands in his again.

"So… Dinah Laurel Lance. Will you marry me?" He asks with a megawatt smile as Laurel beams in response before leaning forward to kiss Tommy.

"So I take that as a yes?" Tommy pulls away for a moment as Laurel nods rapidly.

"Definitely." She whispers against his lips.

"Definitely a yes."

 _Lian Yu_

 _"We made it!" Anatoly cheers the minute the reach the surface of Lian Yu._

 _"Thank god I learnt how to swim." Harley breathes in relief as she leans against the shore, laughing to herself, glancing to where Sara is still swimming to shore, her arms sore from swimming so far and even though she's so close to the shore she doesn't believe she'll make it until she feels strong arms lifting her out of the water and carrying her to shore._

 _"Slade?" She whispers as she looks up at him._

 _"I'm here Sara." He replies reassuringly as she throws her aching arms around him._

 _"I thought we'd lost you." She cries as she holds him before another thought hits her._

 _Shado… Shado knows._

 _Shado knows the truth…_

 _"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Slade!" She practically sobs as Slade shakes his head._

 _"It's not your fault Sara. It's not your fault." He murmurs._

 _"Where's Oliver?" Anatoly calls at that point as both Slade and Sara turn around._

 _"Ollie?!" Sara whispers looking out to sea where several other prisoners are heading to shore. None of them are Oliver…_

 _"Ollie!" Harley calls loudly._

 _"Ollie!" She continues to cry as Sara looks up at Slade fearfully._

 _"Kid blew part the side of the freighter off with a damn grenade, I had a hold of him but so did Shado and he. He let me go." Slade stops, the realisation dawning on him in that instant so viciously he releases Sara._

 _Oliver let him get off the freighter, yet remained himself._

 _Oliver sacrificed himself for him, for Sara…_

 _His brother…_

 _"He sacrificed himself for me… For you." Slade murmurs, running a hand through his hair as Sara breaks down into heavy sobs._

 _"OLLIE!" She cries out into the distance once more before sobbing. Slade pulls her back into his arms, holding the sobbing Sara to him._

 _"This isn't over. We're gonna get the kid back. We'll get him back." Slade mutters determinedly as he holds Sara close._

 _"I promise."_

 _The Amazo_

 _A still unconscious Oliver lies on the soaking wet ground in his cell._

 _The cell that used to be the Reverends, which is apparent due to his bible still on the cell floor, something he'd evidently had to leave behind during the prison break._

 _"Oliver." Shado calls his name from the cell door to no effect._

 _"Oliver!" She growls before looking to the guards that have now decided to he under her command after they dropped their weapons to the ground when she killed the last captain._

 _"Get him up." She mutters._

 _"I need you to show you something Oliver." She says when she walks away, whilst the guards drags Oliver sharply to his feet, pulling him out of unconsciousness as they drag him to the centre of the room, whilst through another door, more guards drag in Ivo._

 _"Ok, wait." Ivo holds his hands up to Shado the second she faces him._

 _"You need me." He tries to bargain when she glares at him and Oliver, his eye now swollen shut from where she'd knocked him out._

 _"Ok you have the Mirakuru in you!" Ivo continues as Shado scoffs._

 _"Not just in me." She mutters and to Oliver's utmost horror, she pulls the remaining Mirakuru syringes from her coat pocket, holding them out in Oliver's direction._

 _"You three burned a box full of dirt." She points out as Oliver closes his eye._

 _They should have checked. They should have checked the damn box._

 _"Hey look, I can help you understand how it works." Ivo continues from where he stands. "I've spent my entire life studying it alright…"_

 _"It was you. You were the one who shot me." Shado cuts him off with a hiss._

 _"No. No Slade made that choice because he was a coward." He says the latter comment whilst pointing toward Oliver._

 _"It's all because of him this happened to you. Him!" Ivo snaps still pointing at Oliver._

 _"Give him your gun." Shado glances towards one of her guards, who removes a gun from his pocket and hands said gun to Ivo._

 _"Take it and show me how you did this to me." She mutters as Ivo just stands there, now with a gun in hand._

 _"SHOW ME!" She yells at him._

 _"You were fighting. Your back was turned. I had Oliver in my grasp, the gun in the other. The second Slade went for Oliver I turned around and I... Pulled the trigger." Ivo stops, his hand shaking with the gun in it._

 _"Shado…" Oliver starts as shakily he gets to feet._

 _"This isn't you." He whispers as she faces away from him._

 _"This is the Mirakuru and you're sick!" He protests in an attempt to somehow get through to her right now. He'd do anything._

 _"I don't care." Is all she mutters in retaliation._

 _"He didn't know there was a choice Shado. He didn't know what he was doing he just saw me in pain and acted on that. I tried to tell him. I tried to tell him there was a choice but I couldn't get through to him Shado. I didn't want him to save me. I wanted him to save you and then when you were lying there, dying in his arms, yes I gave you the Mirakuru because losing you would have broke Slade's heart, Sara's and mine. Yes. Yes I was selfish but I couldn't watch Slade break like that and I couldn't lose you because I care about you. You know that I do!" Oliver yells desperately, hoping the truth will do something to her. That it will break through the Mirakuru mind control and she'll be Shado again._

 _Herself! Not this. Not this at all…_

 _"I don't care." Shado mutters again, still stood near Ivo._

 _"You said I was the brother you never had. You said that." Oliver protests, trying to get her remember feelings she'd felt only hours ago._

 _However, she ignores Oliver's protests and continues to walk around where Ivo stands, who still has the gun in hand._

 _"Is that how you pointed the gun at me?" Shado questions sharply._

 _"Near enough. My gun was pointed at Oliver's head, then at you and when Slade chose Oliver I turned around and shot you." He reports, his hand trembling with the gun in it._

 _Standing behind Ivo, Shado looks at him for a moment before, with what Oliver is certain is one of Slade's swords in hand, spins around in a move Oliver remembers Slade teaching her and subsequently slicing Ivo's hand clean off, who falls to his knees, screaming in pain._

 _"Get him out of here!" Shado commands the guards._

 _Ivo still screaming in pain as they drag him from the cell block leaving only a few more guards, Oliver and Shado in the room._

 _"Why don't you just kill me?" Oliver whispers to Shado, whom merely glances at him._

 _"To kill you now… Would be a mercy and besides. It's not just you who has to suffer." She mutters as Oliver shakes his head._

 _"No. No Shado you don't mean that." He almost pleads._

 _"Neither of you can die until the you have each suffered in the same way that I have suffered…" She hisses, whilst circling around on the spot._

 _"Until you have all know complete despair and you will." She mutters as she stops circling to walk toward Oliver and stopping directly in front of him._

 _"I promise."_

 _Queen Mansion_

Almost the instant Shado had left, Oliver had turned and raced back toward the house where Sara, Nyssa and Roy stand in the hallway.

"Is it." Sara starts, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"Is it done?" She whispers as Oliver shakes his head.

"She had someone out there to take out Diggle. She said he's alive but that's not what we have to worry about right now." Oliver says in a hushed tone as they all frown at him.

"What?" Nyssa questions with folded arms.

"Right now, the five of us need to get to the…"

"Oliver?" Comes Moira's call from inside the living room.

"Start walking down the drive. Get Dig. I'll meet you there in a second. We need to move fast. The apartment. We need to get to the apartment." Oliver hisses as he moves quickly into the living room, instantly glaring at the bottle of 'authentic Australian rum' that still resides on the trolley.

"Shado leave?" Moira questions from the corner of the room.

"Yeah. You know , It's getting pretty late so I'm going to go home to." Oliver says, already moving back toward the door.

"Hmm Oliver?" She calls him back.

He closes his eyes in annoyance. He really needs to leave right now.

"I know you and I have our differences but they hardly excuse your behaviour tonight." She scolds him with barely even a glance at him as she spits out the next words.

"If this is the way you're going to act around me from now on then don't come by the house anymore." She muses as she walks out of the living room. Oliver sighing as he doesn't really think much of Moira's words, just races toward the door.

When he's outside he sees that Sara, Nyssa and Roy are in fact with Diggle, whom appears to be rubbing his head.

"Oliver. Ohh thank god, man. I'm sorry. I almost had the shot but someone came from behind me, knocked me out before I could. I'm sorry and Oliver. This really is that Shado isn't it." He murmurs regrettably.

"Yeah. Yeah it is. I'm just glad you're ok but right now we have bigger problems and probably a less friendly conversation with Shado then we just did." Oliver is already starting to walk as he says these words.

"You said to get to the apartment. Our apartment?" Roy calls as they walk.

"Yeah we need to get to the apartment right now." Oliver growls.

"Why? What's at the apartment… Ohh my god Slade." Diggle trails off.

"None of you called him here." Oliver muses as everyone looks to Sara.

"I figured we could do it. Take her out, pretend this never happened and he'd think she died on the Amazo five years ago." Sara whispers as Nyssa looks to Oliver.

"So what's happening now?" She questions as they walk.

"Right now?" Oliver barely even glances back at her as his walk starts to become a run.

"Right now Slade's in danger."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment _

Having spent a good few hours sitting with Felicity to help her recover from her bullet wound, she and Slade have spent that time talking to one another.

Felicity mainly talking and babbling when ever she got either deeply into something or nervous, Slade expects as he'd sat with her and listened.

Slade had eventually become so lost in his own thoughts later on, he hadn't even realized how late it had gotten, or that Felicity had fallen asleep on him.

"Slade?" Her soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts again as he looks down to see her looking up at him tiredly.

"You got any more painkillers?" She questions.

"Yes. I'll be right back." He replies as he carefully untangles himself from her grasp, moving toward one of the cupboards.

"You must think I'm being a bit of a wimp. I mean you, Sara, Dig and Oliver just get shot and then just carry on like nothing happened. I mean you left a bullet in you for hours after you got shot remember, that's the day you guys recruited me." She remembers.

"You've never been shot before. I've lost count of the times I have and that I will say again was to ensure you all focused your efforts on saving Oliver." Slade reminds her when he returns to her with the painkillers.

"You'd do anything for Oliver and Sara wouldn't you?" She smiles softly.

"That I would. Looked after the two of them for a very long time and I will continue to do so for as long as I live." He replies.

"They're lucky to have you looking out of them the way you do." She points out.

"You can tell them that." He smirks.

"I mean what you did that day for Oliver… I don't even know how you did it. You say it like it was easy, to nearly let yourself die so we'd focus on saving him." She comments.

"Well. I know he'd do it for me and there is nothing I wouldn't do for that kid, or Sara. I've put them first for almost six years now. It's a habit. One that will never go away and I wouldn't want it to either. They mean the world to me Felicity." He murmurs.

"And at one point during the five years. Oliver Queen was all I had in the world. I'd lost everyone I'd ever loved but the kid was there. He was left and I was at such a risk of losing him to but, by the grace of god, we remained together and I didn't lose him and of course came that joyous day when we regained Sara. That is just one of those moments that I will never forget." Slade admits as Felicity looks at him sadly.

"You said you and Oliver lived together at one point." She muses as he looks to her.

"We did. It was after we'd escaped ARGUS. The two of us were free to do as we please, but due to reasons we, we didn't return here. We got a home and it was just me and the kid and we were both satisfied with spending the rest of our days there together until the day, obviously we were returned to the island." He reveals as she looks at him in surprise that he would actually tell her all that.

Not knowing what to say in response, she glances at the clock on the wall.

"Wow it's late. No wonder I'm tired." She laughs lightly as Slade nods.

"Come on, you don't have to go anywhere. You can stay here." He murmurs.

"I couldn't…"

"Felicity." He says sternly and with that she just smiles at him, before latching onto him with her good arm when he moves to pick her up carefully, carrying her with much ease up the stairs and to his room, where after kicking the door aside slightly, he places her carefully on the bed, only leaving her for a brief minute to steal a couple blankets from rather large blanket mountain in Oliver's room (why the kid has so many blankets he'll never know) before retuning again to Felicity, draping the blankets over her before sitting at the edge of the bed for a moment just as Felicity reaches forward with her good arm and grabs his wrist.

"Will you stay with me?" Felicity whispers in a quiet voice, her hand gently gripping his arm.

"Sure." He murmurs as she smiles sweetly at him.

"Do you want the scarf back?" She asks in a tired voice as Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"Still on about that damn scarf?" He question with a smirk to a smile from her in return.

"It's yours. Looks better on you then it did on me anyway." Slade retorts as she snorts.

"Bet that's not true." She laughs softly.

"Believe me. It is." He responds with a smile of his own as she lifts her good arm, her fingers lightly stroking his cheek.

"You're so nice to me. Why are you so nice to me?" She murmurs.

"That's question I should be asking you." Slade mutters in response.

"Because underneath all those walls you put up, you're a softie really." She smiles as Slade rolls an eye at her.

"That. I most certainly am not!" He retorts indignantly with a slight chuckle.

"I see through your walls Slade Wilson. You can't keep everyone out." She points out as he raises an eyebrow at her.

"I don't."

"You try." She retorts as he falls silent.

"And you shouldn't. You have so many people here who care for you Slade and not just Sara and Oliver. You got Thea, Sin, Laurel, even Dig doesn't not like you anymore and then there's Roy and you know I think he really looks up to you. You're helping him control the Mirakuru he's been poisoned with and honestly. I think, thanks to you he's not going to go off the rails." She smiles softly.

"You have a lot of faith in me." Slade muses.

"Of course I do." She says with another smile.

"We're partners remember? Isn't that what you said?" She reminds him as he smirks.

"Partners." He murmurs back as suddenly the sound of someone knocking on the door fills his ears and he sighs.

"Felicity. I'll be right back. Oliver's probably forgotten his keys again." Slade muses as he smoothes Felicity's hair back gently, kissing her forehead before getting to his feet.

Pretty certain he saw someone's set of keys on the coffee table earlier on and knowing Oliver, they're probably his!

With a sigh, Slade moves out of his room, shutting the door behind him before jogging down the steps, heading in the direction of the front door.

Opening it with his own keys with a disgruntled sigh.

"Kid if you've forgotten your keys again I swear…"

No…

The sight of the person on the other side of the door causes Slade to freeze instantly.

It can't be… No. It's impossible. It can't be possible. It can't be… He thinks to himself, his mind running wild with thoughts in the split second he opens the door.

No…

"Slade Wilson." She starts with a sly smile.

It's really her. She's alive…

She's.

Alive.

"Shado…"

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be updated soon and thanks so much to all of you whom have followed, favourited and reviewed this story, please leave a review if you can and thanks again for reading :)_**


	117. Suicide Squad (1)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Seventeen**_

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

"Shado." Is the only word that leaves Slade's mouth as she smiles at him coyly.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You look like you've seen a ghost." She remarks as Slade staggers backwards, her words hitting him instantly like a million swords.

"You. You were there. I. I wasn't hallucinating." He hisses as he runs a hand through his hair.

That day. That horrid day where he did nothing but hallucinate thanks to Cyrus Gold…

The man who works for her…

Cyrus Gold had the Mirakuru. Shado has the Mirakuru…

It was all her. It's been her since the beginning…

That was the real her in The Foundry, she's dressed exactly as she was then…

It was always Shado...

"Ohh trust me, you were hallucinating badly. You thought you'd killed your precious Oliver." She retorts almost sharply, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm.

"Believe me. The poison wasn't intended for you." She adds as Slade shakes his head.

"You can't be here." He hisses, trying not to raise his voice, knowing Felicity's upstairs.

Felicity's upstairs…

"How can you be here." He whispers.

"Well. It's as you always used to say. Oliver can't do anything without screwing something up." She mutters with an evil glint in her eyes.

"I. Didn't die on the Amazo." She mutters.

"I can see that." Slade whispers.

"I almost did but I didn't. Just like you." She lifts her hand to his eyepatch, Slade grasping her wrist in an iron like grip.

"Hmm. Not as strong as you were sweetheart. You lost the Mirakuru. Of course you did. You lost that near the end of your third year away." She smirks as Slade tries to remember how to breathe, his grip on her wrist faltering.

"Ohh yes. I've kept track." She smiles.

"I've had some fun in doing so as well. Deathstroke. Nice name. It suits you but you prefer The Man In The Mask, don't you?" She smirks.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" He practically snarls.

"I'm here on a promise. Ohh Oliver gave me that exact same look…"

"What did you do to him!" Slade hisses in an instant.

"Ohh nothing, yet. I just paid his mother and sister a visit actually. They showed me their art gallery. I made a contribution to Moira Queen's campaign. I know she put an assassination attempt on you and all but she really is a remarkable woman. She was just afraid of you. Afraid of what you'd do to her family." She comments as she spins around so they're standing face to face again.

"And whilst I was there. Oliver arrived to see him mother and one by one the rest of them showed. Sara, that young man I infected with the Mirakuru, Roy I think Thea called him and your newest team member… Am I forgetting someone? Yes! John Diggle. Now whilst I didn't meet him face to face. I do believe he was all prepared out there to take me out. Turns out he was but alas. He failed…"

"What did you do?" Slade snarls the instant she's said the words.

"I'll give you the same answer I gave to Oliver. He's still alive for now." She starts to move away from him but he grabs her arm again.

"What. What are you doing here?" He growls.

"I made a promise remember. Wow you're just as forgetful as Oliver, never thought I'd see that." She smirks as she moves toward the door.

"I'll see you around, sweetheart."

 _Later…_

"SLADE?!" Oliver yells as he races up the steps to the apartment followed closely by Sara, Nyssa, Roy and a still quite disoriented Diggle.

"SLADE!" Sara yells as she and Oliver reach the door first, shoving their keys instantly into the door and opening it, all five of them bursting into the apartment simultaneously.

"She's gone." Comes Slade's quiet murmur from the kitchen, where he stands by the island, a already have drunk bottle of something alcoholic in his hand.

"Did she hurt you?" Roy questions sharply

"Where did she go?" Diggle queries.

"Who knows." Slade mutters numbly.

"Well did the two of you fight? Is she injured, think she could have gotten far?" Diggle asks as Slade shrugs.

"No. We didn't fight. Felicity's asleep, need to be quiet. I don't want her to wake up." Slade mutters as he takes another long swig from the bottle in hand as the others sigh in relief that Felicity's unharmed and by the sounds of it, is asleep.

"Sleep through the whole thing?" Diggle enquires.

"Fortunately so." Slade retorts almost draining the bottle in hand.

"Slade perhaps you should give me that." Oliver holds his hand out for the bottle, a worried look upon his face as he and Sara approach him cautiously. Slade just glares at him.

"Slade I'm so sorry." Oliver murmurs softly, holding out his hand still, hoping either Slade will hand him the bottle or just take his hand.

"I thought. I thought I'd finished this. I never…"

"Well you didn't, did you Oliver." Slade retorts almost sharply.

"I was so sure." Oliver closes his eyes momentarily.

"But we can deal with this. We can find her and we can stop her, together. The three of us." Sara moves to rest her hand on Slade's arm but he pulls away sharply.

"Slade…" Oliver starts as Slade discards the now empty bottle somewhere across the room where it shatters before moving to retrieve another one.

"Ok. That is not a good idea right now. Come on, we can do this. I got the Mirakuru to. I fight her I could end this but we got to all be on the same page." Roy starts, moving toward Slade, whom pushes past Roy, heading towards the door.

"Slade. Slade no, don't go." Sara starts, she, Oliver and Roy moving quickly toward the door.

"I need some air. I need to be anywhere but here." Slade grumbles saying nothing more as he moves past them rather quickly and slamming the door behind him and abruptly in Oliver, Sara and Roy's faces.

Oliver rests his head against the door in despair in an instant.

"Oliver you need to go after him." Diggle says in a warning tone.

"Ohh I'm gone." Roy opens the door but Oliver places a hand on his arm in restraint.

"No. No, he'll come back. He just needs time to think, give it an hour or so. If he isn't back by then that's when we go after him." Sara decides.

"I don't know Sara, perhaps we should just go after him now. He. He did not look good." Oliver winces before burying his head in hands again.

"Oliver. Oliver this isn't your fault. None of us believed that woman was still alive." Nyssa rests a hand on his arms as Oliver just sighs and wraps his arms around both Sara and Nyssa as something else hits him.

"I know something else." Oliver murmurs as everyone in the room looks to him.

"What. Ohh god what now?" Diggle folds his arms.

"Tommy has the Mirakuru."

 _A Bar In Starling City_

Sitting at a bar with a tall drink in hand, Slade keeps his eye on the door until the moment Lisa and Leonard enter the bar, moving swiftly over to him.

"Hey." Lisa smirks at him as she sits beside him, Leonard sitting the other side.

"Wow. You look like you've been hit by a truck. Is everything alright?" Leonard asks with a slight frown as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Ohh I'm fine." Slade responds, taking a sip from his drink as Leonard frowns at him again. "You sure about that?" Lisa questions softly.

"You decide you finally want to join us on a heist?" Leonard says, ever hopeful only to receive a glare from Slade in response.

"Ok so you left us a message. We came. What of it?" Leonard questions as Slade looks at both he and Lisa with an almost blank expression.

"Slade." Lisa rests her hand on his arm.

"What's wrong?" She queries, her eyes full of concern.

"Has something happened? Who hurt who and what can we do about it?" Leonard drawls.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just…" He stops looking at them both once more.

"Have a little surprise for the two of you." He says, trying his hardest to smirk when he just wants to… He doesn't know what he wants to do.

Not anymore…

"What?" Leonard glances at him skeptically as Slade glances at them both before sending information to them via mobile.

"Were you joking just when you said you didn't want to go on the heist?" Lisa queries at the sight of the message and attachment Slade had sent them both.

"I've been wondering where these priceless jewels have been for years. How did you find it?" Leonard glances up at Slade in surprise.

"I have my ways." Slade murmurs as Leonard frowns.

"Only problem is. The location is on the other side of the world." He points out.

"I have added flight details to the message." Slade responds bluntly.

"Trying to get rid of us or something?" Lisa nudges him.

"Coming with us?" Leonard smirks.

"No, no. This is a little something for the two of you." Slade replies.

"A little something? Lenny speaks the truth. These are the score of a lifetime. People like Lenny and dream of finding these jewels. They're priceless and you've located them for us?" Lisa looks at Slade with a surprised look in her eyes.

"I care about the two of you." Slade retorts.

"So the vigilante is practically pointing us the direction of crime. I like it. Come with us! Considering Mick isn't in the picture anymore. We could use a third crew member." Leonard smiles as Slade glances at them both.

"Now, whilst I may be able to point you in the direction of a heist. I am still a vigilante." He points out before adding.

"Besides its on the other side of the world. Don't want the Arrow and the Black Canary getting suspicious do we." Slade tries to manage a smirk as Leonard raises his eyebrow at him but shrugs and fixes him with a smirk of his own.

"And this why the two of us are friends. See you when we get back. We should begin our planning, Lisa. Sure we can't tempt you to join us?" Leonard tries again.

"Leonard." Slade mutters with a sigh.

"Fine! Fine but join us of you change your mind and please consider it." Leonard smirks as he heads for the door, Lisa hanging behind a moment to take Slade's hands in hers.

"Thank you for this. We haven't had a good heist in a while." She admits.

"Oh no problem." Slade replies as she leans over to kiss him.

"I'll see you when we get back and if we're both still single then…" She smirks at him.

"Of course." Slade nods as she kisses him again, squeezing his hand at the same time before heading after her brother.

"Be safe." Slade murmurs as he watches them go before ordering himself another rather large drink which he so desperately needs night now…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I hope to god this is important. You know you guys have just dragged me away from my fiancée right?" Tommy smirks as he approaches Oliver and Sara in a deserted alleyway.

"Fiancée? Laurel hasn't…" Sara looks down at her phone only to see many missed calls and texts from Laurel.

"She has. Congratulations." Sara moves to hug her future brother in law tightly.

"Congratulations." Oliver smiles, pulling Tommy into a hug after Sara.

"Yeah. Yeah it's all good. The woman I love is now my fiancée and I am a father to two children I found out about like a few hours ago." Tommy says with folded arms.

"We wanted to let Laurel tell you herself." Oliver says in explanation.

"Ohh I'm grateful you did but it's just… Me. Being a dad. I never thought I'd ever be a father and honestly, figured if I ever did I'd do something wrong considering the father I had was no good." Tommy sighs as Oliver rests a hand on his best friends arm.

"Tommy, you're going to do great. You are not your father." Oliver assures him.

"Ohh don't I know it. My father, the Dark Archer." Tommy mutters angrily, both Sara and Oliver glancing toward one another anxiously.

"You guys going to get on with what you wanted or can I go back to Laurel…"

"Look. Tommy we're concerned. Someone from our past came into town with this drug. It's a drug called Mirakuru it is beyond explanation. It causes enhanced strength, healing, a lot of things are enhanced with this drug but it. It can warp the mind. It can make the user someone unrecognisable. That person has it, Thea's boyfriend has it and during the five years so did Slade and I nearly lost him to it." Oliver admits as Tommy frowns.

"You know, the honesty is nice and all but why are you two telling me this?" He queries.

"Because you're infected with it to." Sara replies.

"Wait what?" Tommy glances up at her.

"It's how you were awoken from your coma. The Mirakuru it healed you enough to allow you to wake up but despite how good that is. It's bad Tommy. It can destroy everything good about a person. Make them violent, willing to hurt anyone and everyone. Hurt loved ones. Slade nearly killed Ollie and me various times whilst under this stuff and the person who from our past? She was taken by it. It destroyed everything I loved about her. She was like another sister to me and because of the Mirakuru I lost her. So we just want to be there for you right now. To help you get through this so you don't…" Sara stops abruptly.

"You. You think I'd hurt her? Hurt Laurel? Hurt my, my kids?" Tommy mutters in a dangerously quiet voice.

"No Tommy, we're not saying that. What we're trying to say is…"

"I would never hurt her. You hear that you two? I'd never hurt her. Or my kids. I'm not like Slade Wilson. I can control myself…"

"So could he. He could control himself pretty well Tommy and the amount of times he snapped was still worrying and every time it was worse. Let me help you. Let me train you to control your abilities because one mistake. Just one mistake could have devastating consequences. You don't want that because it's the people closest to you who are the ones most at risk. Laurel. Brandon. Rebecca…"

"Oliver Queen. I would never, ever lay a hand on them. I'm going to protect them. I can control this, this Mirakuru. I don't need your help." He growls as he starts to walk away.

"Tommy that's the Mirakuru talking." Sara sighs as he ignores her, just continues to walk.

"Tommy we have to talk about this! It isn't just going to go away!" Oliver calls after him but Tommy's already out of earshot.

"Well that went well." He sighs once Tommy is gone.

"He'll listen to you Ollie. It's just the Mirakuru it's not helping and you know what it's like it enhances emotions and is probably making him even more stubborn than he already was." Sara sighs as her phone begins to ring.

"It's Dig." Oliver notes when she pulls the phone out of her pocket.

"We have a problem." Diggle starts the instant the call connects.

"Ohh god what now?" Sara replies with a sigh.

"It's Sin. We were going through some information on Shado. Sara, it turns out Sin's known that woman for several years." Diggle reveals.

"What?!" Oliver growls as Sara beckons him toward the phone.

"No, no. Please say she's mistaken or something…" Sara starts.

"Nope. No she's not. Apparently Shado's been with her for almost as long as you have. She looked out for her. Yet she lied about her name bet she figured if Sin ever mentioned her, you guys would know something's up. Look guys, Sin's really freaking out right now. She needs you guys here." Diggle sighs.

"We're on our way." Oliver calls.

"Just tell her to hang tight ok. We're coming." Sara replies, hanging up the phone, taking Oliver's hand as they begin to break into a run until Sara's phone rings again.

"It's my dad, I've go to take it." Sara sighs as she answers the call.

"Dad I'm kinda having a really bad day right now and…"

"Yeah well Sara, it's about to get a whole lot worse." Comes Quentin's instant reply.

"What the hell is going on right now and don't say nothing, I have all the proof right here in front of me to say otherwise." Quentin adds instantly as Sara frowns.

"Dad? What is it. What's wrong?" Sara asks as Oliver turns to face her.

"Well as you all know I'm a cop and you know, I'm doing my rounds, just doing my job when I get a call about some moron in my area going way over the speed limit and due to the fact said moron wasn't stopping for any of the other officers in the area it was in an the way the vehicle was being driven, I was told the driver in question could be drunk driving. So you know. I said I'll sort it out, I know a few shortcuts I knew a way to cut this moron off and you know what? I did and considering the driver was Slade Wilson. I figured something must have happened!" Quentin reveals as Sara closes her eyes as Oliver buries his face in his hands at the reveal.

"So what is it? Cause you know I should have arrested him but I didn't due to the whole load of weapons he's got presently in his vehicle, along with a bottle of alcohol I might add and because I'm kinda in on the secret. But seriously Sara what the hell is going on? He is practically wasted and I can't believe I'm even saying this. It's Slade. He's the one who keeps all of you guys in line. So what's happened?" Quentin questions as Sara looks to Oliver who still has his head in his hands.

"Ohh my god." He murmurs.

"Look dad. I swear Ollie and I will tell you everything, yes something's happened and it's got something to do with the island." She admits as she hears her father sigh.

"Like that Mirakuru stuff again or worse? I'm guessing worse considering if I hadn't have stopped him he could have gotten himself killed driving under the influence like that. Seriously Sara, how bad is this because he is last person I'd ever expect to ever lose it like this." Quentin queries.

"It's. It's bad. We'll explain everything. Just…" Sara stops, unsure of what to say.

"Look, I'll get him back to The Foundry ok…" Quentin starts yet is instantly cut off.

"No don't move just stay there. If you try and bring him to us he will fight it and you will lose." Sara warns him as she and Oliver start running again.

"Just hold on we're coming!" Oliver calls back.

"Yeah well guys think you better just stay there." Quentin sighs through the phone.

"What? Why? What's going on." Sara calls as Quentin sighs again.

"Well, he's already gone."

 ** _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment: One Week Later…_**

Oliver awakens from his nightmares with a sudden gasp, breathing heavily as thoughts run wild through his mind.

It's been exactly one week.

One week since Shado appeared in Starling City alive and well.

One week since she returned to them after five years of believing her to be dead…

"Sara." Oliver murmurs softly, knowing her to be beside him in their bed and just wanting her comfort, he reaches behind him to stroke her hair with his fingers.

However, when he pulls his fingers back they are red and sticky with her blood…

"Sara!" Oliver cries as he pulls her toward him only to see her drenched in blood, three arrows embedded into her chest.

"No. No. Sara!" Oliver cries as he pulls her body into his arms.

Just like how he killed…

"SARA!"

 _Reality…_

His eyes snap open. It was just a dream.

It was only just a dream…

He runs his hands through his hair before rolling over to face the peacefully sleeping Sara.

Alive and well Sara. It was only just a dream.

He'd have pulled her into his arms, kissed her head and held her close if he didn't mind her waking up.

But he does mind her waking up as right now there's somewhere he needs to be.

Somewhere he needs to be alone.

Careful not to wake her, Oliver gets out of bed, moves toward the bedroom door and heads down the stairs, his phone already in his hand as he dials a number and with a sigh when the calls connects he begins to speak fluent Russian…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking along a deserted path, Oliver walks straight toward the man he'd been on the phone with.

Alexi Leonov.

'Alexi, how are you my friend?' Oliver asks in fluent Russian as he shakes the man's hand.

"What can I do for you? There's no gulag here in Starling City." He replies with a smirk.

"Anatoly talks too much." Oliver smiles as Alexi responds in Russian again.

"I need you to find a woman for me." Oliver requests after a minute.

"Her name is Shado, she's rich, Chinese. I need to know where she sleeps."

"First. I need you and your Australian friends assistance with my business. There is a man who owes me a substantial amount of money…"

"I'm not here to trade." Oliver cuts him off sharply.

"You know how our brotherhood works. I do a favour for you and you do one for me." Alexi reminds him plainly.

"Put it on my tab, Alexi. I don't have time for these games." Oliver responds.

"Make time. My services are of no use to you unless yours are of use to me." Alexi replies as two men walk behind Oliver, drawing firearms from their coat pockets.

"Ok." Oliver smiles before suddenly spinning around and engaging the two men in combat, punching one in the face, disarming him before holding the gun he'd retrieved to the other man's head and the other gun from the other man in Alexi's direction.

"I know exactly how this brotherhood works and right now it works for me." Oliver snarls before speaking Russian.

'Do we understand each other?'

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment _

Shutting the apartment door quietly behind him, Oliver is just about to take off his jacket when he sees the light on and Sara sitting upon the couch.

"I woke up and you were gone." She murmurs, pushing her hair back.

"Yeah I wasn't tired." Oliver mutters.

"You should be. When's the last time you actually slept?" She questions gently.

"Right before I found out Shado is still alive." He retorts as Sara gets to her feet.

"Do you want to talk? I mean… I know neither one of us are very good about sharing our feelings but I get it. Shado… She was like a sister to me Ollie. She meant so much to me and then she became… She was taken by the Mirakuru and you had to do what you did and now she's back and it's a lot and you know… It's ok if your scared. I am too." She admits as she takes Oliver's hands in her own.

"I'm not scared Sara. Shado came back to Starling a City with an agenda. First, she tries to mass produce the Mirakuru and both Roy and Tommy receive it. The. She shows up… At my mother's house. So if she wants a fight, fine. I'll give her a fight and this time, when I kill her, I will make damn sure that she stays dead. I just need to find her." Oliver hisses viciously as Sara grabs his wrist when he moves to turn away from her.

"I'm begging you Ollie. Talk to me. Anything you feel like hiding, don't. Talk to me please." She stops as she closes her eyes, whilst tightening her grip on his wrist.

"I can't lose you too."

 _Outside Felicity Smoak's Apartment: Morning_

Sat outside in his car, Diggle sighs as he glances out of the window, clenching his fists together momentarily before smiling when he looks to his right and through his other window sees Felicity walking toward him, a mug in hand as she opens his car door and sits herself down in the passenger seat.

"Ooh, coffee?" Diggle asks hopefully.

"Hot cocoa." She responds as he glances into the mug.

"What no marshmallows?" He queries.

"I'm out." She sighs as Diggle glances toward her.

"You look tired." Diggle comments.

"Yeah well. I didn't exactly get much sleep last night." She sighs, resting a hand on his arm.

"Any sign…"

"Felicity. You know if there was you'd be the first person I'd call." Diggle smiles as Felicity closes her eyes, a sad expression crossing her face.

"It's been a week Diggle. He's been gone a week and there's no trace of him…"

"Yeah well Felicity, he's ex ASIS. If he doesn't want to be found he's not going to be and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to be found." Diggle reminds her as Felicity closes her eyes.

"He shouldn't be out there alone." She whispers as Diggle sighs.

"I honestly don't think theirs anything any of us can do Felicity." He points out as Felicity buries her head in in her hands.

"You know you weren't in the first night I came here. All nighter?" Diggle glances at her.

"You could say that." Felicity murmurs.

"Good night out?" Diggle smiles.

"Nope." Felicity sighs.

"Didn't think so as I thought I saw your car, just driving around. You do that often? Just go out there and drive around all night. You know I was assuming the worst." Diggle points out as Felicity looks to him.

"Look. I know you were out there looking for Slade and Felicity, honesty I don't think driving around looking for him like he's some stray pet is gonna help find him." Diggle admits.

"I had to do something Dig! He needs to be with the people that care about him right now. Not out there alone doing god knows what!" She cries running a hand through her hair a moment before looking to him.

"So is that what are you doing here, Dig. Watching me?" She asks softly.

"Just keeping an eye on things." Diggle responds.

"Ok and by things you mean my neck? The one you think Shado's going to break in my sleep." She guesses as Diggle looks directly at her.

"Yeah, something like that." He murmurs as Felicity sighs.

"Look. I have extra security details on Oliver's mother. Roy isn't letting Thea out of his sight, Nyssa's decided to spend every night staking out Laurel's." He reveals.

"So I get you sitting outside my house like that lacrosse player my freshman year of college." She babbles as Diggle smirks.

"What? You know, I had a life before you, Oliver, Slade and Sara, yeah?" She reminds him.

"Right. I just want to make sure you're ok, Felicity because I think out of all of us. If Shado's done her homework as Oliver and Sara think she has. You're most at risk and I just want to keep you safe." Diggle smiles warmly at her.

"And I love you for it. But if Shado wants to kill me, she can and there's nothing you can do to stop her. Nothing anyone can do to stop her. So go home, ok?" Felicity smiles sadly as she gets out of the car, Diggle watching her go.

"Hey." He calls to her, passing her back the mug.

"Nice jammies." He smirks, watching her head back into her apartment as his phone begins to buzz quickly.

An unknown number with a message for him.

'Ostrander Hotel. Room 1141. Now.'

 _Ostrander Hotel_

Walking along a corridor in the specified hotel; Diggle removes his gun from his coat as he approaches the room, knocking on it using the butt on his gun.

Surprised beyond words when he sees that it's Lyla behind the door.

"What took you so long?" She questions, leaning her hand against the door.

Diggle puts his gun away before entering the room.

"What is all this? A little early for champagne, don't you think?" He asks a little skeptically.

"Not for me. I just got back from a mission in Pyongyang." She approaches him wearing only deep purple lingerie which causes Diggle to go a bit lost for words for a mere moment.

"Well, damn." He comments as she approaches him.

"That was you?" He inquires as she sighs.

"I'm sorry. That's classified information." She pushes him backwards into a wall.

"But I missed my ex husband new boyfriend and a ARGUS has a standing reservation at this hotel for very important assets. Can you stay?" She inquires, kissing his neck softly.

"Um, well. Oliver, Sara and I kinda have a… Situation." He admits.

"Everything all right?" She queries, looking up at him.

"Yeah. Yeah we're handling it." He responds.

"So you can stay." She smiles and soon after Diggle kisses her and not many words are exchanged after that…

 _Afghanistan_

 _"Hey!" Lyla Michaels called up to the two soldiers in front of the line._

 _John Diggle and Ted Gaynor._

 _"Is there a problem Michaels?" Gaynor calls back._

 _"We need to rest. These women are tired." She replies with her request._

 _"We're all tired. It's a long hike back to camp." Diggle retorts._

 _"Shall I go explain do the ladies why they'll want to get back before dark?" Gaynor cuts in._

 _"They're not allowed to talk to you." Lyla mutters back._

 _"Why because I'm an American?"_

 _"Because you're a man. Five minutes." She retorts sharply as Diggle stops and holds up his hand to signal the others to stop. Gaynor sighs in displeasure._

 _"Girls in the military. Can't keep up, don't join up, right?" He glances toward Diggle, whom just watches Lyla as she walks toward the refugees._

 _'Are you alright?' She asks in Pashto to the nearest woman._

 _'Do you need water?' She queries._

 _'It's my feet.' The woman responds in Pashto, showing Lyla her bleeding and cut feet._

 _'Here.' Lyla responds, pulling a pair of green socks out of her pocket. The woman takes them with a beaming smile and holds them close to her as Lyla begins to move away, only for the woman to grab her arm._

 _'There's something you need to know.' She whispers in Pashto before indicating toward one of the refugees and whispering the truth about said refugee to Lyla, whom pulls out her gun and advances instantly._

 _"Woah, whoa, hey. What's going on here?" Diggle moves toward them quickly as Lyla makes the refugee, revealed to be a man kneel to the ground._

 _"You recognise that face? You should. He's on the U.S military high value target list. Golem Qadir. Opium drug lord and arms dealer." Lyla pulls up the information to Diggle._

 _"Wanted alive." Gaynor cocks his gun at the man as Lyla restrains him before passing him to Diggle and Gaynor, who walk with Qadir in front of them. Diggle glancing toward Gaynor._

 _"What were you saying about women in the military?"_

 _Ostrander Hotel_

"Why didn't we do fun stuff like this when we were married?" Lyla questions Diggle as they exit the hotel room.

"And take time out from our busy schedule of diving each other crazy?" He pulls her into his arms for another kiss, the two giggling as they turn around only to see they're not alone…

"Amanda." Lyla pales the instant she sees Amanda Waller across from them.

"Don't look so worried Agent Michaels. We've all availed ourselves of the Ostrander suite at some point in our careers." She glances between them both as Diggle fights back a glare.

"Something's come up. I'll need you to come with me." She speaks sharply to Lyla.

"Duty calls." Lyla turns to Diggle in an instant.

"Yeah, guess so." Diggle nods.

"Actually…" Amanda cuts in soon afterwards.

"I meant both of you."

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"What are we looking at her?" Diggle questions with folded arms from one of the main control rooms in ARGUS's main headquarters.

"Hydroxy-cyclosarin. It's a nerve agent. It's the apocalypse in the form of a chemical weapon and it's about to hit the open market." Amanda responds in a bored tone as Diggle and Lyla whirl around to face her.

"ARGUS agents uncovered a manufacturing plant in Kaunda. All samples were accounted for, except for one. Two weeks later this footage was captured in a remote village in southern quarac. One millilitre has a kill radius of ten miles. It only took half that amount to produce these results." Amanda murmurs dryly as she brings up the photos.

"Our sources have traced the sample through Europe to an estate in Markovia."

"So send in the army." Diggle mutters in response.

"We send in the army, we risk an international spectacle our government can't afford. This had to be off book." Amanda points out to the two of them.

"If you need me to draw up the smash and grab, done but John isn't a field agent. He's not qualified." Lyla points out to Amanda.

"Due to how he and his friends spend their free time. I'd say his credits transfer." Amanda retorts, causing Diggle to freeze, glancing over at Lyla.

She still doesn't know that the Deathstroke she's hunting is the man he works with.

With a glance to Waller, a worried thought crosses his mind at what would happen if she knew that they haven't seen said man for over a week now..

"Hey look. I don't want this thing out in the open any more than you do, but I'm not sending my friends in on another one if your business trips." He snaps.

"I have no intention of involving the three vigilantes. I need you." She retorts with a glare.

"What for?" Diggle glances toward her.

"Gholem Qadir." She brings up an image upon the screen.

"We caught him." Diggle hisses.

"DOD turned Qadir loose a few years ago." Lyla fills him in as Diggle turns to her.

"Who thought that was a good idea?" Diggle exclaims.

"It's a complicated world Johnny." She retorts.

"The nerve agents not the only WMD Qadir's tried getting his scummy fingers on. Last month he tried to buy Malcolm Merlyn's prototype earthquake machine." She reports as Diggle closes his eyes with a sigh at the revelation.

"Thank you for stopping that by the way. Trust me it worked in your friends favour." She mutters, Diggle guessing exactly what she's referring to in an instant.

"Fortunately, he doesn't know about your involvement in that. He remembers you as the man who tried to save his life. The nerve agents under lock and key at his estate in Markovia. He's scheduled to host a fundraiser there shortly." She explains as Diggle sighs.

"The two of us haven't exactly kept in touch." He points out.

"We've for that covered, but our window is rapidly closing." Amanda murmurs with a glance to Lyla, who closes her eyes as Diggle turns back to face them.

"Ok. So I infiltrate the fundraiser. Come out with the package. Sounds simple enough." He comments as Amanda glances up at him.

"Nothing in this business is simple. You know that Mr. Diggle. Follow me." She indicates toward a door, holding her hand out in a way of telling Lyla to walk ahead before whirling around to face Diggle once Lyla's out of earshot.

"You'll do well to remember to follow my orders here Mr. Diggle. Because if we're going to have a problem with working with one another. Well, Lyla Michael's is a remarkable agent here and yet she doesn't know the true identity of Deathstroke and well Mr. Diggle that can be very quickly rectified. Imagine her surprise if she finds out that not only do you work for him but are friends with the monster our organisation will one day put down. Keep that in mind Mr. Diggle." She moves past him as Diggle closes his eyes.

"Keep that in mind."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be really soon, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and thanks again for all you who have followed and favourited this story :)_**


	118. Suicide Squad (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Eighteen_**

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"I don't need you to get the nerve agent out." Amanda Waller informs Diggle as she leads him and Lyla down a corridor.

A cell block…

"I need you to get your team in." She finishes sternly as Diggle turns to her.

"My team?" He hisses.

"They're designated Task Force X." Amanda retorts as people begin to exit the cells.

"Give me a break." A familiar voice growls amongst the prisoners as the sound of metal can be heard as one prisoner walks forth.

Floyd Lawton. Deadshot…

"This ain't no task force. Let's call it like it is." He glances to everyone else in the room.

Diggle notes instantly that two of the other prisoners include Shrapnel and Bronze Tiger. Yet his main focus is on Floyd Lawton, whom smirks widely at Diggle and chuckles.

"Welcome to the Suicide Squad."

 _Moments Later…_

"It's not only prisoners who grow course and hardened from corporal punishment, but those as well who perpetrate the act or who are present to witness it." Calls Shrapnel as he's uncuffed before being shoved back into his cell.

"Oh please stop giving him books." Bronze Tiger mutters with folded arms.

"So this is your unit, huh, Waller?" Diggle glances to her.

"What? OJ and Charles Manson weren't available?" He snaps.

"Neither were Deathstroke and other names I could list." Waller flashes him a warning look.

"This is a dangerous operation and these men and woman have useful skill." She informs him as Diggle glances around, only seeing men in the corridor.

"Woman?" He decides to ask.

"Yes. You'll meet her in a moment. We've had a bit of trouble with that one…"

"When she says trouble she means the bitch she's got is feisty." Bronze Tiger cuts in, glancing toward a locked cell door.

"Was she?" Floyd glances toward him.

"Ohh you slept through her arrival. Swear to god, you lose your hearing as well as your eye and leg?" Bronze Tiger queries as Floyd gives him a one eyed glare.

"Should the mission be compromised." Amanda starts again, ignoring the criminals to face Diggle again who folds his arms.

"You'll just write them off. The Suicide Squad." Diggle mutters sharply as Floyd is uncuffed, pulling away from the guards he blows a sarcastic kiss in everyone's direction before stepping back into his cell.

"Yeah, like he would ever make the sacrifice." Diggle mutters with a glare at Floyd's cell, before moving away from Waller and grabbing Lyla's arm he pulls her aside.

"Lyla, I can't believe you're on board with this. Those men are murderers!" He snaps.

"And what's the number of bodies dropped between the three vigilantes that you work for?" She retorts sharply.

"What they do. What I do. Is completely different." He folds his arms.

"Not really John. Don't you see that?" She queries.

"What I see Is you letting the man who killed my brother roam completely free." He growls.

"It's not freedom, it's work." She retorts.

"It's wrong!"

"Do you cuties need some counselling? I'm a trained therapist." A woman from inside a cell calls as Amanda unlocks her door.

"In an answer to your question Mr. Diggle. This is your woman." She pushes a pale woman with blonde hair that has blue and pink dyed into the ends toward a set of guards who unlock her cuffs. Instantly the woman holds her hand out.

"Harley Quinn. Nice to meetcha." She says with a grin only to be pushed back into her cell.

Diggle is frozen in place.

He knows the name and unless this is just a coincidence.

This is the Harley, Oliver, Sara and Slade were with on the island…

 _Verdant_

"So this is what the club has come to." Tommy smirks as he enters Verdant, heading instantly toward the bar where Sara and the woman, Nyssa he thinks her name is are.

"How's Laurel." Nyssa asks.

"Oh she's good. She's at home with the kids. Oliver called. He wanted to talk to me about something, either of you want to fill me in before I go down there?" He smirks at them only to get almost glares from both women at the mention of Oliver.

"Ok. What's Oliver done now? I've seen that look before. In the past, on Laurel's face when Oliver used to go into distant mode on her. Figured you'd be the two people he'd be the most open to." Tommy comments.

"Yeah. You'd think so." Sara sighs sadly.

"Wilson got something to do with this?" Tommy question with a glare in his eyes.

"No. No. He's…" Sara stops to move and pour a few drinks.

"What's going on?" Tommy looks to Nyssa whom looks behind him to where Oliver is stood.

"Oliver. You called, I'm here buddy." Tommy smiles widely as Oliver fixes him with a tight smile of his own.

"You okay? You look like you're about to tell me that someone's died. They haven't have they?" Tommy questions quickly.

"No. No but. You and I. We." Oliver stops and begins to walk toward the basement. Tommy sighs to himself.

"I get you."

 _The Foundry_

"I started by tracing the donation Shado made to Moira's campaign. All of the money was routed through a series of offshore accounts. None of which link back to a local address, so I looked into credit card transactions and car rental agreements." Felicity informs Oliver as he walks into The Foundry with Tommy.

"Felicity." Tommy says in greeting before raising an eyebrow at Oliver.

"Same as yesterday?" He queries.

"Yep. Try not to break this one please." Oliver requests as he leads Tommy toward a dummy he had set up, besides another one Roy is punching.

"Welcome to the club." Roy mutters in between hits.

"Why do we have to do this again?" Tommy looks to Oliver.

"Because Tommy. You have the Mirakuru in your system and you need to learn to control your anger. It's the only way you are going to be able to stay in control and not endanger Laurel, Brandon and Rebecca." Oliver reminds them.

"I would never harm them." Tommy growls, punching through the dummy.

"Ohh he's not going to like that." Roy comments unhelpfully.

"Tommy. I know you'd never willingly hurt them but I told you. I've seen the best of people lose themselves to Mirakuru. Shado, Slade…"

"The best of people?" Tommy snorts.

"Tommy." Oliver sighs.

"Fine. Fine. I think she was trying to tell you something anyway." Tommy nods toward Felicity as Oliver nods, looking away from Tommy.

"Hey Oliver." Tommy calls him back causing Oliver to turn around in an instant.

"Glad you're helping me with this and not Wilson." He admits as Oliver nods, looking down at the mention of Slade as he begins to walk toward Felicity.

"Hey, you know Slade's better than him at helping us control this stuff. Don't be so hard on the guy. He actually went through it so he knows what he's talking about. Yet he's not freaking here right now." Roy practically spits out the last words as he punches the dummy with a lot of aggression.

"Perhaps you should keep your thoughts to yourself, kid." Tommy mutters as Roy glares at him venomously.

"Hey!" Oliver snaps at them both before the two can start fighting

"What were you saying? Something about car rental agreements?" Oliver frowns as he reaches Felicity's side.

"She's got to get around somehow, just not by rental car." She admits as Oliver sighs.

"Shado was highly trained when I met her. She knows how to disappear." He murmurs.

"And she's not the only one." Felicity sighs softly.

"There's still nothing. I thought one security camera, something would have picked up even a trace of him right now, or someone would have seen him but I keep coming up blanks." Felicity bows her head sadly.

"Slade's former ASIS remember. He to knows how to be a ghost." Oliver mutters as Felicity's computer starts bleeping and she instantly rolls toward it on her chair.

"Robbery in progress. Fifth and Giffen." She whirls around to face him.

"We're still in the crime fighting business, right?" Felicity reminds him as Oliver sighs and moves toward his vigilante uniform.

"Get Nyssa and Sara."

 _Classified Airfield_

"Still think this is a bad idea." Diggle mutters to Lyla as they're stood by a plane with box's filled with their prisoners belongings at their feet.

"The alternative is worse." Lyla muses as the four prisoners are led out from separate vehicles, Floyd looking rather bored, Harley seemingly chattering to herself, Bronze Tiger looking annoyed which is probably due to the fact Shrapnel is just talking utter crap.

"Please say we're all getting sedated for the flight? I'll do anything get him shut up." Bronze Tiger grumbles as Lyla looks down to the crates at her feet.

"These are your belongings, weapons of choice. They will be given to you before we land. Yet they are presented to you now as they also have more appropriate clothes." Lyla informs them in a business like manner as the four criminals are left to approach the boxes.

"Thank god. This yellow really ain't my colour." Harley comments as Floyd raises an eyebrow at her with a slightly amused look on his face as she glances toward Shrapnel with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"He ever shut up. I mean I like talking but man he just goes on and on and on." She muses as Bronze Tiger nods.

"Ohh agreed." He grumbles.

"Hey. Creepy guy shut it would ya. Kept me awake all night last night with your talking." Harley snaps toward Shrapnel whom glances at her.

"Says the woman who kept all of us up two weeks ago due to your resistance to be locked away?" Shrapnel retorts.

"I wasn't just going in their quietly. I don't deserve to be locked away by these ARGUS pussies again been there done that before. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now." She snaps back with a glare to both Diggle and Lyla, Diggle still continuously thinking of her name and how this could possibly be the Harley, Oliver, Sara and Slade were with in the island…

How could she work with them? How could they work with her? She's a dangerous, from what Diggle's been filled in on, insane murderous criminal…

At the way Oliver talked about her makes him wonder if they could have even been friends.

"Been there done, that? You escape from here before?" Bronze Tiger glances at her as she smirks and laughs at him.

"Course I have. I had fun doing it then and I'll have fun doing it this time." She remarks.

"There won't be a this time." Lyla buts in as Harley glances toward her, laughing lightly.

"Keep thinking that." Harley retorts as she moves toward the crate first, followed soon after by Bronze Tiger and Floyd.

"So what's your name darlin'?" Floyd glances to Harley.

"Harley Quinn." Harley replies as the two shake hands.

"Floyd Lawton." He responds as he lifts his gun out of one of the cases.

"Oh no. No weapons in the plane. You get your clothing, any personal effects you can't go on the mission without. You get your weapons on the other side." Lyla calls sternly.

"Takes all the fun out of it." Floyd sighs, Harley reluctantly putting her hammer back in the box, her fingers trailing over her gun.

"Hell it looks like someone dropped a glitter bomb in there." Bronze Tiger commends upon looking at Harley's selection of items.

"Got a problem with that tiger claws?" Harley snaps back.

"Can we hurry this along?" Diggle calls toward them.

"Impatient are we John?" Floyd glances over at him as he lifts a brown leather jacket from his box and his eye device before moving toward the plane. Harley retrieves a jacket of her own and a few items of clothing before moving toward the plane, only to be stopped in the entrance way by Lyla, whom hands Harley another box.

"This has your required clothes for the mission, a wig and some make up." Lyla informs her as Floyd and Bronze a Tiger snort.

"Some makeup? Look have you seen her? Gonna need a bit more than some makeup to cover up all that unnaturally pale skin and the tattoos. Hey, darlin' what that tattoo on your face say anyway?" Floyd sniggers at Lyla before looking to Harley.

"Rotten. You got any tattoos Shot?" She smirks.

"So you've heard of me." Floyd smiles back.

"Sure I have Deadshot. I know a lot of things." She responds as he chuckles.

"As an answer to your question. Yes I do have tattoos…"

"I think we can leave it there alright." Diggle mutters to cut the chatter off.

"Four of you sit down. We'll be taking off shortly." Lyla informs them as they all sit. Floyd and Harley sitting next to one another so that Bronze Tiger has to sit by Shrapnel.

"Swear to god I'm gonna kill the two of you for this." Bronze Tiger growls as both Harley and Floyd sniggers at him whilst Diggle and Lyla leave the plane a minute, a minute during which, out of a sealed compartment in her jacket, Harley removes a phone.

"Now what you got there darlin'?" Floyd raises an her eyebrow at her as Harley just smiles before quietly shushing him…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking across a rooftop side by side, the Arrow, the Black Canary and Nyssa approach two bodies that lay on the ground.

"What the hell happened here?" Nyssa questions.

"Well Felicity said robbery in progress." The Arrow mutters.

"Robbery gone wrong now." The Black Canary murmurs as the Arrow freezes.

"What. What is it?" Nyssa glances at him.

"We're being watched." He murmurs.

"Wait what?" The Black Canary frowns as the Arrow suddenly whirls around.

"There's nothing there." The Black Canary states the obvious as the minute they turn around along with the Arrow.

"No there was something watching us!" The Arrow protests.

"There's nothing there. No one was watching us." Nyssa assures him softly as the Arrow just moves away from the two women, racing quickly across to the closest roof, jumping down and stopping at what he sees.

"Ohh my god." He murmurs with closed eyes as the Black Canary and Nyssa catch up with him, both of them now seeing what the Arrow does.

"Ollie." The Black Canary as she slides her hand into his, squeezing his fingers tightly as the three of them continue to just stare.

Staring at a rotting, black and orange mask with an arrow through its eye…

 _Markovia_

As Golem Qadir walks past her, Lyla rummages through her purse whilst speaking quietly through her earpiece.

"Harbinger has eyes on the target. Light the torches." She speaks calmly.

"Deadshot is a go." Floyd responds from a rooftop away, sniper all set up.

"Shrapnel is a go." Shrapnel murmurs from within a car.

"Tiger's a go." Bronze Tiger confirms.

"Quinn?" Lyla mutters through her earpiece.

"What? I'm in position, alright. You know this dress is godawful." Harley grumbles as she stands in the same room as Lyla in a tight pink mini dress.

"Looks pretty good from what I can see." Comes the voice of Floyd through the earpiece.

"Ahh shut up Shot!" Harley mutters back.

"What. Just making an observation…" Floyd retorts.

"Would both of you just be quiet and focus!" Lyla growls as another line opens.

"This is Mockingbird. Harbinger you have a green light." Amanda informs them all.

"Freelancer, you're a go. Deadshot?" Lyla calls through the earpiece to silence.

"Deadshot!" She growls.

"Got Freelancer in my sights." His responds comes after a moment.

"You sure you're not still looking at Quinn?" Bronze Tiger murmurs through the earpiece.

"I said the dress was a bad idea!" Harley mutters back.

"Would all of you please just focus on the task at hand here." Lyla snaps.

"Look. I'm doing my job! I got Freelancer in my sights." Floyd assures her.

"What's stopping you from shooting me right now?" Diggle questions sharply as Floyd smirks to himself.

"Honor."

 _Afghanistan_

 _"Can I trouble you for a cigarette, my friend?" Golem Qadir had asked John Diggle whom walks behind him._

 _"I don't smoke and I'm not your friend." Diggle mutters back._

 _"You know who I am? What it is I do?" Golem looks to Diggle._

 _"You're dealing drugs, weapons and children. Play both sides of the conflict, make moment while your country burns." Diggle retorts sharply._

 _"I do not have to be the only one. Let me go, I make you rich." This time Golem's words reach the ears of Ted Gaynor._

 _"Trying to bribe my men Qadir? If we wanted to make a buck, this is the last place we'd be moron!" Ted snaps just as gunfire abruptly sounds out._

 _"Get down!" Diggle yells in an instant whilst also knocking Golem Qadir aside to the ground before, with the other soldiers he begins to fire his weapon at the assailants…_

 _Markovia_

Spinning around deliberately. Diggle bumps right into Golem Qadir.

"Sorry. I wasn't looking where I was… Gholem Qadir." Diggle flashes him a fake smile.

"I do not know what is less likely. That John Diggle would be clumsy or I would find him here of all places. You like art my friend?" He questions.

"I know a good investment when I see one." Diggle responds.

"Out of the military then." Qadir guesses.

"And in a more lucrative line of work." Diggle finishes.

"What kind of work is that?" Qadir inquires.

"The kind you don't get to ask about. It's good seeing you, Gholem." Diggle shakes his hand before turning back to face Bronze Tiger.

"Everything all right here, Mr. Diggle?" He questions in role of his bodyguard.

"Yes, he's with me." Diggle plays along.

"So, the solider now has his own security." Qadir smiles.

"In my line of work, when I do a good job I tend to make enemies." Diggle points out.

"A good man turns bad. Bad man turns good. You changed my life, you know." Qadir admits to Diggle whom places his hands in his pockets.

"Trust me, that was never my intention." Diggle retorts.

"The intelligence I provided your government, it saved many lives. Now as a free man, I give back what I can." Qadir says with a smile.

"Of course." Diggle nods just as a gunshot rings out, hitting Bronze Tiger in an instant.

"Get down! Get down!" Diggle yells, pushing Qadir to the ground, the two staying there for a few moments until Diggle glances toward the window.

"It's all clear." Diggle murmurs as Qadir looks up at him.

"Déjà vu, my friend." Qadir notes, the whole event reminding him of Afghanistan.

"Mr. Qadir." Comes the anxious voice of his approaching bodyguard.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I do not believe I was the target." He looks toward Diggle and his coat, where there is a circular bullet hole within it.

From a distant rooftop, a smirk crosses Floyd Lawton's face.

"Like I said, when I do my job right, I tend to make enemies." Diggle helps Qadir from the floor, watching as he moves away with his bodyguard now shielding him.

"Good job Deadshot. You're go for exfil." Lyla murmurs through the coms.

"Already in motion." Floyd responds as he walks out of the building he was on the roof off, sniper in bag as he walks toward the car.

"Except ahh… I'm not the only one. Shrapnel just bolted." He informs the coms.

"Find him." Comes the immediate voice of Amanda Waller.

"Picking him up, headed east." One of the ARGUS workers tell her.

"Shrapnel. Stand down and return to the rally point." She instructs through his comms.

"I won't be conscripted into your moral army!" He snaps back.

"Stand down. Final warning." Waller warns him.

"Especially not while in a country without an extradition treaty." Is all Shrapnel says in response to Amanda's waning.

"Very well." She replies calmly as suddenly, a high pitched shrieking sound runs through Shrapnel's head in an instant causing him to scream in pain and clutch her head, loosing complete control of the car…

At the sound of a loud crash and screaming, Diggle is on his feet in an instant.

"What the hell's going on?" He snaps through the comms.

"Shrapnel just fouled out of the game." Amanda responds plainly as from the distance, Diggle sees the smoke and he looks on in horror…

 _Markovia: Hotel_

"Good riddance." Harley comments as Lyla informs them of Shrapnel's demise.

"Think you've done the world a favor." Bronze Tiger adds as Lyla remains silent whilst walking the three criminals to their hotel room.

"Still with us Deadshot?" Lyla calls as he jogs toward them.

"You do realize I had to walk here right? Considering my ride kinda got blown up?" Floyd points out to silence from Lyla.

"I hate wigs." Harley grumbles as she pulls the blonde one from her head.

"Yeah well, couldn't exactly go in their with your freaky ass hair now could you?" Bronze Tiger points out as Harley takes her high heels off and throws one at him.

"I swear to god I will knock your ass out." Bronze Tiger mutters.

"Go ahead, see how well that works out for you!" Harley snaps as Lyla opens their room's door, ensuring all three members of the Suicide Squad are inside before shutting it behind them and locking it.

"Aww that's a pity. This thing keeps falling off!" Harley sighs at a silver bracelet she has around her wrist, a series of small metal silver skulls all connected in a chain that is just slightly too big for Harley.

"And where did you get that?" Floyd raises an eyebrow at her as Harley just smiles before moving to a part of the room where she's not in Lyla's line of sight and begins to mess with the phone she secretly has.

"Lovely to know you found time to go jewelry shopping." Lyla muses.

"What. We're bad guys. It's what we do!" Harley says with a roll of her eyes as Floyd and Bronze Tiger laugh, Floyd moving to sit in front of Harley.

"Need to be careful their darlin'. Don't want to lose that head of yours now do you?" He points out as Harley looks up at him.

"Shot, trust me. You and I, we aren't losing our heads." Harley responds.

"You stick by the rules, stay in line and her words are true." Lyla calls.

"And we will. Don't think any of us want to end up like that asshole." Bronze Tiger comments as Floyd pulls out his various weapons, removing his jacket at the same time.

"I gotta get out of this dress." Harley grumbles.

"All goes well, you'll be putting on another one. Take that one off if you like, but I'd leave on the makeup." Lyla suggests as Harley groans before glancing to Floyd.

"Think you can take her out before she can signal the bombs?"

"No he wouldn't." Lyla replies sharply as Floyd pats his gun.

"Never miss." He reminds them.

"You wouldn't have time to even raise the gun Lawton." Lyla snaps back.

"You just got told." Bronze Tiger smirks as Harley shamelessly just pulls off the dress causing Floyd to almost drop his gun and Bronze Tiger his claws in response as she causally moves to grab her casual clothes before sitting back down again.

"You with anyone currently Quinn?" Bronze Tiger queries.

"No. I don't do relationships. Not anymore." She mutters, her eyes flickering down to the phone in her hands.

"Loves like a bullet in the brain, isn't it?" Floyd looks up at her.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Harley responds.

"So who did you lose?" Floyd questions.

"What?" Harley looks up at him in surprise at his words.

"Who did you lose Harley." He repeats.

"Why do you think I lost someone?" She questions.

"Well you've just got a certain look in your eyes, darlin'." Floyd responds.

"The only guy I ever truly loved. Quite a few years ago. Never really got over it, you know."

"He die?" Floyd enquires.

"Yeah. Like I say, never really moved on. I mean there's been other guys, women, I like to have fun Shot, but I ain't feeling anything stupid like love again." Harley replies as Floyd nods, his attention returning to his gun.

"Have you ever been in love?" She queries softly, causing him to look up again about to respond when the door opens suddenly, Diggle entering the room.

"What the hell was that?" He cries as Floyd smirks widely, glancing toward Bronze Tiger and nudging Harley.

"We're gonna want popcorn for this." He smirks.

"You said yourself, John. They're murderers. Criminals. They need an incentive to follow orders." Lyla responds plainly.

"So you rigged their heads with explosives?!" Diggle yells.

"There's no danger as long as they play by the rules. Scheffer didn't!" Lyla snaps back.

"Don't blow my head off now but you use those bombs for other people. To get your own ways. I remember. I had this friend, actually we slept together but you ARGUS guys rigged his head to explode just cause you wanted to control this friend he had. I liked to call him Psycho but actually he was a great guy…"

"If you don't be quiet you will have your head blown off!" Lyla snaps in response.

"Is she telling the truth?" Diggle snarls.

"She's clinically insane. Of course she's not telling the truth!" Lyla retorts.

"Don't take off my need but those words don't sound like they're from a mad woman." Floyd murmurs as Lyla glares at him.

"It's like I don't even know you anymore, Lyla." Diggle exclaims.

"Where are we at with Qadir?" She questions a few moments later as Diggle glares at her before putting a hand into his pocket.

"Save a man's life once, get a silver star." He throws it onto the table.

"Save it twice? Rent a tux." Diggle snaps, before marching out of the room.

"I'll await further instructions sir!" He retorts, slamming the door behind him…

 _Starling City_

Oliver begins to speak in fluent Russian the minute he approaches Alexi and his men.

"So is my patience." Alexi responds to Oliver in English.

"This is Starling City bank account number for your Ms. Shado." Alexi hands Oliver a thick envelope with the information inside.

"To be clear… Take this envelope and we are through. I do not care who your friends are."

'Do we understand each other?' He asks in fluent Russian.

Oliver simply snatches the envelope from him before turning to walk away and back toward his motorcycle until he can hear the sounds of footsteps behind him.

He whirls around in an instant.

"Relax. It's just us." Sara reassures him as both she and Nyssa approach him.

"What's going on, Ollie?" Sara asks gently.

"Hey. Talk to us." Nyssa grabs his arm sharply.

"Now is not the time!" Oliver snaps back.

"Then when is the time. Look I understand the two of you are shaken up with Shado retuning and Slade being missing for over a week now but Oliver, you need to talk to Sara and I. We're in this together." Nyssa points out as Sara nods.

"I miss Slade to Ollie but the Bratva? You're losing your grip. Ok? Shado's getting in your head and the fact Slade isn't here right now is making this a hundred times worse I know but we need to…"

"I need this to stop!" Oliver snarls at Sara to silence her.

"And for it to stop I need to find him." He growls.

"Her. Don't you mean her?" Nyssa says with folded arms.

"That's what I meant." Oliver murmurs with closed eyes.

"Oliver. We're going to find them. Both of them. We're going to defeat Shado and bring Slade home yet until then, how long do you think you can keep all of this up for?" Nyssa questions sternly.

"She's right, you're not eating, you've been barely sleeping. I mean you spent at least most of last week out at night searching the streets for Shado and Slade." Sara points out.

"It's not just him either." Nyssa muses.

"What?" Oliver asks quietly.

"Felicity. According to Diggle she's spent more than one night out there alone. She's looking for Slade." Nyssa informs him with folded arms.

"Ok. Ok someone's got to talk to her about that…" Oliver starts as he tries to move past the women, only for them to both grab his arms and drag him straight back.

"No Ollie. We're going to talk about this here and now, you can't keep avoiding all of us like this, I'm worried about you. We're both worried about you. You've been having terrible nightmares Ollie." Sara rests a hand on his arms.

"What are they about? Her? Slade?" Nyssa questions.

"Hey, look at us." Sara places her hand against his cheek when Oliver turns away from them.

"This is all my fault. My fault because I was a coward." Oliver mutters.

"No, no Oliver. You did what you had to do. Sara told me it was an impossible choice. You were not a coward. Not at all. You could have chosen between Shado and Sara. You could actually made that horrific choice…"

"And because I couldn't Slade did! And because I couldn't get him to listen to me he chose me over Shado. Me over the woman he loved!" Oliver snaps.

"Ollie, Ivo was going to shoot someone, be it me, Shado, you. It was an impossible choice…" Sara protests as Oliver shakes his head.

"But because I couldn't Slade made it anyway and he made a mistake because I couldn't get through to him. This is all my fault!" Oliver mutters.

"Yet as Nyssa says, you could have chosen between Shado and me and if you'd have done that. Chosen me. We could be standing here right now, yet the one terrorizing us could be Slade himself. If you had chosen me over Shado he would have killed all of us and if you'd have chosen Shado. I would be the one haunting your dreams…"

"You are Sara." Oliver snaps instantly.

"What?" Sara looks at him in confusion.

"Both of you are. It. It varies. One night I wake up and she's killed both of you. Or it will be just you dead Sara, or you Nyssa and it concerns me of how that could actually happen. That I could actually lose both of you to Shado. That she could possibly kill you both and Slade. Other dreams I get show me finding Slade yet he's dead. That she's found him and she's killed him and that the reason he's been gone all this time is because Shado has actually killed him and he's lying dead in an alleyway someplace!"

"Ollie. No. Don't say that. Please don't…" Sara closes her eyes at the very thought.

"And that's why we have to stop." Oliver says trying to look anywhere but at Nyssa and Sara.

"Wait. Ollie what are you saying?" Sara grabs his arm, yet he pulls away from her.

"Shado is going to use the two of you to hurt me. Or he's going to hurt the two of you." He murmurs before leaning forward to kiss both Sara and Nyssa on the foreheads before moving away from both women.

"Stay away from me. It's safer that way. I can't let anything happen to the two of you."

 _Markovia_

"Seeing as how you haven't brought it up, I'm guessing you haven't got very far with that HIVE lead I gave you." Floyd points out as he sits, preparing to take Diggle's blood.

"Just make this quick." Diggle mutters as Floyd rolls his eye at him with a smirk.

"You're usually so chatty John. These problems with your girl, they got you down, huh?" He guesses, still with a confident smirk upon his face.

"And what about your girl? The one you have a shrine to in that cell of yours?" Diggle decides to question in a way of taking that arrogance away from Deadshot, whom simply rips the needle out of Diggle's arm.

"Zoe." He mutters, taking the needle and starting to walk away.

"Does your daughter know what you do for a living?" Diggle asks.

"She's why I do what I do." He admits.

"Really?" Diggle mutters.

"Yeah." Floyd responds as he returns with a tablet.

"How many enemies can a little girl have?" Diggle queries.

"I wouldn't know. Everything I make beyond expenses goes in a blind trust." Floyd admits as Diggle places his thumb on the tablet so it can take his fingerprint.

At that the machine behind Floyd begins to light up and work.

"A girl needs her father." Diggle points out.

"Nah, not this father. The best thing I can do for her life is not be in it." Floyd mutters as Harley returns from the bathroom.

"Having problems with that, Shot?" She smirks as he's glaring at the machine and currently hitting it with his hand.

"Yeah but don't think you're gonna…" Floyd is cut off when Harley clicks a few buttons and the machine resumes working as normal again.

"Huh?" Harley looks up at him.

"We get time of our sentences, any free time. How about you accompany me for a drink?" Floyd smirks at her.

"Ohh my god." Diggle mutters in the background under his breath.

"I'll hold you to that, Shot." Harley smirks back as Diggle looks toward her.

"So this friend you we're talking about, the one you say ARGUS rigged with explosives to keep another in line. Who was it?" Diggle questions quietly.

"You know. I will tell you. It's a mutual friend of ours." Harley gets to her feet, skipping over to him before bending down to whisper.

"Oliver Queen." She whispers as Diggle freezes.

Of course. Of course it was Oliver… He'd been expecting that answer as the story Harley was telling reminded him of the one Slade and Oliver had told.

The one where Slade lost control due to the fact ARGUS killed his son and turned him into Deathstroke, the man they now hunt because he decided to attempt to wipe them out.

They got him to stop. They used Oliver against him.

They rigged Oliver's head to explode to use him against him…

"Let me guess. His friends name was Slade Wilson?" Diggle murmurs quietly.

"Top marks! Can you get a message to one of them for me. If my other friend isn't already planning on getting me out. They will." Harley requests as Diggle sighs.

"Not promising anything Quinn but I will inform Oliver that we've met." Diggle responds honestly, as that is what he intends to do.

"Who's your other friend?" He questions at that point.

"Ohh I'm not allowed to say." Harley responds with a smile.

"Your girl know that your Australian friend is Deathstroke yet?" Floyd questions.

"Wait. You know Slade to?" Harley looks over at him.

"Yeah. He's the psycho who cut off my leg!" Floyd pats his metal leg.

"You know, he is actually a great guy but he's always been killer psycho. Actually I always used to call him Psycho." Harley retorts as Diggle rolls his eyes at them both.

"Good name for him." Floyd says in agreement as the door opens.

"Is it ready?" Lyla snaps the minute she enters the room with Bronze Tiger, few a moments later the machine begins to bleep in announcement that it's finished.

"You know, when we went through all that trouble to get Johnny here invited to this little shindig. Seems like an awful waste to not use that invitation." Floyd leans against the table.

"You and Quinn are using it. Deadshot, once you have hands on the nerve agent, pocket it, walk right on out." Lyla responds as Floyd looks to Harley before chuckling.

"Copy that." He smirks.

"Wait. What do I need to do?" Harley folds her arms.

"Ensure he gets to the room, cover him, make sure he gets out and then both of you walk right on out together. It will make the cover look even better if he leaves with a woman on his arm." Lyla informs her as Floyd just smirks in Harley's direction.

"Looks like we're getting that drink after all darlin'."

 _Markovia_

"This is not exactly army camo." Diggle murmurs to Lyla as she stands beside him in a rather pretty formal dress.

"But have you given any thought to what would happen if Qadir recognises you anyway?" Diggle murmurs as Qadir himself approaches them.

"Mr. Diggle. Who is this vision?" He glances toward Lyla in an instant.

"His new bodyguard." Lyla replies calmly.

"Hm, you will have to refer me to your security company. I'm glad you could come tonight." He smirks toward Diggle.

"It's the least I could do after you saved my life. Again." Qadir admits.

"I will see you inside my friend." He says with a smile.

"Gholem. It would see I didn't have time to get credentials for my associate." He says to get Qadir's attention as he begins to move past them.

"Come, this way." He leads them himself into the party, whilst meanwhile Floyd stands by the security station, the metal detector sounding out as it is waved over him.

"Gosh I'm so sorry. Metal leg." Floyd pulls up the trouser leg to reveal his metal leg. Security wave him on seconds later so he can go to the fingerprint scanner.

Once he scans his finger, he peels off the plastic film.

"Enjoy the benefit, Mr. Diggle." The security team say to him.

Meanwhile, as he heads up the staircase with Lyla, Diggle places something on the side.

"Deadshot and his gear are in position." He murmurs to Lyla.

"Quinn's getting in and Tiger's got the overwatch." Lyla responds to Diggle before switching on the earpiece.

"Harbinger to all. Fire in the hole."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be up really soon, thank you all for your kind reviews, follows and favourites. See you all next update and please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter :)_**


	119. Suicide Squad (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Nineteen_**

 _Afghanistan_

 _The army continue to fire their guns at the assailants whom still fire rapidly at them, ducking and dodging bullets that get just a little too close to them._

 _"Shooter at my ten!" Diggle calls to other soldiers._

 _"I got you covered!" Ted yells back as he shoots down the one aiming at Diggle._

 _Meanwhile, from behind Diggle, Gholem Qadir sees an opening and attempts to escape, unaware of the assailant that has his gun trained on him_

 _Said assailant, however, is shot down by John Diggle seconds later._

 _"All clear!" Diggle yells when the oppositions gunfire stops._

 _They're all dead._

 _Getting to his feet, Diggle climbs out of the ditch he'd found himself in, racing toward the person he'd shot down as Gaynor joins him._

 _"It's just a kid." Diggle whispers as Ted looks toward him upon seeing Diggle crouched down beside the person he'd shot._

 _It was just a kid…_

 _Markovia_

Meanwhile, Gholem Qadir chats happily with John Diggle and Lyla, both whom keep an eye on Deadshot, whom is walking around the benefit, Lyla watching as Harley approaches him.

Placing a glass down on the side, Floyd turns around only to stop as he sees Harley walking over to him. Her blonde wig tied into an bun and wearing a long blood red dress.

"And don't you look lovely tonight." He smirks as she manages a tight smile.

"I look awful." She grumbles.

"Well the bracelet looks a bit odd." He glances down at the bracelet she'd stolen earlier all but hanging off her wrist.

"Honestly I think it's the only good part of this look." She points out.

"Well I think you look lovely darlin'. Now come on, we got a nerve agent to steal." He smirks as she reluctantly takes his arm, glancing over at her.

"Don't forget. We're the bad guys."

 _Meanwhile…_

Lyla watches Floyd and Harley like a hawk as the two move away, still trying to smile at whatever Qadir and Diggle are talking about, she takes Diggle's arm, about to pull him away with a knowing look in her eyes but Qadir stops them.

"Oh, I think you owe your bodyguard a dance." He says with a smirk as Diggle and Lyla look between one another.

"I insist." He adds as with a sigh Diggle takes Lyla's hand and leads her toward the dancers, whilst elsewhere Floyd and Harley are trying to get out of the way unseen.

"Keep watch for me." Floyd murmurs as he heads toward the door, aware that they are currently still in view.

"This ain't gonna work if we're still out in the open, in line of sight." Harley points out.

"Good thinkin'." Floyd mutters before sighing.

"Ahh what the hell." He grumbles before tugging Harley closer and pressing his lips to hers in a rather passionate kiss, smirking when he sees people turning away from them at the sight of their public display of affection.

Upon realising what he's doing, Harley doesn't push him away as that had been her first thought. Instead she pushes open the door behind him, pushing him through it.

"Don't do that again." She mutters, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it.

"Deadshot on route to package." Floyd calls through the comms to Lyla and Diggle, whom are still currently on the dance floor.

"The fate of the world resting in the hands of Floyd Lawton." Diggle scoffs.

"It helps to focus on the mission." Lyla responds.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Diggle questions.

"I tell myself to see the world for how it is. Not how I want to see it." She retorts plainly.

"We both operate in the grey. The only difference is, is I'm willing to admit it."

"That's not the only difference between us." Diggle sighs.

"That's true. I don't judge other people for it." She retorts.

"Lyla, I am the same man I've always been." He responds quietly.

"And I'm who I've always been. You're rigid, John. You're blind to any viewpoint that isn't yours. These past few months have been amazing, but we've done more playing than talking." She admits it him.

"That's because when we talk, we tend to get divorced."

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"So. What's wrong with you." Laurel asks Sara softly as she, Sara and Nyssa sit on the floor playing with Rebecca and Brandon.

"Why'd you ask?" Sara replies quietly.

"Because you look miserable." Laurel smiles warmly.

"Oliver is shutting us out. He believes that's how he should handle problems when really he needs to let us in. We tried to talk to him but." Nyssa just rolls her eyes.

"Really?" Laurel rests a hand on Sara's arm, whom is silent, smiling only again when Rebecca moves onto her lap, Sara happy at having her niece in her arms.

"Yes, really." Nyssa sighs as Sara looks up at Laurel.

"It's ok Laurel, really. Can we. Can we just not talk about it. Can we just focus on right here right now? The five of us." She smiles down at Brandon and Rebecca.

"Of course. I do need to go to the bathroom through. Keep an eye on these two for me." Laurel says with a beaming smile, picking Brandon up off her lap and handing him to Nyssa, who stiffens up the instant the baby is placed in her arms.

Yet to Nyssa utmost surprise, the child doesn't cry as she had honestly expected him to and instead looks up at her with big eyes and cuddles closer to her. Laurel smiling at the sight before heading off toward the bathroom.

"Aww he likes you!" Sara smiles at the sight, whilst smiling down at her niece.

"I. I don't understand." Nyssa whispers quietly.

"You're a natural." Sara smirks.

"I've never really been around babies before." Nyssa admits.

"Well you're around them now and your doing great! Hey, you know you're doing better than Ollie did. Soon as he held one of them they started crying." She says with a slight laugh, and, eventually Nyssa smiles to.

 _Meanwhile…_

Having excused herself to the bathroom. Laurel instantly whips out her phone.

All prepared to give Oliver Queen a piece of her mind for upsetting her sister the way he seemingly has done.

Dialling his number it is mere seconds before the call connects.

"It sounds like things with you and my sister are going well." Laurel growls through the phone, launching straight into what she wants to say, to only a sigh from Oliver.

"You don't understand." Oliver mutters back.

"I understand that my little sister is completely miserable that you're shutting her out. I know you Ollie. I know that you think that you don't deserve to be happy but you're wrong. You may think that at keeping the people you love at arms length, you're protecting them but you're not. You're only protecting yourself." Laurel all but growls through the phone.

"Laurel, it's a bit more complicated then that." Oliver sighs as Laurel scoffs.

"It always is." She murmurs before hanging up, moving back into the living room.

"Everything alright?" Nyssa questions as she and Sara look up at Laurel.

"Of course." Laurel beams as she sits down with Sara, Nyssa, Rebecca and Brandon.

"Now what were we talking about?"

 _The Foundry_

"I got the address for that account number you gave me." Felicity passes Oliver a piece of paper as she walks by.

"I'll call Sara, Nyssa, Roy and Tommy. Wait. Is he going to join you out there. I know Roy does to help him control it so I figured you're going to do the same for Tommy…"

"No." Oliver mutters sharply.

"Okay no Tommy." Felicity nods.

"No as is none of them. I am not giving Shado any more targets." Oliver retorts as he picks up his bow.

"You can't go out there by yourself, it's suicide." She warns him.

"This started with the two of us. That's how it ends." Oliver mutters.

"No. It started with you, Sara and Slade. Look you need to call Sara and Nyssa…."

"Just do what I say Felicity! Do not call them! And if you haven't noticed Slade's not here! This ends with me and her. That's it." Oliver says before storming out of The Foundry…

 _Markovia_

Fixing one of his guns to his wrist, Floyd adjusts his eyepatch, flicking it to the right setting.

"Deadshot is on target." He confirms, switching on the night vision to reveal a door in what just appears to be a simple wall.

"Bingo." He says with a wide smirk, walking confidently toward it.

Resting both his hands upon the wall door, he runs his hands over it in search of a way of opening it up.

Finding the right pressure points, he pushes down hard on the door that finally opens up for him, revealing a long corridor…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As The Arrow enters a large room on the top floor of the building, his eyes instantly land on a desk right in the very middle of the room, a projector in the very centre of the desk.

Moving around the desk, the Arrow pulls an arrow from his sheath, moving toward the chair that someone is sitting upon.

Yet he soon sees that the person is not Shado.

It's Alexi Leonov.

He has an arrow through his eye…

Using his bow, the Arrow spins the chair around so it's facing him.

She's not here. She knew he was coming.

Turning around to leave, the Arrow stops dead in his tracks as he sees what the projector is projecting onto the wall behind him and now stopping, he can hear the speech from the familiar video.

Of course… She'd been to the house.

Somehow she'd found it. The video.

The video he had filmed himself...

"Ok so, this is kinda like my message. Don't know if I'm gonna send it but if I have done, I'm still here and here is, well here for me is home. I'm alive and I'm happy. Mom, Thea, Tommy. I just wanted to tell you that I'm alive but don't come looking for me. Just know I'm happy, safe and I'm not alone. If you do get this message. Tell Mr and Mrs. Lance that I'm sorry. Tell Laurel, I'm sorry for everything. I know they'll never forgive me but Sara. Sara she's gone. She died on the Gambit and it's all my fault. I can't come home. I'm not the person you remembered and I'll never be that person again. Just if I do send this message just know. I love all of you and I'm alive, happy and I'll think about you all for the rest of my life... Shut up!" Past Oliver says with a laugh as he throws an object at the couch.

"Kid, you're never gonna send this!" Comes the voice of Past Slade.

"You never know. I might do! Perhaps I want my family to know I'm alive but I'm not coming back to Starling City." Past Oliver had called into the distance.

"That's it. I am never letting you drink again." Past Slade had grumbled as Past Oliver had skipped toward the couch, jumping onto it and sitting beside Slade who just looks irritated.

"See? I'm not alone, I'm alive and I'm with a friend who I care about, who makes sure I stay alive, I'm safe. He'd more of a brother actually…" Oliver smiles warmly, resting against Slade.

"Kid, I…" Slade starts to growl.

"Shhh don't say anything they might work out where we are!" He whispers with a wide smile, nudging Slade playfully, who rolls his eye at him as the video cuts off…

 _The Foundry_

Standing near one another, both Sara and Nyssa are viciously attacking the dummies in front of them with rapid punches.

They'd be sparring with one another but with the aggression both women have inside them today they'd worry about causing one another an actual injury.

Yet after an while, Sara stops, tears appearing in her eyes as she clutches the dummy.

"I don't know what to do." The voice of Oliver from behind both women cause both Nyssa and Sara to turn and face him.

Both women unable to keep the worried looks from their faces as they see Oliver in full Arrow uniform and an almost broken look on his face.

"She's too far ahead. I mean, she's spent years planning this and she knows everything about me, Slade, you Sara. I can't… I…" Oliver stops as he looks down.

"Slade's gone. None of us can find him. I don't know how we're supposed to do this without him and I don't…" He stops again as Nyssa and Sara begin to approach him.

"I don't know how to stop her." He admits slowly.

"Well, you start by letting people help you for one." Nyssa responds.

"But she's going to come after the two of you." Oliver practically cries.

"And when she does, do you think it'll make any difference whether or not the three of us are together?" Sara questions softly as Oliver looks down, both Sara and Nyssa stepping forward and taking Oliver's hands in their own.

"Let her come. I'm the heir to the demon after all and if she's done any research into the League Of Assassins she'll know not even her Mirakuru will keep us from destroying her." Nyssa says in a threatening tone.

"And I'm not the girl she knew on the island. I'm not that easy to kill, neither of us are." Sara adds firmly as the three look between one another.

"Together?" Sara and Nyssa question softly.

Oliver is silent for a moment whilst he tries to keep the tears from his eyes at the horror story that's currently going on in their lives right now.

"Together." He agrees before drawing both Sara and Nyssa into a tight embrace…

 _Markovia_

"I'm in." Floyd calls through the comms as he moves quickly down the corridor.

"I'll have the nerve agent in my pocket in thirty seconds." He informs everyone through the comms as he turns a corner to enter the room that holds the nerve agent inside and…

The sight of the nerve agent stops Floyd Lawton dead in his tracks.

It's not going to to into his pocket, that's for sure.

It's bigger than him, bigger than any human being. It's freaking huge!

"Harbinger." He mutters through the comms.

"We've got what I would describe as a little bit of a situation here." He grumbles.

"Explain." Lyla murmurs from where she's dancing with Diggle.

"Well, I got eyes on the nerve agent and I'm not going to be able to move it, much less pocket it!" He retorts sharply.

"Stand by, Deadshot. I need to talk to Waller." Lyla responds in a calm tone as Diggle leads her away from the dance floor as she connects her communication line with Waller.

"Go for Mockingbird." The call connects instantly.

"We have a situation. The package is much bigger than our pre op briefing indicated." She explains briefly to Waller.

"Stand by." She informs Lyla, before from ARGUS begins to hit a few buttons.

"Deadshot's on target, I need to see what he does." She mutters to one of her workers.

"Activate the camera in his eye piece." She requests.

"Multi spectrum from Lawton's rig. Coming in… Now!" Her worker responds, pulling up the view from Lawton's eye piece on the big screen in front of them all.

"It's a match." She informs Amanda.

"Tiger, Quinn move for extraction. Deadshot, remain in position. Harbinger and Freelancer, evacuate and head to the rally point." Amanda commands through the earpiece.

"Deadshot still isn't topside with the package." Diggle murmurs.

"I only needed eyes on. Fall back to the rally point." She responds plainly.

"Wait… You knew that the nerve agent was too large to be extracted?" Lyla questions softly.

"Fall back to the rally point." Waller retorts sharply.

"A nine is inbound and hot. Mockingbird out." She mutters before disconnecting the line of communication.

"What the hell are nines?" Diggle growls quietly.

"MQ-9S Predators." She replies quickly before looking up at Diggle in horror.

"Waller's called in a drone strike." She whispers as she looks around the room when Diggle takes a sharp intake of breath at her words.

"Everyone in here is dead inside of ten minutes." Lyla murmurs as all Diggle can do is look toward the crowds of people in the room…

 _Moments Later…_

Meanwhile, a MQ-9S drone flies over Markovia, in the direction of the mansion the Suicide Squad, Lyla and Diggle are currently in.

"The nines carry the Hellfire missile. Just one of them can level this whole building." Lyla explains to Diggle quickly, whom just shakes his head.

"And your boss doesn't care who's here when it does." He mutters, more of a statement then a question.

Of course Amanda Waller doesn't care.

If she could rig people's heads with explosives, kill someone's child and ex wife.

Of course she wouldn't care about killing a whole load of people in a house along with a couple of criminals just to destroy a nerve agent.

"Lyla we have to get these people out of here." Diggle mutters sharply, looking around at all of the people in the room again.

"Maybe there's a house alarm we can trigger." Lyla nods to only silence from Diggle.

"John, we have to move now." Lyla grabs his arm, noticing Diggle's vacant look.

The vacant look in the direction of Gholem Qadir.

"I have a better idea." He mutters before moving to grab a glass of champagne from a tray on the side.

"Excuse me." He begins to hit a fork on the side of the glass.

"Excuse me. Can I have your attention, please?" He calls, managing to get the attention of everyone in the room before turning to Gholem Qadir.

"In honour of our host. Gholem Qadir excels at everything he puts his mind to. Be it business, philanthropy… Or terrorism." Diggle says to instant murmurs from the whole crowd of people in the room.

"Yeah, I guess you could say Gholem is somewhat of a renaissance man. He dabbles in a little bit of everything. Like arms trading, did I mention the sex trafficking?" Diggle says clearly, glancing around the room to see everyone's startled reactions before fixing his sights firmly on Gholem Qadir.

"Or the deadly nerve agent that he's holding just thirty feet beneath this very dance floor!" Diggle snaps loudly as in that very instance people begin to race out of the room in an instant, fearful that Diggle's words are truthful.

"These are lies!" Gholem tries to protest loudly.

"This man is a mercenary!" He yells, Diggle swiftly taking out the guard of Gholem's that approaches him.

"Lawton!" He calls through the earpiece to nothing but silence as Lyla grabs his arm.

"He's not answering. I have to go help him." Diggle murmurs to her as he begins to walk toward the place Lawton is located, muttering as he goes.

"I can't believe I just said that."

 _Meanwhile…_

Whilst she watches Diggle run in the direction of the place Lawton and the nerve agent are, Lyla suddenly feels a knife against her neck as Gholem Qadir grabs a hold of her sharply.

"You! You were in Afghanistan six years ago!" He hisses whilst holding knife to her throat.

"You and that judas have been deceiving me from the start!" He spits, about to cut her throat when suddenly his is literally stabbed in the back by Bronze Tiger and his metal claws.

"Good timing." Lyla commends him as she moves past the body of Gholem Qadir, moving to follow Bronze Tiger.

"Got tired of waiting for my invitation." He grumbles in response as they're joined by Harley.

"Ok. Let's get to that rally point the boss wants us to be at." Lyla says with slight sharpness to her tone as she addresses the two Suicide Squad members.

The sharpness in fact though, directed at her boss.

"Wait. Where's Floyd?" Harley questions.

"Ohh he dead." Bronze Tiger mutters as he heads toward the door.

"John is dealing with him, we need to go. The missile will be here shortly and we need to get to the rally point… Quinn!" Lyla snaps as Harley moves in the direction of the place where Diggle and Floyd are at.

"Quinn get back here!" Lyla growls.

"Blow my head off if you want lady, but I've already watched someone I loved get blown up once. I don't want to see another person I'm…" She stops as she continues to run, trying to think of the appropriate word to describe Floyd.

"…Aquatinted with get blown to pieces to!"

 _Elsewhere…_

Racing down into the room the nerve agent and Deadshot are, Diggle goes inside with his gun outstretched, only to lower it again upon seeing Lawton stood by the definitely too big to pocket, nerve agent.

Floyd tsks upon seeing Diggle.

"Disobeying orders, John." He says with a chuckle, causally leaning against the tank.

"Behind you." He calls upon seeing the two armed guards behind Diggle with his one eye.

He takes them out with his wrist gun before they even have a chance to fire their own weapons and even before Diggle can fire his, both men landing in a heap on the ground.

"That's two you owe me, junior." Floyd says with a smirk as Diggle spins around to face the man that killed his brother again.

"We have to go." Diggle commands sharply.

"Waller told me to stay here." Floyd says in response.

"There's an incoming drone strike!" Diggle yells at his response as Floyd just scoffs.

"How contemporary. Get your team clear." Floyd instructs, with a tilt of his head before adding with a sigh.

"Tell Harley I'm sorry, don't think I'm gonna be able to take her for that drink." He murmurs, almost a reluctant tone in his voice as, suddenly, Diggle approaches him, gun raised.

Instantly, Floyd raises his own.

"You are on my team." Diggle growls sternly.

"And it's time for you to go."

"Yeah, that's right. It is time and this is my way to go." Floyd replies sharply.

"Suicide Squad, remember? I'm expendable, John. Even got the damn bomb in my head to prove it." He spits out the last part before sighing.

"This way, at least I get to go out doing something honorable." He admits.

"You don't get to die that easy, Lawton!" Diggle snaps, still holding the gun to him.

"Really? Why don't you give me even just one good reason why not, huh?" Floyd challenges him to a task he knows in his heart Diggle will fail at.

"Might have two. Zoe and don't forget…"

"Come on! There's a drone strike coming what you two doing standing around here for?" Comes the voice of Harley from the door way. Floyd looking to her in an instant, lowering his gun at the same time.

"What's going on?" She frowns at them both as Floyd moves toward the door.

"Nothing, darlin'. John and I were just having a good old chat." He responds.

"Come on then, let's go." She nods toward the door.

"Yeah, we're coming." Floyd nods before looking to Diggle.

"What about the nerve gas?" He questions.

"Believe me." Diggle mutters as he pockets his gun, the three running toward the exit.

"Waller's already got that covered."

 _Moments Later…_

Racing down the driveway of the mansion that's about to get hit with a Hellfire missile, Diggle, Floyd and Harley race toward the van that Lyla and Bronze Tiger, whom is driving, that is parked just by the gates, the back doors to the van already opened wide for the three people approaching it.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" Diggle yells as they all jump into the back of the van, Bronze Tiger instantly flooring the accelerator on Diggle's command as the three try to get into somewhat sitting positions, the three breathing heavily from the run.

"Hate these shoes!" Harley hisses as she pulls the high heels off her actually bleeding feet.

"How on gods green earth did you run all that way just now in them?" Floyd looks toward her as Harley glances up at him.

"Had practice, Shot!" She replies as the van zooms away from the mansion.

"You were actually gonna let yourself get blown up in their man?" Bronze Tiger calls to him from the driver's seat.

"I was given an order." Floyd shrugs his shoulders.

"Which all three of you disobeyed." Lyla finishes with a glance to Diggle, Floyd and Harley.

"What? Ohh come on. It's as I said. Wasn't going to let an acquaintance of mine get blown up!" Harley protests whilst rubbing her sore feet.

"I'm an acquaintance now am I?" Floyd glances toward her.

"Acquaintance, squad member. Take you pick, Shot." She mutters, pulling her phone out of her pocket at jabbing at the keypad.

"Well, you know I thought it was just lovely how you of all people, John came down there and…"

"The drone shifted course!" Lyla suddenly calls, causing everyone in the van to look at her in an instant.

"It's following us!" She cries as Floyd suddenly begins to laugh.

"Do you find that funny?" Diggle snaps at him.

"Not that." Harley comments as she taps hurriedly at the keys on her phone even quicker than she had been doing before upon hearing the news.

This needs to be completed now.

Now or they're all going to die..

"The Wall. What a woman!" Floyd muses with a shake of his head as he leans back against the van wall.

"How do you think she knew where to send the drone, huh?" He snaps at Diggle with animated hand gestures and everything.

"And I mean the precise coordinates!"

"The implants…" Diggle catches on suddenly.

"It's not working!" Harley hisses as she hits at they keys quicker.

"Bomb and GPS. Pretty clever, right?" Floyd mutters, tapping the side of his head.

"The drone ain't targeting Gholem's house. It's targeting me!" He exclaims, as he's correct.

Behind them, the van is currently being followed by the Hellfire missile.

"Give me a few minutes!" Harley cries quickly.

"A few minutes to what?" Diggle looks to her.

"Darlin', we ain't gonna last a few minutes." Floyd warns her.

"Wait… What are you doing anyway?" Diggle looks to her then and the phone in her hands.

"The same thing I did for our mutual friend all those years ago." She hisses and he falls silent as Floyd just chuckles, finally realizing what she's been doing all this time on the phone.

"And here's me thinking that you were playing Candy Crush." Floyd muses as Lyla suddenly grabs Bronze Tigers claws and moves out of her seat toward Floyd, whom sees what she's planning on doing in an instant.

"Whoa, hang on, do I get a say in this?" Floyd exclaims in panic.

"Turn around." Lyla commands.

"What are you doing?" Diggle questions as Harley looks up briefly.

"It's not working. Few more minutes." She whispers, turning to her phone again.

"This is happening, now or never Harley!" Diggle glances at her.

"Look, I think I'd rather get blown up!" Floyd protests as Lyla moves his coat and shirt clear of the back of his neck.

"Hold still, this is going to hurt." Lyla warns him.

"Ohh darlin' please tell me you…" Floyd looks to Harley, who shakes her head and instead pockets the phone, knowing she'll never get it done in time before the drone kills the five of them, before taking both of Floyd's hands in hers.

"Look at me, Floyd. Don't think about it." She winces as he clutches her hands, growling out in pain as Lyla digs the claws into the back of his neck to remove the bomb.

"Hard not to." He groans, yelling out in pain and clutching Harley's hands tighter in response to the agonizing pain.

"Got it!" Lyla yells, passing the blood covered bomb chip to Diggle, whom races toward the back of the van, opening the doors quickly and throwing the chip out far into the street just as the Hellfire missiles fires, Diggle shutting the doors of the van just in time, Bronze Tiger once again flooring the accelerator as the missile strikes its target, causing an instant explosion that even though doesn't hit the van or cause any destruction to it, causes the van to shake violently, Diggle and Lyla looking to one another in relief whilst Floyd clutches the back of his neck in immense pain, whilst he grips Harley's hand still with his other hand, Lyla patting his arm before moving back to her seat.

"Good job." Diggle nods toward her, Floyd muttering something incoherent to her in either thanks or annoyance.

"I was so nearly there! Like just a few more clicks near! Sorry I couldn't switch them off before she had to, you know…" Harley apologizes, moving to sit beside him.

"S'alright darlin'. Least you tried. Take a while the last time?" He questions, leaning so he's resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Yeah. They don't exactly make it easy, Shot." She points out.

"Figured." He murmurs through his pain as Diggle across from them holds out his hand.

"You know I've got to take that phone from you right?" He says with a sigh and with a reluctant sigh of her own, Harley drops the phone into Diggle's hand, whom pockets it.

"Guessed that the minute I revealed it." She sighs.

"Why did you? Guess it was your ticket outta here if you got it working?" Floyd mutters.

"Only a few clicks away from getting it to work." She murmurs under her breath, glaring at Diggle, seeing as he's the one to have taken the phone away from her.

"Meant what I said. Not gonna watch someone else I know get blown up." She admits.

"And yet it was all for nothing. You didn't get it to work and I still got them damn claws in my neck. Karma's a bitch for people like us." Floyd grumbles.

"Well, you said it, Shot. We're the bad guys." Harley points out.

"We the bad guys." Floyd nods, groaning again from the pain, tightening his grip on Harley's arm, keeping his forehead pressed against her shoulder.

"You're getting blood on the dress, somehow I think they'll care." Harley mutters.

"Well. It's already red." Floyd points out as she laughs.

"You can clean in back in your cell." Lyla replies.

"If we make it back to the cells." Bronze Tiger grumbles from the drivers seat.

"He makes a valid point!" Floyd calls.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine." Lyla assures them with a look to Diggle whom just gives her a disbelieving one in return.

Seriously doubting that everything's going to be fine!

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"The Markovian Government is threatening retaliation following an unprovoked drone attack over a no fly zone. Just the attention we wanted to avoid. Well done." Waller snaps at both Diggle and Lyla in her office.

"I'm not the one who sent that drone." Diggle retorts with a shake of his head.

"It was cloaked. An explosion atop a chemical weapons cache is easy to explain. Instead, there were witnesses and we had to send in a seal team to clean out the estate." She snarls at him angrily.

"I guess you'll think twice before dragging me in to do your dirty work, Waller." He growls.

"Somehow I don't think it will be an issue. Good day, Mr. Diggle." She replies sternly as with one look at Lyla, Diggle moves toward the door, leaving only Lyla in the room with Amanda.

"Kind of uncanny. How Diggle knew exactly where Lawton's implant was." Amanda mutters.

"Still, it exposed an obvious design flaw. We'll be putting the implants in their spinal vertebrae now. Have Lawton and the others prepped for surgery." She commands as Lyla begins to move toward the door.

"Hold on Agent Michaels." Waller calls her back.

"Despite this mission being quite the failure. I do have another task for you. You are aware now that you're on the task force that deals with the ongoing investigation and the inevitable capture of Deathstroke right?" Waller mutters as Lyla nods.

"Yes. It's ongoing." Lyla replies.

"Well congratulations, you've just been awarded higher security clearance which means, you finally get to know the identity of the Deathstroke." Waller informs her as Lyla looks at her curiously.

"Go on?" She says quietly.

"His name is Slade Wilson. The very same Slade Wilson that Mr. Diggle works with and who is associated with Oliver Queen and Sara Lance. He is The Man In The Mask and now resides in Starling City with Mr. Queen and Ms. Lance where they of course, operate as the three vigilantes." Amanda reveals almost boredly to Lyla's utmost shock.

"What? No. No John. He would have told me. He knows. He knows I'm after the Deathstroke. He knows what he did. He. He lied to me?" Lyla whispers as Amanda smiles smugly for a minute.

"Alas, Mr. Diggle is evidently fearful of what would happen if you were to find out. It could possibly be because, well, Slade Wilson is the Deathstroke. He is probably threatening Mr. Diggle, threatening his life and possibly yours as well. You know how he massacred all those ARGUS agents all those years ago. How hard do you think it would be for him to add you to that list and Mr. Diggle? The best thing you can do, to protect yourself and Mr. Diggle is take Mr. Wilson out, but to do that you have to be careful. Pick your moment extremely carefully. In fact I'll tell you when to do it as now, thanks to Oliver Queen, Mr. Wilson is known to the public eye. To get rid of him it will have to be just the right moment and that I will decide on." She reveals before looking up at a throughly stunned Lyla.

"Good day Agent Michaels."

 _Elsewhere…_

Following a guard, Diggle and Floyd walk side by side toward Floyd's cell, which is opened for him by a guard.

"Waller said in a few years, you might even get a pardon." Diggle admits to him as Floyd's handcuffs are removed.

"Don't worry, John. We both know I'm not going to be around that long." He points out as his cell door is closed behind him, Diggle looking at him for a couple of moments before moving down the corridor, yet he passes Harley's cell door on the way.

"Talk to Ollie, please." Harley asks quietly through the door as Diggle gives a brief nod before turning to walk toward where Lyla stands at the end of the corridor.

"You still employed?" He questions.

"People with my security clearance aren't that easy to get rid of." She replies.

"Right." Diggle mutters in response.

"What about us Johnny?" She sighs after a minute.

"Last night, the man that killed my brother showed more character than the woman charged with protecting the world." He admits with a sigh.

"Good and bad is not so clear to me but one thing I do know for sure, black and white… Is that I can't ever lose you again." He reveals.

"Finally." Lyla sighs with a genuine smile.

"Something we agree on." She says moving forward to kiss Diggle with a smile, wrapping her arms around him when she pulls away.

"And I'll protect you from Deathstroke." She murmurs as Diggle pulls away slightly the instant she says the words.

"Wait what?" Diggle looks up at her.

"I know that Slade Wilson is Deathstroke. Despite our monumental screw up, Amanda gave me higher security clearance and told me who he was and that you knew…"

"Lyla… I…"

"No, no Johnny, it's ok. I know he's threatening you. I know your in danger but it'll all be over one day. I promise. One day he won't be terrorizing anyone anymore." She says softly as Diggle looks at her in horror.

"Wait Lyla…" He is cut off by a sudden dizzy feeling that suddenly washes over him, both he and Lyla as both of them lose consciousness.

 _Afghanistan_

 _"Well there goes another terrorist turned ally." Ted Gaynor mutters as he passes John Diggle, who watches the van that contains Gholem Qadir leave the camp._

 _"By the way, I put you in for a commendation for saving Qadir's ass." He pats Diggle on the shoulder as he passes him._

 _"You owe me a beer!" He states as Diggle continues to remain in silence._

 _"Congratulations." A voice comes from behind him. Agent Michaels._

 _"Yeah, well. Kill a kid, get a medal, right?" Diggle sighs, not really looking at the woman._

 _"When someone's shooting a Kalashnikov at you, he's not a kid." She retorts._

 _"I see things differently." Diggle murmurs._

 _"It's a complicated world Johnny. Is it ok if I call you Johnny?" She glances at him with a smile when he looks up at the nickname._

 _"I don't think I caught your first name, Michaels." Diggle replies with a smile of his own._

 _"Lyla." She replies as he takes her outstretched hand._

 _"It's really good to meet you, Lyla."_

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

Lyla and Diggle continue to lie on the ground, unconscious. As do the guards and everyone in the cells, apart from one in a cell.

Harley's cell… The knock out gas doesn't go into her cell…

"The hell?!" Harley cries as her cell door is suddenly yanked open by a woman in a mask.

"Sorry it's taken me so long." Shado says as she yanks the mask from her head.

"Shado?!" Harley beams happily, getting to her feet and throwing her arms around Shado's neck, who holds her close for a few moments before smiling slightly.

"Come on, we need to go. The knock out gas won't last long." She informs her, taking Harley's hand and pulling her out of the cell.

"Wait. What about the bombs?" Harley reaches to the back of her neck.

"The bombs?" Shado looks to her in surprise.

"I thought you would have deactivated them by now with your phone." Shado mutters with folded arms as Harley shakes her head.

"Something happened and it got taken off me a few clicks away from completion by…" She stops as he eyes fall on John Diggle's unconscious form.

"Him, he's got it!" Harley says, racing toward him and ripping her phone out of his coat pocket, switching it on and typing quickly until a green light flashes rapidly and an animation of something unlocking is shown on her phone.

"Deactivated." Harley grins as Shado nods, pulling her mask back on.

"Now we must leave." Shado informs her, grabbing her hand but Harley doesn't move.

"Wait. No. There's something else. Can I have the keys?" She requests as Shado passes them but frowns.

"Did you leave something in your cell?" She asks as Harley races toward the cells.

"Not my cell." She murmurs, unlocking a door before moving inside.

"Can you help me with him? He's a little heavy?" Harley requests as she tries to drag Floyd out of his cell.

"Harley." Shado growls.

"He's a friend. Can't leave him here to get his head blown off in the future. He can help us, join us. He's assassin, he never misses his shot!" Harley reveals, looking over at Shado, who moves toward the cell, only to stop when she sees the person within it.

"He can't join us. No, not him. He stays right here." Shado says sternly.

"Wait… Why? Why can't he come with us! He can help…"

"No he can't. He's Floyd Lawton, Deadshot. This here, Harley is the man who was sent to assassinate Slade. I won't work with him. In fact I should probably kill this man right here, right now." She growls, advancing on Floyd, when Harley drops him to the floor.

"No, no. Don't kill him. We can leave him here. Don't kill him." She begs as Shado sighs before glaring at Harley.

"Ohh come on! He only tried to kill Slade because he was contracted to!" Harley points out as Shado shakes her head.

"And almost destroyed everything." She snarls.

"I know. I know he almost wrecked our plans at reuniting our family, me, you, Slade and Ollie. But I'm sure he'll be killed in here anyway." Harley says with a shrug as Shado just rolls her eyes at her.

"Come on, we have to go. You still have to go and tell Laurel Lance that you're back in town." Shado informs her as she pulls Harley to her feet.

"Wait. Just a sec." Harley stops to type a few words into the phone she'd used to deactivate her bomb, before placing two objects in Floyd's cell, under his pillow.

Then, she turns to follow Shado, who takes a firm hold of Harley's wrist, who nods.

"Now let's go."

 _Verdant_

"In international news, a United Nations inspections team was called to a chemical weapons manufacturing facility hidden beneath the Markovian estate of humanitarian, Gholem Qadir. Closer to home, mayoral candidate, Moira Queen stumped for an initiative to revive inner city after school swim programs." A woman reports from the news channel Oliver is currently watching from the bar in Verdant, frowning at the screen when it is switched to am interview with his mother.

"Oh I remember how much my children enjoyed swimming when they were young. I couldn't get them out of the pool." She reports with a laugh. Oliver slams his hands on the bar before grabbing the remote and switching it off in anger.

"I thought you hated swimming." Sara points out as she enters the club, arm in arm with Nyssa, who walks along side her.

"I detest swimming." Oliver replies as they sit each side of him.

"So does Thea." He murmurs with a sigh.

"Then why would she say you do?" Nyssa questions.

"Because my mother sometimes enjoys a causal relationship with the truth." He grumbles.

"Anyway." He mutters, taking Sara's hand in one hand and Nyssa's in the other.

"Thank you. Both of you, for being there for me." He murmurs.

"You mean for not letting you push us away?" Sara points out.

"I'm going to stop doing that." Oliver says with a nod.

"Yes, well good." Nyssa responds.

"You'll be wasting your time anyway." Sara adds as she leans forward to kiss him, both Oliver and Sara doing the same for Nyssa and Oliver wraps his arms around both Sara and Nyssa for a few moments until footsteps can be heard behind him.

Laurel, who approaches them all with a smile, Sara and Nyssa moving to get their bags as Oliver approaches a smiling Laurel.

"It looks like you took my advice." She points out.

"Thank you." Oliver nods gratefully.

"Tommy with the kids?" He asks.

"Yes. Yes he is. He finally got to meet Leena as well. She was out of town for a while. Honestly, I missed her." Laurel says before looking toward Sara and Nyssa.

"I came by to take Sara and Nyssa to dinner. Would you and Slade care to join?" She offers, looking around for Slade at that point.

"Where is Slade? I haven't seen him around." She points out.

"Oh, he had some business to clear up. He's out of town." Oliver replies.

"Ohh, that's a shame. So, coming?" She asks.

"I would love to but I need to go see an old friend."

 _ARGUS Headquarters: Cell Block_

"What the hell happened?" Floyd questions loudly from his cell as after awaking from unconsciousness he had realised that there were a lot of ARGUS guards running around, yelling instructions back and forth and he guesses his unconsciousness wasn't caused by them. It was something else.

He knocks on his wall, knowing Harley to be in the cell a few doors down.

"Heya darlin'. What's going on out there?" He calls to silence.

"Ohh she's long gone, man." Comes the call of Bronze Tiger.

"What?" Floyd calls with a raised eyebrow look.

"That's what all this commotion is. She got out. Deactivated her bomb as well. Guess she got that device working for her, said she had an accomplice." He calls to Floyd.

"Harley's gone?" He calls in surprise.

"Yeah. Surprised you ain't gone to. Figured she'd have taken you with her." Bronze Tiger shrugs as an ARGUS guard bangs on both of their cell doors.

"Shut up!"

Turning back to his wall of photos of Zoe, Floyd sits back against his bed, only to sit upon something hard, shifting aside, he lifts his pillow.

The first thing he sees is the phone. Harley's phone, the one she'd been trying to use to get the bombs deactivated.

Glancing toward the door to his cell, Floyd clicks the phone on, only for it to open on the notes app where a note is waiting for him.

'Type this code to deactivate the bombs. It works. I swear. Sorry, Shot, my boss wouldn't let me take you with us.'

Looking at the phone in his hand, Floyd switches it off before placing it back under his pillow, knowing there's no point in using it now. He'd have no chance of getting out alive even if he could deactivate the bombs.

However, when he put the phone away under the pillow, he sees something else.

The silver skulls bracelet Harley had stolen, yet had been to big for her to actually wear on the Suicide Squad mission.

Getting to his feet, he hangs the bracelet from the wall he has all his photos of Zoe.

He'd be a hundred percent lying if he said he didn't have a smirk upon his face.

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

Amanda Waller walks down the corridor toward her office with a gun in hand.

First their had been a break in that caused Harley Quinn to escape only hours previously and now, she believes there has been another one.

Opening the door to her office, she enters guns first.

Seeing that other ARGUS agents are lying on the ground, darts in their necks.

At seeing the darts, she pockets her gun with a sigh.

"Hello Oliver." She says plainly as she sees the Arrow also in the room.

"Hello, Amanda." He says as he pulls his hood down.

"Still mad at me?" She questions.

"Lucky for you, you've been pushed down that list." He growls.

"Really? Who do you want to kill more than me?" She folds her arms a confident smile upon her face..

"Shado is alive." Oliver mutters.

"You killed her. That's not possible." She says with a shake of her head.

"Everything is possible where Shado is concerned." Oliver retorts.

"Just like Slade Wilson." She says as Oliver closes his eyes.

"Did he join her? I'm quite curious as to why you are here alone and not with the Black Canary, Sara Lance and Deathstroke, Slade Wilson. Do they know you're even here talking to me right now? Does Mr. Wilson know what you're doing here? I wouldn't have thought he'd wanted you to be here in room with the same woman who placed a bomb in your head." She taunts him as Oliver just standing there, clenching his fists. That being the only thing keeping him from pulling out an arrow and killing here there and then.

No kill rule be damned when it comes to Amanda Waller.

"Wait… Do you even know where Mr. Wilson is? You have that look in your eyes, Oliver. The same one you always had when the two of you were separated. A lost look." She taunts him more as Oliver just continues to grit his teeth and clench his fists.

"I need you help to find Shado." He growls.

"I might have something." She says after a moment.

"What?" Oliver questions instantly.

"There's a new player we've been tracking, a mercenary. She's left a trail of bodies from Macau to Istanbul to Lisbon and recently has attacked these headquarters and taken one of our prisoners." She reveals.

"Prisoners?" Oliver growls in an instant.

"Oh you're already aquatinted. I take it you remember Harley Quinn." She looks up at Oliver who closes his eyes.

Harley's back…

Harley's… Working for Shado?

A million and one thoughts race through Oliver's mind all at once, but there's only one that really bothers him.

Why. Why would she work for Shado?

"The trail leads right here to Starling." Amanda continues as she clicks a few buttons to bring some information up on the big screen.

"You know, it is kind of funny that this could possibly be Shado as, this new player has always reminded me just that little bit of Deathstroke, all the killings, the brutality we've seen from this person, the inhuman abilities, sound familiar? It did to me to. So much in fact." She pulls up an image on screen of a female figure in a heavily armed uniform.

A sword in one hand, a crossbow in the other.

A metallic mask covering her head…

"We've been calling her Lady Deathstroke."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter. I honestly don't think this one of my best chapters but there we are and thanks for all your follows and favourites and all your kind reviews and massive thanks to the person who reviewed saying that Shado's code name should be 'Lady Deathstroke', it is much appreciated :) Next update should come really soon, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter and thanks again for reading._**


	120. Birds Of Prey (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty_**

 _Starling City: Night_

In the quiet Starling City night, one of the only sounds to be heard in a darker part of the city is the sound of Starling City's finest ensuing their guns are prepared for mission that is being led by Quentin Lance.

"Hugo Mannheim." Quentin starts by holding up a picture.

"Warrants out for racketeering, extortion, murder. The Goombath Trifecta, but he never travels alone, so watch your back, watch your partners back. Let's go!" Quentin commands as he and the officers race toward the building.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a building nearby stand the Arrow, the Black Canary and Nyssa. The Black Canary looking down at her father.

"Hey guys, thanks for helping me keep watch over my dad tonight." She thanks the Arrow and Nyssa.

"As long as Shado is out there, neither of our families are safe." The Arrow sighs.

"At least Tommy's watching over Laurel and the children tonight. If you were not a man down I would be there myself." Nyssa replies just as gunshots begin to sound out…

 _Meanwhile…_

"This is the SCPD! Put your weapons on the ground!" Quentin yells as he and the other officers are fired upon by the assailants.

The SCPD officers and the criminals using cars around them to avoid being shot.

Meanwhile, the Arrow and Nyssa shoot arrows at the assailants from above, the Black Canary using a long black piece of fabric to jump down to assist in the fighting, whilst the Arrow jumps down from his vantage point to, shooting an arrow through one of the criminals wrists.

Elsewhere, where two criminals are firing their weapons they are taken on by the Black Canary wheilding her staff, knocking both men viciously out with a few quick spins, whilst SCPD officers shoot at remaining criminals.

One even manages to find a way out, yet is soon spotted by the Arrow, whom follows said criminal quickly.

Meanwhile, Quentin follows another criminal trying escape, shooting at said criminal until the criminal shoots back, hitting him in the chest.

An act that is witnessed by the Black Canary and Nyssa, the Black Canary already running toward him, dropping down beside him and moving his jacket aside, all expecting to see a godawful bullet wound, yet is in instant relief when she realizes that he is wearing a vest.

"I'm ok, go, go." He rests a hand on her arm.

"Canary." Nyssa hisses as she looks in the direction of the man who had shot at Quentin.

"I've got it!" Nyssa growls, following the criminal.

"Sara, go. Go, you can't stay here." Quentin pushes her away, as the Black Canary grips his hand tightly for a moment before moving to follow Nyssa, whom is in pursuit of the criminal.

 _Meanwhile…_

As a man runs down the street and away from the scene of the crime, he is abruptly shot around the legs with a contraption that wraps a whole load of wires around his legs, that causes him to fall to the ground, rolling into a pit.

The Arrow stands above him, bow raised and ready to fire.

"Frank Bertinelli." The Arrow growls as the man he'd been chasing rolls over and is revealed to be Frank Bertinelli.

"My daughter sent you here to kill me?" He growls as the Arrow begins to lower his bow, just when a man suddenly comes flying out of a window.

Looking up instantly, the Arrow sees that the person who pushed the guy out of the window was Nyssa and the Black Canary.

That's when the sirens begin to sound out and as Frank Bertinelli turns back around to face the vigilantes he finds that they have disappeared from sight…

 _Later…_

Frank Bertinelli is led in cuffs toward a police car, which is watched by Quentin, whom with a disapproving sigh, turns and moves toward an alleyway that the three vigilantes are in.

"Hey, dad are you alright? Are you hurt?" The Black Canary asks instantly.

"Yeah, I'm fine sweetheart. Listen, I know guys don't exactly believe in reading perps their Miranda's but you two can't just toss a guy out of a window."

"He shot you. Where I come from, a person who did something like that would lose their heads." Nyssa retorts.

"Yet I'm still here, ain't I? And I know your from that league of whatever but that doesn't excuse her…"

"I was in the League to, dad." The Black Canary points out as Quentin sighs.

"Look, just next time, both of you show a little restraint." He begs.

"That was us showing restraint." The Black Canary mutters.

"Mr. Lance, we have another problem." The Arrow calls.

"Yeah, I know with Frank Bertinelli in custody, it's just a matter of time before she's back in town." Quentin sighs.

"Ahh crap." The Black Canary grumbles as Nyssa just folds her arms.

"And who is she?"

 _The Foundry_

"Helena Bertinelli. Daughter of mafia boss Frank Bertinelli." Diggle informs Nyssa, Sin and Roy in The Foundry once Oliver, Sara and Nyssa had returned.

"Or as I like to call her, Slade's psycho ex-girlfriend hell bent on revenge against her father." Felicity adds.

"Slade was with this woman?" Nyssa raises her eyebrows at the team.

"Wow. He has got appalling taste in women. First this Shado woman and now Helena Bertinelli." Tommy comments.

"Ohh it gets worse. He dated this woman called Isobel Rochev. God, she was a bitch and I only ran into her once." Roy adds.

"We get it, Slade has appealing taste in women." Felicity cuts them off.

"Wait, why does she want her father killed so badly?" Sin asks from the desk.

"He had her fiancé murdered." Oliver fills in.

"She wants payback, puts the many fights I've had with my father in perspective." Sara adds.

"I've been keeping tabs on Helena over the past year, last known sighting was a month ago in Palermo." Felicity informs the group.

"She's been busy." Roy notes.

"If by busy, you mean torturing and killing mafiosos that might know where her father is." Felicity sighs, pulling up a series of crimes committed by Helena Bertinelli.

"God this woman is a psycho, what did Slade see in this woman?" Sin queries.

"I've asked that question many times." Felicity sighs.

"I'll say it again. Slade has bad luck with women." Roy comments with a shake of his head.

"He's kind of a psycho to, he's just attracting over psychos." Tommy murmurs.

"He's not a psycho. For the love of god, what do you have against him?" Roy snaps.

"Do you ever shut up Harper?" Tommy snaps back

"Ok. Ok. You two. Calm down." Oliver holds his hands up in hopes of somewhat calm the two Mirakuru fueled men.

"Ok so Bertinelli's arrest just hit the wires." Tommy informs them upon reading the recent news articles on his phone.

"How long do you think we have before Helena books a ticket back home?" Diggle queries with a sigh as Nyssa rolls her eyes at them.

"Looks like a lot of people from your pasts are showing up."

 _The Amazo_

 _Oliver stands, both wrists in shackles and chained above his head, being punched repeatedly in the face by one of the ships crew under Shado's command._

 _They punch him in the face over and over again until Shado saunters over to them._

 _She stops right in front of Oliver, looking up at him when he finally moves his sore head, blood dripping from his mouth, one eye swollen shut._

 _"Go head." She mutters to one of the crew as Oliver tries to look toward her._

 _"Shado please…" He starts before groaning in pain as he's hit with electricity._

 _"Why aren't we moving yet?" Shado snaps toward the crew members, walking away from where Oliver is being continuously tortured._

 _"We managed to repair the hull, but the engine is too damaged." The crewmen respond._

 _"So fix it." Shado growls._

 _"I can't." The crewman replies as Shado grabs him by the throat in a powerful, Mirakuru fueled grip._

 _"I don't know how!" He protests._

 _"Then find somebody who does!"_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Hey." Tommy calls as he enters the apartment, moving into the living room where Laurel is sat on the floor playing with their children.

It's a sight he still can never get used to seeing but it is such a wonderful sight nethertheless.

"So what have you been doing this morning?" She asks in a soft voice as he sits behind her, resting a head on her shoulder.

"Not much, been at the club with Oliver, Sara, Nyssa you know. Bit of a boring morning. Had a few phone calls about all the stuff my father left behind, the house…" He trails off.

"Have you decided what to do about it?" Laurel asks quietly.

"I. I don't know Laurel. I mean it's bigger than this place by far but it. I don't know if I want to raise our kids in that place." Tommy admits, smiling when his son crawls across the carpet toward him.

"I know what you mean. It's about your father isn't it." Laurel guesses.

"Yep. I just, honestly. When Brandon and Rebecca grow up they're going to learn about all the he did and that the Merlyn name is associated with mass murder. I don't want that but it's gonna happen but I just, think it might help if we weren't living in the house he probably actually kept his damn earthquake machines in." He sighs, pulling Brandon onto his lap just as Laurel's phone begins to ring from the couch.

"Would you take her please?" She smiles passing Rebecca over to Tommy, kissing him on the cheek before reaching for her phone.

"It's work." She whispers to Tommy before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" She starts.

"Hi Laurel. We need you to come in today. We have a case." Donner explains to her.

"Sure. I'll be right there." She nods before hanging up, looking over at Tommy and her babies apologetically.

"I've got to go, apparently I have a case." Laurel says with a sigh.

"Well that's you gone all day isn't it." Tommy sighs with a sigh of his own.

"Probably." Laurel murmurs before leaning down to kiss him, whilst also pressing kisses to the tops of Rebecca and Brandon's heads before heading for the door to what she expects will be another boring, uneventful day at work.

 _DA's Office_

"Thanks for coming on such short notice, both of you." Adam Donner smiles warmly at both Laurel and Cat as they enter his office.

"What's this about Adam?" Cat questions as she takes the seat beside Laurel.

"This case just came in and honestly you two were the first people's names to come to my mind when I was figuring out who should try the case." He informs them, getting up and moving toward his desk for the information on the case.

"An SCPD raid last night brought in Frank Bertinelli. He came back to Starling to collect on some old debts, now the DA's office is clear to prosecute him, for the two of you to prosecute him." He reveals.

"I appreciate the offer, Adam, but why me?" Laurel frowns.

"Well, there are Rico counts that your time at CNRI make you ideally suited for and you two, despite not achieving the not guilty ruling, both of you did fantastic work at the Moira Queen trial." He informs them with a smile.

"Girls, it's a case and if you two want to take it, it's yours."

 _Verdant_

As Thea slaves over paperwork at the bar in Verdant, Roy approaches her, box in hand and a smile on his face.

"What's the special occasion?" Thea frowns as he drops the nicely wrapped box with a bow on top onto the counter in front of her.

"I got paid. So you know. If you don't think it's nice enough, you only have yourself to blame for not giving me that raise." Roy replies with a grin as she pulls the top of the box to find a silver bracelet inside.

"Oh. Roy, I love it!" She beams widely, spinning around to kiss him.

"Thank you." She continues to smile as she fixes it onto her wrist.

"Hey, hey, give me. Give me a second, I forgot to put an order in." Roy rests a hand on her shoulder as he sees Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Felicity, Sin and Diggle all surrounding a part of the bar and begins to move toward the group.

"Hey what's going on?" He asks.

"I got a line on Michael Statton, Helena's fiancé." Felicity explains as Roy joins them.

"Wait. Hasn't he been dead for five years?" Diggle queries.

"Yes. Which makes the fact that he rented a car last night, very impressive." Felicity points out as Sin shrugs.

"I don't know Smoak, people seemingly have a habit of returning from the grave." Sin says with a look toward Oliver and Sara, whom puts an arm around Sin, knowing how the reveal that Shado has been lying to her all this time has affected her.

"It's Helena." Oliver mutters plainly.

"The car's got GPS, I hacked into it. Yeah she's heading straight for Starling City." Felicity informs them as Oliver looks to Roy.

"Ready to get back in the field?" He questions as Roy smirks at him.

"I thought you'd never ask."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In one of the dark parts of the city, a car zooms down a street at almost rocket speed yet comes to an abrupt stop as in front of him is the Arrow.

"It's over Helena!" The Arrow growls, bow raised.

"Get out of the car!" He bellows as the car only reverses, spinning around to go the way it had come only to come face to face with the Black Canary and Nyssa.

The car now with nowhere to go just stays in between the three vigilantes, Roy moving toward the car from the side, watching as the window rolls down.

"GUN!" He yells, putting his hand over the gun that is fired directly into his hand, causing Roy to start shaking instantly with Mirakuru fueled rage, grabbing a hold of the man and ripping him out of the car window, throwing him at a metal fence that gives in under the man's weight.

"Ahh! Don't hurt me!" The man protests as Roy advances on him.

"Stand down." The Arrow growls to him.

"Stand. Down!" The Arrow snarls as Roy shows no signs of stopping.

"Don't hurt me, please!" The man begs as Roy continues to advance on him.

"SPEEDY!" The Arrow bellows with his bow raised in Roy's direction causing Roy to finally look up at him, startled.

"Enough." The Arrow snarls as Roy realizes that both the Arrow and Nyssa have their bows raised in his direction.

"He's just Helena's decoy." The Black Canary mutters as she pulls Roy back by his hoodie.

"Where is she?" Nyssa snarls at the 'decoy.'

"I don't know! Some chick just paid me to take the car for a joy ride. I swear!" He cries as Nyssa and the Arrow finally lower their bows…

 _Meanwhile…_

On the other side of Starling City another car zips down the road at a rapid speed.

"Please don't kill me." The driver begs.

"I'm getting married next month." He protests as from the backseat, underneath a blanket, Helena raises her head and her gun.

"Just drive."

 _The Foundry_

"According to the SCPD, the guy that gave Helena a ride into town is a twenty two year old poly SCI major at SCU and a member of Gamma Tau, which totally explains the whole 'I didn't know I was aiding and abetting a known felon' thing. Anyone with boobs can get a frat boy to do anything." Felicity points out with a smirk at the rest of the team.

"Good one Smoak." Sin high fives her.

"I was a frat boy." Oliver points out.

"I rest my case." Felicity smirks.

"At least she didn't kill him. That's something." Diggle points out.

"It's not like Helena to show restraint." Oliver comments before looking to Felicity.

"Keep tabs on the police. Let me know if they get any leads on her." He requests.

"Sure. I got different tabs open all over the place." Felicity says with a sigh and spins her chair around so she's facing the glass case containing The Man In The Mask uniform.

"Still nothing." She sighs sadly, dropping her head slightly.

"I'll do some canvassing on Helena." Diggle nods, moving toward the stairs as Sara looks up at Oliver.

"Hey." She says, nodding toward Roy and with a knowing look in his eyes, Oliver moves across The Foundry to where Roy is sat, wrapping a bandage around his gunshot hand and then just pulling it off.

"You ok?" Oliver asks softly as he pulls up a chair.

"Yeah. By this time tomorrow, it'll be like nothing happened." He sighs whilst inspecting his rapidly healing hand.

"That's one upside to Mirakuru." He muses.

"The only one." Oliver says with a sigh.

"Look. I know what you're going to say. I had it under control last night." Roy mutters.

"Yeah, so under control that I almost put another arrow in you." Oliver retorts.

"I was going to back off but you never gave me the chance…"

"The only thing that snapped you out of it was when I brought up Thea." Oliver cuts him off.

"That's why you called me Speedy." Roy guesses in that moment.

"I. I thought you were trying to give me a nickname." He admits with a shake of his head before adding extremely quickly.

"But for the record, don't call me Speedy." He growls.

"Noted." Oliver responds before sighing.

"Roy, you're dangerous. I thought I was helping you control it." Oliver admits.

"You are. I mean, I can't look at a bowl of water without slapping it." Roy responds sarcastically as Oliver sighs.

"Yet the first time that you're out in the field in weeks and… You're ready to kill somebody? Come on." Oliver points out as Roy folds his arms.

"Well no offence and all, but honestly. You weren't the one helping me control it. You weren't the one actually giving a damn about me. I was keeping it under control and with him I was actually getting somewhere but he's not here anymore and we are doing absolutely nothing at all to find him!" Roy snaps.

"Roy, Slade's not here…"

"You're damn right he isn't."

"And… We are doing everything in our power to get him home and I think if he we're here with me right now, he'd be saying the exact same thing as I am. I'm sorry, I should have asked you do this months ago." Oliver murmurs as Roy frowns.

"Asked me to do what?" Roy queries.

"Stay away from Thea." Oliver responds sternly.

"No. No. I. I can't!" Roy gets to his feet instantly.

"She's not safe when she's around you." Oliver sighs as Roy closes his eyes.

"I'm not sure anybody is when you lose yourself to this rage. You love her." Oliver reminds him quietly as Roy looks away from him.

"And that's why you're going to do what I'm asking…"

"Such a big uh-oh." Felicity calls, cutting the silence between Oliver and Roy off instantly.

"Helena?" Oliver frowns.

"Laurel." Felicity whispers as she switches the sound on.

"ADA Adam Donner has just released news that lawyers Laurel Lance and Cat Grant will lead the prosecution of Mr. Bertinelli. Jury selection starts today." The news anchor reports as a pure look of horror crosses everyone's faces in an instant.

Yet the most distressed of course is Sara…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all for reading, next chapter should be up really soon thanks for all your kind reviews, follows and favourites! Please tell me what you all thought. See you all next update!_**


	121. Birds Of Prey (2)

_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._

 _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty One_

 _DA's Office_

"Hey." Comes the voice of Sara as she and Nyssa approach the desk Laurel is sat at with Cat.

"Hey. What are you two doing here?" Laurel frowns.

"We heard that you two picked up some big case on the news. How come you didn't call me?" Sara asks, leaning against the desk.

"Because she's spent the last forty minutes talking to Tommy about it on the phone." Cat smirks as she scrolls through some information on her computer screen.

"And also I thought you and dad would try to talk me out of it somehow, Tommy was." Laurel says with a sigh as Cat nudges her.

"I think that's why they're here." She points out as Laurel looks up at them both.

"We're just worried about you." Sara admits.

"I don't know what it is all of you are worried about. It's not like I'm doing it alone." She says with a smile at Cat.

"It's not that Laurel, everyone knows what kind of man this Bertinelli is and not to mention his completely psychotic daughter who's already on her way back to Starling City to have him killed… Ow." Nyssa hisses as Sara stamps down hard on her foot.

"How do you know that?" Cat glances up at the two women as even Laurel looks surprised.

"I. I don't. We just want you to be safe." Nyssa covers quickly as Laurel beams at them both whilst approaching them.

"And I love the both of you for caring but this is something I'm really good at and Cat and I will put this guy away. Now." Laurel stops to embrace both Sara and Nyssa before looking to Cat, who gets to her feet as well.

"We have to run. We can't be late for court."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"We made it." Sara whispers gratefully as she and Slade enter the plane at long last and a lot of walking later, followed by the rest of the people who had come of the Amazo and Harley who promptly sits down the minute she walks into the plane._

 _"Yeah, this is much better than the freighter." Hendrik snaps at Sara, advancing on her at the same time, not getting very far as Slade pushes her behind him, flashing all a warning look that translates into there would definitely be no mercy for anyone who dared to lay a hand on Sara._

 _"You prefer boat, Hendrik, feel free to swim back." Anatoly retorts._

 _"Harley said Oliver and the other two survived here for over a year. We can do the same." Another survivor points out as Sara fixes her sights on arrows on a set of boxes._

 _She's not sure if they're Shado's or Oliver's but they remind her of both of them._

 _Shado and Oliver…_

 _She sees Slade looking at them to, an almost broken look in his eyes and fearing a bad, Mirakuru fuelled reaction from the man, she slides her hand into his and squeezes gently._

 _"Unless Ivo and his men come and find us." Hendrik snaps._

 _"We don't know what happened on the boat! Who's alive and who's dead." Another survivor snaps as Slade whirls around to face them._

 _"I'll tell you what happened…"_

 _"Slade, calm down. Calm down." Sara grips his hand tightly._

 _"Just a warning for you all. Don't make Psycho angry. He got that Mirakuru." Harley warns them as some of the survivors wince and look fearfully at Slade, however Hendrik takes no notice at all._

 _"So go on then. What happened on the boat?!" He snaps as Sara keeps a tight grip on Slade's hand to stop him from doing anything he'd regret later._

 _"It was taken over and my friend and the woman I love is still on it." Slade snarls._

 _"But wasn't it Shado who kinda took it over?" Harley calls as Slade turns in her direction._

 _"Just saying, don't kill me Psycho." Harley says holding her hands up._

 _"So this girl of yours took over the ship?" Hendrik's hisses._

 _"SHE HAS THE MIRAKURU!" Slade bellows, a murderous look crossing his eyes._

 _"Slade. Slade calm down. It's ok." Sara whispers._

 _"Like I. She's not thinking clearly. It's the Mirakuru." He snarls._

 _"Yet she's holding Oliver…" Anatoly starts yet stops at the look in Slade's eyes and holds his hands up in almost surrender toward Slade._

 _"Sara, Slade. Are you there?" Comes the sudden voice of Shado from the radio, pulling both Slade and Sara's attention toward the radio in an instant._

 _"Shado! Is Oliver…" Sara grabs the radio in a matter of seconds._

 _"He's in pain. Yes." Shado responds as Sara closes her eyes in horror as Harley races toward Sara and Slade._

 _"But he's still breathing… For now." She informs them both._

 _"Shado, listen, you won't ok? You have the Amazo. Just let Oliver go and then you can leave us here!" Harley calls through the radio._

 _"Well, here's my problem, Harley. I can't leave." Shado responds._

 _"Why not?" Sara asks quickly._

 _"During our assault, the ships engine was damaged. She won't sail. During the attack, unfortunately Slade decapitated the engineer. So what can we do about our problem? You want Oliver back and I need someone qualified to fix this boat. For Oliver's sake I sure hope a Mr. Hendrik is there with you." Shado mutters as in that instant Sara, Harley and Slade spin around to face Hendrik…_

 _The Foundry_

"Non lethal arrows?" Diggle comments as he passes a table where Oliver is sat.

"It's not like you to play with kid gloves. How's Roy?" He questions.

"Like Helena, he is not too pleased with my skills as a mentor." Oliver mutters.

"It's because he misses Slade." Sin points out in passing.

"We all miss Slade." Felicity sighs from the computer as the sound of footsteps on the stairs cause everyone to turn around.

"Laurel won't drop the case, neither will Cat. They're headed to court right now." Sara calls as she and Nyssa appear and at that Oliver is on his feet.

"Where are you going?!" Sara grabs his arm.

"To the courthouse!" Oliver responds.

"Well hey, you forgot your baby arrows." Sara retorts cuttingly.

"Sara." Oliver sighs with folded arms.

"No, she's right. I understand that you two and Slade have this whole no killing agreement but if it comes down to saving Laurel and her friend or killing Helena…"

"Nyssa, those aren't the only two choices." Oliver cuts her off.

"No, I'm with Nyssa here Ollie. You were happy enough to let Dig take the kill shot when it was Shado threatening your family!" Sara snaps in Nyssa's defence.

"This is different." Oliver retorts.

"How is it different?" Nyssa hisses.

"The difference is I, Slade and even you Sara. We failed Helena. We created The Huntress." Oliver points out as Sara just shakes her head at him.

"Yeah well you and Slade created Shado to!" Sara fires back, stopping instantly once the words have been said and runs a hand through her hair.

"Ollie I didn't. I didn't mean that." She whispers to silence from Oliver.

"You're right." Oliver responds plainly as she turns around to face him again.

"But when it comes to our families… Neither one of us thinks clearly which is why you use to stay here. Nyssa you to, stay with her." Oliver replies firmly.

"No. No we are not just going to stay here we are coming with you." Nyssa snaps.

"Nyssa please both of you just listen to me and stay here." Oliver sighs.

"Ollie. I can't." Sara growls.

"I am not going to let anything happen to Laurel. I love her too." He reminds her before turning around and heading toward the stairs.

"Well that was tense." Sin comments the minute he's gone and Sara and Nyssa have turned around to face the group.

"So what do you guys think then?" Sara questions as Felicity looks up at her at her question, both Diggle and Sin nodding as Felicity responds.

"Ohh I think if The Huntress shows up you and Nyssa should totally kick her ass."

 _Starling City Court House_

"Please don't tell me you're worried about me to." Laurel sighs as she and Cat approach the awaiting Oliver.

"No, I just wanted to watch the trial. I heard the prosecutors were something special." He smiles as Cat rests her hand on Laurel's arm, turning her around to where Frank Bertinelli is being led into the room.

"That's odd, why are they bringing him in through the front entrance?" Cat frowns just as the sound of something hitting the ground fills Oliver's ears in an instant.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Oliver yells loudly pulling both Laurel and Cat to the ground as the device dropped let's off smoke that fills the wide room.

The officers that try to fire their guns into the smoke are instantly taken down with darts shot from a person within the smoke. Helena Bertinelli.

"Hey dad." She calls as she walks toward him, crossbow raised.

"Sorry I'm late, but you're a hard man to track down." She says as he slowly begins to get to his feet, Oliver doing the same from the other side of the room.

"But it's fitting that you came back to Starling City, where it all began. Where you killed Michael!" She snaps clearly.

"You know I almost feel sorry for you…"

"Helena." Oliver starts abruptly, Helena instantly aiming a second crossbow at him.

"Stop this." He commands, simply raising his hands.

"Oliver, you know I can't." She mutters in response.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Frank Bertinelli calls as she turns her head around.

"I said. What are you waiting for?!" He yells as it hits her and Helena moves quickly toward him, pulling his jacket aside only to see the wires…

"Helena Bertinelli, put down your weapons and place your hands above your head!" A voice yells as SWAT members burst into the room.

"So this was a big trap... With you as the bait." She guesses, looking around to see that she's outnumbered and outgunned.

"What did they offer you?" She asks her father.

"Ah, they didn't have to offer me anything." He snarls back.

"Give up, Miss Bertinelli. The buildings surrounded." One of the SWAT members say again.

"What was it you always taught me, daddy?" Helena questions with a smirk.

"Be prepared for anything. NOW!" She yells, shooting at the SWAT members, whilst members of the crowd of people in the room suddenly get to their feet, firing machine guns at other SWAT members.

Meanwhile, getting to his feet, Oliver pulls Laurel and Cat up from the floor, grabbing them both and pushing them in the direction of a door, which he opens before making sure both women have gone through it before turning back and running over a load of chairs, pushes Frank Bertinelli through a door to safety upon seeing Helena aim at him, who upon seeing Oliver leave with her father, holds her crossbows up high before commanding.

"Take hostages and fall back!"

 _Meanwhile…_

"Hey! Hold your fire, hold your fire! They have hostages!" Oliver yells as he busts out of the back door with Frank Bertinelli.

"Hold fire. Say it again, hold fire. They've taken hostages!" The man in charge yells through his radio to the other SWAT members.

"Where's Laurel? Where's Laurel? Is she with you?" Quentin grabs Oliver's arm in an instant.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lance, we got separated. Laurel and Cat are still inside!" Oliver replies the horrifying truth.

 _Starling City Court House_

Meanwhile, whilst all the commotion is happening in another room where Helena is holding the hostages, Laurel and Cat, both still trapped inside of this building, carefully move discreetly down a corridor…

 _Starling City Courthouse_

"We are live outside Starling City Courthouse where Helena Bertinelli and an unknown number of assailants seized control of the entire building and I'm now being told they are holding a number of hostages inside." The news reporter reports to the public as Quentin and Oliver pass him, following the SCPD officers into a tent.

"I want snipers with thermals on top of every building for a two block radius…"

"This was not how it was supposed to go down, captain!" Adam Donner cuts him off instantly with a growl.

"You promised me that there wouldn't be any casualties!" He protests.

"This was your idea, huh? You son of a bitch!" Quentin snarls, having heard every word, advancing on Adam Donner and punching him hard across the face.

"Hey, my daughters in there!" He yells as he's dragged back by other officers.

"What were you guys thinking putting all those innocent lives at risk?" Quentin yells.

"Listen! I was following orders." The captain points out.

"Orders?!" Quentin snarls as a phone begins to ring.

"Ms. Bertinelli." The Captain sighs the minute he picks up the phone.

"No one has to die today." He starts calmly.

"My father does and unless you hand him over to me, I'm going to start killing hostages." She replies with equal calmness to her voice.

"See this, Mr. Donner, is what happens when you let freaks with masks run wild!" The captain snaps at Donner before looking to Quentin and Oliver.

"Get them the hell out of here." He snarls to his men.

"Don't touch me." Quentin hisses as he follows Oliver out of the tent.

"Laurel? Where's Laurel?!" Comes the voice of Tommy as he races toward Oliver and Quentin, whom look between one another.

"I heard about all this on the news, I've been trying to call her. Is she with you guys?" He asks as Oliver holds his hands up.

"Tommy. I need you to calm down." He starts as Tommy's eyes widen.

"She's still in there, isn't she?" He whispers.

"Tommy…" Oliver starts.

"ISN'T SHE!" He snarls.

"Helena Bertinelli took eleven hostages and Laurel and Cat are amongst them but we're going to get her back, right Oliver?" Quentin looks to Oliver.

"Of course. We're going to get her back. I need to call…"

"Was she in their alone?" Tommy growls looking to Oliver and Quentin.

"Tommy now is not…"

"Did none of you try and stop her from doing this?" He hisses.

"I was in there but we got separated…" Oliver starts but Tommy grabs him by the throat and holds him up against the wall.

"What the hell?!" Quentin cries, startled at what he's currently seeing.

"You. Left. Her. In. There?!" Tommy hisses.

"Tommy. Calm down." Oliver groans against his death grip.

"We're going to get her back. I tried to get her out." He croaks.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TRIED HARDER!" Tommy snarls.

"Merlyn, let him go!" Quentin snaps to no response whatsoever.

"This is wasting time. Laurel is still in there and we're doing nothing! Nothing to save her! To get her home, to you, Brandon and Rebecca." Quentin calls as Tommy's hands begin to shake and he lets Oliver fall from his grasp at the mention of Brandon and Rebecca.

His anchors to pull him away from the Mirakuru rage.

"What the hell was that?!" Quentin hisses.

"Long story." Oliver coughs as Tommy looks down at his shaking hands before at Oliver.

"I'm sorry." He whispers to his friend, his best friend who he almost strangled to death.

"S'okay. It's ok." Oliver murmurs as he pulls out his phone.

"Felicity." He croaks into the phone the minute the line connects.

"Oliver? Oliver where are you? Are you okay?" She asks hurriedly.

"Felicity, Laurel and Cat are still inside the courthouse." He informs them.

"What do you need, man?" Sin calls.

"My work clothes." Oliver responds.

"I'm on it." Diggle calls to them.

"Put Sara and Nyssa on the phone." Oliver requests as Felicity and Sin look between one another where they're sat at the computers.

"Uh… They're not here." Felicity winces as a dark look crosses Oliver's face.

"Where are they?"

 _Starling City Courthouse_

"This way." Cat whispers as she and Laurel race carefully down a corridor, keeping close to one another as they move.

"Could do with those three vigilantes right about now." Cat mutters as she and Laurel duck behind a filling cabinet.

"You and me both." Laurel whispers in response as they move from behind the filling cabinet only for Laurel to be grabbed out of nowhere by one of Helena's men, whom throws Laurel against a vending machine whilst Cat tries to attack the man from behind, only for him to grab her by the throat in one hand and Laurel's throat in the other hand.

Yet before he can do another thing, two assailants come from out of nowhere. One both Laurel and Cat instantly recognise at the Black Canary and both she and another woman begin to take on the man, whom drops Laurel and Cat instantly as they begin to attack the man until he is unconscious on the ground.

"Are you one of the good guys?" Laurel looks to the unknown woman.

"Yes. She's with me." The Black Canary replies causing Laurel and Cat to look just a little less afraid as the unknown woman looks toward them.

"I wouldn't say I was one of the good guys, but I am friends with them."

 _Verdant_

As Roy walks across the club dance floor with a neon orange trey in his hands someone knocks violently into him.

"Dude watch it!" Roy mutters sharply.

"Screw you!" The man snaps back as Roy grabs his shoulder in a Mirakuru fuelled grip causing the other man to scream in pain at Roy's inhuman grip.

Realising what he's currently doing upon looking toward where Thea is standing, Roy releases the man abruptly, looking at his shaking hands in horror.

Oliver was right.

He is dangerous…

Racing toward Thea, he drops his trey to the side before facing her instantly.

"Thea, we need to break up." He says the words he really never wanted to have to say, the words tearing his heart apart the minute he says them.

"What?!" Thea exclaims in shock.

"No." She says with a shake of her head.

"What do you mean, no? Thea, I'm breaking up with you." Roy retorts.

"No, you're not." Thea folds her arms.

"You can't make me date you." Roy mutters.

"Roy, yesterday you gave me a bracelet worth every dime that you had and now what, you want to end things? Look, you're clearly going through something right now and I am not going to let you go through it alone." She vows.

"I'm always going to be here for you."

"Sorry, Thea. The guy from the private party said we stocked the wrong vodka and he's freaking me out." A girl says from behind her as Thea sighs, looking over to Roy.

"Look, we'll talk about this later, ok?" Thea whispers to Roy before turning an leaving him alone where he stands.

She said she won't let him go through this alone.

Thea Queen brings him out of his Mirakuru rages. He needs her.

But by needing her he knows he's going to end up getting her killed.

Oliver told him to end things with her, because he loves her and wants to protect her…

Yet…

Roy closes his eyes as a thought washes over him. Something Slade told him.

Oliver was his anchor. Without Oliver, Slade would have lost himself to the Mirakuru and have become something like Shado. He told him that.

Slade had Oliver and that kept him sane. Roy has Thea…

Without Oliver, Slade never would have kept the Mirakuru under control.

Without Thea, how is Roy going to keep the Mirakuru under control?

 _Starling City Courthouse_

Upon seeing another one of Helena's men armed with a gun approaching from the end of another corridor, the Black Canary and Nyssa pull both Cat and Laurel in another direction and toward a door Laurel unlocks quickly with her keys, both she and Cat racing through it before hiding behind a desk. The Black Canary and Nyssa glancing at the door once before racing after Laurel and Cat.

"Are either of you hurt?" The Black Canary asks sharply the minute Helena's men pass the office yet do not see any of the four women.

"No. We're fine." Cat responds as she looks to Laurel.

"Don't worry, we'll get you home to your children." Nyssa assures her as Laurel looks up at the woman.

"How do you know I have children?" Laurel questions softly.

"The picture of them on your keychain you're currently holding onto." Nyssa responds as Laurel looks down at her hands, only to see she does indeed have the the keyring picture tightly clasped in between her fingers and she sighs.

"Do you even know why I'm here today?" Laurel glances to the two vigilantes.

"Turns out we're decoration." Cat mutters as she looks to Laurel who shakes her head.

"Expendable decoration." She grumbles.

"What do you mean?" The Black Canary looks to them both.

"This whole trial was a sham. We should have seen it." Cat says with a roll of her eyes.

"Well Sara was right and Nyssa." Laurel murmurs.

"Sara, she's my sister, Nyssa she's my friend." Laurel adds in explanation to the two vigilantes before sighing.

"She said this was a bad idea, both of them did. My fiancé did." Laurel groans.

"And we thought they were all being way overprotective." Cat adds.

"Yes." Laurel agrees with a nod.

"Well, sisters can be like that. You should meet mine." The Black Canary retorts.

"She's gone through a lot, my little sister. She must have been so strong to go through what she did. I just… I think a part of me shared to show her, show myself… That I was still strong too." She admits sadly.

"So show us." Nyssa replies.

"Let's go." The Black Canary adds, holding out her hands for Laurel and Cat who take them as both she and Nyssa move out of the office.

"Where are you?" Comes the voice of the Arrow from her comms.

"Inside. We've got Laurel Lance and Cat Grant, they're ok." The Black Canary responds.

"We're headed to an egress point in the south wing." Nyssa adds.

"Wait! What about the other hostages?" Laurel says, standing still.

"You two are just going to leave them?" Cat frowns.

"Look, we need to get the two of you to safety." The Black Canary tugs on Laurel's hand.

"I don't understand! What is so special about us?" Laurel cries, both she and Cat coming to a stop again.

"What's going on?" The Arrow snaps through the earpiece.

"They won't leave." Nyssa retorts.

"Look, I know Helena. She's going to kill all of those people. Innocent people." Laurel protests as she folds her arms.

"You two wanted us to show you that we're strong. This is us being strong. We're staying." Laurel says firmly as Cat folds her arms.

"Now are the two of you going to help us or not?" Cat questions as the Black Canary sighs.

"Get them out of there now!" The Arrow snarls as the Black Canary sighs again.

"It's not like I can just knock both of them out!" She mutters.

"Get Laurel out of there now!" Tommy's voice snarls through the earpiece.

"I don't think we can." Nyssa murmurs.

"I'm going in… Get your hand off me!"

"Stand down. You're going to get them all killed!" Oliver growls at Tommy in response before speaking into the earpiece again.

"I do not want either of you engaging Helena!" He snaps.

"What?" Nyssa snarls back.

"Are you afraid of what she'll do to us… Or what we'll do?" She questions.

"Nyssa, Sara. You're not killers. You're better than that." The Arrow growls as the Black Canary looks to Nyssa before closing her eyes.

"I am what I need to be."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Did you hear me?" Shado growls through the radio._

 _"We heard you. Loud and clear." Harley retorts._

 _"Hendrik's not here." Sara says quickly, looking once at Hendrik and then to Slade and Harley who just look at her with glares upon their faces, she holds her hand up shakily in hopes neither of the two will say anything._

 _"Well then, there's someone I'd like you to say hello to." Shado replies calmly as she holds her radio out toward where Oliver is chained up in her new office._

 _"Don't give her anything guys." Oliver murmurs weakly in response._

 _"Ollie!" Both Sara and Harley cry._

 _"Kid!" Slade shouts at the same time as the women._

 _"One last chance. Oliver for Hendrik." Shado bargains._

 _"What are you doing Shado? You don't want this. Talk to me. A'right. Let's talk about this rationally." Slade mutters as calmly as he can through the radio._

 _"In answer to your question. I am negotiating and I don't want to talk. Not to you. You should think yourself fortunate that you got off the ship, sweetheart." Shado hisses through the radio in response as Slade closes his eyes._

 _"I told you! Look, Hendrik, he didn't make it to the island, he drowned." Sara protests._

 _"To think, it was only nearly two years ago you were a little college girl, fretting about boys." Shado retorts as Sara spins around._

 _"What's your point?" Sara whispers._

 _"You're not a very good liar." Shado responds, tilting her head to the side and giving one of the crew members a nod and at that, he switches on a machine that crackles instantly with a whole load of electricity before hitting Oliver in the side with it._

 _Instantly he begins to scream in pain for all to hear._

 _"Shado! Stop please!" Sara cries, tears falling from her eyes._

 _"Look he's your friend, you said he was the brother you never had. That I was like a sister to you. Stop, please just stop!" She begs walking a few steps away only for Slade and Harley to follow her in an instant._

 _"That is the sound of electricity surging through my 'friend'. Five milliamps to be exact. Seven causes cardiac arrest." She hisses as the machine is switched on again and the electricity is applied to Oliver once more, who screams in pain before going instantly limp._

 _"Oliver just passed out with six milliamps…"_

 _"STOP THIS! SHADO STOP THIS!" Slade bellows, ripping the radio out of Sara's hand._

 _"He'll be delivered with the fatal blow of seven in one hour if Hendrik is not standing here by my side!" She snarls._

 _"Don't do this Shado! Take me! Just stop this! You can have me, you can do what the hell you want to me, just let the kid go! I made the choice. This is happening to you because of me. Just take me and you can have your revenge by killing me for this! Not the kid, just let Oliver go, you don't need him! Let. The. Kid. Go!" Slade practically begs through the radio._

 _"Tempting, but for now I will have to decline. I have given my terms. One hour. I expect to have Hendrik by my side in that time or Oliver shall be given the fatal blow of seven milliamps and he will die." She mutters before placing the radio down, Slade throwing it away from him in an instant as Sara spins around to face Hendrik, whom is holding a gun he found aimed at her head._

 _"There's no way in hell I'm going back there."_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all of you who have followed, favorited and reviewed this story. Next update should be updated hopefully sometime soon, thanks again for reading and please leave a review if you can._**


	122. Birds Of Prey (3)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Two**_

 _Starling City Courthouse_

With her crossbow in hand, Helena Bertinelli walks around the circle of hostages, stopping as she sees one woman with her hands on her lap, a ring on her finger. Helena bends down beside this one.

"I was almost married once." She mutters maliciously as the woman looks up at her with tears in her eyes as Helena raises back to her feet, walking around the hostages and simply kicking one of them backwards before grabbing her phone.

"It's been an hour and I'm a woman of my word." She raises her crossbow.

"Just ask my father." She hisses.

"No please!" The hostage begs for his life, just as behind him a small circular device falls to the floor emitting a screeching noise that causes all in the room to cry out in pain from the noise, holding onto their ears as the sound causes all the windows in the room to shatter.

Yet when the noise finally stops, Helena looks up to see the Black Canary and Nyssa advancing on her, the Black Canary engaging first with her baton as from behind them Laurel and Cat work on freeing the prisoners.

"It's going to be ok." Laurel whispers as she cuts one woman's restraints away.

"We're going to get out of here." Cat adds, whilst in the background Helena, Nyssa and the Black Canary continue to fight.

The Black Canary punching Helena in the face as Nyssa drags her back from behind.

"Nice to see you again Sara." Helena hisses sarcastically as she kicks backwards in order to get Nyssa away from her before swinging her fist out, punching the Black Canary hard across the face, causing her to fall backwards.

"Behind you!" Nyssa calls to Laurel and Cat, Laurel who grabs the baton the Black Canary had left her with and smacks the man with the gun across the face with it as Cat kicks him down, the two turning back to help the prisoners as the fight between the three women continue at a rapid speed.

"Now I know you Sara." Helena hisses as she punches The Black Canary across the face again, who twists Helena's hand behind her, only for Helena to kick her in the stomach, Nyssa kicking Helena in the back of the leg in response.

"But I don't know you. Are you another one of Slade's girlfriends? You three sure do like to dress up your girls." Helena taunts Nyssa who grabs an arrow and stabs into Helena's arm, who hisses in pain before throwing her foot backwards into Nyssa's face, who drags her back by her hair sharply, until Helena stamps down hard on Nyssa's foot as pulls the arrow out of her own arm before using it in an attempt to stab Nyssa, whom dodges instantly, the Black Canary moving to attack Helena again just as she sees Laurel and Cat being taken on by other men of Helena's.

"Laurel!" The Black Canary growls toward Nyssa, who moves away from the fight and toward the men who are attacking Laurel and Cat, yet whilst slightly distracted by her sister, it gives Helena the opportunity to grab the Black Canary by the throat and drive her straight through an open window, sending the Black Canary falling through the window, throwing out her hand to send out a rope, that connects to something as she travels toward the ground, the rope keeping her from falling to her death, but she still hits the ground, curled up onto her side.

Seeing the Black Canary fall, the Arrow races toward her, firing an arrow up at Helena, knocking the crossbow from her hand as she heads back into the room, having been dragged backwards by Nyssa, whom continues the fight from within the room, whilst outside, the Arrow races toward the Black Canary, helping her up.

"Are you alright!?" He asks her worriedly, pulling her into his arms.

"Where are you hurt?" He asks as she looks up at him with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Laurel, Cat, Nyssa. They're still in there!"

 _Starling City Courthouse_

Getting Helena in a chokehold, Nyssa is all prepared to snap her throat when several of Helena's men pull out guns, aiming them at the hostages.

One even has a gun directly aimed at Laurel.

"Let me go or they start shooting." Helena hisses, blood pouring from her mouth from where Nyssa had punched her, Nyssa tightens her hold.

"Do you think I'm bluffing?" She questions looking to one of her men, who drags Laurel up from the floor, holding the gun directly at her head this time.

Reluctantly, Nyssa lets go of Helena, dropping her to the ground where she coughs momentarily before getting to her feet and glaring at Nyssa, whom instantly begins walking toward the hostages and Helena's men when one of them from the corner fires a gun at her.

Nyssa is quick enough to move so the bullet doesn't kill her.

She, however, isn't quick enough not to get hit in the side with one and with one hand pressed against her side, hissing in pain she tries to move.

"Sit down vigilante." Helena pushes Nyssa toward the hostages, holding up the arrow, Nyssa had mercilessly stuck through her arm.

"And stay down." She hisses before stabbing it through Nyssa's leg, keeping her pinned down and causing the woman to snarl in pain.

"Don't hurt her! Leave her alone." Laurel hisses, crawling toward the vigilante as Helena looks at her with smirk.

"Nice to see you again, Laurel." She says just as a phone rings, she moves toward it.

"Helena, listen to me. This has to end." The Arrow snarls through the phone.

"I agree and it ends with my father in a box." She retorts.

"The police are never going to hand over your father!" The Arrow protests.

"No they won't. That's why The Man In The Mask is going to do it. I haven't seen him yet. It would be nice to catch up. Simple trade, The Man In The Mask brings me my father and you get Laurel and your vigilante friend. But do hurry." Helena adds with a smirk at Nyssa.

"She is quite badly injured after all." She reveals before hanging up.

"Who's badly injured? Laurel…" Tommy marches toward them in an instant.

"No, not Laurel, Nyssa." The Arrow murmurs as he buries his head in his hands.

"What?" Tommy questions.

"She wants Slade to bring her father to her." He admits.

"But Slade, Slade's not here. He's…" The Black Canary trails off.

"That's not a problem. We're going to get Laurel back. Laurel, Nyssa and Cat. Tommy." The Arrow stops before shaking his head.

"No. I'll get Dig to join us." He mutters to the Black Canary, who nods.

"No. I'm going in there with you. My fiancée is in there, the mother of our children. If anyone's going in there then it should be me, not John Diggle." Tommy growls as the Arrow picks up the phone.

"Dig, we have an problem. Helena's holding Nyssa, Cat and Laurel still, Nyssa's injured and she wants The Man In The Mask to deliver her, her father." The Arrow explains.

"Ok. But Slade isn't there…"

"Yes. I'm aware of that. I need you to bring the uniform and a sword anyway." The Arrow commands before turning to face Tommy and the Black Canary.

"If she wants The Man In The Mask to deliver her Frank Bertinelli, that's exactly what she's going to get." He informs them.

"Ok and Oliver. We've got. We've got a slight issue over here." Diggle admits carefully.

"What kind of issue?" The Arrow growls as Diggle sighs.

"Just, just rescue the hostages. We'll deal with this issue afterwards but the minute it's over. You and Sara, you need to get right back here." Diggle replies before hanging up, leaving the Arrow perplexed and confused but his thoughts are on the mission and the people that need the vigilantes help right now.

Anything else can wait.

 _Verdant_

Thea sighs as she bends down behind the bar at Verdant, looking for vodka.

"Hey guys? We need more vodka!" She calls to silence.

"Ok… I'll get it myself." She mutters when she gets no response, heading up the staircase to the office where she runs straight into Roy.

"Roy… What's going on? I was calling you. We need more…" She stops as Roy just wraps a hand around her wrist tightly, spins her around and pulls her down the stairs.

"Roy. What's happening, where are we going?" Thea cries as Roy pulls her across the main space of the club before turning around to face his girlfriend.

"Slade Wilson told me that he couldn't get through something without an anchor. Something stopping him from giving over to this anger, this rage. The same rage I've been feeling and going through. What I've lied to you about. It's caused by a drug called Mirakuru. It's some miracle serum and Slade had it during the five years he spent on the island and I've been infected with it and so has Tommy. Somehow Slade got a cure and he doesn't have it anymore but when he did it caused him to become something else, violent, I mentioned the anger and the rage, right? And he told me. The only think keeping him from losing it all together was Oliver, your brother. He had Oliver and he survived and made it to the other side because of Oliver and now I have it and my anchor. Is you. Every time I've felt like loosing control its you who brings me out of it, you." Roy says quickly as Thea just looks up at him in shock.

"Roy, I don't understand a thing your saying right now, Mira what now? Woah, where are we going?! What are you doing?!" Thea exclaims as Roy tugs on her wrist, dragging her toward the door to the basement.

"I love you Thea, please remember that." Roy murmurs as he punches the code in.

"Roy, what's going on? This is the basement, Ollie always said it was flooded. Why are you taking me to the basement." Thea frowns as Roy looks at her whilst the door opens.

"Just, like I said just remember that I love you." He whispers.

"I. I love you to but Roy, you're not making much sense." Thea starts but Roy has already started walking again, pulling her down the metal staircase.

He shouldn't do this, a voice says in the back of his mind.

He should do what Oliver told him to do, break up with Thea, keep her safe from all of this but she's what keeps him from giving over to that rage and…

"Roy you're really confusing me right now what…" Thea stops as they hit the last step.

She can hear other voices and three people come into view. She recognizes one as John Diggle, the other as Sin and the last as someone who used to work with her brother.

She doesn't know where she is, what's going on. In that instant she looks to Roy.

"Roy." She whispers as she fearfully takes in the rest of the room as the rapid talking stops and the three turn to face her as she turns to face Roy.

"I work for the three vigilantes." Roy replies as Sin's jaw practically hits the floor at the sight of Thea in The Foundry and Roy's admission.

"What?" Thea whispers as she looks around the room.

Not the room, the three vigilantes lair.

She sees arrows, swords and other pieces of weaponry, computers, high tech systems, two empty glass cases, uniform cases as the final glass case is filled with The Man In The Mask's suit, she looks to Roy again.

"Roy what have you done?" Diggle whispers as Roy looks to him bravely.

"What I should have done from the start."

 _SCPD_

"Where are you taking me?" Frank Bertinelli questions as he's lead from his cell at SCPD across the precinct.

"A safe house." An officer informs him as Quentin walks toward them.

"Listen, fronts mobbed with reporters. Let's take Bertinelli out the back." Quentin suggests as the two officers nod.

"Bring the van around." One officer says as he and Quentin take Frank Bertinelli out of the back exit, the two officers that are on the scene beside Quentin getting darts in their necks, courtesy of The Man In The Mask as he stands beside the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"Woah what the hell?" Frank Bertinelli begins to panic in that very instant.

"Don't worry about it." Quentin murmurs.

"What's going on?!" Bertinelli yells.

"Just get in the van!" Quentin hisses, pushing him inside as he protests.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" He keeps yelling as Quentin locks the door behind him before turning to face the three vigilantes.

"SWAT's getting ready to breach the courthouse… Slade? Ohh thank god." Quentin sighs upon seeing The Man In The Mask properly for the first time.

"Not Slade." Oliver says as he pulls off the mask.

"Wait what? Then who's under the…" He stops as Tommy lowers the hood.

"She wanted The Man In The Mask to deliver him. Can't risk she won't kill Laurel, Nyssa, Cat or the hostages if not." Oliver explains as he puts the mask back on.

"Why did she want The Man In The Mask?" Quentin muses.

"They used to date." Tommy says in explanation.

"Serious? Wow. Does he date anyone who's not crazy? I mean we have that Shado woman and… none of this is rescuing the hostages." Quentin stops, looking to the three vigilantes.

"We make the trade now." The Black Canary replies soon after as they walk toward the van.

"Listen, I'm not going to lose any sleep over Frank but are you three really gong to serve him up to his daughter?" He questions.

"No." The Man In The Mask says in a stern tone.

"No one dies tonight."

 _Starling City Courthouse_

"Are you okay?" Cat asks one of the hostages kindly, who nods quickly.

"Everything's going to be fine." She reassures said hostage before looking toward Laurel who is sat with the forth vigilante, who is slowly dragging the arrow out of her leg.

"What can I do?" Laurel asks quickly.

"Nothing." Nyssa growls as she yanks the arrow free without making much noise as not to alert Helena and her minions.

"Your side, it's still bleeding." Laurel winces.

"I've had worse." She murmurs using her voice modifier.

"Much worse." She hisses, pressing a hand to her bleeding side.

"I said no talking!" Helena snaps.

"We talked that night." Laurel replies.

"Laurel." Nyssa growls at her but Laurel shakes her head.

"You Oliver, Sara, Slade, Tommy and I." Laurel continues despite Nyssa's glare.

"At dinner. I remember you telling me your fiancé was killed. I'm so sorry." She says upon looking up at Helena.

"Does this make us girlfriends?" She mutters sarcastically.

"No but I know what it's like to be without the one you love." Laurel responds.

"Ohh, really Laurel? Because I thought I saw a ring on your finger." Helena retorts.

"There is. I will be married to Tommy but I've only just got him back. He was in a coma for over a year and I was lost, at first I pushed away everyone that cared about so much that I almost lost my sister for good. I almost lost Tommy for good. I never thought he'd ever wake up but he did. Yet I still remember how lost I felt, how alone I felt without him there, how much I wanted him to be there with me. You don't have to do this Helena. It's not too late." Laurel tries to reason with her.

"Yes, I do. Because once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out." She murmurs just as the phone begins to ring, she moves to answer it immediately.

"Helena, I have your father." The Man In The Mask informs her and with a smirk and wink, Helena hangs up the phone…

 _Meanwhile…_

"I want four men teams, diamond formations, move fast, shoot sharp." The Captain informs his SWAT team, whom are about to take the courthouse.

"One more thing. Vigilantes are not the law. If they're wearing a mask, they get a bullet. Let's move out!" He commands as the SWAT team leaves the tent.

 _Later…_

"Hands up Bertinelli! Do it now!" The Captain yells as he approaches who he believes to be Helena Bertinelli standing in the center of the room.

"Please don't kill me! Please!" She turns around, only to be revealed as just one of the hostages. Not Helena Bertinelli.

"She. She told me. She told me to wear it or she'd kill me!" The woman cries with tears streaming down her cheeks as the Captain lowers his gun.

"Where the hell is she!"

 _Elsewhere…_

Heading out of the courthouse, six figures walk side by side. The three dressed like SCPD officers are actually Helena Bertinelli and two of her minions. In front of them is Laurel, Cat and another one is dragging a wounded Nyssa along with them, who can barely stand and is trying to stop the blood that pours from her bullet wound.

With a confident smile, Helena nudges Laurel.

"Don't look so scared, Laurel. You might just live through this."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Meanwhile, a truck containing Frank Bertinelli, The Arrow, The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary drives along a road.

"So you three are just going to hand me over to my daughter?" He questions.

"I thought you were the good guys!"

"Shut up!" The Black Canary snarls in response.

"Remember all that stuff I said about restraint?" Quentin calls to her from the driver's seat.

"Forget about it."

"Trust me, we were planning to!" The Arrow calls as The Man In The Mask sighs before placing his hands over both the Black Canary's and the Arrow's.

"Hey. You can't stop someone like Helena by becoming her." He advises as they both shrug him off in an instant.

"We'll do what we have to to protect someone we love."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Get away from her." Slade snarls, moving to stand in front of Sara the instant Hendrik holds the gun to her._

 _"Hendrik, please put the gun down!" Another survivor calls._

 _"What? So you can send me back to that hell hole? I don't think so!" He yells._

 _"It's not for any of us to decide who lives in dies." The survivor continues as he aims the gun at Sara again._

 _"But in Hendrik's case I'd be willing to make an exception." Anatoly mutters as Hendrik continues to hold the gun at Sara._

 _"I. Said. GET AWAY FROM HER!" Slade bellows as Hendrik fires the gun, hitting Slade directly, whom merely flinches._

 _"What the hell are you?!" Hendrik hisses._

 _"Want. To. Try. That. Again?" Slade snarls._

 _"I told you he has the Mirakuru, now he's gonna kill you." Harley comments as Slade advances on Hendrik, whom just keeps firing the bullets pointlessly until Slade rips the gun from his hand, throwing it across the plane just after he shoots a bullet straight through Slade's hand, yet he still throws the same hand back and punches Hendrik across the face, who falls to the ground due to the force behind the punch._

 _"All in an agreement?" He snarls, looking around the plane._

 _"This piece of dirt for the kid?" He adds spinning around to the approving faces._

 _"I'm leaving, don't stop me." Hendrik hisses, trying to crawl across the plane toward the door, yet Sara strikes him into unconscious with a metal stick._

 _Slade looks proudly at Sara who nods before calling._

 _"Any objections?"_

 _Starling City Courthouse_

"Sir, we've got a ping off Ms. Lance and Ms. Grant's cell phones. They must still have them with them." One of SWAT officers informs the Captain.

"Where?" He growls instantly

"A machine shop at Gail Street and Simone. Should we rally up there?" The SWAT officer informs him and requests.

"Negative. Hold your location." He responds.

"Yes sir." The SWAT officer replies.

"Sergeant, keep this position." The Captain instructs as he picks up Helena's abandoned crossbow before storming out of the courthouse.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Meanwhile, The Man In The Mask pushes Frank Bertinelli forward whilst the Black Canary and the Arrow hang back in the shadows.

"Didn't think you were going to show." Comes the voice of Helena as she walks out of the shadows with Laurel and her minions with Cat and Nyssa.

"Where have you been all day?" She smirks at The Man In The Mask whom remains silent.

"Not going to talk to me? Ok. Well, I always did prefer those moments with you where there was no words." She smiles before looking to her father.

"Well, this is irony for you, dad. Didn't you have Jimmy D'Agostino's body buried under the building next door?" She mutters.

"I'm sorry my girl." Frank says to her with a shake of his head.

"Now you're about to die, I'm sure you are." She snarls.

"No. I'm sorry for that little girl I used to take to ballet class. Go on ski trips with. The one I used to help with her math homework, oh, she hated math. I'm sorry I caused her so much hurt cause she brought me so much joy." Frank admits honestly as Helena pushes Laurel to the ground, gesturing to her men to do the same to Cat and Nyssa.

"Stand down." The Black Canary hisses to the Arrow as he starts to move at the sight of seeing Laurel being thrown to the ground from a distance away.

"You'll make things worse." She hisses.

"That's Laurel out there." He growls.

"Yes. Laurel, my sister and the woman you love. If we go in now, she could be killed in the crossfire. You don't want that." The Black Canary growls as the Arrow somewhat restrains himself from going over there and ripping Helena's head from her body.

Meanwhile, Helena raises her crossbow at her father.

"Helena!" The Man In The Mask snaps.

"Don't kill him. You can never come back from that." He snarls as Helena shakes her head.

"It's too late." Helena murmurs, the crossbow still aimed at her father.

"I'm already gone."

"Bye dad." She starts, yet the minute she does so gunfire sounds out, taking out both of Helena's men and causing Helena, The Man In The Mask, Cat, Laurel and Nyssa to take cover as quickly as they can from the shooter.

"Damn vigilantes!" The Captain of the SWAT team yells as he shoots at them all.

"You are not above the law!" He shouts, jumping down from his vantage point whilst The Man In The Mask, having retrieved his bow from the Arrow, fires arrows in an attempt to slow the man who shoots at them all down.

Ducking behind a box, he waits for a gap before moving to fire another arrow at the man before running inside a building that the captain heads into.

Meanwhile, outside the building Helena, the Black Canary and the Arrow remain.

"Stay with Nyssa." The Black Canary commands as both she and the Arrow are sat with the still bleeding Nyssa.

"Perhaps you should. I want that woman gone." The Arrow snarls as the Black Canary grabs his arms.

"Think about Laurel, she wouldn't want that. Stay with Nyssa." She growls a little more firmly this time before getting up and moving to face Helena herself.

"Last time this happened, I threw you out a window." Helena quips.

"I was holding back." The Black Canary retorts.

"I won't do that again." She hisses before launching at the woman, who ducks to avoid her yet receives a kick to the legs by the Black Canary in response, who pulls her back in a choke hold, attempting to snap her neck as Helena fights to get of out her grip by moving to the side, trying to hit the Black Canary against a set of crates before throwing her to the ground where she rolls back, yet finds her feet quite quickly, dodging the punches Helena throws at her and aiming some of her own until she punches the Huntress in the face.

 _Elsewhere..._

Having run into the building, The Man In The Mask walks calmly in after the gunfire from the captain ceases, unaware that the captain has in fact got The Man In The Mask in his sights and is preparing to send a shot he knows will kill the interfering vigilante.

"Hey." A voice comes behind him as a hand appears on his shoulder, the Captain turns around just in time to be abruptly punched in the face by Quentin Lance.

The Man In The Mask, having readied his arrow already, gives a nod in thanks toward Quentin who nods back.

 _Meanwhile…_

Elsewhere, the fight between the Black Canary and the Huntress continues.

The Black Canary kicks her to the side before moving so she basically climbs over Helena, using her legs to throw Helena sharply to the ground before crawling toward the other woman and getting her in a choke hold from behind.

Helena kicks her legs out desperately as the Black Canary's grip intensifies. The Black Canary using her other hand to aid her in snapping Helena's neck and ending this once and for all…

"No!" Comes a sudden cry. Laurel.

"You're not a killer." She protests as she and Cat appear from behind the boxes.

"You don't know who I am Laurel, not really." The Black Canary hisses.

"Then show us." Cat responds as the Black Canary looks to both women, before at Helena briefly before releasing the struggling woman, who struggles to get to her feet just as the Arrow marches toward her, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her backwards.

"No!" The Black Canary snaps, as he punches Helena in the face before grabbing her by the throat and holding her up against a set of boxes.

"Stand down." She growls as he continues to choke the life out of Helena.

"I said stand down!" She yells, yet when she approaches the Arrow, he knocks her back with enough force to knock her off her feet.

"Stop! Please! You don't have to kill her. Stop!" Laurel cries, racing forward to the Arrow as she continues to strangle Helena.

"You don't have to…"

"Get out of my way." The Arrow snarls, throwing his fist back at whomever is trying to stop him from getting vengeance on the Huntress for holding his fiancée hostage.

"Laurel!" Cat cries as seeing her falls to the ground at such a force it knocks her unconscious.

"Laurel?" The Arrow whispers as her name, the thought of her breaks through his Mirakuru rage and seeing that he's got Helena in a chokehold, he releases her instantly before he can kill her, spinning around to face the Black Canary and Cat who are crouched down beside Laurel, who has blood coming from her nose from where she was hit.

Where… Where he hit her…

It was Laurel trying to pull him off Helena, not just the Black Canary…

His Laurel.

He hurt Laurel…

The Mirakuru had made him lose control to the point he harmed Laurel…

Oliver was right. He'll put her and the kids in danger.

He has put Laurel in danger.

He hurt Laurel…

"No. No ohh god." He whispers, looking on in horror before bending down beside her.

"She's just unconscious." The Black Canary growls as both she as Cat glare at him.

"What. What have I done?" The Arrow whispers, looking down at his shaking hands as he gets to his feet, taking several steps backwards before simply fleeing the scene.

He can't be around her.

Laurel or the kids.

It's too dangerous.

He's too dangerous…

 _Meanwhile…_

Pulling herself up from the floor and massaging her throat from where the Arrow had almost strangled her to death, Helena looks around only to see the Black Canary and Cat sitting with a seemingly unconscious Laurel Lance and behind a few boxes.

A set of feet…

"No." Helena whispers as she crawls toward the body, getting to her feet as sirens begin to blare, moving toward the body of her father where she falls to her knees.

"It was supposed to be me." She whispers as Quentin races to cuff her.

"It was supposed to be me who did it." She says again as Quentin pulls her forcibly up from the ground.

"All right, Bertinelli, that's enough!" He snarls before looking toward where the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask as crouched down beside the other vigilante and Laurel.

"Laurel. What. What happened to her?!" Quentin cries.

"One of the vigilantes went nuts. She tried to prevent him from killing Bertinelli and well, she's unconscious now." Cat says with a sigh as The Man In The Mask closes his eyes in horror at her words.

Tommy lost control and whilst no one died.

He hurt Laurel. The one person he would never hurt unless that lost to the Mirakuru…

"Go." Cat looks to the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask as they gather Nyssa into their arms and upon hearing the sirens coming even closer they take off into the dark…

 _The Foundry_

"Oliver and Sara I'm fine, you both don't have to carry me." Nyssa murmurs as Sara and Oliver carry her down the steps as carefully as they can.

"You got shot. You're not fine." Oliver replies plainly as he and Sara place her carefully on a table as Sara takes her hand in hers.

"I may have also been stabbed in the leg with an arrow. That's why I was finding it hard to walk." Nyssa admits as Sara rolls her eyes at her.

"But don't worry cause we're all here to fix you… Up." Oliver stops upon turning around to face Diggle, Felicity, Sin, Roy and Thea…

"No." Oliver whispers with a disbelieving look in his eyes.

"No." He says again as even Sara turns her head.

"Ollie?" She rests a hand on his arm before also seeing Thea, who covers her mouth with her hands in shock as she looks between Oliver and Sara and what they're both wearing.

"Ohh my god." Thea whispers before closing her eyes.

"Ohh my god."

"How did this happen?" Oliver snarls.

"Me. I told her." Roy replies bravely.

"Roy what were you thinking!" Sara cries.

"He was thinking what none of you were. Telling me the truth." Thea whispers before closing her eyes and looking toward the three empty glass cases before at Sara and Oliver, her brother again.

"You're. You're them. The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black." She whispers as Oliver closes his eyes.

There's no going back now, she knows. She knows everything now.

So he finds himself correcting her as carefully as he can.

"Actually Thea, I'm the Arrow. Something came up tonight and someone had to wear The Man In The Mask uniform." He explains softly.

"So the real Man In The Mask he's…" She trails off before nodding.

"He's Slade isn't he? It's got to be Slade. The three of you, the three vigilantes…" Thea stops before running fingers through her hair.

"I haven't seen Slade for weeks. Where is he. He's not here so…" She stops, covering her mouth with her hands again.

"Is he dead?" She whispers in horror at even the thought of that possibly being the truth.

"No, ohh god no. We. We actually don't knew where he is. Something happened and he reacted badly to it and we haven't seen him since." Oliver explains carefully as Thea just turns to face the glass cases again.

"I know this isn't going to mean much but we lied all this time to protect you." Oliver murmurs carefully.

"So that night with the hoods, when they took me and the three vigilantes saved me that was. That was you, Sara and Slade?" She whispers.

"Yes." Oliver replies quietly.

"All those times I got so mad at the three of you for being flakes or telling me something I knew that had to be lies." She stops to face Oliver and Sara again.

"You three were out there saving someone's life." She whispers to silence from everyone in The Foundry as she turns around to face them all.

"All of you were." She murmurs before turning back to Oliver and Sara.

"Thank you." She says the words no one had been expecting to hear and in that split second she races toward Oliver and Sara and pulls them both into a tight embrace.

"Thank you." She says again as Oliver and Sara look to one another as they hold her close, both unable to stop the smiles that appear on their faces…

 _Later…_

"So ever since you three came back from the island you've been the three vigilantes?" Thea questions as she sits down in a chair beside Roy, who's hand she's holding.

Something Roy is grateful for.

"Yes." Oliver replies.

"And how did that happen exactly?" Thea queries.

"It's a long story." Sara replies as she helps sort out Nyssa's wounds.

"I'm still trying to figure out how either of you learnt how to fight, let alone become vigilantes." She admits.

"It took awhile." Oliver tilts his head to the side.

"Slade was already trained before us so he helped teach us how to fight." Sara adds.

"Helped? He taught you two practically everything, other than archery and all that crazy stuff you learnt from the League Of Assassins." Roy cuts in.

"Roy. I really wouldn't say anything right now if I were you man." Diggle advises, sensing that the minute Thea is out of sight Oliver is going to wipe the floor with Roy.

"Wait… It just hit me this but so everyone I lived with knew except for me about all this?" Thea looks to Oliver, to Sara, to Sin and then to Roy.

"Kind of yeah. This is actually how Roy and I met. Roy got sent by Oliver and Slade to track me down once they realized Sara and I had teamed up and they didn't know about that, then I questioned Roy and we sort of just became friends from there." Sin replies.

"So. The whole reason you came to live with us was because you've been friends with Sara because of all this… I knew there had to be more to that story about how the two of you met!" Thea sighs as Sin nods.

"For the record, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just, kinda wanted to keep my life." Sin admits with a shaky laugh as Thea smiles.

"You're forgiven." She replies before sighing.

"You know, I've kinda always wanted to thank the vigilantes for the things they've done for this city. Now I can. Well I can thank the two of you." She says with a sigh.

"We're trying to find him. He is very good at being a ghost." Sara murmurs.

"I can imagine." Thea responds as the sound of footsteps on the stairs pull their attention toward the steps where Tommy is walking down them, the Arrow's uniform in hand.

"Wait. Tommy is in on this to?" Thea exclaims upon seeing him.

"He wore the Arrow suit tonight. He's known since before the Undertaking." Oliver nods, taking the uniform from Tommy.

"Is Laurel okay?" He murmurs with a dark look in his eyes.

"She's with Cat she's safe." Sara replies as Oliver moves towards Tommy.

"Tommy. I don't think it's…"

"Don't worry Oliver you don't need to give me a speech. I'm staying away from her."

"Tommy." Oliver starts carefully.

"I. Said. I. Got. It. I am staying away from her!" Tommy snarls whilst pushing Oliver into a wall, before storming upstairs again, Oliver watching him go as he rises to his feet.

"Ok. What's wrong with him?" Thea questions.

"He has the Mirakuru I was telling you about." Roy answers.

"The same Mirakuru you have to?" Thea glances at him.

"Yes. I told you. It comes with this uncontrollable rage, fury and anger." He reminds her.

"Yeah. I remember." Thea nods.

"It's made him dangerous Thea. I told him to end things with you to keep you safe but obviously he went against what I asked."

"And so he should! I can't believe you would ask him to do that Ollie! I know you wanted to keep me safe but think about what that could have done to him? He's told me some pretty freaky stuff about this Mirakuru and well… I just saw how Tommy reacted!" Thea exclaims, folding her arms.

"I just wanted to keep you safe." Oliver sighs.

"As do I and now everyone gets what the want. You guys can restrain me and she knows the reason why if we tell her to stay clear and no ones lying to one another anymore." Roy points out as Oliver glares at him.

"And before you say anything else Oliver Queen. I'll remind you that no one. No one tried to keep you and Slade apart and he told me that without you he would have been consumed by the Mirakuru and that you, not anyone else, you were there to keep him from going over the edge. You saved him and now Thea is going to save me by not letting me go through this alone. Just like you said to Slade and you know what? If he was here right now he'd be agreeing with me! Not you. So if you want to punch me for this, beat me up? Go ahead but not only will I kick your ass with my abilities I will remind you that no one forced you and Slade to be apart from one another so if you were allowed to remain around him, when he was a hell of a lot out of control than I am. Thea is allowed to remain around me. Do we have an understanding?" Roy snaps at Oliver to everyone's utmost shock as Oliver just folds his arms.

"Ok. Please don't start fighting." Thea moves so she's standing in front of her brother and her boyfriend.

"I agree with Roy. Ollie, I love you and I love that you want to keep me safe but I know the truth now and I get that this Mirakuru stuff is dangerous but I am not going to abandon Roy for my own safety. If it gets to a point where it is way to dangerous. I'll take a step back but I'm not going to leave him, break up with him or anything ok? I love him and I will never leave him ok." Thea says firmly as Oliver looks to Sara who just shrugs as Oliver sighs.

"Fine. Fine! But I don't want you down here ok? You know about this now, about what we do but you're not to get involved. Alright?" Oliver looks at her sternly.

"Sure, yet if it gets really hectic…"

"Thea." Both Oliver and Roy growl at her.

"Ok, ok. So. Who else knows about this and if you guys say everyone. I'm going to be offended." Thea says with a slight smirk to show she's not one hundred percent being serious with the whole offended thing.

"Well there's everyone in this room then there's Mr. Lance, this guy from Central City called Barry Allen and a few friends of Slade." Oliver responds.

"So Laurel and mom…"

"They don't know about all this no and they never will." Sara finishes.

"Well at least I'm not the last to know!" Thea smiles before adding.

"You know, I thought you guys were gonna tell me mom knew because I've just had this feeling she's been keeping something from me you know, I mean it caused a rift between you, she and Slade. I could tell. I mean Slade's a fantastic liar, it seems both you and him are but there was something off, you know, just like when she put an assassination attempt on him… Wait. She didn't do that again did she cause I swear if that's…"

"Thea. She hasn't threatened to kill Slade again." Oliver holds his hands up.

"But didn't she threaten Felicity…"

"Sin." Oliver growls as Thea looks to Sin and Felicity.

"Wait. My mother threatened you! What for?" Thea looks to Felicity.

"I really think you should ask your brother." Felicity says quietly as Thea spins around to face Oliver again.

"What? What else is going on Ollie. Come on, I know that you're the freaking Arrow! Whatever it is, I can take it, come on." Thea moves toward him.

"Thea. Trust me you don't want to…"

"Trust me, Ollie. I do. Talk to me. How can you even think about keeping secrets from me now after all this?" She cries.

"Thea. I never wanted you to find out about this and neither did mom. She lied to you, she lied to me and this time. It has destroyed our relationship. You were right, we weren't talking and I was practically having to physically restrain Slade from killing her for how she went about this because yes, she did threaten Felicity, because she learnt the truth."

"The truth about what Ollie?" Thea sighs.

"Malcolm Merlyn is your biological father." Oliver murmurs after only a seconds thought.

"What?" Thea whispers as she runs her hands through her hair.

"What?!" She says only a minute later.

"Thea…" Roy gets to his feet, moving toward her.

"No, Roy not right now." Thea holds her hands up to ward him off.

"How… How is… Malcolm Merlyn is my father?" She whispers.

"We didn't want to tell you, mom didn't want to tell you because she didn't want to destroy your memory of your father, our father. She didn't want you to know and when I found out. I didn't know what to do, Thea. Slade told me that I should have told you…"

"Yeah, yeah Slade was right. I appreciate your honesty Ollie. I don't blame you." She murmurs as she shakes her head.

"No. I blame her!" She snarls.

"Thea." Oliver starts to move toward her.

"No! No how could she not tell me that Malcolm Merlyn was my father!" Thea snaps before closing her eyes which currently have tears streaming from them.

"I need some air." She decides, starting to move toward the staircase before stopping.

"Don't. Don't worry. I'm, I'm not going to tell anybody who you guys are and I'm certainly not going to face mom right now but. I just need to process this… I need to get out of here. I. I just need some air. I need a walk. A very, very long walk." Thea murmurs quickly before racing up the stairs.

"Do you want me to go after her?" Roy looks toward the steps.

"No, no. Let her go. She needs to process." Oliver sighs as he moves toward where Sara is standing beside Nyssa.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks Nyssa kindly.

"I've been better, how about you. That sounded hard Oliver but honesty is probably for the best." She looks up at him.

"I've been better." Oliver sighs before looking to both Nyssa and Sara.

"You two did good tonight." He smiles at them.

"That's what heroes do right?" Sara nudges him as he kisses them both on the top of their heads with a slight smile.

"You're my heroes." He smiles before turning to face Roy, Diggle, Sin and Felicity.

"Thank you, Diggle, Felicity, Sin for keeping Thea calm whilst we were gone. I take it that's what you meant by the issue." Oliver looks to Diggle who nods.

"Hey, I did a lot of the calming." Roy holds up his hands.

"Just be grateful I haven't filled you with arrows." Oliver growls.

"Ouch." Sin winces.

"Yeah. It would have been." Oliver mutters.

"I hope she's okay. That's an awful lot to process." Felicity sighs.

"She's a tough girl. She'll get through it. She's my tough girl." Roy says with a sad smile as Oliver just glares at him.

"Where are you going?" Sara calls after him as Oliver moves toward the staircase.

"There's somewhere I need to be."

 _SCPD_

Opening a door to a room where Helena Bertinelli is sat at a table, hands cuffed to said table, Oliver enters the room.

"How did you get in here?" She asks quietly.

"My family makes a generous donation to the policemen's retirement fund and every one in a while I get to call in a favor." He replies.

"Hmm. Maybe you could ask them to send me to prison someplace tropical." She responds before sighing.

"You know, I thought I'd feel different, now that he's dead but I don't and you three always told me that killing him wouldn't change anything. You three were right." She admits.

"But we were wrong too." Oliver admits.

"About what?" Helena queries.

"We thought we could help you. Stop you from being a killer, but… We were just starting and we were killers too." He reveals.

"And what are the three of you now?" She asks quietly.

"We're trying to be better." Oliver admits as a tear falls from Helena's eye as she smiles at him sadly for a moment before sighing.

"It's so stupid but… I keep thinking, now that he's dead, my father and Michael are together and I'm still here, alone." She murmurs as Oliver grips her hand gently.

"You're not alone." He promises her as the door opens and an officer enters who moves to remove Helena's cuffs before leading her out of the room, leaving Oliver alone with his thoughts.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"On behalf of the entire DA's office, I have to apologize for what you and Laurel went through. Adam Donner's employment here has been terminated. Obviously we had no idea what he was plotting." DA Spencer informs Cat as she enters the office.

"I would hope not." Cat retorts before looking to where Laurel is sat at her desk, with an ice pack on her head.

"What happened to her?" DA Spencer asked.

"She fell, hit her head." Cat replies in explanation before moving toward where Laurel sits.

"Are you alright?" She asks her friend.

"I'm confused." Laurel admits.

"Why?" Cat frowns.

"How the Arrow would lose control like that. He's normally the one restraining the other two." She replies.

"They're vigilantes Laurel, they're unpredictable." Cat sighs.

"I know. It's just. I just have a bad feeling about something." Laurel admits.

"Well you have a head injury and both of us have been through quite a bit today." Cat reminds her as Laurel nods.

"Yeah. It's probably just that." Laurel nods as Cat helps her to her feet.

"I think now both of us deserve a very long rest." Cat says with a smile as she links arms with Laurel who smiles also.

"We do. We do." She says with a light laugh as she follows her friend to the door.

However, still at the back of her mind something feels off.

A feeling she just can't seem to shake...

 _The Amazo_

 _Deep agonizing pain through his back jolts Oliver into consciousness and it just continues, even as he moves his head, trying to see what Shado is doing to him._

 _"What are you doing to me?" He murmurs through the pain._

 _"In roman times, a criminal was branded to identify his crimes to the world and to forever remind him of what he'd done." She informs him, getting up from where she was sat and moving towards him where she rests a hand on his back, yet despite her feather like touch, Oliver still cries out in pain from where she touches him._

 _"I wear this tattoo on my back and now for what you did to me you shall wear it for the rest of your life, however short that may be."_

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Shado." Sara speaks clearly through the radio._

 _"Shado." She says again when there is no reply and Slade begins to look angsty._

 _"Hello, Sara. I hope you three have made the right choice." She says in an almost bored tone of voice._

 _"Yes." Slade looks toward where Harley and the other men are tying Hendrik up._

 _"We most certainly have." Harley mutters as Slade throws down the radio and heads to one side of the plane that isn't occupied with people._

 _"Slade?" He looks up when Sara rests a hand on his shoulder._

 _"Yes Sara." He mutters._

 _"Are you okay?" She asks softly as he pats her hand._

 _"I'm fine." He murmurs in response._

 _"You don't look fine, I mean you've still got bullets in you and well you know. You're not fine. Do you want to talk?" Sara asks kindly._

 _"No, no. I just need some air." He gets to his feet, looking to Sara and then to the survivors with a more menacing look._

 _"You call for me if they give you any trouble a'right?" Slade looks to her._

 _"Slade, I'm sure I can handle…"_

 _"Sara." Slade growls._

 _"Sure." She nods as he starts to walk away from her._

 _"And don't go to far." She replies with almost equal sternness as Slade just rolls his eyes at her before moving out of the plane, walking across the clearing where the plane is situated he heads toward the trees._

 _Just wanting a place to clear his head for a few mere moments…_

 _"Kid?" He murmurs._

 _"Oliver!" He calls as upon looking up toward the trees, he sees Oliver leaning against one and smiling at him as Slade races toward him._

 _"Kid!" He shouts when Oliver starts to walk away and he runs until he manages to catch up to the kid, a confused look upon his face as he approaches him._

 _"How did you escape? Shado, did she free you what's going on, kid?" Slade frowns as he takes in Oliver's appearance._

 _From the screams he'd heard from the radio, he'd have expected Oliver to look injured, have cuts and bruises but he doesn't._

 _He looks just fine, like he had done before this all began._

 _"Hey Slade." He smiles._

 _"Kid, either I'm missing something or…"_

 _"Ohh I'm still on the Amazo." He responds._

 _"What?!" Slade hisses as Oliver shrugs in response as it hits Slade then._

 _"The Mirakuru. You're. You're a hallucination. You're not real." Slade whispers, running a hand through his hair._

 _This isn't the real Oliver. The real Oliver is still on the Amazo._

 _Still being tortured by Shado._

 _In so much pain…_

 _"Yeah. I know. I'm on the Amazo and don't worry, I'm still alive. Shado hasn't killed me yet. Perhaps I'll end up annoying her to death." Hallucination Oliver says with a light laugh._

 _"Kid, I'm sorry." Slade mutters after a minute._

 _"Why are you apologizing to me? This is all on me, you know. I should have tried harder to get through to you, I shouldn't have given her the Mirakuru but I couldn't let her die… I cared about her so much as did Sara and you. You loved her. I couldn't let her just die like that. We couldn't lose her Slade." Hallucination Oliver sighs as Slade turns away._

 _"I don't blame you kid. For any of this." He mutters._

 _"You blame yourself. You shouldn't. Blame me, or better yet. Blame Ivo. He put both of us in this position. He caused all of this. What happened to us is on him but then saying that. If I had just listened to you instead of running down that hill like that into the firing range, you never would have got half your face burnt off and we never would have needed the Mirakuru and none of this would have happened." He sighs as Slade turns back to face him._

 _"Kid, I was the one who ran after you. That was my choice, not yours. I wasn't going to let anything happen to you. Not after everything you and I have been through. I didn't put you through continuous torturous training for nothing, kid. I wanted you to survive. I know I've always been tough on ya kid but it's only because I wanted you to be a survivor." He admits, it's not the real Oliver. He can admit the things he could never say to the real Oliver._

 _"Hey, If it wasn't for all of the torture I wouldn't know how, to be this way now, to be a survivor. Like you taught me." Oliver smiles before adding._

 _"I wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for you."_

 _"Definitely a hallucination. You'd never be saying such things to me if it wasn't." Slade retorts with a snort._

 _"I might be but I'm here nethertheless." He replies._

 _"To annoy me?" Slade raises an eyebrow at his hallucination._

 _"To be there for you. Someone who cares about you." He folds his arms._

 _"But you're missing the point, you ain't here. You're on that goddam boat with Shado and she's torturing you! You're not here." He growls before clenching his fists together._

 _"And I fear you never will be. That she'll kill you, kid." He admits before adding._

 _"And Sara, she can't lose you. She needs you kid." Slade stops._

 _It's a hallucination, not the real Oliver. He can say what he likes._

 _He can let his stone cold hard walls down around figments of his deranged mind._

 _"You help me control this, this Mirakuru, you're my friend, I said we were brothers and honestly kid, I meant it so. So I need you to kid." He admits to a smile from Oliver._

 _"Hey, I'm never to far away." He continues to smile as somehow Slade finds himself managing a smile back at him._

 _"I'll save you kid. I'll come for you, I promise." He murmurs._

 _"Slade?" Comes the familiar voice of Sara from behind him._

 _"What's wrong? Them in there giving you trouble?" Slade growls instantly._

 _"No. I was just looking for you. Who were you talking to?" She frowns._

 _"No one, come on then, back to the plane." Slade mutters dismissively._

 _"Slade. No, what's going on. Who were you talking to?" She questions._

 _"Sara it doesn't…"_

 _"Slade. Tell me." She says firmly._

 _"Evidently the Mirakuru can cause hallucinations." He mutters after a minute of silence._

 _"You were hallucinating? Who? Shado?" She asks softly, her eyes full of sympathy._

 _"The kid." Slade mutters with a sigh as Sara looks at him in shock before resting a hand on his arm carefully._

 _"I miss him too." She says with a sigh of her own._

 _"I don't miss him." Slade says indignantly as Sara raises an eyebrow at him._

 _"It's ok, I won't tell him that you care really." She says with a slight smile as Slade gives an exasperated sigh in response._

 _"Fine." He mutters as he turns around, heading back to the plane with Sara following._

 _"I miss the kid to."_

 _Starling City_

After visiting Helena for what Oliver believes will be the very last time, he heads back to the apartment on foot.

It's night, freezing cold and raining but still Oliver walks, his mind running a mile a minute.

Thea knows he's the Arrow.

Thea knows that her biological father is Malcolm Merlyn.

He honestly doesn't know which is worse or more terrifying.

Yet she doesn't hate him. She doesn't fear him, she thanked him.

Thanked him for what he has done for this city and for the honesty he's showed her.

His first thought had been his want to rip Roy's head from his body when he discovered the truth about him telling Thea.

He'd told Roy specifically to break up with Thea, not to tell her the secret.

But now it's all out there and he doesn't have to lie to her anymore.

None of them do.

Pulling his coat from over his head he moves toward the apartment building almost knocking over the figure standing in the cold pouring rain by the apartment.

"Kid." The figure murmurs. Oliver's head snaps up immediately at the beyond familiar accent and nickname.

"Slade." Oliver whispers as he steps into the light, the figure revealing himself to be Slade.

A very exhausted, wrecked, honestly looking like he'd been hit by a truck then run over by a herd of elephants Slade, but it's him nethertheless.

"Ohh thank god." Oliver says in shock and without even thinking he pulls his brother in all but blood into a close embrace.

"I'm sorry, kid." Slade murmurs.

"It's okay. It's all going to be okay. You're home. Come on, let's go inside, you're freezing. How long have you been out here for?" Oliver asks worriedly as he all but leads Slade inside.

"Kid, you really don't want an answer to that question." He murmurs as Oliver just rolls his eyes, yet relief still overpowers any other emotion he has because despite everything.

Slade is home.

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

"Has she hurt you? Sara? Are you both alright?" Slade asks when they enter the apartment and Oliver has somehow managed to direct Slade toward the couch.

"No. No we're both fine. She hasn't tried anything and she hasn't harmed any of us…"

"Felicity! Is she safe?"

"Felicity is safe. Dig's been keeping an eye on her. She's fine." Oliver assures him.

"Roy, how's he doing?" He asks to a sigh from Oliver.

"He's alive." Oliver mutters with a slight growl.

"What did he do?" Slade questions.

"Slade, that doesn't matter right now. Right now, you need to get some rest. You look terrible, when was the last time you got any sleep?" Oliver asks.

"When did you?" Slade retorts as Oliver sighs and just tosses him a blanket, deliberately tossing it hard, with a slight smile as memories of a time passed when he and Slade only had one another for company, the two of them basically giving up on sleep all together at one point and just staying around one another in their living room.

Yet Slade would always insist on Oliver attempting to sleep and if he protested and even if he did and awoke from godawful nightmares, Slade would just throw a blanket at him.

Due to the look Slade gives him in response, Oliver believes he's thinking about that time to.

"Ok. I think we can both admit neither of us have gotten much sleep since she…" He stops before looking up at Slade.

"I'm so sorry Slade. I never…"

"Kid, hey, Oliver. This is not your fault." Slade cuts him off by grasping his hand tightly.

"None of this is." He murmurs.

"I was so certain that she was dead." Oliver whispers.

"As was I kid, I never thought she could have possibly survived. The Mirakuru… It's a powerful thing." He sighs.

"I talked to Waller." Oliver finds himself admitting.

"You. Did. What?" Slade snarls at that.

"Look, Slade, I'm so sorry…"

"What were you thinking kid? She could have killed you! What possessed you to put yourself in danger like that? How dare you put yourself in danger like that!" Slade snaps.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Calm down. I had to find something, anything to help me find anything on Shado and I did." He admits as carefully as he can.

"And?" Slade glances at him.

"First. Did you find anything whilst you were…"

"No. I didn't." Slade mutters as Oliver bows his head, tightening the grip he has on Slade's hand before sighing.

"Ok. First, just remember to stay calm…"

"Kid, get on with it." Slade mutters sharply.

"Ok, ok. Well they've given her the code name Lady Deathstroke and that might because her suit, her uniform. It's like yours." Oliver replies slowly.

"How much like mine?" Slade practically hisses.

"A lot." Oliver winces as Slade sighs and shuts his eye.

"Anything else?" He growls.

"She's left a trail of bodies that lead straight to Starling City. She might be working with Harley Quinn…"

"Harley?!" Slade snaps instantly.

"Now I'm not one hundred percent certain about that one. Waller said they had her in custody for a little while, then she was broken out possibly by Shado. I just don't know, after everything that happened. I just can't believe Harley would work with her." Oliver admits as Slade nods in agreement.

"I agree kid. I don't think she would either, something's going on there. Something we are going to find out." Slade says, starting to move from the couch.

"No, no, stay. You need to rest. We can deal with that in the morning." Oliver says with a slight smile as Slade glances at him yet sighs.

"Fine, kid. Fine but you are going to tell me what Roy did that has gotten you annoyed." Slade replies sternly as Oliver sighs.

"I told him to end things with Thea. To protect her against what he's becoming, we're having similar issues with Tommy. It's the Mirakuru. Neither of them have gotten that good of a handle on it and well, I'm trying but you're better at this than me." He admits.

"Don't think so, kid. You saved me remember." Slade points out.

"That's what Roy kept reminding me off that you had me so he should have Thea and I shouldn't have asked him to give her up and because I did well he told her." Oliver mutters.

"He told her about the Mirakuru?" Slade frowns.

"No, he told her everything Slade." Oliver sighs.

"And in everything you mean…"

"Everything. All of this, who we are what we do. He just, took her to The Foundry, Slade. He told her about all of this." Oliver practically groans as Slade sighs.

"In a way I think I brought it on myself by asking him to break up with her but I never thought he'd…" Oliver stops.

"You want my advice kid. I think you're both in the wrong. No Roy, should not have done what he did because he's now put Thea in so much danger but you shouldn't have told him to end things with her. I know why you did it kid and for reasons no one could blame you but Roy is correct. Without you I'd never have survived and every time we've never seen Roy close to losing it we've told him to think of Thea and he has done and the thought of her, pulls him out of that rage. I believe, kid. If he'd done what you had asked then he could have lost it completely and then we really would have even more problems on our hands." Slade reminds him as Oliver sighs.

"But hasn't this just opened the door to so many other problems?" Oliver murmurs.

"Well, kid. Perhaps now there are no secrets between us and Thea, things could be easier. Easier to protect her from Shado, anyway." Slade points out as Oliver nods.

"Yeah. You have a point." Oliver agrees as Slade nudges him.

"I always do, kid." He smiles slightly as Oliver smiles back.

"I have really missed you Slade." Oliver admits.

"Missed you to, kid. I'm sorry for leaving." Slade responds.

"No one can blame you for leaving after that. I'm just glad you came back." Oliver sighs.

"Kid, you know I'll always come back for you and Sara." Slade reminds him.

"I know but. I was just so worried something had happened to you, either Shado had done something or you'd done something stupid. Sara and I were going out of our minds with worry.." Oliver mutters before adding.

"Can you at least promise me you won't worry us like that again?" He requests.

"Well, kid. Only if you promise me the same thing. I spend most days just worrying about you and Sara. I couldn't bare the thought of something happening to either of you and Shado knows that and I worry that she's going to use you and Sara to hurt me." Slade admits as Oliver nods.

"And I've been thinking that she'll use you and Sara to hurt me. But now, we're together again. The three of us and together we can hopefully end this once and for all." Oliver points out before adding.

"We've always been better together then apart."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As Thea Queen walks alone down a street, alone with only her distressing thoughts for company she is approached by a car.

"It's a dangerous city." The familiar voice of Shado calls from within the car.

"You shouldn't be out in the streets alone at this hour." She points out.

"Shado?" Thea smiles at her slightly.

"Please, join me." Shado pushes the door open for her and Thea accepts her invitation without a single thought…

 _ **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and to all of you who have favorited and followed this story and for all your kind reviews, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter and thanks again for reading :)**_


	123. Deathstroke (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Three_**

 _Starling City_

As they drive along the roads, Shado hands Thea a tissue when she sees the tears falling from her eyes.

"Thank you." Thea smiles at the woman gratefully.

"Are you okay?" Shado asks kindly.

"I don't know. It's. It's everything. Everything I thought I knew has turned out to be a big lie, I found out the truth behind all these secrets and whilst some of them, in someway I can accept and I'm happy I know the truth now. Yet one. One I just can't see past right now." Thea admits as she wipes her eyes.

"I know all too well about secrets. Sometimes it's hard to see past them even when the truth is revealed. Sometimes you never even see past the truth it's that horrific." Shado murmurs as the car rolls to a stop.

"This. This isn't my home." Thea frowns as she looks out of the window.

"You're not going home, Thea." Shado responds as Thea looks to her, a little unnerved.

"Get out." Shado sighs whilst looking at her nails, Thea frowns.

"GET OUT!" She snarls and instantly she gets out of the car fearfully and starts to run, quickly down a side street until she bumps right into something.

A man in a skull mask, who grabs her tightly.

"Hello, Thea." He greets her as Thea looks up at him fearfully.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

 _Verdant_

In the early hours of the morning, Slade had finally managed to get past Oliver, who had passed out on the chair beside him.

No one had returned to the apartment and unable to sleep, Slade had decided the best thing to do would be to go to The Foundry where perhaps some of the others would be and also so he could do some research about Shado and now Harley to find out exactly where that peculiar woman could be in the city if Oliver's assumptions are true.

Yet just as he's about to put the code in he hears someone come up from behind him and instantly, he spins around in attack mode only to see Oliver there.

"Woah it's just me, no need to attack." He says with hands raised.

"What are you doing here?" He sighs after a minute.

"Couldn't sleep. You got me thinking about Harley Quinn possibly working for Shado. I blame you, kid." He replies jokingly of course, he can't blame Oliver for him being unable to sleep. No, that's Shado's doing.

"Figured I better see Sara anyway. She down here?" Slade questions as he puts the code in.

"Yeah. Nyssa got hurt on our last mission, they were both here last time I saw them." Oliver responds as Slade nods.

"What last mission, kid?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Trust me. It wasn't about Shado or anything but you still really don't want to know." Oliver says with a shake of his head.

"Ok, I'll ask Felicity…"

"Helena Bertinelli. Major hostage crisis that involved Laurel and Cat, Helena wanted to kill her father, who actually died in a crossfire. She didn't get to kill him, yet she's locked away now. Think she might actually have a shot at redemption." Oliver explains briefly.

"See why you didn't say anything." Slade mutters as he starts to head toward the steps.

"Yeah, I mean two of your ex girlfriends In town after revenge for things. Figured I'd let you think there was only one." Oliver comments.

"Oliver?" Slade looks to him.

"Yeah?" Oliver replies as they walk down the stairs together.

"Shut up."

 _The Foundry_

Standing over the computer, Diggle reads an article entitled 'Iron Heights prison wing damaged in quake to re open today', whilst Sara sits with Nyssa and Sin and Roy is practicing his archery skills, hoping if he arrives, he'd somewhat improve Oliver's mood.

"About time. You guys letting the bad guys stay alive this year has filled the jails up to the capacity." Diggle calls behind his shoulder to Sara.

"It hasn't been as fun but, quite gotten used to this no kill rule." Comes the voice of Slade as everyone in The Foundry spins around to face him, nearly causing Roy to drop his bow.

"Slade!" Sara is on her feet in an instant, moving to embrace him instantly.

"Thank god you're alright! We were so worried. Where have you been? How long have you been back?" She questions as she looks to Oliver behind him.

"Not long." Slade responds.

"I found him near home. Was going to wait until morning and let him sleep and I think I actually manage to convince him to do that. I wake up a few hours later and he's already on his way here." Oliver says with folded arms.

"It is morning, kid." Slade retorts.

"I didn't mean this early in the morning!" Oliver sighs as Sara looks up at her friend.

"I'm just so glad you're safe." She murmurs.

"We all are. You scared the hell out of us, man." Sin adds.

"It wasn't my intention. I apologize for leaving the way I did. I just…"

"Needed time to process all that." Nyssa guesses as Slade nods.

"Yes. I. I loved that woman. I'd be lying if I said a part of me still didn't but…" Slade shrugs.

"Just glad to have you back Slade." Diggle says with a genuine smile before turning to the rest of the group.

"Ok. Who wants to call Felicity." He questions with another smile.

"I'll call her in a minute." Slade smirks before moving toward Roy.

"Hey." He starts as Roy just looks away from him.

"Look. I am sorry for leaving you. I shouldn't have."

"Yeah I was stuck with him as a teacher." Roy mutters in response.

"And for that I apologise again. I know what you did Roy." Slade adds as Roy sighs.

"Guess you want to beat me up for this?" Roy questions.

"No. I understand why you did what you did. You felt as if Oliver gave you no other choice."

"He didn't." Roy cuts in instantly.

"And honestly, well. I've always liked honesty myself so telling Thea the truth in some way, probably was better then the lies." Slade admits as Roy turns to him.

"Well, at least you don't want to fight me, I think he did." He says with a look to Oliver.

"He probably did." Slade agrees, patting Roy on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll restrain him, don't forget I taught him how to fight." Slade replies with a smirk causing even Roy to smile.

"Hey Slade." Roy calls as Slade turns away.

"What?" Slade questions upon turning to face him again.

"I'm glad you're back. All this, it was getting hard to handle and you, you help me." He admits as Slade nods.

"And I always will." He responds before looking to Oliver.

"Now, he's all yours." He smirks at Oliver.

"Hey! I thought now you were back. You were going to train me again." Roy practically whines as both Oliver and Slade smirk at him.

"The kids better at teaching archery. Don't have the patience for it myself. I prefer swords." Slade replies, before actually heading toward his sword collection.

"Ready." Oliver looks to Roy, who pulls the bow back.

"Well I've been working with Sara but I'm not exactly a natural." Roy mutters.

"Neither was I." Oliver points out as Roy fires the arrow, yet instead hits a wire paneling and sighs in frustration.

"Ok. We have some work to do." Oliver comments.

"Some?" Sin winces from the computer.

"It's expected. We used to indicate those targets as clear as day on the island and Oliver would still just fire straight past them." Slade points out to a slight smile from Roy.

"Hey, I may not have hit the tree you wanted me to but I hit a tree." Oliver retorts.

"Yeah and you wanted to me to hit a target, well I hit a target." Roy sniggers.

"I'll give the boy a few lessons. He'll learn in no time." Nyssa calls.

"Yeah no, we're trying to teach him control. I doubt that was big priority in the League Of Assassins training regime." Oliver replies as Nyssa shrugs.

"Sorry, my heads not in the game. I know in my heart I did the right thing telling Thea but she's. She's out there alone and she must be so sad…"

"Hey, I don't think that was because of you telling her about us. I think it was more the whole, Malcolm Merlyn is her biological father thing. I mean, that's much worse then you telling her about us, even though I told a guy the truth and he got stuck by lightning which… Ohh my god." Felicity falls silent mid babble as she walks down the stairs, finally noticing Slade for the first time.

"Ohh my god." She repeats, moving quickly toward him and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Are you okay? Where have you been! None of us could find you! She wasn't holding you captive was she?" Felicity babbles the minute she pulls away slightly.

"Felicity." Slade starts.

"We're you attacked at all? Are you hurt anywhere…"

"Felicity." Slade says again, a little sterner this time to snap her out of her babble.

"I'm a'right." He assures her as she wraps her arms tightly around him again.

"I'm a'right." He murmurs again as he holds her, feeling her sigh in relief as she pulls away, resting her hands against his face for a minute before deciding just to hug him again.

"Hey guys, not to completely ruin the moment, but before I forget. Here." Sin hands Oliver a stack of papers.

"What are those?" Oliver questions.

"About a months worth of phone messages from Queen Consolidated." Sin replies.

"Toss them." Oliver responds.

"That's what I did to last months phone messages." Sin points out.

"With Shado out there, I don't think Ollie and Slade have time for the company." Sara comments as Oliver nods.

"She's not wrong. Our priority has to be stopping her and right now, Harley Quinn. I've. I've got to know if she's really back and where the hell in town she is and why on gods name would she decide to work for Shado." Oliver sighs.

"And yeah, I get that. I understand but you two have to kinda make time. At least three hours of time. Apparently there's an annual board meeting." Sin explains as Oliver looks to Slade and groans.

"No, we don't have time." Slade replies sternly.

"I get that, like I said but there's absolutely zero way that the CEO and second in command can avoid being there and I know it's been a while, so in case you two have forgotten this, that's you guys." Sin sighs as Slade rolls his eye at her.

"Fine! Fine. Three hours." Oliver mutters as he closes his eyes in frustration.

"Guys, before you leave us. I've got something I think that needs said." Diggle calls.

"What now?" Oliver sighs exasperatedly.

"Harley Quinn. I met that woman." He admits.

"Wait what?!" Sara, Oliver and Slade turn to face him in an instant at the revelation.

"ARGUS blackmailed me to do this mission for them the other week. You guys already had so much on your plate, what with Slade being gone and Shado beginning her reign of terror." Diggle sighs.

"This is something you should have told us Diggle!" Oliver exclaims.

"I know, I know. Anyway, she was being held captive by ARGUS when I met her. She got out at the very end of the mission we'd done. Said she was working for someone. Guessing that person now is Shado." Diggle explains as Oliver shakes his head.

"She wouldn't do this. She and Shado, they didn't hate each other but Harley wouldn't trust her enough to side with her over us. She'd work for us." Oliver points out.

"Oliver she's a criminal. A murderer. She's crazy…"

"You think I don't know that? You know she may have been all those things but she was still my friend. She still saved me, me and Slade." Oliver grumbles as Slade looks to Diggle.

"Did she have any other acquaintances? Was there anyone she could have said something to. Someone she did trust because Oliver's right. We knew her and when she trusted someone she'd always be talking. I take it their were other prisoners. Anyone she got along with who could know where she is located?" Slade questions as Diggle shrugs.

"She never really said much to me, apart to point out we had the same allies." He gestures to Slade and Oliver before sighing.

"Honestly, the person she talked to most was Deadshot." Diggle admits.

"Deadshot?" Sara folds her arms as Oliver buries his head in his hands.

"Yeah. Those two got on like a house on fire. You think she could have talked to him about her allegiance with Shado?" Diggle wonders.

"She could have done. How close were they exactly?" Oliver frowns.

"Quite close. I think they trusted one another anyway. Yet I'm not sure. I honestly thought the two were close enough that she would have taken Deadshot with her when she escaped. Actually it was kinda weird, his cell door was open and he'd been somewhat dragged across the floor when we all came to." Diggle explains.

"Changed her mind? Decided he wasn't worth it. I mean if he was unconscious how was she going to drag him out of a secure building without getting caught?" Roy queries.

"Unless someone with unnaturally enhanced strength was there with her. I'm guessing Shado broke her out. Perhaps this Harley wanted to take him but Shado wouldn't let her?" Felicity suggests, still hugging Slade.

"Why would someone like Shado miss out the opportunity to take a guy who never misses his shot though." Diggle points out.

"Well he almost screwed up her plans right." Sin mutters, not really wanting to be involved in the discussion on Shado, but feels she should make her view point know.

"What?" Oliver turns to face her.

"Well Sara told me Deadshot was the one hired to assassinate Slade. So perhaps she's pissed off with him because he almost destroyed all her revenge plans." Sin suggests.

"She has a point, guys." Diggle agrees.

"Ok. Oliver, Slade. We'll continue with this. You two have a meeting to attend. You can't keep putting it off." Sin points out as Oliver groans and Slade mutters words of profanity.

"Better go and get all dressed up then." Sara comments with a smirk as Oliver kisses her.

"Hey, Nyssa. Can you keep an eye on him and Sara. If Tommy comes here at all…"

"Don't worry Ollie. I can handle him. I'll calm him down." Sara pats his arm as he heads toward the stairs.

"Coming Slade? I'm not going this alone!" He calls.

"Right behind you kid." Slade calls back as he turns to Felicity, who's still beside him.

"Do you remember where you put your business suit?" Felicity looks up at him before a quizzical look crosses her face.

"Or do you keep it in a cool glass case too?" She queries as Slade smirks, chuckling at her before kissing the side of her head and heading after Oliver…

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"I'm going to kill all of you!" Hendrik growls as Anatoly and other survivors hold him back and keep him restrained, whilst Sara keeps her back to him, both she and Harley standing close to Slade in case Hendrik somehow breaks free and attacks them._

 _"This is not personal well maybe a little." Anatoly comments as he gags Hendrik with a rope._

 _"You've just done us all a favour. Thought he'd never shut up." Slade mutters with an almost grateful look at Anatoly as Hendrik just growls, muffled by the rope._

 _"If you want to punch him again, be my guest." Anatoly nods._

 _"I was considering it." Slade agrees._

 _"Slade." Sara sighs._

 _"What? Him for the kid. I am more than happy to make this arrangement Sara." Slade retorts as Harley nods._

 _"Agreed. This nutcase for Ollie? Easy choice." She agrees._

 _"What? Sara if you've got something to say, say it but if you start going on about morals and principles when Oliver is on that godforsaken boat…"_

 _"No, no. I know, I know Slade. This about survival." She sighs._

 _"Survival? What a noble word for murder." Another survivor comments._

 _"Shado gave us no option. Hendrik for Oliver." Anatoly retorts._

 _"And what gives any of us the right to decide ones life is more valuable than another?" The man protests._

 _"He is tied up. We are not." Anatoly points out as Slade patience snaps and he storms over to the man and holds him by his throat up against the plane wall._

 _"Slade! Slade no, stop!" Sara cries, racing toward him._

 _"I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE OLIVER BECAUSE YOU'RE HARKING ON ABOUT NOBILITY!" Slade yells shrugging Sara off when she tries to grab his arm._

 _"That son of a bitch is nothing. He's proved to us that he's no use, that he's willing to attack us! That he was willing to shoot me, which he did! THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SHOOT SARA! OLIVER QUEEN IS TEN TIMES THE MAN THAT SON OF BITCH WILL EVER BE! I WILL NOT SACRIFICE THE KID BECAUSE YOU'VE DECIDED TO GROW A CONSCIENCE!" Slade bellows whilst choking the man._

 _"Slade, please stop. Slade this isn't you. You don't want to kill this man." Sara begs as Harley grabs a metal pole and smacks Slade with it, hoping he'll drop the man, yet Slade catches the pole with his other hand and bends it._

 _"Look. Look once she gets the boat working, Shado will have no more need for him." The man crooked under Slade's death grip._

 _"Slade, he may have point." Anatoly shrugs._

 _"Slade. Ollie wouldn't want this. He needs you to save him. This isn't doing that. This is just making things worse." Sara sighs softly resting her hand on Slade's arm again and he doesn't shake her off._

 _"Yes. Oliver. Think about him, your friend. He wouldn't want you killing this man." Anatoly points out as Harley rolls her eyes._

 _"Yeah, you know psycho isn't that easy to get through." She comments, yet just as she's said the words Slade releases the man, clenching his shaking hands into fists._

 _"Sorry." He mutters, running his hands through his hair._

 _"Like I was saying, let's not kid ourselves. Doing this is effectively sentencing Hendrik to death!" The man protests, rubbing his throat._

 _"He would do the same thing to any of us! In heartbeat! Slade you want to strangle this man again. Ain't stopping you." Anatoly holds his hands up._

 _"He's right. This is our only option to save Ollie." Harley sighs as Sara buries her head in her hands with an exasperated cry._

 _"Sara." Slade growls at her._

 _"He's right. He's right. Shado will kill him when she has no use for him. Even if she doesn't intend to he's going to say or do something that will cause her to kill him and then. Then that will be on us." Sara points out._

 _"Ohh not you too." Anatoly sighs._

 _"This is the kid we're talking about here Sara! Oliver! He is the man you love. How can you not want to do whatever it takes to save him?" Slade growls._

 _"And what are you doing to save Shado? The woman you love!" Sara snaps before covering her mouth with her hands._

 _"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that." She whispers as Slade gives her a dark look._

 _"You're right. You're right about everything. She will kill that man and whilst I'm fine with that. I know you, that's going to stay on your conscience Sara. I know, which is why we will not be exchanging Hendrik for Oliver." Slade mutters._

 _"WHAT?!" Both Harley and Anatoly exclaim at the same thing._

 _"You were right. Mirakuru, destroys mind." Anatoly mutters to Harley._

 _"He sees reason." The other man sighs._

 _"Ohh no. An exchange will still take place. She needs a mechanic, someone with experience in that field. I know of a person who used to deal with mechanical problems. One of his first jobs actually in the ASIS." Slade mutters as Sara shakes her head instantly._

 _"No, no. No!" She cries._

 _"Someone, who Shado can do whatever she likes to and is not to easy to kill." Slade mutters as he starts to move away._

 _"Who is this person you speak of? Is he on this plane?" Anatoly moves toward him._

 _"Me." Slade responds plainly._

 _"Slade, no. You can't do this please. No!" Sara continues to cry._

 _"Me for Oliver." Slade mutters as he starts to walk away._

 _"It's decided."_

 _Watching him walk away Sara buries her head in her hands._

 _"It's not a bad idea." Harley comments._

 _"No! He can't do this. We give up Hendrik. I'm not losing Slade." Sara snaps._

 _"And besides if you three are as close as you seem Oliver won't take too kindly to Slade taking his place. We give up Hendrik. That's final." Anatoly says in Sara's defense._

 _"What if we give no one up…"_

 _"HARLEY!" Sara yells loudly to cut her off._

 _"Ollie will die! She will kill him. We have to do something!" Sara cries._

 _"Then why don't we use this as an opportunity?" Harley suggests._

 _"An opportunity for what?" Anatoly comments as he, Sara and the other survivor look to Harley who folds her arms, a smile crossing her face._

 _"An opportunity to kill Shado."_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing and favoriting this story. Next chapter should be really soon. Please tell me what you all think see you all next update._**


	124. Deathstroke (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Three_**

 _Queen Consolidated_

Walking down the corridor, side by side. Oliver and Slade approach the seemingly empty main conference room only to find Isabel Rochev inside.

"I know that we haven't been here in a while but you don't look like the entire board of directors." Oliver comments as she glances up from her laptop, a cold look in her eyes.

"The meeting doesn't start for another half hour." Isabel sighs.

"Really?" Slade glances at his watch.

"I routinely bump all appointments thirty minutes in anticipation of the two of you being late." She retorts.

"It's good policy." Oliver nods.

"Even though at one stage, Slade was getting you both to these sort of things on time. What happened there?" She questions.

"We've been distracted by other matters." Slade retorts.

"I see. I see, but thank you, both of you for coming out of hibernation for this, especially you Oliver as whether you recognize it or not, it's your name on the building and no matter how many meeting you miss, you're still the public face of this company." She folds her arms.

"Isabel, I realize that I have been distracted. Thank you for picking up the slack." Oliver smiles in thanks.

"Ours is an unconventional partnership but it's a partnership and it's working." She smiles.

"It is indeed." Slade responds.

"Guys." Sin calls from the door as both Oliver and Slade spin around in an instant.

"Oliver's mom's here." She reports as Oliver tenses up at the mention of his mother, gritting his teeth as Slade gives him a reassuring look, Isabel frowning.

"Family squabble?" Oliver doesn't say anything as he moves toward the door.

"I guess so." Isabel glances to Slade, who doesn't say anything either just turns to face the glass window, keeping an eye on his brother in all but blood as he faces his mother.

"And how is Ms. Rochev these days? Still angry that Dorothy dropped a house on her sister?" Moira mutters as Oliver clears his throat.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver questions as calmly as he can.

"Have you heard from Thea?" She queries.

"No." Oliver replies bluntly, remembering how Thea left The Foundry the other night.

A slight feeling of worry passing over him, but thinking to himself, he and Slade left the apartment in the early hours of the morning, she could be there.

"You haven't returned any of my phone calls. So I'm left to resort to checking in person as to whether or not you're attending the debate tonight." Moira continues sharply.

"I told you that I would publicly support your campaign. Anything else?" Oliver retorts.

"It would be embarrassing for us both if couldn't at least appear to be my son tonight." She snips as she turns to leave.

"I have gotten pretty good at pretending to be someone I'm not." Oliver responds as she turns to face him again.

"I learned it from you."

 _Starling City: Later_

The debate had finally arrived and to the worry of many, Thea still hasn't shown her face and she wasn't at home.

"Oh excuse me, have you seen Thea Queen?" Oliver asks someone, who shakes their head.

"She's not picking up her phone." Roy moves toward him, phone in hand.

"Ok. Ok." Oliver reaches for his own phone.

"What? You think if she won't pick up the phone to me she'll pick up the phone for you?" Roy looks at him skeptically.

"Roy." Slade mutters sharply as Oliver dials the number.

"Speedy, it's Ollie and we're all at the debate, where I thought you would be. Listen I know your upset after last night and I understand that, I really do and I can understand you not wanting to have anything to do with mom ever again but for publicity she needs both of us here. I don't want to be here either, none of us do Thea. So please, just call me or Roy back." Oliver requests before hanging up.

"I'll try again." Roy reaches for his phone again.

"Do you think something could have happened to her?" Nyssa folds her arms.

"Nyssa she just got a life changing bombshell. Honestly, I can't blame her for not being her or answering her phone." Sara points out as Oliver drapes an arm around her shoulders.

"Wow. You guys do not look happy, is everything all right?" Comes the voice of Sebastian Blood from behind them.

"Yes. My sisters just a little late." Oliver responds.

"I'm afraid that's my fault." Sebastian says in response.

"What?!" Roy snarls as Slade drags him back by his collar when he begins to advance.

"SCPD insisted that I arrive with a motorcade. We tied up traffic all over the city. I'm sure Thea's probably just fallen victim to gridlock." He sighs.

"Well one of us should probably try her again." Oliver nods.

"I'll call this time." Slade mutters, reaching for his phone and moving away from the group.

"Good luck tonight Sebastian." Oliver shakes his hand.

"Thank you, sir." Sebastian nods, smiling at both Oliver and Sara.

"But I'm not the one that's going to need it." He smirks.

"Don't get too cocky. Moira is known to put up quite the fight." Sara advises.

"Not as much of a fight as I'll put up." Sebastian beams as he heads toward the stage.

 _Later…_

"Sebastian Blood is not the man you think he is. He's not going to revive the city with social services. He's going to bankrupt it with unfunded mandates." Moira addresses the crowd of many people, including Oliver, Roy, Sara, Nyssa and Sin, who sit watching the debate, each quite bored already.

"Mrs. Queen's problem with my proposals is that they will be paid for by the one percent. It's trine that the wealthiest people stop avoiding their responsibilities!" Sebastian snaps as Moira tries to talk over him.

"But it will limit their abilities to hire people!" Moira snaps back loudly.

Meanwhile, whilst the debate continues on, both Moira and Sebastian fighting to speak over one another, Slade attempts to leave a message for Thea.

"Thea. It's only me. I apologize for not being here recently, especially with what happened. I know you know about us, who we are and what your mother has done. Now, I think you probably know my views on your mother and that the only reason I haven't retaliated is because of you and Oliver. Yet still even I'm here at this debate and if…"

"Slade?!" The call suddenly connects, Thea's voice filling the phone.

"Thea. Are you…"

"Slade help me! Help me please! Ohh god please help me Slade!" She sobs through the phone, causing Slade to freeze instantly.

"Thea! Thea where are you?! What's happening. Tell me now!" Slade shouts back, concern in his voice at her cries.

"Thea! Thea! Talk to me! Answer me." Slade yells only to hear Thea crying in response.

"THEA!" He bellows, beginning to move as he hears someone come to the phone again.

A disguised voice but he knows.

He knows who it is. Who has Thea.

Shado.

"You really should be watching that debate."

 _Meanwhile…_

"All right there time and I will remind the candidates to please refrain from interrupting." The leader of the debate cuts through the rather heated debate between Moira and Sebastian who just glare at each other.

"Now we have the next in our series of video questions submitted by Starling City voters." The debate leader announces.

"This one comes from Thea Queen." The debate leader frowns.

"There must be some mistake?" He murmurs as the video begins to play anyway.

"Help!" Comes the cry of Thea from the video as she sits in a chair, tears streaming down her cheeks, everyone in the room looking around in horror.

"Thea!" Roy hisses as he gets to his feet, along with Oliver, Sara, Nyssa and Sin.

"Help! Somebody help me, please!" She sobs from the video.

"Thea!" Roy snarls, moving out of the crowd of people gasping in horror, running toward the nearest exit only to be caught by Slade.

"Thea!" Is all Roy says as Slade nods.

"I know. I know she's…" He stops as he turns to face the video.

"She.. Sha…" She starts to give the name of her captor only for a gloved hand to be clasped over her mouth by a masked individual.

"Ohh my god!" Moira cries in horror as a figure almost identical to The Man In The Mask appears on screen beside Thea as text appears on screen.

'How much is Thea Queen's life worth to you?'

 _Queen Consolidated_

Numb, all Oliver feels is numbness as he keeps replaying the video on the laptop in front of him at Queen Consolidated as many members of the SCPD speak to Moira who stands crying for her missing daughter whilst a swarm of paparazzi are outside waiting for a scoop on the most horrifying story of the day.

"I can't trace the call." Slade hisses, slamming his hands down on the table.

"Slade." Felicity rests her hand over his.

"Have you managed to trace it?" He questions.

"I can't either. I'm sorry. I'm trying…"

"TRY HARDER!" Roy bellows at her as he storms off to the other side of the room where Diggle and Sin are stood.

"We're going to find her Roy, we're going to get her back. She's a tough girl." Diggle says reassuringly as Roy clenches his fists together.

"Is she found to be alive when we find her?" Roy snarls.

"We can't think like that, man. We can't." Sin shakes her head.

"I can't stop thinking like that." Roy hisses before moving toward Slade.

"I'm going to lose control. I can feel it. I want to rip her head off. She did this. She took Thea." Roy snarls as Slade rests a hand on his shoulder unsure of what to say to him.

"Did she say anything to you at all?" Nyssa moves toward him.

"Nothing that wasn't shown." Slade snarls as Roy clenches his fists together as Slade begins to move away.

"Please don't go. I'm going to lose it if you're not..." Roy hisses.

"Just going to Oliver, come on." Slade mutters as he leads Roy carefully by the arm toward where Oliver and Sara stand.

"Please tell me you've found something Felicity." Diggle sighs as both Nyssa and Sin look toward her.

"I think I might have found something. I'm working on it." Felicity calls suddenly, typing hurriedly as a video plays on the computer screen beside her.

"I am suspending my campaign and devoting its resources to the safe return of Thea Queen." Sebastian Blood announces from the video.

"Well, the video referenced a demand, but no ransom, which means this might not be about money." Lt Pike says to Moira Queen whilst Oliver listens in.

"Oliver." Slade murmurs as he joins him.

"Anything from that call?" Oliver spins around to face him instantly.

"Must have been a burner phone. I'm so sorry kid." Slade mutters as Oliver closes his eyes.

"This all my fault." Slade murmurs as Oliver shakes his head.

"No. No it's mine." He retorts as Sara just shakes her head and pulls both of them into an embrace in an matter of seconds.

"No, both of you stop blaming yourselves for this." She begs as they continue to listen in to the conversation between Lt Pike, Quentin and Moira.

"We're going to get her back, Moira. I promise you Thea is coming home." Quentin assures her with a look toward Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Now can you think of anyone who might want to get to you through Thea?" Lt Pike questions as Moira closes her eyes an image of Malcolm Merlyn and Silver Banshee coming to mind at the question.

"No one except for the families of the five hundred and three people who died last year!" She whispers, turning away.

"This isn't about the quake." Oliver mutters as Quentin looks up at him.

"How can you be so sure?" Lt Pike frowns.

"You just need to find The Woman In The Mask!" Slade snaps back.

"Yes. The Woman In The Mask, who looks very suspiciously like The Man In The Mask." Lt Pike notes as Quentin shakes his head.

"This isn't the work of the three vigilantes. This is something else. A copycat." Quentin says quickly with a look to Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Well, whatever this is. We're working on it." Lt Pike cuts in.

"We're running down every lead…"

"What are those leads!" Oliver snaps back as Moira begins to cry.

"Oh god! Oh god, how could I have let this happen?" She sobs as Lt Pike consoles her whilst Quentin moves toward Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"This is her isn't, your ex. Like to fill me on why she's got a uniform almost identical to yours?!" Quentin looks to Slade.

"It's a long story and it's not going to help us find Thea." Sara murmurs as Roy closes his eyes, a venomous look crossing his face.

"It's the identity she's assumed." Oliver mutters.

"What? The Woman In The Mask? Nah doesn't work." Quentin grumbles.

"No, Deathstroke." Slade snarls.

"Deathstroke? What the heck is a Deathstroke?" Quentin folds his arms.

"Me!" Slade hisses as Quentin folds his arms.

"A code name Slade was given. It wasn't for good reasons and the same people have given her a similar name." Oliver murmurs in response as the sight and sound of Isabel tapping on the glass, pulls Oliver's attention.

"We have to deal with this." Oliver closes his eyes as he looks to Slade, who nods.

"Stay with Sara." Slade mutters to Roy, who glances up at him.

"Keep an eye on him." Slade mouths to Sara as he turns to follow Oliver.

"If I hear about one more invasive press inquiry being sent to Mr. Queen and any of his family and friends. I will hold you personally responsible." Isabel growls down the phone.

"You're very scary." Oliver comments upon approaching her.

"Thank you." He adds.

"My job is take things off your plate, now more than ever." She replies.

"Thanks for the attempt." Slade murmurs as Isabel spins around to face both men.

"To that end, you two remember how at today's meeting. The board nominated new officers? Voting had to take place within twenty four hours. It cannot be suspended it's an SEC thing." Isabel informs them as Oliver all but buries his head in his hands.

"I can't think about this right now!" Oliver cries.

"His sister is missing. This meeting can go to hell for all we care." Slade snarls.

"I know and I get that. I'm sorry but Oliver you have to. You're the CEO and you have responsibilities…"

"Which you handle for him all of the time Isabel. He cannot possibly devote any time to such a meeting when all of this is going on. No one would expect him to!" Slade snarls in Oliver's defence as Isabel clasps her hands together.

"A board vote is several orders of magnitude different from covering a missed meeting." Isabel points out to both men.

"Oliver, you could appoint someone CEO pro temp…" Isabel is cut off in an instant as Oliver suddenly grabs a pen, many thoughts racing through his mind, but right now, a solution to several problems he can see right this moment in time.

He begins to scribble on a piece of paper.

"That's not a good idea." Isabel starts.

"Kid, what are you doin'?" Slade frowns at him.

"Exactly what she's says." Oliver mutters.

"Again that is not a good idea." Isabel starts, her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm appointing Slade." Oliver responds.

"WHAT?!" Both Slade and Isabel exclaim at once as Oliver grabs the pad and places it in Slade's hands.

"Congratulations. You're the temporary CEO." Oliver says firmly.

"Oliver!" Slade growls.

"Mr. Queen I'm not sure…"

"Slade's in charge now, talk to him." Oliver cuts them off.

"Oliver…"

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson. I need to talk to you, it's about Shado." Felicity calls as Oliver begins to move toward the door when Slade begins to follow him.

"No. No, I made you CEO for a reason. Stay here, go to the meeting. Keep Isabel off my back. Just sort all of this out. We'll deal with this." Oliver starts as Slade wraps both of his hands around Oliver's wrists.

"Kid. What is going on here? Give the authority to Isabel. You're not making sense…"

"I'm making perfect sense Slade. I need you to stay here." Oliver sighs.

"Thea is out there right now being held against her will by the woman I loved. We don't have time for this Oliver!" Slade snarls.

"Yes we do. Go to the meetings, keep an eye on things from here. Put an ear piece in. A line open to Felicity. Just please, do this for me." Oliver murmurs.

"No. I am not staying here. I am going with you Oliver Queen and if you try to stop me..."

"I can't let you go." Oliver sighs, closing his eyes.

"What is this about, Oliver? Tell me the truth." Slade hisses.

"NOW OLIVER!" Slade bellows at him.

"Because you can't be there for what happens next." Oliver admits.

"Oliver…"

"Slade. For five years. I have watched this destroy you. Ever since the minute this happened to her, you've never forgotten what happened and I have watched the guilt, sadness and misery consume you for all of this time and despite everything she'd done, how you felt when I revealed to you what had happened to her on the Amazo. I won't let her break your heart anymore than she already has done but you have to stay here because Slade. This is going to end tonight and it's going to end with me killing her and I am going to make damn sure she stays dead this time. Whatever it takes to take her down and save Thea I am going to do tonight but you can't be there for that." Oliver murmurs as he manages to free himself from Slade's grip, only to rests his hands on Slade's arms carefully.

"I'm going to kill her Slade but you can't be there for when I do that. I won't put you in that position. I won't let her hurt you anymore." He mutters as he looks up at Slade.

"You've protected me for almost six years Slade. I know you'd anything for me and I'd do anything for you. So let me spare you the pain of the inevitable with Shado. I'm taking her down. I will kill her this time for good because the only reason she's still here is because I screwed up the first time and I am not going to make that mistake again. I am going to put an end to all of this for all of us but Slade." Oliver stops with a sigh.

"I don't want you to have to be there and see what I do when I take her down." He admits.

"I'll come and find you when this is all over." He murmurs as he begins to walk away.

"Oliver." Slade starts in a tone Oliver isn't sure of.

"No Slade, I won't let her hurt you anymore." He murmurs again as he looks up at Slade in the eye for the last time.

"I promise."

 _The Foundry_

"Since the last place Thea was seen was here and Verdant. I used credit card receipts, compiled a list of customers last night, pinged all their cell phones and hacked into their photos. NSA is right, it's a lot easier when you don't need a warrant." Felicity sighs as she moves toward the computer with Oliver, Sara, Roy, Diggle and Sin behind her whilst Nyssa appears to be working on something in the corner of the room.

"I eyeballed every photo." Felicity adds.

"There must have been thousands." Diggle muses.

"It's Thea. I found this. Partial plate, three blocks from the club. Cars registered to Shado and it has GPS." Felicity turns to face them.

"Where is it right now?" Oliver questions.

"Parked outside a defunct bar on Roosevelt." Felicity responds.

"Ok, this doesn't seem easy to you?" Sin comments with folded arms.

"Shado using a car registered in her name. The whole thing smells rotten." Diggle adds.

"Either Thea's there of he is. Either way, we have to go. Felicity. I want you to ping Slade's phone. If he gets any phone calls from Shado. I want us aware of that." Oliver commands.

"Sure. Wait, where is he?" Felicity frowns.

"I left him in charge of Queen Consolidated." Oliver sighs.

"What? Why? Oliver. If you plan to take her on. You're going to need him out there." Diggle questions as Oliver looks to Sara.

"Shado is here right now because I failed Diggle. I failed her and I couldn't even manage to put her down when I had the chance. All of this has caused the three of us so much pain for five years and now her being here is causing everyone we care about pain. This almost destroyed Slade five years ago. I'm not going to let her get in his head again and I won't put him through the pain that will come when we end this." Oliver says firmly before looking to Sara and Nyssa.

"We need to go." He mutters as he moves toward his vigilante uniform.

"I figured you'd say that, which is why I worked up these. Tibetan pit viper venom. The League Of Assassins poison of choice and the most powerful sedative." Nyssa shows him the arrows she's made.

"That'll give us an advantage, but you are going to give us another." Oliver looks to Roy.

"Are you sure you want me to go?" Roy frowns.

"Are you angry? Use that rage." Oliver commands.

"Well, you're just always telling me to hold back." Roy points out as Oliver shakes his head.

"Not tonight."

 _Lian Yu_

 _"Land mines?" Anatoly frowns as he pushes away some dirt._

 _"What kind of island is this?" He remarks._

 _"Can you remove the explosive?" Harley questions._

 _"Certainly." Anatoly nods before tilting his head to one side._

 _"Without it going off? Eh. Less certain." He comments, pushing more dirt aside, spotting something in the process._

 _"Ah, KGB. You taught me many, many things. Russian bomb, Japanese bomb, they both go boom." He says as he pulls it from the ground before turning to face Harley._

 _"Congratulations, we are not dead. Now what?" He looks to Harley, bomb in hand._

 _"Well, Shado takes either Hendrik or Psycho as we agreed and then once they're far enough away…" Harley trails off._

 _"What? You want to rig either Hendrik or Slade into bomb?" Anatoly exclaims._

 _"Well, Peter was right. Handing Hendrik over to Shado is the same thing as killing him and you're right to, we don't have a choice. Even though Psycho is trying to give himself up instead. I mean this Mirakuru it's crazy stuff. If we take both Shado and Psycho out. It won't be bad thing. I mean at least this way. It can take out Shado and then we can take that ship." She reveals the plan._

 _"What about Sara. Oliver. They won't be too happy if this kills Slade." Anatoly reveals._

 _"Then we tell him what we're planning, he'll give up on this whole exchange plan and let Hendrik go as agreed." Harley retorts as Anatoly raises an eyebrow at her._

 _"Huh?" Harley glances at him._

 _"I was right." He murmurs._

 _"You really are one scary woman."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking into the abandoned building, the Arrow moves first, bow in hand, stopping when he reaches the centre of the room where Shado sits, on a large chair.

Roy, Nyssa and the Black Canary walk in from behind her.

"Where is she Shado?" The Arrow snaps as Roy, Nyssa and the Black Canary circle her as she gets to her feet.

"The man asked you a question!" Roy snaps when nothing but silence comes from Shado.

"I have one of my own." Shado responds as she looks around the room.

"Where's Slade?" She questions as Roy just snaps and punches her hard across the face.

Shado sighs at the attempt that barely even bothers her.

"I'm surprised he'd miss this." She muses.

"Enough Shado!" The Black Canary snaps.

"Where is she!" The Arrow snarls soon afterwards as Shado just folds her arms.

"What are you going to do Oliver? Kill me?" She muses as the Arrow grips his bow tighter.

"Because that's why Slade isn't here isn't it because the four of you are here to kill me. You don't want him here because you're afraid." She glances toward the Arrow and the Black Canary with a smile.

"You're afraid that he'll stop you because despite his close relationship with a certain lowlife named Lisa Snart, he still has feelings for me." She chuckles as Roy advances on her at that, launching a punch which Shado deflects with ease.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE! LET GO OF THEA!" Roy snarls as he engages Shado in a fight, who deflects and dodges his attacks, swinging her hand back to catch an arrow Nyssa fires at her.

"You're new. Another archer. I taught Oliver to become an archer, you know. Just like you stand by his side. Sara's, Slade's. That's where I stood. Five years ago." Shado hisses as she snaps the arrow in half, swinging Roy around and slamming him into the ground as the Black Canary advances on her.

"Shado please. Tell us where Thea is. You don't have to do this." The Black Canary begs.

"You know I do Sara." She hisses as she launches an attack at her. Roy moving to her aid.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The Arrow shouts as Roy looks to where he's aiming the arrow and soon grabs the Black Canary, moving her out of the firing line as he directs the arrow toward Shado's eye.

"Here we are again Oliver. Do it. Kill me. It's what you want." Shado shrugs.

"It's what you failed to do." She hisses.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Roy bellows angrily.

"Can you do it Oliver? Now that I'm standing here in front of you yet again. Can you kill me? Put an arrow though my eye? Just like you did to Slade?" She smirks.

"You did that to him!" The Arrow snarls.

"No, no I didn't. It was because of you. I never meant for him to lose his eye. He shouldn't have gotten in the way." She retorts.

"He was saving me." The Arrow growls.

"Of course. Saving you because that's what got us here isn't it Oliver? Him saving you, always saving you." She shakes her head.

"So if you're going to kill me, Arrow. Get on with it! Even though in doing so you may never find out where your beloved Thea is." She muses as the Arrow closes his eyes, hands tightening on the bow and arrow.

He can do this. He can kill her.

End all of this. All of the pain.

But Thea…

"Call Detective Lance. Tell him to come down here." He hisses through gritted teeth.

"What? Why?" Roy questions.

"To arrest Shado." The Arrow snarls before firing a pit viper venom arrow directly at Shado who collapses back into her chair…

 _SCPD_

Sat in an interrogation room, at a table in the SCPD precinct. Shado sits with her hands cuffed and attached to a metal bar whilst Quentin watches her from behind the glass.

"So this is her then." Quentin comments with folded arms as he looks to where Sara is stood beside him.

"We need to make sure that she gives up where she's holding Thea." She hisses.

"Sara, sweetie." He rests a hand on her arm as Sara looks up at him.

"What's wrong?" He asks carefully.

"I just. It still just gets me dad." She admits to him.

"What does?" He looks over at her.

"Shado. She. We. We loved her dad. Me, Ollie. Slade. She meant the world to us. I. I never wanted you to find out about this dad but the night, the night before everything happened that led us here. I was with Ollie and he couldn't sleep. So I went and talked to him and he said if we got home. Then we'd only stay for a few days, weeks maybe then we'd leave again because Ollie and I. We couldn't imagine our lives without Slade and Shado and then…" She trails off as she closes her eyes.

"I told that woman in their that was like a sister to me and now I can barely even recognise her." Sara admits as Quentin pulls his youngest daughter into a tight embrace.

"You know today, I was looking at Moira and in her eyes I could tell that she's terrified that she's lost her daughter. I couldn't go through that again Sara." He murmurs as he holds her tightly, a knock on the door pulling them apart.

"Officer Lance? The Queen Family's here." Another officer reports as he looks to Sara once more before moving out of the room.

 _Queen Consolidated_

Sitting boredly through the meeting, Slade sits at the head of the table with his fists clenched, teeth gritted and trying his hardest not to snap. Unable to really focus on the meeting he's in, his fingers sometimes moving to adjust his eyepatch ever so slightly, the empty socket aching quite painfully.

His thoughts just plagued with Shado.

Shado and Thea. Her crying out to him for help…

He wonders if it's over? If Oliver's ended this once and for all.

He should be out there. He should be with them…

"Mr. Wilson?" Isabel's cool voice cuts through the air.

She hasn't really said much since Oliver gave temporary leadership to him.

She probably thought he'd give it to her, Slade thinks to himself as he looks to Isabel.

"I think their's someone at the door for you." She mutters, glancing toward the glass wall where Roy is stood outside.

"We'll take a break." Slade informs the rest of the people in the room as he gets to his feet, moving quickly away from the rest of the group and toward where Roy stands, shaking slightly, hands clenched together. The Mirakuru proving quite a challenge.

"What's the matter?" Slade looks to him.

"I'm contemplating whether or not I should remove both Oliver and Shado's heads from their bodies." Roy mutters as Slade rests a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" He all but sighs.

"Ohh didn't you hear? Thought you had an open line." Roy looks up at him.

"It cut off." Slade retorts.

"Of course it did. Of course he would do that." Roy shakes his head.

"Did Oliver…"

"No. No he didn't kill her. He had her arrested. She's in the SCPD right now. He should have killed her Slade. Yeah she was there trying to get into his head but if he'd have killed her it would have been over! We could have just then searched for Thea! He didn't have to do this. It could have been over but he screwed up because he's crap! His leadership skills are crap! And my girlfriend is still out there and…"

"ROY!" Slade snaps to get him out of his evidently Mirakuru fuelled rant.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." Roy murmurs before shaking his head.

"Actually, no I'm not. Oliver is wrong, he should have killed her."

"Roy. If Oliver had killed her. She may have had safeguards in place that meant in the event of her death, Thea wouldn't have survived. She has people working for her. We've seen that. Do you understand?" Slade looks to him as Roy sighs.

"I just want her back. I want her to be safe." He admits.

"I know. I know you do and that's what Oliver wants to. It's his sister he's going to do anything and everything in his power to protect her and bring her home. Just bear with him, a'right? And I'll be there the minute this godforsaken meeting ends." Slade tries to assure him as Roy sighs.

"Can I. Can I just stay here with you until there's anymore news." Roy sighs as Slade glances toward him at his request.

"The Mirakuru. It's. It's getting hard to handle." He admits quietly.

"Of course. You may find yourself dying of boredom though." Slade warns him.

"Risk I'm willing to take." Roy replies, finding himself smiling slightly as he looks to Slade.

"Thank you." He mutters.

"What for?" Slade queries.

"For everything. Helping me to control this Mirakuru. Don't know what I would have done without you." Roy admits, in response, Slade just smiles.

 _SCPD_

"Mr. Lance. Did she tell you where Thea is?" Oliver calls toward Quentin as he and Moira race toward him.

Both Quentin and Oliver exchanging a knowing look as Lt Pike arrives.

"Mrs. Queen, thank you for coming." He greats her as Oliver glances toward the door to the interrogation room where he sees Sara standing beside it, hands clenched an unsure look on her face. Like she wants to go into the room but something's holding her back…

"This doesn't make any sense. Shado is a friend." Moira's exclaim pulls Oliver back toward the conversation.

"And she's been in Costa Rica for the past seventy two hours." Pike replies causing both Oliver and Quentin to look toward him instantly.

"She can provide flight manifests, phone records even some videos, so she couldn't have taken your daughter." Pike informs her.

"If she didn't then why did you arrest her?" Moira protests.

"We didn't. She was apprehended by the vigilantes. Who then contacted Officer Lance…"

"Lieutenant, I can explain..." Quentin cuts in, a worried look crossing Oliver's face.

"No, I think I got a pretty clear picture. God, you're a special kind of stupid. The whole reason you're wearing that uniform instead of a detective's shield is because you were working with the three vigilantes!" Pike snaps at him.

"A young girl is missing and you just…" Quentin snarls yet is cut off by Pike again.

"And now you arrest someone on their say so? You'll be lucky if the next uniform I put you in isn't prison grey." Pike snarls back before storming away from Quentin.

"I'm so sorry." Oliver whispers in passing as Moira moves to talk with Pike.

"Don't you worry about a thing Oliver. I swear to god. This is not your fault, or Sara's or Slade's. We know the truth. That's all that matters. You won't have much time but if you want to go and talk to that woman go and do it now." He mutters quickly to Oliver, who moves quickly toward the interrogation room door, where Sara is still stood.

"Together?" Oliver looks to her as she slides her hand into his, looking up at him with a sad look in her eyes as she clenches his hands.

"Together."

 _Interrogation Room_

Shado looks up when she sees the door opening, smirking when she sees that it's Oliver and Sara walking through the door, Sara shutting it when they're both inside.

"They're calling you Lady Deathstroke." Oliver starts simply.

"It's a bit flamboyant. I kinda like it. It suits Slade better. Yet he doesn't go by that name, does he? The Man In The Mask is what he likes to be called and he's still not here. Pity. I thought the three of you were inseparable."

"Stop, just STOP!" Sara hisses moving forward and hitting the table hard with her hands, Oliver pulling her back gently.

"No, Ollie." Sara growls.

"I see nothing's changed between the two of you. I'm surprised." Shado comments tilting her head to the side.

"How did you get off the island?" Oliver cuts her off.

"Wow. I'm surprised Oliver. That of all the questions you must have for me. That is the first one. How did I get off the island." She smiles.

"Well you've made it pretty clear that you're not going to tell me where my sister is. So yeah, that's my first question." Oliver mutters.

"I swam, but it wasn't without its obstacles. The rip current dragged me under, the rocks on the reef cut up my skin to the bone but the Mirakuru. It regenerated everything..." She trails off, looking down at her hands.

"Even something I thought was lost forever. That couldn't possibly be protected by the Mirakuru but it was. It was." She murmurs closing her eyes for one brief moment before looking up at the two.

"The only thing that wasn't was the scars from those very well crafted arrows you shot into me Oliver. You, Anatoly and Harley did a good job creating them." She muses.

"Where is she?" Sara speaks up quietly.

"Where is who Sara?" Shado glances at her.

"Harley. We know she works for you." Oliver mutters sharply.

"Ohh Harley. Yes. You know, I'll let you find her." Shado smiles.

"Why would she work for you?" Oliver murmurs.

"Why would she work for me?" Shado frowns.

"She helped me build the arrows needed to kill you. She wanted you dead. At one point both you and Slade! Why would she work for you?" Oliver snaps.

"I can be quite convincing when I want to be." Shado sighs, a bored look crossing her face.

"You should have brought Slade along." She comments as Oliver and Sara look to one another, Oliver clenching Sara's arm to keep himself from snapping.

"Well it's just the three of us in here and it's only going to be the three of us. So why don't we try being honest." Oliver says as calmly as he can, approaching the table.

"Why are you doing this?" He mutters.

"You know why." Shado smiles, leaning back in her chair.

"It was five years ago!" Sara cries at that.

"It was yesterday. Oh I tried to let go of what happened on the island but it's still god a hold on me and if that hood, my hood you wear every night is any indication, if the wig and the mask Sara wears, the mask Slade hides himself behind. It's still got a hold on the three of you as well. I lost everything I ever loved on that island.. Everything and you are to blame Oliver Queen. The man I loved. I lost him, the future we could have had, destroyed because of you…"

"IT WAS IVO!" Sara snaps.

"He made Ollie choose and he didn't make a choice. He tried to save us Shado! He could have chosen me! I mean why would he choose another man's girlfriend? A dead man because Slade had died! We watched him die! He could have chosen me but he didn't…"

"Because he was a coward." Shado hisses.

"Because it was an impossible choice! No one could have made it! You have the Mirakuru. You know it better than anyone. It twists the mind. It's twisted yours and it twisted Slade's! He'd come back from the dead Shado! He was gone! He heard the man he considers a brother screaming out in pain! He didn't know there was a choice…"

"He made it anyway." Shado mutters as Sara falls silent.

"He made it anyway and even he became a coward. He couldn't tell me what he'd done himself and now. Now he can't even face me." She says with a shake of her head.

"Because he shouldn't have to!" Oliver snaps at that.

"Or because you forced him not to for some unknown reason. I was confused to hear why he had received the temporary CEO position…."

"How do you know about that?" Sara cuts in sharply.

"I have my resources." Shado simply smirks before adding.

"You gave him that position to keep us apart. So you could kill me without him being there? Is that right Oliver? Or, as I said. So there was no chance he could turn against you…"

"Because you destroyed him Shado. He loved you. He loved you more than anything and I will not let you break his heart anymore than you already have done!" Oliver yells ferociously as Shado just glances up at them.

"I did nothing to him. It was all on you." She glares at him.

"Yes. Yes it was my fault. He didn't do anything to you. This happened to you because of me. Because of a choice that I couldn't make. This wasn't Slade's fault it was mine so just punish me! Blame me! Leave Sara and Slade out of this! And Thea…" He stops.

"Ollie." Sara rests a hand on his arm, he shrugs her off…

"You want me to beg? Is that what this is all about because I'm begging. You win."

"If I was winning there would be three of you in here right now." Shado retorts.

"Well there isn't and there won't be. You are not going to get to him. You're never going to get anything from us ever again. Just please, Shado if a part of you. If a part of you remembers who you were. A part that remembers how much the three of us loved you. You will tell us where Thea is." Sara practically begs.

"Just please tell us where she is. She's my sister. Please, Shado." Oliver continues as Shado leans back with a smirk on her face.

"Well that must have been quite hard for you two to say all that." She comments before leaning forward.

"Thea… Well, Thea is…" Shado is cut off by the door opening and Lt Pike entering the room, glancing at Oliver and Sara with suspicion in his eyes.

"Mr. Queen, Miss Lance. Who the hell let the two of you in here?" He snaps before turning to Shado with a set of keys in his hand.

"You are free to go, with the departments deepest apologies." He says as he unchains her.

"Oh there's no need at all for apologised , lieutenant. An poor innocent girls life hangs in the balance. You need to follow every lead possible." Shado responds.

"Well. You should know that officer Lance is facing some very serious charges…"

"No." Sara hisses as she starts to move, Oliver grabbing her before she can move a few feet.

"Well, don't pursue them on my behalf." Shado looks to Lt Pike with a smile before at Oliver, who is still restraining Sara.

"I'm not one to hold a grudge."

 _Outside The SCPD_

"Have the police cleared you of all charges?!" Reporters shout to Shado as she exits the precinct, instantly swarmed by reporters the minute she does so.

"I was in Costa Rica but returned to Starling City as soon as I heard the terrible news." Shado responds as Oliver leads both his mother and Sara from the precinct whilst across the road. Diggle sits in a van, his eyes on Shado.

"What can you tell us about Thea Queen's disappearance?" The reporters continue to ask Shado questions.

"I'm offering every resource at my disposal. Plus a five million dollar reward for any information that leads to Thea Queen's captors." She states before turning to her car, feeling her phone begin to vibrate in her pocket.

She climbs into the car before answering it.

"Is it done?" She questions the minute the car pulls away.

"Only one. Well. One is all we need. He'll lead us to the other two. I'll be there shortly." She reports before hanging up and sitting back in her seat whilst the car drives on.

 _Meanwhile…_

As Shado's car drives away, Diggle also begins to drive after her.

"This is Dig, I've got the follow." He informs the others.

"The tracked on her car is active." Sin points out as Felicity nods.

"Yeah Nyssa, she's coming up on your position." Felicity informs her through the comms.

"Got her." Nyssa responds, moving from her position in the shadows.

"We see her, heading north guys." Sin calls.

"In pursuit." Diggle responds, continuing to follow Shado's car until the minute another car pulls out in front of him causing Diggle to make an abrupt stop.

"Damn it, I lost her!" Her snaps.

"Man, this is going great already isn't it." Sin grumbles as Felicity shakes her head.

"It's all right, I've still got eyes on her." Felicity calls.

"Nyssa, cut right onto Downey." She informs her as Nyssa climbs abroad the motorcycle she had borrowed from Oliver and begins to drive down the directed road toward the car, stopping when she catches up to it and seeing that Shado is not in the back.

"Felicity. She's not here. It's not her!" Nyssa shouts.

"What?!" Felicity frowns as Sin buries her head in her hands.

"Knew it. Knew we couldn't get her." She mutters as she starts to walk away whilst Felicity's computer continues to light up.

"She's cloned the trackers signal. Nyssa you've got to move!" Felicity cries.

"You've got to pick her up on fuller." She adds as Nyssa zooms down the road in the direction Felicity had sent her in, yet is almost knocked off her bike by another car.

"Nyssa, Nyssa do you still have eyes on her!" Felicity cries as Nyssa shakes her head.

"Nyssa!" Felicity calls again.

"No, she's gone." Nyssa responds, pulling into a side road.

"We've lost her."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse, Thea Queen sits on a chair, eyes filled with tears, looking to the guards that stand around her with guns in their hands.

She just wants to go home.

She just wants Oliver, Sara, Slade and Roy to be here.

To save her, to tell her everything's going to be okay.

"Leave us." Comes the voice of Shado as she enters the room, the guards departing on her request as she moves to grab two chairs.

One she places near Thea, the other across from her, which is this one she sits on.

"I apologise for being gone so long, it wasn't my intention." She says courteously.

"Screw you." Thea hisses in response.

"I saw Oliver, Sara, your mom. They're all quite worried about you." She points out as Thea just laughs.

"Just you wait. Just you wait. They're coming for me you know, my brother, his girlfriend his best friend and they are going to kill you!" Thea hisses.

"Is that so? Trust me Thea I can cause them more pain then they could ever cause me." Shado retorts with folded arms.

"If you hurt them. I swear I…" Thea glares at her as Shado gets to her feet.

"Please, go on. Finish that sentence. I'm curious to know what kind of threat a nineteen year old girl can make." Shado laughs to herself.

"What do you want with me?" Thea whispers desperately.

"Well, that Thea. Is a very long story." Shado responds.

"Looks like I've got time." Thea mutters in response.

"Well then Thea, on that note perhaps you'd like to hear a piece of information about your brother, his girlfriend, his best friend and then on your own boyfriend, Roy Harper wasn't it?" Shado smiles at her wickedly.

"Go ahead. Was that your master plan, get me here and tell me my brothers secrets? Trying to make a point, because Shado. You're too late! They told me who they were. They told me everything!" Thea says with a confident smile of her own at the look of complete disbelief on Shado's face.

"They. They told you?" Shado mutters.

"Yeah. Yeah they told me everything about them! You've got nothing! You cannot use it against them because I know who they are." Thea snaps.

"I bet there's something you don't know. Something your brother, his friends and your own mother is hiding from you." Shado continues, getting to her feet.

"What? That Malcolm Merlyn is my father? Yeah Ollie told me that to. You've got nothing on them! You don't need me! I know everything and I'm guessing you're one of their enemies and if that's who you are then you know who they are and what they're going to do to you when they come and get me!" She snaps bravely until Shado slaps her hard across the face, gripping her chin in a vice like grip, forcing Thea to look up at her.

"Do what you like to me. What they'll do to you is going to be so much worse!" Thea spits as Shado releases her, the force causing her to knock the chair with Thea on it to the ground. She is about to lift Thea from the ground when both women hear the sounds of yelling from behind the doors.

"LET ME GO. LET ME GO YOU SON'S OF BITCHES!" Comes an almost animalistic growl.

With a smile, Shado bends down to pull Thea up by her hair.

"You've got company." She informs the girl kicking her in the side, causing her to fall down again with enough force Thea is thrown from the chair and lands head first on the ground, she can already taste blood in her mouth, feel the immense pain in her side from where Shado kicked her down, the disorientation. Yet despite it she lifts her head to see a man being dragged into the room. A man she recognises.

He was with Lisa, the woman Slade sleeps with. Mick she thinks his name was.

"Shut up." Shado snaps, watching as her guards chain the struggling man to a chair.

Mick just growls at her.

"Perhaps you'd like me to just cut to the chase. Alright then. Where is Leonard and Lisa Snart? Give me that information and your death will be a quick one. I won't drag it out." Shado glares at him as Mick looks up at her.

"Go to hell!" He spits as she punches him hard in the face.

"What the hell are you?!" Mick mutters as he tries to recover from the punch.

"You'll find out soon enough. Should we try again? Where are Lisa and Leonard Snart!?" She questions sharply.

"Gave you my answer. You're gonna kill me anyway. Get on with it! I ain't telling you where they are, cause I don't know for one, two Snart's a pain in the ass. You don't want that guy." Mick grumbles as she pulls out a knife and stabs him through the wrist, pinning him to the chair causing him to growl in pain.

"Stop. Don't hurt him, stop!" Thea begs as Shado glances toward her before pulling Thea from the floor and onto the chair.

"You know what. I think you should be watching this." She hisses before turning back to face Mick, who, despite the pain, looks her in the eyes with a murderous look.

"I'll settle for Lisa Snart. The two combined would have been perfect but the one I want the most is her. Leonard would just be where you are right now. Except he would have a much larger audience and he wouldn't get a quick easy death. His would be dragged out because someone who cares about him needs to see that. I think we all know who..."

"Ohh I seriously loathe revenge schemes." Comes an unfamiliar voice to both Mick and Thea from behind Shado as a woman walks toward her in leathers.

"Selina. You delivered. The money will be wired to you by the end of business." Shado mutters as Selina folds her arms.

"Ohh, the money you can keep. That man sitting there is a crook, a pyromaniac. Removing him from society was an easy thing to do. I did that for you with ease knowing the type of man he was. I would have also retrieved that Snart man if he could be found. You said to me they were all you needed." Selina snaps.

"What are you trying to say Selina? You're getting paid. Just walk away." Shado retorts.

"She's a young girl. I don't know what revenge plan could involve a girl that young. I said to you that I hated overly thought our revenge plans and I do. This is the reason because they go to far and in this case some rich families daughter gets involved. Release her or the deals off. I will no longer work for you." Selina folds her arms.

"This is the last time I trust Harley to find me accomplices." Shado mutters.

"Ohh yes, mine and Ivy's dear friend Harley Quinn. Let this young lady go and I won't tell her about of all this as I don't think she knows this is for revenge. She thinks she's getting some fairytale happy ending doesn't she?" Selina points out as Shado just rips out a gun and begins to fire at the woman causing Thea to cry out in horror as Selina moves quickly to avoid being shot at.

"He was telling the truth." Thea hears Mick whisper suddenly as Selina begins to do several acrobatic movements to leap up to higher ground to avoid Shado's bullets, whom keeps firing until there are none left.

"Life lesson their for you Thea. You want a job doing. Do it yourself. Never get your already recruited to help to bring in accomplices. I should have known after that woman wanted to recruit Deadshot nonetheless." She muses before turning her back to Thea, who sees a knife hanging from her belt.

Shado continues to talk as Thea quickly leans forward, her hand almost on the knife when Shado whirls around, the knife suddenly in her hand.

She stabs the knife through Thea's thigh causing the girl to scream in pain.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KILL YOU!" Mick snarls with a glance to Thea who is still screaming from the pain.

"LET US GO!" He hisses as Shado turns on him, holding another knife to his throat.

"Slade Wilson's coming for you, you know. He's going to tear you apart. Just like I am!" He growls, feeling the knife cutting into the skin of his neck as she leans toward him.

"Now, I'll ask again." Shado turns back to Mick as Thea continues to scream in agony.

"Where are the Snart's?"

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, and to all of you who have ever so kindly reviewed, followed and favourited this story. next chapter should be really soon, please do tell me what you all thought and leave a review if you can. Thanks again for reading._**


	125. Deathstroke (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Five_**

 _The Foundry_

"So… What now?" Felicity glances up at Nyssa, Diggle and Sin, the former two having returned to the Foundry after they failed to capture Shado.

"Which one of us is going to take one for the team and let Slade and Roy know what's going on?" Sin queries as even Nyssa doesn't look to enthusiastic about that task!

"I'll do it." Felicity starts.

"Or get Oliver and Sara to do that." Diggle advises.

"That what we should do from this point on anyway. Wait until Oliver and Sara return and from there we can figure out what our next move shall be." Nyssa suggests.

"Perhaps this wouldn't have happened if Slade had been involved. I know Oliver and Sara want to keep him out of this but come on guys, let's face it. He's the best fighter we've got. He had that Mirakuru." Sin points out.

"She has a point." Nyssa nods.

"Yeah well. I think Oliver is trying to spare Slade from enduring anymore mental trauma when it comes to that woman. There's only so much someone can take before they snap." Diggle notes as Sin folds her arms.

"That woman pretended to be my friend for two years. Everything about her was a lie and she was almost as close to me as Sara is. We have to stop her!" Sin exclaims as Nyssa glances toward Diggle.

"What?" Diggle says upon looking her way.

"What did you mean when you said. There's only so much someone can take before they snap? I understand what you were saying but you. You were implying something by it." Nyssa points out as everyone looks to Diggle.

"Well. We've heard the story. Probably not even all of it either but what's always been made clear is that Slade loved Shado and he even admitted to us that he still does. That everything that happened that led to all this was nothing but tragedy. She was dead until a few weeks ago. They thought she was dead. I don't know but from everything said. I think Oliver was the one to put her down that time. But it didn't work and now she's playing this game with them, with all of them and I'm just wondering. I don't want to think this because he's my friend but I do wonder how far Shado can push Slade until he. He just gives up. Gives into her madness and joins her. A lot of all this seems to revolve around choices. What if she gives them another one to destroy everything?" Diggle informs them of his point of view as Felicity just shakes her head.

"Man that was deep." Sin winces.

"Slade would never. He would never do a thing like that Dig. How could you say a thing like that?! He's your friend!" Felicity snaps.

"He is. He is my friend, one of my better friends, but come on, Felicity. How much can one person take before they can't take anymore? We saw how he reacted when the Mirakuru was revealed. Who knows what he would do if Shado takes this any further. Honestly, I can't see this ending well." Diggle admits.

"You have a point." Nyssa murmurs as Felicity shakes her head.

"But we're together. All of us are here and we all want the same thing. To stop Shado. It's not going to be easy but we're going to do it. Together and I… I mean we. We are not going to lose Slade to Shado!" Felicity finds herself shouting.

"All right. Let's all just calm down here. Shado outplayed us today. It's bound to happen." Shado cuts her off.

"It only happened because the police let Shado go, after we had her turned in because Oliver decided that was the best course of action after all he said to us about not wanting to cause Slade anymore pain." Felicity mutters.

"You're out of line, Felicity." Diggle glances toward her.

"I'm not trying to be, Dig. I'm just pointing out the facts." Felicity retorts.

"You do realize that Oliver and Sara loved her too, Felicity. When Oliver said he was going to end this. It's not that easy for him, because despite everything she's still that woman he knew and loved on the island." Nyssa points out.

"I know. I know, I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about Slade." Felicity sighs.

"Of course you are. I mean I get it, Felicity, I do but just because you want to screw him doesn't mean you can forget the other people affected by this mess!" Sin snaps.

"Hey!" Both Diggle and Nyssa snap at Sin.

"That's going too far." Diggle scolds her as Felicity moves to toward her computer, sitting down, positioning her glasses before beginning to type hurriedly.

"Felicity…" Diggle starts as he begins to walk toward her.

"Wait for Oliver and Sara then?" She says quickly as she types before adding.

"Good idea."

 _Queen Mansion_

As Oliver and Sara speak with police officers, Moira stands in the living room, a picture of Thea in her hands.

Looking over at his mother, Oliver turns back to the police officers.

"Can you guys give us a minute, please?" Oliver requests before taking Sara's hand and leading her into the living room, both of them approaching Moira.

"Do you remember how she loved to color?" Moira whispers.

"Robert would buy her boxes of crayons by the truckload. She could never get enough. She'd draw on the walls and I could never get angry because it was just so adorable." Moira whispers, her voice trembling.

"You should try and get some sleep." Oliver suggests.

"Is my baby still alive?" Both Oliver and Sara hear her ask.

"What?" Oliver turns around in an instant.

"Is my baby still alive?" Moira asks again as Oliver looks to Sara.

"Yes." Oliver responds firmly.

"Before you returned with Sara and Mr. Wilson. I woke up every day for five years, the mother who lost her son. I… I can't… I can't endure it again." Moira spins around to face them both.

"And now you hate me Oliver and you have every justification after everything I've done…"

"Now is not the time." Oliver starts.

"Yes, it is. It is exactly the time. I've told you that these lies were to keep our family safe. To keep us all together but that was the biggest lie of all and I told it you, to Thea, to myself because I was too weak to face any kind of truth. I destroyed our relationship Oliver. I never accepted what you wanted. I never accepted Sara, Mr. Wilson. I tried to have him killed. Tried to take someone you evidently love away from you, both you and Sara. Slade Wilson is family to both of you and I never saw fit to accept that. Even Thea has grown to love him the way the two of you do and I tried to have him killed. What mother does that to her child?" Moira looks up at both Oliver and Sara as Oliver closes his eyes before looking up at her.

"What's happening now, isn't your fault." Oliver murmurs as Moira looks away from them.

"From the moment your children are born, you worry what the world might do to them but you never stop to think what you might do to them. That we could be our own worst enemy. Sara. Sara just promise me, if you have any children with my son, you do a better job of being a mother to them than I have to mine." Moira turns to her as both Sara and Oliver walk forward, neither of the pair saying any words as they take one of Moira's hands in theirs…

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Psycho! Psycho. You can't go with Shado when she arrives." Harley calls as she races toward Slade._

 _"My mind is made up Harley." Slade murmurs._

 _"No Slade. Hear her out." Anatoly says as they both approach her, Slade glancing toward where Sara sits, head bowed, evidently thinking about Oliver._

 _"Sara." Slade calls to her, Sara looking up and moving toward them, a tired look on her face as she leans into Slade._

 _"Please. Please don't go. Slade, you do realize Ollie and I will do the exact same thing as we're doing here, we'll be fighting to get you back…"_

 _"You may not have to." Anatoly cuts her off._

 _"What?" Slade glances at him._

 _"We dug up some explosives, you know, those mines Ollie was telling me about. I get it. You see. You three don't want to be without each other, you Ollie and Sara and we need to stop Shado and Hendrik is a psycho. He'd kill anyone of us without a second thought. So hear we go. We rig him with the explosives, Shado takes him, we get Ollie. They get far enough away. We detonate. She's gone and we can take the Amazo and go wherever we want!" Harley reveals her plan._

 _"You're talking about murder!" Slade snaps._

 _"She'd happily kill any of us. Look, I get it, you love her. You still do but she doesn't love any of us anymore. She's gone. I liked her to but that woman is dead. This is the only way this is gonna work out for us." Harley protests._

 _"She has a point." Anatoly comments as Slade looks to Sara._

 _"I can't." He murmurs to her._

 _"I can't kill her Sara." He admits to Sara who closes her eyes, tears in them._

 _"I know. I know but. Slade, she. She's not Shado anymore and Ollie… She's tortured him. That's not Shado. I don't want to do this but…" She trails off as she rests her head against Slade's arm again._

 _"What other choice do we have?"_

 _Later…_

 _At the sound of footsteps and groaning, Slade, Sara, Harley and Anatoly are stood up and are facing the planes entrance, watching as Ivo's men._

 _Shado's men. Enter, dragging Oliver along with them._

 _Oliver, who's eye is swollen shut, blood pouring down his face from various cuts and bruises and Ivo, who is holding his handless stump._

 _"Ollie!" Sara cries instantly a look of horror crossing her face as Shado enters the plane._

 _"What did you do to him?" She whispers, noticing a look of horror on Slade's face at the sight of Oliver._

 _"Not nearly enough." Shado mutters as she discards Ivo to the ground, pushing Oliver forward who stumbles right into Slade, who grabs him before he can collapse._

 _"I gotcha kid, I gotcha. You're safe, you're a'right. You're safe now." Slade murmurs as soothingly as he can, whilst gripping Oliver's shoulders so he doesn't fall to the ground._

 _If Oliver's face didn't hurt as much as it did, Oliver would have attempted to hug him._

 _His brother…_

 _He decides not to risk the probable punch he'd get from doing so, knowing Slade's definitely not the hugging person, yet unable to stand by himself, finds his head dropping onto Slade's shoulder as Slade carefully moves Oliver so he's supporting him and carefully moves him toward a chair, Sara following them._

 _Sara... Sara, Slade and Harley. He made it back to them._

 _He survived._

 _"Sara's here. Sara's here now, kid. It's a'right." Slade keeps a hand on Oliver's shoulder as he turns to face Shado whilst Sara bends down to tend to Oliver, kissing his forehead as he leans into her. Oliver shakily moving his hands so that he's gripping Sara's in one and gripping the hand Slade has on his shoulder._

 _He never wants to let them go._

 _"And what have you done to him." Shado looks to Hendrik._

 _"We just knocked the guy out. It's better that way, trust me. Wasn't exactly a fan of the arrangement." Harley comments as she glances back toward Oliver, who is groaning softly, whilst Sara rests a hand on his cheek._

 _"Ollie. Ollie say something." She whispers as Slade turns and bends down in front of him._

 _"Hey, kid. You're a'right. You're with us. Can you open your eyes for me kid?" Slade commands carefully as Oliver slowly opens his good eye, groaning out in pain when he tries to open his swollen one._

 _"Where else are you hurt, kid?" Slade asks quietly._

 _"If. If I said everywhere would you say I'm whining?" Oliver murmurs in pain as a small smile crosses both Slade and Sara's lips as Sara kisses the top of his head._

 _"Not this time, kid. I'll let you off, hey?" Slade says as he gets to his feet again as Sara tends to Oliver, Slade resting his hand back on Oliver's shoulder, feeling Oliver grab his hand again._

 _Meanwhile, Shado looks down at Hendrik before at Harley again._

 _"Imaginable." She comments to Harley's earlier statement._

 _"Hendrik's all yours." Harley continues as she moves to assist Sara and Slade with Oliver, who keeps his eyes locked on Shado's._

 _"Something the matter, sweetheart. You look like you've seen a ghost." Shado glances toward Slade, stepping toward him, Slade instantly taking a defensive position to shield Oliver, Sara and Harley._

 _"You don't have to do this." Slade murmurs._

 _"This is exactly what I have to do sweetheart." Shado snaps._

 _"No, no you don't. You can stop this. Just stop and listen to me! Let me explain to you why this is happening, why the only one at fault here. Is that man over there! Ivo! He is the reason for all of this." Slade snarls as Shado looks to him._

 _"It's too late." She mutters._

 _"The three of you mean nothing to me anymore." She murmurs as she yanks Hendrik, her men dragging his unconscious form toward the door of the plane._

 _Slade closing his eyes as he looks toward Oliver, Sara and Harley. Just at them._

 _He can't even look at Shado as Anatoly pulls the detonator off of Hendrik as they yank him up and Shado moves toward the door._

 _"Wait." She says suddenly, her men coming to a halt as they all look to her in an instant._

 _"You should know, Slade. That it's an incredible thing, this Mirakuru. Not only does it give you unimaginable strength. It also heightens all of your senses. You know, TNT has a particular scent." She hisses as she turns to Hendrik and forcibly removes the explosives Harley and Anatoly has strapped to him._

 _"Now, which one of you are going to tell me how long before this goes off!" She snarls_

 _"Ninety seconds? Sixty seconds? You were probably thinking that this blast would kill me, but, honestly. I disagree." She stops moving straight in the direction of Slade, Sara, Harley and Oliver, grabbing Slade and yanking him away, the TNT in her other hand._

 _"Not that I could say the same for the lot of you." She muses as Slade reaches for the TNT, Shado twisting his arm behind his back, Slade using his Mirakuru strength to free himself._

 _"Be careful, sweetheart. You and I fight with this in my hand. Well, you and I could survive. I can't say the same for Oliver and Sara." She points out as Slade stops fighting her._

 _"Leave them alone. It's me you want to punish. For saving the kid over you even if. I didn't know that I was making a choice. It's me you want to see suffer. So take me. Take me back to the ship. I'm ASIS, you think I don't know how to engineer something. I could fix the ship and then you can do what the hell you want to me. Kill me, torture me. I don't care. Just Shado. Do. Not. Harm. Them." Slade hisses._

 _"No, Slade no." Sara protests._

 _"Slade." Oliver croaks at the same time, his voice barely a whisper._

 _"I am tempted to see this blow them all to pieces and let you watch that happen, sweetheart, but then again maybe I should just shoot Oliver. The way Ivo shot me when you made the choice to save him. Let you watch him die. Not being able to do anything about it." Shado muses as stumbling as he does so. Oliver gets to his feet, standing in front of Shado and her gun._

 _"OLIVER NO!" Slade bellows at him._

 _"Do it. Do it. Just kill me. Finish this with me and leave Slade and Sara alone. This is on me. I, the reason Slade was forced into choosing me. My cowardice. Kill me. Look me in they eyes and kill me." Oliver mutters as Shado cocks the gun._

 _"SHADO!" Slade snarls, moving to grab her arm._

 _"You think you can disarm me before I can pull the trigger? Go on. Try it. You'll be just fine. Oliver might not be. Either way, I win." She muses._

 _"Shado." Comes Slade's voice again, yet to Shado's bemusement. It's not from the Slade she currently has in her grasp._

 _It's from the Slade Wilson stood behind her…_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Where. Are. The Snart's?" Shado hisses for the umpteenth time as she holds the knife to Mick's throat, Thea still whimpering from the pain of her own injures and her fear.

All she has is the hope her brother, Sara, Slade and Roy will come for her.

Take her home. All she wants is them.

"I ain't telling you nothing. I don't know where they are." Mick hisses.

"Yes you do. You see, Slade Wilson he's clever. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with him." She points out, Thea glancing at her in disgust.

"You were in love with him? Funny way of showing it." She mutters.

"He was in love with me to but your brother destroyed everything between us." She hisses before turning back to Mick, leaving Thea with her thoughts.

"Yeah. I so believe that." Thea mutters sharply.

"I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for what your brother and Slade did to me, Sara to." She murmurs as Thea tilts her head to the side, about to ask another question when Shado approaches Mick again.

"Going to give me an answer?" She raises the knife.

"Yeah. I don't know where they are!" Mick says, growling when she attacks him again.

"I advise against lying to me." She hisses.

"I'm not." Mick spits back.

"When I returned Slade took precautions. He send Leonard and Lisa Snart out of town and in his emotional turmoil he spent a couple of weeks staying with you. I've always got tabs on his whereabouts I know what he did." She growls.

"He stayed with me because I'm not the type of person to say much and needed to be away from everything, you." Mick snaps as she moves to strike him again, yet suddenly spins around at the sight of two women standing in the doorway.

One Thea and Mick recognise to be Selina, the other a redhead they'd never met.

"Back so soon, Selina and with Ivy to?" She muses.

"That's the witch that came after me and Snart." Mick growls.

"What?" Thea just looks at Mick in confusion.

"Long story." He grumbles.

"You lose. Not only will you die at my hands. You will also die with the knowledge that Selina and I will go and speak to our dear friend Harley Quinn and reveal to her the knowledge that this whole time, you've been using her. That this was never a plan to reunite with those you once cared about but to destroy them and their families." Ivy lifts her hands and to Thea and Mick, what look to be sparkly green magic appears at her fingers.

"You think she would believe the two of you over me?" Shado retorts.

"Ohh, of course she would. We can be quite persuasive. Now, this can go the easy way or the hard way. You can give me the girl and I can take her to where she needs to be or you can fight with me and Ivy." Selina folds her arms.

"You're choice." She muses and in that split second Shado is armed and engaging Selina and Ivy in a fight.

"Can you walk?" Thea suddenly hears Mick hiss from beside her.

"What?" Thea whispers as she looks toward where Selina, Shado and Ivy are fighting, unable to believe what she is witnessing from the woman, Ivy, the fact that somehow she's using plant vines to attack Shado, who ducks to avoid them, yet finds herself engaged in combat with Selina.

"Can you walk?" Mick hisses again and Thea looks to him, then the smell of smoke fills her nose as she looks down at his tied hands, where Mick is clutching a lighter and is burning through the rope that has him trapped.

"I. I think so." Thea whispers as she looks at him in shock.

"Where did you…"

"I always have a lighter on me." He growls.

"Your hands, how can you…" Thea trails off as she sees the flames hitting his hands and wrists as he moves it around the rope.

"Fire doesn't bother me." Mick responds, glancing up to where the three women are still in a vicious combat battle and with a few more twists from his lighter he breaks free of his restraints and forces himself to his feet.

"Come on, come on!" Mick grabs Thea by the arm, tearing her rope away from her and dragging the young woman along with him toward the exit.

"No!" Shado snarls upon seeing her prisoners escaping, yet hisses when she feels Selina dig her clawed gloves into her back, dragging her backwards.

"Get out of here!" Selina snarls to Thea and Mick, who move hurriedly to the door, neither being spotted by Shado's men as they race over to help their boss in her battle with Selina and Ivy and they race through the door, Mick basically dragging Thea, who cries out in pain every time she puts her weight on her injured leg.

Heading into open air, free of the building at last, Mick pulls Thea toward the nearest car.

"What are you doing. Are you… Hot-wiring a car?" Thea muses as Mick glances up at her.

"Look, just get me to the police station. Or, you know. We could both go to the hospital." She suggests, wincing at all her injuries and guessing Mick is probably suffering from his own. However, he just rips open the passenger side door.

"Yeah that's not going to work out well for someone like me." He murmurs as Thea frowns but gets into the car anyway.

"Someone like you? So you are a criminal but you're friends with Slade and you know he's…" Thea trails off in confusion as Mick glances toward her.

"It's a long story but." He mutters as he starts the engine and promptly begins to zoom away from the place.

"You're safe now."

 _The Foundry_

"Anything?" Oliver calls the minute he and Sara enter The Foundry.

"Nothing to report. I regret to inform you." Nyssa sighs as Oliver drapes an arm around her, keeping both women close to him.

"Where's Roy? Ohh my god please tell me he isn't out there!" Oliver growls looking between Diggle, Sin and Felicity.

"Ohh no, he's ok. He's with Slade." Felicity replies.

"What?" Sara frowns with folded arms.

"He got angry and went to Slade in hopes of trying to stay calm. Or to have it out with him about why you stuck him there. He's been doing my job apparently, is bored out of his skull but he's feeling less murderous." Sin reports, glancing down at her phone where Roy has sent her several messages.

"That's good." Oliver nods.

"Better than anything I was expecting to hear." Sara nods as Felicity's phone begins to ring.

"Hey!" Felicity says the minute she picks up the phone in a cheerful tone.

"What?! Ohh my god." She whispers, her face falling instantly.

"Now what?" Diggle frowns as a perplexed look crosses both Oliver and Sara's faces.

"Ok. Ok. I'm coming. Just hold on. You're going to be okay. Just hang on. Don't hang up. Keep talking to me." Felicity cries as she hurries to grab the first aid kit.

"Felicity. What?" Oliver moves toward her in an instant.

Thea…

Suddenly his phone begins to ring, seeing it to be Roy. Oliver answers it.

"Roy, now isn't a good time…"

"No. Felicity's on the phone right?" Roy shouts.

"Yes. Yes, she is what…" Sara frowns.

"You need to get here right now. Go with her and hurry up!" Roy yells.

"Why? Roy what's going on. Where are you? Is it Thea…"

"Queen Consolidated!" Felicity cries as she races toward the steps.

"Not Thea." Roy hisses as Oliver looks to Sara.

Queen Consolidated that's where…

Slade.

 _Queen Consolidated_

Having decided to stay with Slade at Queen Consolidated and considering Sin, Slade and Oliver's usual assistant is back with the team. Roy has found himself been given an active role in the meetings Slade has been trapped in for hours!

He is grateful that he was allowed to stay, the urge to let the Mirakuru rage let rip lessening what with being someplace calmer and being around one of the only people he honestly one hundred percent completely trusts and understands him.

The only unfortunate thing is that now he's being made to keep notes, collect papers from around the table, doing Sin's job and actually having to listen to the meetings, which is in fact quite tiresome.

"Is there like, a water fountain around here, vending machine?" Roy groans quite some time later. Slade rolls his eye at Roy.

"Somewhere down the hall." He murmurs as Roy gets to his feet, moving quickly in that direction, grateful for not having to take notes anymore. Even if it honestly was keeping his Mirakuru rage at bay.

He does check his phone though, his phone forever in his hands just in case.

Just in case.

 _Meanwhile…_

"I think we've done everything we can do tonight. Thank you all for coming." Slade addresses the table of workers and a few board members, bringing the meeting to a close, people murmuring as they go, please with how everything turned out.

"I think a lot of people want your position to be permanent." Isabel comments as people begin to file out of the office. Slade noticing some of the board members nodding at her In agreement as they go.

"Surely not." Slade replies, gathering up the rest of the papers.

"Slade. I don't know if you realize this but you've done more work in these past few hours than Oliver has done as CEO all year!" She points out.

"Actually I think the work he did accomplish you had a hand in it." She notes.

"Join effort." He replies as he places all documents on his desk before grabbing his phone, prepared to grab Roy and the two head to rejoin the team.

"I'm surprised how all this worked out." Isabel comments.

"What do you mean?" Slade glances toward her.

"For a moment back there I thought Oliver was going to give me the position of CEO." She replies as Slade looks up at her.

"Well, as did I but he does trust me more and I am his second in command." Slade replies.

"Yes. He does trust you more. Always has hasn't he? He always chooses you." She smiles causing Slade to freeze at her words.

"Isabel…" He starts as she smirks.

"Another reason I was shocked that he left you here in charge was because I thought he needed you with him, you know to assist him with your evening activities." She continues to smirk as Slade begins to advance on her, the realization hitting him like bullets.

"Shado." He murmurs.

"You're working for Shado."

"With." She corrects him as he begins to advance on her slowly.

"She knew planting me in Oliver's family business would draw Oliver back to Starling City and if it drew back Oliver it was going to draw back you and Sara Lance because of how close the three of you are. Truth be told, I was skeptical and her plan did fail. She wanted me to take away the company but then there's you. Oliver's knight in shining armor!" She mutters as Slade grabs her by the throat and pushes her up against the wall.

"You know. She wasn't too happy with me. She wanted me to infiltrate your little group by getting to know you all. Yet she didn't like my methods much. I was apparently just supposed to befriend you not get into bed with you but what can I say. I see what Shado sees in you." She comments as Slade tightens his grip on her throat.

All prepared to snap her neck.

"Interesting isn't it, me, your ex girlfriend working with one of your other ex girlfriends. You really have a bad taste in women Slade. I mean I've heard things about you ex wife from Shado, apparently you were forever complaining about her. What was her name? Adelaide and now you're with some lowlife criminal. Lisa, right?" She smiles coyly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!" Slade snarls.

"Go ahead." Isabel shrugs as Slade's grip on her throat tightens.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!" He bellows at her.

"I think it's sad the three of you probably don't know. Oliver particularly. If you see him again tell him this. The sins of the father are the sins of the son." She whispers.

"Robert Queen? What has Oliver's family got to do with this!" Slade snarls.

"I'll let Oliver work that out, yes?" Isabel suggests as Slade prepares to snap her neck, just at that moment though, she moves quickly, ripping a letter opener from her pocket, and stabbing Slade through the side with it, allowing her to escape his grasp, rolling out of the way, whilst Slade clutches his bleeding side, hissing in pain as he gets to his feet still and attempts to engage Isabel in combat, who kicks her leg out, Slade spinning her around despite his injures and throwing her into the table, where he holds her there.

"You are going to tell me where Thea is! Now! Or I will kill you." Slade hisses.

"WHERE IS SHE!" He bellows, glancing down momentarily at his wound, the letter opener still stuck in his side.

Thea is his main priority.

"She's holding her at a storage depot just outside the city limits. Tosca Cartage." She growls.

"How am I meant to know you're not lying to me!" Slade snarls as she simply laughs.

"It's cute how you think this isn't all playing out exactly how she wants it to." Isabel growls as Slade releases her.

"She wants you three to come alone. Just you, Oliver and Sara. If she even smells any of your other partners. She will gut sweet little Thea like a trout." She threatens, spinning around and kicking Slade in wounded side, walking out of the room confidently.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Wilson."

 _Moments Later…_

Texting Sin on his phone for more information, Roy heads back upstairs, passing Isabel as he goes, glaring at her when he does. He still doesn't like that woman one bit.

Yet with her leaving the office, he guesses that the meeting must be done and jogs the rest of the way toward the main office, guessing he and Slade will be leaving immediately.

"Slade?" He calls the minute he enters the office, frowning when he doesn't see him.

"Slade?" He calls again, moving around the office, seeing it to be empty.

An angry feeling washes over him. Did Slade leave him? Did he go without him to the team?

Walking around the office, Roy is about to pick up his phone when he steps in something.

A puddle. A puddle of blood…

"Slade!" He yells, racing around the room before stopping beside the table where he sees Slade trying to pull himself up, blood everywhere, pouring from a wound Slade yanks a letter opener out of.

"Ohh my god! What happened?" Roy kneels down beside him instantly, Slade gripping his arm when he does so.

"Isabel." He snarls as he uses Roy to pull himself into a sitting position.

"No, no, stay down. Stay there. I'll get help. I'll call Oliver. What about Isabel?" Roy asks quickly as Slade reaches for his own phone, sighing in frustration when he realizes his phone is on his desk.

"Get me to my desk." Slade growls as Roy looks hesitant.

"Roy. I've had worse. I need Oliver and Sara, now!" He snaps as Roy carefully helps him up, supporting him with ease, thanks to the Mirakuru all the way to his desk, where Slade all but falls into his chair, grabbing his phone as Roy rests hand on his shoulder.

"Call Sara and the kid." Slade hisses through the pain as Roy grabs his own phone, whilst Slade grabs his own.

"Who did this to you. Who and where can I find them!" Roy snarls.

"Focus!" Slade growls, seeing the menacing look that crosses Roy's face.

"Isabel." He hisses.

"Isabel as in. Isabel Rochev?" Roy frowns before shaking his head.

"I knew she was an evil bitch. I'm gonna rip her head off!"'he snarls.

"She's working for Shado." Slade growls as the number connects.

Isabel was working for Shado the whole time.

Everything about Isabel Rochev was just another piece of Shado's manipulative game…

 _Sometime Later_

"SLADE! SLADE!" Both Oliver and Sara yell as they, Nyssa, Sin, Diggle and Felicity race onto the top floor of Queen Consolidated, Felicity, Oliver and Sara ahead of them all.

"Here!" They hear Roy yell back as they race into the office only to see Slade sat in his office chair, leaning back in it, a wound on his side bleeding heaving and Roy stood beside him, his hand resting on his arm.

"Ohh god Slade." Felicity races toward him.

"What happened?! What the hell happened!" Oliver cries, he and Sara joining Felicity as Slade grabs Oliver's hand tightly in his own, murmuring something in a language no one bar Oliver seems to understand, an angry look crossing his face when Slade says the words and Oliver responds in the same language before growling in English.

"Isabel." Oliver hisses as Slade looks up at him.

"Go kid. Go, you and Sara. I'll catch up." He mutters.

"Go? Go where? We're not going anywhere." Sara shakes her head.

"No. Listen to me. Isabel Rochev. She's working for Shado. Some plan to try take over the company. Thanks to you today kid, it failed." Slade glances at him.

"I knew it. I knew there was something off about her. She's working for Shado? Yeah. I bet they were the ones who framed me for hacking Isabel here!" Felicity snaps, the realization dawning on her as Oliver closes his eyes.

"What would she gain from this?" Nyssa questions.

"The sins of the father are the sins of the son." Slade glances up at Oliver.

"What? Did she say anything else?" Oliver looks startled.

"Kid, in all honesty I'd ask your mother that question. That doesn't matter. Thea does…"

"Where is she. Did she give a location!" Roy cries.

"Yes. But only myself, Sara and the kid can go. She sees any of you and she will kill Thea and now whilst I'd like to think she's bluffing…"

"Yeah no. She's not bluffing." Sara cuts him off, running a hand through her hair.

"Tosca Cartage, it's a storage depot, outside the city limits. Go! I'll catch up." He looks to Sara and Oliver, who both look down at their friend worriedly.

"At least let us secure the perimeter, me, Roy and Nyssa." Diggle suggests.

"No, she was very clear the three of us alone or Thea will die." Slade murmurs, growling when Felicity attempts to clean out the wound, she whispers apologetically.

"What if this is just another on of Shado's games we can't…"

"No! What we can't do, Sara, is nothing! What would you do if it were Laurel, the kids, your father or your mother? We are not getting dragged into the same debate over and and over again!" Oliver snaps at both Sara and Nyssa.

"GO!" Slade snaps at them and eventually they do, racing from the office as Slade grabs some of the bandages and presses them against his side whilst getting to his feet.

"Woah. Woah, no. Slade you can't go out there, not like this." Felicity murmurs as she rests an almost restraining hand on his arm, however noting she wouldn't be able to stop him even if she tried. Slade is a lot stronger than her.

"Just give me a few bandages. Sort it out properly when Thea is home." He hisses as Felicity shakes her head, as does Roy.

"No. No. Let me go out there. I can wear your uniform, you wear a mask. She won't know." Roy protests as Slade rests his hand over his.

"She'll probably have me remove the mask." He points out.

"Not to mention. Physically you both look different. I mean I doubt the uniform would fit you Roy, what with how…" Felicity trails over as she looks Slade over.

"It just won't work. Ok!" She says blushing slightly as thoughts not suitable for the moment come to mind.

"Which is why I'm going to join them." Slade murmurs, grabbing some painkillers from the box Felicity brought whilst she looks at him anxiously.

"Be careful. Bring her home, all of you come home." Roy murmurs as Slade nods at him .

"He shouldn't be going at all!" Felicity cries.

"Yes. Yes he should. For Thea. Go. Just come back in one piece." Roy sighs as Felicity nods, resting both of her hands on the sides of his face.

"Go get Thea, stop Shado. Do whatever it takes. All of you. Just take her down and get right back here. End this once and for all." She begs him.

"Felicity." Slade murmurs, wrapping his fingers carefully around a strand of her hair.

"What?" She frowns." Looking up at him with wide eyes, he moves his hand to cup her cheek gently.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs to her.

"For what?" She queries as he gets to his feet.

"Isabel. You loosing your job because of her, Shado. I could go on. We can discuss this later." Slade mutters as he moves away from her, leaving Felicity slightly dazed.

"Sure. Talk later."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

In the quiet night of Starling City, the Arrow and the Black Canary speed down the road on their motorcycle, slowing down ever so slightly when they hear another motorcycle approaching them.

"Would have thought you two would have got further than this. Even I'm overtaking you!" Comes the voice of The Man In The Mask as he drives along beside them…

 _Meanwhile…_

After the battle with Selina and Poison Ivy that had been swiftly ended eventually, Shado stands in a room, the Mirakuru having already healed the wounds she had received from Selina and Poison Ivy.

She pulls on her gloves, ensuring she has several knives in her boots before placing her metal mask over her face, whilst glancing at the three glass cases that stand before her.

One is empty, as the uniform is worn by Shado.

There are two other cases. One for another women, Isabel Rochev and the other one for a man. Similar uniforms to hers in both of them.

Crossbow in hand, she slides her sword into her sheath.

 _Meanwhile…_

Parking their motorcycles, the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask walk toward the storage depot Isabel had directed them to, weapons in hands.

The Arrow walks ahead, the Black Canary keeping an anxious eye on The Man In The Mask as they walk, weapons outstretched. The Arrow firing an arrow as they approach a group of men who advance on them, the three vigilantes engaging them in instant combat. The Arrow using his bow to take two of them out at the same time, the Black Canary engaging another in combat, The Man In The Mask taking out the one about to kill the Arrow, taking down one that came from behind him. The Arrow firing at one beginning to shoot from above their heads, knocking him from the stand of boxes, the Black Canary throwing another one to the floor as the Arrow rolls onto the ground, firing an arrow at an oncoming thug, about to get to his feet when another thug comes at him from behind.

A knife to the head stops him dead in his tracks.

"Slade!" The Arrow growls at The Man In The Mask who had killed the thug.

"He was going to kill you, kid. There was no other choice to make." He mutters back, pulling the Black Canary to her feet from where she had finished taking out the last thug, the three vigilantes walking side by side down the now empty corridor until they reach another room where they're apprehended by a variety of criminals. The Arrow taking two out swiftly whilst The Man In The Mask, filled with rage, grabs his gun, planning to just shoot them all so they can move on and save Thea.

The no kill rule, to him right now being out the window.

Yet before he can do so all of them are blinded by a searing pain in their ears from the screeching device the Black Canary lets loose. The Arrow and The Man In The Mask holding their ears as it distracts the thugs long enough for the Black Canary to get to work, using her baton to beat each one of the thugs into unconsciousness. The device stopping when a thug approaches the Arrow, who despite the ringing in his ears, sends one of the thugs flying into several boxes.

"Bloody hell we have got to get some earplugs." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Down!" The Arrow growls suddenly, The Man In The Mask spinning around, moving out of the Arrow's path so he can take down another thug behind him before spinning back around the door with an explosive arrow, taking the door down before the three vigilantes barge into the room, hoping to see Thea inside. Thea and possibly Shado…

There's nothing.

Only two empty chairs...

 _Elsewhere…_

As a prisoner transport van travels down the road, containing a vast number of prisoners, a guard yells at the driver to stop as a figure walks into the middle of the road.

A masked figure...

Getting out the van, a guard holds a shotgun to Lady Deathstroke.

"Halloween was six months ago, asshat. Now get off the road or get put down. You hear me?" He snaps at her.

She simply removes her sword and throws it straight into the guards chest, shooting the other guards out with her crossbow whilst the prisoners within the van begin to move forth, Lady Deathstroke simply beckoning them toward her.

Each of the prisoners taking that as an indication to escape the van as she looks to them.

"I have a proposal for you men."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Felicity." The Black Canary growls through the comms the minute Felicity calls them.

"Guys, are you okay?" She inquires.

"Yeah, we're fine but Thea's not here." The Arrow snaps.

"What?" Felicity questions.

"She's not here!" The Arrow snarls.

"None of them are." The Black Canary snaps.

"I'm coming. That's it. I'm on my way!" They all hear Roy yell.

"No. Stay there, that's an…" The Man In The Mask spins around the minute he senses someone behind him, holding his sword to a woman in black leather's throat.

"Order." He hisses as the Arrow and the Black Canary spin around the face them.

"Now who might you be?" The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Does that matter to you or do you want to know what I know about the girl you seek?" She questions, attempting to dig her claws into his arm, yet his grip is relentless despite the pain it causes him.

"What's going on?" Felicity questions through the comms.

"Switch them off. Don't want her to have to hear me kill this woman." The Man In The Mask snaps, holding his sword closer to the woman's throat.

"She was here. The girl. She was taken by a man." The woman snaps.

"What man?" The Arrow snarls.

"I was hired by this woman to find these people. I didn't realise it was for an overly thought out revenge plan that involved the kidnapping of a young girl. Wouldn't have agreed to it if I knew the truth." The woman admits.

"The man. Where did he take this girl?! Tell us now!" The Arrow growls.

"I don't know. My partner and I were fighting the woman who hired me at the time."

"The woman who hired you. Was her name Shado?" The Black Canary questions.

"It was." She replies.

"Well then, you can send her a message for me." The Man In The Mask moves his sword to slit her throat.

"No!" The Arrow and the Black Canary snap at the same time.

"Stand down." The Arrow growls.

"Why should I? She's involved. Another less thing to worry about." He mutters.

"She didn't agree with Shado's plan. You heard her." The Black Canary points out.

"Should have figured out what she was planning before agreeing to join her then, shouldn't she?" The Man In The Mask hisses.

"No. We're better than this. Let her go! She could help us." The Arrow calls.

"She's no use to us." The Man In The Mask growls.

"But that doesn't make killing her right, bring her back here. We can question her, see what she knows about Shado but we can't kill her. You can't kill her. That's not who you are." Comes the voice of Felicity from the comms having managed to connect to The Man In The Mask's comm line.

"You don't know who I am, not really." He hisses.

"I do. You're a good man and your not going to kill whoever you have with you right now. Don't kill her. For me. Let her go. Well don't let her go, she could be useful but you know what I mean. Don't kill her. Listen to me. I know you're hurting, I know that all this is causing you so much pain but you can't give into it. That's what she wants. Prove her wrong. Be better than Shado. Be the man I know you are. The hero." Felicity calls softly biting down hard on her lip when she hears nothing but silence…

 _The Foundry_

"They're back." Roy's voice pulls Felicity out of her thoughts, both spinning around to face Slade, who charges down the stairs first, Oliver and Sara behind him, dragging the woman in with them.

"You didn't…" Felicity stops as Slade moves toward her and pulls her into an embrace.

"Kill her." She finishes as Diggle looks toward the woman.

"Who is this anyway?" He questions.

"No idea." Oliver mutters.

"I am Catwoman." The woman mutters.

"Ohh come on." Roy mutters, glancing to Slade.

"Leave her with Slade and I. We'll get her talking." He growls.

"He looks like he's occupied." The woman, Catwoman glances toward where Slade is stood, still holding Felicity.

"Yeah? Well soon he won't be." Roy glances toward Slade.

"Stand down Roy. We're not going to do anything to this woman unless she gives us probable cause to as trust me, I would be more than happy to join you but I know if I do that I will kill her and the reason I am staying where I am is because Felicity is the only thing right now keeping me from killing her and many others to get to Shado." Slade snarls as his phone begins to ring.

"Take the call." Felicity suggests, entwining her hand with Slade's.

"Come on. We don't need to be here." She says softly and Slade answers the phone whilst walking up the stairs with Felicity.

"I knew I should have taken that job offer from Cobblepot." Catwoman murmurs once the two are gone.

"So why did Shado contact you?" Nyssa questions.

"She didn't. A friend of mine, did. Harley…"

"Harley Quinn?" Oliver starts.

"The very same. She told me a friend of hers, Shado wanted to reunite their lost family and to do that I needed to find three people for her. Harley's a friend so I did it for her as a favour. Yet it appears as if Harley was played as well. It's a revenge plan. My friend, Ivy and I plan to tell her the truth. The young girl you're looking for was with Shado but was taken away when the fight begun by the man I'd tracked down." Catwoman reveals.

"This man, who was he?" Nyssa queries.

"Some lowlife. I'd encountered him and the other three with Ivy weeks before but he apparently mattered to this plan. He knew where these people were. The other two. Mick Rory I think they said his name was." She reveals as Sara and Oliver glance toward one another. Both of them recognizing the name instantly.

"Guys! Guys! We know where Thea is. Slade's friend has got her. He's gone to get her!" Comes Felicity's voice right on cue as Oliver looks toward her.

"She's safe." Felicity whispers then.

"Safe?" Oliver and Roy move toward her instantly as Felicity nods, a smile crossing her face.

"She's safe. Thea's safe."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Ignoring the pain from the wound on his side, Slade races up the stairs to the apartment Leonard, Lisa and Mick stay in if they're in town after the call from Mick.

He was the man who took Thea. He rescued her.

Somehow Shado had gotten her hands on him and they were in the same place.

Mick Rory, the man Slade knows as the sometimes unstable pyromaniac saved Thea and despite Mick's criminal background, he knew the minute Mick had told him that Thea is safe. Something he will soon confirm, he thinks as he pulls his keys out, using them to open the door.

"THEA? MICK!" Slade bellows the minute he opens the door.

"SLADE!" Comes Thea's almost hysterical cry as she staggers up from the couch, stumbling straight into Slade's arms.

"Hey, you're a'right you're safe. You're safe." He murmurs as he holds her close for a minute before pulling away to see if she has any visible injuries.

"Did she hurt you? Are you a'right?" He questions as Mick moves toward them.

"Are both of you a'right?" He looks to Mick.

"She's not. I'm good. That bitch stabbed her in the leg." He mutters.

"Real piece of work your woman is Wilson." He adds as Slade looks to Thea.

"Yeah. You were with this woman, what the hell happened? I mean she's a psycho and yeah, she did stab me in the leg but I'm good other then a few bruises. She stabbed him through the wrists but he got us out of here. I like your friend." Thea looks gratefully toward Mick.

"Would have taken her to the cops. Yet that wouldn't have worked out. Probably would have thought I had something to do with it." Mick murmurs as Slade nods.

"You did the right thing." He agrees.

"Words I never thought I'd ever hear." Mick agrees.

"But both of you are coming with me to The Foundry now." Slade informs them as Thea nods with a slight smile.

"Is Roy there?" She questions as Slade nods.

"Yes. Yes he is. He's a'right. I've kept an eye on him." Slade replies.

"Good. You're the one person he actually listens to." Thea reveals but closes her eyes.

"I know going to The Foundry seems like a good idea but I'm supposedly missing. Going to the police just to end this seems like a good idea." She admits as Slade looks to Mick.

"You know you're way to Verdant right? Go there. Say I sent you, get yourself patched up and tell Oliver, Sara and Roy to come to the SCPD." He commands and Mick nods.

"Yeah boss." He murmurs as Thea grips Slade's arm.

"Please don't take me to the hospital." She almost begs.

"I can't promise that." He retorts.

"Just patch me up back at The Foundry. Last thing I want right now is my mother…" She stops, an enraged look crossing her face.

"I know. I know." Slade nods.

"Ollie, Sara, you, Roy. You're my family now. The only family I will ever want and ever need. She can. She can go to hell." Thea hisses.

"We're on the same page." Slade can't help but smirk as he moves toward the door, yet looks over to Mick when he grabs Slade's arm.

"I didn't tell her nothing about them. Didn't say a damn word." Mick mutters as Slade nods gratefully before thanking Mick Rory.

"Saved their lives." Slade admits.

"Saved mine. As I said, criminal or not. I like you." Thea nods to Mick who glances at Thea.

"I prefer you to your brother." He murmurs.

His own way of saying that he likes her to.

 _SCPD_

"THEA!" Both Oliver and Roy yell the instant they reach the precinct upon receiving the message from Mick Rory, who had waltzed into The Foundry a matter of moments before Oliver, Roy, Sara were out the door.

"She's okay. She's with Slade. Between me and you guys, I think she's injured but she says she's fine. Won't leave Slade's side for us to find out but…"

"She knows." Oliver murmurs, Quentin's eyes widening.

"Ohh god. Well. That makes sense then. Did you find that bitch?" He questions.

"No. She led us on a wild goose chase, she had a lot of men, hired guns but she wasn't there." Oliver replies.

"Think she was busy elsewhere. Iron Heights reopened a wing damage in the quake. There was a prisoner transfer, your girl Shado hijacked it. Well a woman in a mask. Didn't take me long to work it out. Took a bunch of prisoner. Whole load of them…"

"For her army. Their soldiers." Roy mutters, clenching his fist tightly.

"Abducting Thea seems like a diversion to me." Quentin admits.

"Where is. She just tell me where she is!" Roy growls.

"Through there, kid." Quentin indicates toward a room, Roy racing toward it in an instant, practically pulling the door off its hinges to get inside.

"THEA!" He yells, bursting into the room.

"Roy! Ohh god Roy!" She cries as she stumbles toward him, finding it hard to walk on her leg as she throws herself into his open arms.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." She whispers repeatedly to Roy as she holds him close to her, ignoring all her injures, just wanting to hold Roy.

"I love you to. I love you so much." Roy murmurs, kissing the top of her head and holding her close to him, pulling away to stroke her face.

"Did she hurt you? Is she hurt?" Roy looks up at Slade before down at Thea.

"Ask that question when we're out of here." Slade murmurs as Roy closes his eyes.

"She. Hurt…" His anger is cut off by Thea kissing him quick.

"Ask later. I'm here, you're here. Ollie. Sara…" She looks to the door.

"Yeah, they're out there." He informs her as she nods, watching as the door opens and Sara steps inside.

"Ohh thank god." Sara whispers as Thea holding her hand out toward Sara, who takes it, pulling Sara close to her as well. Keeping close to each of them, Roy, Sara and Slade. Never wanting them to leave her again.

"Ollie. She's here, she's okay." Sara calls to Oliver who moves quickly toward the door.

"Oliver!" Comes Moira's cry as she joins him both she and Oliver racing into the room.

"Ollie!" Thea practically sobs upon seeing her brother, who is at her side instantly, holding her and kissing the top of her head.

"Ohh my baby." Moira whispers as she tries to join the group but Thea just staggers backwards, closer toward Oliver, Slade, Sara and Roy.

"Thea?" She whispers.

"I know." Thea mutters, her voice sharp.

"Thea?" Moira looks at he in confusion.

"I know that you've been lying to me. Lying to me for years. How could you not tell me that Malcolm Merlyn was my father?!" She snaps at Moira, her anger coming to the surface.

"Oliver." Moira looks to him instantly, knowing that he was the only one who knew.

He doesn't say a word and instead rests a hand on Thea's shoulder.

"I was trying to keep you safe." Moira starts.

"No. No you weren't. You never were. You're a monster. I believed in you. After everything. Everything that you did I tried to believe you weren't the woman who could so easily condemn half a city to death, who could so easily put an assassination attempt on the man that is family to my brother and me but I was wrong. I was so wrong and that's okay because I don't need you. I don't need you in my life because I have Roy. The man I love. I have my brother. I have Sara who is like a sister to me and Slade another brother. I don't need you. I have my family." She looks to each one of them.

"And you're not in it." She snaps at Moira.

"Now let's get out of here." She murmurs to her family and the five of them leave the room, side by side.

 _Slade's Plane_

 _"Shado." The Slade stood behind her continues._

 _"I believe deaths too good for them. This island should be their punishment. Except me. Take me with you. I can be easily persuaded. Turn me against them. It'll break them. Break Oliver for what he did to us. We can still be together." He continues as Shado continues to hold the gun to Oliver, glancing down at the real Slade she has in her grasp._

 _She doesn't know what's happening. Slade's here. Yet in two places…_

 _It's impossible… But she listens to him._

 _The man she loves._

 _It's the Mirakuru, the Slade talking to her is nothing more than a hallucination. She comes to realizes, but his words hit her hard._

 _If she can hallucinate Slade like this. There should be no problem in turning the real Slade into the hallucination version she is listening to._

 _"Death is too good for the three of you." She glances to Oliver, Sara and Harley._

 _"This island should be your punishment." She growls, repeating Slade's words._

 _"Their prison for the rest of their days." Hallucination Slade continues._

 _"Your prison for the rest of your days." She repeats, glancing toward all the other men in the plane before at Hendrik._

 _"Get him out of here." She hisses to her men, who comply instantly, keeping an iron like grip on Slade._

 _"Shado." Ivo calls toward her._

 _"Get back." She mutters, turning the gun on him._

 _"I can help you." He starts._

 _"You can live, or you can die. Your choice." She murmurs, kicking him to the ground._

 _"Would you like to send a message to your families? Because the moment the boat is fixed, I'm paying them a visit, your mothers, your sisters, Sara's father." Shado tilts her head to the side as Sara snaps._

 _"No! Leave them alone!" She yells._

 _"What are you going to do about it Sara? Not much." She muses, resting her hand on Slade's arm as she spins, heading toward the door._

 _"You and I have unfinished business, sweetheart." She smirks._

 _"No. No. Slade!" Oliver calls, staggering after them._

 _"It's a'right kid. It's a'right." Slade mutters._

 _"No!" Sara cries._

 _"Any last words for them?" Shado murmurs as Slade looks to them both._

 _"Survive. Get off this island. Don't worry about me." He glances at them._

 _"No." Oliver murmurs, trying to move toward them._

 _"No, kid. Stay where you are. Don't come after me. This is how it has to be. Both of you. I'll always be with you both. No matter what." He mutters as he's dragged away by Shado, Oliver still trying to stagger after them until his injures cause him to collapse in Sara and Harley's arms._

 _"SLADE!"_

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Hellva night." Quentin sighs as Laurel passes him a mug of coffee whilst keeping a close eye on her two babies.

"Quentin Lance. Master of the understatement." She murmurs dryly.

"You okay?" He questions.

"It's. It's Tommy. He. He's not answering his cell and he hasn't come home and I called Ollie but he doesn't know where he is. Dad. I don't know. I don't know what I did. What I said. He's just gone and I'm scared. Dad. I. I can't lose him again." Laurel whispers, glancing over at Brandon and Rebecca.

"We can't lose him again." She admits. Quentin giving her a sad look.

He knows from Sara what happened with Tommy and that him not being around Laurel and the kids is keeping her and them safe.

He knows he's lying to her but he needs to reassure her.

"I'm sure he's fine, he got let a lot of mayhem to deal with thanks to Malcolm Merlyn. He's probably just so deep in all that. I'm sure he's just fine though. He'll come home I'm…" Quentin stops at the sound of knocking, Laurel racing toward the door instantly.

"Ahh Laurel. Is your father around?" Comes the voice of Lt Pike.

"Yeah. Dad." Laurel calls to him, Quentin instantly at the door.

"A word officer?" Pike requests. Laurel frowning at the look on his face.

"Is everything okay?" She questions.

"Yeah. Yeah, just. Hold on a minute, sweetheart." Quentin steps outside.

"Let's talk outside. She's got two kids." He murmurs to Pike, the two men heading a little down the corridor.

"I've spoken to DA Spencer about your… Situation. She doesn't want to press charges… If you cooperate. Tell us where the three vigilantes are." He requests bluntly.

"Well I'd love to, but I don't know." Quentin reveals with folded arms.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Pike sighs after a minute.

"Yeah, it looks like." Quentin nods, knowing he's lying but he doesn't care.

That's his youngest daughter, her boyfriend and their best friend he's protecting and he does it with ease.

"Quentin Larry Lance, you're under arrest for conspiracy and aiding in multiple felonies." Comes the unexpected retort from Pike.

"What? Are you out of your mind? What are you doing? Shado. Shado did it. I collared the guy. Girl. What are you…" He starts as Pike pulls out a set of handcuffs and cuffs him.

"You have the right to remain silent." He continues, pushing Quentin down the corridor.

"What are you doing?" Comes the voice of Laurel from the door.

"Just get back inside, sweetheart. Shut the door." Quentin calls to her.

"You have the right to an attorney." Pike continues as he leads Quentin down the corridor.

"Dad!" Laurel cries as her father is led away...

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Riding what pundits are calling a sympathy bump, Moira Queen pulled far ahead of Sebastian Blood in the latest polls conducted in the last twenty four hours." Comes the report from the a TV, Shado, Isabel and Sebastian Blood are watching.

"This whole thing just blew up in my face! How the hell do I get elected now?!" Sebastian explodes angrily.

"I think you intended a different tone." Shado mutters.

"You said I'd be mayor and you just delivered this election for Moira Queen and for what? What is this obsession you have with the Queen Family?!" Sebastian snaps at her.

"You haven't told him?" Isabel folds her arms as Shado gets to her feet.

"Shh." Shado murmurs to her right hand woman, resting a hand on her arm.

"You promised me!" Sebastian snaps at her like a petulant child.

"You promised me! And now you're just sat there, watching the tv and looking at some picture of a random guy!" He snaps, glancing down at the picture in Shado's hand.

"I promised you this city, I promised you an army with which to take it!" She snarls at Sebastian who shakes his head at her.

"At least explain to me why." Sebastian sighs.

"I don't have to explain myself to you and you are not in a position to ask such questions." She growls as she turns to the cases where the three uniforms stand.

"You said we're building an army. That third suit. Will I be the one to wear it out there with the two of you?" He questions, glancing toward the third suit, evidently intended for a man.

"No." Shado mutters as he folds his arms.

"Then who's it for? You've always had them here. One for yourself, one for her." He glances toward Isabel, who is busy looking down at her nails.

"Who's the last one for?" He questions.

"I'd ask the same question yet I believe I already know the answer." Isabel murmurs.

"All will be revealed Mr. Blood." Shado sighs as she glances toward Isabel.

"What's our status. Despite our small situation what with Oliver entrusting the company to Slade? I suspect you've found a way around that, yes?"

"Of course. Despite, Slade Wilson taking the company, I have a few contacts within these walls and they have convinced some in Queen Consolidated's Applied Science Division to replicate a serum based on your blood sample. We got it." She reveals as Shado nods before looking to Sebastian, who, still looks enraged.

"You see, everything is proceeding as planned." Shado points out, heading toward the figure standing by the door.

Slade.

"Where are you going now?" Sebastian sighs.

To service my obsession. The three vigilantes need one more distraction." She smirks.

"What about Harley? What if Selina and Ivy do talk to her and she turns against us?" Isabel questions with folded arms.

"If that happens I will know about it and if it does happen. Harley revealed a weakness to me which I can exploit." Shado responds plainly.

"What? I thought she only cared for Oliver and some long dead lover of hers, that's what you told me." Isabel shrugs as Shado picks up the picture off the desk she'd been looking at before placing it in Isabel's hand.

"Hmm handsome." Isabel comments as Sebastian folds his arms again.

"How long will you be gone?" He mutters.

"Well, I only have one visit planned currently, I could make a second, that just depends on where Harley Quinn's loyalties lie…"

 _The Foundry_

"I AM GOING TO RIP HER FREAKIN' HEAD OFF!" Roy snarls the minute they reach The Foundry and Thea finally reveals that Shado stabbed her in the leg.

"Get. In. Line." Oliver hisses as he helps Thea sit on the table.

"Hey man." Sin embraces her friend closely, Thea smiling at her.

"I'm still never going to fully get used to all this… OW!" Thea starts, growling at Oliver when he wipes her wound out with antiseptic.

"Sorry." He apologizes quickly.

"It's all good. I actually wasn't the worst off." She comments, glancing toward where Mick is sat in chair on the other side of The Foundry.

"You got my sister out of there. Thank you." Oliver looks to him gratefully. Mick just shrugging in response, whilst wrapping bandages around where Shado injured him.

"Thanks to her distraction." He glances toward Catwoman, who sits, still chained up in the corner of The Foundry.

"Yeah, why is she all chained up. She was kinda the reason we had the opportunity to escape." Thea agrees gripping Roy's hand tightly when he touches a more painful part of the wound.

"We don't trust her." Nyssa retorts.

"She kinda helped us. I think she's earned the right not to be chained up like a criminal." Thea suggests as Oliver looks to Slade, Sara and Nyssa.

"Her logic is flawless." Catwoman sighs as Oliver nods.

"Sara, can you?" He requests as Sara gets to her feet, taking the key from Diggle and moving to unchain Catwoman.

"Start again?" She looks to her, extending a hand.

"Sara Lance. Black Canary." She introduces herself.

"Selina Kyle. Catwoman." She responds, taking Sara's outstretched hand.

"Where are you from Selina?" Diggle questions.

"Gotham City." She replies.

"Got anyone there who's going to start looking for you?" Diggle asks, everyone looking to Selina in that moment.

"Well there's Ivy, but she came here with me. If I'm allowed to go, I'll go look for her but nope. There's one other person but we don't talk much anymore. We'll meet up then and again but he's not gonna come after me. You're safe." She informs them.

"Of course we are." Slade retorts as she looks up at him.

"You wouldn't be saying that if my friend did decide to come here. He could give you all quite the fight." Selina warns them.

"Sure." Slade mutters, highly doubting that as he heads over to Thea, placing some painkillers in her hand for her to take.

"Shado's a piece of work." She murmurs as Roy kisses her head.

"She's not going to hurt you again, in fact. She's never going to come near you again without me ripping her goddam head off." He hisses, Slade placing a hand on his shoulder in somewhat restraint.

"She said to me that she was in love with you." Thea looks up at Slade.

"What happened?" She asks softly.

"She wasn't always like this." He murmurs.

"I should hope not!" Thea replies, Slade smiling slightly before continuing.

"I did love her." He reveals.

"We met her on the island. Slade, Sara and I saved her from these mercenaries we were having to deal with on our first year on the island." Oliver continues.

"You and Sara helped save her?" Slade raises his eyebrow at Oliver.

"Fine! When we all saved each other." Oliver nudges him.

"She helped me train Oliver and Sara. She was good with a bow. Incredible. The reason your brother uses a bow and arrow is because of her. It was the four of us for some time. Then. I decided that we should separate one day to investigate a new threat. I took the kid and left Shado with Sara. Next thing we knew the bombs were going off and…"

"You got half your face burnt off because of me." Oliver cuts in.

"Wait. What?" Thea glances at him.

"Wouldn't that have left a scar?"

"Remember when I said he had the Mirakuru as well." Roy chimes.

"Ahh. Yeah. Carry on." Thea nods.

"Saved his life. Well. At first it appeared to have…" Oliver stops mid sentence.

"Ollie?" Thea looks to him in worry and confusion at his reaction.

"Hey, it didn't. I'm still here, kid." Slade rests a hand on his arm. Oliver nodding, before looking to Sara who wears a similar expression on her face.

"I'm scared to ask about this." Felicity comments.

"Felicity trust me. With how you… You just don't want to hear about that." Sara says to her.

"Well. Me, Sara, Shado and a friend of ours were taken by these guards and this man named Ivo. He was angry, probably wasn't thinking straight but he was insane he. He made Sara and Shado get down on their knees and told me I had to choose one. The other he'd shoot through the head. I. I was a coward I didn't make the choice and when I didn't. When I hesitated, our friend, Harley. She pulled out a gun and tried to take Ivo out but it didn't work and he shot me through the shoulder. I can't remember much but a fight broke out between his guards, Harley, Sara and Shado and then out of nowhere Slade came back to us. He was completely consumed by the Mirakuru. He wasn't thinking straight and neither was I when Ivo grabbed me and held a gun to my head. I tried to tell Slade that he was trying to make him choose but the Mirakuru. He couldn't hear me and by mistake he saved me over Shado. Chose me and Ivo shot Shado. She was dying and when Harley suggested we use the Mirakuru on her, Shado refused, she didn't want to be consumed by it. She was ready to die. To be with her father but. We loved her, she was family to Sara and I and Slade. He loved her and I couldn't watch him break like that. So I stabbed her with the Mirakuru anyway and mutually we decided to lie to her about everything that led to her receiving the Mirakuru. Yet. Ivo manipulated the situation and she found out the truth anyway." Oliver admits sadly as Thea looks at him, Slade and Sara in horror.

"Ohh my god." She whispers.

"So she's what? What is she trying to achieve?" She asks.

"She's trying to destroy us. Turn the people we love against us and honestly. She's. She's doing a pretty good job of turning us into our own enemies. We can't stop her from doing anything."

"No. Ollie she's getting in your head. That's her talking. Not you. She failed today. She tried to turn me against all of you but, well thanks to Roy bringing me here. That didn't happen and it's not going to happen. She also failed in finding Slade's friends. Well. Thanks to his resilience." She glances towards Mick who mutters something in approval.

"I mean. I'm still the trying to get my head around literally all of this but what I know is that you, Sara and Slade. You're the three vigilantes and after everything I've read. You can take care of anything in your way. Even that bitch and I have faith in all three of you, all of you here that's exactly what you'll do." Thea smiles at him, wrapping her arms around both Oliver and Slade at the same time.

"Sara. Get over here." She calls to her.

"I would but I gotta answer this." Sara shakes her ringing phone at Thea before answering it.

"Give me a second." Oliver moves from Thea side toward where Selina Kyle is stood with her arms folded.

"I know we all didn't get off to a good start but, you've faced her. You're not on good terms with her. Would you be willing to stay and help us take Shado down?" Oliver requests politely as Selina glances at him.

"What after your friend tried to kill me?" She glances toward Slade.

"He's. Well. You heard how he's connected to all of this. Look, he's not going to kill you now and he won't if you agree to work with us. We could do with your help and even if you don't want to help us defeat her. You know Harley, help us find her. She's a friend of mine and I don't think she's going to be safe until she is here with us. So, Selina, what do you say?" Oliver explains as she is silent for a few moments.

"Look. She screwed you over. Don't you want to kick her ass? I saw you fight and girl, those were some pretty killer moves. Come, on. Give us a hand here." Thea adds as Selina glances at her with a slight smile.

"Fine. Ok. I'll lend a hand but only because I like her." Selina nods toward Thea as Oliver shakes her hand.

"Thank you." He gives her a grateful look as Sin pushes a chair over for her.

"You okay Sara?" Sin looks up at Sara, who has her phone to her ear.

A fearful look on her face.

"Sara?" Oliver reaches for her hand as she puts the phone away.

"It's my dad. He's. He's been arrested. I gotta go. I have to… Get to Laurel's…" She begins to move toward the door.

When Nyssa follows her without words, even barely existent, Sara slightly smiles.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment Building_

Both Sara and Nyssa race up the stairs to Laurel's apartment at top speed the minute they reach the building.

"Watch it!" A female voice calls as Sara and Nyssa almost knock a woman down the stairs, whom had been approaching Laurel's corridor. Sara freezes at the familiar voice.

"Sorry. Friend called me, for babysitting. Her father's been arrested and she's a lawyer so…" The woman is unable to say anymore words as she is suddenly pushed up against the wall by Sara.

"Sara!" Nyssa exclaims.

"Go to Laurel." Sara hisses.

"Sara?" Nyssa frowns in confusion.

"Nyssa. Go to Laurel now. She's in danger." Sara growls and Nyssa begins to move away at the words Laurel and danger, toward the corridor whilst leaving Sara behind, who continues to pin the woman to the wall.

"What Sara? Not pleased to see me?" The woman questions as Sara rips the fake blonde wig and glasses off her.

Harley Quinn.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

"Nyssa." Laurel sighs as she opens the door to see Nyssa stood right outside.

"Sara's… Stuck in traffic. Road accident. Probably won't be cleared for a while." Nyssa lies with ease as Laurel pushes the door open further, allowing Nyssa to come inside.

"Are you alright?" She asks Laurel, glancing toward where Laurel's children are sat happily playing with their toys in their playpen.

The three of them are safe. Whatever danger Sara has spotted she's gotten to before whoever it was could harm Laurel and the babies.

"Yeah. I'm just. I think I'm losing my mind." Laurel admits, running her hands through her hair as Nyssa frowns at her.

"What's wrong?" She asks her gently.

"Well. First my fiancée just disappears out of nowhere, just like one of the one friends I had, who still is missing, then my father gets arrested for something I don't even know about yet. I just… I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix this. I. I…" Laurel whispers as Nyssa, unsure what to do, acts on her instinct and pulls Laurel into her arms.

"Everything's going to be alright. You are not alone Laurel and you never will be." Nyssa murmurs, stroking her friends hair gently.

Because that's what Laurel has become to Nyssa.

A friend.

 _Meanwhile…_

"So the stories are true. You're not dead." Is the first thing Harley says.

"Unfortunately for you." Sara snarls.

"I really thought you were dead. Ollie did at the time both he and Slade did. It was really sad. I bet they're glad your not…"

"What did you do to my sister!" Sara hisses, pushing Harley up against the wall.

"Nothing, I'm her babysitter!" Harley cries back.

"What?!" Sara snarls.

"Babysitter. You know, I watch her kids when she's out. Look don't worry. I love kids. It was one of Shado's great ideas… Aww crap. I'm ruining the surprise." She sighs sadly.

"Surprise?! What surprise!" Sara snaps.

"Ohh I really shouldn't tell you. I'm not supposed to ruin it. I mean she's all good now but she's still got the Mirakuru and sometimes the tendencies return but not often. Don't worry. You're all not in any danger." She continues.

"Harley. Tell me." Sara growls, tightening her grip on her throat.

"Jeez. Jeez! Okay I'm telling you I'm telling you! Just don't tell Shado I told you, okay? So Shado and I have been working together to… Reunite the family! How cool is that!" Harley practically cheers.

"Reunite. Reunite the family?" Sara murmurs.

"Yeah. Me you, Shado, Slade and Ollie! And all the families. We're gonna have this massive house together and Slade's gonna be with Shado, you're going to be with Ollie. There's going to be so much room! For all our families, Thea, Laurel, your dad, the kids, Tommy. All of them. That's why Shado has me babysitting here because I'm too keep an eye on the kids, just incase there's unforeseen dangers. Look. We're all gonna live happily ever after. It's just taking some time." Harley reveals as Sara closes her eyes before grabbing Harley by the hair and dragging her down the corridor…

 _The Foundry_

"So that woman that went with Sara is an assassin for this group called the League Of Assassins and she's now dating both you and Sara? Ollie. I gotta say, I'm impressed." Thea comments after asking about Nyssa and how she fits into matters.

"Thank you for your approval Thea." Oliver smiles, glancing down at his phone.

"You, okay, kid?" Slade looks over at him.

"Yeah. It's just Sara and Nyssa. Neither of them have contacted us and apparently Lance has been arrested so. I might just go over and see…"

"Ollie!" Comes a familiar voice from the stairs.

A voice Oliver hasn't heard in years.

"Harley?" He whispers, looking up to see her being pushed down the stairs forcibly by Sara.

"Sara what are you…"

"Tell them. Tell them what you just told me when I found you at Laurel's because you're her babysitter because Shado asked you to babysit her kids." Sara hisses, pushing Harley into the centre of the room, both Oliver and Slade glancing at Sara instantly, Diggle moving in front of Felicity and Sin and Roy taking a defense position in front of Thea.

"What?!" Oliver snaps.

"I don't know why she's overreacting! I mean I know that she's never liked me but jeez! Come on Sara. I explained to you what's going on and it's okay…"

"Explain it again!" Sara growls as Selina glances up at her.

"She doesn't know. It's not her fault she's been kept in the dark." Selina points out.

"Well she won't be for much longer, what's going on Harley?" Oliver talks to her in a gentle tone of voice.

"I don't know! I mean, yeah I know what happened on the island but Shado, she's a changed woman! Somehow she's gotten past the rage the Mirakuru caused her. I mean, yeah, sometimes she can be a little scary but she's trying to start again! Fix everything for all of us. Me you, Shado, Slade and Sara! And all your friends and families. Shado has me babysitting Laurel's kids too keep an eye on them because she just wants us all to be safe. For us all to live happily ever after, after everything we've been through. It's what we all deserve and I was more than happy to accept that offer to help with all that." Harley reveals as Oliver closes his eyes.

"Harley. She's. She's lying to you." He starts carefully.

"Why would she be lying to me about that? She said if I spoke of this to you guys early then you'd say it was a lie but it's because you haven't seen that's changed yet, that she just wants a new start for all of us." Harley continues.

"Harley. She kidnapped and tortured that young girl and him because she just wants revenge on those three. Oliver, Sara and Slade. She wants revenge and she wants to destroy the ones they care for, she's using you to get what she wants and that's revenge." Selina points out as Harley shakes her head.

"No. She doesn't want that. Ollie, you have to believe me here. She ain't lying. She doesn't want revenge. She did but she doesn't anymore." She looks to Oliver.

"She still does Harley and she will stop at nothing to get it. She is using you." Slade continues as Harley shakes her head again.

"I don't believe that. She doesn't want revenge! She's better now. I mean she broke me out of an ARGUS prison and the only reason I wasn't allowed to take this guy I met with me was because she was really saddened that he'd tried to kill Slade. She… She wouldn't lie to me." Harley folds her arms as Diggle approaches her with a phone in hand.

"If you're not going to listen to them. Listen to what he says Harley." He murmurs, Oliver, Sara and Slade glancing at him in confusion as Harley reluctantly takes the phone.

"Hiya, darlin'."

 _Much Earlier In The Day_

 _Walking down the corridor of cells, John Diggle stops outside one in particular, glancing at the guards who move to open the door._

 _"John. Long time no see." Comes the voice of Floyd Lawton as the guard unlocks his door._

 _"Ain't a social visit Lawton." Diggle responds._

 _"Figured. So. The Suicide Squad rides again?" He raises an eyebrow at Diggle._

 _"Not exactly but I do have a task for you." He responds._

 _"Go on." Floyd tilts his head to the side._

 _"Harley Quinn." Diggle says plainly_

 _"What about her?" Floyd glances at him before folding his arms and if Diggle's not mistaken, a worried look appears briefly in his eyes._

 _"She okay?"_

 _"No. We don't think she is. We think she's in a lot of danger and that she's not aware there is any danger." Diggle explains as Floyd looks to him._

 _"What do you want me to do?" He questions._

 _"Well, that's it, I'm not sure. All I know is that on the squad. She listened to you. You could get through to her Lawton and if we do find her, we're gonna need someone who she trusts to tell her the truth, now I'm aware she trusts the Arrow quite a bit but, I don't know. I saw something between the two of you those days and as much as it pains me to say it. I think you can be of assistance." Diggle says through gritted teeth as he looks at his brothers killer._

 _"Aww, John. I thought you'd never ask."_

 _The Foundry_

"Shot." A smile crosses Harley's face at the sound of Floyd's voice.

"You know, I wanted you to come with me before. I didn't wanna leave ya there but, well. Ya kinda pissed off the person I work with." She explains quickly.

"Yeah. I know. You work for a woman named Shado, am I right?" He questions.

"Did I tell you that?" She frowns.

"No, you didn't but, you know what. John Diggle was. Said you were working for her and that she's an utter psycho hellbent on revenge on her ex and old friends."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that! She doesn't want revenge on them. She just wants to reunite all of us together. I'm ever trying to convince her to give you a second chance even thought you attempted to kill the guy she loves…"

"What? I don't even know this woman and already that sounds like bull to me and anyway. She left me here because I tried to kill that guy and alms of destroyed all her plans. Look. I know you don't want to believe it but it is the truth and when John told me that she goes around calling herself Lady Deathstroke. I pointed him in the direction of his girlfriend and she gave him all the knowledge ARGUS have on her. You them, darlin. They have information on all of us. This woman is evil and you working for her is going to get you killed and you don't want that. I don't want that. Come on, darlin'. She's telling you nothing but lies." He sighs as Harley looks up at Diggle, whom pushes the laptop containing all the information on Shado's villainous ways toward Harley, who's eyes widen upon reading the information, before looking up at Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Why would I lie to you?" Floyd muses as Harley closes her eyes.

"I don't think you are." She murmurs before hanging up.

"She never wanted to reunite all of us." Harley whispers as Oliver approaches her.

"No. She didn't. She wants revenge on us and she wants us all to suffer, just like before." He murmurs as Harley shakes her head.

"I want her dead this time for good Ollie. She will die for this. For making me think that things could go back to how they used to be. For making me think there was an chance I could get something good after everything I've done." She mutters.

"You know. She may not have planned to reunite us all but, you've reunited with us." Oliver points out as Harley looks up at him.

"And I have missed you." He admits before drawing his friend into a long anticipated embrace.

 _Laurel Lance's Apartment_

Nyssa stays with Laurel for several hours, occasionally checking her mobile to see if there are any messages from Sara or Oliver or anybody on the team, but there isn't so Nyssa decides to stay with Laurel. To keep and eye on both her and the children, whom Laurel puts to bed around the second hour Nyssa stays and the two women sit, talking and watching the news on Laurel's couch. Laurel resting against Nyssa, whom soon releases that Laurel is falling asleep whilst she continues to watch the latest news item.

"Police had issued a warrant for Shado after Thea Queen named her as the mastermind of her kidnapping yesterday. This in the wake of Shado's arrests and subsequent release by the SCPD hours before Miss. Queen was released." Is what the news is reporting.

"In statement to the press SCPD lieutenant Franklin Pike reiterated his support for his department despite what appears to be a serious blunder he went on to say the SCPD is committed to making sure any arrest they make is a legal one." She adds just as there is a knock on the door, which awakens Laurel.

"I'll go." Laurel murmurs sleepily, getting to her feet and moving swiftly toward the door, Nyssa following behind her as Laurel opens the door only to come face to face with Shado.

"Don't worry I am not here to harm you or your babies." Shado pulls the door back before Laurel can slam it shut.

"Go to hell!" Laurel yells, altering Nyssa, who races forward.

"All in good time I'm sure." Shado replies as Nyssa pulls out a knife from inside of her jacket, throwing it at Shado who catches it.

"Stay away from her!" Nyssa snarls only to gasp in surprise when Shado raises her other hand, one that has a gun in it and shoots Nyssa in the side.

"No!" Laurel cries, catching Nyssa as she falls to the ground.

"Nyssa stay with me." Laurel begs as she holds her.

"Now that she's out of the way. I can get to the reason I'm here. I have come to Starling City to see Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson suffer." She reveals to Laurel.

"You stay the hell away from my sister or I swear to god I will kill you!" Laurel yells, whilst trying to stop Nyssa from bleeding out.

"You say this now but she's not the person you think she is. Neither of them are. Neither is the woman lying in front of you. In fact she's an international assassin and your babysitter, Leena Quinn? Well I needed some leverage in case I needed to cause Sara immense pain. Her real name is Harley Quinn and she's an unstable, mentally insane psychopath, who just happens to be good at babysitting. She also was a friend of mine and used to screw Oliver but now she too is one of my enemies and after I leave here I'm going to pay a known weakness of hers a visit." Shado glances at her nails absentmindedly.

"And how would you know all of this!" Laurel cries as Shado bends down so they're both face to face with one another.

"Because I know Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson are the three vigilantes…"

 _The Foundry_

"I'm done with her. That's it. I'm joining you guys and we're take the fight straight to her. Think we can convince Ivy to join us?" Harley glances to Selina.

"I doubt it. Knowing Ivy, if she didn't already dislike the opposition she'd probably join her." Selina agrees.

"Talking about the crazy plant witch? Yeah leave her out of this." Mick mutters in agreement

"Right now we're not taking the fight to anyone. Yes, we're going to fight back but we've got to come up with a strategy." Oliver reminds them.

"Good thinking, kid. Considering, Lance mentioned that she's currently building herself an army out of the prisoners she's employed, it's not going to be long until she uses that army." Slade points out wincing as he crosses the room.

"You okay?" Harley folds her arms.

"Yeah. Got stabbed with a letter opener earlier no big deal. Been stabbed with worse." He mutters, Felicity at his side in an instant.

"And I said that we'd sort that out when you got back." She says sternly, leading him over to a chair to assess the wound.

"Ohh my god how long have you been like that." Thea exclaims as she sees the blood seeping though the bandages Slade had made Felicity wrap around his side.

"Few hours. It's nothing serious." Slade mutters as everyone, even Harley rolls their eyes at him as Oliver retorts in another language.

"Language kid!" Slade reprimands him.

"It's not like they're going to understand it!" Oliver snaps back.

"They will when I translate it." Felicity smirks.

"What is it with you and leaving pretty bad injuries? I mean none of us five will ever forget what happened when Moira shot you and Oliver and…"

"My mom did what?!" Thea snaps the minute Diggle reveals that information.

"In her defense. We did approach her as the vigilantes." Slade admits, about to get up when Felicity pushes him back down again.

"Hey. Hey, you're going to make it worse." Felicity sighs, resting her hand on Slade's shoulder to keep him seated.

"You said earlier that we'd talk later about stuff. Well. It's later." Felicity says, looking down at her hands nervously.

"I just wanted to apologize to you." He murmurs.

"What for. You don't have to apologize to me for anything. We're good, you and me." She smiles up at him as from across the room, having witnessed the start of the conversation, Thea leans into Roy.

"She likes him doesn't she?" She whispers.

"Yeah." Roy nods, before adding.

"Slade is oblivious."

"Of course we are but. Felicity. You lost your job because of Isabel, because of Shado and because I didn't believe you at the time. You did stop when Sara asked you back in Russia. Must have activated an alarm or something and Shado and Isabel used that against you and I apologize that I didn't listen to you. I mean, if you'd hacked further you could have exposed her and Shado earlier on." He reminds her, as she slides her hand into his.

"Hey, it's okay. It is what it is and, I mean it doesn't matter anymore, Slade. I don't care but I am glad that it's all out there now, even if. I find it. I don't know. I don't know how to tell you why I did it. I want to but…" She looks down again.

"We're friends Felicity. You can tell me anything, you must know that." He reminds her as from behind her Roy practically face palms the desk.

'Don't friend zone her! What the hell are you playing at!' Roy mouths to Slade, whom just frowns at Roy's reaction in confusion.

'You like her. Ask her out.' Thea mouths, joining in as Slade just glares at them both.

'Dinner. Ask her out to dinner. She likes you. You like her. She's not evil or crazy!' Roy continues to mouth at Slade.

"What are you two doing?" Felicity frowns at Roy and Thea.

"Nothing. Take no notice of them." Slade mutters with another glare before looking down at the wound on his side.

"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't have left me in charge of that damn company, kid." Slade smirks at him.

"Apparently he did more work in a couple of hours then you did in a year." Roy adds.

"I think we can all agree Slade is probably a better choice for CEO then me." Oliver chuckles.

"Yeah, no, kid. It's your company. That was only a temporary measure because you needed to be out there looking for your sister." He glances towards Thea.

"Probably would have found her faster if you had been there." Roy mutters.

"Less things would have gone wrong anyway." He adds.

"You do realize that the kids in charge right?" Slade reminds him.

"Yeah but I think we can ALL agree that everything goes to hell when you're not around." Roy points out.

"Agreed." Both Oliver and Sara chime.

"I know you were trying to protect me, kid but I don't like being kept out of the action and I don't care what's going on at your company, kid. I'm not being sidelined again, do you understand?" Slade glances at him, a sharp tone to his voice.

"I just didn't want to see you suffer anymore." Oliver sighs.

"I know, kid but it's as you always say. We're in this together and… Harley come over here." Slade turns his attention on Harley.

"What! Have I done something?" She frowns yet approaches Slade anyway.

"Your collar. Give it to me." He indicated to the collar around her neck.

"Why?" She frowns yet does so and the minute she does, Slade rips what appeared to be a flashing red light out of the collar and stamps down hard on it causing a static sound.

"She bugged me?" Harley realizes the minute she saw the device.

"She was listening in the whole time." Oliver glances around the room at everyone.

"Honestly I don't think we have to worry. I mean it's not like we said anything incriminating. Other then the fact that she's kinda on our side." Thea says, indicating to Harley.

"She's right. Other than knowing that I'm done with her and that I'm gonna work with you guys to destroy that bitch, nothing else was said." Harley mutters.

"And we are going to destroy her." Sara hisses.

"One way or another."

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

Lounging back against the wall of his cell, Floyd Lawton glances up toward his cell door at the sudden sounds of alarms and the sounds of screams from the distance.

"What the…" He starts, getting to his feet as a woman in a mask approaches the door of his cell and as it it were nothing, rips the metal door off its hinges before entering the cell.

"You must be Shado, right?" He folds his arms, tilting his head to the side as she removes her mask, a confident smirk upon her face.

"Mr. Lawton. I don't think you and I have been properly introduced..."

 _ **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading and for all your kind reviews, favorites and follows, your kindness is greatly appreciated :) I sincerely apologize for this chapter being as terrible as it is. I have gone over and over and over it trying to improve it but I think this is as good as it's gonna get and for that I apologize. Thanks again though for reading and please leave a review if you can.**_

 _ **Went to see the new Wonder Woman today and it was fantastic! Best DC Film in ages! Yet so freaking sad. I cried loads.**_


	126. The Man Under The Hood (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Six_**

 _Starling City: Night_

On a rather quiet Starling City night, on a deserted road, a van drives by, it's passengers with a mission in mind.

"I don't think my eye holes line up properly. Is anyone else having this problem?" Felicity Smoak questions as she fidgets with her balaclava.

"Come here." Slade sighs, moving to help her with it.

"Don't be nervous." Sara calls to her.

"I'm a lot nervous." Felicity winces.

"The first time I wore one of these. I panicked. Well I was standing on a goddam mine and my only accomplice ran off and left me!" Oliver glances toward Slade.

"Kid, you were never out of my line of sight. I knew what I was doing." Slade reminds him.

"Yeah and what if your go in all swords flying didn't work and I was killed in the process?" Oliver points out.

"Would've gotten off the island quicker." Slade shrugs.

"Asshole." Oliver mutters with a slight smile.

"What, you asked, kid." Slade smirks back.

"Are these two always like this?" Selina Kyle asks from one of the seats.

"This is a good day for these two." Roy smiles.

"Seriously though guys, this is a big move, even for us and we've cornered the market on big moves." Felicity continues.

"This is going to be a walk in the park. I've gotten in and out of so many buildings I've lost count. We'll be good." Selina assures them.

"I don't know about you guys but we really could have done with Nyssa being here." Felicity adds before looking to Sara and Oliver.

"Where is she anyway?" She questions.

"Keeping an eye on Laurel. I'd have contacted her but, honestly what with Shado placing Harley there that whole time. Someone needs to be watching over her and my dad's been arrested so. It's just good Nyssa is with Laurel." Sara responds, sliding her hand into Oliver's, who squeezes her fingers tightly.

"Anyway, Felicity. Shado didn't give us any choice but to do this, right." Roy adds, looking toward Oliver, Slade and Sara.

"No choice. Isabel may not have been able to take the company because of Slade but I'm betting she turned a lot of people around to her way of thinking." Oliver murmurs.

"Yeah, but as far as plans go, this is not a good one." Felicity points out.

"Felicity." Slade grabs her wrist.

"This was your plan."

"I didn't think any of you would actually say yes. But then again this is you three we're talking about and you especially like the extreme plans." Felicity babbles.

"We're going to be fine." Selina rolls her eyes at them all.

"We have to fight back one way or another." Oliver mutters as Felicity closes her eyes.

"We're here." Comes the sudden call from Diggle as the team of seven pull on their balaclavas before moving out of the van, each of them running toward the gate.

"Piece of cake." Selina smirks as she climbs acrobatically over the metal gate like a cat before dropping down on the other side, opening the gate for the rest of them, the seven running inside before coming into contact with a security guard, who is knocked unconscious by one controlled punch from Roy, Diggle taking out another one from behind and Sara pushing one down the stairs.

"Hey! That man used to work for me!" Oliver snaps.

"And now he works for our enemy." She retorts.

"Security cameras are down." Felicity informs them as they enter the building.

"You all remember the skeleton key?" She questions, pulling something out of her bag.

"Courtesy of William Tockman, aka the Clock King. It can open any lock, including this one." She fits it onto the door which opens within seconds, the seven of them entering the room.

"This is where we met Barry." Felicity comments once their inside.

"Out of all the things you could have said about this place, you mention Allen." Slade says with a roll of his eye as Felicity hits his arm lightly, the seven walking further into the room, stopping when Diggle bends down to place a bag on the floor.

"These are Plug N Play. Fasten them to what we talked about. Let the C4 do the rest." Diggle sighs as he passes them out.

"Been a while silence we've blown up anything." Sara nudges Oliver.

"And it's my first time blowing something up!" Roy almost cheers.

"You really shouldn't sound so happy about that." Felicity folds her arms.

"Just quick and clean ok." Oliver murmurs before looking to the team.

"Let's spread out." He says as they all move to attach the devices.

"I'm a bomber. I can't believe I'm a bomber. I wonder if I can list that on my resume under special skills." Felicity babbles to herself.

"FREEZE!" A security guard with a gun to her yells, only to be taken out seconds later by Slade, who grabs Felicity's arm.

"We have to go." He murmurs as Oliver and Sara join them, Oliver bending down to pick up the security guard so he won't get blown up, the seven of them dragging all security guards out and away from the building before getting back into their van, Diggle driving ways at rapid speed whilst Felicity looks at her computer screen.

"Thermal imaging shows that everybody's out." Felicity informs them as Oliver holds the detonator, Sara taking his other hand, giving him a reassuring look.

"It's just a building Oliver." Diggle sighs.

"Blow it up." Selina advises as Oliver closes his eyes.

"Hey, kid. Do you want me to…"

"No. No it's gotta be me." Oliver says squeezing Sara's hand and leaning slightly into Slade as he presses the button, closing his eyes as Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences goes up in flames…

 _The Foundry_

"The bombing. Is. It's a very unfortunate thing that happened to the company but we will move past it and continue…"

"It was cowardice. Who else would needlessly destroy cutting edge, scientific and medical technology, whose sole purpose is to make Starling City a healthier and safer place." Isabel cuts Oliver off during the press conference.

Isabel still at Queen Consolidated. No public reason for her not to be and no evidence for Oliver to use to get rid of her.

"The SCPD are working very hard into finding out who did this. That's all that can be said at this time." Oliver finishes, with a glance at Isabel as Felicity switches it off.

"For the record I hated her before we found out she was a super villain." She points out.

"That press conference was painful." Oliver mutters, clenching his fists.

"I wanted to kill her." He mutters.

"All in good time, kid." Slade replies before turning to face the others.

"I never liked her either. She was always so rude." Harley comments.

"Shado's goal is to create an army of human weapons using the Mirakuru. To do that, she needs a industrial centrifuge." Slade reminds them.

"And having Isabel Rochev infiltrate Queen Consolidated, gives her access to and even though, thanks to Slade she didn't get the company. She still planted her seeds to get people to work for her." Sara sighs with folded arms.

"But since Applied Sciences went kaboom. She can't use our technology for her warped science experiments." Felicity points out.

"Should slow her down if nothing else. Put her in a position where we can get to her." Roy comments as Diggle folds his arms.

"Shado has had us on our heels for weeks. It's about time we took the fight to her."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Roy agrees with Diggle as Oliver shakes his head.

"All this will do is set her back. We have no way of knowing where the next attack is coming from."

"She is very good with strategies. She always has been. She will be planning her next move as we speak." Slade mutters.

"But we're going to stop her and ohh my god!" Sin cries at the sight of Nyssa on the stairs, her clothes and hair matted with blood.

"Nyssa!" Sara and Oliver race toward her.

"What happened, are you okay?" Oliver rests a hand in her hair as Sara assess her.

"Shado. She showed up at Laurel's for some unknown reason. I tried to apprehend her but she had a gun, she shot me. It wasn't such a bad wound, yet I passed out and Laurel got me to the hospital. Both she and the babies are safe. Don't worry. She wasn't there when I awoke and I can't remember what happened after Shado fired the gun but. Apparently Laurel brought me to the hospital. Which where I should be but I'm the Heir To The Demon I am not being made to stay in a place like that. I will be fine. In fact. I was going over to Laurel's to make sure that she's alright. I phoned her though and she's safe at home. She has a friend over. A trusted one, Cat Grant." Nyssa glances toward them as Oliver nods.

"Yeah. Yeah she's trusted. Come and sit down." He leads her toward a chair.

"If you want I can call some of my contacts, have them sit outside Laurel's house?" Diggle suggests as Sara looks up at him.

"That's not a terrible idea, Dig. I mean she's already infiltrated once." She glances with distaste toward Harley, who shrugs as Sara wraps an arm around Nyssa, taking Oliver's hand as she closes her eyes.

"Who knows what she has planned for Laurel."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"So, she just showed up at your front door, just like that?" Cat questions as she pours Laurel a drink, who glances toward her babies, whom are both sleeping peacefully beside her.

"Yeah. The she pulled out a gun and shot my friends and then told me who she thinks the three vigilantes are and I. I don't understand it." Laurel says with a shake of her head.

"Who did she say. Or would you rather not tell me?" Cat questions.

"I want to but if I'm right…" Laurel runs her fingers through her hair.

"Ok. I don't want to know. Anyways Laurel, you and the children are more than welcome here. As is Thomas if he ever shows his face. I mean after all you went through I can't believe he would just leave like that." She says with a shake of her head.

"That's just it. Now I don't think he did. I mean if he. If the vigilantes are who Shado said they were. What if they've hurt him? What if that's what he broke up with me about just before the Undertaking because he said he had this secret and ohh my god. What if they've killed him? What if Shado killed him and he's gone." Laurel cries.

"Laurel, Laurel. You can't think like that." Cat rests a hand on her arm.

"Thank you, for letting me stay here, Cat. I don't think I could go back." Laurel admits.

"It's no problem Laurel." She says moving toward where her own children are playing in the garden as Laurel brings up her tablet, filled with nothing but all the evidence and information she and on the three vigilantes…

 _Iron Heights_

"Look, you need to drop this, okay. I'm fine, really." Quentin sighs whilst sitting across from Laurel, who had decided to visit him, leaving her children with Cat.

"How is any of this fine?" Laurel shrugs her shoulders defeatedly.

"Look, you need to concentrate on you and your kids…"

"Yes. Yeah I do and when I am with them I sit there thinking about the fact that their grandfather who has been by their side since the day they were born is facing prison!" She cries as she clutches her hands tightly.

"This will all blow over, ok? Please." He sighs.

"No, it won't, dad. You were caught aiding and abetting the three vigilantes. Working with them last year cost you, your detective shield. Now it can cost you eighteen months in prison. They want their names. Do you know who the three vigilantes are?" She questions as Quentin closes his eyes, unsure how he can look his eldest daughter in the eye at lie straight to her face.

"I don't." He murmurs, glancing toward the door Sara enters through, keeping his eyes on her as she walks toward the table.

"Well, you must have some idea who they are." Laurel exclaims.

"I can't tell you what I don't know." Quentin murmurs as Sara closes her eyes from behind.

"Times up." A prison guard calls, Quentin turning to face both Sara and Laurel.

"You girls, you take care of each other." Is his last words to them both before walking back to his cell.

"Thank you for getting Nyssa to hospital." Sara is the first to speak.

"It's fine. We have become good friends since you introduced us. I wasn't going to let her bleed out." Laurel mutters in a cold voice before turning to face Sara.

Sara. Her baby sister.

The one Shado said was one of the vigilantes. The Woman In Black…

That's who the vigilantes are… Two men, one woman.

Oliver. Slade. Sara…

"Do you really think he doesn't who the three vigilantes are?" She decides to question.

"It's not like dad to lie." Sara shrugs.

But it is like you, Sara. Laurel wants to say as she turns to face her.

"Sometimes it's people closest to you who lie to us best."

 _Queen Mansion_

Sat, glancing at a picture of Oliver and Thea, Moira is startled when Oliver and Slade walk into the living room.

"I thought the two of you would be at the company." She muses.

"Probably should be, considering the threat of a hostile takeover is there." Slade glances toward Oliver and Moira turns her head toward them.

"Wait, what?" She glances at them both.

"When Thea was abducted. Isabel Rochev angled to take the company from us. I would have handed her the position of CEO and she would have taken it, causing us so many problems. If I hadn't have decided to appoint Slade CEO instead." Oliver informs her.

"Are you saying, you put him in charge of the family company…"

"Otherwise it would have been taken over by Isabel and that's why we're here mom. You warned me months ago that we should keep our distance from her and that we couldn't trust her. How do you know?" Oliver questions.

"Isabel is a vindictive woman." Moira shrugs.

"And yet, when this was revealed to Oliver and I. She told me that the sins of the father are the sins of the son. Telling me to pass that message on to Oliver. You know more than your letting on." Slade folds his arms.

"Robert, had a weakness for beautiful, strong women." Moira sighs as Oliver closes his eyes.

"They were together?" He mutters as Slade rests a comforting hand on his friends shoulder.

"Yes. She was still in business school at the time. The pretty intern that caught the CEO's eye." She sighs as she glances toward Oliver.

"I told you this before Oliver. Your father was not the man you thought he was."

 _Slade's Plane_

 _Gently, Sara carefully wipes the blood and dirt from around Oliver's swollen shut eye, neither having said a word since Shado left and took Slade with her._

 _Whilst she does this, Oliver uses his sleeve to wipe the tears from Sara's eyes as not soon after Shado left with Slade she had started to cry._

 _"Hey, will you two help me up?" Oliver requests in a hoarse voice, looking to both Harley and Sara, who instantly move to help him._

 _"Sure." Harley nods as they pull him up._

 _"Just to my trunk." Oliver points in that direction._

 _"Ok. Eww what is that stuff?" Harley wrinkles her nose as Oliver grabs some herbs and begins to chew on them._

 _"They have healing properties." Oliver winces._

 _"Ohh, look who's up." Comes the voice of Anatoly from behind them._

 _"Just in time for all the fun. Even though I know your sad. You lost your friend. This might help." He shrugs as he points in the direction of Ivo._

 _"What are you going to do to him?" Harley questions._

 _"Make him scream." Anatoly growls menacingly, pulling out a knife._

 _"Just like he made us. Hmm. They say living well is best revenge? Ha. I prefer torture. You want first turn Oliver. Sara?" Anatoly glances toward them._

 _"No." Oliver shakes his head as Ivo looks up at them pleadingly._

 _"Please. I can help you." Ivo holds up a hand._

 _"No, doctor, I can help you. What was it you said you needed for research? An eye? Let me get you a fresh one!" Anatoly moves toward him._

 _"No you can still stop Shado and save Slade Wilson!" He cries._

 _"Anatoly, wait." Oliver calls at Ivo's words._

 _"What did you say?" Sara questions._

 _"I can help you stop her and save him." Ivo murmurs._

 _"How? That miracle drug of yours has turned her into a monster and Oliver, Sara. I'm sorry but he as the same drug in his system. He stays with her and he's going to become a monster just like her." Anatoly both reminds and warns them._

 _"I know. I can turn them back." Ivo whispers._

 _"Ivo, what are you saying?!" Oliver snaps._

 _"The Mirakuru. There's a cure."_

 _Verdant_

Oliver and Slade find Sara and Nyssa at the bar when they enter Verdant, Roy and Harley assisting them as they approach.

"Hey, how's your dad?" Oliver asks Sara kindly, kissing the top of her head.

"He's willing to go to jail for the three of us." She murmurs.

"I'm sorry that he's been put in this position." Slade mutters.

"Don't be. It's my fault. I never should have involved him. It was only because the League…" Sara stops as she looks to Nyssa.

"I just thought telling him the truth was keeping him safe and yet. Look where that's got us." Sara sighs as Harley shrugs.

"I don't know Sara. Honesty's always the better option. I think the four of us can agree on that." She looks to Oliver and Slade as well.

"I agree with Harley. I mean who knows what would have happened of we hadn't told Thea the truth when we did. When I told Thea, even though I severely pissed you off." Roy glances toward Oliver, who just rolls his eyes at him.

"Hiya." Calls Sin as she and Selina walk in side by side, followed by Diggle and Felicity.

"Where's Thea?" Sin looks around.

"Upstairs. Sorting out crap. I've been keeping an eye on her." Roy glances toward the main office where they can see Thea walking back and forth with boxes.

"That's good. Also. Slade, your scary friend followed us." Sin nods toward the door in which Mick storms in.

"Is he assisting us?" Nyssa frowns.

"Shado went after him to try and track Leonard and Lisa. That was because of me. He is staying with us until this situation is rectified." Slade tells them as Mick approaches them.

"All right. We need to deal with Shado, figure out what her next move is." Oliver announces as he and the other eight follow him toward The Foundry, Oliver and Slade in front.

"I know Shado and she is not going to stop until…"

"Welcome home." The voice of Shado cuts Slade off mid statement as the team look down to see that in the centre of The Foundry is Shado, dressed in full Lady Deathstroke uniform, now they all can see is almost identical to Slade's. A crossbow and a gun in hand, the gun which she fires rapidly at the team.

Immediately, Slade grabs a hold of Felicity and jumps over the railing of the stairs with her held tightly in his arms, pushing her under the stairs to shield her from Shado's gunfire.

Sara grabbing hold of Sin and dragging her to cover also whilst, ignoring the gunfire, Roy just charges at Shado in a Mirakuru fuelled rage, Diggle racing to switch out the lights whilst avoiding the gunfire, Roy's attacks giving Sara the chance to launch at Shado with a pole, yet, knocking Roy back with several fires from her crossbow, Shado turns and grabs Sara by the throat.

"Hello, Sara." Shado mutters as she throws her over her head and across The Foundry whilst Nyssa, Diggle and Harley shoot at her with guns and Nyssa's bow and arrow.

"Stay back!" Oliver cries to them as their weapons prove ineffective.

"Your wasting your ammo." Shado says in a bored tone as Roy launches at her again, Oliver racing to join the attack, Nyssa, Diggle, Harley and Selina moving to attack, Selina from a vantage point, but Shado throws her off and into a wall.

"Our second fight Selina. Seems you've chosen a side." Shado comments as she deflects attacks from Oliver, Nyssa, Diggle and Harley at the same time.

"Well I wasn't going to work for you!" Selina hisses, glancing to where her clawed gloves lie on the table but Shado knocks her down again before turning on Nyssa, who launches with such precision at Shado she knocks her mask off with her arrow.

"You again. I thought I killed you. Should've know you wouldn't stay down." She taunts her before kicking Nyssa in the wounded side, throwing her backwards whilst, with an animalistic rage, Roy charges again to knock her off guard whilst, suddenly with a flame thrower, no one realised they had, Mick Rory also charges at Shado, setting fire to the back of her uniform, causing Shado to hiss and throw her hand back, knocking Mick across the room. Growling in pain from the flames she hurriedly sets out, the distraction gives Oliver and Slade, who races away from Felicity's side once knowing that she's safely hidden, to engage Shado in battle, yet Shado grabs a hold of Diggle, recovering quickly and throws him into his vigilante case, which shatters under his weight, whilst also taking Oliver down in one swift move, Roy advancing on her again until Shado shoots Roy through the legs multiple times with the crossbow to keep him down on the ground and despite him quick healing abilities, it keeps him down and he hurries to pull the darts out of his feet.

"SHADO!" Slade snarls, leaping out with escrima sticks in his hands, engaging Shado in a quick battle with the sticks, Shado grabbing some of her own and using them to battle Slade with them, the two going back and forth, back and forth, getting closer and closer until Shado, using all her Mirakuru strength, grabs Slade's arm, twisting it to stop his attacks.

"Careful sweetheart. You're not as strong as you used to be." She comments.

"I might not be. Yet that doesn't make any difference." He hisses, having seen Oliver crawl toward his bow and arrow, grabbing a hold of it.

"Oh it does. You'll see." She muses as Oliver fires the arrow, yet, spinning around Shado catches it in one hand.

"Don't forget who taught you how to shoot Oliver." She hisses, throwing the arrow back and into Oliver's shoulder.

"KID!" Slade bellows angrily, before turning to attack Shado again, who in several moves, nearly all of them bar one intercepted by Slade, she throws back her leg and kicks Slade right in the face, right where his eye was supposed to be, knocking him backwards, continuing to advance on him until she is hit with a hard pole from behind by Felicity.

"Get away from him!" She yells, trying to put a brave face on as she holds the pole tightly in her hands.

"FELICITY GET BACK!" Slade yells at her as he tries to scramble to his feet but Shado has already gotten to Felicity's side, ripping the pole out of her hands and grabbing Felicity by the throat.

"You and I haven't been properly introduced. I remember you, you were in Count Vertigo's van. Wow, are you feeling the déjà vu as well? I was there, I knocked you out. I noticed your scarf. The same scarf your wearing now." She glances down at Slade's scarf around Felicity's throat as Shado chokes her.

"You must be pretty close friends with my Slade." She muses as Felicity glares at her, choking under her grip just as Slade races up behind her and stabs Shado through the shoulder, causing her to drop Felicity, turning to engage Slade in a fight, kicking him in his weakened side from where Isabel stabbed him only recently, knocking him down to the ground, watching him as he tries to crawl toward a weapon.

"You never stay down do you?" She muses as she grabs her mask, placing it over her head before looking down at Slade again.

"You heard me talking about déjà vu, right?" She questions, slamming her foot into his face.

"What's more déjà vu then this?" She smirks as she bends down, using her whole Mirakuru strength to drag Slade up from the floor and drag him toward the stairs, taking him away and leaving the rest of the team in a bruised and bloodied heap all over the destroyed Foundry…

 _ **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be up soon. Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites. Please leave a review if you can.**_


	127. The Man Under The Hood (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Seven_**

 _The Foundry_

"What. The hell. Just happened?" Says Diggle, the first to speak seconds after the attack.

"Not again." Oliver whispers as he fights to pull himself into a seating position, even with the arrow protruding from his shoulder.

"Not again." He repeats as he fights to get to his bow and one explosive arrow and to his feet shakily.

"Ollie." Sara croaks from where she lies, struggling to crawl toward him.

"Sara." Oliver crawls toward her, feeling her grab his fingers.

"Go. Go don't let her take him again. Please, Ollie. Go!" She begs as Oliver fights his way toward the stairs.

 _Verdant_

"You and I have a lot to discuss." Shado smirks as she drags Slade across the main area of the club.

"No doubt." Slade hisses as she pushes him forward, only to release him abruptly when a large, heavy box comes crashing down on top of her from above.

"Let him go. Now." Comes the menacing, brave voice of Thea from the balcony.

"Or do I have to throw another box?" She snarls as Shado regains her footing, reaching for Slade again but he intercepts her attack this time, using parts of the box Thea threw to defend himself against her as the two fight, Slade knocking her backwards as Thea throws other objects off the balcony, Slade moving to engage Shado in a fight.

"Thea! Get back in the office!" Slade yells to her.

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Thea cries as suddenly an arrow soars past Slade and into Shado's arm, which detonates, causing Shado to be thrown backwards.

"Downstairs. Downstairs now." Oliver hisses from his position on the floor, having managed to fire the arrow, Slade moving instantly to pull him up from the floor, supporting him as he waits for Thea to join them before moving quickly toward the basement, pushing Oliver and Thea through before locking the door behind him.

"Well done, kid. Well done." Slade praises him as Oliver leans against him.

"I wasn't gonna let her take you away again." He murmurs as Slade, mindful of his injures, holds Oliver close to him as he helps him down the stairs to where the destruction lies.

"Ohh my god. What happened!" Thea exclaims upon seeing the destruction, racing toward where Roy lies on the floor, trying to rip the darts out of his feet and legs.

"Bitch was waiting for us." He mutters, resting his head on Thea's shoulder.

"Sara, Nyssa." Oliver moves carefully out of Slade's supportive hold to move toward them, both women having crawled toward each other.

Limping toward the chair where he sees Felicity sitting with her back to him, Slade taps her lightly on the shoulder, causing her to turn around.

"Ohh god, Slade." Felicity throws her arms around him instantly.

"I thought she'd taken you. I didn't think…" Felicity babbles quickly.

"I'm a'right. I'm a'right now. Thanks to the kid and Thea." He informs her.

"And you." He adds softly, causing her to smile slightly, before rubbing her sore throat again from where Shado strangled her.

"Let me see." Slade moves her fingers aside to see the bruising around her neck from where Shado had wrapped her fingers around her throat.

"Probably stupid of me to think I could do anything without putting myself in danger. But everyone else was down and you weren't getting up and I was scared that you…" She trails off when Slade kisses her forehead.

"You were very brave Felicity." He smiles at her as she squeezes his hand, before looking toward the others.

"Hey, good work with that flame thrower man." Sin calls toward where Mick is sitting up, rubbing his sore head from where he was thrown backwards.

"Good distraction." Diggle adds, moving to help Selina up, who is bleeding from a head wound.

"Urgh I can't wait until I can get my claws into her throat." She growls, moving to help Harley up, who moves toward where Oliver, Sara and Nyssa are.

"Yikes, Ollie. That looks bad." She winces at the arrow still stuck in his shoulder.

"I'll sort it out, you okay?" He looks up at her as she shrugs.

"Few cuts and bruises. I'll be fine." She smiles at him as he turns to Nyssa and Sara.

"She kicked me where she shot me earlier. Don't think she's done much more damage but." Nyssa shakes her head in anger as both she and Oliver turn to assess Sara, who has a bleeding head wound and her wrist looks bruised and possibly broken.

"Perhaps you two should go to the hospital." Diggle suggests.

"You know, Dig. That's not a bad idea." Sara murmurs, glancing to Oliver.

"You coming, Ollie?" She questions.

"I would but I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this." He glances to his arrow penetrated shoulder, Nyssa nods.

"He makes a valid point." She notes as Diggle gets to his feet, limping from his own wounds.

"I'll go with you two." He adds, helping both Sara and Nyssa to their feet, Oliver holding them both close for a moment before letting them go, glancing at all the destruction, the only sounds being groans and the sound of Roy growling every time Slade rips a dart out of him at a quick pace.

"Can't you just ease them out?" Roy glances up at him, clutching Thea's hand.

"No, the Mirakuru will start helping your skin heal around them. Trust me, now that is painful." Slade murmurs as he rips another one out.

"Is it normal for me to want to kill her even more now, or is it the Mirakuru?" He glances toward Slade.

"I think we all want to kill her even more than we did before now." Selina mutters as luckily for Roy, Slade pulls out the last dart.

"You know I hate this Mirakuru but. It does have good healing properties." Roy murmurs, leaning against Thea as Slade looks to Oliver.

"Come here, kid. You know the drill." Slade sighs as Oliver limps defeatedly toward Slade.

"Kid. Do you remember when, to teach you how to swing from the trees, I pushed you out of one of the highest ones?" Slade questions as he starts to ease the arrow out.

"Yeah. Yeah I do remember that. You were all, 'trust me you'll live, kid' and then without any warning whatsoever you just pushed me right out… OW!" Oliver growls as Slade rips the arrow straight from his shoulder.

"Good distraction." Oliver nods through the pain.

"You actually pushed him out of a tree?" Thea glances toward Slade.

"Wish I'd had a camera." Slade smirks as both Roy and Thea snigger.

"It's not funny. I could have died." Oliver protests.

"Well, you learnt a new skill, kid." Slade shrugs.

"Hey, look at me." Felicity calls, resting her hand against his cheek, whilst gently wiping the blood from his face with a soft damp cloth.

"Did she kick you in the eye. Well, you know." Felicity questions softly.

"Yeah, but. Not much there left to damage." Slade reminds her.

"She did that to you?" Roy questions.

"I always wondered how you lost your eye. Guessing the reason you survived was because of the Mirakuru?" Thea guesses.

"She did…"

"No. It was my fault." Oliver cuts him off.

"Kid." Slade sighs.

"She never intended to hurt him. She was aiming at me. Slade just... Took the arrow intended for me. It's my fault he lost his eye." Oliver admits as Slade squeezes his uninjured arm comfortingly.

"It wasn't kid. I don't blame you for anything that happened, you know that." He reminds him as Oliver just closes his eyes.

"Honestly. I think the only one to blame here is her. But that's just me saying." Thea holds her hands up before taking Roy's hand.

"Want to help me with the rest of the boxes upstairs?" She questions as Roy nods, his wounds having healed, the two heading to the stairs.

"I'm going to meet Sara, Nyssa and Diggle at the hospital now I've gotten this sorted out." Oliver glances toward his shoulder before getting to his feet.

"I don't know how many times I can tell him that this isn't his fault." Slade sighs as Felicity squeezes his hand gently before turning so they're facing each other.

"Until he believes it." Felicity shrugs and bravely she reaches for Slade's eyepatch to remove it, but he catches her hand.

"You really don't want to do that. It's. It's not a pleasant sight." He murmurs.

"And I've told you before that if you ever want to take it off here, it's okay. I'm not going to look at you any differently." She says softly, Slade eventually releasing her hand and allowing her to remove it.

"That better?" She questions once she's removed it, the huge gaping hole where his eye is supposed to be not bothering her one bit.

"Much." He agrees.

"Yeah?" She smiles as he squeezes her fingers again.

"Yes."

 _Starling City General_

"Excuse me, I'm looking for my sister, Sara Lance and her friend Nyssa." Laurel calls to the nearest nurse, having raced to the hospital upon hearing that Sara and Nyssa had been involved in some kind of accident.

"Thank you." She nods toward the nurse as she races toward the door the nurse points her towards and the doctor stood outside.

"Excuse me, I'm Laurel Lance, is my sister and her friend ok?" She asks anxiously.

"Ohh your sister will be fine, just a hairline fracture of her wrist and her friend, just reopened her bullet wound from earlier. Yet both will be just fine. They've both got some nasty bruises, looks worse than it is." The doctor smiles.

"Thank you." Laurel nods as she enters the room, wincing when she sees Sara's horrendous scars as she pulls her top on, glancing toward where Nyssa is sat on the bed.

"Sara, Nyssa." Laurel races toward them.

"Hey." Sara smiles at her.

"What happened to the both of you?" Laurel asks anxiously.

"Oh, we're fine." Sara shrugs her off.

"Sara and had small motorcycle accident, own fault. We were racing Oliver." Nyssa shrugs.

"Yeah. It was nothing, we've already got our discharge papers." Sara nods.

"You two okay?" Calls Oliver from the door as he moves toward her.

"Yeah we're good. Fractured my wrist. I'm ok." Sara explains as Oliver takes her uninjured hand, both moving toward Nyssa, Laurel watching them as they surround each other in a almost protective circle.

"Hey." Oliver looks to Laurel.

"Tell me what happened. Nyssa said you were racing one another?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Ohh. Ohh yeah. It was so stupid." Oliver shakes head.

"So looking forward to that lecture Slade's bound to give us." Sara nudges Oliver.

"He's not here? I thought he'd be here by now." Laurel frowns.

"He's stuck in traffic. We told him not to worry." Nyssa shrugs it off.

"I wouldn't expect him to listen. He sticks to the two of you like glue." She glances toward Oliver and Sara.

"Yeah but when it's our own fault, he's probably just preparing to lecture us." Oliver smiles.

"Anyway, we're fine, that's what counts, right?" Oliver finishes.

Laurel doesn't know why, if it was Shado's words or what.

She knows they're lying to her.

"Right. I should really go I need to get back to my kids, I'm staying at Cat's and I have a deposition in an hour." Laurel informs them.

"Thank you for coming to us, Laurel." Nyssa smiles at her as Laurel beams at the three of them.

"Always." Laurel nods as she leaves the room, her mind running a mile a minute.

Remembering the day Oliver and Sara showed her their scars, the extensive damage they got from the island. The fact Slade has one eye.

Shado telling her that Oliver, Sara and Slade are the three vigilantes and that Nyssa's an international assassin.

The Woman In Black and the other woman that rescued her when The Huntress had her trapped…

 _Verdant_

"Wanna open one of these?" Roy glances at the bottles of alcohol they're lining up on the shelves, Thea glancing back at him.

"Best idea you've had all day." She smiles at him.

"Won't help you, Roy." Comes the voice of Slade from behind them.

"What?" Roy turns to face him.

"Mirakuru. Burns it off. Won't effect you. Trust me, that I know." Slade leans against the wall as Roy sighs at sits down.

"But it will effect me." Thea reaches for the bottle.

"Think we all deserve a drink after that." Slade notes.

"I agree." Thea sighs as she takes a swig, passing it to Slade, the three of them sitting on the table, facing the window of the office.

"You know, I've been thinking. Since my biological father is Malcolm Merlyn. My half brother is Tommy and according to Roy. He's lost his mind to the Mirakuru." Thea comments as Slade sighs.

"I tried to help him. It just… Well he hated me before the Mirakuru. It enhanced it. I couldn't get through to him. To be honest. I'm still trying to figure out why you listened to me." Slade looks to Roy.

"Ohh I never hated you. I was just scared of you because you always looked at me as if you wanted to kill me." Roy points out as Thea slams her head into her hands.

"Ohh my god." She whispers.

"I tried to kiss my half brother." She groans into her hands.

"What?!" Both Roy and Slade question at the same time.

"You don't want to know but. I tried to kiss my half brother. That's how screwed up I am." She winces as Roy puts an arm around her.

"Hey, you're fine. You didn't know about that. Let's just put that behind us and agree to never talk about that again. But you're fine just the way you are and honestly. I never liked your mother, she's a bitch and you don't need her because you got me, and Oliver and Slade and everyone downstairs. Hey you even convinced that Catwoman to stay and help and you're going to be fine. Trust me." Roy assures her as she squeezes his hand.

"You're lucky I love you, Harper." She murmurs.

"And talking about love. Slade. Just ask Felicity out, for the love of god ask her out." Thea glances toward Slade with a slight smile on her face.

"Yeah, swear to god down there, I was half expecting you both to start making out. She so obliviously likes you and you like her. Don't try and deny it because I can see it."

"We can see it." Thea smirks.

"We are not discussing this." Slade growls.

"Fine, fine. It'll only get brought up again during movie night." Roy threatens.

"Movie night?" Thea folds her arms.

"It hit me. They spent five years in an island, they missed out on five years worth of decent movies. We've been doing this for weeks." Roy informs her.

"It won't be happening tonight if you keep this up." Slade grumbles.

"Come on, Slade just go down there and ask Felicity…"

"Ask Felicity what?" Comes the voice of Felicity Smoak herself from the door.

"Ohh Slade just wanted to ask you if… OWW!" Roy growls in pain as Slade shuts him up before he can say another word.

"What is it?" He questions.

"You're gonna want to hear this."

 _The Foundry_

"So what have we got?" Oliver questions as he Nyssa and Sara join the team around where Felicity is sat.

"What Shado took." She reveals.

"Took?" Slade growls.

"She wasn't here to kill us."

"You sure about that?" Roy cuts her off with folded arms.

"Yeah. She was here because we had something that she wanted." Sin nods as Felicity closes her eyes in defeat.

"The skeleton key." She winces.

"We did a full sweep. It's the only thing that's missing." Diggle shrugs as Slade sighs in anger and frustration.

"She needs a new way to mass produce the serum now that we've blown applied sciences." Slade growls.

"And with the skeleton key, he can get into anywhere and take anything he wants." Roy points out as Mick shrugs.

"Not a bad device if you're looking to steal something." He comments.

"And we know what it is she wants." Selina reminds them.

"Then we just have to find it first." Nyssa notes.

"She also, um. Left something behind. I don't know what it means. I mean it's just a piece of jewellery." Felicity holds up a silver bracelet made up of silver skulls.

"That was mine, I stole it." Harley reaches for it, Felicity placing it in her hand.

"Why would she put stolen jewellery here. Has it got any significance?" Oliver questions as Harley suddenly grabs his arm before looking up at Diggle.

"She got that bracelet on an ARGUS mission. She stole it and then left it with…"

"Shot. I. I gave it to Floyd." Harley whispers.

"So she's recruited Deadshot. Great." Slade mutters.

"No. She didn't want him because he almost screwed this whole thing up by trying to kill you last year. It's because I turned against her. She's done something to him." Harley growls.

"He's locked up in ARGUS." Diggle reminds her.

"As was I!" Harley snaps.

"Look. I'll contact Lyla. See if any things changed. Ok." Diggle holds his hands up.

"No need. ARGUS had a break in and break out last night. Lady Deathstroke took a prisoner. Deadshot." Felicity sighs upon hacking the database.

"Why would she take him prisoner? What would be the point." Sara questions.

"Get back at Harley for joining us." Diggle mutters.

"She knows he's my friend." Harley sighs.

"Ok. Ok. We'll do something about that." Oliver sighs.

"He's a criminal. Why bother." Nyssa retorts.

"He's my friend." Harley snaps.

"And she's my friend. So we will get him back." Oliver finishes before sighing.

"But we've also now got Shado out there with the skeleton key, so the question we should be asking is where is the most cutting edge technology housed in Starling City?"

 _STAR Labs: Starling City Branch_

"The combined inventory of every scientist who ever worked at STAR Labs, all housed right in here. I hereby christen this building 'da bomb'." A cheerful man named Cisco Ramon grins, whilst his colleague and friend, Caitlin Snow gives him a tired look.

"Nobody says that anymore."

"I say it!" Cisco retorts before smirking.

"I define my own cool. I still can't believe Dr. Wells is shutting this place down." He muses.

"STAR Labs blew a hole in Central City when we turned the particle accelerator on. It's not surprising that Starling City cancelled the lease on this facility." Caitlin deadpans.

"We're not exactly the poster children for 'let us store our unregulated prototypes in your neighbourhood.'" She mutters.

"It was an accident Caitlin." Cisco sighs.

"Yeah, well, try telling that to the families of the people who died."

"Maybe you can figure out how to tell that to yourself." He turns to face her.

"Look, Cisco, let's get the inventory done so we can go home." She murmurs.

"Still a shame this place is closing down. I mean Starling City man, the home of the three vigilantes! The Arrow, The Woman In Black, The Man In The Mask. They're freakin awesome! I mean their weapons, their outfits. Even though I don't get the whole orange and black mask thing The Man In The Mask's got going on, but he makes up for it with his amazing swords! I don't think I've ever seen a sword handled like that before until I watched one of the videos of those vigilantes and recently, the videos of The Woman In Black with her sonic device. Wow, the improvements I'd make it it. I mean it's efficient but it's…" Cisco is cut off by a sudden sound down the other side of the corridor.

"I thought we were the only ones here." Caitlin points out.

"Maybe it's one of the security guards." Cisco retorts as the two head down the corridor.

"Oh hey, man. We should be wrapped up any minute now." Cisco says to the security guard they find, who just stands there.

"Are you getting a bad vibe off this guy?" Cisco glances toward Caitlin, just as the security guard collapses to the ground, behind him, what looks to be The Man In The Mask.

"The Man In The Mask… Ohh this is awesome!" Cisco cheers.

"Was that a bad guy. I mean I was getting a bad vibe from that guy anyway."

"Um. Cisco. That's not a man." Caitlin grabs his arm.

"Then who… Ohh hell." Cisco winces as The Woman In The Mask grabs her guns, both Cisco and Caitlin making an instant run for it as she follows them.

"The longer you make me chase you, the slower I will kill you." She hisses as Caitlin drags Cisco into a room.

"Help me! This equipment belong to Arthur Light, Wells fired him two years ago." Caitlin informs Cisco.

"Why?" He questions.

"Because he was a psycho." Caitlin retorts, opening a box.

"Please tell me you can make this work."

 _Later…_

As Lady Deathstroke walks into a room, she had tracked the two scientists down to, she is pleasantly surprised to see one of them stood right in front of her.

"I take back what I said. I'll make this quick." She pulls her sword out, raising both the sword and crossbow to Caitlin.

"Now!" She cries ducking as Cisco leaps out with the weapon, which blast knocks Lady Deathstroke backwards, Cisco dropping the now useless weapon, both he and Caitlin making their escape, leaving Lady Deathstroke behind, yet she has what she needs.

It's right in front of her.

 _Meanwhile…_

Driving their motorcycle toward the building, the Black Canary, the Arrow stop outside the building upon seeing two people racing toward the security desk.

"We're too late." The Arrow grumbles.

"I'll tell Slade and Nyssa." The Black Canary reaches for her comms, knowing Nyssa and Slade are taking the back entrance in which is where they are currently, moving into the building, Nyssa using an arrow to knock the gun out of the security guards hand as they approach the two scientists.

"You two might be in danger. Is there a…"

"Get back or I'll kill your half orange ass!" Cisco bends down for the gun at the sight of the person in the mask.

"Um. Cisco. I think he's the real Man In The Mask." She comments.

"How do we know it's not just an act!" Cisco shouts.

"Because he looks like a man." Caitlin replies.

"She's been here." Nyssa looks to The Man In The Mask.

"You were attacked." The Man In The Mask comments.

"Yeah by a female version of you." Caitlin responds.

"Why does she look like you. Also, please don't kill me for trying to kill you. I actually think you're awesome. It's just she looked like you and she tried to kill us. Have we done something to offend whoever that was?" Cisco questions.

"No. She wanted something. An industrial centrifuge. Do you have one here?" He questions.

"Um. Um we don't have one of them but we do have something." Caitlin starts nervously.

"Well did she take it, whatever it is?" Nyssa questions.

"We were kinda too busy trying to run away to notice anything other than her trying to kill us!" Cisco exclaims.

"Could you show us where you store it?" Nyssa asks.

"We could but the SCPD have been called. They'll be here in minutes." Caitlin whispers.

"Well it only takes one of you to show us where it is. One of you can stay here." The Man In The Mask says sternly as Cisco and Caitlin look between each other.

"You really won't stab us in the back if we do. I mean it's pretty scary how she had the exact uniform as you." Caitlin points out.

"We know each other, yes. We have a history but I am not her. I do not work for her. I will not cause either of you harm and neither will she." He glances to Nyssa.

"Ok. Ok. Cisco, you stay here, I'll take them." Caitlin nods.

"You sure." Cisco glances at her.

"Yeah. I think he's being genuine. He is one of the three vigilantes." She gives The Man In The Mask a brave look.

"Do you think she's still down there?" She questions as they walk toward the place they were both attacked.

"I won't let any harm come to you. Neither of us will." He glances towed Nyssa, who stands behind Caitlin to protect her, Caitlin standing slightly behind The Man In The Mask as she leads them down the different aisles of equipment.

"How did you escape her?" The Man In The Mask questions.

"A classified weapon. Knocked her down. We just ran." Caitlin reveals.

"That must have been a powerful weapon to take out someone like her." Nyssa comments.

"Someone like her? Who is she. Why did she want this thing, if she has it?" Caitlin questions.

"It's a long story." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"I'm a good listener." Caitlin replies.

"The less you know the safer you are." He retorts as Caitlin turns a corner.

"It should be here. It's a bio transfuser it can deliver blood from one single patient into multiple ones at once." She gestures to the empty space.

"She's acquired it." Nyssa growls as The Man In The Mask clenches his fists together before turning to Caitlin.

"Thank you for your assistance. Um." He mutters politely.

"Caitlin. Caitlin Snow, that's my name. I doubt you'll tell me yours but you're welcome. Thank you for not killing me." She says with a slight smile as Nyssa and The Man In The Mask walk away from her, The Man In The Mask glancing back at Caitlin as they leave.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Caitlin Snow."

 _Later…_

As Caitlin and Cisco had said, the SCPD arrived in minutes, Cisco waiting anxiously in the lobby for Caitlin to return, getting to his feet when he sees a familiar face.

"Felicity!" He calls her over.

"Cisco!" Felicity races toward him.

"Are you okay, she didn't hurt you did she?" Felicity questions anxiously.

"No, no we're fine." Cisco nods.

"We?" Felicity glances around.

"Yeah Caitlin was with me." He reveals.

"Caitlin? Where is she?" Felicity questions.

"Um. She um. She's. Right here." Cisco sighs upon seeing Caitlin race toward them.

"Felicity." Caitlin smiles kindly at her.

"Are you okay?" Felicity looks at the bewildered look upon Caitlin's face.

"Yeah. I was. I was just… Seeing what was stolen." Caitlin closes her eyes.

"Hi. I'm John Diggle, I work security for Queen Consolidated. Do you have any idea what the masked woman may have taken? An industrial centrifuge by any chance?" Diggle questions.

"It's a secret I'm sorry. One I have to keep." Caitlin sighs.

"Well does Cisco have to keep it to?" Felicity glances at him, Cisco looking to tell her.

"Yes. He does." Caitlin says before Cisco can say a word.

"Ok. We're just so happy that you guys are okay. How's Barry doing?" She questions.

"He's the same." Caitlin replies.

"Barry's condition deteriorated. They moved him to STAR Labs, they've been looking after him. That's how I met Cisco and Caitlin." Felicity explains to Diggle.

"Right." Diggle nods as Felicity smiles at them both.

"Well, I'll come visit again as soon as I can." Felicity smiles.

"That would be cool. Don't worry, Barry gets lots of visitors. His friend Julian, the asshole British guy you met the last time you were there, somehow he's Barry's best friend and his sister like friend Iris is there a lot. From what I found out about her, her family took him in when he was young." Cisco informs her as she nods with a smile.

"That's good." Felicity beams at them both once more before she and Diggle leave to return to The Foundry

 _The Foundry_

"Hey. You guys okay?" Felicity questions the minute she and Diggle return.

"Nope. Shado acquired something a lot more advanced then the centrifuge." Oliver mutters as Felicity frowns.

"Wait. How do you know that? I mean didn't you two come straight back here?" She glances to Oliver and Sara.

"We got in there and questioned the scientists." Nyssa reveals.

"Yes. Met a very helpful woman who showed us that a bio transfuser has been taken. Here's the thing. It can deliver blood from one patient to multiple ones simultaneously." Slade reveals as Felicity folds her arms.

"Think you found your answer as to why your friend looked so nervous." Diggle notes.

"Did you scare her?" Felicity folds her arms.

"Who, Caitlin Snow? You know her?" Slade questions.

"Yes. She and Cisco work for STAR Labs. They look after Barry." Felicity replies.

"I liked her." Slade comments.

"Ok. Why would Shado need a blood transfusion?" Roy questions.

"She doesn't. The prisoners that she freed from Iron Heights last week to create her own personal army do." Slade mutters.

"And with a few tweaks, Shado can retro fit it for the Mirakuru bypassing what we know to be a less than desirable ratio of success, to you know death so they won't end up dying in unimaginable agony like Slade did. Still gets me how you came back from that." Harley guesses, aiming the latter comment at Slade as Felicity instantly spins around to face Slade at her words in shock..

"Wait. What?! It killed you!" She cries.

"I've told you before. You really don't want to ask about what happened there. Trust me. It was bad enough being there." Oliver holds his hand up.

"Yeah. Instead of it metabolising in the person, it happens in the machine." Harley finishes.

"Then that's going to require a whole lot of blood. Even a woman with Shado's stamina won't be able to handle that kind of drain." Nyssa folds her arms.

"Good, then we let her use it and kill the bitch when she's all weak and vulnerable." Mick suggests as Oliver turns to glance at him.

"That's actually not a bad idea. We wait until then like Mick said and then I'll take that opportunity to kill her. How do we find this thing?" Oliver questions.

"A machine like this pulls an exorbitant amount of power from the grid." Felicity informs them as Sin glances at her.

"So you'll be able to know where and when it gets turned on?" She questions.

"Exactly." Felicity nods before sighing.

"Right now, we just wait." Oliver shakes his head.

"I'm tired of waiting."

 _Slade's Plane_

" _Don't listen to him, he's lying!" Anatoly snaps in response._

 _"The cure is real, I promise." Ivo cries._

 _"No. He's just trying to save his neck." Anatoly hisses as Harley pushes past him._

 _"Anthony, look at me. Tell us about the cure, we're all ears." She rests a hand on his arm a Anatoly just storms away in anger._

 _"I want to help you, Harley, but first. You have to promise me, you'll help me too." She whispers as Sara folds her arms._

 _"She can't save your life. Don't even think that. After what you did to us, I am so close to helping Anatoly do whatever he likes to you." She mutters viciously as Ivo reveals his bleeding stump where Shado cut off his hand._

 _"No one can save me, Sara, not anymore. All I ask is for a quick death." He begs._

 _"You don't deserve a quick death after what you did." Oliver growls._

 _"I know and I'm still asking." He whispers as Harley looks up at Oliver._

 _"It's your call." He mutters to her before putting an arm around Sara. Harley just nods._

 _"Thank you." Ivo gives her a grateful look._

 _"Start talking Ivo!" Oliver snaps._

 _"I was never able to replicate the Mirakuru serum from the original Japanese World War Two research I discovered. After conducting experiments on the prisoners that I acquired this past year, I was able to synthesise a solution that counteracts, reverses the physiological effects that exposure to Mirakuru produces. From more than human… Back to human." He reveals to them._

 _"Where is this cure now?" Sara questions._

 _"The three of you will keep your word about ending my life?" Ivo glances up at him._

 _"Yes. Just tell us where it is and you can do one decent thing. For two people." Harley promises as he places a key in her hands._

 _"On the freighter. In the safe, in my quarters. Yet. There might only be enough for one and if so your going to have to chose which one has it. Now. This concludes my end of our deal." He murmurs as Harley nods, pulling her gun from the inside pocket of her coat, raising it to him, as promised._

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should be updated soon. Thanks for all your reviews, follows and favourites. Please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter and see you all next update._**


	128. The Man Under The Hood (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Eight_**

 _Queen Consolidated_

"Good afternoon, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson. How are you both today?" Isabel smirks as she passes their office.

"Where's Shado." Slade gets to his feet in an instant as Isabel enters their office with an incredulously look upon her face.

"You actually think I'll answer that question?" She folds her arms.

"Worth a shot." Diggle smirks from the corner of the room.

"We just wanted to give you the chance to do the right thing." Oliver gets to his feet.

"Do you even know who Shado is? Or why she's doing this?" Slade questions.

"I do but I don't care. I know enough, that you and Oliver did something to her and you were meant to be in love with her and she's so…" Isabel stops herself.

"And she never got over it because a part of her is still in love with you Slade." She reveals.

"So she and you try to infiltrate my families company, to try and steal it because you know, that didn't work out did it and you know what, just because you were sleeping with my father do you think that entitled you to my family's company because it didn't." Oliver snaps as Isabel glares at him.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Isabel hisses.

"Wow, he fooled around with a lot of girls. I don't see any of them attempting a hostile takeover." Oliver points out.

"Fooled around?" Isabel glances up at him.

"Is that what your mother told you? Of course she would write me off as a meaningless affair." She shakes her head as she moves toward them.

"Shado put me through hell. Her training nearly killed me and if she had me look after that annoying…" Isabel growls, clenching her hands together before looking up at them.

"Would I put myself through all that just because I was a jilted lover?"

"We don't know what you are!" Slade snaps back.

"I was Robert Queen's soul mate!" She cries.

"A'right. Yeah, that has got to be dumbest thing I've ever heard." Slade scoffs, as Oliver to looks on in amused disbelief.

"He was going to leave Moira Queen, leave the company, leave you Oliver. Our bags were packed." She mutters.

"Really?" Oliver glances toward her.

"Then your sister had to go and break her arm doing something ridiculous no doubt." She folds her arms.

"She fell off her horse." Oliver corrects her.

"We were at the airport when he got the call. I begged him not to go. I reminded him that Thea wasn't even his!" She snaps as Oliver freezes at her words.

"Are you saying that my father knew?" He questions quietly.

"Of course he knew. He was a fool, not an idiot and like a fool, he loved her anyway. He promised me that we would leave the next day, but instead my internship was terminated and he never spoke to me again." She retorts.

"Ohh so that's what this is about. He chose his family over you." Slade folds his arms as there is a tap on the glass by Diggle.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have some very important work to be doing." Isabel mutters as she exits the office, Slade and Oliver glaring at her as she leaves.

"We'll get rid of her one day kid." Slade pats Oliver's shoulder as they approach Diggle.

"Just spoke with Felicity. Someone reached out to the four vigilantes. Wants a meeting." Diggle informs them as they head toward the elevator.

"Who?" Oliver questions as Diggle glances at them both.

"Laurel."

 _Iron Heights_

Quentin looks up as an officer approaches his cell door.

"You comfortable in there, officer Lance? I can see if there's an extra blanket if you're cold." He offers kindly.

"Nah, I'm good, but hey. Now that I'm on this side of the bars, I think it's just Quentin."

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, you'll be out of here soon." The other man responds.

"Yeah, I appreciate your optimism." Quentin nods with a slight smile, just as on the other side of the corridor, one of the prisoners begins to attack one of the officers and then the one who moves away from Quentin's cell to help.

"Hey!" Quentin yells at the commotion.

"Hey what are you doing?!" He yells.

"Officer! We need help! We need help!" He calls, not being able to anything from behind the bars.

"Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing, man?" Quentin questions as the criminal approaches his cell with a set of keys.

"Remember me? You should, cause I remember you officer." The criminal retorts.

"Ok no, you can't do this… Arghh! All right take it easy. Take it easy!" He cries out as the criminal slams an object hard down on his fingers as the criminal enters the cell.

"Cause you and those three freak shows are the reason I'm in this place. I thought I should be the one to welcome you!" He snarls before moving to attack Quentin who puts up a brief fight against the criminal before he knocks Quentin to the ground, hitting him with his baton, over and over and over again before being dragged away by the other officers.

"This isn't over!" He yells as he is dragged away.

"This isn't over!"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"We heard about your father being arrested." The Arrow starts as he, the Black Canary, The Man In The Mask and Nyssa approach Laurel.

"If we could help him, we would." Nyssa bows her head.

"That's not what this is about." Laurel sighs.

"Then what it this about Laurel. We are busy." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"It's funny, isn't it. A year ago, he thought the three of you were murderers and me. I was. I was drawn to the thee of you. I couldn't explain why, but… But a part of me felt connected to the three of you. You three were always there for me and now recently, your new addition." She glances toward Nyssa.

"Both you and The Woman In Black were there for me when The Huntress held us hostage. You were all always there for me, for my family and for some reason. I never asked why."

"Are you asking now?" The Arrow questions.

"I don't have to because I already know the answers." She murmurs just as her phone begins to ring.

"Hello?" Laurel questions, turning around for a second.

"Laurel. It's your father." Comes the voice of Cat.

"What is it?" The Black Canary questions as Laurel just looks around in horror.

 _Iron Heights_

"Laurel I am so sorry, we had your father under protective custody." Kate Spencer starts to apologise to Laurel as she passes her.

"There's no such thing as protective custody in Iron Heights!" Laurel snaps back as she enters the infirmary room where her father is being kept.

"Dad!" She calls as she approaches him.

"It's all right sweetheart, it's all right." He holds his hand up as she approaches him.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, don't touch the ribs!" Quentin winces as she moves to hug him.

"I'm getting tired of visiting my family members in a hospital." Laurel sighs as Sara bursts into the room from behind her.

"Dad, what happened to you!" She cries as Laurel turns to face her sister, who looks like she's been running, despite her earlier injuries.

"Oh, it's just some old collar paid me a visit. I guess I'm not the most popular guy in prison." Quentin shrugs it off.

"Sara, do you mind giving sad and I a second alone please. I'll let you know when you can come back in." She says almost sharply.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be right outside." She responds.

"Don't go far, sweetie." Quentin calls after her as she leaves.

"Dad." Laurel starts as she sits beside him.

"What is it, honey?" He questions in surprise.

"I have to tell you something." She grabs his hand.

"What is it?" He frowns at her.

"I know who the three vigilantes are." She reveals.

"What?" Quentin gives her a dazed look.

"Yeah I know and…"

"Don't. Say. Another. Word." Quentin hisses instantly.

"Don't say anything." He tries to sit up.

"Dinah Laurel Lance. If you know who the three vigilantes are then you'll know why you cannot say a damn word. In fact. If you know. If you know who they are and by the look in the face and the way you… I know you do. You cannot say a word. How could you even think of saying something if you know the truth?!" He growls.

"So you do know who they are." Laurel whispers, it all dawning on her.

It's the truth. It's real. She does know who the three vigilantes are…

"Laurel, I don't care if a rot in this damn place, you don't say a word, you hear me! Because this will be them, In my position. Possibly worse. You saw the Moira Queen trial. They were trying to serve up the death penalty and for those three they would do that again I'm sure of it and none of us want that. Neither of us and you know what Laurel. They have people who work for them, people, who know this secret. They will get found out and they will be punished for it to, because sometimes, Laurel and I will tell you this. It's not always the original three under the hood or mask. It's one of their friends, closest friends and if you do know who the Arrow is, you know who his best friend is. His childhood friend." He mutters to Laurel as she gasps.

"No." She shakes her head.

"No. No. He. No!" Laurel whispers because if the Arrow is who she believes him to be, knows him to be then that means…

"Laurel. What this city needs them to be is the three vigilantes, they are what matter. The ones under the hood, wigs and mask aren't important. Can't you imagine what it's like to be them? What they have to live with day in and day out. What that's got to be like? Hey. The least I can do is sit here and do a little bit of time for everything they've done."

 _Later…_

Stepping out of the room, Laurel glances toward where Sara is stood beside the door.

"You okay?" Sara glances at her as Laurel just crosses the room and embraces her.

"Woah. What's that for?" Sara smiles at her as Laurel pulls away.

"I've been a bit cold with you today Sara and I just wanted you to know, that I love you and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Laurel whispers as she holds her sister.

"Ok. I forgive you. I always will." Sara beams as Laurel squeezes her tightly once more before moving toward Kate Spencer.

"How's your father?" She questions politely.

"He'll be better once you drop all charges and sign his release papers." Laurel folds her arms, a stern look upon her face.

"He is facing eighteen months." She retorts.

"Yes, but he is not going to stay here another day unless you want me to resign and embark on an exciting new career as a criminal defense attorney whose sole ambition will be to sue the District Attorney's Office for wrongful arrest and reckless endangerment!" She snaps as DA Spencer just sighs.

"Your father will be released on his own recognizance within the hour and reinstated tomorrow." DA Spencer mutters before beginning to walk away.

"A word of advice." She turns to face Laurel.

"Be mindful of the battle you choose because it will not always be this easy." She mutters before walking away from Laurel, Sara walking toward her.

"Nice work, counselor!" Sara cheers.

"Thank you." Laurel smiles back as she looks down at Sara's arm.

"How's your arm?" She asks gently.

"Mm fine. It only hurts when I wave." Sara lifts her fingers.

"Ouch." Laurel winces at the gash on her head, brushing her sisters hair back.

"I'm fine, I promise. Trust me Nyssa looks a lot worse." Sara smirks.

"Whilst that doesn't reassure me Sara. I know you will be." Laurel nods as Sara heads back into their fathers room, Laurel just watching her go as she heads back into the room, squeezing their father's hand, yet minutes later, she reaches for her phone.

"Gotta go." She hears her call to their dad.

"Be safe." Laurel hears him say as Sara jogs out of the room, giving Laurel and friendly wave as she goes.

"Ollie." Sara starts as she walks down the corridor.

"Felicity called. The grid at Collins and Main just spiked, wait I'll patch her through." Oliver informs her as he connects Felicity to their call.

"A hellva lot of power is being drained there right now which means someone either plugged in the worlds largest hair dryer, or the bio transfuser just went online. The power cycle on this machine is very specific. You guys have thirty minutes, forty tops." Felicity explains to them as Sara nods.

"Ok. I'll join you guys." She says before hanging up.

"Ollie. Give me a minute I'm coming with." Comes the voice of Harley through the phone.

"Harley." Oliver starts.

"No. She's messed with my friends. I want to be there when you take her out." Harley grumbles, loading her gun and marching towards the stairs, looking to the others as she leaves, Roy nodding and following her instantly along with Mick, who grabs a flame thrower, Diggle a gun and Selina and Nyssa an assortment of weapons.

"You guys got the whole cavalry coming." Sin informs Oliver and Slade through the phone.

"We won't need it. Tell them to circle the perimeter. No one gets in or out." Oliver says firmly, the group turning toward the computers at that moment.

"You got it." Diggle nods before leaving with the rest of them.

"Let's go, kid." Slade glances toward Oliver before walking away.

"Oliver. Are you still there?" Felicity questions softly.

"Yes. Why?" Oliver frowns.

"Look, I know this is selfish of me, Oliver and don't hate me for saying this but… Don't let Slade kill her. If anyone kills her, it is you, Sara, anyone else in the team but Slade. Ok? I don't think he'll… Just please, Oliver." Felicity sighs.

"Don't worry I understand." Oliver murmurs before sighing himself.

"Because I was thinking the exact same thing."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Ok. Only a few of us need to go in." The Arrow starts as he approaches the group.

"What are you saying? Who's going?" Selina folds her arms as the Arrow sighs.

"It's Shado in there, she's weak, vulnerable and like Mick said earlier. This is our best shot at taking her out. Which is why I think. Only me, Sara and Harley need to go in their, the rest of you secure the perimeter." He admits.

"We started this. We should be the ones to end it." Harley agrees, cocking her gun.

"I'll stay high up. I can get down from heights easily if you need my help." Selina suggests.

"Yeah that's ok and if things go wrong. Nyssa, you and Dig can make a perimeter inside the building with Selina around the higher positions. Slade, Mick, Roy. Stay outside and if it turns into a fight that takes us outside. You guys can handle it." Oliver suggests.

"Kid. I'm not staying outside." The Man In The Mask retorts.

"Slade. You know what has to be done and honestly, I don't want you to have be there to witness that." The Arrow sighs.

"He has a point. You did love this woman." Nyssa shrugs.

"No. It's like you said, kid. We started this. We end this, you and me." He glances to the Arrow, both of them looking to the Black Canary.

"Sara. Do you…" The Arrow trails off.

"I'll watch your backs from behind but if. When it happens if I'm not…" She stops as the Arrow moves toward her, kissing her forehead gently before squeezing her hand.

"We understand." The Man In The Mask nods as he and the Arrow turn to the door.

"You and me, kid." He mutters as the Arrow looks to him.

"Let's do this."

 _Later…_

Entering from above, the Arrow, The Man In The Mask and Harley head in first, hearing the sounds of the Black Canary, Nyssa, Selina and Diggle from behind them, yet they hang back mainly as the Arrow, The Man In The Mask and Harley jump down to the lower levels, hitting the ground floor side by side, the three of them entering the room where the bio transfuser is at work, someone lying right in the centre of the room.

Shado. The three think as they walk slowly toward the centre of the room, rows of prisoners in a semi circle around the centre of the room where the bio transfuser is.

"Hell." Harley winces at the sight of all the Mirakuru infected prisoners.

"No." The Arrow whispers as he approaches the centre of the room as it's not Shado who is lying in the middle, connected to the bio transfuser.

"No, no, no." He whispers.

Tommy Merlyn…

"Oh, kid." The Man In The Mask looks to the Arrow, who moves instantly to Tommy's side.

"Hey, Tommy. Tommy. It's okay buddy. I'm gonna get you out of here." The Arrow murmurs, reaching for the wirings.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." The voice of Shado causes the three of them to turn around in an instant to face her and Isabel Rochev, who stands behind her.

"Removing him mid cycle would surely kill him and how would you explain that to Laurel and her children? Perhaps you could let Harley do that. They got quite close."

"Don't do this. Shado please, he's got two kids. He's my friend. You know who he is I told you about him. Don't you remember that?" The Arrow snaps.

"Of course I do. Why do you think I targeted him and well, he's here because you were too busy with me to look for him when he left. To protect Laurel and the children."

"I'm surprised how much of a fight he put up." Isabel smirks.

"Tell us how to shut it down!" The Man In The Mask snarls, the Arrow raising his bow.

"If you could feel the power surging through me right now, you would know that I don't fear your arrows." Shado hisses.

"I am stronger than you can even imagine and soon…" She uses her sword to indicate to the prisoners laid out on tables.

"I will not be alone." She comments as Harley raises a gun to her.

"Where's Floyd!" Harley growls.

"Nice to see you again Harley. Who'd have thought you'd be such a traitor." Isabel comments as Shado looks to her.

"Go on, bring him out." She commands as Isabel makes a couple of steps to the side, pulling out a bound, gagged and bloodied Floyd Lawton from behind a pillar.

"Shot." Harley whispers as she approaches him.

"Harley." The Arrow growls warningly.

"Shouldn't have asked me to release him Harley, you revealed to me then that he is a weakness of yours. Well, I suppose he is quite handsome. Yet you say he's just your friend. You know, I'm not surprised you say that." Shado smirks as she pats Floyd on the shoulder.

"I mean it must be hard, trying to get over Oliver Queen after all." Shado smiles as the Arrow glares at her.

"Ohh yes. Harley sang like a bird, told me all about the night you two screwed, actually was it only the one time or more? I don't blame you. I mean, Sara was supposedly dead, was she not. Did you ever tell her about that? About you and Harley? The woman you met, whilst you were still with Sara and then when she's gone, you end up sleeping with her. Was there always something there between you and Harley? You know. I think I just answered my own question. You never told Sara did you?" She gives the Arrow a wicked smirk, before looking straight behind him.

The Arrow freezing in place.

The Black Canary is guarding them from above, she's not behind him.

Sara hasn't heard every word of that…

"What?" He hears her quiet voice from behind him as he turns, just to see her stood beside Tommy's unconscious form.

"Wow. Talking about déjà vu, earlier. This reminds me of when I found out about your treacherous ways, from Ivo aboard the Amazo. I was stood right behind you, just like she is now. Looks like you've got some explaining to do." Shado muses as the Arrow spins around and shoots out the electricity box, causing spikes of electricity and causing the bio transfuser to power down, Harley taking that opportunity to grab Floyd and drag him toward her whilst the Arrow fires arrows at Shado, who deflects each of them with her sword, The Man In The Mask moving to attack her when Isabel begins to shoot at them all with her gun, catching Selina in the leg when she tries to jump down, the Black Canary pulling her out of the way or the firing line as Isabel continues to shoot at them all, Nyssa shooting the gun out of her hand from behind, engaging Isabel in hand to hand combat, kicking her down just as Shado races forward the attack both the Arrow and The Man In The Mask, whom both move quickly to deflect her attacks, Harley firing at her with her gun, whilst The Man In The Mask engages Shado in battle, Shado knocking him aside and advancing on the Arrow.

"You can't hurt me." She starts as the Arrow fires an explosive arrow.

"Got you twice." He mutters as he gets to his feet.

"All of you go!" He yells to them as Nyssa moves to grab the Black Canary and Selina before using her arrow to grapple them away, whilst The Man In The Mask moves toward the exit with Harley and Floyd whilst the Arrow, grabbing a vile of the Mirakuru, pockets it before racing toward where Tommy is still attached to the bio transfuser, pulling his restraints away from his friend.

"Come on buddy, stay with me. You're okay. I got you." The Arrow murmurs, grabbing a hold of him just as Isabel is about to shoot at him, yet instead, she is shot down in the chest by Diggle from above, who nods at the Arrow just as he grabs Tommy and takes him to safety...

 _Later…_

"Ohh my god, is that…" Roy starts as he sees the Arrow all but carrying Tommy with the help of Diggle as they walk away from the building.

"Yep and we need to get him to The Foundry. Fast." The Arrow retorts.

"He's probably lost a lot of blood." The Black Canary mutters.

"Sara. Can we. Can you help over here." The Arrow starts carefully.

"Why don't you ask Slade, or Roy, or even Mick. Don't need my help." She retorts, the Arrow sighing in response.

"Sara. It was. It was four years ago and it. It didn't mean. Ok. It's just... Sara, I thought you were dead and you had Nyssa…" He points out.

"It's not that and you know it isn't." She snarls before moving toward Nyssa to continue supporting the injured Selina.

"What happened between them two?" Roy whispers to The Man In The Mask.

"I wouldn't ask right now, if I were you Roy." The Man In The Mask sighs.

"Wait. Give me a sec." Diggle starts as he stops walking to answer a phone call.

"You okay, Shot?" Harley looks anxiously at Floyd, stopping in front of him and removing the restraints from his hands.

"What can I say, darlin. It's good to be outta that cell." He smirks despite the blood around his mouth as Harley just grins at him before wrapping her arms around him.

"I owe you one." He mutters, not minding her embracing him one bit.

"How'd you know where I was?" He queries as Harley holds up the bracelet.

"Ahh. That thing. I forgot to thank you for that, you left before I got the chance to." He reminds her as he tilts his head to the side.

"I still owe you that drink." He points out.

"Well, perhaps we can get now, we're both outta prison." She grins, sliding both her hands into his as Diggle moves toward them.

"I wouldn't count on that. ARGUS tracked my phone. They know where we are right now. They said if I walk you two down the street to them. They won't attack the rest." Diggle admits having hung up the phone.

"No! We just did all that effort breaking out of places. I ain't going back there!" Harley exclaims as Diggle sighs.

"Look Harley, I know you gave Lawton the device. Even if you are both locked away, you'll still be to be free of those bombs and if you go quietly now. I ain't saying anything." Diggle holds up his hands.

"Come on, John, just let us disappear." Floyd sighs.

"Can't do that Lawton." He reminds him as suddenly Harley collapses, Floyd catching her before she can hit the ground, a dart in her neck that the Black Canary had thrown.

"Hey!" The Arrow snaps at her.

"What? She isn't one of us. She's a criminal and she did work for Shado. She was placed with my sister and her children all that time. I say she goes back to ARGUS. Anyway. Dig's right they won't attack us if we give them up." She retorts, walking away.

"Sara. I know you're…" Nyssa starts.

"No. I'm more worried about what they'd do if they came out all guns blazing. They're ARGUS what's the first thing they're going to see and probably want to shoot on sight? Deathstroke. So I say it's Quinn and Deadshot or Slade. I don't know about you guys but for me. Slade wins every time." She mutters sharply.

"Come on man. Don't let all these people get hurt. We're slowed down with her unconscious now, anyway." Diggle glances at Harley in Floyd's arms.

"What's it gonna take for you guys to look the other way?" Floyd questions.

"You killed my brother, man." Diggle reminds him.

"Come on, John. You owe me one after Markovia." He points out as Diggle dials a number into his phone.

"Yeah, Waller. They got away. They're running. Went north from my location, both of them." Diggle mutters before hanging up and when he glances up, he sees Deadshot disappearing into the distance…

"Thank you. Despite everything Harley is my friend and ARGUS is not a good place, even for criminals." The Arrow murmurs.

"Don't mention it man." Diggle mutters.

"Really don't mention it."

 _The Foundry_

"He's lost a lot of blood." Nyssa remarks as the team look at Tommy's unconscious form upon the table they have placed him on, the only one not around the table is Sara, who is helping Selina remove the bullet from her leg.

"We don't know what the bio transfuser did to him but his pulse is very weak. He's barely breathing." Nyssa comments.

"He needs a real doctor." Sin glances up at the others.

"Well that's stupid. Doesn't he have that…"

"Mirakuru? Yes. We can't take him to the hospital, they run tests." Oliver agrees with Mick.

"We need to keep what's in him from getting out." Slade adds.

"What do we do now?" Felicity questions softly.

"The only thing we can do, wait." Diggle sighs.

"Well, while we're waiting we still have a Shado problem. She's got twenty guys just like her and we have no way to stop her. I'd suggest sticking me in a room with them as I am like them. I have the Mirakuru but Shado. She's got training. I can't get past that with just brute force." Roy folds his arms.

"We might have a way." Oliver looks up at him as he pulls out the vile of Mirakuru, showing it to the whole team.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sin glances at the vile.

"Mirakuru." Roy's eyes widen at it as Slade snatches it from Oliver's hand.

"You weren't thinking about taking it were you?" Felicity looks to Oliver.

"No." Oliver replies.

"I was." Slade retorts.

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room shouts at once.

"Think about it. Roy was right. He can't fight her because she has training. Despite his strength he cannot get past her. I have even more training than she does and I'm stronger than even her. We can end this." Slade states his case.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Oliver explodes, reaching for the vile in Slade's hand.

"He sensible here, kid." Slade murmurs, stepping away, the vile still in his hand.

"Do you have any idea what that stuff did to you last time? What we had to go through? Because I do. I was there, it caused you so much pain. I won't let you go through that again. Even if I have to fight you. I won't let you take this stuff again. I cannot go through that again. Watching you die? What if it doesn't work this time and it kills you. I can't lose you. We can't lose you." Oliver cries.

"And if it does work. I can take her down." Slade retorts.

"No. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Oliver's right. You can't do this. There's a chance it could just kill you. It not working at all, but if. If you just work on training me, I could get stronger, I could have a shot at killing her myself. Just don't put yourself through that because Oliver is right. We can't lose you. I need you. I haven't got a chance in hell of controlling this stuff if I don't have you helping me. Please." Roy begs as well.

"They're right. I know I told you to do whatever it takes to end this but this isn't the way. You can't put yourself through that. We can find another way." Felicity moves toward him.

"You don't remember some of the things you did under the Mirakuru. It's not the way." Sara mutters as Slade turns to face her.

"What do you mean by that?" He questions.

"Exactly what I said. There are some things you don't remember whilst being under the influence of the Mirakuru. If you did remember you wouldn't want to do this…"

"Ok. Ok. That doesn't matter…" Oliver holds his hands up, glaring at Sara.

"What don't I remember, kid?" Slade questions.

"Just. Some stupid things. It doesn't matter." Oliver sighs as Slade gives him a skeptical look, yet with a sigh, places the Mirakuru in Roy's hand.

"Thank you." Roy nods as he passes it back to Oliver, Felicity smiling up at Slade.

"None of us are going to take this stuff. We're going to use it to make a cure." Oliver reveals.

"Is it possible to reverse the effects?" Nyssa questions.

"Yes it is. Slade. He was cured." Oliver informs her as she nods.

"Ivo did it and the one vile of the cure we had made. It. ARGUS took it and this kind woman I knew whose family was affected by ARGUS, gave it to Slade and I as we moved on to another place. That's how Slade was cured but…" Oliver stops.

"It's okay, kid, you can tell them. It wasn't your fault." Slade rests a hand on his arm.

"What?" Diggle glances to Oliver, then to Slade and Sara.

"Five years ago. I had the chance to use the cure on Shado. I chose to kill her. Everything that's happening right now is my fault." Oliver murmurs.

"Kid. It wasn't. It was an impossible situation. You are not to blame for what you did." Slade says to him reassuringly.

"Why did you choose to kill her?" Roy questions.

"I. I. She. She shot Slade through the eye. An arrow that was intended for me. Sara and I. We tried to save him but. It… Then she. I thought she killed Sara. I thought she'd taken them both away from me. I wasn't thinking straight so I. I killed her. Well I thought I killed her. I thought I was going to die anyway. There was an explosion. The boat was filling with water so I. Accepted my fate. I didn't think there was anyway I could escape so I just. I just sat beside Slade. Knowing that if I was going to die, at least I'd be with my friend, my brother." He trails off as he looks up at Slade.

"I woke up in a new place alone. Left with the knowledge that at that point I was the only surviver." Oliver whispers as the rest of the team looks on in shock and horror at Oliver's haunting story.

"This is my fault." He murmurs as Slade pulls him into a brotherly embrace.

"No it's not, kid." He mutters as he holds his brother in all but blood.

"He's right. What else could you do if you thought she'd killed Sara and Slade. This isn't your fault Oliver. In fact to me, I think the one person to blame here is that Ivo." Diggle assures him as Nyssa nods.

"Ivo and the Mirakuru." She agrees.

Oliver's not convinced.

Even with the reassuring from all the ones who care about him.

He doubts he ever will be…

 _Slade's Plane_

" _I saved you once, Harley. It feels like a long time ago now. Time to return the favour." Ivo looks up at Harley, who holds the gun to his head._

 _"Yeah, I'm doing it, I'm doing it." Harley murmurs as Oliver rests a hand over the gun, lowering it slowly._

 _"You might not believe it now, but I was considered a good man. A good doctor, a good husband. Until the Mirakuru drove me mad. I didn't even take any myself…" He is stopped abruptly by Oliver shooting him multiple times, killing Anthony Ivo once and for all._

 _"You didn't have to do that for me." Harley looks up at him._

 _"I've killed before. Many times. I would've done it." She protests as he grabs her arms._

 _"Harley. He saved you once. You would've regretted killing him. I didn't want you to have that on your conscious." He murmurs as she wraps her arms around him tightly as the three of them hear Anatoly muttering something in Russian._

 _"So, now what do we do?" He questions, glancing at the three of them as Oliver, his arms still around Harley, looks up at Anatoly._

 _"Well, I don't suppose any of you know how to pilot a submarine?"_

 _The Foundry_

"Thanks for giving me a hand with that Canary." Selina smirks at Sara, who had finished stitching her leg up, Sara smiling back at her.

"That's ok. You know, you're quite the badass out there." Sara comments.

"Me? You're not to bad yourself." She grins as Oliver approaches Sara.

"Can we talk?" He questions quietly.

"Is there anything to talk about, Oliver." She mutters.

"Yes. There is." Oliver moves in front of her.

"Sara. It was four years ago. I thought you were dead and I didn't even think there was a possibility that you'd ever come back to me and I know that you never liked Harley but…"

"I think it's really sad that you don't realise that I'm not angry that you slept with Harley. In fact. I couldn't care less who it was." She snaps as she starts to walk away.

"Sara. Just tell me why then, tell me what's upsetting you and I'll. We'll talk about it. Please. Sara." Oliver catches her arm.

"You don't get it, do you Oliver. You just don't get it and that's why. That's why I'm angry." She hisses before simply pulling out of his grasp and walking away…

 _Meanwhile…_

"So something really bad happened between those two then." Roy comments from beside Slade, whom glances at him.

"Still wouldn't ask." He murmurs.

"Didn't think anything could come between them." Sin mutters.

"Perhaps Nyssa can soften things a little." Felicity says, picking up her handbag.

"I'll see you all tomorrow." She says as she heads out of The Foundry.

"Think there's anything we can do here?" Roy glances to Slade.

"Doubt it. Not much we can do for him." He glances toward Tommy's unconscious form.

"Movie night?" Roy reminds him.

"Fine!" Slade sighs and he follows Roy toward the stairs, both nearly knocking into Sara.

"I'm gonna keep watch outside Cat Grant's house tonight. Laurel and the kids are staying with her." Sara mutters in explanation as she storms up the stairs, not even looking back at Oliver, who stands at the bottom of the stairs alone until Nyssa approaches him.

"Nyssa just, just if you're going to lecture me…"

"I wasn't actually, Oliver. I was just hoping for an explanation. As I know Sara wouldn't be mad at you for sleeping with that woman, even if she didn't like her as you did think she was dead and she thought you were to when she was with me. I have an assumption." She glances at him as Oliver sighs.

"What is it?" He mutters.

"Well when you and I met, you knew who I was to Sara. When Harley reunited with you, Sara saw her as the woman the three of you knew on the island. You never told her what happened, even when she did tell you what happened between us." Nyssa points out.

"Who's side are you taking?" Oliver murmurs.

"No ones." Nyssa replies, Oliver about to say something else when Thea jogs down into The Foundry looking around in shock.

"Ohh my god, Tommy!" She cries, looking to Oliver.

"What happened to him?!"

"Shado. She needed the Mirakuru in his blood to create her army. He's out of it for now, we don't know." Oliver shrugs slightly as Thea approaches him, sliding her hand into his.

"I still can't believe that he's my half brother." She murmurs as Oliver remembers something and moves to the other side of Tommy.

"There's something I gotta tell you Thea." He admits.

"What?" She looks up at him.

"Dad knew the truth. He knew about Merlyn, Thea and whatever his faults were… Dad loved us, all of us. Because we were his family. You were his daughter and some stupid blood test wasn't going to change that. He chose us. He could have ran away with Isabel Rochev but he didn't. He chose to stay with us, he chose you. He made a decision to be your father, even though didn't have to be." Oliver reveals to her.

"He. He knew and still stayed with us and what about Isabel Rochev?" Thea shakes her head in disbelief.

"That doesn't matter. All that matters is, is that he loved us and loved you. He was your father Thea and this whole Malcolm Merlyn being your biological father doesn't take that away. It never will." Oliver promises her as Thea just crosses the room and throws herself into her brother's arms.

"I love you Ollie." She whispers as he holds her close.

"I love you to, sis."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Pulling a syringe from her arm, Shado gets to her feet, walking slowly down a set of metal steps until she reaches one of the metal tables that Isabel Rochev lies upon, stroking the top of her head gently, Isabel's eyes open.

The Mirakuru having revived her.

Whilst around them, the rest of the army surrounds them…

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

"Are you okay?" Roy questions Slade whilst putting the movie in, glancing at the distant look upon Slade's face.

"I'm fine." He shakes his head.

"Yeah, you don't sound it. What's up?" He questions.

"It doesn't matter." Slade mutters.

"Slade. Earlier today, you were prepared to take the Mirakuru. Again and whilst I don't think it's that. Something's bothering you." He looks over at him.

"It's. It's what Sara admitted." He sighs.

"About the whole, you don't remember some of the things you did whilst under the Mirakuru. Is that true? Do you really not remember?" Roy asks.

"Don't know, don't remember." Slade replies with a slight smirk, before closing his eye.

"I dread to think I might have done something to them. To hurt them. I could never imagine that but if I can't remember…"

"Slade. Slade listen to me. Whatever it was. It was five years ago and Oliver and Sara. They're safe. They're with you. No matter what you did, even if it was to them. They're still here and they still love you all the same. Look, Sara's just angry at Oliver. Okay? She said she didn't mean probably. If it's really bothering you, I could try and ask one of them, if you'd like me to?" Roy suggests.

"No, it's. It's okay. Whatever it is. I'll find out. I always do. One way or another." He sighs.

"Well for now, let's just put everything to one side and watch the movie. Wait you have seen like the rest of the Alien films right? I mean this is the prequel but there's like four…"

"Roy just switch it on." Slade mutters sharply as Roy just smiles before pressing play…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I need you guys to do me a favor." Felicity calls as she enters the lab Caitlin and Cisco are inside, approaching them with the vile of Mirakuru.

"This time it will be our secret."

 _Verdant_

Heading upstairs toward the bar, for what Oliver believes to be a well deserved drink, he is surprised to see Laurel approaching him.

"Oliver!" She calls to him as he frowns at her, inside his head thinking so much.

That the man she loves, the father of her children is downstairs, potentially dying...

Suddenly she pulls him into an embrace.

"What's this for?" He questions softly, noticing the Black Canary in the window, keeping a watchful eye over Laurel. Always.

"Because you're important to me."

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Humming to herself, Felicity heads up to her apartment, keys in hand, the other hand resting on the scarf around her neck, Slade's scarf.

Thinking to herself, many things, Felicity slides her keys into her door, opening it and heading into her home, chucking her keys into the pot by the door and switching on the light to illuminate the room.

"Hello Felicity Smoak." Comes the voice from an armchair.

Shado….

 _ **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. Next chapter should be really soon, hope you all enjoyed this one and thanks for all your kind reviews, follows and favorites. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter.**_


	129. Seeing Red (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Nine_**

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Felicity freezes in place. Unable to say or do anything as she slowly backs into the wall.

Shado is in her apartment, sat in her armchair in her living room, giving her a sly, confident look as she gets to her feet, nervously, Felicity begins to bite down on her lip.

"So." Shado starts, moving toward Felicity, who begins to back away as Shado approaches.

"The first thing I hear about you is that you worked for Queen Consolidated. You were always hovering, is what Isabel would tell me. Always just hovering around." Shado muses as Felicity continues to walk backwards until she ends up with her back against a counter in her kitchen.

"Yet then I get an alert, informing me of your hacking into Isabel's computers and various files. So not just an assistant. I soon realized. Isabel and I talked it over and she thought it best that we used what you'd done to get you fired from Queen Consolidated. To keep you out of the way, perhaps even put a wedge between you Slade and Oliver. Then, I find you snooping in Count Vertigo's van. I was watching you. I was the one who attacked you as it was then I noticed the scarf you wear around your neck. The scarf that belongs to Slade Wilson and then we met earlier, you were still wearing the scarf. So that's when I decided I realized I had a question I wanted answering. Who is Felicity Smoak? And why are you so valuable to the team the three vigilantes created?" Shado smirks, walking around Felicity, like a predator stalking it's prey, ready to attack at any moment.

"I'm good with computers?" Felicity shrugs, her hand fumbling in her back pocket, fingers typing a number into her phone.

Slade's number.

"You know who else is good with computers?" She questions.

"Lots of people?" Felicity frowns.

"One person in particular. Slade Wilson. My Slade. You work with him, you know he's The Man In The Mask, you must know he was a member of ASIS, that he was an Australian Intelligence agent. He probably has quite many skills with a computer. So that begs the questions. Why would they need you? It's not like you bring anything else to the team. You're not a vigilante, you're no fighter. So why would they recruit you?" Shado questions as Felicity backs up some more.

"Well, when they did recruit me is because they were both bleeding out and needed a car."

"They could have stolen one. They're resourceful people, Felicity but no they went to you. A simple, IT girl and then there's this." She reaches forward, tugging on the scarf around Felicity's neck.

"How did you acquire this?" She ponders.

"How did you become like this?" Felicity asks in a quiet voice.

"What?" Shado hisses, instantly grabbing Felicity's chin with her fingers, forcing her to look straight at her.

"How did you become like this? It was the Mirakuru. Did it really twist your mind so much that you'd want to hurt the people you once loved. Slade was in love with you and Oliver and Sara loved you to, you were family to them and now you. You want to enact revenge on them? Why? Why not just go after that Ivo guy. He shot you." Felicity whispers bravely.

"Did they not tell you? That Oliver and Slade pointed the gun." She hisses.

"They didn't. The Mirakuru, it's messed with your head. You know how it feels, the Mirakuru. So Imagine how Slade felt back then. He'd just gotten the Mirakuru he heard the man he sees as a brother crying out in pain. He didn't know about the choice Oliver was given. I know what happened to you was awful Shado but do you know how easy it could have been for Oliver to choose Sara initially? She is the woman he loved and I don't know what happened but I get the assumption that you all thought Slade had died. Oliver didn't choose when offered the choice when he could have done so easily. I mean why would he choose another man, a supposedly dead man's girlfriend over the woman he loves?"

"He was a coward!" Shado snarls.

"No he wasn't! He was put in an impossible situation, both of them were! But what they did giving you the Mirakuru wasn't to hide their guilt. It was because they loved you. Loved you so much. How could you do this to them?" Felicity shakes her head.

"You don't understand anything!" Shado growls.

"No I don't. So explain it to me! Tell me why you would do this to your family. Or is it just the Mirakuru? Is it the Mirakuru forcing you to believe that you should hurt them? Hurt people they care about because, you're right. I don't understand how you could do this!" Felicity yells as in the distance, the far distance, but due to her Mirakuru enhanced hearing, she hears it anyway, Shado suddenly grabs Felicity by the hair and slams her face into her fridge to knock her unconscious, smirking when she sees all the blood on the woman's face.

"Isabel was right." Shado muses as she begins to advance on Felicity's unconscious form.

"You do talk to much."

 _Oliver, Sara, Slade, Thea, Roy & Sin's Apartment_

"Hey." Oliver calls as he enters the apartment with Thea later on, seeing both Roy and Slade on the couch, watching a movie.

"Come join us for movie night?" Roy questions.

"I am." Thea moves to sit the other side of him as Oliver moves toward the kitchen.

"Figured I'd get Thea home then I'd go back to watching over Tommy with Nyssa, Diggle, Selina and Mick." Oliver sighs.

"Kid, they can handle it." Slade gives him a sympathetic glance.

"Yeah come join us." Thea beckons him over.

"Fine. Fine!" Oliver murmurs as he moves to sit the other side of Slade.

"Talked with Sara?" Roy questions.

"We are not talking about that." Oliver replies coldly.

"Why. What happened between you and Sara?" Thea frowns.

"Not talking about it!" Oliver sighs as Slade, looking to say something, is halted by the abrupt ringing of his phone.

"Who is it?" Roy glances at him.

"Felicity." Slade responds as Roy instantly pauses the movie.

"I want to hear this!" He smirks as Slade rolls his eye at him before answering the call.

"Felicity." He starts, expecting to hear her usually cheerful voice on the other end and he can hear her speaking but she's talking to someone else.

"Felicity?" Slade calls her name again which is when he hears it, the voice of Shado…

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

"FELICITY!" Slade bellows as he races up the steps to her apartment, sword and gun in hand, Roy running up the steps from behind him, Slade having not even stopped to grab his vigilante uniform, only a sword and a gun, Oliver had gone to get backup.

"No." He whispers as he sees Felicity's apartment door slightly ajar.

"Felicity?!" Roy yells as they enter the apartment.

Neither Shado or Felicity anywhere to be found.

"FELICITY!" Slade yells again, moving even further into the apartment, stopping when his eye falls on Felicity's bloodied form on the ground beside her fridge.

"Ohh my god." Roy whispers at the sight of her, an angry look crossing his eyes as Slade races instantly to her side, pulling her into his arms.

"FELICITY!" He shakes her lightly, sighing in relief when he finds her to still be alive, but fearful when she doesn't wake up.

"She's not here!" Roy snarls, having done a sweep of the apartment.

"She'll be in the area. Contact Oliver!" Slade commands, still trying to wake Felicity as Roy pulls out his phone.

"Is she alive?" Is the first thing Oliver asks.

"Yeah but Shado's knocked her out big time. She might be in the area." He shouts.

"Got it!" Oliver responds as where he stands on the street he sees a silhouetted figure on a roof, racing across them one by one.

"The roof!" He calls to Catwoman, Nyssa and Diggle and to Roy, who races out toward them, the Arrow using an arrow to grapple his way up onto one of the rooftops, chasing after her at top speed.

Yet in the split second he almost catches up to her. She disappears.

"She's gone guys. She's just gone!" He snaps through his radio.

"She was right in front of you." Catwoman points out.

"Yeah. I know but she's just…" The Arrow is cut off by a sound from behind him, whirling around he turns to see her stood behind him, engaging her in combat as he tries to dig one of his arrows into her.

"Do I have to repeat myself Oliver?" She hisses as she snatches the arrow from him, snapping it in two.

"You can't hurt me." He snarls as she uses her Mirakuru enhanced strength to push him from the roof, not far enough to kill him. That was not her intention, not yet anyway.

But more than enough to knock him into unconsciousness…

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

With a frightened gasp, Felicity abruptly comes to, looking around in both horror and fear.

"Felicity. Hey, Felicity." Slade tries to get her attention, instantly relieved at her awakening.

"Slade!" She cries fearfully, looking around rapidly until she sees him and realizes that he is in fact holding her, despited her clouded over glasses.

"She was just here when I got home. I don't know what she wanted from me but…" She trails off, her hand resting against her throat.

"She took the scarf." She whimpers.

"Don't worry about the scarf Felicity. All that matters is that you're alive. I thought she'd killed you." Slade mutters as he holds her close.

"Where is she? Did you get her?" Felicity asks quickly.

"The others are out there right now. I don't know." He replies.

"You, you should go with them." She whispers.

"No. I'm not leaving you. Never." He mutters almost sharply as he carefully picks her up, carrying her toward her bedroom before dropping her onto her bed carefully.

"I'll be right back." He promises her, Felicity a little hesitant to let go of his hand as he moves out of her sight.

After what happened, Felicity all suspecting Shado to crawl out of the darkness and snap her neck in the few seconds Slade leaves her alone, but nothing happens and Slade returns only moments later, sitting beside her and gently removing her glasses.

"Are they cracked? I can't see out of them." She admits to him as he passes her some water and painkillers.

"No. They're slightly bent and there's blood on the lenses." He almost hisses.

"She will pay for what she did to you." He snarls menacingly as he ever so carefully wipes the blood from her face with a soft warm cloth.

"I don't know how much you heard when I tried to call you…"

"I heard enough." Slade retorts sharply before glancing up at her.

"You tried appealing to her humanity. Oliver, Sara and I have tried that before." He murmurs as Felicity shrugs her shoulders.

"I can't even imagine the person you three knew and loved." She admits.

"That woman died five years ago. She's not coming back. No matter what we do to try and bring her back to the woman she was, she never will be. She's too far gone." He mutters, still carefully wiping the blood from her face.

"Still. You were so brave to speak against her the way you did. She could've killed you." He says through gritted teeth.

"I knew you were coming to save me." Felicity admits softly.

"I didn't think I'd get to you in time." He murmurs.

"I think you did. I mean it was so abrupt. She just knocked me out. That Mirakuru enhances stuff right? Perhaps she heard you guys coming and knew she stand a chance against you when you're angry." Felicity smiles slightly before adding.

"If you want to go check up on Oliver and Roy, you can, you know. I'll be fine."

"Felicity Smoak. I told you that I am not going to leave you and that I promise you. I will keep you safe from her. I will call them, but I will only be out right out there. A'right?" He mutters strictly as Felicity nods, before wincing.

"Note to self. Nodding right now, is not a good idea." She smiles again as Slade rolls his eye at her before wrapping blankets around her and smoothing her hair back for her.

"Gotta say, this is not how I imagined having you in my apartment." She murmurs as he raises an eyebrow to her.

"And that's the painkillers talking! Go phone Oliver." She babbles quietly as he strokes the injured side of her face lightly.

"I will keep you safe Felicity, I promise."

 _A Hotel In Starling City_

 _"Do you think your mother actually disapproves of us being together?" Sara questions as Oliver kisses her neck gently, her fingers trailing up and down his back lightly, stopping to rest on his arms when he looks up at her from where he's perched on top of her._

 _"Please tell me that you're not thinking about my mother right now." Oliver smirks, both joking and not joking at the same time, she giggles softly and runs her hand down his back once more._

 _"We're finally alone, in an actual bed. In a very nice hotel room, that we got as I have something of a history with the manager." He comments in between kissing her._

 _"Mmm. I can only imagine." She smiles, resting her hands on his shoulders._

 _"I think I trashed this specific room once." He notes as Sara just smile again._

 _"And I suppose I will answer your question and honestly I'm not sure. I mean the only reason the three of us are not there is because both my mom and my sister seemingly hate Slade and as I'm worried that he could kill my mother if she chooses to insult him again, the three of us are normally together in the same room." Oliver points out._

 _"And because your mother still doesn't like me with you very much." Sara reminds him._

 _"Ok. She's. She's a little. I'm not sure what she thinks but I don't care. I love you and that's never going to change. You're the woman I will always want to be with." He murmurs, as she runs her fingers over his arms._

 _"Is this conversation going somewhere?" She questions flirtatiously._

 _"Maybe the three of us should think about getting a more permanent place." He mutters before kissing her again._

 _"What?" She smiles as he kisses her neck, her collarbone and her chest._

 _"Well. Like I said, it's awkward for us all to be living in Queen Mansion, Laurel and your dad are always trying to get you to move in with one of them and Slade's literally more comfortable sleeping in The Foundry, which I know we lived in a plane wreckage for almost five years but it's still worrying that he'd prefer to live there then an actual house. I mean what's he's gonna do when he wants to bring a woman over? I mean, eventually he's bound to and he can't bring them to The Foundry." Oliver points put._

 _"Ollie. Please tell me you're not thinking about Slade's sex life right now." Sara smirks at him as Oliver rests his head on her chest in despair._

 _"So you're suggesting we all move into our own place?" Sara murmurs._

 _"Would you like that?" He questions, kissing the side of her neck before resting his head on top of her chest again._

 _"Just the three of us?"_

 _Sara smiles and kisses the top of his head._

 _"I would love that."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Kid, kid!" Oliver is slowly dragged out of his unconscious caused flashback to the sound of Slade shouting.

"God what happened?" He murmurs, slowly trying to sit up, gripping Slade's hand as he does so, realising that he's on a couch.

"Apparently Shado pushed you off a rooftop." Felicity calls from a door.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Slade glances at her.

"This is my apartment and one of my friends apparently got pushed off a roof." She sighs, sitting in a chair across from Oliver and Slade.

"Not apparently. He did get pushed off a roof." Roy mutters.

"Where are the others?" Oliver murmurs groggily.

"Back at The Foundry, keeping an eye on Thomas. You know, just in case." Slade mutters.

"I don't know Slade. I mean he's really out of it." Roy comments.

"How likely is it he's going to cause us problems?"

 _The Foundry_

"Is Felicity okay?" Sin asks the minute Diggle, Nyssa and Selina enter The Foundry.

"Other than shaken up and bruised. She's okay." Diggle replies looking to Mick.

"He been any trouble?" He glances toward Tommy's unconscious form.

"Nah. Hasn't moved." Mick retorts as Nyssa ensures the restraints are fastened.

"Just heard from Roy. Apparently Oliver's okay. He's woken up… Wait what happened to Oliver?" Sin glances to the group.

"We were chasing her. Shado decided to push him off a roof. He's fine it wasn't a far drop." Selina informs her.

"So definitely no change in this one?" Nyssa glances toward Mick and Sin.

"Nah." Mick murmurs as Diggle nods.

"Not surprising so much blood mixed in with so much Mirakuru, I don't know if it's good or bad." Diggle shrugs.

"We could really use that cure." Selina notes.

"Apparently Felicity talked to Caitlin before she went home. They're working on it." Diggle responds as he glances at the computers Sin is at.

"You've been on the computer Sin, any mention on Isabel Rochev's death?" He questions.

"Nope, not a thing. Not that I expected a glowing obituary but she's quite the celebrity, what with her influences in Queen Consolidated and that Stellmoor international thing. You'd think someone would have noticed something by now, or Shado had dumped the body somewhere where she'd be found." Sin retorts as a sudden banging sound from behind them nearly causes Sin to fall out of her chair, both Nyssa and Mick at Tommy's side in an instant, all prepared to hold him down if the worst was to occur.

"Does the fact that him lying there is kinda freaking me out make me a bad person?" Sin questions as Diggle smiles at her.

"Sin, I don't think there's a force on earth that can make you a bad person."

"You say that now, but I wasn't always this friendly before Sara found me." Sin folds her arms as Diggle smiles at him.

"Well, the you I know now is no bad person I can tell you that for certain. I can also tell you that I am starving. Do you guys want dinner?" He glances around the room.

"I'd like some, man." Sin nods as Mick grunts in approval as Diggle moves toward the stairs.

"I'll see if Oliver, Slade, Felicity and Roy want me to get them anything." He comments as Sin turns back to the computer, she's no Felicity Smoak but she's knows her way around a computer fine enough.

"How can you be unconscious and freak me out at the same time dude…"

"SIN GET DOWN!" Selina suddenly yells as when Sin turns around Tommy is no longer strapped to the table and is back into the corner of the room, Nyssa, Mick and Selina approaching him all at the same time.

"Thomas. We don't know each other well. I know but it's alright. You're safe here with us. Now just sit down." Nyssa starts calmly as suddenly Tommy makes an abrupt move past them all, throwing the table with the computers on out of the way as Sin ducks before it hits her, avoiding oncoming attacks from Mick, Selina and Nyssa as he makes a beeline for the stairs, throwing Diggle out of the way, who'd come back for his phone and disappearing from sight, throwing things into his path to keep the others back.

"Tommy!" Diggle yells as he, Nyssa, Selina and Mick take off after him, each of them arming themselves with various pieces of weaponry as they do so, busting into a busy Verdant.

"Where is he?" Mick hisses.

"This way!" Nyssa yells, having spied Tommy by the door.

"Move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move!" Diggle yells, gun raises as they fight their way through the crowds and toward Tommy and out the door but when they reach the outside, the can't see him anywhere. Not even a glimpse.

Tommy is gone…

 _The Foundry_

"What the hell happened down here!" Oliver yells as he jogs down the steps, Roy, Slade and Felicity following him.

"Ohh my god. The computers." Felicity glances at all her shattered computer screens.

"Did she attack here again?" She asks soon after, Slade leading her toward a chair, keeping a hand on her shoulder even when Sin races toward her.

"Smoak! I'm so glad you're okay!" She gives her a careful hug as Nyssa approaches Oliver.

"I've phoned Sara. I've told her not to come, to stay at Cat Grant's. That's where Laurel is and due to the circumstances. I think that is probably wise." Nyssa murmurs as Mick shakes his head.

"One moment, guy was comatose. Next, he's flipping over all this stuff." Mick mutters as Oliver buries his head into his hands, Nyssa resting a comforting hand on his arm.

"He looked like Tommy, but he wasn't Tommy." Sin shakes her head.

"Where do you think he's headed off to?" Selina questions.

"I don't know, but we have to find him right now." Oliver mutters as he reaches for his bow.

 _Queen Mansion_

"Despite everyone's predictions, you've managed to pull ahead of Sebastian Blood in recent polls." A reporter addresses Moira Queen and Mark Frances.

"Yes, I think our message is resonating with the voters. The people of Starling know that I have a vision and the experienced apparatus to make that vision a reality." Moira replies.

"What would you say is the main reason that they should vote for you over Alderman Blood?" The reporter questions.

"Well, um. Alderman Blood isn't a parent and the soul of being a parent is making sure that your children have a bright future and I've been very lucky to be able to do that for my own." Moira responds with a smile.

"Yeah, mother of the year." Thea cuts in from behind her.

"Uh, we're in the middle of an interview." Moira starts carefully.

"Oh, I'll keep it short. You can't have your rally at Verdant…"

"Ohh." Mark Frances starts as both him and Moira get to their feet.

"It's the only place I have that hasn't been poisoned by you." She remarks.

"Can you give me one moment please?" Moira glances to the reporter before following after her daughter.

"Thea. I know you're upset and you have every right to be, but we need to talk somewhere else. Possibly at Oliver's apartment, where you live." She points out.

"You are not to set foot in their again and I'm done talking to you. I just got nothing to do, everyone else in the house has jobs to be doing, figured I'd do one of my own by coming by to tell you it'll be a cold day in hell before you can use my club." She folds her arms.

"We can't just change the venue the day before." Moira points out.

"I'm sure you can figure something else out. I mean you have such an experienced apparatus." She retorts.

"You signed a contract." Moira cuts her off as Thea shakes her head at her.

"Huh. Just when I thought you couldn't go any lower… You threaten your own daughter." Thea mutters as she just shakes her head again before walking out the door.

"Moira." Mark Frances calls to her from the living room.

"What's going on?" He questions.

"Sorry you had to witness that." She murmurs, not even looking at him.

"After her abduction, I'd think that the two of you would be closer than ever." He points out to her as Moria sighs.

"It's a very complicated situation." She mutters.

"Well, my advice? Simplify it." He retorts as Moira glances at him.

"You have to be either a mother or a candidate. You can't be both, not right now. You cannot split your focus." He informs her as Moira nods.

"You're absolutely right."

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"You're really cute when you're mopey." Laurel grins sweetly at her boyfriend, Oliver who lies across her the couch, his head in her lap, her hand in his hair_

 _"I'm not mopey." He says in a quiet voice as strokes her leg repeatedly._

 _"Mopey's your default Ollie." She reminds him softly._

 _"It's part of your smoldering charm." She adds whilst stroking his hair._

 _"I do have smoldering charm." He agrees as she chuckles._

 _"But you're more than usual mopey." She points out._

 _"Is everything alright?" She queries as he moves to sit up so he can slide an arm around her shoulders, giving her a smooth smile._

 _"It's fine." He kisses her gently as Laurel pulls away._

 _"Ollie." She starts sharply._

 _"Tommy had me out a little bit later than maybe I should have been and… I'm wiped." He chuckles nervously._

 _"Well, you want me to go?" She queries, stroking his cheek._

 _"I promised Sara I'd help her with her trigonometry." She points out._

 _"I don't know what that is." Oliver admits as she grips his chin with her fingers, running her fingers over his hair._

 _"You are very cute." She smiles, moving forth to kiss him twice._

 _"Get some sleep." She whispers against his lips as she gets up to go._

 _"Bye." Oliver calls after her as she smiles back at him before walking into Moira._

 _"Goodnight, Mrs. Queen." She says politely in passing as Moira smiles._

 _"Goodnight." She replies, approaching where her son is sat on the couch._

 _"You didn't go out with Tommy last night." She says in a sing song voice as she moves to position the flower pot differently as Oliver laughs in disbelief._

 _"Hey. Thanks for eavesdropping on my entire conversation, mom. That's, that's nice." Oliver shakes his head as Moira approaches him._

 _"Sweetheart, something's bothering you, tell me what it is." She asks gently._

 _"Dad's going to kill me." He whispers._

 _"Your father loves you. I love you…"_

 _"I screwed up." Oliver murmurs, looking away from her._

 _"It's bad."_

 _"What happened?" Moira questions, her voice calm and with the sense of authority._

 _"I got a girl pregnant." He admits._

 _"Laurel's pregnant?" Moira murmurs. Oliver not even being able to look at her._

 _"No. Not Laurel."_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should hopefully be out really soon, thanks for all your kind follows, favorites and reviews. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter :)_**


	130. Seeing Red (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty_**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"This is ridiculous." The Man In The Mask mutters as he parks up beside the Arrow and Nyssa.

"He's no where to been seen." He mutters.

"He's right, we can't keep driving around all night hoping to lay eyes on him." Nyssa agrees.

"Diggle. Selina?" The Arrow calls through the comms.

"Merlyn Mansion and Laurel's Apartment are clean. He's not in either of those places." Selina informs them.

"And Sara's still outside Cat's and nothing there either." Diggle adds.

"What if he hasn't even been to those places? I mean the last place I go would be somewhere you guys could find me. Tommy does know who we are after all." Roy comments dryly.

"Call just went out for an ambulance at fourteenth and Hobart. There's four men seriously assaulted by a guy who came out of nowhere." Felicity winces as she looks at the information on her screen, both Sin and Mick sitting behind her.

"Let's go." The Arrow murmurs as both he and The Man In The Mask turn their motorcycles around…

 _Fourteenth & Hobart_

Pulling up on the specified street the Arrow jogs toward the visibly injured men.

"What happened?" He asks sharply.

"Guy jumped us. Came out of nowhere. The dude is 'roided out or something. Crazy like." The man explains to them as the vigilantes exchange a knowing look.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking down an alleyway on her way home, Thea walks with her hands in her pockets and an annoyed expression on her face at her mother's attitude toward her.

After everything she's done to her already.

Right now she's more than happy to cut her mother out of her life for good…

"Tommy?" She cries, stopping as she sees his familiar face walking down the opposite road.

"Tommy!" She races toward him when he doesn't answer her.

"I thought you were back in The Foundry. You were unconscious you didn't look good." She stops in front of him, her half brother…

"Tommy say something please." She begs glancing down at his blood stained hands.

"Have you been in a fight?" She raises his hand gently, but when she does, he all but throws her against a nearby parked car.

"Tommy!" She cries in shock, her hand going to her pocket for her phone.

"Hey, is this guy bothering you?" Someone across the street asks her as Thea shakes her head quickly.

"No, no, no. He's okay. Seriously just step off." Thea warns them, knowing it's the Mirakuru that is making Tommy like this.

"We going to have a problem, guy?" The person glances to Tommy.

"Seriously? Just leave him alone, he's good." Thea says carefully, trying to keep them away from Tommy, yet they don't listen to her.

"Oh, what, you got nothing smart to say?" The man continues, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder but the minute he does so, he spins around and breaks the man's arm, throwing the other guy that attacks him into a car, pushing someone else's head into a car window.

"Tommy! Tommy stop!" Thea cries, yet he. Backhands her sharply across the face before storming away.

 _The Foundry_

"He's no where to be found. Nothing's come up, nothing at all." Felicity sighs, glancing at the computer tiredly, rubbing her eyes as Oliver nods.

"Ok. It's late. Any of you want to go and get some rest. Now's the time." He sighs as Felicity gets to her feet, moving toward the stairs.

"After what happened with Shado are we really going to let her go home alone?" Diggle muses as Slade shakes his head.

"I'll stay with her tonight." He informs them before following her, yet when they approach the stairs, they run into a slightly bruised faced Thea.

"Thea. What happened?!" Felicity grabs her arm instantly as Roy races toward her.

"Are you okay? What happened to you, who did this?" He rests his hand against her cheek as she wraps her arms around him.

"Tommy. He's. He's lost it. I tried to stop him but he attacked these guys and then he just disappeared. I'm sorry." She whispers as Roy clutches her arms.

"He did this to you?" He snarls, his own rage beginning to show through.

"No, he didn't mean to. It's the Mirakuru. Roy. I'm okay. It's just a bruise." She squeezes his arms reassuringly as he closes his eyes, holding her close before releasing her and storming over to the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry. I don't know where he went." She looks up at Oliver who just draws his sister into an embrace.

"It's okay, just as long as you're safe." He murmurs whilst holding her tightly, grateful that she's here with him now.

"Give me a moment." Slade glances to Felicity before approaching Roy.

"Hey, what's wrong." He asks when he approaches the now pacing Roy.

"Nothing."

"Roy." Slade responds in a warning tone of voice.

"Ok. It's just. I keep thinking, that could be me. I could become like that at any moment." He admits as Slade rests his hand on his shoulder.

"Not while I'm around." He promises him with a slight smile.

"You couldn't help Tommy." Roy points out.

"I've told you this before. Tommy and I didn't get on before he had the Mirakuru if anything. It made his hated of me worse. Do you trust me Roy?" He questions as Roy nods.

"Of course. Of course I trust you."

"I won't let you become like that. I promise, a'right?" He glances at Roy, who nods with a slight smile.

"Thank you Slade."

"It's no problem." Slade responds.

"Not just for helping me control this. For giving a damn about what happens to me, apart from Thea, I've never had someone actually giving a damn about me, so thank you." He admits as Slade smiles.

"Anytime."

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

"You really don't have to stay here you know. I could come stay with you guys. I don't mind." She gives him a soft smile as he sits on her couch.

"You shouldn't have to move because of her. Anyway. Literally everyone we work with is staying at our apartment." Slade mutters.

"Everyone?" Felicity frowns.

"Well. It is mine, Oliver and Sara's apartment and whilst Sara is watching over Laurel tonight, Nyssa has been staying with us. Thea and Roy live there after Roy's apartment got destroyed in The Undertaking, Sin lives with us due to the same reason. As Shado has proven that she's prepared to go after him, Mick is staying on our couch and as she has no place in Starling City either, Selina is staying on the other couch." Slade informs her.

"Thank god it's a big apartment." She muses.

"Yes indeed." He responds before adding.

"Also, if we were there, we'd all be in once place. Easier for her to attack." He points out.

"Good point." Felicity notes before heading to her bedroom.

"Goodnight Slade." She calls softly.

"Goodnight Felicity."

 _Verdant_

"Roy?" Thea calls as he passes her on the way to the door.

"Thea? I thought you went home with Sin and Selina." He moves toward her.

"Couldn't manage it. Needed a drink." She shows him the bottle in her hand.

"I heard what you said to Slade." She says with a slight smile, rests her hand on his back.

"Is it true? Did no one really give a damn about you before you met me?" She queries.

"Yeah. I hadn't met you. I never would have know what it was like to be cared about. I mean I know we didn't exactly meet through conventional means but…"

"You stole my purse." She reminds him.

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" He smiles.

"Don't count on it Harper." She grins as he rests his hand over hers.

"Seriously, Thea, you were the first person who ever cared about what happened to me. Despite me being a colossal jerk, you did get me a job and I think to be honest it's that I know all these people, yeah this Mirakuru thing isn't great but Slade's helping me with that." He smiles as he, rests his hand on her cheek so that she is facing him straight on.

"Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

 _Later…_

"Are you really going to stay up all night?" Felicity asks from the doorway, several hours later, Slade turning to face her.

"What are you doing up?" He questions.

"Something about coming home to a known psycho kinda keeps you awake." Felicity admits, moving around to sit beside Slade on the couch, who moves his feet so she can sit.

"What's keeping you up?" She questions gently.

"I'm keeping watch." He mutters gruffly.

"Yeah, that's one excuse. What's the actual reason?" She queries.

"What are you asking me Felicity?" He questions.

"Well. I do notice a few things every day. I mean, I take notice of a lot of things and well. I can just just see it every day. You always just look really tired. Like you haven't been sleeping, at all. I mean you look great you always do and… Wow I need to stop." She buries her head in her hands as he smiles at her slightly.

"I mean when was the last time you got a goodnights sleep?" She questions.

"Since I found out Shado was alive." He murmurs, glancing away from her.

"I loved her. I really did and I thought I'd finally managed to get to a place where I could finally move on from her, her death, that I loved her and then she returns." He mutters.

"And it all came back?" Felicity asks softly.

"In someway. Yes." He responds before sighing.

"I know what she wants. She wants to cause pain and harm to everyone I care about. She knows who to target. It's a matter of when and we have no way or knowing when or where she'll attack. The next time it could be much worse. I used to stay sat near the door every night. Just watching and waiting, just in case. I'd rather be awake. If not, it gives me even more time to dwell on the pain she could inflict. It felt like a bad dream come to life when Roy and Diggle told me she'd thrown Oliver off a roof and I wasn't there to stop it, to save him. I can't lose that kid, or Sara, you." He glances to her.

"When we thought Shado had taken Sara from us. It was just Oliver and I for a very long time, never thought we'd ever be reunited with Sara again but we were and I thought to myself there and then, made a promise that I would keep them safe, I would never lose either of them again." He reveals to her before sighing.

"They're my family." He murmurs as Felicity nods, with a smile.

"All of us can see how much you care about them, love them." She replies.

"Never told them that, you know." He admits.

"What?" She tilts her head to the side.

"That I love them. I'm not really one to voice my feelings."

"We all know that." Felicity murmurs under her breath, inaudible to Slade before looking up at him with another smile as she adds determinedly.

"Well if you're staying up, I'm staying up."

 _Later…_

In only about an hour and a half's time, Felicity had in fact fallen asleep on the couch, causing Slade to smirk when he sees her asleep, yet he does get to his feet, pulling her carefully into his arms, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck, even in her sleep as he carries her back toward her bedroom, a glare crossing his face every time he sees the marks Shado left on her face.

He will make her pay for what she did to Felicity. She won't get away with it. He thinks to himself as he carefully places Felicity on her bed, yet when he does, she doesn't release him and instead, cuddles closer, resting her head on his chest.

Knowing if he tries to move her, he'll wake her, something he doesn't want to do, he sighs as he lies down beside her, the instant he does so, she rolls closer to him, he raises his eyebrow at her slightly before smiling and stroking her hair gently, keeping watch over her all through the night…

 _Verdant_

"Diggle's running facial recognition on traffic cameras throughout the city." Oliver informs Nyssa as they enter Verdant.

"Which could very well take forever." Nyssa reminds him.

"We need to take Tommy down now before he attacks any more people, if he does find a way to my sister and her kids." Sara calls as she moves toward them both, not even looking at Oliver, who glances toward the balcony where Roy, Sin and Thea are looking over the balcony, Sin jogging down the steps toward Sara to hug her.

"How's Laurel?" Sin questions.

"Safe, for now. She's at work with Cat and I don't think Tommy's one to attack in broad daylight. He's not that stupid so I came here to see what I could do. How's Felicity. I heard she was attacked?" She looks between Nyssa and Sin.

"It was a real scare, she really knocked her out." Sin responds as Nyssa nods.

"She also pushed Oliver off a roof." She reveals.

"Did she now? Are you okay." She does address Oliver briefly, her concern evident.

"I am thank you Sara." He responds.

"Moving on then. Where is Felicity?" She queries.

"Slade's with her. He stayed with her last night. Sure they'll arrive together." Sin replies as Thea and Roy move toward them.

"Hey Sara." Thea calls to her, Sara turning around, stopping when she sees Thea's black eye.

"Who did this to you!" She cries instantly.

"Long story…"

"Thea, I asked you who!" Sara grips her arm.

"Tommy. It's the Mirakuru. That's not Tommy, he needs help. He needs us to help him. I just was in the wrong place at the wrong time last night." Thea explains, gripping Roy's hand when an angry look crosses his face. Sara just shakes her head, rubbing Thea's arm gently.

"We need to take him down." She mutters.

"Sara. It's not that simple." Oliver starts.

"Never is, is it?" She glares at him.

"Sara, you know half the stuff Slade did to us was a lot worse and turned out okay when we managed to help him, we can do the same for Tommy." Oliver sighs as Sara folds her arms.

"You know who else used to hurt us, who we used to manage to sometimes bring back from the darkness?" She stops, a glare on her face as she addresses Oliver.

"Shado and look what she became. If Tommy comes after any of us in that way again." She stops as she pushes past Oliver.

"I'm going to do what needs to be done."

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

As sunlight pours through the window of Felicity Smoak's bedroom, she half awakens, wrapping her arms tighter around what she believes to be one of her teddy bears, yet it's a lot harder and bigger than any ordinary teddy bear…

"Am I dreaming again?" Felicity murmurs sleepily, only opening her tired eyes half way, realizing that the 'teddy bear' is in fact Slade and that she is lying practically on top of him and that he is awake and looking at her with deep curiosity.

"Again?" Slade muses with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Crap. Not again. I mean. I'm going to make breakfast. Like right now." Felicity all but leaps out of bed at the realization.

She shared a bed with Slade Wilson.

Entering her kitchen, she doesn't know whether or not to start freaking out or jumping up and down in a random happy dance. She decides to do neither as Slade soon appears behind her.

"You never would have been good at the night watches on the island." He remarks as Felicity smacks his arm lightly.

"Hey. I got attacked by your psycho ex girlfriend, forgive me for actually ending up needing sleep." She retorts as he approaches her, resting his hand against her cheek, causing her to smile slightly, trying her hardest not to grin like a complete idiot.

"Already fading." He comments on the injuries on her face Shado inflicted on her.

"I will make breakfast." He says firmly.

"You can cook?" Felicity tilts her head to the side.

"I'll have you know I'm quite a good cook, Felicity. I used to cook for everyone on the island. Oliver was lazy, Shado would help as would Sara but it would usually be left up to me to catch and cook the dinner." He reveals to her as he moves toward her stove.

"I guess you were the one who kept watch every night on the island?" Felicity glances at him as Slade turns to her.

"Actually. We'd take turns, especially after the night of the cold temperatures. Oliver kept watch after that event for a month." He smirks.

"I'm surprised he hasn't popped up out of nowhere yelling he thought you were Sara again." Felicity laughs as Slade chuckles.

"Trust me, that was not a pretty sight to wake up to in the early hours of the morning."

"Did you really break his nose?" Felicity smiles.

"What do you think?" He grins.

"I get different versions from Oliver."

"He's such a drama queen." Slade says with a shake of his head.

"He has gotten better." He notes as Felicity smirks at him.

Not that she'd ever admit it, at all. Well she would but she couldn't, could she? Could she tell Slade the truth? No. She couldn't. She could never tell him how she really feels about him but she does feel like she could admit that she wishes more of her mornings were like this one…

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

"I'll have to call you right back." Sebastian puts the phone down as he sees Moira Queen entering his office.

"Do you want me stay, Mr. Blood?" His bodyguard asks.

"Uh, no, no thank you. I'll be fine." He nods politely.

"My new body man, he's a little over protective, please." He gestures toward a chair.

"No, thank you." She responds.

"Well I'd say this visit is unexpected but I despise understatements…"

"I'm dropping out of the race." Moira cuts him off.

"I'm making a concession speech at my rally tonight." She reveal.

"You're ahead in the latest polls. Even the most skeptical pundits are saying you could actually pull this out." He points out in shock.

"I felt I owed you the courtesy of informing you in person. I don't, however, owe you an explanation as well." She informs him.

"No, you don't. But I'd appreciate one." He admits as she turns away from him.

"What you're doing, Moira, as much as it benefits me, doesn't really make much sense." He retorts as she turns to face him again.

"It's my daughter. At the moment she needs me more than Starling does." She responds.

"Well, you're doing the right thing. I'm going to change this city Moira. A new day is coming." He informs her with a smile.

"A better day. For all of us."

 _Past Queen Mansion_

" _I know things seem bleak, sweetheart, but we're going to figure this out, I promise." Moira vows to Oliver several minutes after the his most unexpected revelation._

 _"Mom, does it seem fair. To make…" He moves to sit up._

 _"One mistake and it… Feels like my entire life is over." He admits._

 _"Oh, your life is far from over. Are you sure it's yours?" She asks as she sits down, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he just gives her a look in response._

 _"Where there is money, Oliver, there are people looking to take advantage." She points out._

 _"She's not that type of person. She's a good person, mom. She's…" He trails off._

 _"All right." She nods as she gets to her feet._

 _"I don't know what to do. What do I do?" He looks up at her as Moira turns to him._

 _"We all make mistakes Oliver and I had hoped that one day you'd forgive me for any that I might make, so… All right, um…" She trails off, looking at her son with love in her eyes._

 _"I'll be right back."_

 _The Foundry_

"Verdant, fourteenth and Hobart and the street Thea spotted him at. He looks to be moving south." Felicity informs the room.

"What's south?" Roy moves toward the computers.

"Laurel's apartment." Sara growls, running her hands through her hair.

"Sara. Sara she's with Cat. Nothing's going to happen to her." Nyssa grabs her arm.

"It's not just Laurel I'm worried about. It's Brandon and Rebecca." She reminds them all.

"Well if she still remembers where Laurel lives, there might be something in Tommy still left in there." Sin pints out.

"Or it's just a coincidence that he's moving south." Sara retorts.

"I don't know Sara. When I was under the influences of the Mirakuru. Even at my worst times I always managed to find my way back to Oliver, or even to you, Oliver, Shado and Harley when Ivo made us choose." Slade points out.

"Then great! He's going after my sister. My sister and her kids." Sara hisses

"Their kids." Oliver reminds her before folding his arms.

"But don't let this cloud your judgment Sara. This is Tommy were talking about here." Oliver reminds her.

"You're worried about my judgment being clouded? Ohh my god are you being serious right now Oliver? How is your own judgment not clouded. He's your best friend he always has been. You're not willing to do what could need to be done." She snaps.

"Yes. Yes he is my best friend and you've known him just as long Sara. He is the father of your niece and nephew, your sisters fiancée." He snaps back.

"The man who attacked his half sister isn't. Don't let the fact that this used to be Tommy cloud your judgment. People aren't always what they seem. I've certainly learned that recently." She retorts, glaring at him.

"Sara!" Slade snaps at her as Oliver looks to retort.

"Kid!" Slade holds a hand up before he can say a word. Sara's phone ringing causing a good enough distraction for Sara to grab her phone.

"Selina." She starts.

"I found Tommy." She informs her.

"Where?" Sara questions instantly, looking to the others.

"Well, he's just strolled into the clock tower."

 _Starling City Clock Tower_

"Tommy!" The Arrow calls the minute he enters the clock tower, followed by The Man In The Mask, the Black Canary, Nyssa, Roy and Catwoman.

"I used to come here with Sin." The Black Canary mutters as she walks forth, baton in hand, ripping past the plastic coverings whist the others spread out around the clock tower.

"Are you sure this is place?" Roy questions.

"I saw him come in here." Catwoman retorts.

"Yet he's not here." Nyssa spins around to face her just as from behind them, Tommy jumps down from the shadows, all of them whirling around in an instant to face him.

"Tommy. Hey. It's me, buddy. Me Oliver. It's okay. You're going to be okay." The Arrow starts, lowering his bow as he begins to approach Tommy.

"Careful, kid." The Man In The Mask warns him as one glance at him beside Oliver causes Tommy to advance on them, in that instant the Black Canary advancing with her baton, engaging him in a fight with it, but he grabs her by the throat and throws her backwards knocking her to the ground sharply, catching the whip Catwoman reveals, Tommy catching it before using it as a way of throwing Catwoman out of the nearest window, ignoring the arrows Nyssa sends at him rapidly, he just catches them and breaks them before continuing to advance on The Man In The Mask, the Arrow jumping in between them.

"Tommy you don't want to do that. You don't want to hurt anybody. It's ok. It's Oliver, it's me. Your best friend. I have always have been and I always be, no matter what and what you're doing right now, it's because of the Mirakuru. You're a good person Tommy. You're one of the kindest people I know. You have a conscience and a soul and I need you to use those. I need you to remember the person you are. My friend. Fight the Mirakuru Tommy. I know you can do it. I believe in you. I always have and I always will do." Oliver approaches him pulling his hood off as he does so but Tommy just throws him backwards sharply into a metal stand.

"Kid!" The Man In The Mask snarls as he advances on Tommy with his sword, Tommy kicking Oliver in the back of the leg before he can get up again causing a snapping sound to sound out and Oliver to scream in pain as Tommy continues to advance on The Man In The Mask, aiming a punch at him which The Man In The Mask deflects with ease, ducking the next oncoming punch Tommy sends at him, grabbing the arrow Nyssa sends at him, sending it flying back but Nyssa ducks before it can hit her, Roy moving to shove Tommy into a wall, but Tommy tries to engage him in a fight, which he finds a lot more challenging as Roy doesn't go down as fast as the others, giving The Man In The Mask a chance to pull Tommy backwards, but Tommy uses his position to send The Man In The Mask through the highest window, Roy instantly moving to grab his hands before he can fall, however, that allows Tommy to escape by making a hole in the floor behind where Oliver is still writhing in pain, jumping down to his freedom before exiting the Clock Tower, glaring as he sees Thea's boyfriend pull his most sworn enemy to safety.

Yet as he walks across the street, one of Oliver's arrows in his hand, he is thrown to the ground by a whip attaching itself to his legs, spinning around he sees the woman he thought he'd pushed out a window advancing on him.

"Nine lives." She hisses at him, engaging him in combat, ducking and using various gymnastic positions to avoid his attacks.

"I won't kill you. You mean a lot to the people work with but, I'm sorry. This is going to hurt." She snarls, jumping up and digging her clawed cloves into his shoulders, yet he throws her off sharply and almost straight into the path of an oncoming police car.

"Drop the arrow and the whip. Both of you drop your weapons!" The officers who exit the car snap at both Tommy and Catwoman, approaching them both.

"I wouldn't." Catwoman starts, using her foot to knock one of the guns out the police officers hand, knocking another one down.

"Get out of here! Both of you!" She calls to them as she advances on Tommy, yet he throws her backwards across the street, where she lands on her feet, running forward, glancing up at the window where The Man In The Mask is supporting the Arrow, watching as Roy dives out the window, pulling Tommy backwards with his own Mirakuru strength, the two men beginning to fight as Catwoman moves to join them, keeping her eyes on the officers that begin to approach them. Tommy using the arrow in his hand to stab through Roy's leg, who uses his other one in an attempt to knock Tommy down, yet one of the police officers begin to shoot their recovered weapon at Tommy, the bullets causing no effect.

"No!" The Arrow yells as he sees Tommy tuning on the officer who shot at him.

"No you don't!" Catwoman growls, trying to yank him backwards, but he throws her into the car, ripping the arrow out of Roy's leg and using it to stab the police officer who attempts to shoot at him again.

Killing him.

"NO!" The Arrow yells at seeing his best friend kill a person.

His best friend just killed a person…

"Not again." Roy hisses as Tommy begins to advance on the other police officer, trying to engage Tommy in another fight, but he ducks Roy's and Catwoman's oncoming attacks, leaping over the police car and running into the distance…

 _Starling City General_

"A full moon tonight. That really brings out the whack jobs. Good news is it can't get any stranger." A doctor chuckles as he enters his office only to stop and almost drop his phone at the sight of the Arrow and The Man In The Mask sat in his office.

"We need a hand." The Arrow growls through the pain as the doctor sighs.

"I was wrong. Gotta call you back." He mutters through the phone…

 _Later…_

"Some of this damage is chronic. The cost of jumping off rooftops, I guess." The doctor explains to the two vigilantes after bringing up the X-ray of the Arrow's knee.

"I need to get back on my feet." He hisses as The Man In The Mask moves back to his side.

"I can give you a brace but you'll still be in horrendous amounts of pain. Six months ago, this cabinet would have been empty. The Chinese Triad was stopping all our med shipments until someone stopped them. Ever since I've been looking for a way to thank the three of you." He glances toward the Arrow and The Man In The Mask with a sympathetic smile.

 _Verdant_

"Ok. Thanks Slade. I'll see you guys when I see you." Diggle sighs through the phone as Thea looks over the counter of the bar.

"Is Ollie okay!" She asks anxiously, clutching Roy's hand, who stands beside her.

"He's really messed up his leg." Diggle shakes his head.

"You mean Tommy messed up his leg?" Roy corrects him.

"That's not Tommy. It's the Mirakuru. It's mind controlling him." Thea buries her head in her hands as Roy rests a reassuring hand on her back.

"We'll save him Thea." Diggle assures her.

"I hope so. My family's already screwed up enough as it is." She murmurs as Diggle glances at her.

"You know I've spent a lot of time with your family Thea and I know your mother isn't perfect. Her judgment definitely isn't but there's one thing she's consistent about and that is she loves you and Oliver." He points out.

"And that should buy her what in your mind?" Thea sighs.

"Well I don't know Thea but she is your mother that should buy her something. A second chance maybe." Diggle suggests.

"Come on, Dig. She's threatened to kill two people we care about and… Ohh crap." Roy mutters as he glances at the tv, using the remote to turn on the volume.

"A city wide man hunt for the perpetrator of an attack that left one police officer seriously injured and the other dead. We have video shot by a bystander of the attack and two more unknown vigilantes joining on the the fight. But please be warned that the footage may be too graphic for some viewers." The news lady reports as the footage is played of Tommy killing the police officer and Roy and Selina trying to put him down.

"You're on TV." Thea murmurs, wrapping her arms around Roy and burying her head into his chest when Tommy moves to attack the officer with the arrow.

"I can't believe that's him. I can't believe it." She shakes her head as Roy just holds her close, unsure of what else he can say or do…

 _Cat Grant's Residence_

Meanwhile, on the other side of Starling City, sitting in front of the TV, Laurel sits, biting her nails furiously as she watches the fight on the tv of the 'mysterious man' who killed a police officer, tears streaming down her cheeks as she can just tell who it is straight away, despite the blurry footage.

"Wow that's awful. I hope they catch him." Cat comments in passing as Laurel gets to her feet, looking to where Brandon and Rebecca are playing with Cat's children.

"Cat. Keep an eye on those two for me. I. I need to go." She moves toward the door.

"I need to deal with something."

 _The Foundry_

"These are not going to fix your knee Oliver." Felicity winces as she sees Oliver mashing up a variety of herbs.

"They'll help it heal faster." He mutters.

"And until then?" Sara mutters in response as Oliver just gets to his feet.

"Where are we with facial recognition?" He calls to Felicity and Sin.

"Traffic cams can't get a clear shot. Now I see why you wear that hood and Slade wears the mask." She murmurs.

"Felicity." Slade sighs.

"We need to find Tommy before the police do." Oliver murmurs.

"Because they'll kill him and we won't?" Sara folds her arms as Oliver glares at her.

"STAR Labs is working on a cure." He says as calmly as he can.

"Which they may never come up with." Nyssa reminds him.

"Can we all just have some faith." Oliver rests his head on his hand.

"Well after what happened there. You can't blame us for not. But we'll do anything we can to get him safely back here. I know he matters to you and to her sister." Selina glances to Sara who just shakes her head.

"Even if they do make this so called cure I mean, how many people are we going to let Tommy kill in the meantime…"

"You know you wanted to kill Helena too, you found another way." Oliver snaps at Sara.

"That was different and you know it. Tommy has the Mirakuru in him, just like Shado." Sara snips as Oliver faces her.

"You know what. So does Roy, so what! If he lost control would you want to kill him to. If Slade still had the Mirakuru. You'd be thinking of killing him. This is Tommy, Sara. Our Tommy." Oliver shouts.

"He's not our Tommy! He's gone! Did the Tommy Merlyn you know and love go around killing people? No he didn't. He's gone, just like Shado is and we have a responsibility to protect the people of Starling City." Sara glances to the others as Oliver shakes his head.

"I know you are angry with me Sara but do not let that…"

"Oliver. This has got nothing to do with you and me at all. Are you seriously telling me that if you had a clear shot of Shado right now, you wouldn't take it." She retorts.

"Tommy isn't Shado!" He yells at her.

"Tommy isn't Tommy. He's not himself anymore, he's too far gone. He tried to kill you, he pushed Selina out of a window, he killed somebody!" She yells back.

"I don't believe that." Oliver shakes his head.

"Do you even hear yourself right now Oliver?" She glares at him.

"Ok that is enough!" Slade bellows to shut them both up.

"No. He needs to hear this. This is the exact conversation that we had five years ago, except we were freezing on Lian Yu!" She retorts.

"He's Tommy." Is all Oliver says in response.

"Is all this arguing really helping us get him off the streets?" Mick decides to question from the other side of the room.

"The most sensible thing I've heard since we got here." Slade murmurs.

"It's not. We have to act, now. We don't want him dead but we can't have him out on the streets." Nyssa agrees with Mick as Sara just moves toward a set of drawers, pulling a gun out from inside.

"What are you doing?" Oliver questions quietly.

"What needs to be done." Sara retorts coldly, cooking the gun and insuring it's loaded.

"The Mirakuru won't do anything against a head shot." She murmurs.

"SARA!" Oliver snarls at her, getting to his feet shakily.

"Your mothers rally starts in half an hour. I'd start getting dressed if I were you." She says as she barges up the stairs.

"I'll try and talk to her." Nyssa moves to follow her as Oliver collapses in a chair.

"Give me that woman address. I'll go keep an eye on Laurel." Selina suggest as Sin nods before telling it to her, Selina grabbing her mask and whip before moving out of the room.

"This is my fault." Oliver murmurs.

"Kid." Slade starts, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"No. It's all my fault. Tommy, Sara… She's angry and she's worried. She's angry and me and she's scared. She's scared that Tommy's going to try and go after Laurel and the kids and yes that's a worry but it's Tommy. Our Tommy. She can't. She can't just kill him we can't let that happen." Oliver shakes his head as Slade squeezes his shoulder.

"We won't kid. We won't." He murmurs.

"She's reminding me so much of how she was when we first got back home. When it just seemed… Seemed impossible to believe in anything even resembling hope." Oliver sighs.

"But the three of you did then, eventually and Sara will again. She's just…"

"Angry. Angry at me." Oliver cuts Felicity off.

"Because you slept with that weird chick?" Mick folds his arms.

"It's not that." Oliver shakes his head.

"That's what it looks like to all of us." He murmurs.

"It might do. I know but Sara and I. When we were reunited. We. We sat down and Sara just opened up and told me everything. Everything about Nanda Parbat, the League Of Assassins. Nyssa, she told me all about Nyssa, how she thought I was dead and she had to move on or it would have torn her up inside. She told me everything. She didn't want there to be any secrets between us and she took my hands and begged me. Begged me to tell her if I'd managed to move on, if I'd been with anyone like she had. Just wanted us to have a clean slate. A new start and no secrets and I. I panicked. So I." Oliver stops before looking up at the others with sadness in his eyes.

"I lied straight to her face."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

After leaving Cat's place, Laurel races along the street.

She doesn't know what to do.

Should she just go and find Oliver, Sara and Slade.

Tell them that she knows everything about them and ask them where Tommy is.

What's wrong with him.

If she can help him.

Suddenly she thinks she can hear someone behind her, a silhouetted shadow behind her…

"Tommy?" She whispers as she turns around.

She sees a flash of black leather…

"Sara? Sara is that you. Look. I'll explain how I know and everything but right now, please just tell me where my fiancée is." She cries as a woman steps out of the shadows.

No one she's met before, but she can tell it's a woman in a skintight black leather suit.

Kitty ears on her mask.

"I ain't Sara." The woman replies.

"But I work with the vigilantes." She reveals as Laurel sighs.

"Then you know what's going on. Tommy, he's my fiancé and something's happening to him. Wait. You were the woman fighting him." She whispers at the sudden revelation.

"The very same. Yeah, he's lost it. We're doing what we can." She informs Laurel.

"What's happening to him?" She questions.

"He's been infected with this drug and it's messing with his head. It's all pretty chaotic back at base. Some want to kill him. Lot of us want to try and salvage what's left of him…"

"Kill him. No." Laurel whispers.

"We're worried about you and your kids." The woman reveals.

"You think he'll come after us?" Laurel asks in an anxious tone as the woman just shrugs.

"What do you think Laurel?"

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Storming down a darkened street, Tommy keeps his head bowed as he moves toward a quiet alleyway.

"Tommy?" Calls a familiar voice.

More than familiar…

"Tommy. It's me. It's Laurel." The voice continues as Tommy looks up to see her standing right in front of him.

Laurel Lance.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. This is all my fault. I did this to you. When you ran away I should have tried harder to find you. It was a cry for help and I should have seen that but I didn't. I just knew you'd ran away from me, from our children. I should be punished for what I put you through Tommy." She murmurs to him.

"I deserve to be punished." She whispers.

"Someone hurts you and you hurt them worse. You hurt them permanently." She mutters as she suddenly disappears from Tommy's line of sight.

"You should just kill me." Her voice continues to tell him.

"Kill me." She whispers again, completely out of sight now.

"Kill. Me."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, next chapter should be out really soon. Thank you all for your kinds reviews, follows and favorites, please do tell me what you think of this chapter_**


	131. Seeing Red (3)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Thirty One**_

 _Verdant_

"Oliver where have you been? Haven't you got any of my calls?" Mark Frances calls the minute he sees Oliver and Slade.

"We've been busy." Slade mutters curtly.

"What's wrong?" Oliver frowns.

"It's your mother…"

"She'll do fine." Oliver shrugs him off as Mark shakes his head.

"No, she won't. She's not using this event to rally the troop's. She's using it… To tell people she's dropping out of the race."

 _Elsewhere_

In the main office of Verdant, Moira sits looking down at the desk in front of her before hearing footsteps coming in from behind her, seeing Oliver limping in, Slade behind him.

"Oliver, Mr. Wilson." She starts, glancing down at Oliver's leg and the grip he has on Slade's arm as he leans against a cabinet.

"What happened?" She looks between them both.

"Motorcycle accident, it was stupid." Oliver explains briefly as Slade passes him a stool.

"Yes, this would be the second accident in as many weeks, if my math is correct." She points out as Slade shrugs.

"What can I say, kids always been known for his clumsiness." He smirks slightly.

"Mark says you're dropping out of the race." Oliver starts bluntly.

"The truth is, I should have done it weeks ago. After Thea was abducted. My complete focus needs to be on repairing our relationship." Moira explains to them.

"What's happening with Thea right now isn't because you weren't spending enough time with her." Slade points out.

"Well maybe not. I have to do something and I'm not sure what else to do." She sighs.

"Thea hates you because of the things you have done. Terrible things." Slade reminds her.

"So let her see you do something good, as mayor." Oliver adds falling silent.

"You and I have many differences between us but even I believe, you becoming mayor of this city wouldn't be a horrendous thing. You're a devoted mother. You would do anything to protect you children. Even if those things don't paint you in a positive light." Slade mutters as she looks at him in surprise at his kind words toward her.

"Mom, Slade and I. We know a little something about… Sacrificing the people closest to us for the good of this city. It's what you need to do now." Oliver sighs as Moira turns to face them both.

"I know." She replies softy as Oliver smiles at her.

"Good." He nods, reaching for Slade's arm to pull himself into a standing position.

"Oliver, Slade. I know." She calls as they begin to walk away from her.

"I know." She says again, both of them freezing as they both turn to face her.

"I've known since last year, I suppose and despite that crazy thing with the phone call. I still knew it was you Slade. It's the three of you. Oliver, Sara and Slade. The night of The Undertaking everything became so clear. It was pretty much the night I stopped sleeping." She admits to them.

"Before you say anything else…" Oliver starts.

"There's nothing else to say. Nothing I need to say." She reaches for Oliver's hands.

"Except I couldn't be more proud." She says, squeezing them.

"Of all three of you." She glances to Slade as well, letting go of Oliver's hands.

"Oliver. Could you…" She looks to him.

"Mom. It took me about ten minutes to get up these stairs." Oliver sighs.

"Fine. Fine then." She smiles slightly at him as Oliver does move to the corner of the room, sitting on a stool again, glancing at his mother and Slade.

"Mr. Wilson. You have no reason to listen to a word I say now after everything I have done to you. I have tried to kill you, have you killed. I have been the most unwelcoming to you since the moment you arrived in Starling City with my son and Sara. When that is not how I should have acted." She shakes her head as Slade glances at her with his one eye.

"Say we put it behind us." He murmurs.

"I agree but I need to say this. This needs to be said. Five years. Five years I wondered if my son was alive. If I was ever going to see him again and when I do he's brought a friend with him and it's as I said I was so unwelcoming when I should have been thanking you. You are The Man In The Mask. The more supreme fighter. The Deathstroke. I have many things about you but after everything I've heard. It just makes me realize that I may not be stood here with my son now if it wasn't for you. You helped bring my son home to me, Mr. Wilson and I never, I never even thought passed my hate and mistrust to thank you for what you've done for me and I read the news. The three vigilantes. I watch the videos, you protect them. You keep them safe. You keep my son safe." Moira sighs with a smile.

"I made a promise to myself I would always keep both he and Sara safe. Protect them." He mutters as Moria nods.

"And I believe that. I believe that you'll continue to keep them safe. I trust that you will and not just Oliver. Thea. She loves you too, just like Oliver does and you've kept her safe. Kept both my children safe. I am truly sorry for everything that I did to you as without you I may not have my son with me right now. You are truly like a brother to him and for that I thank you. I thank you so much." She stops as she holds out her hand.

"You are a good man, Mr. Wilson and I'm just sorry it has taken me so long to realize that." She continues as she takes his hand before smiling at him.

"Thank you for everything you have done for my family, Slade." He nods.

"You're welcome Moira." He responds quietly, genuinely shocked by her kind words toward him. The first...

"Thank you." She says again as she moves toward the office door, leaving Oliver and Slade alone, both of them glancing toward one another.

"Well, that was unexpected." Slade comments as in response Oliver just smiles…

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _"Can I have Raisa get you anything to drink?" Moira questions as she enters the living room with the woman, Samantha, Oliver has supposedly gotten pregnant._

 _"Or something to eat, perhaps? Please." She gestures toward the chair._

 _"Where's Oliver?" Samantha questions quietly._

 _"Ah, he's… Running an errand for me. I thought it would give us a chance to talk." She says as the two of them sit down beside one another._

 _"With all due respect, um, Mrs. Queen. What's happening, it's between me and your son." She says in a soft voice._

 _"Yes." Moria murmurs, flickering through the documents she has on the girl._

 _"What is that?" She asks in confusion._

 _"Oh, I hand one of our investigators write up a dossier on you. I'm sorry, but it's a necessary precaution against a fraudulent claim of paternity." She responds._

 _"Well the baby is Oliver's." Samantha replies._

 _"Oh, of that I have no doubt, our investigators were quite thorough but you can imagine how many people my family attracts who are looking for handouts." Moira looks up at her._

 _"Well, I'm not looking for money." She assures her._

 _"Of course not." Moira replies, handing her a cheque._

 _"I told you I don't want money." Samantha leans away._

 _"And I'm telling you that this is my first grandchild and I want to make certain that he or she has a bright future, please." She pushes the cheque onto her lap._

 _"This is a million dollars." Samantha whispers._

 _"I want to make certain that my son has a bright future as well. That money is yours once you tell Oliver that you've lost the baby." Moira explains to her._

 _"What?" Samantha exclaims._

 _"And another million when you return to Central City, never to speak to him again. Can I offer you some advice? One mother to another?" She looks to Samantha before continuing._

 _"When it comes to your children there is no action that is inconceivable. There is no decision that is impossible. You do what you must to provide the life that they need and I think that two million dollars is sufficient to provide the life that both our children need. Don't you?"_

 _Verdant_

Stood at the podium, Moira smiles at the crowd of people before her.

"When I was first approached about entering this race. The prospect of winning seemed a distant, nearly impossible feat. Now how could a city that had suffered so much place it's faith in someone so responsible for its suffering? But as the weeks progressed good people such as you raised your voices in support and I began to think that I could make a difference. I could help save this city, but… Recent events have changed things and…" Moira stops as she sees Thea walking into the crowd, hand in hand with her boyfriend Roy. She looks to Oliver, who stands beside Slade, the man who finally accepted her when she accepted him for everything he'd done for her family for Oliver. Oliver and Thea. The reason for everything. The reason she needs to do this.

"And now I know I can make a difference!" She smiles into the microphone as cheers and applause go out across the room and the beaming smile she received from Oliver.

"And should the honor become mine, I promise with every breath I take to do what is necessary. To sacrifice what is necessary for the good of this city. Starling City is my home, you are my family and there is nothing more important to me than family." Moira says firmly to another round of cheers and applause.

"Thank you, thank you all." She says making her way off the podium.

"Great speech mom." Oliver smiles at her.

"Not bad, Moira." Slade adds as Moira smiles at them both.

"Thank you." She nods happily.

"A little too off book for my liking but we'll work on that." Mark comments.

"I though it was perfect." Oliver beams as she hugs him tightly.

"Um. Hi. I just wanted to come up here and say a few words." Comes the voice of Thea through the microphone as everyone turns to face her.

"What is she doing?" Oliver hisses to Roy, who approaches them.

"I have no idea. She just snuck past me." Roy sighs.

"She knows this is being televised. She's sending a message to Tommy, trying to draw him out." Oliver growls as they look to Thea.

"I am so proud to have my mom here tonight at my club, Verdant, in the Glades. So vote Queen. Tell your friends. Thanks." Thea smiles as she exits the podium.

"Thea that was…"

"That was not for you." Thea mutters as she moves past her mother…

 _The Foundry_

"What were you thinking!" Roy snaps at Thea the minute she joins them on the stairs, Slade moving down the stairs first, Oliver second, Slade grabbing him the minute he hits the last step, helping him limp across the Foundry.

"I could ask the same thing!" Oliver growls.

"I'm sorry, I was just freaking out. We need to keep Tommy safe. I thought if we got him to one place, close to the base we could I don't know subdue him or something." Thea whispers as Felicity buries her head in her hands.

"Thea. You… Um…" She starts nervously.

"What?" Thea frowns.

"His girl. Blondie's sister, she's here with Selina." Mick informs them as Felicity points to the security camera where in the crowd, Laurel is visibly stood beside Selina.

"Ohh god." Oliver whispers as Thea shakes her head.

"I didn't. Ohh god. I didn't."

"It's a'right. It's a'right. What's done is done. How many of those venom arrows do we have?" Slade questions.

"About twenty." Sin informs them.

"Nyssa and I are going to need all of them." Oliver replies.

"Okay, on it boss." Sin nods.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, can you even get into those leather pants with that knee?" Thea folds her arms.

"Slade. Lidocaine, now." Oliver murmurs, leaning on Felicity when Slade releases him.

"Wow you're heavy. Is this really all muscle. God I bet Slade weighs a ton." She babbles as Slade returns with a needed and the bottle, Felicity glancing at it when Slade fills up the needle to the brim.

"Let's see, the bottle says the proper dosage is…"

"All of it." Slade mutters before jabbing it in Oliver's leg, Felicity shuddering as both men walk toward their weapons…

 _Verdant_

"Terrific speech Moria. How did we not think of running you years ago?" One of the big donors questions.

"Thank you." Moira beams, glancing toward Thea, who has just appeared from the stairs to the basement.

"Um, can you give me a moment?" She requests moving toward where Thea is before bumping into Laurel.

"Well, congratulations Moira." Laurel starts.

"Ohh thank you Laurel." Moira pulls her into an embrace just as gunshots sound out, screaming and commotion almost instantaneous.

"We need to go now." Diggle calls to Moira and Laurel, who shakes her head, running toward where the gunshots were fired.

"I'm on it." Selina murmurs from behind Diggle.

"No, not without my daughter!" Moira cries as Diggle pushes her backwards.

"I'll see to the safety of your daughter. Go Thea. We have to go now!" He yells.

"No I'm staying it's Tommy! I'm not leaving, he came here because I told him where we were." She points out watching as Laurel runs into the centre of the room, stopping when she sees Tommy throw an armed guard straight across the room, which knocks Diggle down to, making him lose his grip on his gun, yet in an attempt to regain it, Tommy smashes him across the face with a metal stool.

"Tommy." Laurel calls as she approaches him.

"Tommy, listen to me. Listen to my voice. This isn't you. I don't understand much about what's happened to you but I know this isn't you and I have to believe my fiancée, the farther of my children. The man I love so much, is still inside there, somewhere." She whispers as she moves closer to him, until they're face to face.

"You can fight this. You're strong, you are so strong. You don't want to be like this. You want be with Brandon and Rebecca, me. Tommy. I know." She whispers as he just stares at her, a blank yet vicious look upon his face.

"I know you were there that day. The day The Huntress captured me. You may not be the Arrow but you wore his uniform, you came for me. Came to protect me. To bring me home to our children. Yet you lost control and you didn't come home that night and you did that to protect me to protect us. You can fight this Tommy. Come back to me." She whispers as he suddenly grabs his throat with his fingers, strangling her, lifting her off her feet.

Suddenly a gun sounds out and a bullet goes straight through Tommy's arm.

"Tommy. Put her down. Let her go you son of a bitch!" The Black Canary snarls, holding a gun now directed at his head.

"Please, please don't. He can't control it. It's not his fault." Laurel begs.

Begs her sister…

"That's why I don't have a choice." The Black Canary snarls.

"Yes you do. You do. S…" She tries to say her name but Tommy's grip tightens on her throat.

"Don't do this!" Thea cries, racing in front of the Black Canary's gun.

"I have to." The Black Canary hisses.

"No you don't." Sin adds as she joins Thea, both of them standing beside each other. In front of the Black Canary's gun.

"Get out of the way." The Black Canary snaps as suddenly Tommy releases Laurel, Selina pulling both Thea and Sin out of the way, Nyssa pulling Laurel safe as the Black Canary shoots Tommy through the leg.

"Kill me." Tommy begs, looking up at the Black Canary, who stands over him with the gun.

"NO!" Laurel cries, Thea, Sin, Selina and Nyssa both holding her back.

"Please kill me before. Before I kill her. Protect her. Protect your sister. Please." Tommy murmurs as Laurel shakes her head.

"Laurel. I. I love. You."

"Please don't kill him!" Laurel starts just as Tommy collapses, arrows in his chest from the Arrow, who limps forward into the centre of the room, The Man In The Mask and Roy behind him. The Arrow looking to the Black Canary.

"No one dies tonight!" He bellows.

"Tommy!" Laurel begins to move toward him.

"Get her outside." The Arrow looks to Nyssa, Sin, Thea and Selina.

"We'll get Tommy the help he needs, I promise, go." He promises her as Sin, Nyssa, Thea and Selina pull Laurel toward the door whilst The Man In The Mask, Roy, the Black Canary and the Arrow pull Tommy from the ground.

 _The Foundry_

"Ah Tibetan pit viper venom. A constant dose of that can't be good for you, right?" Felicity winces as they look down at Tommy's unconscious form, returned to the table.

"It'll keep him sedated, like it did with Shado." Diggle replies.

"Until when and what happens when we run out?" Roy points out.

"It's not like you can buy this stuff over the counter, unless you're in Tibet then maybe." Felicity agrees.

"We'll take care of him." Oliver resolves using Slade as a crutch to help him get to the table, looking down at his best friend.

"I'm not ready to give up on Tommy."

"Anyone else crave dim sum after fisticuffs?" Felicity questions to silence.

"No, ok. Dumplings for one, then." She sighs, moving toward her desk.

"I would have killed him." Sara murmurs, looking to Oliver.

"I was ready to. He'd be dead right now if you guys wouldn't have stopped me." She admits.

"But he's not. That's all that matters." Oliver turns to her.

"That's not true. I wanted to kill Tommy because that's what I do. That's what I am."

"Sara." Slade starts as Sara shakes her head.

"I was so angry with you Oliver. It just brought to me a place of darkness. The place I spent five years in. I went back to that place because of a fight between us and that's stupid. It really is but it showed me just how close to the darkness I still am, how something so insignificant can't push me right back into it. Tommy. I've known him since I was a kid. He's the love of my sisters life. He's the father of her children, my niece, my nephew and I could have killed him tonight because. I fell into my old patterns." She mutters.

"Sara. I know that you're not angry at me because I slept with Harley..."

"I don't want to talk about this with you right now." She shakes her head.

"But we're going to Sara! I know why you're angry and you've got all rights to be. I lied."

"Understatement of the year much?"

"Sara…"

"No. No Oliver. I wouldn't have cared. I wouldn't have cared one bit if you'd come out and told me that you'd slept with Harley. That you were with her. I still don't care about that departed how much I genuinely hate that woman because I knew she always had a thing for you." Sara says with a shake of her head.

"No she didn't."

"Ohh come on Oliver! Even you're not that dumb, surely! Anyway, I still wouldn't care but what I do care about what has caused me to feel so angry is that when you walked into Anatoly's place that first time. The first time I saw you alive again. One my thoughts was ohh my god. I moved on with Nyssa and you were still alive that whole time. So we sat down, it took a while but we sat down and we talked. I opened up I poured my heart out to you about everything that had happened to me and all I asked. All I asked was for you to do the same. To tell me the truth. So I asked you. I asked you if had anyone and you told me…"

"I told you I hadn't." Oliver cuts in quietly.

"Yeah, that's right, that you had never moved on. You'd never gotten over me and the reason I'm so angry is because you have no idea how I felt. Knowing that I'd managed to move on and you hadn't. That I thought that you'd been alone, never having gotten over me and if we hadn't have reunited that's how you would have stayed. I felt awful. I hated myself for not trying harder to find you. For giving up so quickly. Oliver that destroyed me and I kept that thought in my head for all that time. All that time. I even think about it sometimes now until. Until Shado told me the truth." She hisses.

"Sara. I'm sorry. I just knew you didn't like Harley so…"

"I don't care about Harley! Aren't you listening to me. Are you incapable of listening to a thing I say?" Sara cries.

"Says the woman who nearly killed her sisters fiancée less than an hour ago because she wouldn't listen to reason? I told you there was another way!"

"My sister almost died because yours thought it we be a great idea to summon her to a Verdant! He could have killed my sister. He still could!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Slade bellows, causing both of them to fall silent instantly and Felicity to almost fall off her chair.

"This has gone on long enough, you sit over there and you sit over there." He points both Oliver and Sara in the direction of two separate places in The Foundry.

"Neither of you are to say another word to one another unless it's something pleasant!" He growls as Oliver moves to a chair, Sara just storming toward the stairs.

"You were right the other day Slade." Roy comments as he heads across the room.

"I'm glad I didn't ask!"

 _Verdant_

"Hey! Everything okay?" Sin asks as she approaches Sara who stands at her motorcycle.

"Is my sister alright?" Sara turns to face her.

"Shaken up but Nyssa and Selina took her back to Cat's." Sin informs her.

"How's Tommy?" Sin queries.

"Go see for yourself. He's alive, no thanks to me." Sara mutters.

"You know that was brave getting between us, both you and Thea. It took guts."

"Not really. I knew you wouldn't really hurt him. You're not a killer and well… He's Tommy Merlyn." Sin reminds her as Sara pulls her into a tight embrace.

"I'll see you later." Sara murmurs as she gets on her bike.

"Where are you going?" Sin questions anxiously.

"For a drive. A long. Long drive." Sara murmurs before driving away into the distance…

 _Verdant_

"We've got every cop in this city canvassing. We'll find this guy." The police woman informs both Moira and Thea.

"You okay?" Oliver questions as he approaches them

"Fine." Thea smiles, noticing Moira wrapping an arm around Oliver and him smiling.

"Glad to see the two of you are getting along again." She muses, beginning to walk away.

"Thea." Moira starts after her, Oliver limping behind as the three of them get into the limo, the three sitting in the back in silence, some time of the journey passing before Thea speaks up directing her statement at her mother.

"You know, mom. You think you are protecting me by lying and by keeping secrets but that's what's actually hurting me." She reveals to Moira.

"You're absolutely right." Moira responds to her gently.

"We need to turn a new page." She decides.

"It's not going to be that simple, or easy." Thea shakes her head.

"I know. If the truth was so easy for me we wouldn't be in this situation. But to start. There's something about Malcolm that both you and Oliver and when you have the chance, Slade and Sara need to know." Moira admits as both Thea and Oliver look to her.

"Malcolm…" She doesn't get to finish her sentence as that is when something slams hard into their car…

 _The Foundry_

"You okay?" Felicity glances at Slade, who looks rather on edge and has been for sometime.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Where did the kid go?" He questions Roy looks over at him.

"Ohh, he went with Thea and Moira. Nice to see the three of them together again." Roy smiles as Slade nods.

"You know, Moira. She called me by my name today. Said I was a good man." Slade reveals.

"Has the world ended?" Sin glances at him as he chuckles.

"No. She wanted to thank me for everything I've done for Oliver, Thea. Trust me I was surprised to say the least." He notes as Felicity rests his hand over hers.

"I'm not. She just realised what we all already knew. That you are most definitely a good guy." She beams as Slade smirks at her.

"One of the best." Roy agrees as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"You know. I'm just going to trail behind them on my motorcycle. Something just feels." He stops shaking his head.

"I don't know. I just know I'll feel better when I see the kid, Thea and their mother safe and sound." He says, getting to his feet.

"Well, hurry back." Felicity rests her hand over his.

"I'll be back before you know it." He smirks, kissing the top of her head in farewell.

"You won't even know I'm gone."

 _Elsewhere…_

"Oliver! Oliver!" Moira cries her son's name repeatedly as Oliver fights to open his eyes, fighting the unconsciousness he was knocked into when the limo was…

The limo was hit.

Mom, Thea. He thinks, trying to sit up and when he does so all he sees is visions, his mother crying, Shado's face, the past…

The choice… Sara or Shado. The fight. Slade reappearing. The choice. Oliver or Shado…

"Oliver! Oliver!" Moira cries again as Oliver tries to sit up, only to see his mother and Thea both tied up with their hands behind their backs, Shado stood above them, a gun in her hand, hovering over both Thea and Moira, just like…

No… No, no. No…

"Slade was dead the last time you were offered this choice." She muses.

"Shado." Oliver hisses realising he's tied up himself.

"He's not this time and he's going to come. He's gonna find us and stop you!" Thea cries bravely through her tears of fear.

"I couldn't see your face the first time you were offered the choice. I had my back to you. I was on my knees when the choice was offered to you. Me or Sara. I often wondered how you looked when Ivo pointed the gun at us. How you looked when my sweetheart arrived and he chose you over me because you couldn't make the previous choice, because you're a coward." She snarls.

"You psychopath. You psycho. Slade never choose me over you. He didn't know! How. How could he make a coherent choice in that frame of mind!" Oliver yells gritting his teeth.

"How was I a coward for not making a choice I could have chosen Sara! She was mine. The man who loved you was dead. Why would I save girlfriend of a dead man. I could have made the choice…"

"But you didn't because you are a coward."

"BECAUSE I CARED ABOUT YOU! BECAUSE THAT WAS MY FAMILY. SARA, YOU, SLADE! I COULDN'T MAKE THE CHOICE BECAUSE I LOVED ALL THREE OF YOU! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" He bellows at her.

"That's not what happened! He told me!" She points off into the distance.

"What do you mean, she. There's nobody there!" Oliver cries in bewilderment.

"Shado… You were on the island with Oliver, Slade and Sara." Moira whispers.

"I thought I had known true despair until I met your son. He destroyed the relationship I had with the only man I ever truly loved." She snarls at Moira.

"Slade. You're. You're in love with Slade?" She whispers.

"I trusted those three. I trusted my Slade to make the right choice when Oliver proved cowardly. He chose the coward. Him, his 'kid' over the woman he was supposed to love."

"Shado. Shado let me make the right choice now. Kill me." Oliver begs.

"NO!" Both Thea and Moira scream in unison.

"Choose me please!" He begs.

"I am killing you Oliver." She sighs, holding the gun to Thea's head.

"Only more slowly then you would like." She cocks the gun.

"Don't!" Oliver cries as she holds the gun to Thea's head, then to Moira's…

Just like Ivo. Just like Ivo…

"Choose." Shado mutters.

"Don't." Oliver shakes his head.

"Choose." Shado repeats.

"Please." Oliver begs.

"Choose." Shado moves the gun to Thea's head.

"NO!" The voice of Slade bellows from behind them.

"You can't save him from his choice this time, sweetheart. Look how that worked out the last time." Shado hisses without even looking at Slade as he races toward the four.

"It didn't what happened was devastating but if anyone should suffer for what happened that night it should be me, not the kid and definitely not his innocent mother and sister." Slade holds his hands up toward her as Moira and Thea look up at him.

"He has to suffer." She hisses.

"No he doesn't. There has been enough suffering Shado. There should be no more. I want to help you. Help you fight the Mirakuru that has plagued your mind and this time things will be different. I won't let go." He reaches toward her.

"Slade be careful." Moira calls to him as Shado looks up at him.

"Do you regret it. The choice you made?" She hisses.

"Yes. I regret not killing Ivo earlier when I had the chance. I have thought about this question for five years Shado and I've come to the realisation that I don't. I don't regret choosing to save Oliver because I didn't know there was a choice and there is no way I would have been able to find out Oliver couldn't have gotten through to me. I regret not doing to more help you, even telling Oliver to honour your wishes when you wanted us to let you go but I was selfish I wanted you to be with me because I loved you. I never stopped loving you Shado. I wish I hadn't lied to you. Just told you everything and perhaps things would have been different and we wouldn't be here right now but there one thing I don't regret is saving Oliver. I will never regret saving Oliver because he is my brother, he has been my side every step of the way. He is the family I found and I. I love that kid." He reveals causing Oliver to freeze in position.

Slade has never been vocal about his feelings. It took nearly two years for him to admit he cared about Oliver but now he has actually said that what he feels for his friend is love.

The love of a brother…

Suddenly Shado lowers the gun and raises a sword to his chest.

"NO!" Oliver yells instantly both Moira and Thea crying out.

"Don't do this." Moira cries.

"Do you still love me?" She questions sharply.

"I'll never love you the way I used to. I moved on and it has taken me five years to realize that I could. I did love you and I will always care for you which is why if anyone is to die tonight it should be me." He murmurs.

"NO! NO!" Oliver yells, shaking his head rapidly, fighting against his restraints.

"And it shouldn't be them. You will leave them alone, Thea, Moira. You won't harm them. You kill me and this is over. Oliver doesn't need to choose. The choice has been made." Slade looks to her as Oliver shakes his head, Moira and Thea looking up at him in horror.

"You look after your children Moira. You don't let them down again. Do you hear me?" Slade growls to her as Moira looks up at him.

"No, Shado don't do this to him, don't take him away from my children they need him. Please don't do this…"

"MOIRA PROMISE ME!" Slade bellows at her as she looks up at him.

"I promise." She says quickly.

"Slade. Slade no! No!" Thea cries as Slade glances to her.

"Don't look Thea. Keep your eyes closed. This will all be over soon…"

"NO! NO! SLADE!" Oliver yells as he turns to face Shado.

"This is how it has to end."

"Why would you decide to do a thing like this?" She queries holding the sword to his chest.

"Because I love that kid and I always will and I won't let him suffer for something that wasn't his fault. This started with you and me and it's going to end with you and me." He says firmly, looking over his shoulder at Moira, Thea and Oliver.

"Slade!" Oliver yells to him.

"SLADE!" He cries as Thea and Moira cry out to him as well.

"Kid I…"

Shado runs the sword through his chest.

"NO!" Oliver screams as Shado pushes the sword in even further until she as one arm wrapped around him, the sword buried in his chest to the hilt, murmuring something to him and kissing his cheek before pulling out the sword, dropping his body at Oliver's feet.

"SLADE!" Oliver cries, using his knees to crawl towards his brother in all but bloods body.

There is nothing but blood, blood seeping from the wound, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Oliver... My brother." He murmurs weakly.

"Shh Shh don't try to talk. You're going to be alright. You're going to be alright." He whispers as Slade tries to reach for him but fails.

"I love you and Sara. My family. You tell her that, kid."

"Tell her yourself, you're going to be okay. You're gonna survive, you're a survivor, you're the strongest man I've ever known. You promised me. You promised me you wouldn't leave me. Slade please." Oliver whispers as Slade's eyes close.

"Slade? Slade no. Open your eyes Slade! Slade please. PLEASE!" Oliver sobs.

It's no use.

His brother is gone…

Slade Wilson is dead.

"OLLIE! OLLIE IS HE OKAY? TELL ME HE'S OKAY!" Thea sobs from across the field as Oliver just looks up at Shado.

"You killed him." He whispers.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" He yells.

"No, no, no, NO!" Thea cries as she dissolves into sobs.

"Ohh my god. Ohh my god. Oliver. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Oliver." Moira cries, tears running down her own cheeks as she hears her son's cries of anguish.

"You know, this. This isn't good enough for me. You made me kill the man I loved because. This is exactly what happened. You were too cowardly to make the choice. So you still will. Your mother or your sister. You're not getting away with this again." Shado growls at Oliver, the blood coated sword that had ended Slade's life in one hand, her gun in the other which she holds to both Thea and Moira's heads once again.

Slade's sacrifice had been for nothing...

"I SWEAR TO GOD I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Oliver yells.

"CHOOSE!" Shado yells.

"NO! NO!" Oliver snarls stopping when he sees his mother getting to her feet.

"Mom?" He whispers.

"Mom, what are you doing no, mom stop!"

"There's only one way this night can end." She whispers, glancing down at Slade's body and her two children with tears in her eyes.

"No, no." Thea sobs loudly, sobbing for the loss of Slade and the fear or what is to come.

"And we both know that, don't we Shado." Moira continues.

"MOM!" Oliver and Thea yell simultaneously.

"Please don't." Moira glances to them before at Shado again.

"Both my children will live and you will leave Sara, everyone they love alone. You've made you're point here tonight."

"What are you doing?!" Thea screams through her tears.

"Thea, Oliver I love you. Close your eyes baby!" She cries as Shado raises the gun to her.

"NO!" Oliver cries as Thea continues to sob.

"You possess true courage, like my sweetheart did." Shado murmurs, glancing down at Slade's body before pocketing the gun.

The sword, still covered in Slade's blood still held in her other hand.

"I am truly sorry that you did not pass that onto your son!" She hisses as she whirls around and stabs Moira Queen straight through the chest, just like had with Slade.

Thea screaming as her mother collapses to the ground, dead by Shado's hand…

Moira Queen and Slade Wilson both lying on the ground.

Both of them dead.

Oliver begins to lose consciousness.

"There is still a few more people who have to die, including yourself before all this can end." Shado comments, her sword tapping against Thea's cheek as Oliver shakes his head repeatedly.

"No, mom! Mom!" Thea screams, moving toward her mother's body as Shado leans back against a tree, glancing down at Slade's body beside Oliver as unconscious finally claims him…

 _Past Queen Mansion_

 _Well, yeah, I'm sorry too. Well, listen if there's ever anything that I can do… Hello?" Oliver starts sighing as he puts down the phone._

 _"Who was that?" Moira asks from behind him._

 _"That was um… She lost the baby." Oliver admits._

 _"Oh." Moira nods, trying to put a sad expression on her face for her son's sake._

 _"She said she's sad about it and she's going to go back to school in Central City. Apparently she has family there." Oliver explains to her._

 _"Well, I'm sure this has been very traumatic for her, but it sounds for the best hmm?"_

 _"Sure." Oliver nods._

 _"You okay?" Moira asks her son gently._

 _"Yeah, yes. I continue to be the luckiest guy on the planet. What… What would I have done if she…" He trails off with a smirk._

 _"Ahh, it just. I'm not ready to be a dad." Oliver admits._

 _"No, but someday. It's my fondest hope for you." Moira admits._

 _"I'm just. I'm glad I told you." Oliver reveals, looking up at her._

 _"I don't think I could have gotten through something like this without you." She beams._

 _"You'll never be without me, my beautiful boy." She whispers as she draws her son into a tight and loving embrace, only parting when Oliver steps back before smiling at her._

 _"I love you." He whispers as Moira smiles widely at her son, her beautiful boy._

 _"I love you."_

 _Starling City General_

"OLLIE! OLLIE!" Sara yells as she races down the hospital corridor at top speed having heard the horrendous news over the radio.

That Moira Queen is dead…

She never should have left him. She never should have left him!

"OLLIE!" She cries as she eventually finds his hospital room.

"Sara." Quentin grabs her arms instantly, stood outside the door with Laurel pacing up and down the corridor behind him.

"Dad. Ohh my god. I never should have left him. She killed Moira. Shado did this to her. Let me past. I need. I need to Ollie. I need to apologize. I never should have gone like that." She pushes past him into the room, stopping when she sees Oliver sitting in the corner of the room, his arms wrapped around his knees which are pulled up to his chest.

Tears streaming down his face as he just looks blankly ahead.

"Ollie. Ollie. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Ollie. I shouldn't have left. I'm so sorry. I was so stupid, Ollie. I was so stupid and I'm so sorry. Ohh god I'm sorry." She cries, tears in her eyes as Oliver says nothing, more tears falling from his eyes.

"Ollie. Say something. Talk to me, say something please!" She begs as she feels a hand on her shoulder, her dad.

"Sara. We. We need to talk out in the hall." He murmurs as Sara frowns at him.

"Now, sweetie. Right now." He whispers, helping her up and leading her away from Oliver.

"Dad. What is it? How bad was it. Why isn't he saying anything? Has he said anything? Ohh my god is Thea…" She trails off.

"Thea's downstairs, honey. Laurel. Laurel, can you. Can you get Sara a chair please? I want her to be sat down." Quentin looks to Laurel, who Sara notices has tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Laurel? What's. What's going on. Dad. What aren't you all telling me?" She looks up at him as Laurel leads her toward the chair.

"Sara, you need to sit down."

"No dad! I do not need to sit down. Whatever it is. I can handle it." She folds her arms just as he rests his hands against them.

"You're starting to scare me." Sara admits quietly.

"Ok. Ok, honey so. Oliver, Moira and Thea were in the car. They were in the car and Shado drove them off the road. Thea. Thea has told us that they were forced onto their knees and Shado held guns to their heads. Telling Oliver that he had to choose one of them…"

"Ohh my god." Sara whispers covering her mouth with her hands momentarily.

Just like her and Shado when Ivo gave Oliver the choice…

When Oliver couldn't make the choice.

"Thea said that she was telling him to choose. Choose one of them but then… Then… Slade he. He arrived and he was trying to talk her down. He was trying to get her to stop, to let. Moira and Thea live and to do that. He. He." Quentin stops as tears begin to fall from Laurel's eyes again as Sara looks up at him in horror.

"Dad?" She whispers.

"She. She. I'm so sorry, baby." He whispers as Sara shakes her head.

"No! Dad, NO!" She cries as a horrific thought dawns on her.

It's can't be true, it can't be true…

"I'm so sorry, baby he's gone. I'm so sorry." He whispers as Sara breaks down in sobs, Quentin pulling her into his arms.

"I've got you, baby. I got you." He whispers as she sobs loudly.

"No he can't be. He can't be gone, no, no, no!" She wails as Quentin holds her tightly, looking up at Laurel.

"Laurel. Can you. Can you take her?" He whispers as he tries to ease Sara into Laurel's open arms, who is crying softly herself for the death of her friend and for Moira's.

"No." Sara sobs as Laurel holds her close as Quentin looks to them both with a devastated expression upon his face.

"I gotta make a phone call."

 _The Foundry_

"Ohh my god." Sin cries as the headline news flashes up on her phone.

"What's wrong?" Roy glances at her.

"Ohh my god." Sin whispers again.

"Sin?" Diggle frowns at her as his phone begins to ring.

"Moira. Moira Queen. She's been. She's been killed!" Sin reveals as Felicity clasps her hands over her mouth.

"Thea." Roy hisses.

"THEA!" He yells, the Mirakuru within him flaring up as they look to Diggle who has his hand clasped over his mouth.

"No. No, you must be mistaken. He can't be… He. No." Diggle whispers before nodding.

"Thank you for informing me Quentin. We'll be… We'll be right there." He whispers, shakily hanging up the phone.

"Dig?" Felicity whispers as the horrified, shocked, bewildered look upon Diggle's face.

"They're at the hospital. Thea and Oliver. They're alive." He says almost robotically.

"Thank god." Roy hisses, grabbing his hoodie.

"Roy stop." He murmurs.

"What? I gotta get over there. My girlfriend's mom has been killed. Thea needs me!" He yells as Diggle shakes his head.

"Dig. You're scaring us." Felicity whispers.

"Shado did this." Nyssa mutters with a shake of her head.

"Yes. She. She did this. She tried to force Oliver to choose. Between his mom and Thea but before. Before Moira chose herself..."

"Ohh god." Felicity covers her mouth with her hands.

"Slade. Slade was there he got to them. He. He tried to stop her from killing Moira or Thea, trying to protect he three of them and in doing that she. She." He stops, tears filling his eyes.

"John." Felicity whispers, trembling slightly.

"John what. Where's. Where's Slade?" Felicity whispers, reaching for her phone but Diggle shakes his head.

"She…" He stops again as Roy's eyes widen in horror.

"No." Nyssa starts freezing in place as she fears what Diggle is about to say.

"Slade's dead."

"NO!" Felicity cries.

"Shado killed him and Moira tonight." Diggle murmurs.

"Slade's dead." He whispers as Felicity begins to sob loudly.

"No, no, no, NO!" She wails as her legs give out from under her, falling to the ground, gripping the chair as she falls, sobbing freely, her sobs becoming quiet screams.

"Oh my god." Sin whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks, as even Nyssa wipes a single tear from her eyes.

"I. I need to. Oliver and Sara. I need to go to them." She whispers, glancing to the stairs. Selina leaning against the desk.

An almost lost look crossing Mick's face as he shakes his head at the revelation.

"No." Roy hisses, shaking with uncontrollable rage.

The only person who could help him control it is dead.

Slade is dead. He's gone. Shado killed him…

"Roy." Diggle starts in a quiet voice having noticed the look upon Roy's face, how he is shaking with rage whilst Diggle himself had moved to the still sobbing Felicity's side.

"NO!" Roy bellows before grabbing an arrow and snapping it in half, grabbing the whole stand and throwing it across the room.

"ROY! ROY CALM DOWN THIS ISN'T HELPING!" Diggle yells at him yet instead has to duck as Roy picks up a table and throws it in Diggle's direction, shattering everything on it, Diggle moving to shield Felicity.

"Woah. Woah! Cool it. What's wrong with you kid. Mick, what on earth are you doing in here?" Comes the voice of Leonard from the stairs.

"Leonard." Diggle starts, avoiding another flying table from Roy as he turns to him.

"Where's Slade. I need to talk to him. Tell him I'm back. It's was very clever. Trying to send me away, very kind to give me and Lisa such a great job, which I completed of course before returning but I know it was to distract me, to send us away. To keep us safe perhaps because something's going on here that could have put us in danger. Yet I'm smart, I saw straight through his plan so now the job is done I'm here to stand by his side, be his partner in crime. So where's Slade." He looks around the room with a smirk, frowning at the looks upon everyone's faces, the crying he hears and the almost distant look on Mick's face and of course, the out of control Roy throwing stuff around.

"What?" He glances around the room, ducking a piece of debris that is thrown his way.

"What am I missing? Why the long faces?" He frowns.

"Leonard. We need to talk. It's about Slade." Diggle starts.

"SIN, SELINA MOVE!" He yells as Roy throws a glass case their way.

"What about Slade? Where is he?" Leonard questions.

"I'm getting bored of waiting for answers." He sighs.

"Leonard." Mick starts quietly, causing Leonard to spin around to face him.

"You only call me Leonard when it's serious. What's going on Mick?" He folds his arms.

"Slade." Mick murmurs as Leonard nods.

"He's. He's dead. He died. I'm sorry." Diggle looks up at Leonard, who ducks to avoid another piece of debris.

"What?" Leonard questions in a quieter tone of voice, his confident drawl vanishing, looking down to where Diggle has an arm around a sobbing Felicity.

Slade's Felicity…

"He's dead." Leonard murmurs, resting a hand on the stair rail.

"How. Who did this. Who killed him. How did it happen. How was it allowed to happen!" He all but snaps to no response from anybody as he looks to the stairs where his sister is.

Lisa, having heard every word and is leaning against the stair rail.

Tears streaming down her cheeks.

Leonard, looking up at her, ducking yet another piece of debris from the enraged Roy, turns to face the rest of the team, Mick and Lisa.

"Just tell me who killed him." He growls as they all glance toward him bar Felicity whom is still sobbing.

"Because, trust me someone is going to pay."

 ** _Authors Note: I have no words for what I just wrote… Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, thanks for all the kind reviews, follows and favourites. Thanks again for reading and please leave a review if you can._**


	132. City Of Blood (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Three**

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

"SLADE!" Felicity cries as she sits upright in her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks from the nightmare she'd just awoken from.

Not a nightmare. Reality.

He's dead…

Slade is dead.

Shado killed him, ran him through with her sword…

"Felicity! What is it, what's wrong?" A familiar accented voice calls from beside her, causing Felicity to whirl around in an instant to see none other than Slade Wilson sitting up in bed beside her.

"Slade?" Felicity whispers upon seeing him beside her, feeling the tears in her eyes.

"But you're… She. Ohh my god." Felicity buries her head in her hands, feeling Slade's warm hand stroking her back whilst his other hand pushes her hair away from her face.

"What's wrong?" He asks her quietly.

"She killed you. You're dead. This isn't real. It can't be. You're gone." She cries, a look of confusion crossing her face as she looks up into his eye, her hand resting against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

"It was just a dream." She whispers as she closes her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks.

"It was only just a dream." She murmurs.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks her gently as Felicity shakes her head.

"No. No I don't but. It. It just made me… It. It was just so real." She whispers as Slade pulls her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair.

"I thought I'd lost you." She says as she pulls away.

"Felicity, you're not going to get rid of me that easily." He smirks.

"And I never want to." She whispers, sitting up straight, resting one of her hands against his cheek, looking up into his one eye once again.

"It was so real. I thought it was real that I lost you and I just. I'd lost you and I hadn't gotten to tell you something." She babbles quickly.

"What?" He asks her.

"Slade. I'm. I'm just. I. I'm really glad I met you, okay? You have brought a lot of change to my life, yes and I wasn't expecting to work for a vigilante team, ever but out of all that I got to know you and you have. You… Okay I'd need to stop talking." She whispers, stopping her babble by leaning forward and kissing Slade on the lips, over the moon and in complete disbelief and wonder when he kisses her back, just like she had dreamt so many times over.

"Did I really just do that." She whispers when he pulls away, pushing a piece of her hair back into place before smirking at her.

"Finally." He smirks as she just grins at him, resting her nose against his before he kisses her again, much more passionately then the first time, Felicity entwining her fingers in his raven hair as he continues to kiss her, all but throwing her onto the bed as he kisses her, Felicity moving her hands to his face, wrapping her legs around his waist as she falls back into his strong arms…

Sitting up in bed with a start, Felicity rests a hand over her mouth in an attempt to holdback the oncoming sobs she feels coming.

That was just a dream.

She's at her apartment, in bed, alone.

Slade Wilson is dead…

 _Later…_

Unable to get back to sleep, Felicity pulls herself up from her bed, moving to change into more suitable clothes and tugging on her jacket, wincing from the slight pain as she pulls it over the bandage wrapped around left wrist and hand before heading out the door, going to location in silence.

Yet as she approaches it she can already hear the sound of talking from within.

"I'm going to avenge him. We're going to avenge him. One way or another. I'm going to rip her… Felicity." Leonard stops mid sentence as he sees her in the doorway.

"Hey Len." She murmurs.

"Can't sleep?" Mick questions from a chair.

"Haven't had a good nights sleep since it…" She stops as Leonard moves toward her, taking her jacket from her.

"Would you like to continue?" He questions as Felicity nods.

"Yeah. Yeah that's a good idea." She sighs as he leads her toward an empty space in the room before aiming a punch at her, which Felicity moves to avoid, trying to land her own attack, yet failing to do so and when failing, ducks to avoid a hit from Leonard, kicking her leg out to get him in the side, punching him in the face when she can.

"Good." He nods as she looks up at him sadly.

"How's your arm?" He questions as they circle each other.

"Are you going to ask that question every day Leonard?" She queries.

"Might." He shrugs.

"It's fine. Still sore but it's healing… How's Lisa?" She questions.

"She's angry. Miserable. Lot like you are." Leonard comments.

"Found Blondie and Queen yet?" Mick questions from across the room.

"No." Felicity whispers, ducking to avoid another hit and trying to land her own.

"We don't need them. We just need to find Shado and tear her to pieces." Leonard growls, moving to attack Felicity, knocking her down.

"It's the funeral tomorrow." She says in a quiet voice.

"Moira's?" Leonard questions as Felicity nods.

"Not doing one for until they um. Recover the body?" Mick asks in a low tone of voice.

"I can't believe she would. Actually I don't know what she would do after… What does she want with the body!" Felicity cries.

"I don't think we want to know the answer to that." Leonard replies.

"Well, if she took the body. Maybe theirs a chance…" Mick starts but is cut off by a glare from Felicity.

"He's gone Mick. Thea. Thea she watched Shado run a sword through his chest and die beside Oliver. He's gone whatever the reason she wanted the body isn't because there's a chance he's alive. He's dead." Felicity almost snaps.

"Just wanted to put it out there." Mick shrugs.

"You going to the funeral tomorrow?" Leonard questions as Felicity nods.

"I didn't like that woman but I want to be there for Thea." She reveals.

"Yes. Poor kid. Loses her mother and friend on the same night, brother and his girlfriend go missing soon after and to top it off, her boyfriend loses his mind." Leonard folds his arms.

"Roy hasn't lost his mind." Felicity sighs.

"No. He's salvaged what little sanity he has to focus on something each one of us want." He starts as he moves to throw an attack at Felicity, who moves to dodge it.

"Revenge."

 _Starling City_

 _It hadn't even been a day since his death. Since he was murdered._

 _Yet knowing they may get killed by a ferocious Roy if they remained they left The Foundry. All of them heading to Starling City General where the team was met by an in shock Thea, who mumbled out a recount of everything that had happened._

 _They hadn't managed to get much out of Sara, who had been in tears in Laurel and Quentin's arms, despite Nyssa's attempts to hold her, Sara would only look at her and whisper 'please' and when Nyssa would shake her head Sara would push her away and more tears would fall from her eyes._

 _The team hadn't even managed to get a single word out of Oliver, who sat in his hospital room, his arms wrapped around his knees which were pulled up to his chest, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sat, glancing at the wall and nothing else with a blank expression upon his face._

 _Felicity had managed to get through half an hour in which she'd heard the recount of the event from Thea. That had. That had broken what was left of her already shattered heart._

 _She couldn't remain there and soon found herself returning to The Foundry._

 _Unable to face going through the club entrance, she had gone the back way round when it suddenly hit her like a tone of bricks._

 _Slade Wilson is dead…_

 _Slade's dead and she'll never get to see him again._

 _Never get to hear his voice again, he'll never hold her in his arms again. She'll never get to tell him just how much he meant to her…_

 _She never told him how she felt about him. Not once and now she never will…_

 _The grief overcomes her instantly and she finds herself sobbing again, sad tears falling from her eyes, angry tears and throwing her hand back she punches the nearest thing to her._

 _That however, is a window, an old window at that and she puts her hand straight through it._

 _Now not only crying from the soul destroying sadness but the pain she feels radiating in her hand and arm from where she punched the window out, the glass shards that have imbedded themselves in her skin._

 _She doesn't know if she even cares._

 _"Well, he's still going insane in there…" Comes the voice of Leonard Snart from behind her._

 _"I don't blame him. Feel like punching something myself, seems like you feel the same way." He continues as he approaches her._

 _"Can you just leave me alone, please?" Felicity whispers through her tears._

 _"Sure. I'll do that but, perhaps you'll let me look at your hand before I leave?" He questions as Felicity closes her eyes, suddenly feeling a hand on her arm, pulling her injured hand out of the shattered window as Felicity begins to sob again, leaning against Leonard as he puts a comforting arm around her shoulders._

 _"Let's get you cleaned up."_

 _Verdant_

 _"Don't normally do this for people, you know." Leonard comments as he pulls another shard of glass out of Felicity's wrist, the two sat in main Verdant office sometime later._

 _"Because you're a criminal?" Felicity sniffs._

 _"He told you?" Leonard glances down at her._

 _"If it's on the internet I can find it, Leonard Snart." She responds._

 _"And yet you never said anything to those sickening do-gooders." He raises an eyebrow at her as he pulls more glass out of her hand and wrist._

 _"You. I just. I couldn't do that to… You seemed like you meant a lot to him and I figured if you were as close as you seemed and because he knows everything. He knew who you were and accepted you for who you are." She whispers in a shaky voice._

 _"He did. I don't know how much you know about me Felicity but there's only been three people in my life I felt I could trust, my sister, Mick and Slade. I may be a criminal but I have a code. If one of my own get take from me I avenge them. I destroy that person and that's what I intend to do here." He hisses as he pulls the last piece of glass from her wrist._

 _"Yikes." Felicity winces at the sight of the wounds, the slices up her wrist from where the glass had been imbedded into her skin, the slices on her palms. She gives Leonard a grateful but pained look as he wipes the wounds out with antiseptic before wrapping a thick bandage around her wrist and palm._

 _"Not going to punch out another window, right?" He queries._

 _"Can't promise that." Felicity whispers._

 _"No. I guess you can't but. How about you find something else to punch?" He questions._

 _"Like what?" Felicity practically snaps as she whirls around to face him._

 _"How about the woman who murdered him. Shado." He folds his arms._

 _"Trust me. I would if I thought I could cause her any pain at all. But I couldn't not with the Mirakuru." She hisses._

 _"And because you're you. Felicity Smoak, the IT girl. You're not a fighter like them." He muses as Felicity glares at him._

 _"Trying to make me feel any worse than I already do Snart?" She mutters._

 _"No. Not at all. You're hurting. You're in pain and from the window you just punched your hand through, that feeling isn't going to go away for you soon. It's going to haunt you, eat you up. Your grief because you loved him and Shado took him away from you. She took him away from all of us so. I'll give you a choice. You can continue to wallow, let that grief chew you up. Or you could follow me." He suggests as Felicity glances at him._

 _"And what would that do Snart?" She folds her arms._

 _"Well, you follow me and I'll teach you how to become a fighter. You follow me and I'll turn you into something that can cause Shado pain. I'll help give you what you need. What we all need." He reveals to her._

 _"And what's that?" She questions._

 _"Revenge."_

 _Starling City_

"I do solemnly swear that I will support, defend and abide by the Starling City charter and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of mayor of Starling City. That I will tirelessly pursue justice on behalf of all Starling City's Citizens, impartiality, to the best of my abilities. So help me god." Sebastian Blood swears his oath as he becomes the mayor of Starling City in front of the cameras, shaking hands and smiling wryly.

He's the mayor of Starling City now.

 _Queen Mansion_

Moira Queen's funeral had been sombre.

The silence deafening. As people not only grieve for Moria Queen but for Slade Wilson, who's funeral they've decided to postpone until a body can be recovered.

As whilst Thea sobbed over her mother's body Oliver lay unconscious after the pure shock of losing two of their loved ones, their killer, left Thea sobbing over her mother's body, Oliver's unconscious form and took the body of Slade Wilson from the scene before anyone could arrive on the scene of devastation.

So only one funeral occurs and that one is Moira's.

Thea sits on the front row, a lost look in her eyes as she stares at her mother's coffin.

Her mother is gone.

A man who was like a second brother to her, is gone.

She's an orphan, she has never felt so alone.

She wants Shado to pay for taking her loved ones away.

But there's nothing she can do, nothing.

Everyone is at Moria's funeral.

Walter, Diggle, Felicity, Laurel, Cat, Quentin, Sin, even Nyssa and Selina Kyle.

There are two empty chairs.

The two empty chairs are besides Thea and Walter.

The chairs Oliver and Sara should be sat up in but they're not.

Because they're nowhere to be found.

There are two roses upon each of them.

When it's time to stand, Thea picks them up and places them on her mother's coffin.

She doesn't blame them for not being here.

Especially not Oliver.

Yet a part of her deep down fears that, that is it. He'll never return.

He just disappeared, both he and Sara did. For reasons she'll never blame them and a part of her knows they'll never come back.

That she's alone.

As their's no talking to Roy. He isn't here.

He held her once after what had happened.

He'd lost it. The Foundry had been destroyed.

He told her he was dangerous to her and there was nothing she could do for him now.

He told her to run.

Run fast and far.

Leave Starling City and never return.

That there was nothing here for her anymore.

That they could never be together again. He couldn't be the man she loved.

He held her, shook and her and begged her to go. Leave and never come back.

That he would always love her and his love for her and his need for revenge is the only thing preventing him from becoming like what Tommy had become.

But they couldn't be together because she deserved more.

So much more than he would ever be able to give her.

To leave and find happiness outside of this godforsaken town.

That her being here would cause her nothing but pain.

Then he'd left her, with the promise he would never attempt to reach out to her again, for her safety, he said and the conversation had ended with him telling her once again to leave and never return.

That there's nothing here for her anymore.

As she sits at her mother's funeral and thinks about how she watched her mom and Slade die and her brother leave and Roy cut all ties with her. Thea closes her eyes.

Roy was right.

There is nothing here for her anymore.

 _Queen Mansion_

"Thea." Cat calls gently as she approaches Thea.

"I'm here for you. We're all here for you." She pulls Thea into an embrace.

"I know." Thea nods, holding onto Cat tightly.

"Thank you for coming, I know you and my mom didn't…"

"Doesn't matter anymore. Her death has saddened me despite our past as before we had a past like that we had friendship. I did with her and honestly, Malcolm Merlyn. I don't want to remember the people they became but the friends they were to me." Cat reveals as Thea nods and just holds her tighter.

"My mother did horrible things but like you, I'm just thinking of the mom she was. The mom that would do anything for me. Give her life…" She trails off as Cat holds her tighter.

"Miss Queen." Comes the voice of Sebastian Blood from behind them.

"I wanted to offer you my sincere condolences on your loss."

"Losses." Thea cuts him off.

"Yes. Yes. I'm sorry. Your mother was a good woman and she would have made a wonderful mayor and Slade Wilson, despite the differences between us he was a good man also." Sebastian nods as Thea glances up at him.

"Thank you." She murmurs dryly.

"I'd love to speak with Oliver." He glances around the room.

"Well, he's not here. Don't expect him to be either." She mutters as Laurel approaches the three of them.

"Oliver and my sister haven't been seen for a few days." She reveals.

"We all deal with grief in different ways and in Oliver's case the loss of a parent is… Well, it changes you, when you realise that your ancestors now look to you, that your family's legacy, their continuing works, are solely in your hands and not to mention how the loss of Slade Wilson also is affecting not only him but Sara to. To go through five years stood side by side, surviving god knows what day in day out, to form a bond like that, only to have it broken in such a way and in Oliver's case, to watch that person die. I can't even begin to imagine it. If you see either Oliver or Sara, please tell them that I came by." He gives them all a sad smile.

"Don't expect that message to get to delivered anytime soon. Not to my brother at least, he watched our mom and a man who was like a brother to him die, just after he'd finally admitted to him how much he cared for my brother and Sara. That he loved them." Thea mutters as she moves away, tears falling from her eyes, stopping as she bumps into a crying Felicity, wincing as she sees the bandage wrapped around her wrist and hand.

Felicity hadn't told her what had happened and Thea hadn't wanted to ask, but she stops and puts her arms around the blonde woman, who clutched her tightly.

"Thank you, thank you so much for coming. I know how you must be feeling Felicity." She whispers, pulling away as she sees Sin approaching them, falling back into her embrace when Sin hugs her from behind whilst Diggle moves toward them.

"Jesus Felicity." Diggle mutters as he sees the bruises on her cheek.

"He wouldn't have wanted this. He wouldn't have wanted you to do this and you know that." He reminds her as Felicity looks up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I have to do something. She has to pay." She murmurs.

"And we'll all deal with that because she will pay but you can't be involved with that, especially not in the field. I remember him saying…"

"What? That for as long as he's alive he'll ensure I never go down a path like this? Yeah I remember and you know what Dig? He's gone. He's dead and the only thing keeping me focused from not losing myself to my grief is that I can do something and that someone is willing to help me." She mutters, wiping at her eyes furiously, Diggle shaking his head.

Cursing the day Leonard returned and decided that the minute Oliver and Sara went missing that the team was basically under his command and that their one mission is to get revenge on Shado, which will end in them brutally killing her, no doubt and whilst Diggle believes that woman deserves to die for what she did.

Not like this, not by the hands of them in this way.

Roy was loosing it. He thought they may have put him down but Leonard had talked to him, convinced him to focus his anger on revenge.

Diggle shakes his head again.

The whole freaking team followed Leonard.

He promised revenge. That it would be their only focus and Diggle had watched as Roy had agreed, Sin and Selina had agreed, Nyssa had agreed and even Felicity and from that point on, Diggle had watched as Felicity allowed Leonard to help her learn how to fight properly.

Not just self defence. But training.

Training for the oncoming war as Leonard put it because that's what Leonard believes is to come, the war.

A war where they would win and kill Shado.

Whilst that would be a perfect result for them all.

Diggle doesn't want to see what killing her might do to some people.

People like Roy, Sin and Felicity.

"Hey." Diggle places a handkerchief in her hand.

"Thanks." Felicity murmurs, using it to wipe her tears before passing it to Thea.

"I need a drink." She murmurs, hugging Felicity once more before moving away.

"I don't even know why I'm still crying here. I didn't even like Moira." Felicity whimpers.

"Terrible thing to say about someone after they've just died. In my defence she was not nice. She threatened to have me taken out. She was diabolical. Not a word you often hear at someone's funeral." She sniffs.

"You're not crying for her, Felicity. You're crying for Slade." Diggle reminds her gently.

"Yeah. Slade. Who we can't even bury because that. That bitch took the body for god knows what." Sin mutters through her own slight tears as Felicity begins to cry again, Sin pulling her into a close embrace, whilst fighting back her own tears.

"Where are they?" Sin murmurs as she holds Felicity.

"What?" Diggle looks at her.

"Oliver and Sara. They're. They're not here. They should be here. Sara should be. I need Sara." Sin admits whilst rubbing Felicity's back as she continues to cry.

"I don't know." Diggle murmurs.

"If Oliver and Sara are smart they ran back to their island to hide." Comes the completely unexpected voice of Isabel Rochev from behind them.

"You, you son of a…"

"Felicity." Diggle and Sin wrap their arms around her to hold her back.

"Maybe they'll attend your funerals, and eventually Slade's when Shado's done with the body. Sorry too soon? I know how you loved him so Felicity but he's in better place now." Isabel smirks before sauntering past them confidently, leaving Diggle, Sin and Felicity behind in a state of shock.

Isabel Rochev is alive…

 _Elsewhere…_

Moving into her mother's bedroom, Thea glances up to see Walter holding a picture frame.

"I always loved this photograph. I thought your mother looked particularly beautiful." He comments as Thea approaches him.

"Well, she didn't. She thought she looked bug eyed." Thea mutters.

"She never said." Walter chuckles lightly, before looking to Thea.

"How are you holding up?" He questions lightly.

"I'm not." Thea admits as Walter pulls her into an embrace.

"Your mother and Slade and gave their lives for you Thea. They showed you how much they love you in ways very few people ever could." He murmurs to her.

"I know. Slade died for nothing because he thought by sacrificing himself he could save all of us because that's who he was, I treated him like shit when I first met him I didn't trust him, then I grew to care for him, I grew to love him to the point where he was like a second brother to me and he gave his life in the hopes I would live because I'd like to think he loved me to, my mother. She hated him up until the day she died but he still gave his life for her. Just so we could survive, someone he didn't even like. Someone who he hated and all for Oliver. He loved Oliver more than anything and perhaps he even loved me and even though he made that sacrifice that bitch still killed my mother. My mother who died thinking I hated her but all we ever needed was the truth. I loved my mother. I loved the mom who raised me, who loved me, who would do anything for me, but I hated the liar. The woman who could so easily lie to me and I can't forget that woman. I never will but I try. I'm trying so hard because she was my mom and I loved her. I loved them both so much and they died because of a godforsaken out of hand situation." She hisses as Walter frowns at her.

"I don't understand?" He questions.

"Shado. She was on that island with Oliver, Sara and Slade. She was in love with Slade and because of some horrific event that was not their fault, she was turned into a monster and she now despises them for the reasons surrounding that event that wasn't even their fault and now my mom and Slade are dead because of it and my brother and his girlfriend are who knows where right now and they're in pain. They're in so much pain and I doubt they'll ever come back." She hisses as Walter looks down at her.

"Thea, your brother loves you more than life itself. He'll come back." He assures her.

"You weren't there. You didn't see him afterwards. He wouldn't say a word, he wouldn't even look at me. He watched two people he loved more than life die in front of him that night. You say he loves me more than life because I am his sister? Slade was basically a brother to him and now he's gone. It's was those three ever since they returned. Ollie, Sara and Slade and now Slade's dead, my mom's dead." Thea shakes her head as she moves to the door.

"You know you should keep that picture."

 _Lian Yu_

 _As Oliver climbs down the entrance to the submarine, he is hit instantly by memories. Memories that freeze him in position._

 _Giving Slade the Mirakuru… Watching Slade in unimaginable pain before dying…_

 _Begging him not to be dead._

 _"Ollie." Oliver feels Sara's hand on his arm._

 _"I know, I know." She whispers as Oliver pulls her into a close embrace._

 _"We're gonna get him back. We're going to save him." She whispers as Oliver holds her close, kissing the top of her head._

 _"Don't think about it, Ollie. It happened. It's over now. Slade's alive. Slade's alive and he need us to help get him off that boat." Harley rests a hand on his shoulder, upon seeing the look upon his face as Oliver nods, giving her a grateful look as Anatoly climbs down._

 _"This sub is over sixty years old." He comments, following the other survivor._

 _"It was carrying the Mirakuru during the war when it ran aground." Harley comments as Oliver begins to move into the room where it had happened, almost stopping as he sees the blood still on the wall._

 _Slade's blood…_

 _"Ollie." Harley grips at his arm in an attempt to snap him out of it._

 _"Blood." The survivor comments._

 _"Slade's." Oliver murmurs closing his eyes as Sara squeezes his hand._

 _"He was. He was bleeding out, dying until we decided to give him the Mirakuru." Sara explains gently._

 _"So how did she get the Mirakuru?" The survivor questions._

 _"Shado? Well, that's more complicated but long story short an accidental choice was made and Ivo shot her and killed her, she was lying in a recently revived Slade's arms, she was dying. She begged us to let her go, let her die when I suggested we use the Mirakuru. I thought they were going to listen to her wishes but Ollie, decided to save Slade from the pain of losing her, save them all from the pain of losing her so they gave her the Mirakuru." Harley reveals to them._

 _"Not one of your better ideas, Oliver." Anatoly comments._

 _"What about my idea for you to fix the sub?" Oliver practically snaps._

 _"You were in the navy!" He continues when there's silence._

 _"The Russian Navy. The taught us how to sink Japanese sub, not pilot them." He points out._

 _"Anatoly please. I know it seems like a long shot but if we can get this sub operational we can blow Shado and the Mirakuru out of the water and get the hell of this island." Sara cries._

 _"I mean, unless you have a better idea than Ollie, this is our only chance of getting home." She adds, glancing toward Oliver and Harley, who both nod._

 _"Ok. I try but Blondie. You say blow Shado and the Mirakuru out of the water yes?" Anatoly glances to them._

 _"Yeah. That's what she said, so?" Harley folds her arms._

 _"Well then, aren't you forgetting that, onboard that freighter you want blown out of the water, Shado and her Mirakuru have your Slade?"_

 _Somewhere…_

"So, darlin' what changed your mind from telling me not to ever to kiss you again in Markovia to this?" Floyd Lawton comments from the bed he's lying upon, to Harley Quinn, who is resting comfortably on top of him, neither wearing any clothes whatsoever.

"Been a while since I had the freedom to do things like this." She smirks, laughing lightly as he pushes her blonde, blue and pink curls away from her face.

"Same here, darlin'." He murmurs as she leans down to kiss him, laughing as he rolls them over so he's on top of her, Harley gripping his arms as he kisses her neck.

"Well we both have similar views on love, how the world works all that. Neither of us want a serious relationship after our losses but both of us know, that having what we have is purely entertainment, no feelings just fun." She reminds him.

"You got that right." He chuckles as he kisses her again.

"Good stress reliever this was after that run in with the Boomerang Brothers." He murmurs.

"Exactly." She nods, running a hand down his muscular body before lightly pushing him off.

"Now I'll be right back." She grins, biting his lips playfully before moving toward the bathroom, Floyd taking that moment to switch on the overhead TV to see if anything vital is happening on the news which is when he sees it…

"Darlin'." He calls with a glance toward the bathroom.

"Harley." He calls again as the door opens.

"What?" She asks with folded arms before seeing what Floyd's looking at. The news article.

The murders of Moira Queen and Slade Wilson…

Slade Wilson is dead…

One of her only friends in the world is gone.

"I know the psycho cut off my leg, but you. He meant something to you didn't he?" Floyd calls as Harley moves toward him, finding comfort from her sadness in his arms.

"He did. He really did and he meant something more to." She stops, resting her head on Floyd's shoulder as she closes her eyes.

"Ohh my god, Ollie."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, had awful exams so I couldn't update, but they're over now so I can dedicate more time to my fanfic. Thanks again so much for reading and please leave a review if you can._**


	133. City Of Blood (2)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Three**_

 _SCPD_

"No one has seen Shado since the night of the attack. I mean she hadn't made any further threats on the Queen family, but we got to find this son of a bitch. Slade Wilson was my friend. He saved the lives of both my daughters. He was a good man and I was proud to call him my friend. That son of a bitch needs to pay for what she did and the sooner the better." He mutters as Laurel walks in from behind him.

"Excuse me, hey." He starts as he moves toward her.

"Missed you at the reception." She sighs as she approaches him.

"Yeah, I had to get back here, see what was happening with the case." He explains.

"Any leads?" She asks gently.

"No, Shado's a ghost and he's not the only one. Has she… Have you heard from Sara? Oliver?" He questions sadly.

"No. I haven't. I take it you haven't either." She sighs.

"No. We need to find them, God knows where they are and what they're doing and with who they are…" He trails of as Laurel nods.

"They need to be with us, people who are going to take care of them and help them get through this and… Nyssa." Quentin stops as Nyssa moves through the door.

"Sara, Oliver, have you seen them?" Laurel starts as Nyssa shakes her head and Laurel bows her head, Nyssa resting a hand on her arm.

"I've been tracking them. They're ghosts. They know how to disappear. Sara. Disappeared from me once for three years.." She admits sadly.

"Ohh my god." Laurel whispers before looking up at Nyssa.

"When Sara when we were at the hospital. You came and when she say you she was begging with you. What was all that about?" Laurel questions as Nyssa shrugs her shoulders as Laurel's phone begins to ring.

"It's Cat, could be my babies." She says in explanation, moving to the door to take the call.

"What was it about, really." Quentin glances to Nyssa, who bows her head.

"Where I come from, Nanda Parbat. There is a device called the Lazarus Pit. It has the power to resurrect the dead." She admits as Quentin sighs.

"And Sara wanted you to use that on Slade." He guesses.

"Yes but even if we had the body. I. I would be hesitant." Nyssa admits.

"No. No when we get the body back, I can't believe I'm saying this but if there's a way to bring Slade Wilson back then Nyssa, I beg of you. You have to do it. You love my daughter, you love Oliver. They need him." He reminds her as she nods.

"I know. I understand and I would but there are consequences to using the pit. Consequences that… He wouldn't want that. He'd rather we let him rest in peace then turn him into somebody he may not recognize anymore. I couldn't do that to the man that was my friend. The hero." Nyssa informs him regrettably as Laurel returns to them.

"Your children. Are they alright?" Nyssa asks Laurel kindly.

"Yeah. Cat was just wondering where I'd puts their bottles." She smiles as she turns to her father, biting her lip nervously.

"I'll see you later. I must return to searching for Sara and Oliver." Nyssa bows her head before leaving the precinct, Laurel continuing to look anxious.

"What is it Laurel?" He questions as she looks down.

"It's Sebastian Blood. There's something that doesn't seem right." Laurel continues.

"Laurel." Quentin starts with a sigh.

"Dad, I know what you're thinking when I accused him of killing his father I was upset and I almost brought Cat down with me but just because I wasn't my right frame of mind doesn't mean that I was wrong about Sebastian." She continues.

"Laurel, do not go down this road again, ok? You remember last time? You say you almost destroyed Cat's career as well by involving her and then child services got involved. Laurel just stay away from this, what's even bringing this on?" He questions in confusion.

"I saw him at the reception and it struck me that the only reason that he's mayor now is because Moira was killed." She points out.

"Yeah by Shado and don't forget Laurel. Moira wasn't the only victim." He reminds her.

"What if there's a connection? You once told me a cop is only as good as his gut. Well I'm the daughter of a cop and I know in my gut that Sebastian is not the man that you think he is." Laurel folds her arms.

"Laurel last time…"

"I wasn't in my right mind and you were right not to trust me but dad, I need you to trust me now."

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

"This legislation is the first step toward making Starling City the jewel that it once was. The jewel that it can be again." He says as he signs the last piece of paper.

"A phone call for you Mayor Blood." An assistant of his calls.

"I'm still getting used to people calling me that, Alyssa. Please take a message." He requests.

"The caller insisted. She said she's your mother." She winces.

"That's impossible." He retorts before looking down anxiously.

"Never mind. I'll take it." He says, reaching for the phone.

"Hello, Sebastian. I'm sorry to bother you." Comes the voice of Shado through the phone.

"Aren't you busy with your little situation Shado. Isabel informed me you were occupied when I last tried to contact you?" He questions.

"And I am still, but it's a lot of sitting around currently. So I figured I'd just phone you to check in and see how your first day is going." She replies.

"Very well thank you, but like you, I'm a little busy right now. So if you'll allow me to call you back. I'll do that as soon as I can." He requests.

"No need, I'm sure you have quite a lot of business to attend to. You are the mayor now after all. So I'll get to my work and you get to your work."

 _The Foundry_

"We're almost out of snake venom." Diggle murmurs whilst looking down at Tommy.

"Who else is thinking about that STAR Labs and the cure that they're still working on right now?" Selina comments from beside Tommy.

"Everyone in the room." Sin sighs, glancing to where Tommy lies unconscious and Roy is sat in the corner of the room.

He hasn't moved for at least a couple of days.

"Yeah, especially since Isabel Rochev was clearly injected with the stuff." Diggle mutters.

"You know that how?" Sin folds her arms.

"Cause there's no other way she could be walking around after being shot dead on with a nine millimeter hollow point." Diggle murmurs back, glancing toward Roy.

"Still nothing. Where's Felicity, Mr. Rory?" Nyssa questions as she heads down the steps.

"With Leonard." Diggle mutters as Selina slams her hands down on the table.

"It's ridiculous. It's stupid if she thinks she's going to be able to do anything to Shado or Isabel for that matter even with two weeks of extensive training from that man. Felicity's a smart girl I can't believe she'd turn to that." Selina shakes her head angrily.

"I agree. She's doing what's right. To help kill that woman. We shouldn't be sat here like this. We should be helping her. We should be joining her we should…" Roy trails off, his voice a hiss from the corner of the room.

"Roy." Diggle starts as he moves toward Roy, who sits against the wall. Slade's black and orange mask in his hands.

"It's not helping." He starts.

"What is? What is helping! He's gone! She needs to die. I need to tear her apart and paint Starling City red with her blood for what she's done." Roy snarls.

"Roy. It's the Mirakuru, man, that ain't you." Diggle starts as Roy shakes his head.

"No. It's my want for revenge. My want to hurt her, that is keeping me from becoming like him!" He snaps looking toward Tommy.

"Roy, come on." Sin moves toward him but Roy pushes her back sharply so she goes flying across the room.

"ROY!" They all shout at him instantly, Diggle moving to hold him back but Roy, claps his hand around Diggle's throat, pushing him to the wall.

"Stay. Out. Of. My. Way." He snarls animalistically and when Nyssa reaches for a weapon Selina holds up an hand.

"Roy!" She shouts toward him.

"Roy the mask, you're gonna break it." She yells as Roy stops, releasing Diggle to look down at the mask, which in his death grip he has almost broken.

Looking down at the mask in his hands, Roy falls back to the floor beside the wall and clutches the mask to him.

"I've left about a dozen messages for Oliver and Sara about Isabel being back, no response." Diggle informs the others.

"You having any luck finding them?" He looks to Nyssa.

"No, nothing. I've looked everywhere I could think of. Nothing." She murmurs.

"Well there's been no activity on their passports, cell phones, or bank accounts and facial recognition hasn't spotted either of them in any airport, bus or train station." Felicity calls as heads down the steps, a towel over her shoulders, her hands bleeding and appears to have more bruises upon her.

"Nice for you to show up." Selina comments.

"I'm not staying. I'm going back to Len, Mick and Lisa shortly. I just want to find Sara and Oliver just as much as you guys do." She reveals as she takes her seat.

"Right." Selina mutters as Sin closes her eyes.

"People don't just go missing like this, unless…"

"Don't go there, Sin." Diggle mutters.

"What if she is. What if Oliver is?" Sin whispers.

"Then we get our revenge for two more people. Felicity. I'll come with you when you go back to Mick and Leonard." Roy gets to his feet as she nods, her eyes filling with tears as she sees the mask in Roy's hand.

"Maybe the reason we can't find them is because they're just as dead as Slade is." Roy snips.

"They're alive, Roy." Diggle growls.

"Yeah. You know what. I don't know what to believe. If that bitch. That monster could kill the man she loved. Sara and Oliver would be easy and even if they're alive. We don't need them here to do what needs to be done. We can kill Shado ourselves. I can." Roy snarls.

"Roy that's enough! Believe me they're alive. Isabel Rochev wouldn't be rubbing it in our faces if they're dead." Diggle snaps at him as he heads for the door.

"Well, I hope you have some way on how to find them because I am running out of places to look and people to ask. I'm sorry." Felicity shakes her head as she gets to her feet to follow Roy out of The Foundry.

"Do you have a way?" Nyssa questions with folded arms.

"Yeah. I know who to ask." Diggle murmurs.

"Then go. Ask them. Now." Selina commands.

"Yeah but by asking these people I am so dishonoring my friends memory."

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"So why am I the only one to be here again?" Sin questions as she and Diggle walk down the corridor of ARGUS Headquarters side by side.

"Nyssa's on the list, got a feeling they don't need to know about Selina and Felicity and Roy have joined Leonard's revenge squad." Diggle mutters as they enter an office.

"Thanks for agreeing to see us." Diggle speaks the minute he sees Amanda Waller.

"Ohh no problem, Mr. Diggle. In fact we were just finishing up our several week office party. You know, since Deathstroke is no more." She says with a smirk.

"Don't you dare Waller. He was a good man. He was a hero." Diggle snarls, whilst gripping Sin's arm who looks like she wants to punch Waller.

"Well. I did think I made it clear after our last meeting as far as ARGUS is concerned, you're out of favors, especially after the recent escape of Floyd Lawton and Harley Quinn." She hisses as Diggle shrugs.

"What can I say. They just got a way from me and if you know who Harley Quinn is you would know who her friends are." Diggle retorts as Amanda glares at him.

"What is your purpose here Mr. Diggle?" She mutters.

"I'm here to ask a favor and it's not for me, I'm asking. It's for everyone in Starling City. I need you to find Oliver Queen and Sara Lance."

 _Later…_

"Wow. Get a look at these computers. The old Felicity would have been in heaven, these don't even look they exist on the market yet." Sin comments whist the ARGUS workers are busy on the computers in front of them.

"No now, Sin." He murmurs as Amanda approaches them.

"I don't have time to keep track of your friends Mr. Diggle. We deal with more pressing issues here." She informs them with folded arms.

"You don't understand Oliver and Sara have disappeared and come on, Waller. You have eyes on Oliver. Of course you would be he's Oliver Queen and you wanted to capture Slade Wilson and you know that Oliver is his biggest weakness." Diggle growls as Waller smirks.

"Perhaps they just need some time, I mean you say Oliver was Slade's biggest weakness. I was fortunate to have the chance to view and Oliver without Sara Lance and Slade Wilson. He had quite the breakdown, he loves his family more than anything and watching his mother and Slade Wilson die? Wow. What that must do to a person. There is also the possibility that you and your team haven't been looking in the right place. Did you try facial recognition?" She questions.

"Yeah. One of team mates ran it over three times." Sin comments.

"Amanda, please. Shado has an army of men just like her." Diggle sighs.

"How many men have been exposed to the Mirakuru?" Amanda questions.

"Enough to lay waste to this city. We need to find Oliver and Sara right now."

"I'll see what I can do." Amanda nods, understanding finally the severity of the situation…

 _Sebastian Blood's Campaign Office_

"Councilman Tyson is asking about dinner." An assistant tells Sebastian Blood.

"I already have plans for tonight." He smiles up at her.

"Hi. Excuse me, I didn't mean to barge in. It's just that nobody was at your front desk, so…" Comes the voice of Laurel Lance from his office door.

"Laurel, of course, please come in." Sebastian beams at her.

"Give us a moment." He says to his assistant who leaves the room.

"Twice in two days. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He questions.

"I wish I could say that this was pleasure but it's about a case." She holds up a file.

"I'm barely moved in and people are already asking me for favors. I guess I really have arrived." He smiles.

"You certainly have." Laurel smiles back.

"So tell me, how can I help you?" He queries.

"Murphy Vs Dunleavy. The states charged a real estate developer for turning away low income tenants, based on his so called morality." She replies.

"Have a seat. Let me guess our dear fair housing commissioner isn't willing to testify as your expert witness." He glances at her.

"Exactly and your predecessor wasn't willing to lean on him." She adds.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not my predecessor. You know, this actually reminds me of one I had during my days as a community organizer." He informs her.

"I was hoping that it would. I've seen dozens of cases like this at CNRI." She sighs.

"Well, it's a good thing we both remember where we came from. I'm happy to help." He smiles at her warmly.

"Thank you." She smiles back, getting to her feet.

"Laurel." He calls her back.

"I look forward to us working together for a long time." He says kindly.

"As do I."

 _SCPD_

"Is it working?" Quentin asks from beside Laurel and Kelton the tech guy.

"We're about to remote access the computer right now." Kelton replies.

"I'll tell you this, if you ever get tired of practicing law, you'd make a pretty decent spy." Quentin glances towards Laurel.

"You guys have a warrant for this right?" Kelton questions.

"Just…" Quentin points him back in the direction of the computer.

"Terrific. Could you at least tell me who's computer you bugged?" He sighs as he accesses it.

"You're kidding? I voted for him." He asks in shock.

"Yeah." Quentin nods as Laurel turns to the computer.

"I need to know if there's anything incriminating in Blood's files." Laurel commands.

"What the hell. This is a dead end job, anyway." Kelton murmurs, typing away.

"This all looks pretty benign. Lots of policy papers, old documents transferred from his campaign office. Draft press releases…"

"Wait, wait, wait. Click back." Laurel calls suddenly, pointing to something on screen.

"For immediate release, my thoughts and prayers are with the Queen and Lance Family in the aftermath of these two unspeakable tragedies." Laurel reads.

"So he worked up a press release after Slade and Moira were killed." Quentin shrugs.

"No, he didn't. He wrote that the day before Slade and Moira died." She whispers.

"She's right. Look at the time stamp." Kelton as Quentin glances at it.

"Ohh my god. That son of a bitch." He snarls as Laurel shakes her head in shock.

"Sebastian knew that Shado was going to kill Slade and Moira…"

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"So. You must feel very powerful. Knowing everything about everyone." Sin mutters with a glance at Amanda.

"Knowledge is power. I could tell you a few things you didn't know about yourself Cindy. Like how your father died on Lian Yu the same time Oliver Queen, Sara Lance, Slade Wilson and Shado were on the island." Amanda informs her.

"What?" Sin looks at her in shock.

"Don't listen to her Sin. She's known for making up stories about innocent people." Diggle mutters, pushing Sin behind him to move her away from Waller.

"Last I checked Shado wasn't an innocent person." She starts yet is stopped when approached by another ARGUS worker.

"Ma'am. We have something." He informs her, passing over the iPad.

"I should have known." Amanda sighs.

"What?" Diggle questions.

"Sara Lance is at the lair from which she Oliver and Mr. Wilson used to conduct their operations." She explains.

"But we were just there and like two other teammates are there right now." Sin retorts.

"Not that lair. Their other one."

 _The Amazo_

 _"Like riding bicycle. Underwater." Anatoly comments as the submarine comes to life._

 _"Yes!" Harley cheers, frowning when Oliver and Sara don't react happily._

 _"Come on guys, he got it working." She reminds them._

 _"He's right. Slade's still on the Amazo." Sara glances to Anatoly._

 _"I'm sure we'll. Woah. That doesn't sound good." Harley comments as a loud noise shakes the whole of the submarine._

 _"We're stuck, like Japanese were." Anatoly sighs._

 _"Submarines have torpedoes right? How about we blast our way out." Oliver suggests._

 _"Wow. You and Harley are quite alike. Both like your explosions." Anatoly comments before moving to grab what seems to be the schematics of the submarine. Anatoly speaking in Russian at the sight of it._

 _"What?" Sara folds her arms._

 _"These are Kaiten Torpedoes. Manually operated. Someone needs to steer from inside." Anatoly explains to them._

 _"Okay, but then, how do they get away from the explosion?" Oliver questions as Anatoly looks up at them a grave look in his eyes._

 _"They do not."_

 _Second Lair_

Walking slowly down the steps, Nyssa goes first, followed by Diggle and Sin.

Each of them stopping when in this new lair, they see in the corner of the room none other than Sara Lance, who is slumped against a wall, her hair matted and tears in her eyes.

"Sara." Nyssa moves toward her instantly, kneeling down beside her.

"Sara, talk to me." Nyssa reaches to push Sara's hair away from her face.

"Sara are you alright?" Diggle questions gently as Sin moves toward her.

"How did you find me?" Sara asks numbly.

"Waller. We were worried about you. You and Oliver…"

"I don't know where he is before you ask." She murmurs.

"You really have no idea?" Diggle glances down at her.

"No. No I don't. He didn't. He left before I did. I didn't follow him." She admits.

"I thought you two would have stayed together." Diggle admits.

"I did try but I ended up here." She whispers.

"And here is?" Sin frowns.

"Slade loved his back up plans. Here was a secondary facility incase The Foundry was compromised but it became somewhere that each of us could just go and be alone when we wanted to. It was my fault." Sara shakes her head.

"Sara. How was any of what happened your fault?" Sin starts bending down beside her.

"Ollie and I had that, that stupid fight and I was just driving wasn't I. Just wanted to be somewhere else. If I hadn't have had that stupid fight with him I could have been there and I could fought Shado. If I'd been there Slade could still be here but I wasn't and he's dead." Sara whispers as Diggle shakes his head.

"Doubt there was anything you could have done that would have changed the outcome Sara." Diggle shrugs as Nyssa rests her hands over Sara's.

"Sara. You may also have been killed if you were in attendance." Nyssa informs her.

"She's right Sara." Sin nods as Sara gets to her feet shakily, Nyssa grabbing her arms to steady her.

"Please." Is all Sara says in a quiet voice.

"What?" Diggle looks to her as Sara grips Nyssa's arms.

"Please. I'm begging you Nyssa. I'll do anything. I'll join the League again. I'll do whatever it takes just please. Please fix this." She whispers as Nyssa shakes her head at her.

"Sara what are you trying to ask her?" Diggle asks carefully.

"Sara, you know I can't…"

"Please. We can help him, we can do something. We just gotta try. Please Nyssa. Bring him back, please bring him back." Sara begs, tears forming in her eyes as Nyssa just wraps her arms around her and holds her close, stroking her hair.

"Sara. You wouldn't want that for him. He was my friend to. I understand…"

"No. No you don't understand. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Slade Wilson. He saved my life, he protected me. He helped me survive those first few years I spent on the island. We need him back, please just bring him back." Sara hisses through her tears as she steps out of Nyssa's embrace.

"Sara. Shado's Mirakuru soldiers. She's gonna deploy them and we don't know when and um. Isabel Rochev is alive." Diggle explains as carefully as he can.

"What?" Sara whispers.

"Isabel. Shado saved her with the Mirakuru. She's back." Sin explains as Sara just wraps an arm around Sin and holds her close.

"Ohh god." Sara whispers, closing her eyes.

"Sara we need you. I need you. Roy has lost his shit. Felicity thinks she's can somehow be some kind of vigilante and enact revenge on Shado which is crazy and as much as I'd like to see someone kill her and get revenge on her. She can't do it. You can." Sin protests.

"Wait. What. Felicity is…" Sara trails off.

"Yeah Slade's friend Leonard arrived and has convinced Felicity and Roy to join him, Mick and Lisa on a revenge mission. We need you to go and sort this out Sara. You can talk to them you can…"

"Join them." Sara mutters, cutting Diggle off.

"Sara…" Nyssa starts as Sara just shakes her head.

"No. John's right. She's going to deploy those soldiers. Theirs going to be a battle. A battle that requires soldiers. A battle we need to win. She needs to pay for what she took from us. Nyssa, we need reinforcements. I can count on you to get them?" Sara glances to her.

"Sara. You need to…"

"Nyssa. Can I count on you to help build our army?" Sara questions sharply.

"Yes. You know that but you need to…"

"No. No I don't need to do anything but focus on this. Getting revenge on Shado. Killing her, once and for all. I'm gonna go talk to Leonard." She murmurs as she heads for the door.

"Sara this isn't what he would have wanted!" Diggle protests.

"He would have done the same for any of us and this is the only thing. The only thing that's going to stop me from losing it completely. Revenge. I need to kill her. I need to watch her die." Sara snarls as she heads up the steps.

"Sara, before I go. What about Oliver?" Nyssa questions.

"We're not getting Ollie back. We could have done if you'd done what I needed you to do Nyssa but you've made it clear that you won't. Ollie's not coming back. I'll track him down myself when this is all over." She hisses as Diggle glances to Nyssa and closes his eyes.

This is the last thing that should be happening right now…

Heading up the stairs Sara turns to Sin, who glances up at her meekly.

"You've always wanted to be out in their field with us, right?" Sara questions to Sin who nods in response.

"Yeah and I want to take Shado down just as much." Sin sighs as Sara nods.

"And we will. Once and for all."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Thea, please. I understand you're upset. This is an emotional time for all of us."

"I'm not being emotional! I'm an orphan! There's nothing left for me here." She protests.

"I'm here." Walter reminds her gently.

"And I thank you from that but. Someone I love told me I needed to get out of town that there is nothing here for me anymore and they're right. I need to go and honestly I need to start over." Thea murmurs as she hears footsteps from behind her.

"Roy. We missed you at the funeral." Walter comments as he sees him enter the mansion.

"Sorry I couldn't be there." He shrugs.

"Can I speak to him alone for a bit?" Thea looks up at Walter, who nods.

"I'm sure you'll have better luck." Walter notes as he leaves the room.

"What are you doing here. I didn't think I'd see you again." Thea murmurs.

"Just wanted to stop by and see if you'd taken my advice yet." Roy mutters.

"Well I'm going to. It's good advice." She sighs.

"You should get as far away from Starling City as humanly possible. I don't want that bitch to kill you to because she will. If she could kill the man she loved she'll kill anyone and I can't lose you. I know I'm letting you go but it's because I do love you and I want you to be safe."

"Roy just. Come with me. Please. I love you to and…"

"No. No. There's no cure right now for what's wrong with me and I don't want to hurt you and I don't want you to see what I'm willing to become to get revenge for Slade and your mom." He murmurs as she reaches for him.

"Roy…"

"Don't." He steps away the minute she approaches him.

"Don't. I'm using wherever control I have left to talk to you and for you to remember me as the man who loved you and who always will. Go Thea. Go and don't come back. I'll end this. There's a bunch of us willing to end this and…"

"Sara." Thea whispers as she sees Sara step in from behind Roy.

"Where have you been?" Roy hisses as Sara holds up a hand.

"That doesn't matter. What does is that I'm on your side. I want revenge on Shado and we've going to get it. Thea. I think this a good idea. There's gonna be a war. You need to get out there. Go and live your life and don't think about coming back. Ollie would be saying the same thing if he were stood here. We're broken. I don't know how or if we can be mended after this but you can. You've got a chance to go and regain some form of happiness and that's what you need to do." She murmurs as she steps toward Thea, who wraps her arms around Sara as tightly as she can.

"If you see Ollie. Tell him. I love him and that I'm sorry. I promise I'll get in touch when I settle down some place. Just promise me you'll kill that bitch. You'll rip her freakin' head off for this." She glances to Sara and Roy, whom both nod. Thea gripping Sara's arm before releasing her, watching her head toward the door before bravely, marching straight to Roy and kissing him for what will probably be the last time.

"I love you Roy Harper." She murmurs as she clutches his hands tightly.

"I love you Thea Queen." He replies as she moves past him and out of the door.

Sara and Roy watching her leave with sad eyes.

"It's the best thing for her." Roy mutters.

"And I thought I'd be trying to convince you of that." Sara retorts.

"No need Sara." He says though gritted teeth as Sara rests a hand on his arm, he pulls away soon after.

"How are you holding up?" She asks gently.

"I'm not. The Mirakuru it's worse than ever. I'm concerned I'll hurt anyone I come into contact with because I'm angry. I'm just so angry!" He yells, running his hands through his hair as a lost look appears in his eyes.

"Why." He mutters as she shakes his head.

"I don't know Roy. I don't know why." Sara admits, feeling tears of her own forming in her eyes at the thought.

"I can't believe he's gone." Roy murmurs as Sara nods.

"I know. I know I just keep thinking he's going to walk through the door and he's going to be fine and alive." Sara admits as Roy nods.

"He meant so much to you Sara. I saw that everyday and he would have done anything for you and here's me acting the way I am and I can't even imagine how you must be feeling." Roy admits grimly as Sara glances to him.

"He would have done anything for you to Roy. You meant a lot to him. He wanted to keep you safe. He wanted to help you with the Mirakuru." Sara says carefully as Roy looks at her, an angry look in his eyes, which is soon replaced by a lost one again.

"It's like you say I keep thinking he's gonna show up and he's going to tell us that everything's going to be okay but he won't because that bitch killed him." He hisses before glancing to her.

"I know she meant something to you Sara but…"

"No. No that woman I loved as my sister died on that island when we gave her the Mirakuru. She's gone and we're going to kill what's left over." Sara hisses as has turns to the door, storming toward it as Roy follows her.

"Now let's end this."

 _Lian Yu: Submarine_

 _"I'll do it." The survivor Peter says almost instantly after Anatoly's admission._

 _"Peter. It'll kill you." Harley reminds him carefully._

 _"I'm already dead Harley." He retorts before showing them his decayed side._

 _"Radiation poisoning." He informs them as Oliver turns away, trying not to throw up._

 _"Ivo's little gift." He spits angrily._

 _"He said he needs to find out if Mirakuru cured cancer. Guess we'll never find out."_

 _"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was doing things like that." Harley winces._

 _"Ivo said that the essence of heroism is to die so that others can live. I held onto that. It's the only thing that gave me hope." He informs the group._

 _"So I'll go. I mean I might not be saving millions of lives but I'll be saving yours."_

 _The Foundry_

"Ohh my god. Sara." Felicity breaks away from her sparring match with Leonard the minute she sees Sara moving down the stairs towards them.

"Felicity." She murmurs as Selina gets up from her chair.

"Ohh thank god. Now can you please tell her that she's being so stupid doing this." Selina exclaims as Sara glances at her.

"I mean you and I. We can wreak havoc on Shado for a long as we want to but she can't. Ok. A few weeks of training ain't gonna do shit. We need a proper plan." Selina protests.

"I'll help her. This is a good plan. We find Shado and we destroy her and her army. I've sent Nyssa for reinforcements. Felicity. I'll help you and Sin and Roy because we're going to stop Shado and I'm going to kill her for what she's taken from us." Sara growls.

"Seriously." Selina folds her arms.

"Yeah. Seriously." Sara retorts as Leonard smirks at her.

"I knew I liked you Canary." He grins momentarily.

"Thank you for doing this Leonard." Sara gives him a grateful looks.

"It's what he deserves." Leonard retorts as Sara nods, glancing toward Lisa.

"We need to destroy her. One way or another." Lisa adds.

"And we've gonna do exactly that." Mick grins, an almost insane look upon his face.

"This is insane. I know I didn't know him as long as you guys did but he wouldn't have wanted this. He would have wanted you to find Oliver. Find a better way of taking Shado out. I mean you all can't kill her simultaneously!" Selina protests.

"We can sure try." Lisa mutters.

"And we will. You don't get a say, you're not one of us." Roy points out sharply before turning away from her.

"They're going to get themselves killed." Selina hisses to Sin and Diggle.

"We gotta start somewhere." Sin sighs before moving to join the group.

"What she's joining them now?" Selina glances toward Diggle.

"Yep. I'm gonna kill that guy." Diggle growls glancing toward Leonard who stands by Sara, the two addressing the group.

"We need to find Oliver. He'll talk some sense into some of them. Convince them that they need to do something else. Not all this. I mean I get we need to take this woman out but people like Felicity and Sin they don't need to be out there getting themselves killed over it. Slade wouldn't have wanted that." Sin protests as Diggle nods.

"Yep I know and I agree with you but we don't know where Oliver is Selina." He reminds her.

"I might." Comes an unexpected voice from the stairs.

"Ohh for the love of god." Sara hisses angrily.

"Told you they'd be so happy to see us." Comes the sarcastic tone of Floyd Lawton.

"Ollie left didn't he. Wouldn't have expected anything else." Harley continues before looking toward everyone in The Foundry.

"But I think I know where he went to."

 _Past_

 _"SARA!" Oliver cries as he watches her go under the rapid waves once again. She's gone. She's dead. Sara's dead… The scene switches, he's standing over Shado's body._

 _He killed her. He killed her…_

 _There's nothing he can do. No way of escaping._

 _Nothing but certain death…_

 _But if he's going to die he doesn't want to be alone. He is alone…_

 _Slade's body lies at the other side of the Freighter, an arrow through his eye._

 _He's gone. He's dead but if Oliver truly has no way out he just wants to be with someone in his final minutes._

 _The man he sees as a brother in all but blood._

 _He should still be here. Telling him that they're all going to be alright. They're going to survive but he won't. He never will because he's gone._

 _Just like Sara, just like he will be so very soon…_

 _He falls to the ground hopelessly. Theirs no way out._

 _Nothing left to do but to wait to die._

 _Tears streaming down his cheeks, Oliver just wraps an arm around Slade's body and rests his head on his brothers shoulder._

 _Knowing at least he'll die beside his brother._

 _He closes his eyes…_

 _"KID! Kid, Oliver!" The voice of Slade pulls Oliver into an instant sitting position._

 _"Slade… Slade?" Oliver whispers, as he glances to see Slade beside him._

 _"Yeah, kid. I'm here. I'm right here, kid." He murmurs as Oliver sighs in utmost relief._

 _"You were dead. You and Sara…" He whispers._

 _"I know, kid. I know." Slade responds carefully as Oliver looks around._

 _They're at home. They're safe._

 _Sara's still dead. She's still gone and never coming back._

 _But, miraculously he still has his brother._

 _And several seconds later, a face full of blanket._

 _"Go back to sleep, kid. I'll kick your ass for waking me up again tomorrow." Slade mutters, a joking tone to his voice that causes Oliver to smile slightly as he drapes the blanket over himself, glancing to Slade._

 _Both of them suffer from the worst nightmares imaginable, it's expected considering what they went through, Oliver believes._

 _It's the reason neither men sleep in their separate bedrooms but just in the living room, on the two couches they have so they can somewhat be there for each other and to comfort themselves that the other is alive._

 _Normally they'll even try to avoid sleep and watch countless random movies._

 _But they'll be there to comfort one another if a nightmare happens to strike._

 _Well, Slade's way of comfort is to just throw a soft blanket at Oliver, normal at his face but despite the bad dream, he'll find himself smiling at the action._

 _He's so used to Slade's unique ways of showing that he cares, even though Slade would never admit that he really does care. Oliver's happy to take what he gets._

 _"So does that mean I can kick your ass when you wake me up?" He questions as Slade gives him a one eyed glare._

 _"I'd like to see you try." He snorts, before giving Oliver a glance._

 _"You, okay, kid?" He questions, a hint of worry in his voice._

 _"I miss Sara." Oliver admits quietly as Slade nods._

 _"I know, kid. I miss her to." Slade admits as Oliver moves forward and before Slade can even protest or move, Oliver pulls him into a tight brotherly embrace._

 _"At least I've still got you." He murmurs._

 _"You better not be going soft on me kid." Slade grumbles but doesn't move out of the embrace Oliver has him trapped in._

 _"You'd never let that happen." Oliver mutters._

 _"No I wouldn't." Slade agrees before pulling away, perching on the edge of the couch Oliver is cured up on._

 _"But and if you repeat this I'll kill you but I'm glad I got you to, kid, You are all I have left in the world." Slade admits through gritted teeth as Oliver smiles at the admission and nudges Slade's arm with his foot._

 _"Don't know what I'd do without you Slade. Keep thinking one day I'm gonna wake up and I'll be back at ARGUS and both you and Sara will be gone." Oliver admits his fear sadly._

 _"I'm not going anywhere kid. I won't e_ ver leave ya." _Slade murmurs in an attempt to comfort his closest friend, his brother in all but blood. Murmuring him comforting words in Chinese, Maori and finally English._

 _"I promise."_

 _Present Day_

Adjusting his position on the couch so he can wipe new tears that fall from his eyes, Oliver closes his eyes.

Thoughts running a mile a minute through his mind.

Thoughts of his mom, of Slade…

His mom and Slade who are dead. They're dead. Shado killed them and he'll never see them again. They're gone.

That's reality.

It's not a nightmare anymore.

Slade is dead…

Tears falling from his eyes, he rests his head against the blanket he holds against him.

Yet it doesn't work. Not like it used to, it never will again. The one person who could comfort him is gone.

Oliver can't stop the tears that continue to stream down his cheeks.

He'll never be able to escape the reality of the situation.

His mother is dead.

His brother in all but blood is dead.

They're never coming back…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter hopefully should come soon I'm just being murdered with college work but thankfully college ends for the holidays next week so I should be able to write more, thank you all so much for your kinds follows and favourites. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter :)_**


	134. City Of Blood (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Four_**

 _The Foundry_

"So this is the Arrowcave, hu? Not as impressive as I was expecting but hm." Floyd shrugs his shoulders as he takes a look around.

"Have you seen what you've done?" Sara hisses at Harley.

"What. Risked getting arrested by ARGUS to come here and help you find Ollie?" Harley retorts as Leonard moves to stand beside Sara.

"We don't need Queen here." He retorts.

"Yes we do." Selina cuts in.

"Hey Cat." Harley smiles warmly as Selina smiles back.

"Harley. If you know where Oliver is, tell us. We do need him here." She continues.

"She's right. Tell us." Diggle continues.

"This is wasting time. After we kill and destroy Shado. Yeah we can go and find Oliver but for now. We need to focus on getting rid of Shado and her Mirakuru army. Fighting a battle to get Oliver back here will take too much time. We can do without one guy." Roy comments.

"Ignore them." Selina glowers at him before looking to Harley.

"He's gone home. Well the home he shared with Slade after I think it was his third year? It was on a cliff top, right next to the beach. They had a cave full of weapons in the cave at the bottom the cliff." Harley explains.

"Do you know where that place is?" Diggle questions.

"Where Slade's from. I think." Harley shrugs as Diggle looks over at Felicity.

"Felicity. Can you please do a trace for us?" He glances to her as she nods.

"Ok. Ok." She starts but Leonard grabs her arm.

"So you're going to waste her training time? Like the kid said. This can wait until after we kill that bitch." Leonard retorts as Felicity looks up at him.

"It'll only take me a second, Len. I think I know where she means." Felicity says softly.

"Fine." Sara shrugs when Leonard looks over at her, releasing Felicity so she can go to the computers, Harley following her.

"Hey John." Floyd smirks as Diggle approaches him.

"I swear to god man if you…"

"Don't worry. I ain't gonna tell anyone where this place is. I didn't even want to come here. Harley was just anxious about her ex boyfriends state of mind." Floyd mutters.

"That jealously I detect Lawton?" Diggle says with a slight smile.

"Nope. Not at all. Anyway, Arrow's already got one hell of a woman by the sounds of it." He comments, glancing toward Sara.

"Yeah. I need a word with her." Diggle murmurs as he moves away from Floyd and toward Sara who is stood beside Leonard, Roy, Mick and Lisa, all in deep discussion.

"Sara." Diggle tugs on her arm to pull her to a corner of the The Foundry.

"What?" Sara snaps slightly, tugging her arm free of Diggle's grasp.

"Think perhaps you and I should have a chat?" He questions.

"What? To waste my time." Sara retorts.

"You sound like Leonard." Diggle scoffs.

"Well Leonard is one of the only ones here completely focused on what we have to do." She replies sharply.

"What and so you're okay with all this then. Putting Felicity in danger, Sin? You knew Slade better than anyone in this room. You knew how he felt about Felicity. This is the last thing in the world he would wanted for her and Sin. She looks up to you Sara. You have made it your mission to protect her and now what? Letting her fight to?"

"We're at war, John. You of all people should understand that in war there has to be soldiers." Sara cuts him off.

"But this isn't about the Mirakuru soldiers, Sara! This is about getting revenge on Shado for killing Slade and I understand completely why you would want to…"

"Do you? Your brother's murderer is standing in this room right here right now and he's still breathing." Sara folds her arms.

"That's irrelevant Sara." Diggle mutters before sighing.

"Slade wouldn't have wanted this." He points out.

"You didn't know him like I did." Sara hisses.

"I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't want this and Roy. That kids a loose canon right now. He needs your guidance Sara. Not your encouragement!" He hisses.

"You know, I really don't like people talking about me behind my back!" Roy snarls, beginning to advance on Diggle when Mick grabs his arm.

"Save that energy for the bitch." He mutters as Roy closes his eyes.

"At least come with us to get Oliver." Diggle sighs.

"No." Sara murmurs, glancing away from him.

"Sara…" Diggle starts.

"No. I am the last person he wants to see right now. If we hadn't have fought the way we did. Had that stupid argument, if I was there. Slade may still be here. Moria may still be here. I am the last person Ollie will want to see right now." She closes her eyes.

"Sara. This isn't your fault. None of it is and Oliver loves you more than the world. He needs you. You can convince him to come home." Diggle protests.

"I can't." Sara says with a shake of her head, turning away from Diggle to head back to Leonard, Roy, Mick, Sin and Lisa.

Half way there, she stops and turns back to face Diggle.

"But I know someone who could."

 _Somewhere In New Zealand: Much, Much Later…_

"This the place?" Diggle comments at the gate Harley stops at. The group looking up at the place, on a cliff top, looking out to a long beautiful beach and the sea, a modest two story house with a stone step path leading straight to the front door.

"Yep. Nice isn't it?" Harley retorts as she opens the gate and heads up the drive.

"You three hang back a minute. Actually Lawton. You just stay outside." Diggle instructs.

"Sure. Fine with me." Floyd holds his hands up as Diggle follows Harley to the door, watching as Harley removes one of her longest necklaces to collect a key, which she slides with ease into the front door.

"Ollie and Slade said if I ever needed a place to crash. I was more than welcome to come here. Never wanted to, scared I'd bring trouble and the place would get destroyed." She explains to Diggle as she opens the door, revealing a long corridor.

Stepping inside, Harley heads down the corridor, Diggle stopping as he enters, just to look at the photographs on the corridor wall.

In one frame is a tiny picture way to big for said frame, but it is a photo of Laurel Lance. It looks old and worn, Diggle notes as he glances toward the other pictures on the walls.

One is of Slade with a young child. Must be his son, Diggle guesses with a sad sigh.

Thinking to himself that at least Slade is at peace with his son now.

Another that catches his eye is one of Oliver and Slade stood by a barbecue, a slight smile crossing Diggle's face as he notices the picture is in a frame of three, the second photo of, seemingly a fire beginning at the barbecue, Oliver and Slade still stood by it and the final third one of rather large flames and Slade glaring at it, Oliver still smiling at the sight before him, as he takes the picture.

"Oh, honey." Harley's voice causes Diggle to move to where she is stood in a room through the large arch way, standing beside a long three seater couch, on which is Oliver Queen.

Diggle finds himself frozen in place. Never before has he seen Oliver looking so lost.

Or with tears in his eyes, tears that stain his cheeks and are still filling in his eyes.

"How." He starts, his voice slightly hoarse when he speaks.

"I'm sorry, Ollie. We were really worried about you." Harley explains, kneeling down beside him and taking his hands her in hers.

"You shouldn't have come here." He murmurs.

"Here is exactly where we need to be right now, Oliver." Diggle speaks up, making his presence known as he moves into the room.

"We were worried Shado might have gotten to you." He admits.

"That wouldn't be a bad thing." Oliver shrugs.

"Ollie…" Harley starts, stroking his arm gently.

"I'm sorry that I didn't go to my mothers funeral." He says in a quiet voice.

"Ollie that doesn't matter." Harley says softly.

"I did intend to go. I just. I just ended up here." Oliver mutters.

"What is this place, Oliver?" Diggle asks carefully, knowing the answer just wanting to keep Oliver talking.

"It's Slade's house. He lived here before he left on the Lian Yu mission after he and his wife split up. After the third year. Slade and I, we were free of the island and I couldn't go home. Not without Sara. I couldn't go back the man I was at the time but wherever I went to, I wanted to stay with Slade. He was all I had at the time and he, he took me here and we stayed here until… This was our home." Oliver stops, closing his eyes, Diggle and Harley exchanging a look as they see the tears slip down Oliver's cheeks again.

"They're dead because of me." He murmurs, Harley shaking her head as she squeezes Oliver's arm tightly.

"No, Ollie. No. It wasn't your fault." Harley whispers.

"Harley, yeah it was and you're only saying it isn't to make me feel better. You were there. I should have listened to you." He mutters, bowing his head monetarily.

"Five years ago. I could have cured Shado and that would have prevented all of this and now, all the people left that I care about, we are all in her crosshairs. I came here one last time to say goodbye, because tonight it ends." Oliver murmurs to them.

"What ends tonight Oliver?" Selina calls from the corridor, Oliver looking up at her.

"Is the whole team stood outside?" He mutters.

"Well what's left of it and Deadshot." Selina sighs.

"What are you…" Oliver trails off.

"We can talk about this on the way home." Diggle holds his hands up.

"No. No." Oliver shakes his head.

"Olive, you gotta come back to Starling City, we need you. Its falling apart without you. Sara, Roy, Sin, Felicity. They're obsessing over this revenge plan they got going on with friends of Slade's. Leonard I think he said his name was. He, his sister, Mick. They've joined up with Sara, Roy, Sin and Felicity and their only focus is getting revenge on Shado for what she did. I mean it's crazy. Roy is on the verge of a Mirakuru melt down, Leonard is teaching Felicity how to fight so she can physically fight in the battle against Shado and her Mirakuru soldiers. Ohh and Sara's going along with all this!" Selina points out with folded arms.

"It's all true man." Diggle sighs with a look to Oliver.

"How? Never mind. Never mind, I can stop them." He glances up at them.

"Now that's what I've wanted to hear all day!" Selina sighs in relief.

"Because they won't have anything to fight against when I turn myself over to Shado." Oliver finishes.

"That's not what I wanted to hear." Selina shakes her head.

"Ollie. I know this is ironic coming from me, but are you insane?" Harley exclaims.

"It's not Harley and you know it. I need to end this vendetta. The vendetta I started when I couldn't make the choice because I was too cowardly and couldn't get through to Slade which caused him to choose me over Shado and then I went and face her the Mirakuru. Me. This is all on me." Oliver mutters sharply, almost.

"Oliver, you think this ends with you turning yourself over to Shado?" Diggle whispers.

"Yes I do." Oliver responds.

"So what, you're going to leave Sara with nobody? That's not going to stop them. They're still going to go after Shado and they're still going to get themselves killed. This won't stop that. It will only make things worse. Oliver. You can't do this." Selina shakes her head.

"After they were gone. Shado told me that a few more people had to die and then it would end. Sara. She'll kill Sara because I love her more than anything else in the world. She'll make me watch her die they way she made me watch my mother and Slade die. If she hadn't have. If she hadn't have killed him. Probably would have killed Felicity to. I think she knew Slade loved her. Thea, she'd kill her, Laurel, you two." Oliver glances to Diggle and Harley with sad eyes.

"No. This ends for Shado when she kills me." He says firmly.

"No, we don't accept that and you shouldn't either." Selina moves toward him.

"You can't just accept things Ollie." Harley continues as she squeezes his hand.

"If I had accepted my life, I would be still rotting in a cell at ARGUS or worse, still with Ivo. Or I'd still be a psychiatrist, or still mourning the guy I changed my whole life around for. I didn't. I believed some sweet guy I met on a boat when he told me that I could be more than just a crazy criminal. Please don't do this. Slade wouldn't have wanted this. He loved you. He loved you so much. I saw that from the moment I met you guys and Sara. Sara loves you more than the world. You are her world. Cat's right. You'll be leaving Sara alone. You can't do that, cause she's your world to. Come on, Ollie. Don't do this. Survive. Survive for Sara, for Slade. He would not have wanted this." Harley squeezes his hands.

"The essence of heroism is to die so others can live." Oliver murmurs.

"Ollie don't quote that crazy…"

"He was a hero. Harley. You were there!" Oliver cuts her off sharply.

"They weren't Peter's words, he told us that. They were Ivo's!" Harley reminds him.

"And it isn't that simple." Selina continues with folded arms.

"Yes it is. Shado's whole plan was to take everything from me, Sara and Slade. She did. She wins. All that's left if for me to die." Oliver says finally.

"No, there has to be another way here. Don't kill me, guys but perhaps we can give the whole revenge plan a go here." Harley glances around the room.

"And get the others killed? No. There isn't another way. Least this way. I'll be with my mom and Slade." Oliver looks down at his knees.

"This is all my fault. I should have died on the Queen's Gambit. If I had none of this would have happened. I never would have met Shado and Slade. My mother would still be alive, Slade would still be alive. No one else is going to die because of me." Oliver whispers as he runs a hand over the blanket lying across his legs.

"Ollie." A voice at the entrance to the living room causes him to whirl around instantly.

Laurel Lance…

"Shado. She told me that you are the Arrow. That Sara is the Black Canary, Nyssa is an assassin and that Slade was The Man In The Mask." Laurel says in explanation.

"Did she hurt you?" Oliver finds himself getting to his feet.

"She shot Nyssa, but no, she didn't hurt me. She was trying to hurt you, Sara, Slade and when you and my sister went missing. I reached out to your partners." She looks to Diggle.

"And Sara, because she blames herself for Slade's death. She told Diggle to allow me to come with him, Selina, Harley and weirdly, Deadshot. Here to talk to you to convince you to come home and I've just heard your whole plan Ollie." She explains.

"It's what I have to do." Oliver mutters.

"Will you three give us a moment?" Laurel looks to Diggle, Harley and Selina who move out toward the corridor in an instant.

"You left Brandon and Rebecca?" Oliver notes once they're gone.

"They're with my dad, Cat and my dad has put officers outside her home. They're safe. I didn't expect to be here for very long either. Just long enough to convince you to come home and now, not to do this! You can't do this Ollie. Sara. She needs you. We all need you." Laurel protests as Oliver folds his arms.

"Thought you'd have more to say about the fact…"

"Ohh I do. I have a lot to say but that can wait. Wait for a long, long time, Ollie. Yet. That's. That's why Tommy broke up with me wasn't it? The secret he learnt? He knew about all this, didn't he?" She questions.

"Yes." Oliver replies curtly.

"And this. Mirakuru? He's got it and that's why he disappeared?" She questions.

"Shado gave it to him, I'm so sorry. She did it to hurt us. She knew that Tommy is my best friend because I told her all about him. We were investigating a cure for him as it can be done, Slade had the Mirakuru at one stage and he got cured. We were hoping to do the same for Tommy. Tommy and Roy." Oliver murmurs as Laurel looks up at him.

"You three never said a damn thing. Why didn't you?" She questions softly.

"Tommy knew and he tried to protect me from it. You and Slade carried him to the hospital. You saved his life." She continues.

"He kept talking to Slade and I about you. He wanted to know if you were safe."

"And you and Slade saved him." She whispers with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save Tommy from the Mirakuru. That I couldn't save my mother and Slade from Shado. That I couldn't save any of them from Shado but I can save you, Thea, Roy, Tommy, Sara, Felicity, Diggle, Harley, Selina, Lance, Cat, Brandon and Rebecca I can save this whole city if this ends tonight…"

"No. No!" Laurel shakes her head as she throws her arms around Oliver tightly.

"You can't commit suicide Ollie! You won't do that to Sara, or to me, or to your friends or Thea. Oliver. She just lost her mother, a man I'm pretty sure she saw as a brother. Losing you would destroy her and Sara. It would… Sara would never recover from that. I haven't seen her. I haven't seen her since that night they died but I have never seen my sister break down like the way she did when my dad had to tell her what had happened to Slade. You can't do this to her. You love her, she's the love of your life, your whole world. I heard you. You said she means the world to you. You can't. You can't leave her. I don't even want to think of the things she would do if you died…"

"But she'll be alive. They'd all be alive." Oliver murmurs.

"I don't know anything about hoods and mask or human weapons, or any of this but I know you. I know you like I know my own name and I realize it may sound crazy in light of your secret but I know who you are in your bones Oliver and that person. That person doesn't give up. That person, he always finds a way!" Laurel snaps at him through angry tears.

"Not this time." Oliver shakes his head.

"You're wrong. You want to protect the people you love? Then the only way to do that is to work with them to stop Shado…"

"Laurel I can't!" Oliver snaps at her.

"Yes you can!" Laurel cries back.

"I can't. I can't. I can't do this Laurel I can't stop her!"

"Oliver. You are a leader. You're the Arrow. If anyone can stop her it's you and my sister."

"I'm not a leader, Laurel." Oliver murmurs, falling back onto the couch.

"He was…"

"Oliver…" Laurel starts, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"It was always Slade. He was strong one. The bravest of us, he always knew what to do and how to turn around an impossible situation into a win for us. It was always him and I'm not like that Laurel. I never will be…" He admits sadly.

"Yes you are! You are the leader, Ollie. You're the Arrow. Slade knew that. He watched you become that leader and he followed you on your crusade. Yours Ollie. You can do this. You can stop Shado. You can end all of this, I know you can. I believe you can!" Laurel protests as tears begin to fall from Oliver's eyes once more as he rests his head in his hands.

Shaking his head as the tears trail down his cheeks.

"I can't." He shakes his head once.

"I can't do this without Slade."

"Yes you can! Because Slade Wilson? He taught you how to be a hero. He helped you become the man you are to today. This is what he would have wanted from you Ollie. To end this and if he were here right now. He'd be saying exactly what I'm saying to you. That you can do this, Oliver. That you are a hero and you can end this. If you won't fight for anything else. Fight for him. End this for Slade." She grips his arms before looking him straight in the eyes.

"Because he didn't give his life so you could sacrifice yours."

 _Starling City_

"Thank you." Diggle murmurs to Laurel as they head out of the plane, Oliver ahead of them all. Laurel glancing to Diggle.

"I know it couldn't have been easy. What with Harley being here and with what she did…"

"I did what I had to, to save someone I love." Laurel responds.

"You're saving many." Selina agrees.

"Perhaps you can talk some sense into Sara." Diggle notes.

"Yes. When I see her, I'll…"

"DOWN ON THE GROUND! GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW! YOU'RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED!" Comes the sudden yells from the masses of soldiers that advance on them.

"What the hell?" Diggle whispers as the soldiers ignore him, Laurel, Selina and Oliver and instead advance on Harley and Floyd, who move to each others sides in an instant.

"ARGUS." Diggle hisses as Oliver spins around.

"You are not taking her anywhere!" He snaps, one of the soldiers moving to restrain him, Oliver disarming the man in seconds, taking down the next two that advance on him.

"Don't get your head blown off for us. It's not worth it." Floyd mutters as all the soldiers in the vicinity hold their weapons in Oliver's direction.

"Should have known not to fly. Have their eyes everywhere, don't they." He mutters as Oliver moves toward Harley.

"Don't. Touch. Me." He snarls at the guards that attempt to surround him.

"Harley." He starts when he gets to her side.

"MOVE AND WE WILL SHOOT!" One solider yells as she grabs Oliver's hands.

"You kill that bitch for me, okay? For Slade? Don't give up. You take her out. Or you make her suffer a fate worse then death. Don't worry about me. Ain't the first prison I've been it and it won't be the last. For either of us." Harley says with a glance to Floyd.

"Just don't. Don't try anything. You'll get yourself, probably the others killed to and you're needed, Ollie. You're needed. I should know, I remember the feeling of needing you to. You're my friend." She smiles.

"And you're mine." Oliver responds, both ignoring the soldiers protests as Harley embraces him before pushing him in the direction of Laurel, Diggle and Selina, watching him go as she reaches for Floyd's arm, who raises an eyebrow at her as the soldiers advance on them both, sighing.

"Should've guessed this day was coming!"

 _The Foundry_

"Ow!" Felicity hisses for the umpteenth time as she hits the floor, Sara dragging her up instantly, before she can even recover properly.

"You're doing good. Slade would have been impressed." She notes.

"He'd have been really pissed." Sin notes, dodging an attack from the combined forces of Leonard and Lisa.

"Gotta do something." Felicity murmurs as Sara nods.

"We all do." She replies before aiming another attack at Felicity, who ducks and dodges it, landing her own punch, which Sara does smile at, yet catches Felicity's foot and throws her to the ground when she aims a kick.

"I like her." Mick comments as Leonard nods, breaking away from his sparring session with Lisa and Sin, who continue sparring with one another before moving toward Sara, who allows Felicity a brief break.

"Want to swap, Canary?" He questions as Sara is retrieving her water bottle.

"After another fifteen minutes perhaps?" She suggests.

"You're the boss." Leonard smirks.

"Am I?" Sara turns to face him.

"Yeah. Course you are. You're the Black Canary. Arrow and Slade aren't here. You're the leader right now." He points out as Sara nods, glancing toward Felicity.

"What happened to her arm, it's bandaged." Sara stops for a minute as a horrifying thought hits her.

"She. She didn't do that to herself did she?" She glances to Leonard anxiously.

"Kind of." He responds.

"Ohh my god." Sara rests her head on her hand.

"She punched straight through a window. Made a right mess of her arm. I know this might not be what Slade would have wanted for her but. Honestly, I think her getting revenge will help her process her grief and hopefully allow her a shot at one day moving past this." He explains to Sara, who nods, but folds her arms.

"But despite everything. She's not a killer. Even helping her now, I don't want her to be the one to kill her and apparently you said she could." She glances up at him.

"I lied Sara. I have no intention of allowing Felicity to kill Shado. I'll let her throw a few punches, put her down but me and you. We're going to be the ones to kill Shado." He informs Sara who frowns at him.

"So you lied to her?"

"That's what I do." He mutters.

"You did it for him." Sara sighs.

"Did what?"

"Lie to Felicity. Not actually letting her be the one to kill Shado. You did that for Slade." Sara points out as Leonard looks down at her.

"Everything I've done since I got here has been for Slade. He was my friend. He even learnt who I really was and he still remained my friend, my partner in crime and he was in love with Felicity. I'll protect her for him. He would've wanted that." He murmurs.

"Learnt who you really are? Who are you?" Sara questions.

"We survive this. I'll tell you over a phone call on my way back to Central City." He replies.

"Why not just tell me in person?" Sara questions.

"Because if I do tell you. You'll treat me like you treat all your criminals." He smirks before turning away from Sara to advance on Felicity, to resume their training.

Shaking her head, Sara moves toward where Roy is sat, having taken a break from training and is sat, once again, holding Slade's mask in his hands.

"Want to carry on Roy?" She questions.

"Don't know." He murmurs, not even looking up at her.

"Well. Staring at that thing all day won't do anything." She points out.

"I know. I get that." Roy mutters sharply.

"He should still be here." He hisses as Sara sighs.

"I know. I know and…"

"My, my. Look what the cat dragged in." Leonard folds his arms as he sees Oliver walking down the steps of The Foundry, followed by Selina, Diggle and Laurel. Sara freezing in place upon seeing Oliver and Laurel…

"Laurel what…"

"Ohh Sara!" Laurel cuts her off by racing forward and wrapping her arms around her sister tightly, holding her close.

"Laurel what. What is going on. Why are you here? What…"

"I know. Sara. I know that you're The Woman In Black. I know everything. Shado told me and no, she didn't hurt me but I know and Sara. I love you and as your older sister I couldn't be more proud of you, for everything you've done for this city sad everything you're going to do." Laurel whispers, stroking Sara's hair.

"Like kill Shado." Sara mutters as she pulls away from Laurel, who moves toward the table where Tommy lies, taking his hand in hers.

"Sara. I know you think revenge is the best way to go right now but…"

"No buts Laurel and save me your speech about morals. She killed Slade and Moira. I am going to kill her." Sara retorts sharply.

"We all are." Leonard continues with glances to Felicity, Roy, Mick, Sin and Lisa.

"Sara." Oliver starts as he moves toward her, she looks away and doesn't say anything.

"Great we're all reunited with Queen. Now let's get back to it." Leonard calls.

"Who put you in charge?" Oliver growls with folded arms.

"Oh. It's duel leadership, with Sara." Leonard retorts, with a glance to Sara.

"Sara. This is isn't what Slade would have wanted." Oliver murmurs.

"Really? He would have done the same if it was any of us. He would've done so much worse. We have to do this. We have to kill Shado, she is beyond redemption. We can't save her. Like we couldn't save Slade. At least killing her will be taking down his killer. I couldn't do anything for Slade because I was focused on being so angry at you, by killing Shado. If i had done something he could still be alive right now. Ending this though, at least I'll know I did something." She mutters as Oliver wraps a hand around her arm.

"Sara. You couldn't have done anything to change what happened." He murmurs.

"Yeah I agree. She'd have been about as useless as you." Roy spits angrily.

"Roy…" Diggle starts.

"What? Honestly I think it's a miracle Thea is still alive." He hisses.

"Thea. Ohh god, Thea. Where…"

"Ohh don't worry. I finally did what you asked. I cut all ties with her and now she's leaving Starling City behind her. Got nothing else to stay here for, moms dead, Slade's dead, brother abandoned her. I did what had to be done to keep Thea safe." Roy folds his arms.

"Thank you." Is all Oliver says in response.

"What?" Roy mutters.

"Thank you. You did what I couldn't do. Thank you Roy." Oliver looks at him kindly, glancing down at Slade's mask in Roy's hands, watching as he puts it down.

"Let's get on with this. I feel like breaking something." Roy snarls.

"Me to." Sara agrees but Oliver catches her arm.

"Sara please. Listen to me. I get what we have to do but Sin, Felicity? They can't…"

"Can't what? Fight. I've had good teachers Oliver." Felicity speaks up.

"Good teachers? That's not the point Felicity. The point is Slade wouldn't have wanted this. This is the last thing on earth he would have wanted for you. You're not like us. You're not a killer! You're being reckless and that is what's going to get you killed!" Oliver snaps at her.

"I'll be what I need to be to hurt her for what she took from us and I'm sorry Oliver but I don't get how you're not supporting us right now. You loved Slade. He was your brother. You can't stand there and tell me you don't want to get revenge on Shado." Felicity hisses to momentary silence from Oliver.

"I thought not. Ok. Let's get on with it." Leonard smirks as Oliver glowers at him.

"You have no standing here." Oliver snarls at him.

"Funny, it seems like I have more standing here right now than you." Leonard retorts as Oliver simply throws his hand back and punches Leonard hard in the face.

"OLIVER!" The others exclaim simultaneously.

"Can I kill him, boss?" Mick hisses from the corner of the room.

"No. No. I'll give him that one. These are difficult times." Leonard murmurs wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Slade wouldn't have wanted any of this." Oliver snarls.

"Bet he wouldn't have wanted you punching me either but there you have it." He shrugs.

"You barely knew him." Oliver growls.

"I knew him well enough and he knew me and I know he'd do anything to avenge any of us, including me if something were to happen, so why shouldn't we do the same for him, not to mention the army of Mirakuru soldiers that bitch has got. We have to be prepared." He notes as Oliver glares at him.

"But Felicity, Sin? They don't need to…"

"It's fight or die, Queen. I'm doing them a favour and as I told Sara…" He pushes Oliver in the corner of the room, glancing toward where Felicity is sparring with Sara.

"I lied to Felicity. I have no intentions of letting her kill Shado. No that privilege belongs to me, Sara and possibly Roy. She can throw a few punches, she can knock her down for us, but I won't let her kill her. Slade wouldn't have wanted that, Queen, but he would want her to know how to defend herself in battle and to find a better way of channelling her grief instead of punching out windows." He glances to the bandage on Felicity's wrist before beginning to walk away.

"No. We need a better…"

"Oliver arguing isn't going to get any of you anywhere. You need to stop Shado I agree and you can do that by stopping Sebastian Blood!" Laurel snaps loudly to silence them all.

"Isn't Sebastian Blood the mayor who Slade told me about using very colourful language?" Leonard glances toward Laurel.

"Yes. Sebastian Blood is working with Shado. I have proof. Shado killed Moira so that Sebastian could become mayor." Laurel looks to Oliver and Sara.

"You were right about him." Oliver mutters.

"The Man In The Skull Mask works for Shado and this entire time it was Sebastian." Oliver hisses as he stands between his Arrow case and Slade's Man In The Mask case.

"What's happening here is bigger than all of us and Shado." Laurel murmurs as she stands beside her sisters Black Canary case.

"The city needs all of you to work together."

 _Lian Yu_

 _With Anatoly opening the door, Peter makes his way toward it. Oliver, Sara and Harley watching him a minute before Oliver takes Sara and Harley's hands and leads them away, placing a radio in Sara's hand._

 _"What's this for?" Sara questions._

 _"I don't want the two of you to be in here."_

 _"No. I'm going to stay with you." Sara exclaims._

 _"Same here, Ollie, we're not going anywhere!" Harley folds her arms._

 _"If this doesn't work. I need the two of you to be safe. We will come for you when it's over." He vows as he wraps his arms around both of them._

 _"You make sure you come back to us." Harley commands as she moves toward the door, Sara moving to follow her when Oliver grabs her hand, spinning her around so he can kiss her, holding her close in his arms._

 _"What about Slade? Ollie…"_

 _"I have a plan to save Slade. It's going to be okay. We're going to make it." He murmurs._

 _"Ollie. I am not convinced that..."_

 _"I love you." He mutters to cut her off._

 _"I love you more than anything else in the world Sara Lance." He says, kissing her again, pushing her in the direction of the door, Sara holding onto his hand until the last minute._

 _"I love you too Ollie." She whispers before joining Harley and heading away._

 _"Do you know how the torpedo works?" Oliver looks to Anatoly and Peter._

 _"I get in, he fires, I steer, you pray." Peter explains._

 _"Peter what you're doing is…"_

 _"Practical. My time is already up." He informs Oliver._

 _"Brave. You need to know that and I don't think that I could do something like this…"_

 _"You have. What you did for us. Coming back to that boat, setting us free?"_

 _"I came back to the boat because I want to go home. I wasn't thinking about saving anybody. It's. It's not who I am." Oliver sighs truthfully._

 _"Maybe not yet." Peter replies, holding out his hand to Oliver, who takes it before Peter climbs inside, Oliver closing the door behind him before racing back to Anatoly._

 _"Go?" Anatoly questions._

 _"Is Sara and Harley clear?" Oliver asks._

 _"Yes." Anatoly replies._

 _"Then yes." Oliver nods._

 _"What are you going to doabout Slade?" Anatoly questions as Oliver closes his eyes._

 _"I don't know." He says in a shaky voice._

 _"But you told…"_

 _"I know. I know." Oliver murmurs as closes his eyes as Anatoly turns to the keys, Oliver moving to look through the binoculars as the torpedo is fired, watching as it turns back on itself, heading straight toward the submarine itself which is where it hits…_

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

"Hello, good to see you." Sebastian greets a waiter as he enters the restraint, turning to his body guard.

"Clinton. You can wait in the car." He instructs.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" His bodyguard questions.

"Nothing's going to happen to me here." He smiles confidently before moving onto the main restaurant where he shakes hands with nearly everyone in the room who congratulate him on becoming mayor, telling him that they're all prepared to stand behind him, with warm beaming smiles and kind handshakes.

Yet there's one person he notices…

"Sebastian, may I join you for dinner?" Oliver Queen murmurs from the side of the room…

 _Elsewhere…_

As Sebastian Blood's bodyguard gets into an elevator it is stopped by John Diggle.

"Hey, can you hold that?" He questions, heading into the elevator.

"Oh, thanks a lot man, I appreciate it." Diggle calls courteously, smiling at the the bodyguard as he presses the button for his floor…

 _Later…_

"Clinton Houge." Diggle smirks at the bodyguard he has chained to a chair with a bag over his head.

"I have some questions for you." He rips the bag from his head.

"Go to hell." The bodyguard hisses.

"You sure that's how you want to play it?" He questions.

"You think I've never took a beating before?" He mutters in retaliation.

"Pal, you're going to wish we beat you." Diggle smirks as someone else walks into the room.

"Hi." Felicity Smoak smirks as she enters the room with a tablet in her hands.

"I'll be your interrogator."

"Ha. What's a little girl like you going to do? Is this some kind of a joke?" He snaps.

"Afraid not." Felicity retorts, punching him in the face once.

"Felicity." Diggle snarls.

"What its good practice!" Felicity hisses before returning to her tablet, the bodyguard spitting out blood from where she'd hit him.

"This is not how we're playing this." Diggle murmurs.

"You're lucky I agreed to this." She retorts before looking down at her tablet.

"Clinton Houge. Social security number 306003894."

"What the hell's this supposed to be?" He hisses at her.

"Oh, look at this. You have a bank in the Cayman Islands. Wow. Two million dollars, quite the little nest egg, but it looks like you just approved a wire transfer of one million dollars to a charity here in Starling City. Very generous. What should I do with the rest?" She smirks.

"Greenpeace?" Diggle suggests.

"Great cause!" Felicity grins, typing a few commands into her tablet.

"And they really appreciate the support."

"You bitch!" He hisses.

"Bitch with WIFI." Felicity retorts, before tilting her head to the side.

"I don't partially like that word though." She notes moving forward but Diggle catches her arm before she can inflict any damage.

"Felicity." Diggle murmurs in a warning tone, keeping an hand around her arm as she glares at him before continuing.

"Hey, Clinton. Looks like your mom and dad have a really nice retirement portfolio too but they, oh no, are just about to make some really bad investments…"

"Ok, wait, just wait, just stop! What do you want to know?"

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

"I missed you at your mothers memorial service. I wanted to offer my condolences and not just for Moira but for Slade Wilson to." Sebastian looks toward Oliver.

"You're the mayor. Congratulations, you've always wanted that." Oliver says through a forced smile, clenched fists and gritted teeth.

"Believe me, Oliver. I wish it had happened a different way. Your mother I, to be honest Slade Wilson and I to. We didn't agree on much but your mother and I both wanted what was best for Starling City. I will help this city find its heart again. I promise you that." He vows with a warm smile as Oliver leans forward.

"Do you really think that she will let that happen?" He questions to Sebastian surprise.

"Shado." He mutters through gritted teeth.

"How do you know I've been working with Shado?" Sebastian retorts.

"Because I'm the Arrow." Oliver snarls as Sebastian closes his eyes.

"Of course. It all makes sense now. It was right in front of me and Sara Lance and Slade Wilson were The Man In The Mask and The Woman In Black. Of course… You know. You and Sara came to my office and you two shook my hand. You said that together we could save this city…"

"You think that there will be a city to be saved after you unleash Shado's Mirakuru army?" Oliver hisses.

"They'll only cause enough damage to make this city ready…"

"Ready for your leadership?" Oliver cuts him off.

"For my vision of what this city could be. A better city and after the storm they're about to suffer, the people of Starling will support and follow me to that city." He explains.

"Whatever Shado has promised you, she will not deliver. She wants to hurt me. She killed the man she was once in love with to hurt me. You are a pawn in a much larger game." He growls angrily.

"Shado promised me city hall and she delivered. She makes good on her promises. I understand she made you a promise too. One that includes you, your girlfriend and Slade Wilson, well did included Slade Wilson. Out of curiosity. How did it feel for you, you know to watch Slade Wilson die right in front of you. Watch Shado run that sword through his chest and then just, after everything you went through together on that island, for your what do you call him, 'your brother' to die at your feet?" He smirks.

"Shut. Up." Oliver snarls quietly, his hand on his knife.

"What are you going to do? You going to stab the mayor in a restaurant full of people?" He smirks again as he gets to his feet.

"I was talking with Shado only the other day, she told me such a heartbreaking story. How Slade told you as he died how much he loved you and Sara but you two were never able to say it back and well, you'll never get that chance." He says, getting to his feet. Oliver clutching the knife in his hand, breathing hard as he clenches his fists and grits his teeth to stop himself from killing Sebastian Blood here and then.

"It's a new day in Starling City, Oliver and there's nothing you or Sara can do to stop it."

 _The Foundry_

"Shado's men are taking the city tonight." Diggle hisses as he arranges his gun.

"They can try." Sara snarls as Oliver looks to Diggle.

"There's more men, than we thought. All on Mirakuru, it could be a massacre."

"Not if we get to them first." Oliver cuts him off, looking to him and Selina.

"We stick to the plan no matter what." He growls.

"Well, you do that. We're going to find her and rip her head from her body." Roy growls, standing beside Sara, Sin, Mick and Lisa, who glances down at the computer she's near to.

"You're going to get yourselves killed." Selina points out.

"I'd rather die fighting then let her live." Sara snarls, before closing her eyes.

"But my sister is right, we need to work together to end this. Yet Ollie. Don't get in our way when it comes to taking Shado out." Sara warns him.

"Shado's using the sewer system. You guys can drop in at rock avenue and then head southeast. The lines converge at water street. If Shado's army's underground that's probably where she'll be." Sin informs them.

"Good lets go. Diggle, Selina, you ready?" Oliver questions.

"Never not." Diggle retorts.

"You had to ask?" Selina smirks.

"I'm coming to." Laurel looks to them.

"NO!" Both Sara and Oliver snap simultaneously.

"I can have a radio, I'll be your eyes and your ears. I'll stay out of your way, I promise. Nothing will happen to me." She explains.

"What if it did?" Sara questions.

"Shado's men, one on one, they are nearly impossible to stop. I need you to trust us and I need you to be safe. Brandon and Rebecca need you to be safe. In fact where are they?" Oliver questions.

"They're with Cat and I called her and told her to stay at home, lock the doors and the gates, everything. They're safe." Laurel explains quickly.

"But Laurel. They need their mother, their father isn't in exactly the best parenting shape." Sara glances toward Tommy's unconscious form.

"Go to them, Laurel." Oliver commands.

"What about everyone else here?" Laurel looks to the group stood beside Oliver and Sara.

"They know how to fight." Oliver folds his arms as a sound on the stairs causes them to look upwards toward Leonard.

"Leaving without us? Don't think so." He smirks, moving to stand by Sara's side.

"You already told him not to get in our way?" He looks between them.

"She has. Where's Felicity?" He questions.

"Well. I thought considering what she's about to do with us, fighting by our sides. She needed to look the part." He smirks as Felicity descends the stairs.

"I did a good job working on that." Lisa comments as Felicity stands before them, all of them looking at her in shock as they see what she's wearing.

A long black and purple leather coat with a black leather hood a black mask across her face.

"That's kinda hot." Sara comments as Oliver and Diggle closes their eyes in dismay.

"Felicity…"

"Don't. Don't say anything and don't try and talk me out of this. I'm a part of this team and I am going to fight Shado and I'm going to take her down." She mutters.

"Then you'll need weapons." Sara agrees before moving toward The Man In The Mask case, removing the sword.

"I've heard you've been practicing with Leonard." She smirks as she holds out the sword to Felicity, who takes a step back.

"I. I can't use that. I'm not…"

"Felicity. Take the sword. I think you're ready." Sara informs her as she places the sword in Felicity's hand.

"Sara…" Oliver growls at her to silence, which is broken by Leonard.

"So. Team Arrow and Team Revenge Squad working together for now, this should be fun."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As the Arrow moves down a corridor, he keeps his hand on his bow and arrow. He hadn't wanted to separate from Sara, Diggle, Felicity, Selina, Leonard, Mick, Lisa, Sin and Roy,rather concerned with what all but Diggle and Selina have planned that includes fighting Shado and he hopes it doesn't come to that.

 _Meanwhile…_

Sat on a chair, Sebastian Blood looks down at his mask before, placing it over his head and getting to his feet where over fifty Mirakuru soldiers are waiting for his words.

Each solider wearing a black and orange mask…

"Tonight we forge a new history. Tonight we rise up as one and take back this city!"

 _Elsewhere…_

"I have eyes on Blood's army." The Arrow mutters, having witnessed the whole thing.

"Got it. I'm forwarding Dig, Sara and the others your ping along with the foundation schematics of the topside avenue. Follow the route I laid out on the blueprints I had Sin give to you. You'll see structural joints in the concrete. Blow them all and Blood gets buried. We'll see you there." Felicity informs him.

"Got it." Dig calls from his end.

"We got it. Let's track Shado down." Leonard looks to the Black Canary, Lisa, Mick, Roy and Sin, the group of them stood beside the truck Felicity is in, watching as she gets out to join them, pulling the hood over her head and gripping Slade's sword in her hands.

"Activated." Diggle murmurs from his end as Catwoman flicks the switch with her foot, the two moving to take elsewhere…

 _Starling City Train Station_

"Um excuse me, why can't I board my train?" Thea questions at the front desk.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, it's just business class right now. Coach will be boarding soon." The woman replies as Thea sighs.

This is what leaving Starling City means for her after all a new start.

 _SCPD_

"Isn't that one of the Iron Height escapees?" Quentin questions as a prisoner passes them.

"Dumbass here tried to rob a convenience store but gave up as soon as I pulled in. Mind if I just stick him here for a minute?" The arresting officer asks as Quentin glances at him.

"No. Go ahead."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"I'm just asking here. Oliver, you've worked really hard not to kill anymore. Dropping an entire block on these guys is murder. Manslaughter at least." Diggle points out.

"They're not men. Not anymore." The Arrow retorts.

"Diggle, Catwoman. Blow the charges when you're ready." He hisses as a Mirakuru solider approaches him, the Arrow racing toward him with an arrow in hand, firing it before engaging the man in combat, by jumping up and knocking him backwards, throwing him to the ground as another approaches…

 _Meanwhile…_

"We will lead this city into darkness and each one of you will help me." Sebastian addresses the crowd of Mirakuru soldiers.

 _Elsewhere…_

Engaging the other Mirakuru solider in a fight, the Arrow ducks and dodges punches from the solider, yet is unable to stop the soldier from grabbing his arm, twisting it sharply and painfully, knocking him to ground before the solider wraps something around his throat, choking the life out of the Arrow before something hard collides with its masked head.

Laurel Lance and a large pole.

Distracted away from the Arrow, it gives him time to fire an explosive arrow right at the man, Laurel stepping backwards as the Arrow grabs her hand.

"Come on." He murmurs as they race from the room.

 _Meanwhile…_

"Oliver where the hell are you?" Diggle growls through the radio.

"Set it. He'll be here." Catwoman retorts.

"But Oliver…"

"This is what he would have wanted you to do." She mutters, yet before they can do anything they're knocked down from behind by a woman in a black and orange mask, like Slade and Shado's, but it's not either.

It's Isabel Rochev.

"You killed me." She hisses at Diggle as Catwoman pulls out her whip.

"Let me return the favour."

 _SCPD_

"Hey, you got the time?" The convict questions.

"It's uh, nine o'clock." Kelton responds.

"Thanks." The convict replies before breaking out of his handcuff with his Mirakuru strength and breaking Kelton's neck before advancing on Quentin, grabbing him by the throat before he can even pull out a weapon and puts on his black and orange mask, knocking out the officer that tries to attack him, throwing Quentin across the room and beginning to advance on him…

 _Starling City Train Station_

As Thea sits on a bench, listening to music to block out the world, a man beside her stands up and puts on a black and orange mask before attacking a police officer, firing his gun. Causing Thea to look on in horror…

 _Starling City_

"Canary. What's your boyfriend doing?" Leonard questions sharply as the Black Canary grabs Felicity's radio.

"Ollie. Get out of there." She growls as Felicity's phone begins to ring. Seeing it to be STAR labs, she pulls it out of her coat, leaning the sword against the van before answering the call.

"Cisco, now is really not a good time."

 _Meanwhile…_

With Laurel's hand in his, the Arrow pulls her along an corridor, the two being advanced on by Mirakuru soldiers.

"There!" He pushes her down one way.

"Ollie!" Laurel cries as she sees it to be a dead end.

"There's too many of them. We can't fight!" She cries.

"We're not going to." The Arrow responds, firing an arrow and causing an explosion which causes rocks to begin to fall…

 _The Amazo_

 _"Turn the wheel!" Anatoly yells to Oliver._

 _"What direction?" He grunts._

 _"It does not matter. Just turn the wheel!" Anatoly yells._

 _"I can't!" Oliver groans._

 _"That is not an option!" He yells as Oliver uses all his strength to push it._

 _"I got it! We're moving. We're moving!" He yells._

 _"Good, good." Anatoly nods as Oliver races to grab the radio._

 _"Sara, Harley, we did it! Sara?" He calls again as it finally connects, hearing sudden cries from both Sara and Harley._

 _"OLIVER!"_

 _Starling City_

Meanwhile, on a darkened, empty street, the army of Mirakuru soldiers begin to approach the city, one by one…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, I'm having a few issues with college work so If I don't update it's because of that but I promise I will always update and I will get to the end of this story. Thanks for all your follows and favourites as always. Thanks again for reading. Please tell me what you all thought of this chapter._**

 ** _P.S: Felicity's new outfit is inspired by her Legends Of Tomorrow Doomworld Vigilante uniform. I couldn't resist having her wear it._**


	135. Streets Of Fire (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Five_**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Pushing his way out of pile of rocks, the Arrow coughs as smoke and clouds of dust fill his lungs, crawling out of the rock trap, he looks around hurriedly for his friend.

"Laurel. Laurel!" He cries, continuing to pull himself free.

"LAUREL!"

 _Elsewhere…_

Getting to his feet as Isabel approaches him with her swords, Catwoman moves to standing in front of Diggle before he can get hit, receiving a cut to her arm from Isabel as she uses her foot to slam it into Isabel's face.

"You should have stayed dead." She hisses as she uses her whip to throw Isabel backwards, who unaffected begins to advance on Diggle and Catwoman, kicking Diggle backwards as Catwoman uses her whip to wrap around Isabel's neck, pulling her backwards, but Isabel slams her fist into Catwoman's face with her Mirakuru strength, causing her to fall backwards and to the side, whilst Diggle advances, only to be kicked backwards by Isabel.

"You can't kill me." She hisses at them.

"You're not invincible." Diggle mutters pulling out a weapon.

"Close enough." Isabel growls advancing on him with her swords…

 _Elsewhere…_

"LAUREL!" The Arrow continues to yell into the rock pile.

"OLIVER!" She cries back, causing him to close his eyes in relief.

"Are you okay?" He asks her.

"The tunnel collapsed. I'm trapped." She cries.

"It's just. It's just getting really… Hard to breathe." She murmurs breathlessly.

"You are going to be okay." The Arrow calls back.

"Please. Ollie. Brandon and Rebecca. If I can't get out. Tell them that their mom loved them. Tell Tommy…"

"No. No, Laurel. Don't talk like that. I need you to tell me everything that you see!" He cuts her off sharply.

"Rocks and water and your bow." She replies.

"You see my quiver!" He calls back as Laurel begins to move, crawling toward it.

"Wait! Yeah, yes I have it! I have it!" She calls back.

"How many arrows are in it?" He questions.

"There's. There's a bunch of them."

"There should be one with a metallic head that's bigger than the rest of them. Do you see it?" He questions.

"Why do I need this?" She calls.

"Because it's an explosive arrow and you're going to fire it."

 _Meanwhile…_

Having gotten to her feet, wiping the blood from her surely broken nose, Catwoman advances on Isabel where she's fighting Diggle, Isabel knocking both of them backwards with slices of her sword, catching Catwoman on the arm as she kicks them backwards.

"Do you two want to save me some time and energy? Then both of you tell me where I can find Felicity Smoak." She growls, advancing on the pair.

"I have been aching to put a bullet in her smug little face ever since the day…" She is cut of by a van hitting her at top speed.

"Oh I really thought the airbags we're going to go off." Felicity comments from the driver's side smirking as she sees Isabel half way across the road.

"Take that bitch." She adds as the Black Canary, Leonard, Mick, Lisa, Sin and Roy look at her proudly and with smiles on their faces.

"That feel good?" Leonard questions.

"Ohh that felt so good." Felicity replies.

"Come on!" Sin calls to Catwoman and Diggle who climb into the back of the van.

"Thanks for the help." Diggle calls to the team.

"Any word from Oliver?" Catwoman questions.

"Woah guys…" Sin winces as she looks to where Isabel is getting up.

"What do you think. Hit her again?" Felicity looks around, before frowning.

"Actually why don't I just do it?" She questions before flooring the accelerator, slamming the van into Isabel once more, sending her flying a good distance away.

"OH!" Roy and Sin wince in an instant.

"Damn that was cold." Leonard smirks at her as Felicity spins the van around, sending them in the other direction as Leonard continues to smirk.

"But after all revenge is a dish best served cold."

 _SCPD_

As the Mirakuru soldier begins to advance on Quentin again, other officers begin to fire their weapons at the man, yet only to get thrown backwards, their bullets proving inadequate against the man, yet Quentin, crawling backwards sees a door labeled weapons storage.

As the Mirakuru man begins to fight the SCPD officers, Quentin tackles him from behind before being thrown off, Quentin crawling toward the door.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" He calls to the remaining SCPD officers, leaning down to the ground as he lets the grenades he left by the Mirakuru soldiers feet do their work…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Reports are coming in from all over the city. Starling General is preparing for possible casualties." Staff members explain hurriedly.

"Power is out south of Harbor Boulevard." Another explains.

"Governor. Governor, sending in the national guard at this point will only cause mass hysteria. Trust me and my police force. We have this situation under control." Sebastian Blood explain through the phone.

"Mr. Mayor."

"DA Spencer." He replies politely upon seeing the woman enter the room.

"What is going on? There are men in masks tearing through the city! Is this the work of the vigilantes? The Man In The Mask as they all look pretty much like he does!" She explains.

"Yes I know and we're doing everything we can. The SCPD have already mobilized."

"No. No the police force, they're not equipped to handle this! You don't understand I have never seen anything like this before. These. The men in masks. It's like they're not human!" She protests as Sebastian glances at her.

"Not human? Kate, do you even hear yourself? Look. I know you're scared but you need to pull yourself together. Starling City needs both of us thinking clearly right now…"

"How are you so calm?" She cries as Sebastian just turns to the TV.

"Because I know we're going to get through this and when we do Starling City will be stronger and better for it. Can I count on you? I need you with me on this." He questions as she nods in response.

"Good. Then let's save this city together."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Are you far enough away from the debris to avoid the blast?" The Arrow questions.

"I don't know! What if I can't shoot that far?" Laurel calls back.

"The bows a hybrid compound, Laurel. It's going to do all the work for you. All I need you to do, just aim at the middle of the debris. Take a deep breath. Center your feet. Left hand on the bow, place the arrow on the drawstring." He instructs.

"Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok." Laurel whispers.

"I can do this." She whispers to herself as she puts the arrow where Oliver specified.

"I survived childbirth I can survive this." She murmurs as she lifts the bow slowly.

"Alright. I want you to pull back on the drawstring and keep your left arm straight ok?" He calls as Laurel lifts the bow and arrow.

"You count to three and then you just let go. You can do this!" He calls as Laurel pulls back the drawstring, holding it tightly.

"One. Two… Three!" He yells as Laurel release the bow, an explosion sounding soon after, causing a hole to appear that the Arrow heads through, pulling Laurel to her feet, who wraps her arms around her friend the minute he gets to her.

"Nice shot." He beams at her, grabbing his bow and arrow and Laurel's hand before moving toward the exit.

"Diggle, Catwoman, you there?!" He calls through the comms.

"Yeah Oliver we're with the others. We hear you." He calls back.

"Good." The Arrow responds.

"We're coming up."

 _Lian Yu_

 _Dropping down into the submarine, Oliver waves the radio at Anatoly._

 _"Sara and Harley are gone. Shado must have taken them!" He throws the radio onto the table in front of him. Anatoly muttering in Russian._

 _"What's that?" Oliver questions when a sound rings out._

 _"It's sonar. I was monitoring the Amazo. She's moving." Anatoly replies as Oliver slams his hands down on the table._

 _"We have one torpedo left, right?" He questions._

 _"Yes?" Anatoly glances toward him._

 _"Can you rig it to fire in a straight line?" Oliver questions sharply._

 _"I'm discovering capacity to do many things I never thought I would do." Anatoly sighs._

 _"I need you to get the sub close enough to the freighter so that I can swim over." He calls as he picks up a bag, moving into another part of the room._

 _"Well, then, what do you need torpedo for?" Anatoly questions._

 _"If Sara, Harley, Slade and I aren't back in an hour. You're going to sink The Amazo."_

 _Starling City Train Station_

Thea watches in horror as the man in a mask like Slade's throws a man across the room.

The Mirakuru soldiers of Shado's. They're here. She thinks.

"Freeze!" She sees a police officer holding up a gun, gunshots sounding out as Thea begins to run to safety, racing to the nearest doors only to find them locked, she is suddenly pulled back by a Mirakuru soldiers, however said solider is suddenly hit by arrows and a powerful screeching sound rings out as Thea moves to look up at the people who saved her, only to see the Darkh Archer and a woman with skeleton face paint upon her face.

"Who are you two?" The Mirakuru solider hisses as he pulls the arrows out. Only for the arrow to explode and to be thrown backwards as the woman let's out another glass breaking screech, causing Thea to grip her ears painfully.

"Well. She's my assistant and I'm that girls father!" Comes the voice of Malcolm Merlyn.

 _SCPD_

"Dad!"

"Laurel." Quentin sighs in relief as he accepts Laurel's call.

"Laurel, thank god. Are you safe? Brandon and Rebecca?" He questions.

"I am now. I'm with Oliver. Brandon and Rebecca are with Cat. I called her, she's in the basement of her house. She's locked all the gates, doors and windows. She's got all the kids down there. They're safe." Laurel explains as she walks beside the Arrow.

"Well thank god. Now listen, they've got work to do. I want you off the streets to to their lair or go to Cat's. Laurel please, keep low, keep out of sight, all right?" He begs her.

"Dad, I know. You don't have to worry about me." She trails off as she sees the helicopters over their heads just as the van containing the rest of the team drive up to them.

"Laurel. Laurel!" The Black Canary cries, jumping out of the van and throwing her arms around her sister tightly.

"You okay?" Diggle looks to the Arrow.

"Yeah." Laurel nods, holding on tightly to her sister.

"You guys?" The Arrow glances to them.

"Peachy." Leonard answers.

"Isabel attacked us so Felicity hit her with the van. Twice." Roy explains as Felicity can't help but smirk at little.

"Shado's army. She has at least fifty men out there. All like her." The Arrow explains.

"They're everywhere." Catwoman remarks.

"Just tell us where they are." Lisa cocks her gun.

"We need to stop them." The Arrow mutters.

"Exactly what my sister was saying." Leonard retorts.

"We might have a way." Felicity looks to the Arrow.

"STAR Labs called. They have a cure. There's a courier en route." She explains.

"Where is it?" The Arrow growls.

 _Elsewhere In Starling City…_

Climbing out of the crashed car, with the box filled with cure in hand, the courier, answers a call from Felicity Smoak.

"Hey it's Felicity Smoak, where are you?" She questions.

"Fourth Street, I think. I don't know what happened. A guy in a hockey mask came out of nowhere an attacked my truck. Please help me." He winces.

"Stay where you are." The Arrow commands.

"I can't move even if I wanted to. I think my legs broken." He cries.

"You guys should go." Laurel advises them.

"Laurel. We're not leaving you out here in the middle of this." The Black Canary looks to her.

"The precinct. It's in the other direction, I'll be fine." She assures her.

"Laurel, no." The Black Canary grabs her arm.

"I don't need you right now. Everyone else does. So go. Go save the city." She commands.

"Lisa. I want you go to with her." Leonard murmurs.

"No, Lenny. I want my shot at killing the bitch who murdered my friend." Lisa retorts.

"They're freaking out about letting her go on her own, go with her. Protect her. Protect yourself. I don't want anything to happen to you. When we get to Shado, I'll call you." He smirks at her as Lisa glares at him but, clenching her fists she looks to Laurel.

"Let's go." She commands as both she and Laurel race away.

"I see you'd do anything to protect your sister to." The Arrow notes to Leonard.

"Always have done. Always will." He mutters as he moves toward Mick.

"Hey! You still there?" The courier cries through the phone.

"Yeah, we're here. I pinged your phone. We're on our way." Felicity calls.

"Please hurry!" The man calls back.

Neither of them realizing that in another building, Shado and Isabel are listening in to the call, Shado glaring at the Mirakuru solider in front of her.

"Find him." She commands as he walks away.

"I want to kill that blonde haired bitch. You should seen her." Isabel hisses.

"All in good time." Shado replies as she gets to her feet, glancing at the three cases, one empty, Isabel currently wearing it, she's still to put hers on.

It's just not time yet.

Heading down a corridor, she moves into a room, sitting herself down on the edge of a bed.

"Soon." She murmurs, placing her hand down.

"The time is almost upon us."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"In the last five minutes the SCPD has over two hundred reports of masked men attacking the city." Sin winces as Diggle swerves to avoid hitting another abandoned car.

"Fascinating." Leonard drawls.

"Should've gone with Laurel and made sure she got to the precinct." The Black Canary sighs.

"My sister is quite handy with a gun. She'll be just fine." Leonard assures her.

"She'll be fine Sara. She'll make it." Catwoman adds as the Arrow sighs and closes his eyes.

 _Lian Yu_

 _"All right. We are ten meters away from the freighter. But still this is." Anatoly mutters the last word in Russian._

 _"You cannot even be certain that Shado has them! Well, except for Slade." He sighs._

 _"You're a good man, Anatoly. If this is goodbye, be safe." Oliver looks to him._

 _"I'll see you soon. You, Sara, Harley and Slade." Anatoly replies._

 _"I meant what I said. If we're not back in an hour. You sink the freighter and you get yourself home." He commands._

 _"I think maybe I prefer Bahamas." Anatoly replies as Oliver smiles._

 _"Oliver." Anatoly calls his name before Oliver can climb the ladder._

 _"I don't know if we'll see each other again but know that you have made a friend for life. If there is anything you need, it does not matter what. You have only to ask." He vows before giving Oliver a hug._

 _"Prochnost my friend." He smiles as Oliver begins to climb the ladder._

 _"Prochnost." Oliver responds, not exactly in the way Anatoly has said it._

 _"Prochnost. I also teach you to speak Russian." He smiles as Oliver climbs the ladder…_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should hopefully be out soon, thanks for all your follows and favourites and all your kind reviews. Thanks again for reading this chapter, please tell me what you all thought._**


	136. Streets Of Fire (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six_**

 _SCPD_

"Listen up, we're going to establish a perimeter with check points at fifth and Adams, second and Kingsley we got to create a safe zone, you hear me?" Quentin commands.

"Who the hell are these guys?" One of the officers call.

"These guys are the enemy." Quentin replies.

"They're attacking innocents at random, creating mayhem and chaos. We need to put them down." Lieutenant Pike commands.

"Lieutenant…" Quentin starts to interject.

"NOW!" Pike bellows.

"Listen to me. These guys have you seen these guys. They do not go down! We got to call on the National Guard!" Quentin snaps.

"That's a call for the Mayor and he hasn't made that yet…"

"And he won't. Mayor Blood let this happen." Quentin cuts him off.

"What?" Pike gives him a bemused look.

"Trust me. Blood's behind this." Quentin approaches him.

"Look, even if I believe you. I don't have that kind of authority." Pike shrugs.

"Well, in an emergency the chief of police does. So get him on the line." Quentin orders.

"Chief's dead." Pike sighs.

"Well, then. There's only some more people we can call." Quentin sighs.

"You're not going to like it." He adds as Pike closes his eyes.

"The three vigilantes."

"The two vigilantes. The Arrow and the Black Canary. Lieutenant. I know they're breaking the law but what we're up against its not about the law. It's about survival. We got masks tearing our city to pieces…"

"Masks identical to The Man In The Mask. They could be behind this thing." Pike retorts.

"No. They're not. Trust me. They're not. The Man In The Mask went up against these people trying to stop them and they killed him. We're going to need the Arrow and the Black Canary to stop them." He growls as Pike looks away from him, looking around the room.

"Make the call." He mutters after a while.

"Okay. Let's do it." Quentin nods as Pike grabs his arm.

"One more thing. You know more about what's going on over everyone else I got. I need you making decisions and leading these men." He takes Quentin's hand in his, placing a badge in his hand.

"Detective."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Come on!" Lisa pulls Laurel down a street where people are running.

"Where to?" She questions.

"The precinct." Laurel calls back.

"Thought you might want to find your kids."

"No. No. I can't risk leading any of these men to them. We got to get to the precinct." Laurel calls as she yanks on a gate that won't move.

"Laurel!" Lisa calls as she fires bullets at a Mirakuru man who approaches them.

Yet suddenly the gate opens, a woman wearing a hood an a veil over her face, a bow and arrow in hand stood behind it.

"Follow me. I can get you two to safety." She murmurs, grabbing Laurel's hand, Lisa following them as they race away from the Mirakuru Man.

The minute they're far enough away, Laurel releases the woman's hand, stopping to stare at her, smiling ever so slightly.

"Nyssa." Laurel whispers and before Nyssa can say a word Laurel wraps her arms around her, Nyssa smiling to herself as she holds Laurel.

"Nice of you to come back." Lisa remarks.

"I was always intending to return. I've been trying to recruit our own soldiers. My father however, is proving to be quite the stubborn man." Nyssa murmurs, releasing Laurel as another sound of something breaking fills their ears, only to take her hand again and run...

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"We lost contact with our reporters on the streets, but we have over two dozen confirmed sightings of masked men attacking numerous municipal locations. Officials are asking that you stay indoors." The TV reports to a concerned looking DA Spencer and a smug looking Sebastian Blood just as the power goes down in the building, screaming and shouting from outside filling their ears as a Mirakuru Man enters the room, having thrown a person through the doors while DA Spencer looks in in horror.

"Wait. Stop!" Sebastian calls as the man advances on DA Spencer, getting her in an instant chokehold.

"This isn't part of the plan." Sebastian snarls.

"Sebastian?!" The DA cries in shock.

"I am mayor of Starling City and I order you to let her go!" He yells, only for the Mirakuru Solider to snap her neck, killing DA Spencer.

"I don't take orders from you." The Masked Man snarls as Sebastian closes his eyes.

"No."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"Any word from Thea? Is she safe?" The Arrow calls to Roy.

"She decided to leave Starling before the attack started. She should be gone." Roy replies.

"Just under two miles to the bridge and the courier." Felicity informs them, just as her phone begins to ring.

"It's for you." She passes it to the Arrow.

"What is it Detective?" He questions.

"How can we help you guys?" He questions.

"We?!" The Black Canary calls.

"The Starling City Police Force is standing with you guys on this one. Just tell us what we got to do and we'll do it." Quentin explains as the Black Canary holds her hand out for the phone, the Arrow passing it over.

"We need help in containing the soldiers. We're working on something and it may stop them but we need more time." She explains.

"We can do that. Whatever you guys are doing good luck, for all our sakes and for the love of god stay safe." Quentin murmurs as the Black Canary hangs up.

"This is the only street that feeds into the bridge." Felicity informs them as Diggle swerves to avoid a nearby car and Mirakuru Men.

"Floor it!" Roy yells as Diggle does just that, except the Mirakuru Man races ahead of them, pushing another car straight in their path.

"HOLD ON!" Diggle yells as the van smashes into it, flipping over completely as the two Mirakuru Men watch.

"Sara!" The Arrow hisses as he looks up at the roof of the van.

"SARA!" He yells.

"Diggle!" Felicity shakes him, wincing as she tries to sit up.

"Yeah. Yeah." Diggle winces as Leonard crawls forward to the front seat where Sara is lying.

"Canary." He shakes her shoulder, watching as he rhead lolls to the side.

"SARA!" Oliver yells again, trying to free himself.

"She breathing?!" Roy growls.

"Yeah. Yeah she's got a pulse, she's unconscious." Felicity calls.

"Then we have to get out of here. Roy. Get angry with this thing." The Arrow yells as Roy punches and kicks the side of the van out, climbing out first.

"Come on!" He grabs Sin and Catwoman's hands, pulling them out of the can with him, Mick following them, pulling Leonard out with him.

"Just wonderful." Leonard growls as he grabs Felicity's arm, helping her up.

"Wait. I'll stay with Sara." She calls as Diggle climbs out through the window, Felicity only getting up, grabbing a hold of Slade's sword when she sees the Arrow at Sara's side, Felicity and Diggle helping carry Sara out of the van, whilst the Arrow fires an explosive arrow to stop the Mirakuru Men from advancing on them.

"We good. Everyone here?" Diggle calls.

"Let's get off the streets!" The Arrow commands, lifting Sara into his arms as they begin to walk away…

 _Starling City Train Station_

Racing out of the main station at long last, Thea begins to run in the direction of the trains, hiding herself behind a nearby pillar as Malcolm and his assistant follow her.

"Thea! I'm not here to hurt you, neither of us are." He calls.

"Why should I believe you? You're a murderer! Terrorist and a psychopath!" She cries back.

"I don't expect you to understand what I've done. Not now, not without more time to explain." He calls.

"How are you even alive, my brother, Sara and Slade killed you! Why are you here." She cries, still keeping out of sight.

"I heard what happened to your mother and Wilson. I needed to make sure you were all right. You, Tommy, my grandchildren. I needed to see my daughter. I don't know where Tommy is and I'm suspecting my grandchildren are with Laurel Lance." He calls.

"I am not your daughter!" Thea snarls, stepping out from behind the pillar.

"You're nothing to me! And I want nothing from you! Do you understand!" She cries.

"Yes, but right now, you need my help. My protection. You have no idea, Thea, how dangerous it is out there. The city is falling. You're brother has abandoned you, left you. Both he and Sara did, because of course they would after a loss like that. I know they left." He informs her as Thea steps away from both of them.

"They're going to save this city and I haven't been abandoned. I wanted to leave. Someone I love told me that this is what I should do. I'm leaving Starling City." She hisses.

"At least let us take you to safety." He finishes before holding out his hand…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"They said Nero sang as he watched Rome burn. Now I understand why." Shado murmurs as she looks over Starling City, seeing the destruction, the fires. Isabel standing beside her.

"If only Slade were here to witness this. Isabel. Could you please go and…"

"What the hell is going on?! One of your juiced up jack boots just killed my entire office staff and snapped the District Attorney's neck!" Sebastian snaps as he bursts into the room.

"And?" Shado sighs.

"And? And I never agreed to this! You were supposed to call off your dogs." He snaps.

"That was your plan, Sebastian. Not mine." Shado replies.

"We had a deal." Sebastian snarls.

"And do you feel that I've not lived up to my end of it?" She approaches him.

"These are innocent people. Dying out there. You do not need to kill them…"

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE TO DO!" She yells.

"I made a promise to some people once and I will uphold it." She hisses.

"So this really is all about you just trying to hurt Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson." Sebastian mutters.

"I vowed to them, Oliver especially that I would take everything away from them, everyone they love and they love this city…"

"And you loved Slade Wilson."

"Don't speak of him to me." She snarls, her fingers resting on the scarf around her neck.

Slade's scarf.

"And this city. It's mine too." Sebastian growls.

"Not anymore, as of tomorrow night. It'll be nothing but rubble, ash and death a land only good for one purpose." She murmurs as she walks back toward the window.

"Graves…" She smirks.

"Woah. Woah. Ok. Shado!" Isabel calls, racing to the end of the corridor.

"What is it?" She hisses, only to turn around and move quickly toward where Isabel is, leaving Sebastian stood there alone and with the knowledge that Oliver was right and as he glances to where Isabel and Shado are he folds his arms and shakes his head In both shock and horror.

"Ohh my god."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"Ohh my god." Laurel whispers as she, Lisa and Nyssa approach a police car where a police officer lay, strewn over the roof, Laurel racing over to see if she could do anything, only to find the man dead. Nyssa stood behind her, Lisa leaning against a wall.

"Nyssa." Laurel moves toward her.

"Where have you been?" She questions.

"Trying to gather more resources as I told Lisa. I knew this battle was coming the minute Shado killed Slade. Except, as I said. My father. He's not too pleased." She sighs.

"Why not?" Laurel questions.

"Well. I sort of just chose one day to leave with the thought I could live my life here with Sara and Oliver. I was wrong." She mutters.

"You weren't wrong. They love you." Laurel whispers, approaching Nyssa.

"And you have friends here." She adds as Nyssa lowers her hood.

"You don't know me Laurel. About who I am." She murmurs.

"I know you're a hero." Laurel says softly.

"I'm not a hero Laurel. I am the furthest thing from it. I am Nyssa Al Ghul. Heir To The Demon. I was born into the League Of Assassins and I am and shall always be one." She mutters as Laurel approaches her.

"I'm not going to pretend that I've been through anything that you have but one thing that I've learned in the past year is that these things. They don't break us. They make us who we are." Laurel says sternly.

"And what I am is irredeemable and I will never change who I am."

"But if you're so far gone and so irredeemable. How were you able to spend those weeks with Sara and Oliver and the team, working beside them? Saving me from The Huntress. That wasn't an assassin I saw that day." Laurel says with a smile as she puts her arms around Nyssa. Her friend.

"That was a hero."

 _The Amazo_

 _Dripping wet from the swim, Oliver moves quickly toward the prison cells, being careful not to make too much noise as to alert the crew or Shado._

 _"Ollie! Ollie over here!" Harley cries from one cell, Oliver moving to unlock her door, pulling her out quickly._

 _"Our hero!" She cheers as she throws her arms around Oliver._

 _"Where's Sara?" He questions._

 _"Over there." She points toward another cell._

 _"Here. Keep watch. Shoot anyone apart from me, Sara or Slade." He passes her, her bejewelled gun from his bag before racing toward the cell that he sees Sara in._

 _"Ollie! Ollie!" She cries happily as he unlocks the door._

 _"Ollie, Ollie, Ollie! Thank god!" She whispers as she races into his arms, Oliver closing his eyes in relief at the feeling of Sara in his arms, stroking the top of her blonde head as she clutches to him tightly._

 _"Come with me. All right, come with me." He releases her, grabbing her hand and taking her to the corridor, toward Harley._

 _"The sub is right alongside the freighter. You two just need to swim, ok?"_

 _"Ok. What are you doing?" Harley questions as Oliver pushes Sara toward her, before moving in a different direction._

 _"Slade." Sara whispers._

 _"Do either of you know where he is?" Oliver questions._

 _"Ollie. He's. He's…"_

 _"What? Ohh my god." Oliver covers his hand with his mouth._

 _"Please." He whispers._

 _"Please tell me he's not…"_

 _"No it's worse. He put us in here with Shado. They were together, stood side by side. I told you this would happen Ollie. Now let's go!" Harley calls._

 _"No. I can't leave yet." He murmurs before resting his hands on a string around his neck._

 _"The cure." He shows it to them._

 _"No. Ollie. We need to go. Sara, tell him." Harley nudges her._

 _"I don't know. I don't know maybe there's at least a shot of saving Slade." She whispers._

 _"I can't. I can't leave Slade behind. I'm not going to leave either of them here. I'm not just going to write them off. We injected them with the Mirakuru but it was me. I caused all this, I couldn't make the choice between Sara and Shado and Slade had to make the choice. Shado is in this mess because of me and so is Slade. I have try." Oliver sighs._

 _"Ollie. I know. I know but I just want to go home. I just want to see my family again, Ollie. I don't want to die." Sara sobs, Oliver pulling her into his arms and holding her close._

 _"She's right. We need to go. There's no telling this cure can work or if it will do anything to change Shado's mind. It could work on Slade and I get why you'd want to save him but. Ollie. We have to get out of here." Harley points put._

 _"I need to do this." Oliver replies as Sara pulls away, Oliver resting his hands on the sides of her face._

 _"I need to save my friends. I need to at least try." He murmurs._

 _"We need to save our friends." Sara nods in agreement, Oliver smiling at her, kissing her quickly before looking to both her and Harley._

 _"Get to the sub. Get safe." He instructs._

 _"Not without you." Sara shakes her head._

 _"Sara…" Oliver starts._

 _"No. I love Slade and Shado to. I want to save them." She protests._

 _"And I haven't got anything better to do and well. You and Slade, even Sara. Best friends I've had in a while." Harley grins back, Oliver smiling at both of them before grabbing both of their hands._

 _"Come on then."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"It's my dad." Laurel comes to a stop as her phone begins to ring.

"Hello?" She calls.

"Laurel, baby, where are you?" He questions.

"Fifty fifth and Alfred. There were a few roadblocks."

"But you're okay?" He questions.

"Yeah, Nyssa and Lisa are with me." She replies.

"Right, ok. Listen, stay there, all three of you. I'm on my way." He informs them before hanging up the phone and racing toward the door…

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"Ollie. I can walk." The Black Canary grumbles as the Arrow sets her down, gazing at the deep gash on her forehead.

"Sara. That looks really…"

"I've had worse." The Black Canary mutters, cutting Felicity off.

"Where is this guy anyway?" Leonard questions.

"The cell phone GPS says he should be within a five hundred foot radius. I'll call him." Felicity decides as she dials the number.

"Hey, where are you?" The courier questions.

"We're here, where are you? Honk your horn." Felicity instructs.

"Cool. Hold on." He replies as he does what she asks.

"Wait I can see you feet." He smiles.

"You're standing right outside my car."

"That's not us." Felicity calls nervously only for the sound of screaming to begin as the team race froward, weapons at the ready, Sin holding back a little to help Sara run.

"No!" Felicity cries as she sees the body of the courier, lowering her hood to look around for the box.

"It's gone." The Arrow snaps.

The cure has gone.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"The situation has intensified as officials struggle to contain this historic assault gripping our city." The news report says as Sebastian Blood looks out the window, shaking his head at Shado, who sits on a chair, gazing at what lies beside her.

"Ms. Is this what you're looking for?" One of her soldiers questions as he approaches her with a box, Shado opening it with a sigh.

"Yes it is." She smiles as Sebastian Blood just looks out of the window in horror…

 _The Clock Tower_

"I just got off the phone with Cisco at STAR Labs." Felicity mutters.

"The cure they sent us was all they had?" Mick questions.

"Yep." Felicity groans.

"And they used all the Mirakuru that we gave them." Sin winces.

"We can't make more and we can't stop the army without the cure." Roy hisses, kicking over a wooden box angrily.

"You're right, we can't stop them." Oliver mutters.

"We'll find another way." Diggle suggests.

"There is no other way!" Oliver snaps.

"The Foundry's been compromised and we need to get Tommy out of there." He murmurs.

"We're on it." Diggle sighs, looking to Selina, who nods, Mick following also.

"I didn't know Sara. Five years ago we were completely different people and we had no idea that something like this was even possible. I couldn't have imagined when Diggle and Felicity brought the three of us back to Starling City. I made a vow that I would never let anything like The Undertaking happen again." Oliver mutters.

"What's happening now is not your fault Ollie." Sara murmurs.

"Yes it is. I have failed this city. Yao Fei. My father, my mother. Slade. All that I have ever wanted to do is honor those people." He closes his eyes.

"We honor the dead by fighting back and we are not done fighting Ollie! Malcolm Merlyn, The Count, The Clock King. The Triad. Everyone who is trying to hurt this city we've stopped them Ollie…"

"No Sara. Me you and Slade stopped them and Slade's gone! He's dead Sara." Oliver shouts back, noticing the tears streaming down Sara's cheeks.

"I know. I know and it hurts. It hurts so much Ollie but we will stop Shado. Me and you. Like it's always been me and you and I know I've been so unreasonable what with you and Harley and I shouldn't have been Ollie. I love you. I have always loved you and I will love you for the rest of my life. You are my whole world Oliver Queen and together and with the help of our friends. We will stop Shado and avenge Slade." She grips his arms tightly.

"I don't know how." Oliver murmurs.

"I don't know either Ollie." She shrugs as she rests her hands against his cheeks.

"But I do know two things. You are not alone and I believe in you. I always have and I always will. I love you." Sara whispers.

"I love you to." Oliver mutters as he pulls her into a close embrace, holding her tightly in his arms.

Never wanting to let go of the woman he would go to the ends of the earth for ever again…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, favoriting and following and for all your kind reviews, hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. Thanks again for reading and please do tell me what you all thought of this chapter._**


	137. Streets Of Fire (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Seven_**

 _The Clock Tower_

After what feels like a wonderful eternity, Sara slides out of Oliver's arms before turning to face everyone else in the room.

"And it's not just me and you Ollie." She adds as she looks to Felicity, Leonard, Sin and Roy.

"It's everyone in this room. It's Diggle, Selina and Mick, Lisa, my sister, my dad. It's all of us. We will end this. We will take Shado down and will do it in the name of those we lost. Yao Fei. Moira. Robert. Slade. We will fight in their name and I don't know how we wil do this and yeah, some of us might not make it out alive but we will protect one another, stand by each other's side and if we do that. if we stand united as a team we can stop Shado. We can end this war but only if we stand together." Sara calls.

"Yes." Felicity nods as she gets to her feet, raising her hood and picking up Slade's sword.

"We do this together. We stop her. We destroy everything she's built." Felicity hisses.

"We destroy her." Leonard agrees.

"We tear her and her army down. Piece by piece if we have to. We do this for Slade." Roy adds as he moves toward them.

"For Slade." Oliver agrees, taking Sara's hand in his.

"For Slade." She agrees as Sin moves to join the group.

"And we kick some Mirakuru army ass."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Where's my dad. He should be here by now?" Laurel runs her fingers through her hair as he walks up and down whilst Nyssa and Lisa stand near her, hands on their weapons incase of an attack from unsuspecting Mirakuru soldiers.

"You should get to a better vantage point." Nyssa suggests.

"Somebody help! Please help!" A voice calls from the distance.

"Stay here." Nyssa commands to Lisa and Laurel as she heads in the direction of whoever screamed for help.

Of course Laurel and Lisa follow her anyway, running behind her as Nyssa pulls her hood and vail up again to conceal her identity, toward a building that is on fire, people racing out of it.

"Someone help! Please help!" Someone is continuing to cry.

"Please! My daughter is still inside! I couldn't get to her!" A distressed mother is screaming as Laurel and Lisa reaches the woman.

"My daughter! She's still inside! I couldn't get her!" The woman is screaming as Laurel freezes as she thinks of how she would feel if it were Brandon and Rebecca in there and the thoughts momentarily terrify her.

Are they safe? Are they still alive…

Cat is with them. Cat has for them. They're safe. She has to tell herself as she tries to focus on the mother in front of her.

"Don't it's too dangerous!" Laurel cries as the building goes up in even stronger flames than before, pulling the mother away, both Laurel and Lisa standing beside the woman and her young son.

"Laurel!" Quentin yells as he gets out of his police car, having finally seen Laurel.

"Laurel." Lisa nudges her as Laurel looks around to see her dad.

"Dad!" She cries.

"Are you hurt?" He questions as he pulls her into his arms.

"No. I'm fine. I'm ok." She whispers as she hugs him tightly.

"Where's Sara?" He looks between Laurel and Lisa.

"She's with the others trying to end this thing." Lisa replies.

"Is she? Ok. Ok. We gotta trust that they're doing that." Quentin winces nervously.

"My daughters still inside I couldn't get to her!" The mother cries again.

"Dad!" Laurel starts as he begins to move toward the building at the mothers cries.

"Delta Charlie 52 to Central, copy!" He calls through his radio to no response.

"Delta Charlie 52 to Central, please copy me, now!" He yells but whilst they're all looking toward the door, they see a hooded figure exiting it, a young girl held tightly in her arms.

"Delta Charlie 52 to Central…"

"Dad." Laurel grabs his arm as he too looks toward the door where Nyssa is carrying the child to safety, Quentin racing forward to take the child from her as Nyssa coughs from the smoke inhalation, carrying the child toward her mother, who happily embraces her.

"My baby, oh my baby." She whispers as she holds the child close, Nyssa smiling slightly at the sight of mother reuniting with child before running away into the shadows.

"Who was that?" The mother asks, holding both her children close as Laurel smiles widely.

"A hero."

 _Starling City Train Station_

"Thea, please come with us." Malcolm pleads with her as she takes a few more steps backwards away from him.

"I don't want anything to do with you!" She cries.

"I don't even want to see you." She continues to cry, stopping when she sees the Mirakuru solider behind them.

"Stay behind us and cover your ears." He commands as he fires arrows at the Mirakuru solider, engaging him in combat a Silver Banshee unleashes one of her screams to throw the soldier backwards, Thea holding her ears at the piercing noise as the Mirakuru Man recovers quickly, grabbing her by the throat and throwing her backwards as Malcolm continues to engage him in combat, yet the solider lifts him up, pushing him against a wall causing all the rest of his arrows to fall from his quiver.

"You're out of arrows." The man hisses.

"You're not." Malcolm hisses, grabbing the arrow he'd shot into the man and using it to take him down, just as Silver Banshee recovers, screeching loud enough to throw them both backwards. Thea watching the whole thing as she moves toward Thea.

"Stay away from me!" Thea hisses.

"Run." The woman mouths to her as Thea looks at her in shock.

"What?" Thea frowns at her.

"Run." She mouths, her fingers tapping against a collar around her neck, mouthing one last thing to Thea before she starts to move.

'Don't become his prisoner too.'

 _The Clock Tower_

"Guys." Felicity calls as she looks down at her phone.

"This is your phone, Oliver." She moves toward him.

"What do you want?" He hisses upon seeing the caller to be Sebastian Blood, Sara clenching her fists as she sees the name.

"Same thing you guys do. To save this city before it's too late." He mutters.

"It's already too late." Sara hisses.

"Oliver you were right about Shado. I should have listened to you but I'm here now and I can help you guys." He reveals to them.

"Why should we trust you?" Oliver growls.

"Because Oliver. For one. I know something I probably shouldn't know and. Well. I have the Mirakuru cure."

"Did he say what I think he just said?" Sin looks up at them.

"So he says. What if this is just another one of Shado's games?" Felicity hisses.

"And what did you think he meant when he told us he knew something he probably shouldn't?" Sara questions with folded arms.

"When we find him. One way or another he's going to answer." Oliver growls.

"Now I like the sound of that. We should punch him. Slade would have liked that. He didn't exactly speak highly of Sebastian Blood." Leonard comments.

"Guys." Comes the voice of Diggle from the door as he, Selina and Mick carry Tommy into the room, lying him down on a surface as both Oliver and Sara move to his side in an instant, Oliver resting a hand on his best friends shoulder.

"How much venom do we have to keep him under." He questions.

"Two hours maybe." Diggle replies.

"Then he wakes up and we got even bigger problems." Mick mutters.

"Let's go." Oliver commands, lifting his arrow.

"Someone needs to stay here with Tommy." He looks around the room.

"Felicity. That person should be you…"

"No." Felicity shakes her head as she picks up the sword and pulls the hood over her head once again.

"I'm going to fight. I'm going out there and I'm going to fight with all of you. If Shado is there as this could be a trap. I want to be there when you take her down." Felicity says sternly as Oliver sighs in exasperation.

"I'll stay. I mean. It's a bit sad I'm going to be missing out on all the action but. I'll stay with Tommy." Sin looks over at them.

"Thank you." Oliver smiles at her as Sara hugs her before the team move toward the stairs.

"As we sure this isn't going to be a trap?" Felicity questions as they move down the stairs.

"Probably is but we'll be ready for it." Leonard shrugs as Oliver looks to them.

"No. We're not sure." Oliver agrees.

"Well if we don't come back alive, I'm going to be really pissed." Felicity states, managing somehow, despite the darkness of the situation and his everything could really go to hell by doing this.

To cause each one of them to smile slightly...

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Entering Sebastian Blood's campaign office. The Arrow and the Black Canary go first, the others following on, the Arrow removing his hood as he sees Sebastian and only Sebastian in the room, lowering his weapons as Diggle gives the others a signal to stop outside, allowing just the Arrow and the Black Canary to enter the room, who pulls her wig and mask off as she moves to stand beside Oliver.

"As a young boy I was plagued by nightmares." He sighs as he moves toward his desk.

"Every night I would wake up in a cold swear, frightened and alone. It was my father's face that haunted me." Sebastian admits, his hands on his Skull Mask.

"And this is how I saw him." He lifts the mask for Oliver and Sara to see.

"The embodiment of desperation and despair. I made this mask to conquer my fears and remind myself of why I fight, every day to give this city's most desperate a chance. All I ever wanted to do was to help people." He admits to them.

"Then help us believe." Sara folds her arms.

"Where is the cure?" Oliver questions.

"Shado will not rest until she honors the promise that she made to the three of you." He reveals to them as he places down his mask.

"We won't be so easy to kill once we level the playing field." Oliver retorts.

"She's not interested in killing you. Not until she's taken away everything and everyone the three of you love." He reminds them.

"After she murdered my mother and Slade Wilson, my brother in all but blood. She said a few more people had to die." Oliver repeats.

"Sara Lance and whoever Slade Wilson loves the most." He reveals to them.

"I'm not too easy to kill." Sara hisses.

"No. I doubt that but she will try anyway and whoever it is Slade Wilson loves. You have to find them and protect them from her." He explains to them as he picks up the briefcase from STAR Labs, walking toward them.

"I hope you can beat her with this." He hands it to Oliver.

"For all our sakes." He adds as he closes his eyes.

"And when this is over. I promise you two. I will do everything in my power to rebuild Starling City and I won't just make it what it was. I will make it better. Like I always planned." He vows to them all.

"You really think. That after everything that's happened, after what you've done. That they'll still let you be mayor?" Oliver questions sharply.

"Why not? No one knows that I've done anything except try to save this city and if you three tell anyone about my mask, I will tell them about the two of yours and I'll expose everyone that stands outside as well." He retorts sharply as Oliver and Sara glare at him.

"Do what you have to do, Sebastian." He says before simply taking Sara's hand, and turning away toward the door where Diggle and the rest of the team stand waiting for them.

"Wait." Felicity calls, raising the hood over her head, ensuring her mask is fixed to her eyes before she moves into the room.

"You said on the phone that you knew something you probably shouldn't. What is it?" She questions as she approaches him.

"Ohh." He stops for a moment before glancing at her.

"What I told your partners. That she wants to go after the people they love the most. Sara Lance and whoever Wilson loves. That's all." He responds.

"Right." Felicity nods, moving out of the room to follow the rest of the team.

Yet for reasons she can't explain. She has the feeling that he's holding something back…

 _SCPD_

"Alright sweetheart. I got to get back to it. You and Lisa stay here." Quentin tells Laurel as he leads the two into the precinct.

"Are you all alright?" Nyssa questions as she enters the precinct.

"Are we okay? Are you okay?" Quentin questions as Nyssa finds herself once again being embraced tightly by Laurel.

"You wouldn't believe it this woman in a hood ran out of a burning building with a kid in her arms. It was the bravest thing I've ever seen. That woman's a hero." One of the female officers comment to other officers around her as Nyssa bows her head. Laurel only giving her a warm smile in response…

 _Sebastian Blood's Office_

Grabbing a decanter from a cupboard, Sebastian pours himself a glass of whisky just as someone enters his office. He doesn't even bother looking up.

"You gave it to them, didn't you?" Isabel Rochev asks sharply.

More of a statement then a question though.

"I did what I thought was necessary." Sebastian replies honestly.

"Don't worry. I'll tell Shado myself." He calls as Isabel presses a few buttons on the phone.

"Does he still have the cure?" Shado questions.

"No." Sebastian replies.

"Shado you betrayed me. I did what you asked. I worked for you and you know even when I gave Oliver Queen and Sara Lance the cure. I had the opportunity to tell them the truth about what else you've done but I didn't. They still don't know that…"

"Goodbye, Sebastian Blood." Shado cuts him off just as he spins around only for Isabel to stab him in the chest with both of her swords.

"I loved this city." He hisses as Isabel smirks at him, pulling the swords out of his chest, grabbing his mask up off the side of the desk and putting it over his head before spinning around, using the swords to remove the head from his body.

Sebastian Blood's head with the mask still on it rolling around the floor as the rest of his body falls back onto his desk.

The worst mayor of Starling City finally no more…

 _The Clock Tower_

Opening the briefcase, the team gathers around the table to look at its contents, which is lots and lots of vials of the Mirakuru cure.

"Why does every secret formula have to be a color?" Felicity sighs.

"Agreed. Whatever happened to good old fashioned clear?" Leonard smirks before tilting his head to the side.

"Yet. I have to admit. I do like the blue." He comments.

"So if we inject one of Shado's soldiers with this…" Selina folds her arms.

"According to STAR Labs it will counteract the effects." Felicity finishes.

"Assuming they got the recipe right." Roy points out as Oliver takes the case from them, putting it down and taking a vile in hand.

"We need to test it." He sighs.

"We can't. Treat Tommy like some kind of lab rat, no." Sin shakes her head.

"Sin…" Sara and Oliver sigh.

"She's right. What if it doesn't work? What if it kills him? What if he wakes up and kills us?" Selina points out with folded arms.

"We need to know. One way or the other." Sara finishes, looking toward Oliver, who stands with the cure on hand that he now plans to use on his 'best friend in life.'

 _The Amazo_

 _Opening a door, Harley enters first followed by Sara and Oliver, who shuts the door behind him as they enter the room._

 _"Go lock the other door." Oliver tells Harley as Sara keeps behind Oliver whilst he moves to pick up a quiver of arrows, whilst Harley moves toward the other door like Oliver had told her to do._

 _"Harley. Where does Ivo keep his safe?" Sara questions._

 _"It's uh. By his books I think." She replies as Oliver and Sara move in that direction._

 _"Ollie. Sara." Harley calls, backing towards them as at the other door, appears several of Ivo's old crew members and stood side by side._

 _Shado and Slade._

 _"What are you looking for Oliver, Sara? This?" She holds up a vial._

 _The Mirakuru cure._

 _"Slade. Take it from her." Harley suggests._

 _"And why would I do that?" Slade questions._

 _"No." Sara whispers in horror._

 _"I know I probably shouldn't say I told you so but… I told you so." Harley sighs._

 _"No. No. Slade, snap out of it. Don't listen to the Mirakuru. Listen to us. Your friends. We came back Slade. We're here for you, for both of you." Sara cries as Oliver moves forward._

 _"Ollie." Harley starts as the crew members hold their guns toward Oliver as he approaches Slade, reaching for his hand._

 _"Slade. Please. My brother. You said we were brothers. Brother to brother, just listen to me! Slade, listen to me. Listen to us, me and Sara. Don't let the Mirakuru. Take over. Please, come back to us. Slade…" Oliver places a hand on his arm but Slade moves in an instant, grabbing Oliver by the throat and using his Mirakuru strength, drives Oliver across the room, holding him up against a wall, choking the life out of him._

 _"Slade!" Sara cries as Shado just smiles._

 _"He's accepted who he really is, just like I did. Funny how things work out isn't it?" She smirks, watching as Slade continues to choke Oliver, who glancing down sees the gun in Slade's pocket and makes a move for it, knowing Slade will catch him doing exactly that, which he does and he snatches the gun from Oliver's grasp, taking it in hand just as Oliver grabs his hands and pulls them upwards so Slade is standing with the gun to Oliver's head._

 _"Come back to me Slade." Oliver murmurs as he looks Slade straight in the eyes, the gun pressed against his forehead._

 _"Come back to us."_

 _SCPD_

"Detective Lance." Pike calls toward Quentin.

"Yeah." He says, moving from where he's stood beside Laurel, Lisa and Nyssa to head over to the lieutenant.

"What's going on?" He questions.

"What is it?" He frowns, Nyssa, Laurel and Lisa following him to the TV, which Pike switches the sound on for.

"You're watching live footage of an army convoy arriving on the outskirts of the city to restore order." The news report reports.

"Looks like the cavalry's here, finally." Quentin mutters.

"Maybe." Pike murmurs in response.

"Maybe? What do you mean?" Quentin frowns at Pike's reaction.

"Well. They're taking up positions in the bridges and tunnels." He replies.

"Well those are the only ways into the city." Quentin retorts.

"Also. The only ways out." Nyssa glances to him.

"A buddy of mine in military intelligence once told me the army isn't always the army."

"But it's clearly the military." Laurel folds her arms.

"Yeah. The trucks the uniforms." Lisa adds.

"Except the nearest army base is at Monument Point which is three hundred miles from here." Pike retorts.

"So how could they mobilize to Starling City so fast?" Laurel questions.

"Ok. So if that isn't the army." Quentin starts.

"Who the hell are they?"

 _The Clock Tower_

"Ollie. I'll do it." Sara reaches for the needle in Oliver's hands that he is preparing to inject into Tommy.

"Sara. He's my best friend. I have to do this."

"And because he's your best friend. You shouldn't." Sara points out.

"I did it for Slade. For Shado. I can do this for Tommy." Oliver murmurs as she approaches Tommy, everyone looking at him anxiously as Oliver slides one hand into Tommy's.

"I'm so sorry buddy." Oliver whispers to him before positioning the needle.

"Ohh for the love of god Queen get on with it!" Leonard folds his arms, Oliver glancing up to glare at him before repositioning the needle

"I can't. I can't. I lost one brother. I can't risk loosing another. He's got kids. Laurel. I can't." Oliver shakes his head, putting the needle down, closing his eyes as Sara wraps her arm around his just as Felicity's phone rings.

"It's Lance. Detective." She starts.

"Felicity are you with Oliver and Sara?" He questions.

"Yes." She replies.

"Are you near a TV?" He questions.

"Yes." She responds.

"Turn it on." He commands as she moves to grab her tablet.

"You're watching live footage of an army convoy arriving on the outskirts of the city to restore order." The news report reports as the team watches and listens…

 _Meanwhile..._

"How did you get this number?" Amanda Waller questions as she answers her phone.

"Amanda. What are you doing?" Oliver hisses.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Oliver." She retorts.

"Amanda the troops taking up position at the city's exits. They're not army, they're ARGUS. Those are your men. So you tell me right now what you're up to. AMANDA!" He snaps.

"Shado's followers are a clear and present danger and I cannot allow them to escape the city. They need to be contained by any means necessary." She explains.

"You can't!" Oliver shakes his head.

"Theirs a drone en route carrying six GBU/43-B bombs, enough fire power to level the city." She replies calmly.

"There are over half a million people in this city." Oliver snarls.

"Five hundred and seventy six thousand. None of whom deserve to die but I have to think about the people in every city. You once told me and even showed me with Deathstroke that Mirakuru can make man and women virtually unstoppable, what could happen to this country, this world, if I don't end this here and now?" She hisses.

"Look, listen to me. We have the cure. I can stop Shado and her men." He replies as calm as he possibly can.

"I can't take the chance that you, Sara and your team will fail, Oliver." She retorts.

"Amanda, we just need more time." Oliver all but begs her.

"I'm sorry." She responds.

"You have until dawn and then Starling City is a crater." She finishes as Oliver hangs up the phone and to everyone else's shock, surprise and in some cases horror, Oliver picks up the syringe and jabs it straight into Tommy…

 _Starling City Train Station_

Groaning as he comes to, Malcolm lifts himself up from the floor.

"Banshee where is she?" He questions sharply to his 'assistant' who looks at Thea in surprise and confusion as Thea stands, having not taken Silver Banshee's advice to run but to instead pick up the near by gun and hold it up to Malcolm Merlyn.

"If you're going to use that, you'll want to click the safety off." He informs her as she does exactly that.

"I'll shoot you." She threatens.

"I will!" She snaps.

"I can see it in your eyes. My eyes. They're just like mine. Both of them filled with pain and anger because those we loved were ripped from us. I lost my name, my wife, my son will probably never look at me again and I will probably never even get to see my two grandchildren…"

"SHUT UP!" Thea yells angrily.

"You're all I have left in the world and you've lost everything too. Thea, the man you thought was your father, your mother, Slade Wilson, you brother and your boyfriend have abandoned you, your boyfriend in particular I'm guessing was the one to tell you to run. You're all alone but you still have a father. You still have…"

Malcolm is cut off by Thea firing the gun…

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

"My, my. I did choose well with these uniforms." Shado comments as she glances toward Isabel who smiles as Shado glances to the other side of the room.

"You look even better than before, sweetheart." Shado smiles, only for that smile to falter when she is thrown across the room, Isabel to when she tries to intervene by an incredibly strong force as stood wearing the third suit that Shado had locked away in her cases is none other than Slade Wilson.

Glancing down at his hands be begins to back away toward the door.

He need to find them.

Oliver. Sara. Roy. Felicity...

Storming toward the door, he takes one look at Shado and Isabel, who are crawling to their feet as Slade glowers at them both.

"You never should have brought me back."

 ** _Authors Note: Did you all really think I was going to permanently kill Slade? Deathstroke, my favorite comic book character, Slade Wilson, my favorite Arrowverse character. No. I most certainly wasn't going to kill him permanently :) Thank you all so much for reading and for all your kind reviews, follows and favorites, next chapter should hopefully be soon, please tell me what you all thought of this chapter and thanks again for reading!_**


	138. Unthinkable (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Eight_**

 _The Clock Tower_

"Oliver. Ollie are you okay?" Sara asks softly, pulling Oliver from his distressed thoughts of remembering how Shado killed Slade then his mother.

Watching them both die in front of him.

"Yeah. Yeah Sara. I'm good. I'm." He wraps an arm around her shoulders, glancing down at Tommy's still unconscious from.

"The cure doesn't look to be doing much Queen." Leonard notes.

"We don't know that." Felicity starts.

"Well, he does still have a lot of Tibetan Pit Viper venom in his system." Sin shrugs as an alarm sounds suddenly.

"What's that?" Selina folds her arms.

"Proximity alarm. I rigged the tower with sensors just in case Shado's goons decided to come here to kill us." Felicity pushes her hood down so she can look down at her tablet, pulling up the thermal imaging.

"Shado's goons are here to kill us." She reveals.

"Talk to us Felicity." Oliver growls.

"They're inside. They're right underneath us." She informs him as with a gasp Tommy suddenly comes to.

"Where am I. Oliver…" He starts as he gets to his feet just as the Mirakuru soldiers break through the trap door, Tommy punching one of them before winding at the sudden pain in his hand from the punch only to be thrown to the ground by the soldier. The Arrow coming to his aid to deal with the soldier himself.

"They're inside. There's too many of them." Sin calls as one of them grabs a hold of Felicity's leg, Felicity pulling Slade's sword out, swinging it at the man and ending up imbedding the sword into the man's hand to get him to release her.

"Nice move." Diggle comments as the Arrow fires an arrow attached to the cable.

"Come on, all of you down the cable! Now!" He yells watching as they go in a line, Mick first followed by Sin, Selina, Tommy, Leonard, Roy, Diggle, Felicity and finally the Arrow grabs a hold of the Black Canary, who grabs the case of the Mirakuru cures, the two of them jumping down the cable safely to the ground.

"Is it wrong for me to say that was kinda fun?" Tommy comments as the Arrow looks to him, squeezing his arm with a smile.

Tommy Merlyn is back.

Meanwhile, the whole team stand back and watch as a helicopter advances on The Clock Tower, shining a light to the very top where the Mirakuru soldiers are, several of them jumping out and one racing from down the street, whilst the others are subject to a missile blowing them to kingdom come from the person within the helicopter.

Lyla Michaels…

Diggle has only moments to smile at her before focusing on the three Mirakuru soldiers they're faced with, Roy snarling, letting his own Mirakuru rage fly free as he attacks two of the soldiers head on, assisted by the brute force of Leonard, Sin and Mick, Diggle begins to shoot at them, the Black Canary pulls out her staff, Catwoman her whip and Felicity the sword as the begin to fight the Mirakuru soldiers off.

Meanwhile, the Arrow races toward the one Mirakuru solider that he notes, is dressed a little differently to the others, the orange side of the mask a darker orange, hints of blue in the more complex suit with Kevlar and various attachments.

The solider has a gun but he doesn't reach for it.

He has two empty sword holders.

The solider doesn't move to fight but he is moving, walking toward the Arrow who advances on him, fist raised ready to take the solider out when the solider finally does make his move, yet he doesn't reach for his guns, any of the knives attached to his boots.

He catches the Arrow's hand and squeezes it, pushing down his hood with the other before taking Oliver's other hand and interlacing his fingers with it.

Oliver just stands where he is, the strength of the Mirakuru solider keeping him in place.

One word.

Just one word freezes him.

Keeps him in place.

He doesn't move.

He doesn't say anything.

He doesn't do a damn thing at that one word.

'Kid.'

"Kid. Kid, Oliver!" The voice keeps saying.

This is a sick joke. Oliver thinks to himself.

One more move in Shado's twisted game.

This can't be real. This can't be happening.

It's Shado's plan.

To break him.

She's winning…

"Oliver!" The masked man calls again.

"It can't be you, you can't be here…" Oliver croaks.

"Kid. It's me. We spent five years on an island together. First things I told you were that I was going to cut out your voice box and that to say you fought like a girl would be a compliment. I put up with your whining for five years. Oliver, it's me!" The masked man growls at him as Oliver tries to free his hands.

The Masked Man lets him at the very last moment when, Oliver believes the man believes that Oliver isn't going to turn around and punch him as that's not what Oliver does with his hands the moment that they are freed.

He reaches for the mask with his hands that are now shaking.

Starting to remove it from the man, Oliver almost stops half way.

Yet he doesn't, he keeps on pulling at the mask until it's completely off and the minute it is…

"Hey, kid." Slade gives him a slight smile.

Slade gives him a slight smile.

Slade Wilson…

He's alive.

Slade Wilson is alive.

Resting a hand on Slade's chest, Oliver shoves him lightly, watching as Slade rocks back slightly, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm here kid." Slade continues to give him a sad smile.

"How…" Oliver croaks unable to find his voice of the words.

"I. I watched you die." He murmurs.

Tears burning in his eyes.

"I know, Oliver. I know. I'm sorry. I couldn't find you sooner, kid."

"It's. It's a miracle." Oliver whispers, resting his hands on Slade's arms, moving them up to rest on Slade's shoulders, just in far to many emotions to count as he tightens his grip.

"It's a miracle. Ohh my god. It's a miracle. Slade…" Oliver whispers as he just falls into Slade's embrace, the tears beginning to fall from his eyes as he clutches tightly to Slade.

Slade Wilson, his brother in all but blood.

He's alive.

He's alive.

Slade Wilson is alive…

"I gotcha kid. I gotcha." Slade murmurs as Oliver closes his eyes tightly, increasing his grip on his brother.

"I'm here, kid. I'm here." He continues to try and soothe Oliver.

"You came back to us." Oliver whispers.

"I will always come back for you, kid. You and Sara. I keep my promises, kid. I will always come back." He mutters as Oliver holds him close.

"I love you both, kid."

"I love you too, my brother." Oliver murmurs back as he clutches tightly to his brother in all but blood.

Never wanting to let go.

"Ollie..." The voice of the Black Canary pulls both men back into reality, Slade, stepping out of Oliver's arms, who still keeps a hand against Slade's arm as he turns to face her.

"Hello, Sara." Slade gives her the same smile he gave to Oliver.

"S. …" The Black Canary whispers, her voice trembling as she pulls the wig and mask from her face and head, discarding them on the floor.

"It's me Sara. I'm here. I'm alive." He starts to hold a hand out toward her but it stopped but Sara herself running toward Slade and throwing herself into his open arms.

"Slade. Ohh my god. Slade, Slade." She whispers tearfully as she clutches tightly to him unable to stop the tears from falling as he holds her close to him, kissing the top of her head as she cries.

"It's a'right. It's a'right Sara. I'm here. I'm back." He smiles, holding her tight.

"How can you be here?! How. You. You died. I wasn't there, I'm so sorry, ohh I'm sorry. Ohh god Slade." Sara whispers through her tears as Slade, resting his hand in her hair momentarily, looks over at Oliver again, nothing the tears upon his brothers face.

"Both of you. You're getting sappy on me." He smirks.

"We don't care." Oliver whispers as Slade, keeping one arm around Sara pulls Oliver into the embrace, holding them both to him, feeling at peace with two of the people he loves most in the world in his arms.

"We love you." Sara says tearfully.

"As I love the both of you." Slade murmurs to them both, his family.

His whole world.

Oliver Queen and Sara Lance.

"How?" Sara questions her voice muffled.

"Well…"

"My god." Comes the shocked voice of Selina Kyle, pulling Oliver, Sara and Slade out of their bubble as she moves away from the fight, having laid eyes on the three.

"Hey Wilson, where have you been?" Tommy glances toward them.

"I'm missing something here, right?" He questions upon seeing the tears that are in Oliver and Sara's eyes.

Meanwhile, one Mirakuru soldier goes flying over their heads into a nearby building courtesy of Mick Rory, who stops in place the minute he sees Slade for himself.

"Slade." Is all he murmurs, unable to say another word as Diggle, shooting his way backwards, stops beside Mick upon seeing the sight before him. Oliver. Sara. Slade…

"Ohh my god." He whispers as he approaches them.

"Ohh my god, man." He stops, unable to say another word as he lowers his gun.

"Thank god. I don't know how but ohh thank god." Diggle continues, Slade attempting to move out of the Oliver and Sara's embrace, who are reluctant to let him go.

Smiling again, Slade extends a hand toward Diggle.

"No man, you're getting a hug." Diggle smiles before embracing Slade briefly.

Even surprised by Diggle's reaction, Slade smiles at him.

"It is good to see you too, John." He speaks before he is hit by a hug so powerful from Sin it almost knocks him from his feet.

"How can you be here? How can I be hugging you. How are you even alive! Actually I don't care. You're alive." Sin all but cheers though her tears of happiness as she hugs Slade, who pats her back gently and smiles, whilst looking up to where Leonard has finally noticed him.

Leonard. Whom he'd sent to the other side of the world. Slade trying to move out of the trap Sara and Oliver have him in to move towards Leonard, who just stands looking at Slade with a shocked, disbelieving expression upon his face.

"What are you doing here I thought I…"

"You're alive." Is all Leonard says, with more emotion than Slade or anybody has seen from Leonard and it's enough to cut Slade off.

"Slade Wilson." He starts, only to stop when a Mirakuru solider approaches him.

"This is actually really tiring!" Comes the voice of Felicity Smoak, Slade almost unable to move when he realizes where she is, moving toward the Mirakuru solider, a sword in hand.

His sword, in hand, wearing a hood, which is attached to a long black and purple coat, a mask in her face.

Yet just as she is about to swing the sword and the Mirakuru solider is about to catch it, Slade is there.

"Stay. Away. From. Her!" He snarls, grabbing the Mirakuru solider and with his powerful, newly enhanced strength, throws the solider far into the distance, spinning around soon after to face Felicity Smoak.

"I think I'll take that." He place his hands on his sword, taking it from her with ease and sliding it into the holder against his back before looking down at Felicity, who is shaking as she lifts her head slowly her eyes meeting his one immense brown eye.

She thinks her heart stops.

She thinks she freezes in place.

This is a dream though. It's only just a dream.

Slade Wilson is dead.

He's gone.

She'll wake up and be alone in her bed soon.

"Felicity." He murmurs her name in his deep, accented voice before lifting his hands to push the hood from her head, his fingers tracing over a cut on her head from one of the fights, bruises from sparring with Leonard and Sara.

His fingers resting in her blonde curls lightly.

"Felicity." He murmurs again as she rests her hands over his chest, keeping one hand there, moving the other to his face, stroking his cheek.

"Just a dream." She whispers.

"Felicity." He strokes her hair lightly.

"I'm here. This is real. I am here, Felicity." He murmurs as tears begin to fall from her eyes, Slade wiping them away instantly.

"Slade?" She whimpers, looking up into his eye again, whilst he presses a kiss to her forehead resting his hands against her cheeks, keeping eye contact with her the whole time.

"This. Is. Real." He says slowly, yet sternly as Felicity holds back sobs at his words.

"Slade." She whispers as he nods.

Glancing toward Oliver and Sara, Felicity sees the tears in their eyes but a look on their faces she never thought she'd see again.

Happiness.

Hope.

On all of their faces, not just Oliver and Sara.

Diggle, Sin, Selina and even Leonard and Mick look somewhat happy, which is more emotion then she's ever seen from the two of them.

This is real.

Slade's alive.

"Slade." She whispers again before throwing her arms around him, unable to stop her tears as she clutches tightly to him, Slade practically lifting her off her feet as he holds her, spinning her around once, holding her close against him as she cries.

"How. How can you be here. How?! How is this possible." She whispers, unable to continue as the tears impair her speech and she breaks down crying.

"I'm here. I'm a'right. I'm here, Felicity." He murmurs, kissing the top of her head as she pulls away, her eyes streaming with tears.

"I'm here." He assures her.

"And you're not going anywhere." She shakes his head.

"No. Not for now at least."

"Never. You're not going anywhere ever." She tries to smile whilst the tears fall.

"I'll do my best." He mutters.

"You better or I'm going to be really, really pissed if you ever do a thing like that again." She whispers as he just smirks at her, pushing her hair back, which is when she kisses him.

Clutching his arms tightly, she kisses him, feeling him wrap his strong arms tightly around her, still holding her as she pulls away.

It was brief.

It was only brief but it was real.

It was so, so real.

But she kissed him.

She kissed Slade Wilson.

And this time she wasn't dreaming!

Biting her lip nervously, she glances up at him, only to see him smiling down at her.

"How are you here?" She asks after a moment.

"Think that's an answer we'd all love to hear." Leonard drawls from the background.

"I watched you die. Shado stabbed you through the chest. You died at my feet. I couldn't do anything to stop her. How…" Oliver trails off both he and Sara having moved toward Slade again, resting a hand on his arm, just to assure himself that Slade is still really alive.

"None of you are going to like the answer but I will explain once I've dealt with Roy." He starts, directing everyone's attention toward where Roy is still battling off the final Mirakuru solider and is seemingly punching this one to death in a Mirakuru rage.

"Ohh god." Oliver whispers, the team having been so distracted by the unexpected return of Slade. They hadn't been keeping an eye on Roy at all.

"Roy!" Slade calls as he moves toward him.

"ROY!" He shouts again to no avail as he reaches him.

"ROY STOP!" He bellows at him, grabbing Roy's arm as he does so, which causes Roy to spin around to look at him, the red hood falling from his head.

"Slade." Roy murmurs as he shakes his head once, then a second time.

Glancing down at the now unconscious Mirakuru solider Slade glances back at the others.

"We need to go. There are more coming." He calls to the team, yet when he turns back to face Roy, Roy throws his arms around him in an almost bone crushing hug.

Surprised by Roy's reaction, yet happy all the same, Slade hugs him back.

"We've got to go." Slade mutters as Roy nods and reluctantly releases him.

"You're alive." He murmurs when he pulls back.

"Yes." He starts just as Felicity grabs his arm again and he almost gets trampled on by the return of Oliver and Sara.

"But right now we need to get off the streets."

 _The Foundry_

Keeping together, the team move into a rather trashed Foundry.

"Ohh my god." Felicity winces at the sight of the mess.

"What the hell happened in here?" Tommy questions as he glances around.

"Shado's army. I came here looking for all of you and yet I found it like this." Slade responds as Diggle nods.

"Right about this place being compromised." He glances toward Oliver.

"I thought I was. That's why we went to The Clock Tower." He murmurs whilst glancing at Slade once more.

"Slade. How are you here." He questions with a sigh.

"What did she do to you?" Leonard snarls.

"The Mirakuru." He murmurs, the silence that follows afterwards is deafening.

"Ohh my god Slade…" Oliver starts in horror.

"Kid. We can deal with the repercussions of that later, besides. Considering Thomas isn't trying to kill us. I assume we've got the cure, am I right?" He questions.

"Yes. Yes it's over here. Take it." Felicity glances toward the box.

"Not just yet Felicity." He murmurs.

"Why not? Take it. After all the pain you went through with it the first time, please, for me and Ollie, for all of us take it." Sara practically begs.

"I can't believe she would put you through this again." Oliver shakes his head, horrified.

"Kid it doesn't matter what does matter is that am I on your side and I've had enough experience with the Mirakuru to use in the fight that will Shado down for what she's done." He growls as Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Roy look at him with worry in their eyes.

"For now we have to…" Slade is cut off by the sound of gunfire and the momentary pain of the bullets that hit him.

"Lyla no!" Diggle yells to her.

"He's with us…" He starts which is when she sees his face and doesn't lower the gun.

"Deathstroke… He's alive…" She snarls.

"Put the gun down." Leonard hisses, having pulled out his own gun whilst Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Roy stand around Slade protectively.

"My god she shot you." Felicity gently touches the bleeding wounds she sees.

"It'll be healed within the hour." Slade growls, thankful for one of the Mirakuru advantages.

"Ok. Why doesn't everyone put their guns down." Sin suggests.

"You first." Leonard growls at Lyla.

"I have to do my job. I have to take him into custody or kill him on sight." She snarls.

"For what now? ARGUS aren't you. You know full well he's innocent, what they did to him and Queen. Let's stop the pretence." Leonard hisses.

"He massacred good men and women." Lyla growls.

"Well Lyla. Technically he is dead. In the eyes of everyone except those in this room. You have no obligation to do anything." Diggle rests his hands on her shoulders.

"Besides. I have no problems shooting you. If you try anything." Leonard drawls as Lyla glowers at Slade before shaking her head.

"I have do what's right in the name of those who died…"

"Those people who died murdered my son and my ex wife because I wouldn't work for them! Then they rigged my brothers head to explode and made me choose between getting my revenge or loosing Oliver. You're lucky Oliver means more to me than anything otherwise I would have killed them all!" Slade snarls viciously, stepping out from behind Oliver, Sara, Felicity and Roy.

"How can you tell such lies so easily?" Lyla folds her arms.

"Because it's the truth, Lyla." Diggle retorts.

"No. ARGUS have done some pretty shady things, I admit that but never would they murder an innocent. He is a psychopath and he needs to be put down." She starts to advance on Slade, who pushes past Oliver, Sara, Roy and Felicity to advance also.

"Lyla!" Diggle growls at her, yanking her back.

"Slade." Felicity grabs his hand bravely.

"Slade look at me. Look at me!" She shouts loudly, resting her hand on the side of his face, pulling him around to face her.

"She's one of them." He snarls.

"Yeah but you don't want to kill her. That's the Mirakuru talking, she personally didn't kill your son. She's just believing their lies…" Roy calls out.

"They are not lies. ARGUS did not…"

"Stop." Roy hisses at Lyla before turning back to Slade.

"What would you be saying to me right now if it were me like this? You'd be telling me to calm down, not to give into the Mirakuru. You're in control of it Slade, you don't want to kill her." Roy says with his hands held outwards in an attempt to calm Slade and it somewhat works and he tries to pull his hand free from Felicity's so he doesn't harm her.

"No." Felicity shakes her head, bravely grabbing his hand again.

"I'm not letting go until you've calmed down." She murmurs sternly, whilst glancing toward Oliver, who nods to her to indicate to her that she's doing the right thing, before glaring at Lyla with a menacing look of his own.

"Right now Lyla. Your boss, the same women who did that. Who killed Slade's son and rigged my head to explode is going to bomb this city at dawn so for the love of god, put your gun down!" Oliver snaps angrily.

"Well Wallers never seen a problem she didn't think couldn't be solved by a drone strike." Diggle hisses as Lyla pulls out of his grasp to look up at him.

"Why do you think I'm here?" She murmurs.

"You knew Waller was looking to destroy this city and yet you came here anyway ARGUS?" Slade glares at her menacingly.

"Well my boyfriend is here, Deathstroke so yes. I did come here." Lyla snaps back.

"You need to go back to ARGUS. You need to stop Waller, or buy us enough time to stop Shado." Oliver commands sharply.

"Not without me. Till death do us part, right?" Diggle glances down at Lyla.

"This time it might." Lyla sighs.

"Ok, guys, I need you to scrounge as many weapons as you can find, especially injection arrows, we're going to fill them with the cure, which clearly works and this ends tonight without killing." Oliver commands to the team.

"Can't promise that, kid." Slade mutters as Oliver turns to him.

"I can try…"

"No because by ending this, that means killing Shado, which I have no problem with doing." He growls as Oliver rests a hand on his arm.

"Slade, we can find another way. There's been enough death already."

 _Starling City Train Station_

Firing the gun twice, Malcolm Merlyn falls to the ground, seemingly dead.

"Didn't think you had it in you." Silver Banshee comments as the gun falls from Thea's hand, the same hand Silver Banshee grabs as Thea looks up at her in horror at what she'd just done, yet is met with a smile from the woman.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." She whispers.

"I wouldn't thank her yet Siobhan." Malcolm calls to both Thea and Silver Banshee's horror as he simply gets to his feet and limps toward both women, pulling the bullets from his suit and pressing a button he pulls out of his pocket which causes a sound to ring out, a sound of electricity followed by a cry of pain from Silver Banshee who falls to the ground, clutching her throat, Thea bending down to her aid, realising that she'd been mildly electrocuted by a collar around her neck.

"If you're going to kill me, just get it over with." Thea mutters.

"Kill you? Why? Because you shot me? I'm glad you did." He replies.

"You're sick." Thea shakes her head as she helps Silver Banshee to her feet.

"Perhaps. How else to explain the fact that a year ago your brother held a gun to my face as well." He continues.

"Which one? Tommy? Oliver? Both of them?" She folds her arms.

"Tommy, yet trust me I was faced by a whole load of weapons from Oliver, Sara and Slade as well. Tommy through, lacked the conviction. The strength to pull the trigger, but not you, Thea. You are made of iron, you are truly my daughter and I could not be more proud."

"If you faced Tommy now, he'd rip your head off, physically." Thea snarls.

"It's a shame I won't be seeing him before I leave, or my grandchildren, considering someone screwed up in getting Laurel Lance proved an unfit mother." He glowers at Silver Banshee, Thea glancing toward her as she looks down.

"Still annoying that was." He sighs before pressing the button again, delivering an even more powerful shock which sends Silver Banshee into unconsciousness.

"You bastard." Thea hisses as Malcolm approaches her.

"I might be. Yet perhaps soon, you'll see me in a different light." He starts.

"Never." Thea snarls as she begins to walk away when Malcolm grabs her arm.

"I've lost Tommy and my grandchildren Thea." He snarls.

"Don't think I am not going to lose you to."

 _SCPD_

"Remember your training. You be smart. You take clean shots and you don't miss the…"

"Fall back to Meltzer Avenue. We need a SWAT at Union Plaza. City Hall's a crater! They're! They're everywhere!" Quentin is cut off by the sounds of screams from the radio transmitting the live feed of an SCPD officer.

"Fall back. Fall back. I'm hit!" He continues before nothing but silence.

"Look. I know you're all scared. You wouldn't be human if you weren't but tonight, this city. Our city. It's counting on each and every one of you. So you go out there and you be the heroes I know you all to be." Quentin addresses the team of SCPD officers in front of him.

"Go." He finishes after a moment of silence before looking to Laurel and Lisa.

"Where's Nyssa?" He questions as Laurel frowns.

"I don't know…"

"Detective. I've got one-p-p on the line, with Lt. Pike in the field. You're the ranking officer." An SCPD officer informs him.

"You should go. Lisa and I'll find Nyssa…"

"Listen. I don't want you stepping a foot outside the precinct, you hear me?" He glances to her sternly as Laurel nods.

"I won't. I promise." She responds.

"All right, sweetheart." Quentin pats her arm as Laurel glances to Lisa.

"Stay here. Nyssa might still be in the building. I'll be right back." She informs her.

"Hey. Don't be going out there without me." Lisa smirks at her.

"Oh trust me. If I was going outside I'd take you with me, you've got a weapon." She smirks patting Lisa's shoulder as she moves toward the corridor, where she sees the back of Nyssa standing at the other end of the corridor where she is talking to someone.

"Laurel cannot be a part of this, she is a mother. She must not be harmed. She's my friend…"

"Nyssa!" Laurel calls toward her.

"What's going on?" She frowns.

"Laurel…" Nyssa starts just as Laurel is hit by a dart causing her to fall to the ground.

The last thing she sees is a pair of boots walking toward her...

 _The Foundry_

"Well it seems like I missed a lot." Tommy comments as he stands passing injection arrows to Selina, Sin, Roy, Felicity and Mick who are filling them up with the Mirakuru cure.

"You remember anything Merlyn?" Sin questions.

"Leaving town to keep Laurel and the kids safe. Was I unconscious the entire time?" He asks as the others look between one another anxiously, even Mick looks unnerved.

"Guys… Don't leave me hanging." Tommy glances at them, a little concerned by their reactions to his question.

"You were out the whole time." Felicity says clearly.

"Shado has at least fifty or so of those human weapons. We'll need a whole army if we plan on hitting them with the cure. Even more than we've already got." Diggle notes.

"Bit last minute, don't you think?" Leonard glances toward him.

"I know, but thankfully. There was a purpose to me leaving." Calls the voice of Nyssa as she walks down the steps.

"Nyssa." Oliver calls toward her with a smile as Nyssa enters the room, before looking to where Oliver is sat, both he and Sara practically wrapped around Slade…

"Slade." She starts, unable to keep the shocked tone from her voice.

"How…" She looks between Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"It doesn't matter. We have a war to fight. I'll be asking again later though. It is. It is good to see you." She nods with a slight smile as she moves forward toward them, taking the hand Slade extends toward her after freeing his arm from Oliver's vice like grip.

"So your father actually…" Sara starts as Nyssa nods.

"Yes. It turns out my sister is good at backing me up. Isn't that right, sister." Nyssa calls into the shadows as a whole load of League Of Assassin members enter the room, a woman ahead of them all.

"Talia." Oliver, Sara and Slade call toward her simultaneously, everyone else looking at the, in shock, Diggle, Lyla and even Leonard have their guns pointing toward them, even Mick has gotten to his feet.

"The ninjas have returned." He growls.

"Wow, Nyssa you could have told us your plan was to bring eight assassins down into our top secret lair." Felicity calls toward her as Nyssa smiles at her and rests a hand on her arm.

"I like the outfit, Felicity. You look like a warrior." She noted as Felicity smiles.

"Still could have said something about this." Roy notes.

"Well, Roy, I would have done but you and Felicity were too busy with your revenge scheme." Nyssa reminds them.

"These people tried to kill us, once you know." Leonard comments.

"Not this time. Trust me Leonard." Nyssa responds as he gives her a skeptical look as the other woman apparently named Talia approaches Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Oliver, Sara. Slade. It's been too long." She notes with a smile.

"Likewise." Oliver smiles back.

"My sister told me you were dead Slade. I told her she must be mistaken. It appears I am right." Talia comments.

"Still undefeated." Slade smirks at her.

"Of course." She smiles back.

"Guys. Not to interrupt or anything but who is this?" Felicity cuts in.

"My older sister." Nyssa responds as Talia turns to face Felicity.

"I am Talia, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. Heir to the demon."

"Felicity Smoak, MIT class of '09." Felicity replies bravely.

"So that's where you went. Ninja land?" Mick glances toward Nyssa.

"These people are mercenaries. I get it. We can trust Nyssa but all of these? The same people who came here to kill Sara whilst also nearly managing to kill myself, my sister, my two friends and Queen?" Leonard folds his arms.

"I agree with Leonard. We may trust you Nyssa and you Talia, but not them. Let's not forget that I killed a good dozen of them and that was just me, Oliver, Sara, Leonard and Mick finished the off the rest and whatever this is. It will come with a price…" Slade starts.

"Which you will not concern yourselves with as I have paid it." Nyssa cuts him off.

"Nyssa." Sara grabs her arm, looking up at her with horror in her eyes.

"You agreed to go back?" She whispers.

"What?!" Oliver practically explodes as he turns to face her.

"You're lucky, our father wanted Sara to return also and offer Slade recruitment for his outstanding fighting skills. He may have killed members of the League but in a such a way, he'd actually be a valued member." Talia comments.

"Look. I am not about to let Shado harm any of you. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep the ones I care about. The ones I love." She reaches for Sara and Oliver's hands.

"Safe. Besides. My father would have requested my return at some point. This is just deleting the inevitable." She notes as Sara embraces her, Nyssa stroking her hair as Oliver wraps his arms around both of them, pressing kisses to the tops of both their heads.

"We are willing to do whatever it takes as well. But that doesn't mean cold blooded killing." Oliver notes a he pulls away from them, turning Nyssa to face the three of them.

"Is the answer. We have the cure now…"

"To fight the unthinkable, you have to be willing to do the unthinkable." Talia cuts in.

"She's right, kid. We try cure the soldiers. I understand that. But Shado. She isn't going to stop. There is no going back for her." Slade starts.

"What if there is?" Oliver starts carefully.

"After what she did, kid. Killing Moira…"

"You're still here." He cut Slade off.

"If she was so far gone how are you still here?" He points out to silence from the room.

"You don't understand, kid. She revived me with the Mirakuru in the hopes it would place me on her side. That I would lose myself so far to the Mirakuru that we'd be together during all this and that she would take Sara. Yet she would have me kill her in front of you and then she would make me kill you kid. That is why she gave me the Mirakuru but when I woke up to hear her plan. When I woke up. I remembered through the Mirakuru the person who helped me defeat its urges the first time. The one who saved me from the Mirakuru the first time. You, kid. You and everyone I care for, most of which are in this room. I held onto those thoughts and that is why I'm here." Slade murmurs as silence passes around the room, Oliver simply resting a hand on Slade's arm.

"That sick bitch. Ohh my god." Roy shakes his head in horror at Slade's recount.

"Why do I believe she'd actually do that?" Lyla glances to Diggle.

"Because she would." Leonard notes.

"You may not want the Leagues help Oliver." Talia sighs as Oliver glances over at her.

"But there's little question you and your friends are in desperate need of it."

"First we need to find Shado's base of operations." Sara points out.

"Hey, Slade can you remember where you came from before you got to us?" Oliver turns to face him as Slade shrugs.

"Bit of blur, kid. I remember that it was a high rise. Could see over the whole city. I was too focused on escaping to take note of where I was. If I was to take a guess I would say it was Queen Consolidated but then I think I would have remembered if it was." He responds as Oliver nods, putting his hand back on Slade's arm.

"Slade's correct in thinking it reminded him of Queen Consolidated. Oliver as CEO surely you knew of the other building being built alongside it?" Talia points out.

"Yes another company is being constructed there." Slade nods.

"Is it? When did that happen. I mean I knew the building was being built but I didn't know there was another company going there." Oliver frowns.

"This is because I actually pay attention in the meetings, kid." Slade smirks at him.

"So that's where Shado and Isabel are?" Roy questions.

"Exactly." Talia replies as Oliver nods.

"Ok we need to go there now." He glances to everyone in the room before moving from Slade's side towards where Tommy is filling syringes up with cure.

"How are you feeling buddy?" He questions, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Good. Good, much better. Yet I still feel like enacting revenge on that woman for what she did to me. To my family." Tommy replies.

"Of course you do, which is why you're going to remember everything I taught you." Oliver smiles at him as Tommy folds his arms.

"What do you mean?" He questions.

"I didn't teach you how to fight for nothing, Tommy." Oliver responds.

"Wait. You want me to go out there with you. Me? After what I became? After everything I said about the vigilantes about you?" He queries.

"I do. You're my best friend Tommy, I would be honoured to have you out there fighting by our side and as a matter of fact…" He beckons Tommy toward the table where two small boxes lie, Slade taking one of them and moving towards Roy whilst Oliver holds the box out toward Tommy.

"There cake in this?" Tommy smirks.

"Tommy why would there be cake in there?" Oliver chuckles.

"I don't know. I haven't eaten since I woke up. I'm starving." He grins as he opens the box anyway, only to see inside a simple black mask.

"Wow." Tommy smiles as he lifts the mask into his hand.

"You were being serious."

"Of course he was." Nyssa moves toward them.

"Before you reacted badly to the Mirakuru you were progressing, Merlyn. I know this may not seem like a compliment at all but you progressed like your father did when he was trained under the League, impressively. His League name was The Magician." Nyssa remarks as Tommy shakes his head.

"Well I'm not my father…"

"No. You are a better man than he ever was." She smiles.

"Thank you." Tommy smiles at her as he glances down at the mask in his hands.

"You know if you were considering a code name Tommy and going along the themes of Merlyn and magic, what about the Wizard?" Sara smirks at him from across the room.

"The Wizard?" Tommy glances at her with folded arms as Slade snorts with laughter.

Glaring at him Tommy turns back to Oliver with a grin.

"You know what. Wizard doesn't sound half bad."

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter should be out soon. This was meant to be updated yesterday but I'm sick, so I apologise if the next chapter isn't up that quickly. Thank you all again for your kind follows and favourites and thank you so much for all the lovely reviews I've received, the kind words make my day so thank you all. See you all next update and please tell me what you all thought of the chapter.**


	139. Unthinkable (2)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Nine**_

 _The Foundry_

"Roy. Could you come over here please?" Slade calls toward him as Roy nods and moves from where he'd been watching Oliver give Tommy a mask, over toward Slade, who has a box in his hand, similar to the one Oliver had just given to Tommy.

"Bet you can guess what that is." Sara smiles from beside Slade, who stands up to face Roy, Sara glancing over at him with another slight smile.

"You do realise that Oliver and Sara, Felicity and to be honest probably myself are never letting you out of our sights again, right?" Roy notes.

"I gathered." Slade murmurs with a glance toward Sara, who is still sat beside him.

"I'm so glad that you're alive Slade." Roy admits.

"I mean. You helped me come to terms with the Mirakuru you saved me from loosing control. It's as I said before, you are one of the only people who has ever given a damn about me and what happened to me. You were there for me when I needed someone but when Shado. When we thought she killed you. I let you down Slade. I lost myself to the Mirakuru. All I could think about was how angry I was that you had been taken from us, from me and I just wanted to destroy her. I didn't even care that Oliver and Sara were missing. I even agreed to help Felicity fight with us… I screwed up. I handled it wrong. To be honest I can't believe you haven't jabbed me with the cure already." Roy remarks.

"Oh I will be doing exactly that once this is over. Yet now we have to fight and at least with the Mirakuru you are virtually indestructible." Slade notes.

"We both are." Roy points out.

"And both of us will be receiving the cure when this is all over. I'll see to it myself but right now, we have to end this and you will fight by our side. Roy you didn't let me down. In fact I'm just relived you found something to keep you from loosing yourself entirely to the Mirakuru, like Thomas did. You did what you thought was right and now, you are going to do the right thing. You are going to remember your training, everything that we have taught you. I had this made for you a while ago." He puts the box in Roy's hands, who opens it to reveal a red mask.

"For real?" Roy looks up at him.

"It's time for you to wear it." He pats his shoulder as Roy smiles at him as Felicity walks over.

"So… Are you going to give me another sword or are you going to ask me to stay here?" She questions gently as Slade holds both her hands in his.

"What do you think?" He queries with a raised eyebrow.

"Stay out of sight?" Felicity sighs.

"Stay safe. You never should have been out there in the first place." He murmurs.

"I had to do something to make her pay for taking you from us. What she did. It destroyed us. Nearly split the team in two. I was convinced that getting revenge on Shado would take away my pain, perhaps it would have done, I don't know but you're here now. Honestly I don't want to be a vigilante. I just wanted to do something and this. Leonard was right, what I did, did feel good. It felt like I was honouring your memory a little bit at least but you're here and you're alive. I mean I would like to join the fight with you guys but I know you. You wouldn't be focused on taking Shado down if you were keeping an eye on me and I'd ask you to not do that but I know you wouldn't listen." Felicity smiles.

"Smart woman." Slade smirks.

"Now go and end this. Then come back to me, ok? Perhaps we can. Um. I don't know talk about you know… I mean what happened earlier when I…" She stops as he responds by wrapping his arms around her.

"I will come back. I promise." He murmurs before kissing her forehead.

"Despite the fact. You will never be out doing a thing like this again for as long as I am concerned. This outfit you wear. It does suit you." He smirks as Felicity blushes.

"Well Len and Lisa created it. Also. Don't kill Leonard for encouraging this. I…" She stops as he embraces her again, whilst looking toward Oliver who is stood beside Sara in front of Nyssa, Talia and the League Of Assassins.

"We do this our way." Oliver says sharply.

"Oliver. The league does not take prisoners." Talia points out as Oliver shakes his head.

"It does tonight."

 _Starling City Train Station_

"Thea it's dangerous out there." Malcolm tries to reason with her.

"Better than here with my pyscho villain dad who's happy I tried to kill him and currently has a prisoner with him at this moment in time!" She looks down at Silver Banshee's unconscious form.

"And out there? That Shado will find you and she will kill you. She wants to hurt Oliver. She's already murdered Slade Wilson. She won't hesitate to kill you. At least with me you will be safe. I mean come on Thea..." He grabs her arm.

"Do you want me to shoot you again?" She hisses in retaliation.

"I'd rather you listened to me instead. Thea. Oliver is never going to come back to you as the brother he was. He lost his mother, Slade. He's probably mentally ruined beyond repair. Shado will kill him. Him and Sara. You're just going back to watch them die. You love Roy. I know you do, there's not much I don't know about you Thea. So listen to him. Leave Starling City. Come with me." He begs.

"I will never go anywhere with you!" She snarls.

"Why not. What do you have to loose? You've lost so much Thea. Allow me to help you. You are strong. You are so strong Thea, despite your loses, despite all the pain you've had to endure, you have survived. Let me be there for you. Thea, you're leaving Starling City on your own. You don't have to be alone. I'm here for you and if you want her to be, Siobhan will be your friend." He glances down at her unconscious form.

"Your boyfriend told you to leave this city and never come back." He reminds her as she turns to face him.

"You should and I'm sorry Thea. I'm not letting you make a stupid decision." Malcolm sighs and before Thea can even move a sharp pain runs through her arm and everything begins to fade away, Malcolm catching her as she falls, holding his daughter close to him as she falls into unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry Thea but I won't lose you."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

As a Mirakuru soldier walks in front of a set of elevators, it opens suddenly to reveal another Mirakuru soldier, lying down on the ground, an arrow through its leg.

Suddenly the Black Canary jumps down and stabs him in the leg with her own arrow before getting to her feet, glancing toward the other elevator that the Wizard exits from, a Mirakuru soldier at the ground by his feet, he grins at her as from the end of the corridor Catwoman takes down another Mirakuru solider, nodding to the both of them as the Black Canary taps into the comms.

"Elevator bank's clear." She informs them clearly whilst the Arrow and The Man In The Mask attack the Mirakuru soldiers they find in the conference room, the Arrow firing an arrow into one of them whilst The Man In The Mask throws one across the room toward the Arrow, who sticks him with an arrow whilst Roy appears from behind another, punching him violently before thrusting him toward the Arrow so he can stick the arrow into him.

"Conferences rooms clear." The Arrow growls as he, The Man In The Mask and Roy walk down the corridor and into the main office room where Lady Deathstroke is stood beside Isabel and a number of their men. The Black Canary and the Wizard appearing through the other door, Leonard and Mick through the other, guns raised and Felicity comes in behind them, a different sword in hand. The Man In The Mask glancing at her sharply.

"Sorry. I couldn't risk you not coming back." She winces in explanation as the group turns to face Lady Deathstroke and Isabel.

"Wow. You must have quite a bit of faith in this cure if these are the only people you've brought with you. Or Slade. Are you handing them over to me?" She questions.

"Which is why there's more of us!" The Man In The Mask snarls and the minute he says this several members of the League Of Assassins dive through the window along with Nyssa and Talia, firing arrows into the Mirakuru men they see in an instant, whilst the Arrow fires his own arrows at Lady Deathstroke, which just bounce off her suit whilst Isabel engages Felicity in a sword fight, which Roy and the Black Canary join, to back her up the League Of Assassin members fighting off the Mirakuru men as Leonard advances on Lady Deathstroke, firing his gun at her, but she disarms him by twisting his arm behind him, knocking Mick across the room when he advances on her, grabbing Leonard in a chokehold.

"SHADO!" The Arrow snarls at her, raising an arrow again.

"Didn't you just try that Oliver?" She questions as she drags Leonard back toward the window, The Man In The Mask launching Isabel away from Felicity and across the room toward where Nyssa and Talia are and racing toward Lady Deathstroke as she backs toward the window.

"Trust me. With what I've done sweetheart, this is a kindness to him." She hisses as she dives out of the window, taking Leonard with her, who, upon being forced out of the window, kicks backwards and as Lady Deathstroke falls back onto her wire, he kicks her so she releases him early, allowing him to grab onto the window ledge just in time, yet the glass cuts through his gloves.

"LEONARD!" The Man In The Mask bellows as he launches forward, grabbing Leonard's hand before he can fall.

"Slade. It's not worth both of us dying." He growls, yet stops as The Man In The Mask lifts him with ease through the window.

"Mirakuru enhances strength remember?" The Man In The Mask points out.

"Thanks." Leonard nods as he looks toward where Mick is on his feet, a slightly relived look on his face when he sees that Leonard isn't dead.

"Slade! Where is she!" The Arrow calls to him.

"There!" The Man In The Mask hisses, both of them looking just in time to see Lady Deathstroke crashing through a window on a building far away from the one they're in.

"Well that's just great!" Roy mutters, glancing toward where the Black Canary, the Wizard, Catwoman, Nyssa and Felicity are fighting off Isabel.

"Well I am surprised. Felicity Smoak. The annoying IT girl in the field." She hisses, kicking the Black Canary backwards as she advances on Felicity, who ducks to avoid her swords.

"Yeah, me. The annoying IT girl who hit you with a truck. Twice!" Felicity hisses back, throwing her sword up and slicing Isabel across the face, throwing her good hand back and punching Isabel in the face, wincing at the pain in her hand as she does so at the force of her hit as she swings her sword around, stabbing Isabel in the foot with it.

"You really are a stupid bitch aren't you Miss Smoak?" Isabel snarls as she launches forward at Felicity, who ducks and slices her sword across Isabel's arm.

"That's rich coming from you!" Felicity growls as she Isabel throws her swords out, just as Felicity ducks them, stabbing Isabel in the side at the chance she gets.

"That's for causing me to lose my job." Felicity snarls, kicking her backwards into Nyssa, who kicks Isabel in such a way so her leg gives out, Felicity dragging her back by her hair as the Black Canary prepares to kill her.

"SARA DON'T!" The Arrow calls toward her.

"After what she's done?" The Black Canary hisses.

"No killing." The Arrow reminds her sharply.

"He's right Sara. You cannot kill her." The Man In The Mask moves toward them as the Black Canary lowers her staff, the Wizard patting her on the shoulder, pleased that she's listened.

"But I can!" He snarls as he grabs her back by the hair, resting his sword against her throat.

"Slade no!" The Arrow yells.

"You can't stop me, kid." The Man In The Mask snarls.

"Slade that's the Mirakuru talking. That's not you. I know because right now. I want to kill her to. I feel that anger but we're not killing tonight, ok?" Roy reminds him.

"Kill me. Don't kill me. It doesn't matter. I beat you. I beat all of you. Ones already been taken. Now it's time for Sara..." She starts to move just as The Man In The Mask takes off her head in a clean cut, kicking her body to the ground.

"Slade…" The Arrow starts as The Man In The Mask looks up at him.

"She's was going to kill Sara, kid. You heard her. Sara was next if I hadn't killed her. Nyssa would have done. Talia would have done and if they couldn't. If she'd even gotten in an inch of Sara. You would have kid. So let it go. It was necessary. This isn't me listening to the Mirakuru. This is what had to happen." He snaps.

"Hey, calm down. Calm down." Felicity starts, resting her hand on his arm and to stop himself from giving over to the Mirakuru's urges, he wraps an arm around her.

"He speaks the truth Oliver. The city is burning because you're not prepared to do what's necessary. Luckily for you. He is. Sara is." Talia shrugs, the Arrow looking toward Felicity.

"You could've helped." He hisses.

"Oliver. I'm sorry. I hated her and Slade's right. She was about to get up and with her Mirakuru abilities. What if she had made it to Sara? I don't condone the killing obviously but this one time, perhaps it was necessary." She shrugs.

"Sorry, Ollie. I have to agree." The Black Canary adds as the Wizard moves toward the Arrow, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Don't listen to her. It's fine, we can do this our way still. Yet perhaps we should use one of those cures on…"

"You come near me with one of those and you will not like the consequences!" The Man In The Mask hisses as the Arrow closes his eyes, accepting the hand the Black Canary extends toward him.

"This isn't working. I can't get close enough to Shado to hit her with the cure." He murmurs.

"So what do we do?" The Black Canary questions.

"Get me close to her. I'll stick with the cure a'right." The Man In The Mask growls as the Arrow and the Black Canary look to one another.

A look of fear in each of their eyes for their clearly troubled friend…

 _The Amazo_

 _"Slade. Come back to me Slade. Come on. This isn't you. It's ok. It's ok. We're here. Me and Sara, right here. We came back for you, our friend, my brother. My brother." Oliver whispers as the gun is pressed against his forehead._

 _"Sweetheart pull the trigger. Let him watch you kill him." Shado sighs._

 _"Slade no!" Sara cries tearfully._

 _"No. No Sara. He should do it. He should do it. It's my fault. This is all my fault but he needs to do it looking me in the eyes. Come on Slade, look me in the eyes. Go on." Oliver continues to whisper, looking up into Slade's brown eyes, which look almost glassy._

 _"Slade. You said we were brothers. We are brothers. You and me. Look me in the eyes. Ok? It's ok. I don't blame you. This is all on me." He whispers as Slade finally meets his eyes._

 _"I care about you. This won't change that. I'll die still caring for you, my friend. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't be alive right now without you. Neither Sara and I would so it's ok. It's ok." Oliver continues as Slade looks him in the eyes, the gun still against his forehead whilst in the background Shado sighs._

 _"Ok, sweetheart. Lower the gun, bring him with us. All of of us. Let's move!" She commands as Oliver watches as her men begin to push Harley and Sara out of the room as Slade lowers the gun, pushing Oliver forward, the two of them stood at the back, yet as they walk Oliver feels his hand knocking into Slade's and to his surprise, shock and relief Slade entwines his fingers with Oliver's, squeezing his hand and Oliver looks up at him briefly, Slade glaring at him when he does so, but sees the word Slade mouths to him._

 _'Brothers.'_

 _Later…_

 _"Another disappointment." Shado sighs as she drops one of her men, whom she'd given the Mirakuru to, to the ground whilst stood beside Slade, who keeps an eye on Oliver, Sara and Harley, who are being held by Shado's men._

 _"What do you think sweetheart, should they bring us another?" Shado looks up at Slade._

 _"Perhaps it's just an ineffective batch or these men are simply not strong enough?" He questions as Shado shakes her head._

 _"We'll try again. Bring me another!" She commands to one of her men._

 _"Perhaps you should let me do the next one, give yourself a break, love. I'll hold the cure as well." He holds out his hand as Shado glances at him. Sara looking toward Oliver and Harley at Slade's choice of words and when Oliver looks back at her, he nods his head once._

 _Slade's on their side._

 _The Mirakuru hasn't overpowered him._

 _He's still himself… Or he is now._

 _Oliver does wonder if possibly he's managed to bring Slade back from the depths of Mirakuru despair earlier._

 _"Shado what are you even doing!" Harley calls toward her._

 _"Well Harley, what your beloved Ivo did. I'm advancing the cause of science. Science always interested me after all." She starts, moving to jab the next man one of her men drag into the room with the Mirakuru._

 _"Wait, no, no, wait. I know you blame me for what happened to you! I blame myself." Oliver yells toward her before she can jab the man._

 _"As he should." Slade responds, yet not the Slade beside her the Slade on her other side._

 _"It's his fault we're not happy together. That I'm still distant. Still on the brink of returning to Oliver and Sara, once more, choosing Oliver again. I'll do it. Can't you tell that I'll do it. Choose Oliver once more?" He mutters to her._

 _"Shado. You said I was like a brother to you. The brother you never had. You said Sara was like a sister to you." Oliver cries toward her._

 _"That you care about us. Me, Ollie, Slade. You care about the three of us. Please. Ollie and I were willing to give up going home to be with you and Slade. Please, sister to sister. Just listen to me. Come on Shado, please. We just want to go home. The five of us. It's the Mirakuru. It's always been the Mirakuru. This isn't you. Come on, please. Please listen to me." Sara cries toward her._

 _"Don't listen to their lies! All they do is lie. They convinced me to lie to you, Harley did anyway. This all their fault…" The Slade beside her continues to call._

 _"We wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you Shado." Sara continues._

 _"This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Oliver's cowardice! This needs to end Shado, love. You need to kill Oliver. Break me far enough for me just to accept the Mirakuru, who I really am. You and I can be together, love. You just need to kill him." The Slade beside her continues as the Mirakuru vile falls from her hand._

 _"Shado." Sara starts but instead of saying a word she picks up her bow and arrows…_

 _The Sub_

 _"It's been two hours now." Anatoly comments to himself as he moves around the whole of the sub before finally coming to stop face and face in front of the control panel that will fire the missiles at the Amazo._

 _Killing Oliver, Sara, Slade and Harley in the process…_

 _Murmuring in Russian, Anatoly turns the key in the control panel._

 _"I'm sorry Oliver."_

 _The Amazo_

 _Placing the arrow in her bow, Shado raises it to Oliver._

 _"Shado..." Slade starts from beside her, the real Slade._

 _"Do it." The hallucination Slade urges her._

 _"Put him on his knees." She commands one of her men who do exactly that._

 _"Shado no, please Shado. It's Ollie don't do this!" Sara cries._

 _"Don't hurt him don't you remember anything you bitch? Anything before the Mirakuru took over? You loved them. You loved Ollie you can't do this!" Harley shouts, both women trying to escape from the grips of Shado's men._

 _"Fire the arrow Shado. Kill him!" Hallucination Slade snarls._

 _"Shado!" The real Slade shouts at her._

 _"SHADO!" Oliver calls toward her._

 _She fires the arrow…_

 _"NO!" Sara, Harley, Oliver and Shado cry as the arrow flies from Shado's bow, yet instead of hitting its intended target Oliver Queen._

 _It hits the man who pushes Oliver clear of the arrows path._

 _Slade Wilson…_

 _A split second the Mirakuru allowed Slade to be faster than the arrow, allowed him to get to Oliver's side and push him out of the way._

 _It hadn't allowed Slade time to get clear which is why he lies on the floor of the Amazo._

 _An arrow in his eye…_

 _"No. No!" Shado shakes her head as the bow and arrow fall from her hands, her hands going to her hair, where she closes her eyes, shaking her head as Oliver crawls toward Slade._

 _"No! Slade! No!" Sara sobs as she fights against Shado's men to try and get to them._

 _"Oliver." Slade croaks despite the arrow imbedded in his eye._

 _"What did you do. Why did you do that. Oh Slade what have you done?" Oliver whispers as he assess the damage, shaking his head in shock._

 _"He chose Oliver. He always chooses Oliver. Always Oliver." Shado hisses to herself, yet loud enough for the others to hear her._

 _"Care about you to much. Own fault. Didn't listen to my own rules. Caring for people gets you killed… I . I. Don't regret it." Slade murmurs, blood pooling around his mouth, dripping down his face from his eye, his other eyes beginning to close._

 _"We can fix this. We can get through this. The Mirakuru's going to help, just let me get the arrow out. You're going to be fine. I'm going to pull it out. The Mirakuru will heal you. You'll be ok. You'll be ok." Oliver whispers, lifting his hand lightly toward the arrow._

 _"Ohh my god there's so much blood." Sara whispers, in shock at what she sees._

 _"Just bloody do it kid." Slade growls._

 _"How the hell are we going to get that out?" Oliver asks himself, talking to himself being the only thing keeping himself from passing out from the sight of the arrow imbedded into Slade's eye._

 _"Listen to me. Get it out before it goes any deeper. I'm not… I'm not…" Slade trails off, his one eye starting to close…_

 _"Slade? SLADE!" Oliver, Harley and Sara cry as Slade goes limp in Oliver's arms._

 _"Slade? Slade come on. Slade it's, ok. It's going to be okay." Oliver whispers, shaking his friend, yet he doesn't move, he doesn't speak, he doesn't breathe…_

 _"Slade please don't leave me again. Slade come on, wake up! Slade please, it's okay. It's going to be okay, you just need to wake up, ok? Just wake up, please." Oliver cries, tears streaming down his cheeks as Sara breaks down in sobs._

 _"Not again, please not again." Oliver whispers through his tears, which flow freely as he sobs, holding his brother in all but blood close to him._

 _"Please god no." He sobs as he bows his head in tears, Sara sobbing in the background._

 _"You made me do this." Shado snarls, the others really having forgotten her presence due to the tragedy._

 _"You did this!" She hisses, grabbing the bow and arrow again, raising it to Oliver._

 _"Always Oliver, always you, always your fault... This is all your fault!" She snarls._

 _"NO!" Sara screams as raises the bow and arrow again._

 _"You took him away from me. So I won't kill you Oliver. I'll kill her." She points the arrow in Sara's direction._

 _"NO! NO! KILL ME! PLEASE KILL ME. NOT SARA! PLEASE KILL ME!" Oliver yells at the top of his lungs as she prepares to ready the arrow..._

 _Yet before she can do anything and explosion sounds out as Anatoly's missile hits throwing everyone to the ground…_

 _SCPD_

"Where in the world have… Laurel. Laurel!" Quentin cries as he sees his daughter, unconscious on the ground Lisa, having just gotten there, knelt down beside her.

"Sweetheart, sweetheart." Quentin shakes Laurel gently, who slowly begins to regain consciousness, grabbing a hold of Lisa's hand as she does.

"What happened to you?" Lisa questions as she helps Laurel into a sitting position.

"Nyssa. She's with someone. I don't know… It was…" Laurel is cut off by the sounds of gunshots and screaming from the other room.

"You girls stay here." Quentin commands as he gets to his feet, racing into the main room, gun raised at the Mirakuru solider he sees beside an SCPD officer that he punches hard in the face.

"Stop right there! Don't take one more step!" Quentin snarls angrily.

"One more step!" He yells before firing his weapon three times to no effect, the Mirakuru soldier in response, grabbing a hold of him and throwing him across the room.

"Just die already!" Lisa yells as she fires her gun at the Mirakuru solider from behind, pushing Laurel behind her as she does so, yet the Mirakuru solider punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, Laurel grabbing the gun that falls from Lisa's hand and firing shots that just bounce of the solider, who takes no notice of Laurel and instead, kneels down to the ground, lifting Lisa up from the floor, by her hair.

"No! Let her go! Let go of her!" Laurel continues to fire the gun as the soldier drags Lisa out of the room, hissing in her ear he does so.

"Shado wants to see you."

 _ARGUS_

"Drones locked on target. Starling City." An ARGUS operative informs Amanda Waller, who stands looking over the operations as the drone is deployed ready to hit Starling City the minute Amanda says the word.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Sara, sweetie ohh thank god." Quentin sighs as the elevator opens to reveal the Black Canary, who frowns when she sees Laurel behind Quentin.

"You sounded anxious on the phone. What happened?" The Black Canary questions as she leads them both down a corridor.

Having received quite the disjointed phone call from her father and had ended up deciding to tell him where to find them.

"Those mad men attacked the SCPD. They took. They took someone, your friend..."

"Lisa. They took Lisa." Laurel fills in the blanks as the Black Canary freezes.

"They did what?!" She hisses shaking her head rapidly.

"Who are you talking to?" The Wizard questions, moving toward her before nearly dropping his injection arrows upon seeing Laurel.

"Tommy." Laurel whispers the minute she sees him.

"Wait. What. You you..."

"I know. I know everything. I finally understand why. Why you tried to break up with me, why you left, because of all of this, the vigilantes, the Mirakuru. Everything. Tommy I know everything and you're here. How are you…"

"We made a cure." The Black Canary informs her.

"Brandon and Rebecca where are they? Are they safe. If you're here…"

"They're with Cat. She's hidden with them and her children in her basement. She's safe. I literally just got a message from her. Nothing to report. They're safe. So the Mirakuru. It's gone. You've, you got the cure." Laurel whispers as Tommy nods, pulling the mask from his face as he starts to walk toward her.

"Yes. Yes. I'm…" He stops as Laurel cuts him off by kissing him passionately.

"You're here. You're here and I love you." She smiles against his lips.

"I love you. I love you so much Laurel." He murmurs, kissing her again, holding her tightly in his arms as the Black Canary moves into the main office space, Quentin following her, not exactly wanting to stay and watch his eldest daughter make out with her fiancé.

"What the hell are they doing here!" Quentin raises his gun to the League members in an instant as Nyssa moves toward him.

"They're here to help us. Trust me please, if not me then Sara at least." Nyssa requests as Quentin sighs as he pockets his weapon.

"Ok. Ok. We've got. We have a bit of problem and Leonard. You might want to sit down." The Black Canary starts as everyone in the room frowns at her.

"What's wrong Blondie?" Mick questions.

"Um. Dad. Can you." She glances to him.

"What's happened?" The Arrow sighs.

"One of these Mirakuru men. They took your friend Lisa…"

"WHAT?!" The Man In The Mask roars angrily the instant he hears the words, moving into the centre of the room, Felicity and Leonard following him.

"What the hell guys?!" Quentin reaches for his gun again.

"Dad. Dad no. No. Don't. It's…" The Black Canary stops as Slade removes his mask.

"Ohh my god. Slade. Ohh my god. How…" Quentin gasps, almost dropping the gun in shock.

Wilson's alive…

"I'll ask why later but ohh thank god." He starts.

"My sister. What. Happened?" Leonard cuts him off, advancing on him.

"Leonard." Sara starts carefully.

"They took her. I'm so sorry Leonard. We couldn't stop them. I'm sorry and…" Laurel stops the minute she sees Slade, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You're. You're alive. How are you alive. Ohh my god." She breaks away from Tommy, racing to embrace Slade, who closes his eyes in relief as he holds Laurel.

The embrace of his friend giving him the control he needs in this moment.

"Believe me, we tried. We tried to save her. I'm so sorry." Quentin continues to Leonard.

"She took her. That bitch took my sister." He snarls, moving toward the window, Sara and Mick following him.

"We're going to get her back, boss, we're going to tear that bitch limb from limb to get her back." Mick hisses as Slade releases Laurel, squeezing her shoulder lightly, before lightly shoving her back in Tommy's direction before moving toward Leonard.

"Slade. Slade. Hey, look at me. Slade." Oliver grips his arm lightly.

"This is my fault." He murmurs.

"No Slade. This isn't your fault. It isn't we're going to get her back. We'll save her Slade." Oliver continues but Slade pulls his arm from Oliver's grasp.

"This is my fault." He hisses.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to interrupt but we have a new, big problem, which considering our other ones is really saying something here but Felicity hacked a satellite earlier and tasked it from thermographic imaging. Then when she came to join you guys, she left me with her tablet that's why I didn't come fight, cause someone had to keep an eye on this and now all of Shado's men are gathering at the Giordano tunnel." Sin informs them all.

"I thought these guys were trying to destroy the city, not escape it." Quentin mutters.

"ARGUS is going to level this city with a drone strike to stop these guys from getting out of here and getting into other parts of the world." Catwoman informs him.

"Then that's what Shado's planning on right. She knows their tactics right?" Roy questions.

"Fortunately, Shado's men are attempting to leave via the tunnel." Nyssa points out.

"Yeah. Got that Nyssa." The Arrow sighs.

"Which means all our targets will be grouped in a single place." Talia finishes.

"Then we need to take that chance. Talia, Nyssa, gather your men." The Arrow commands.

"What about my sister, Queen. That bitch took her for a reason…"

"I know what it is Leonard and I am genuinely sorry." Slade mutters.

"What. What is it Slade? Why did she take Lisa." Leonard looks to him.

"Slade is this the same reason she tortured me and Thea?" Mick questions.

"Yes. I believe it is. I should have seen this. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" He bellows, smashing through a desk.

"Slade calm down. We can get her back. We can…"

"OLIVER!" Slade bellows at him to silence him.

"Leonard. You know of my relationship to your sister." Slade hisses glancing to Leonard.

"I try not to think about it." Leonard retorts.

"What she thinks… Oh my god. She thinks Lisa is the woman you…" Oliver trails off.

"Yes. I believe she does. She's going to kill her." He snarls.

"What?!" Leonard growls.

"I'll stop her I'll…"

"You'll kill her. We'll kill her?" Leonard questions.

"Yes." Slade agrees.

"Wait. Let's…"

"NO!" Both Leonard and Slade snarl at Oliver to cut him off.

"She's dead. I'm going to kill her and anyone who gets in my way will suffer!" Slade spits.

"We're you trying to suggest that there's another way Oliver because seriously. I know you said you were trying the no kill rule, that all of you are and of course I respect that. I think it's wonderful but Shado and her men. They're monsters and monsters they need to be destroyed Oliver. You've killed before Oliver, both you and Sara have. Tonight I suggest you get back in the habit because I'm with Slade on this one. She's as good as dead." Quentin hisses, moving to stand beside Laurel and Tommy.

"Ok." Oliver murmurs, looking up at Slade and Leonard.

"Ok. There's no other choice. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like this. She's taken too much. We need to kill her. There's no going back." Oliver nods.

"Finally." Leonard hisses as he moves past him, Mick following behind him.

"You're making the right call Ollie." Sara nods, resting her hand on his arm.

"Gotta say, I agree. This bitch has got to go." Catwoman adds as she follows the others through the door leaving only Oliver, Sara, Slade and Felicity in the room.

"This is the way it has to be. I see that now. We've lost everything because I'm fighting Shado with one hand tied behind my back and I'm trying, as your leader to convince everyone else to do the same but we can't do that. That woman murdered my mother in front of me. She for all intents and purposes murdered you in front of me. We have to kill him." He looks to Slade, who nods.

"And we'll do it. Together. The three of us. Think right now, it's time we got back to that. The three of us because that's how it began. Me, you two and Shado. It ends this way with us killing her and perhaps with the Mirakuru in Slade's system again we have a better shot at doing exactly that." Sara folds her arms.

"After what she's done, I agree that you guys should kill her. I do. I really do, she needs to pay for everything she's done to us, especially now but Oliver. You told me once that after you thought she had killed Sara and Slade that you had a choice. That years ago you could have cured Shado but you chose to kill her instead." Felicity calls from the back of the room.

"Felicity." Slade hisses.

"No. This isn't happening because Oliver isn't willing to be a killer. It's happening because he was one because you all were and he'd just once again watched you and even Sara die…"

"Felicity you are right, that is how this started and it is how it has to end. The only move she has left for us is for us to kill her and I am more than happy to do exactly that!" Slade snarls.

"We can't cure her. We can capture her. We can't even out think her right now." Sara sighs.

"Then don't. Just make her out think the three of you. I mean Slade, you were in the ASIS it was your life to come up with strategies and you still do that now. All three of you do and you can come up with something to take Shado down. If you have to kill her, if it comes to that, do it but you three going racing in there to kill her could just get Lisa killed ok? I mean Shado took her because she thinks that she's the woman Slade loves the most. I mean is that even true? I know this really isn't a time to ask questions like that but you know." Felicity trails off, looking to Slade.

"I'm actually interested to hear the answer." Sara admits.

"Lisa and I have a friends with benefits relationship that is all. She's more of my friend than anything else. I care about her deeply but the truth is something you and Oliver already are aware of I have never fallen in love with a woman since Shado and since…" Slade stops.

"Since Shado and since who?" Felicity asks in a gentle voice.

"It doesn't matter. It's doesn't matter! What matters is right now she has Lisa and she wants to use her against me and when she's finished with Lisa. Sara is no doubtedly next…" Slade hisses as Oliver closes his eyes, finding himself tugging Sara even close toward him.

"Well then." Felicity stops and looks up at the three of them.

"Then you've really got to get her to outthink the three of you."

 _Elsewhere…_

Glancing down at the tablet in her hands, Sin is surprised when it is taken from her hands by the Black Canary, who hands it to Laurel.

"Keep an eye on this, let us know if they move from the tunnel." She commands.

"Thanks for giving me something to do, Sara." Laurel smiles as she leans into Tommy.

"You're staying out of this." He murmurs, kissing the side of her head.

"Not likely." She sighs as the Black Canary smiles at the two finally reunited before turning toward Sin again.

"Why can't I carry on?" She questions.

"Because you weren't training for nothing." She smiles and hands Sin a black mask, alike to her own, who looks up at the Black Canary with wide eyes.

"Seriously?" She looks at her excitedly.

"Yep. You've earned it. To be honest I should have given it to you a while ago. I was just…"

"Trying to keep me safe. Yeah I know. That's what you've always done. Thought. Shado was trying to as well but it was only to get to you, Oliver and Slade." She mutters.

"You know, despite everything that's happened. I don't think it was to get back at us." She admits as Sin frowns.

"What do you mean?" She questions as the Black Canary takes her arm and leads her away from the others.

"You know Shado and I were on the island together, right?" She asks softly.

"Course. This is why all the crazy stuff is going down right now, because of five years ago, right?" Sin glances up at her.

"Yeah but before we lost Shado to the Mirakuru. The four of us. Thought we'd found a way off the island. A plane, that came flying over the island. The plane. The plane crashed, we couldn't salvage anything and the pilot. The pilot was dying. So, Shado and I sent Ollie and and Slade back to our base to get medical supplies, me and Shado stayed with the pilot. He was dying. We should have known we couldn't save him. But we didn't want to give up on him. He was in so much pain but he knew he wouldn't make it so he. He pulled out this picture, took both mine and Shado's hands and made us promise to look after his daughter as in the event of his death. She would be alone…" The Black Canary trails off, reaching into her pocket for the folded up picture.

"That was your father Sin. I came into your life because I knew you would need someone, to honor your father's final wish and somehow. I don't know, because Shado was there with me. She heard exactly what I did. I think she. She tried to forfill the promise to. Sin I'm so sorry I never told you. I just didn't want to cause you pain and I…" The Black Canary stops as Sin wraps her arms around her tightly.

"I love you Sara." She whispers for the first time, causing even more tears to appear in the Black Canary's eyes as she tightens her hold on the girl.

"I love you to." She nods as she holds her close.

"Thank you. For. For what you did for my dad. Thank you for finally telling me. I know that couldn't have been easy." Sin pulls away slightly, tears in her own eyes.

"You had to know the truth." She responds.

"And now I do and it makes me care about you even more." She admits, embracing the Black Canary tightly.

"You do know now though. I'm gonna need a code name." She smiles, causing the Black Canary to laugh through her tears.

"Perhaps I can be the Woman In Black, I mean I was kinda Woman In Black 2.0 when you left. I mean Canary 2.0 doesn't exactly sound right. Got any ideas?" She looks up at the Black Canary, who tilts her head to the side.

"Should we keep with the theme of birds?" She queries.

"I'd like that. I'm gonna be your sidekick after all, Canary." Sin nudges her.

"Then how about Blackbird?" Comes the voice of the Arrow, who walks toward them.

"You know. That's actually kinda cool." Sin remarks.

"I like it." The Black Canary smiles at her.

"What do you think Harper?" Sin calls toward Roy, who nods.

"I like it." He smiles before frowning.

"What's wrong Roy?" Catwoman asks from beside him.

"Nothing I was just wondering…" He trails off, looking to the Arrow and at the Black Canary.

"Where's Slade and Felicity?"

 _Queen Mansion_

"Slade." Felicity calls as Slade drags her through the doors of Queen Mansion, his hand wrapped around her wrist like a vice and he yanks her into the Mansion.

"What are we doing here? The whole city's falling apart. I thought I told you guys to out think her. Why are you bringing me here?" She questions as Slade pushes her gently into the centre of the hallway.

"I know Felicity." He sighs.

"Which is why it is important that you stay here." He says sternly.

"What?! No. I'm going out there with you. Like earlier. I want to fight by your side, fight with all of you, to stop Shado's men, to stop the bitch herself. To save Lisa. you can't just ask me to…" Felicity explodes angrily as Slade pushes her leather hood down.

"You believe I am asking?" He remarks.

"Slade Wilson I swear to god…"

"Felicity!" He snarls to silence her, watching as she instantly winces, looking away from him.

"Felicity. I will come back here to get you when this is all over and Shado is defeated." He mutters sharply before turning to the door.

"No…"

"Felicity don't…"

"No. No Slade, not unless you tell me why you've suddenly decided to do this. Is this because I said I'd stay in The Foundry earlier and instead I came to fight beside you guys anyway? Is it because of that because, well at least I'm giving you warning this time! I want to fight with you guys. I can do it. I mean I'm ok with a sword now. I'm no vigilante like you guys but I'm doing ok. Slade you can't just leave me here now. Not at this stage." She argues with him as he turns to face her abruptly.

"Because what I need from you is not for you to fight by my side Felicity what I need is for you to be safe." He responds, the sharpness returning to his voice yet again.

"Well, I don't want to be safe. I want to be with you Slade and the others, unsafe!"

"I cannot allow that to happen." He mutters.

"Slade." She grabs his arm before he can turn away from her again.

"You're not making any sense at all. Is this the Mirakuru talking because if it is. So help me god I will go to where the cure is and personally stab you with it!" She threatens.

"Shado took Lisa because she believes that Lisa is the woman I love and she wants to kill the women both myself and Oliver love." Slade mutters.

"I know. We talked about that earlier and you said you hadn't truly fallen in love with a woman since Shado. So technically she should be killing herself as well…"

"What else I said. Do you remember?" He questions as Felicity frowns.

"You said you hadn't truly fallen in love a woman since Shado and since… Well that was really all you said, you didn't answer the rest." Felicity shrugs.

"Isn't it obvious to you that she took the wrong woman." He mutters as Felicity nods.

"Yeah, of course because you and Lisa are friends with benefits and a part of you is probably still in love with Shado…"

"You." Slade murmurs almost inaudibly.

"Yeah exactly and… Wait.. What?" Felicity stops the instant his words hit her.

Hit her like a tone of bricks…

"Ohh." She whispers, looking around the room nervously.

"Wait… What?" She whispers again as Slade looks Felicity directly in the eyes.

"I love you." He murmurs as she looks at him with wide eyes in return before bravely stepping closer, standing up on her tiptoes so that she can press her lips to his, relaxing in his arms as she kisses him, smiling against his lips as he kisses her back for several moments where it's like there's no war going on outside.

It's just the two of them right here, right now and Felicity never wants the moment to end.

Eventually, Slade is the one to pull away, but when he does so, he kisses her forehead and draws her in close, gripping her hands as she rests her forehead against his chest.

"Do you understand Felicity?" He mutters

"Yes." She nods quickly, biting her lip nervously.

Forcing a smile, she looks up at him.

"End this." She murmurs, picking up his mask that he'd left upon the table.

"Be the hero I know you are Slade Wilson." She smiles as he allows her to put the mask over his head.

"I will come back for you." He murmurs as she leans up on tiptoes again to press a brief kiss to the mask over his head, taking one of his hands in hers for a moment as he walks toward the door.

Not letting go of each other's hands until the very last moment…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and for all your kinds reviews, follows and favorites. It means a lot to me so thank you. Next chapter should hopefully be out soon. I have officially finished college for eight weeks so updates hopefully should be a little bit more frequent than they were, yet I'm still kinda sick so I apologize if I can't get another chapter done for this week. Thanks again for reading and please tell me what you all thought of this chapter :)_**


	140. Unthinkable (3)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred And Forty**_

 _ **ARGUS Headquarters**_

Running along side the building side by side, Lyla keeps a bag in her hand, keeping close to the wall as Diggle runs along side her, both stopping beside a panel of the wall.

"Johnny." Lyla starts when they stop beside one another.

"Yeah?" He questions as she looks up at him, as if she were about to tell him something, but instead she just smiles slightly.

"Never mind." She looks away from him.

"Hey, Lyla." Diggle grabs her arm.

"I love you. You know that right?"

"I do actually but it's good to hear it." She replies happily before sliding her card into the panel and pushing open the door.

 _Queen Mansion_

Felicity spins around the minute the doors burst open.

A part of her hopes its Slade.

That it's all over and he's come back to get her like he promised.

It isn't Slade though…

"We meet again Miss Smoak." Shado smirks as she pulls her mask off, passing it to one of the Mirakuru soldiers that stand behind her.

"What do you want?" Felicity hisses at her.

"You of course." She responds as she moves toward her.

"I should have known the minute I met you. Could have saved me a lot of time. Of course it was you, why else would he recruit you. Why else who you be the one to wear his scarf. He loves you. You a complete nobody of all people. I thought he went for stronger women, not simple blonde IT girls who think if they put on a new outfit they can be one of the cool kids. Wow you really are blonde." She remarks as she advances on Felicity.

"I dye it!" She yells as she pulls her sword free, aiming it at Shado, who deflects her with her own sword.

"Now that's surprising." Shado mutters, kicking her in the stomach to throw her across the room, where she lands against the wall.

"You lasted longer than I thought." Shado mutters, reaching to pull Felicity up from the ground, when she pulls a knife out of her pocket and stabs it through Shado's leg, forcing herself up to her feet and throwing a punch to Shado's face.

"Yikes." Felicity winces at the pain that radiates through her hand from punching Shado.

"You think that hurt? Oh just you wait." Shado snarls, punching Felicity with a lot more power than Felicity had punched her, knocking her against the wall. Felicity regaining her sword and slicing it across Shado's arm when she's about to punch her again, moving out of the way, crawling across the floor to try and get to her feet, when she is dragged back by her hair, Shado pulling her head up off the ground.

"Not so fast, Miss Smoak." She snarls before slamming Felicity's face into the ground, Felicity attempting to roll out of the way, but Shado grabs her again, throwing her across the room into another wall.

"You see this can go on for as long as you're willing. You're not causing me any pain." Shado hisses as she pulls a sword out, creating a cut on the top of Felicity's head as Felicity attempts to duck, regaining her own sword but Shado yanks her backwards, grabbing her arm and digging her fingers into her previously wounded wrist, causing Felicity to cry out in pain as Shado smiles and digs her fingers in deeper, but that allows Felicity chance to grab the gun from Shado's holster but the minute she does so, Shado catches her hand and twists it behind her back, giving Felicity another chance to reach for something out of pocket, yet before she can even get her hand close to her pocket, Shado launches at her with her sword, yet grabbing her own in a split second, Felicity moves to block her attack, forcing herself back to her feet as she engages Shado in combat with her sword, managing to stick her sword through Shado's hand, but without even wincing in pain, Shado grabs her by her bad wrist and forcibly throws her across the room and straight into a desk, which topples over on top of her, the contents pouring over her, crawling across the floor, she wraps her hand around something as Shado pulls her up from the floor.

"This is for Slade!" Felicity growls before stabbing the pen through her hand, causing Shado's grip to falter momentarily and with Shado holding her still, it allows a Felicity to reach inside her pocket yet Shado throws her to the ground before she can wrap her hands around the object in her pocket and she isn't allowed another chance to grab it as Shado kicks her in the side over and over again, Felicity curling herself up into a ball to try and stop herself from being furtherly injured, trying not to cry out in pain from the force behind Shado's kicks but when Shado kicks her again she hears a sickening crack and she cries out in pain from where Shado must have broken at least one of her ribs if not several.

"You're lucky. It's not your time to die yet." She hisses in Felicity's ear before grabbing her by the hair again and slamming her face into the floor once more, causing her mask to fall off and for another crack to sound out, Felicity crying out as her nose is broken.

"Come on." Shado drags her up from the floor.

"We're not done, until I say we're done."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Time to impact." Amanda enquires.

"Drone is fifty two minutes out from target." One of her operatives respond.

"Get me sergeant Gomez at the Giordano Tunnel." She requests.

"Uh. Easy Company's not responding, ma'am." The operative replies.

"I need a visual." Amanda commands.

"But they're in a tunnel ma'am I can't get a picture." Amanda glares at her.

"What the hell is going on In that tunnel?! Sergeant Gomez. Come in Sergeant Gomez!"

 _Giordano Tunnel_

Despite Amanda's calls, she won't get a response as her whole ARGUS team in the tunnel is gone. The Mirakuru soldiers having finished them off with ease.

However, they turn around at a sound from behind them.

The footsteps of League Of Assassin members lead by Talia and Nyssa, the Arrow, the Black Canary, The Man In The Mask, Roy Harper, the Wizard, Blackbird, Leonard Snart, Mick Rory and Catwoman, who advance on the Mirakuru Men.

"No kill shots. Let the cure do its work." The Arrow commands.

"Ready?" The Man In The Mask calls to their group from beside the Arrow, the two of them ahead of them all.

"Ready?" The Arrow calls next whilst looking to The Man In The Mask once before at the Black Canary and Nyssa.

"FIRE!" The Arrow yells as they race toward the Mirakuru men, the sounds of arrows and Mirakuru cure filled guns being shot filling the air instantly.

The Arrow, Roy, Nyssa, Talia and the Wizard shooting the first few Mirakuru men with their arrows, the League assisting them as Leonard and Mick fire their guns at the men, bullets filled with cure whilst the Black Canary, Catwoman, Blackbird and The Man In The Mask engaging the Mirakuru men in combat based fights, stabbing them with cure the minute they get an available opening.

Seeing a Mirakuru Man on the roof of a car, the Arrow shoots him down, yet is suddenly grabbed from behind by two Mirakuru Men who begin to drag him backwards, both who are instantly taken down by The Man In The Mask violently.

"Keep going, kid!" He pushes the Arrow in the direction of less Mirakuru Men as he moves to battle a large group of them, Nyssa firing her arrows at another few that move towards the Arrow, the Black Canary pulling some back from behind, Catwoman jabbing them each with syringes before looking up at the Arrow.

"Wow. They really hate you don't they."

 _ARGUS_

Racing down a corridor known to both Diggle and Lyla well, they are instantly stopped by approaching guards.

"Agent Michaels, this areas restricted to all unauthorised…" He is cut off by Diggle engaging him in a quick takedown, knocking him out whilst retrieving the keys from the man's belt, Lyla bending down to open a bag she had with her whilst Diggle moves to unlock the door.

"Hell's this?" Floyd Lawton questions as he exits his cell.

"Early parole?" He smirks as Lyla lets another prisoner out.

"Go get your girlfriend." Diggle chucks him the keys.

"She ain't my girlfriend." Floyd retorts as he moves toward another cell door, unlocking it.

"Shot?" Harley looks up at him from her bed.

"Think we might be finally getting that drink darlin'." He grins at her, offering her his hand, which she takes and allows him to pull her to her feet and then into his arms when she immediately embrace him.

"Are you okay?" He questions, moving her hair aside so he can kiss her cheek.

"Of course I am!" She smiles happily.

"Sure about that Harls, thought something had happened to you the week we got brought back here." He glances at her skeptically.

"Ohh that was just the guards thinking they could get away with messing with me. I showed them, sort of." She tilts her head to the side, stepping into the light, giving Floyd, Lyla and Diggle a pretty good view of her rather bruised face.

"John, if this is parole. Can you look the other way for like a day whilst I inflict hell on some ARGUS agents?" Floyd requests.

"I'm inclined to let him." Lyla mutters, a disgusted look on her face.

"What are you letting us out for. Is this Ollie's plan?" Harley questions.

"Waller's looking to bomb Starling City. We need your help to stop her." Diggle replies.

"As much as I'd love to show the Wall what we think of her there's just that little matter of tick, tick, boom! Ok we've all got that miniature bombs in our spines and we don't have Harls tec to shut them down!" Floyd snaps.

"Put one in me this time too. It wasn't pleasant." Harley winces.

"You'll have to trust me." Lyla sighs as she passes Diggle a gun, moving to give one to Floyd and Harley to.

"And Lawton no dropping bodies!" Diggle says sternly.

"Can't promise that one John. Not if I get a clean shot at the ones responsible for all this." He gestures angrily to the injures on Harley's face.

"If you do. I'll be looking the other way." Lyla mutters.

"Lyla!" Diggle growls at her.

"What? Trust me. I'm having words about prisoner treatment when all this is over." Lyla retorts as Diggle looks to Floyd and Harley.

"No dropping bodies." He says firmly as both Harley and Floyd sigh.

"Sure, take all all the fun out of it."

 _Giordano Tunnel_

With a determined battle cry, the Arrow jumps down to inject another Mirakuru man, yet he's grabbed by one once again.

However the Mirakuru man is shot down from behind by the Wizard.

Smiling at the Arrow, the Arrow smiles back before rejoining the fight, whilst Roy zooms past them, using both his bow, arrows, sword and pure Mirakuru strength to engage several Mirakuru men who suddenly begin to descend on the Arrow again to move them away from him, Blackbird assisting him by using both her batons to knock some toward the Black Canary, who engages them with her staff, breaking it into the two batons to engage several Mirakuru Men at the same time, whilst Catwoman pounces on one from behind that's about to grab the Arrow, sinking her claws into the man's neck whilst Nyssa and Talia stand back to back, firing arrows at the Mirakuru Man.

"Getting a bit short on bullets here!" Leonard growls as he shoots at the Mirakuru Men advancing on one me of the tunnel.

"I'll take that end! There's less the other end, you two get down there!" The Arrow commands, racing toward the Mirakuru Men at one end of the tunnel, firing arrows as he goes whilst Leonard fires at a few approaching them.

"Go where Queen says. I got your back, boss!" Mick yells as the two begin to move, Leonard shooting toward one end whilst Mick shoots at the others that have started to approach them both, keeping them from getting to both of them.

The Wizard shooting a few arrows into some more whilst Nyssa and Talia expertly fire even more at some threatening to get the better of the Wizard, whilst Blackbird hits one around the head with her batons, the Black Canary dragging him backwards and stabbing him with the cure whilst taking down another from behind her, one punching her in the face, but before any more harm can be inflicted upon her, Blackbird gets behind him and jabs him with the cure, kicking him down and for good measure hits him around the head with her baton before helping the Black Canary to her feet.

Meanwhile, Nyssa and Talia continue to engage the Mirakuru men, spinning around to attack multiple ones at the same time whilst Roy kicks one of them backwards toward The Man In The Mask, who deals with said Mirakuru solider appropriately as Roy turns to take on a few others, stabbing cures into them as he goes whilst engaging them in rapid combat, firing an arrow into one before racing toward a car, doing a gymnastic move to reach another Mirakuru Man before stabbing the cure into the back of the one that was currently attacking The Man In The Mask, who pats Roy on the shoulder briefly before taking out one that comes from behind Roy, who fires an arrow into another's leg, who goes down instantly, the two standing back to back taking down the Mirakuru Men as Leonard and Mick join them. Leonard taking one down with his gun before he can attack The Man In The Mask, smirking at him as Mick shoots another.

"COME ON!" Mick snarls as he fires upon a whole load of the Mirakuru soldiers.

"You seriously need to stop looking like you're enjoying this." Catwoman comments as she takes one down from above as Mick just smirks.

"Slade on your right!" Leonard calls to him, allowing The Man In The Mask time to take out the Mirakuru Man who comes at him from the side.

"Partners in crime, remember?" Leonard smirks at him.

"Partners in crime." The Man In The Mask agrees, before throwing a syringe into another Mirakuru solider that was about to attack Leonard.

"There's more of them that way!" Catwoman informs them.

"Got it!" Blackbird calls as she and the Black Canary race past them into the group of Mirakuru soldiers that the Black Canary begins to attack with her batons, connecting them back into a staff before engaging them quickly, whilst Blackbird holds off the ones advancing to help the Mirakuru solider attack the Black Canary, yet just as the Black Canary attacks one, another drags her back from behind by her hair, only to be shot down by Nyssa.

"NYSSA!" The Black Canary yells upon seeing the Mirakuru solider right behind her, about to attack and possibly kill her, yet thanks to the Black Canary's call Nyssa is able to turn around and attack first, yet the Mirakuru Man is taken out by none other than Quentin Lance, who smiles at Nyssa and the Black Canary before taking down another Mirakuru man form behind that Talia was battling with, the two nodding to one another politely afterwards.

"There's still more." The Black Canary exclaims as she races ahead, unable to keep certain memories from her mind…

 _The Amazo_

 _The explosion from the missile Anatoly had fired hire the Amazo expertly causing an explosion which throws everyone to the ground, water instantly filling the Amazo._

 _Getting to her feet, Harley reaches for Sara's arm, pulling her up as she fires her gun at a couple of Shado's men before racing toward Oliver._

 _"Ollie we have to go now!" Harley cries as she grips Oliver's arm who is knelt down beside a wall that he'd hit when the explosion happened, knelt down beside Slade's body._

 _"Ollie he's gone we have to go." Harley begs him as she sees Sara beginning to kneel down as well, tears in her eyes as she clutches Slade's hand._

 _"There's nothing we can do for him, he's dead. We have to go now or we're going to end up dead. That's not what he would have wanted!" Harley continues to protest to the distraught two, stood beside the body of their closest friend._

 _"We can't just leave him here." Sara sobs._

 _"We have to!" Harley protests as more of Shado's men begin to fire their guns._

 _"Sara go. Go with Harley…" Oliver murmurs._

 _"No! Not without you!" She cries as Harley moves forward when she sees the Mirakuru discarded on the floor._

 _"Give that to me. Give me the Mirakuru!" Shado snarls at her as Harley fires her gun at her, throwing the Mirakuru backwards into Oliver's hand, who throws it into the flames._

 _"No!" Shado snarls, advancing on the three, grabbing Harley._

 _"No!" Oliver yells, moving to attack Shado, who simply kicks him backwards whilst throwing Harley backwards toward the flames._

 _Oliver and Sara watching in horror as the flames catch Harley's arm who cries out in pain, Shado advancing on her._

 _"No! Stay away from her!" Oliver growls, racing forward, only to be thrown back by Shado, who continues to advance on Harley, who puts her arm in the water to put out the flames._

 _"Stop!" Oliver grabs her arm but Shado punches him in the face, kicking him to the ground._

 _"Oliver!" Sara calls, racing toward them to stand herself between them but Shado suddenly wraps her hand around her throat._

 _"Shado." Sara croaks under Shado's grip._

 _"You don't. Don't have to do this." She whispers._

 _"Sisters. You said. Said I was like a sister don't..."_

 _"You say that like I'm supposed to care?" Shado hisses, cutting Sara off by tightening her grip on her throat before throwing Sara toward a broken part of the freighter._

 _"Ollie!" Sara croaks, holding her hand out toward him desperately as Oliver watches in horror as she is pulled under the water._

 _"SARA!" He screams as she's taken by the waves, pulled under out of sight._

 _The woman he loves._

 _His Sara._

 _Gone. Taken from him. Just like Slade._

 _His best friend, his brother._

 _The woman he loves more than anything in the world._

 _Both of them dead._

 _Taken from him in less than an hour apart_

 _Dead and gone._

 _He cries out in anguish…_

 _ARGUS_

"Prep the drone to fire." Amanda commands.

"Weapons hot was set for 0600." An ARGUS worker notes.

"Prep the drone to fire!" Amanda snaps loudly just as the sound of rapid gunshots fill her ears from outside the corridor, two different guards racing outside to deal with it only to both be shot down.

"Down. Now." Floyd calls as he enters the room first, Harley, Diggle and Lyla behind him.

"Everybody get down now!" Diggle yells as Harley advances on Waller with her gun.

"Do as they say because. You know, this a good time for a little bit of payback for a lot of things, you know, the death of my puddin', the almost death of Ollie, the murder of Slade's entire family then making out that he's the bad guy, the whole nearly blowing up the other guy I'm sleeping with." She hisses as she presses her gun to Amanda's head.

"Harley." Diggle growls at her.

"What. She deserves to die!" Harley glances at him, which only gives Amanda time to pull two guns out of her pockets, pointing them both at Harley's head and her back.

"Let her go or I'm gonna blow you're freakin head off!" Floyd snarls.

"You two. Always getting in my way. Should have shot you both the minute I captured the two of you." Amanda hisses whilst jabbing the gun into Harley's head.

"Well you know, if you hadn't recaptured us we'd be half way across the world by now. You know, I think the moral of the story is that, you shouldn't have recaptured us and to prevent events like this from happening again. I say you make the smart decision to free us now, let us leave and you'll never see us again." Floyd tilts his head to the side as Amanda glares at him, digging the gun further into Harley's head.

"Let her go Waller. She was following orders. My orders." Lyla shouts.

"You think you had the authority to do a thing like that? This is treason Agent Michaels." Waller hisses at her.

"Waller, call that drone off!" Diggle snaps.

"Treason that risks hundred of thousands of lives, did any of you think about that?" She continues as Diggle and Lyla continue to hold their guns to her.

"I'm getting sick of this." Floyd hisses, firing a warning shot into the air.

"Let her go and call off the damn drone." He hisses

"Lawton. Hold your fire." Diggle growls at him.

"Or he could stand down all together." Waller smirks before firing a shot of her own, except not at Floyd but he quickly fires a shot, hitting Waller in the shoulder, who winces and lets Harley go smirking as she regains hold of both her guns, whilst Harley stumbles to Floyd.

"I gotcha, darlin', I gotcha." Floyd murmurs as he grabs Harley's arms, pulling her toward him, Harley gripping his arm tightly as she winces at the bullet wound in her side.

"Thanks for shooting her." Harley hisses as she stumbles, Floyd catching her before she can fall, holding her to him, whilst keeping his gun trained on Waller.

"You shoot him, we shoot you." Diggle growls as Waller keeps her guns focused on Floyd and Harley.

"You might want to all rethink your positions. I mean, she can't stay stood here forever. Give her an hour, maybe two before she bleeds out." She smirks toward Harley, Diggle, Lyla and Floyd glancing her way instantly.

"I'm good. I'm good!" Harley protests as she grips her gun.

"Not to mention, where I shot you. You're bleeding out. Perhaps you want to rethink your position as well." Floyd growls.

"No thank you, Mr. Lawton. I'd much rather stop the treason that is happening here. Stop the four of you from risking hundreds of thousands of lives. As for you Agent Michaels have you thought about how you're going to explain that to your son? Or is it your daughter? Did doctors specify or did you want to keep it a surprise?" Waller hisses as a instantly shocked look crosses Diggle's face as he instantly looks to Lyla, who gives him the truth by simply looking away as Amanda glares at him.

"Congratulations, Mr. Diggle, you're going to be a father."

 _Giordano Tunnel_

As the fighting continues, most of it nearly over really, just the last few Mirakuru Men are being taken down by the team and the League, The Man In The Mask climbs on top of a car roof, hearing his comms line open.

"You've been busy, sweetheart." Shado's voice fills the device.

"Your army has been dismantled. You're done." He growls.

"In a way I pity them but sweetheart, you're missing something. So distracted by the battle. You've missed something. I have the two people you love most in the world. You and Sara are going to meet me where I tell you otherwise I am going to kill them both. Just the two of you, anyone else. I'll kill them and then make you and Sara watch as I kill the people you love." She hisses.

"I'm done playing your games." Slade snarls back.

"You're done, when I say you're done." She snaps.

"I was surprised. I didn't think she was that much of a woman but she's stronger than she looks. Actually put up a fight. She's quite the woman, your Felicity." She hisses before disconnecting the comms.

"OLLIE! OLLIE!" He hears the Black Canary's cries suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Leonard catches her arm as she passes him.

"Ollie. I can't find him anywhere. Where was he last?" She asks, looking up at The Man In The Mask, a worried look on her face.

"Said he was taking that end of the tunnel." Mick indicates to one end as the Black Canary, Nyssa, Talia, Roy, the Wizard and The Man In The Mask race over.

"No!" They hear the Black Canary call first as they reach her, seeing where she's knelt down besides a quiver of arrows and a bow.

"Where is he?!" Nyssa looks around hurriedly.

"SHADO!" The Man In The Mask bellows angrily.

"So she took my sister, now she's taken Queen?" Leonard folds his arms.

"She contacted me. Told me that Sara and I had to meet her where she said. That she has the two people I love most in the world. She has Felicity and she now I suspect she has the kid." He growls.

"Then we need to get over there, like right now." Roy replies.

"No, no. It has to be just Sara and I. Or she will kill them." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"You. You look after my daughter, okay?" Quentin glances to The Man In The Mask.

"I can look after myself." The Black Canary smiles before embracing him.

"Can't we at least set up some kind of perimeter. Like all of us?" The Wizard questions.

"Would she even know?" Blackbird queries.

"The Mirakuru enhances hearing. She would hear. Currently I can hear things from a few miles away." The Man In The Mask responds.

"But It's my sister there to. I need to be there." Leonard growls.

"Leonard I will bring Lisa back to you. I promise." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"Can you promise that she won't kill her, or has already killed her?" Leonard mutters back as The Man In The Mask rests a hand on his arm.

"I will do everything in my power to bring her home." He murmurs.

"I know you will. I trust you." Leonard nods before letting The Man In The Mask move towards the Black Canary, feeling her take his hand as he taps into the comms.

"We're listening."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Moving along a corridor in an abandoned warehouse, The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary walk side by side, the Black Canary with her staff in hand, the bow and arrows slung over her shoulder for when they reach Oliver. The Man In The Mask with his sword outstretched as they walk.

"Would you like to know where I got my sword?" The voice of Shado sounds out.

"I went back to Lian Yu once. Visited the plane. Our home. This sword is one of yours. You'd fight with it. You and I would spar with it and now it's being held to the throat of the woman you claim to love." She hisses as the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask continue to walk through the building.

"Lay down your weapons." Shado sighs as they turn a corner only to find Shado, her mask removed, Slade's scarf around her neck, her sword held to the neck of Felicity Smoak, who's eyes are watering as she looks up at The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary, a glare crossing each of their faces as they see the injures, cuts and bruises on Felicity, the blood trickling down her face, hands, from cuts, her nose. If it wasn't for Shado holding her up she wouldn't even be able to stand.

"Where's Ollie!" The Black Canary snaps.

"I said. Lay down your weapons." Shado replies, holding the sword closer to Felicity's throat.

"Do it." She growls.

"Make it fair. Lay yours down." The Man In The Mask growls.

"Your smarter than that sweetheart, you know I'll never do a thing like that. Now come on, weapons down. Or, like some incentive?" She growls nodding her head and when she does her guards appear, one of them holding Lisa, the other two holding a bloodied Oliver.

"Ollie." The Black Canary whispers as Shado nods to her guard, who kicks Oliver onto his knees, twisting his wrist behind his back, a resounding snap sounding out causing Oliver to yell out in pain. Shado digging her sword closer to Felicity's throat, causing blood to appear from the small cut the sword makes.

"A'right. A'right!" The Man In The Mask growls, lowering his sword, the Black Canary putting down her staff.

"I've spent countless nights dreaming of taking the ones you love away from you for what you did to me." She hisses.

"By killing the woman I love?" The Man In The Mask mutters.

"Yes. Yet not only would I do that. I would kill Oliver Queen. The one you chose over me. You said you loved me and you chose that over me. This is actually my back up plan. You knew my original one as reviving you with the Mirakuru, you were supposed to fall back in love with me. Stand by my side and we would take Oliver and Sara. Oliver would he forced to watch as we killed Sara. The woman he loves and then you would kill Oliver. To correct your mistake but again. You chose Oliver. So I had to improvise. I'd heard you were with this lowlife." She indicates toward Lisa.

"I had no idea if you loved her or not, but you'd be together quite a lot and Isabel mentioned to me that she didn't actually believe you'd gotten over me. That a part of you was still in love with me hence plan, A. Yet then I meet Felicity Smoak. It should have been apparent to me when I saw your scarf around her neck. I just don't think I wanted to believe it but then I heard your little confession." She hisses, tightening her grip on Felicity.

"You see Slade." Oliver murmurs through the pain of his broken wrist.

"Quiet!" Shado growls at him.

"Ollie what are you saying?" The Black Canary calls to him.

"She sees him. The version of him she wants to see. The Mirakuru causes people to hallucinate. She sees the Slade she wants to see. She talks to him. Heard when I got here." Oliver murmurs causing The Man In The Mask to glance at Shado, who turns her head to the side, not even looking at The Man In The Mask.

"What do I look you like in your madness, Shado?" He questions as she drops Felicity to the floor, who cries out in pain from her injures, holding her side.

"What does he say to you?" The Black Canary continues.

"How does he look to you. The man you met? Two eyes? The version of him you had before you shot his eye out with an arrow?" Oliver mutters as Shado looks to the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask.

"The man that loved you?" The Man In The Mask questions as she looks at him.

"Because I did. I loved you. It took me five years to get over my love for you because despite what you did, I remember. I remember the beautiful, kind woman who would be horrified if she could see what she's done." The Man In The Mask continues.

"What I've done." She hisses, stepping away from Felicity, her sword still at her neck as she moves to stand between her and Oliver.

"What I have done is nothing more than you deserve." She snarls before pointing her sword between Oliver and Felicity.

"Now you thinking I'm going to make you choose. Between the woman you love or Oliver. I'm not. I'm going to kill them both, right here, right now, as you put down your weapons as I asked, I'll let you choose who dies first." She hisses.

"Just kill me. Kill me then you've done it. He chose me. I was the one who got chosen because I was a coward, cause I couldn't do anything to get through to him, because we didn't say anything, because I ignored your wishes and gave you the Mirakuru. I turned you into the enemy you've become. Kill me and it's over." Oliver mutters.

"No. No!" The Black Canary cries.

"You know what. I take it back. I won't let you choose who dies first, because you made that choice five years ago. Oliver over the woman you love. I should honour your choice!" She snaps, pulling Felicity up from the ground again.

"You assume what I'm thinking, you should know that assumption is the mother of all failures." He growls as she begins to raise her sword to Felicity once again.

"What I was thinking was that I know how you feel. I know what it's like to hate. I know what it's like to want revenge. To let the Mirakuru posses me completely. I know how you feel Shado, believe me. Yet I know something else, that I doubt you do. I know how it feel to see my enemy so distracted that she isn't aware than the true danger is right in front of her." He smirks under his mask as Felicity lifts her hand from her pocket, the object now firmly in her hand.

The syringe…

The syringe that she lifts and stabs into the side of Shado's neck.

Stumbling to the side, Oliver catching her and carefully moving her to stand beside Lisa as Shado falls to the ground, clutching her neck from where Felicity had stabbed her with the syringe.

The syringe of Mirakuru cure.

 _The Other Day_

 _"Now let's end this." Sara growls as she marched toward the door, Roy following her._

 _Yet before she can walk out of the door, something small catches her eyes._

 _A small device that she knows well._

 _A camera…_

 _Earlier…_

 _"Get Shado to outthink us. I don't think we can." Oliver muttered to Felicity as Sara folds her arms, looking to Slade as Felicity shrugs._

 _"I don't know. I just have faith you three can." She smiles slightly, moving to walk away as Oliver looks to Slade and Sara._

 _"Anything?" He questions._

 _"No, kid." Slade murmurs as Sara buries her head in her hands._

 _"She's been one step ahead of us the whole time. Get this. I'm with Roy watching Thea leave back at Queen Mansion and you know what I find. Cameras. Hidden cameras. Shado must have put them their during her visits to Moira. God knows where else she has them…"_

 _Queen Mansion_

 _Taking her hand in his, Slade slides the syringe of Mirakuru cure into Felicity's hand._

 _"Do you understand Felicity? He mutters._

 _"Yes." She nods quickly, biting her lip nervously._

 _It's not real._

 _Slade doesn't mean what he says._

 _It's a trap for Shado…_

 _Now…_

"KILL THEM!" Shado snarls but the guard holding Lisa and the guards beside Oliver and Felicity are all shot by Leonard, Lisa punching the guard holding her in the face, kicking him down, glancing at Leonard.

"I had it handled, jerk." She smirks at him.

"Sure you did, trainwreck." Leonard replies, a relived look on his face at the sight of his sister alive and well.

"Thank you." He nods to The Man In The Mask whom is at Felicity's side, holding her in his arms as she groans in pain, looking up at him with a slight smile.

"I did it." She whispers.

"I am so proud of you." He murmurs, before looking to Leonard.

"Get them out of here. Felicity needs medical attention. We'll finish this." He growls quickly, lifting Felicity into his arms and passing her over to Leonard, who nods, keeping a tight hold on Felicity as Lisa takes his arm, the three of them heading toward the exit as Shado begins to move out of sight.

"She dislocated my wrist." Oliver murmurs as The Man In The Mask glances to him.

"We have to get after her." The Black Canary notes, pulling Oliver to his feet, passing him his bow and arrows.

"Kid. I'm so sorry." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"It's fine, it's fine." He replies.

"For that to." He mutters before grabbing Oliver's arm and with his Mirakuru strength, snaps his wrist back into place causing Oliver to yell out in pain, but he nods through the pain as he pulls up his hood.

The Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask gathering their weapons before heading after Shado.

It began with the four of them after all…

 _The Amazo_

 _"Poor Sara." Shado remarks as Oliver just lies there, unsure of what else he can do right now._

 _"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't satisfied. I lost my sweetheart, you lost yours." She smirks._

 _Slade's dead._

 _Sara's dead. Sara…_

 _"Ollie. Ollie you have to get up." Harley cries as she shoots at Shado with her gun._

 _"Come on." She grabs his arm when she reaches his side, tugging on his arm._

 _"Ollie. Come on, please. You gotta fight back. For them. Come on." She cries, managing to take his hand, pulling him to his feet just as Shado advances on them both._

 _Now_

Despite the lack of Mirakuru, Shado advances on the three vigilantes with her sword, only to be kicked backwards through the glass panel of a door by The Man In The Mask. The Arrow advancing on her as she recovers, jumping to the side as the Arrow launches an attack her way, throwing her sword out only for the Arrow to intercept it with his bow, the Black Canary dragging her back from behind, Shado kicking her backwards, kicking her leg outwards in the direction of the Arrow.

 _The Amazo_

 _Having kicked Oliver backwards, Shado advances on him and Harley, who fires her gun at her, unable to get any direct hits, whilst Oliver moves to land a few punches, Shado deflecting him easily, kicking him backwards into the water as Harley tries to attack her._

 _"You two can't kill me." She remarks as she knocks Harley aside with ease before reaching for Oliver, engaging him in momentary combat before lifting him up by the throat…_

 _Now_

"The Mirakuru is what caused me to hate the three of you!" Shado hisses as she launches an attack at the Arrow, knocking the Black Canary aside as The Man In The Mask launches an attack at her with his Mirakuru strength, throwing her backwards across the roof just as the missile from ARGUS soars above their heads.

"The end is near." She smirks from the ground, getting to her feet.

"Perhaps I'll be merciful enough to let the three of you live and see your city burn."

 _The Amazo_

 _"Get off him!" Harley hisses, shooting Shado in the shoulder, causing her to drop Oliver at the shot that rips through her arm before advancing on Harley._

 _"You know. I never did like you." She hisses, engaging Harley in brief combat before pulling a knife from her pocket and using that the aid her in her combat whilst Harley picks up her gun again, yet Shado is quicker and as Harley fires another shot through her shoulder, Shado stabs her though the side before kicking her toward another hole in the freighter, watching as she is pulled underneath the waves._

 _"Just like Sara." Shado comments as Oliver crawls across the floor of the freighter in horror._

 _"HARLEY!"_

 _Now_

Stood up on her feet again, Shado engages the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask in rapid combat, using her sword skills and her crossbow to keep them back, shooting a dart through the Black Canary's arm whilst the Arrow moves to defend her, whilst The Man In The Mask engages her in combat with his own sword, using his strength and his practical invincibility to ignore the times her sword cuts into his skin and to throw her backwards across the roof toward the Arrow who deflects a swipe of her sword with his bow and throws his leg out to knock her down. Yet she catches him in the leg with her sword and the Arrow goes down as well, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask advancing on her, stopping to help the Arrow up as Shado crawls to her feet.

"We all know there's only one way that this can end. To finish me you're going to have to kill me but when I die one thing will be proven." She hisses as she fights to get to her feet.

"That the three of you are murderers."

 _The Amazo_

 _Walking towards Oliver's crawling from, Shado stands over him, circling him like prey, noticing the distraught look on his face after loosing Slade, Sara and now Harley, she launches her attack, kicking him hard enough to send him flying, yet he soon recovers but as Shado advances on him, part of the roof of the freighter gives way, trapping Shado underneath a pile of debris, wood, metal, keeping her completely trapped…_

 _"What are you going to do with me Oliver. Give me the cure?" She questions as Oliver gets to his feet, cure in one hand, a few arrows in the other, his eyes falling on Shado's bow._

 _"I'll keep my promise to you. I'll take away everything and everyone the three of you love. Slade, Sara and Harley were only the first. They were only the first to die. Your sister, Thea, Laurel, Sara's loved ones, your mother!" She yells just as Oliver drops the cure, picks up the bow and arrows and just fires them and fires them until he has fired all five of them into her chest, watching as she goes limp. Her eyes closing._

 _He killed her…_

 _He killed her. He killed her…_

 _He watches as more parts of the freighter begin to cave in, explode, the only exits blocked._

 _There's nothing he can do. No way of escaping._

 _Nothing left but certain death…_

 _But if he's going to die he doesn't want to be alone. He is alone…_

 _Slade's body still lies at the other side of the Freighter, an arrow through his eye._

 _He's gone. He's dead but if now he truly has no way out he just wants to be with someone in his final minutes._

 _The man he sees as a brother in all but blood._

 _He should still be here. Telling him that they're all going to be alright. They're going to survive but he won't. He never will because he's gone._

 _Just like Sara, just like he will be so very soon…_

 _He falls to the ground hopelessly. Theirs no way out._

 _Nothing left to do but to wait to die._

 _Tears streaming down his cheeks as he fights back sobs unsuccessfully, Oliver just wraps an arm around Slade's body, holding onto him tightly whilst resting his head on his brother in all but blood's shoulder._

 _Knowing at least he'll die beside his brother._

 _He closes his eyes…_

 _Now_

Throwing her down to another platform, The Man In The Mask leaps down after Shado, the Arrow and the Black Canary following him as the Arrow launches his bow at her, Shado ducking only to come face to face with the Black Canary who smacks her hard across the face with one of her batons whilst The Man In The Mask knocks her backwards into a wall where the Arrow fires an arrow that wraps two sets of string around her, keeping Shado trapped against the wall. The three vigilantes moving to stand in front of her.

"You three can kill me, or not. Either way. I win." She hisses at the three.

 _ARGUS_

Keeping each of their guns trained on Waller, Diggle, Lyla and Floyd glare at her as she grips her wounded shoulder with one hand, tapping a button upon hearing a bleeping sound.

"Amanda, it's over. Shado's down, her army's been taken out. Call back the drones." The Arrow hisses through the phone.

"IT'S OVER!" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"Ohh for the love of god." Amanda hisses at the sound of his voice.

"How are you not dead?" She growls.

"Slade?" Harley smiles through the pain of her wounds.

"Call off the drones and I'll be happy to explain when I come down there and finish the job I started…" The Man In The Mask growls but is held back by the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"CALL IT OFF!" The Black Canary yells as from within the ARGUS building, Amanda types in the commands needed for powering down the drones. Diggle and Lyla sighing in relief whilst gesturing for Floyd to lower his gun to, which after a moment he does.

"Agent Michaels, Mr. Diggle. Take the prisoners back to their cells." Amanda hisses as Lyla and Diggle turn toward Floyd and Harley, who glances up at Lyla.

"Perhaps we could stop by the medbay?" She suggests as Lyla nods.

"Sure, Harley. Sure." She nods as the four of them leave the room.

Meanwhile, the three vigilantes continue to stand in front of Shado, who tilts her head to the side whilst facing them.

"So. What do you plan to do with me now?"

 _Later…_

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this. Taking that one into ARGUS custody but not you." Amanda glares at The Man In The Mask as the Arrow and the Black Canary stand firmly in front of him whilst a good portion of ARGUS members are removing Shado from the pillar and taking her into ARGUS custody.

"But. Considering you did take her down. Today and only today. You have immunity." She hisses as the Black Canary folds her arms.

"He better do. Because if you dare go near him. You'll have an army to answer to." She hisses as Amanda smirks.

"What, you and Oliver Queen?" She retorts.

"And the League Of Assassins, the rest of the team." Comes the voice of Roy Harper from the background as he walks toward the group, behind him are the Wizard, Blackbird, Quentin, Nyssa, Talia, Mick, Lisa, Catwoman and Leonard who is supporting Felicity.

"Is it over?" Leonard questions.

"It's over." The Black Canary nods as Felicity limps away from Leonard's grip the extra couple of steps that takes her to the four.

"Who's this?" She questions glancing toward Waller.

"Amanda Waller. Director of…" She is cut off by Felicity punching her across the face.

"That's for Joe Wilson." She growls before falling into The Man In The Mask's arms, whilst the rest of the team try not to smirk and look impressed at her actions.

"Your team just saved a city. You can have that one." Amanda hisses through gritted teeth before glancing to them.

"I take it. A few of you would like to be there for when we transport her?" She questions.

"The three of us." The Arrow agrees.

"Me to." Felicity nods.

"Don't know where we're going but I'd like the satisfaction of watching her get put behind bars." Leonard agrees before moving toward them, Mick and Lisa following to.

"I'm coming for sure." Roy nods as he makes his way toward them.

"Fine. ARGUS HQ better get going." Amanda growls before storming away.

"Not coming with us?" The Black Canary looks to the Wizard and Catwoman.

"I gotta get to Laurel and the kids. I need to see her. Tell her it's all over now." He replies.

"I'd like to but. I gotta get out of here." Catwoman informs them.

"What do you mean?" The Arrow questions.

"Well over the course of these weeks I watched you and Sara go through a lot. Losing Slade. I mean miracle you even got him back. It just reminded me that life is short. Don't know if the people you love are even going to see tomorrow and in that case. I don't want to have any regrets. So I gotta go and see someone I haven't seen in years." She replies.

"Will you come back?" The Arrow questions as she smirks at them.

"You'll see me around." She grins, before moving to embrace the Black Canary and Blackbird and even the Arrow before disappearing off into the darkness.

"Think we'll see her again?" Blackbird questions.

"Yeah. Yeah I do." The Black Canary grins as Nyssa and Talia begin to approach them.

"It's time for us to depart." Nyssa admits.

"Why. Why have you got to leave us?" The Arrow sighs.

"You know why Oliver. Yet this will not be a goodbye. I will see all of you again and you know it. Now. Both of you. I love you both. So, so much and being a part of all this has meant more than the world to me." Nyssa admits as she embraces both the Arrow and the Black Canary, pulling back to kiss them both individually before holding them again.

"I truly do love you both." She murmurs as the Arrow holds her and the Black Canary close.

"We love you." The Black Canary sighs as they reluctantly release her.

"And I am beyond glad you are alive. Look after them. Protect them with your life." Nyssa looks to The Man In The Mask.

"Of course. I always will." He replies, resting a hand on her arm as she looks to Talia.

"And I will see the three of you around one day." She adds.

"We know that." The Arrow grins as Talia nods.

"Thank you for fighting beside us." The Black Canary smiles.

"It was actually enjoyable." She remarks as Amanda Waller glares at the group.

"If the ones who want to be a part of the prisoner transfer actually want to be there. Start moving." Amanda growls at them.

"That's us." The Arrow sighs as he, the Black Canary, The Man In The Mask, Felicity, Roy, Blackbird, Mick, Lisa and Leonard follow her. Nyssa and Talia watching them leave.

"Hey. Nyssa." The Wizard calls toward her.

"What?" She questions as she turns to face him.

"Thank you for looking after Laurel and my kids. She said…"

"That she kept an eye on us and was a good friend to me?" Comes the voice of Laurel as she approaches the group.

"Laurel." The Wizard sighs in relief as she moves to his side.

"What are you doing here?" Quentin enquires.

"Tommy said the battle was over during his text. I needed to see for myself that you guys were okay. Cat's still in her basement with Brandon and Rebecca. I wanted to see that things were safe for myself before letting them out." She smiles up at Tommy as he kisses the side of her head.

"Yeah. Uh, Nyssa was just leaving to go back to the League Of Assassins." Quentin mutters.

"Wait what?" Laurel looks to Nyssa instantly.

"Yes. That was the price for recruiting the League to fight in the battle. My return to my rightful place." She explains to her.

"But you can come back right? This isn't forever is it?" Laurel folds her arms.

"No. No, of course I will return. This isn't forever. I can still visit now and then." She takes Laurel's hands in hers, squeezing them gently.

"Thank you Laurel." She smiles at her.

"For what?" Laurel frowns slightly.

"You have showed me great kindness and I am proud to call you my friend." She smiles warmly again for a moment as she squeezes Laurel's hands again.

"I promise you. I will return."

"I know. If there's anything I've learned the past few years is that people always find their way home and Nyssa, you have a home here to, with Sara, Oliver. Me, their entire team and we'll always be here waiting." She smiles back as she pulls Nyssa into a close embrace.

"I will miss this." Nyssa admits as she pulls away, gently patting Laurel's hair into place before smiling at her and sliding a long silver cuff off her wrist.

"I think this would look perfect on you." She smiles as she fixes it to Laurel's wrist.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." Laurel says softly as she embraces Nyssa again.

"Also try and make it here for the wedding. We'd love it if you came." Tommy cuts in.

"I would be honoured to attend." Nyssa smiles as she rests her hand on his arm before looking to Quentin.

"Thank you for everything you've done, for both my daughters. Wish you were staying around." He admits.

"We all do." Laurel sighs as Nyssa gives her a final smile before releasing her hand and moving toward Talia and the League, watching as they walk away into the shadows.

"Now. Let's go get our kids." Tommy sighs as both he and Quentin wrap their arms around Laurel's shoulders.

"I'm still trying to get my head around you being a vigilante now Merlyn." Quentin sighs.

"Still trying to get my head around it myself but it's. I think I can do some good. I mean no kill rule, just watching over the city." He shrugs.

"Sounds pretty good." Laurel smiles as she kisses his cheek.

"So does going to get our kids." Tommy adds as Laurel nods.

"It definitely does. Listen though, I got to pick up a little pepto on the way though. I'm feeling kinda weird." He admits before stopping suddenly.

"Dad?" Laurel frowns.

"Mr. Lance?" Tommy glances at him worriedly as he suddenly collapses to the ground.

"Dad!" Laurel cries as he begins to cough up blood.

"Ohh my god, dad, dad!" Laurel cries as he collapses.

"I'm calling 911." Tommy reaches for his phone as Laurel bends down beside her father.

"I can't get my breath. I can't..." He croaks as he pulls his shirt aside to reveal the godawful bruising on his side, remembering suddenly when the Mirakuru man had thrown him across the SCPD, probably causing that injury, possibly internal bleeding…

"Dad, stay with me! Daddy, daddy, stay with me!" Laurel cries as Tommy speaks on the phone with the emergency services whilst Laurel kneels down beside her father, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Daddy, stay with me!"

 _ARGUS Headquarters_

"Whilst we wait for the aircraft. You can all wait here. Except Deathstroke. I would a word. Arrow, if you would like you are more than welcome to join." Amanda glares at the group as The Man In The Mask steps away from Felicity to join the Arrow.

"I wonder what they're gonna talk about." Felicity notes.

"Nothing good." The Black Canary grimaces before looking to Leonard.

"Hey, you said when this was all over you'd tell me who you really are?" She reminds him.

"Yes Sara I also said that it would have to wait until I'd gotten out of town." He points out.

"After what you've done for us these past few weeks, been there for us when we needed someone, I mean I know we have Slade back but we still went through all that and you were there. No matter what it is. I'm not going to think any less of you." Sara replies.

"I'm a criminal." Leonard murmurs.

"Thought as much." Sara nudges him, causing him to glance at her skeptically.

"Ohh come on. I should've mentioned I saw you in that blue parka of yours. I attempted to attack a guy in a blue parka who was committing robberies the other year. It all makes sense why the man in the blue parka kept returning to this town. You keep coming back for Slade." She points out as Leonard smirks at her.

"He knows doesn't he? Slade." She queries.

"Yes and he accepts me for who I am, just like I do of him." He replies.

"And well I accept you to." Sara smiles as she nudges him again.

"Your secrets safe with me."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Amanda what is this about?" The Arrow questions sharply, tugging his hood down.

"You and your team saved your city tonight. A lot of people owe you a debt of gratitude, hence why this is the only day ARGUS is not interested in your crimes…"

"Your crimes." Oliver snarls.

"I wanted to talk about what actually happened that day." She retorts.

"You do realize that at this point in time I am back on the Mirakuru. I can finish what I started now." Slade hisses as Oliver reaches into his pocket and places two syringes of cure into his hand.

"When we're done here. Take it, the other ones for Roy." He says sternly.

"Of course, kid." Slade replies whilst they both look to Amanda for answers.

"My men had orders. You know what they were." She starts.

"To murder my entire family." He growls.

"It was going to plan. You're ex wife opened the door. She was dealt with accordingly then we went for your son. He ran. Should have expected it, he's probably used to the sound of gunfire what with his father being a military man. Yet he was not alone. There was another man there. Not in the house, waiting at the backdoor. He took your son and ran, he had this device that was somehow able to produce ice. He kept shooting it as he ran. I don't know how this man knew what was happening. ARGUS missions are always covert We chased them. Despite their attempt to escape we caught them, shot that man down. I don't think we killed him he was dragged away by another unknown man. We shot are your son to, he was injured when he jumped off the cliff behind him. He killed himself." She informs them both, Oliver clutching tightly to Slade's hand to keep him grounded, to stop him from killing Waller and then probably the entirety of ARGUS.

"I figured you at least deserve the truth after your actions today." She says as she walks away from the two, an enraged Slade about to follow her and enact his revenge but Oliver holds him back.

"Hey. Hey, she wants you to attack. She wants you to do something like you did four years ago. She wants that, she wants ammunition to imprison you to. It's ok. Please Slade. I know. I know it hurt but please. I lost you once, I can't go through that again." He begs as Slade just tightens his grip on Oliver's uninjured hand.

"Thank you, kid." He murmurs whilst glancing down at the Mirakuru cure syringes in hand.

"Hey it's ok. Go find Roy and take the cure. I'm gonna go get out my vigilante suit. Felicity brought us all clean clothes and get something for my wrist." He pats Slade's arm as he moves down the other corridor, near to the medbay where he can hear voices.

"Ollie!" He hears a familiar voice.

"Harley." He smiles as he enters the room, finding her lying down on a bed, Deadshot sat beside her and Diggle and Lyla on the other end of the room.

"John." Oliver sighs as he walks across the room to give Diggle a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay man. So it's all over, she's been taken in?" He questions.

"Yeah." He nods before looking to both him and Lyla.

"Thank you for everything you guys did. Couldn't have stopped that drone strike without the two of you." He gives them both a grateful look.

"Ohh we can't take all the credit. Thank those two." Lyla glances toward Harley and Floyd.

"Us? Never." Floyd smirks sarcastically as Oliver moves to Harley's side, taking her spare hand in his.

"What happened to you?" He questions, noticing the various injuries on her.

"Waller shot me earlier and the rest is just you know, the joy of being a prisoner at ARGUS." She sighs as Oliver shoots a glare at Lyla.

"Don't worry. I already got a plan to insure that doesn't happen again." She notes.

"Good." Both Oliver and Floyd growl.

"Unless you feel like breaking us out?" Harley smile hopefully.

"You know I'd break you out if I could." Oliver responds.

"No, both of us." Harley corrects him as Oliver gives her a skeptical look.

"What! He's my friend."

"Boyfriend." Diggle coughs discreetly in the background.

"Friend I screw." Harley corrects Diggle sharply, Oliver fixing Floyd with a hard glare.

"What is going on in here. Get the prisoners back to their cells." Amanda growls as she steps into the medbay.

"Of course." Lyla sighs as Oliver moves to grab some painkillers, stopping beside Harley.

"So it's finally over?" She looks up at him.

"Yeah. It's finally over." He replies with a smile.

"Good." She grins, giving him a slight hug before allowing Oliver to grab a brace for his injured wrist before heading out the door, yet stops just beside Deadshot.

"Hurt her and you'll never be seen or heard from again."

 _Meanwhile…_

"Ow!" Roy winces as a sharp pain goes though his arm suddenly.

"What the hell was that?" He questions turning only to see Slade stood behind him.

"The Mirakuru cure." He reveals plainly.

"Ahh. Ok well you could've asked, you didn't have to just stab me with it." He retorts.

"You were cursed with it long enough. Now the battle is over, you no longer are in need of it." He responds as Roy folds his arms.

"What about you? Have you taken the cure?" He questions.

"Yes. I've already done that." He replies,

"Good. I can't believe you had to go through that again." Roy says with a shake of his head.

"We won didn't we?" Slade reminds him.

"Yeah. Yes we did." He smiles slightly before looking down.

"You know, I'm still just, I'm just so glad that you're alive. When we thought we'd lost you, I was prepared to do some awful things and you weren't there to stop me from giving myself over to the Mirakuru. So yes. I am glad it's gone and I'm more than glad that you're here. Can you try not to ever do something like that again because honestly, I. I don't know what I'd do without you." Roy admits as Slade smirks at him.

"I'll do my best." He responds.

"Do this mean though. I can't go out in the field anymore. You know, now that I haven't got the Mirakuru?" He questions as Slade grips his shoulders.

"Roy. You earned that mask. You are are going to remain in the field. I will continue your training, you deserve to be out there with us, especially after your actions tonight. I could not be more proud." He finishes as to his ultimate surprise, Roy embraces him, the two standing there for several minutes before Roy remembers something.

"Hey, you do realise you've missed like two weeks of movie night?" Slade chuckles at his words before tightening his hold on Roy.

"After tonight, you can arrange as many movie nights as you want."

 _Elsewhere…_

"So what is the grand plan to stop the guards attacking Harls?" Floyd gives Lyla a skeptical look as she leads the two of them back toward their cells.

"I'm allowed to kill them if they lay a hand on me?" Harley glances at her.

"No. Yet until something can be sorted out. I have a better idea." She notes, opening the door to Floyd's cell.

"In you go." She nods toward the door, whilst Harley turn to embrace Floyd tightly, who holds her carefully due to her wounds.

"Go on, both of you." Lyla smiles at them.

"Wait. What?" Floyd raises an eyebrow at her.

"Well until Waller can insure that something like that will never happen again. You two can share the same cell. If she has any problems she's gotta do something about it. Now, are you two okay with this? Sharing a cell. Same bed for now?" She folds her arms.

"Now I like the sound of that." Floyd smirks as Lyla rolls her eyes at him, insuring both Harley and Floyd are inside before locking the door behind them.

"So we save the city and we actually get something from it." He remarks whilst lying back on his bed, pulling Harley carefully against him, shifting so she can get comfortable.

"I'd rather be out of here." She sighs as Floyd strokes her hair.

"As would I darlin'." He mutters as she tilts her head to the side.

"Shame Selina wasn't with Ollie earlier. I miss her. Used to be a good team, me, Selina and Ivy. Used to have a nickname for us back then. The Gotham City Sirens." She laughs lightly.

"I heard of that. That was you?" Floyd queries.

"Yeah it was." She grins as Floyd kisses her forehead.

"Swear I learn something new about you everyone I see you."

 _Gotham City_

Crouched at the top of a tree Catwoman sighs.

She'd meant what she'd said to Sara.

She didn't want to have anymore regrets.

Especially after watching Oliver and Sara lose Slade.

How it destroyed them, even if somehow they'd gotten him back. It showed her that life is short and that the people she loved could be here one day and then simply gone the next.

That's why she's here.

To see him. To talk with him possibly.

Yet right now she's simply on the outside.

She smirks as he passes the window.

Finally ditched the awful sweaters, she thinks. Yet she reminds herself she hasn't seen him for years.

She smiles again as he stands facing the window.

She knows he can't see her but she can see him. She doesn't think she would even know where to start if she went to him.

So, before sliding out of the tree, she takes one last look.

"See you around, Bruce."

 _Elsewhere_

"You're an asshole." A familiar female voice mutters.

"Would an asshole assist you in controlling your abilities?" A familiar male voice growls.

"Helping me control them? What with this collar you use to control me!" She snaps back.

"Careful Siobhan. As you said. I do control the collar after all." He hisses back.

"What. Where. Where am I?" Thea whispers as she tries to sit up, only to find that her hands are chained.

"You're going to be fine Thea. This is the best thing for you." Malcolm Merlyn sighs.

"No. No where are we going, where are you taking me." She cries, fighting her restraints.

"Where you want to be. Where those left who care about you have told you to go." He replies as the car continues to move.

"Far away from Starling City."

 _Lian Yu_

"Where am I?" Shado whispers as she sits up with a gasp, looking around only to see Oliver, Sara and Slade sitting on chairs in front of bars that separate her from them.

"As far away from the world as we could get you." Oliver replies.

"Some place where you can't hurt anyone again." Sara adds.

"That's a weakness of yours Oliver. You don't have the guts to kill me and you two. You two just blindly follow whatever he asks of you. If it were up to the two of you I'd be dead. You possess more darkness than he does. Without Oliver the two of you would be lost to that darkness. Just you wait. One day, something's going to go awfully wrong and you're going to lose him and when that day comes the two of you. I would love to see what would become of the two of you. Perhaps, we'll be in neighbouring cells." She remarks.

"You know you said that's a weakness of mine, not to kill you but I don't think that's what it is. I thinks it's more like I have the strength to let you live." Oliver shrugs.

"You're still a killer Oliver. I know, I taught you how to fire that bow and arrow. I gave you my hood. You've killed plenty before you decided upon your no kill rule. Like dogs the two of you followed him." She glances toward Sara and Slade.

"I'm betting Oliver, you even asked Slade to take the Mirakuru cure and he did. For you. Am I right?" She questions with folded arms.

"You infected Slade with the Mirakuru again after all that happened to him after all he went though and fortunately we actually had a cure available of course he took it." Sara snaps.

"Your plan failed." Oliver mutters, looking up at Shado.

"Because instead of breaking us apart. We're stronger than ever and I know I have killed and you were one of the people who taught me the skills to become a killer when I needed to be one. I'm alive today because of you, both Sara and I are. We made it home because of you and we got to see our families again but over the past year we've needed to be more and we faltered but then we stopped you, without killing." Oliver murmurs as he, Sara and Slade get to their feet.

"You helped us become heroes, Shado. Thank you." Oliver says as they begin to walk away.

"You think I won't escape this place? You think I won't kill the people you three love." She hisses as they walk away from her.

"No we don't." Oliver mutters.

"Because you're in purgatory." Slade finishes before looking to Oliver and Sara.

"Give me a minute." He mutters as they nod, heading through the door, leaving Slade alone with Shado.

"I keep my promises Slade. Just like you. I keep my promises!" She snarls as he approaches her, pulling a knife out of his pocket as he does so.

"You made another assumption." He remarks as he moves toward her so he's standing right in front of the bars, the knife it hand.

The knife he slides across his palm creating a deep gash.

He lifts it up to her, Shado's eyes widening as the deep cut he made rapidly begins to heal…

"You didn't take the cure." She whispers, getting to her feet again.

"You still have the Mirakuru in you."

"It's like I told you earlier. Assumption is the mother of all failures." He smirks as he begins to move toward the door, glancing back at her one last time before exiting the room, slamming the door shut behind him as he pockets the knife, glancing down at his healed hand before heading toward the ladder, which he climbs up.

"Here." Sara offers him her hand, both she and Oliver helping pull Slade up out of the hole.

"So this is Lian Yu." Mick comments as he looks around.

"The heat is unbearable. How did you survive here for five years?" Leonard grumbles.

"With a lot of difficulties." Oliver sighs.

"Yeah. Don't think I'd like to be stranded here for five years." Sin comments.

"I must admit though. Even though last time I didn't notice. It's actually kind of beautiful here." Felicity smiles as everyone looks at her in horror.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm counting down the seconds until we shove off minefield island." She says quickly.

"Question. You guys sure that things gonna hold her?" Lisa looks to Slade, Oliver and Sara.

"ARGUS supermax?" Diggle adds.

"Her and anyone else we send here. This battle may be over but there will be others." Oliver mutters as Leonard rolls his eyes at him.

"Forever the optimistic aren't you Queen?" He notes.

"He's right, considering we don't kill, we're gonna have to toss the bad ones somewhere they can't hurt anyone." Roy shrugs.

"Can't believe this battles over though I mean. We did it." Felicity smiles happily, looking up at Slade, who moves toward her.

"Are you a'right?" He questions.

"What me? Yeah, I mean other than the broken nose, three cracked ribs and the fact that I hurt literally everywhere. I'm good." She smiles at him.

"We'll leave you two. Think I see the plane over there anyway. Can't wait to get off this heat infested hell." Leonard grumbles as the team moves away, leaving only Slade and Felicity.

"You did it. The three of you stopped her despite everything." She smiles at him.

"We had a lot of help." He murmurs, shaking his head as he cups her cheeks gently.

"I should've killed her for what she did to you." He hisses.

"But you didn't because you're a hero, just like I said you were." She smiles, finding that she's slided her hands into his, he lifts them with a frown when he feels the bandage around one of her hands, that is wrapped around her wrist as well.

"What happened here?" He questions.

"Ahh, it uh, happened during the fight between me and Shado. It's nothing just another one of the injuries she inflicted on me. You know…"

"Felicity." He mutters sternly.

"What happened?" He asks as she looks down.

"I. I um. I did that before. It. It was stupid…"

"You did what?" He hisses angrily.

"I. I. You. You died Slade. I was lost. I couldn't handle my grief and I punched through a window. Cut up my wrist and my hand pretty bad, Leonard patched me up and that's when he suggested I learnt how to fight. To find a better way of handling my grief, hence why I was out there fighting but don't worry. I don't want to be a vigilante. I'd like it very much if I could just go back to being the one on the computer. I mean I don't want to forget what I did and if we ever god forbid have a battle like this one. I'd like to think. I could perhaps, I could fight by your side." She shrugs.

"I think you know my answer already." He mutters, keeping her hands in his.

"Yes." Felicity nods as she looks up at him.

"The Mirakuru… Is it…" She trails off a moment.

"Is it gone? You took the cure right? You're free?" She questions hurriedly.

"Yes. Took the cure just before I gave it to Roy. It's over." He murmurs.

"Good. Good. I hate to think that stuff could still be inside you. It's not even worth thinking about." She sighs before adding quickly.

"You know, that was really smart. How you outfoxed her. Talk about unthinkable." She laughs as Slade fixes her with a glance.

"You and me, I mean. When you told me you loved me, you had me fooled. For a second I thought, you know, um, maybe you might have meant it. What you said. You really sold it." She babbles quickly.

"You and I both did." He responds before pulling something familiar out of his jacket.

"Is that?" Felicity smiles at the sight.

"Your scarf? Yes it is." He smirks, wrapping it around her neck.

"You got it back from her."

"Wasn't hard. She was wearing it durining the final battle."

"Are you sure you still want me to have it? I mean i know it means a lot to you and yet you still let me..."

"Felicity." Slade murmurs to cut her off.

"The scarf is yours." He says finally but in such a way that makes Felicity wonder if there was something else he'd been trying to say.

"Let's go home." She finishes.

"Please. The heat is stifling." Leonard calls from behind them.

"We're coming!" Felicity laughs lightly as she moves toward Leonard.

"So should we do now?" Slade smirks as he rejoins Oliver and Sara.

"This." Sara whispers before wrapping her arms tightly around Slade, Oliver joining her.

"You're alive." Oliver murmurs as he and Sara hold onto Slade tightly.

"Told you this so many times before kid, I'm not so easy to kill." He smiles.

"But you actually died in front of me. I don't think…"

"Kid, I'm here. We're all here." He murmurs.

"How's your hand?" He questions absentmindedly.

"Good. It only hurts if I move it. I might give vigilantism a few weeks off." He admits.

"I think we all deserve a few weeks off." Sara smiles as Slade laughs, draping his arms around them both as they walk toward the others and the plane.

"The three of us. Together." She adds.

"Together." Slade and Oliver agree as they join the others.

"Still alive?" Slade nudges Leonard as he approaches him.

"Somehow." Leonard mutters.

"Wuss. I'm loving the heat!" Mick all but cheers.

"Course he is." Lisa rolls her eyes at him as Slade rests a hand on her shoulder.

"I am truly sorry for what you went through." He murmurs.

"Your ex is really crazy. Thinking that I was the love of your life. I mean come on, we all know that the blonde is actually the one you love, could tell she loved you the minute I saw how she looked at you when we were together. You should ask her out." Lisa nudges him.

"That would probably kill her." Leonard sniggers as Slade rolls his eye at him.

"I'm just glad she didn't hurt you." He murmurs before embracing Lisa.

"And I'm glad you're alive. You, other than Mick and my brother. You're really the only friend I've had. I think I speak on behalf of the three of us when I say, none of us want to imagine a world where you're not in it." She admits.

"He's a special kind of crazy. I like him." Mick agrees, patting Slade on the shoulder as Leonard nods, giving Slade a smirk.

"Is this the past where you berate me for leading everyone on a revenge scheme?" He questions as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"This is where I thank you for being there for them and saving them from themselves. If you had not stepped up and done what you had done. I'd hate to think what might have happened to them. Focusing on revenge stopped Roy from losing his mind to the Mirakuru, somehow you managed to befriend Sara and keep her with the team, you helped Felicity channel her grief in a much less destructive way. I saw her hand. I know why you did what you did for her and I thank you Leonard. You may be a criminal, but these past few weeks you've done a pretty poor job of being a criminal." He smirks at him, Leonard smirking back, glancing toward the team when he says his next few words.

"Just try never to do a thing like that never, ever again. Don't think they'd survive loosing you again. You're a lot to lose." He muses as he and Slade shake hands.

"Partners in crime?" He smirks at Leonard who grins in response.

"Partners in crime." He declares as they begin to move toward the plane, Slade throwing an arm around Roy's shoulders as he gets to them first.

"So what was the news about you and Lyla?" Oliver questions as he and Sara move toward Diggle as Slade boards the plane with Leonard, Mick, Sin, Roy, Lisa and Felicity.

"Ohh It can wait." He smiles as Sara tugs Oliver toward her by his good hand.

"We won the battle." She remarks as Oliver rests his forehead against hers.

"And you, Slade and Harley are still alive this time. Kinda wish she was here to be honest. To see us end this officially." Oliver sighs.

"Ok Ollie. I don't care if basically all of the team are here right now. I will kick your ass if you're saying you're wishing Harley was here right now." She says with a smile.

"You know what I meant." Oliver smiles back as he wraps his arms around her, Sara wrapping her arms around his neck as he holds her close to him.

"When I woke up that first time after the Amazo…"

"Hey, hey you're with me now and Slade's ok and Harley is where she belongs in a prison." Sara smiles as Oliver rolls his eyes at her before kissing the top of her head.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you she's got a new guy?" Oliver murmurs.

"Yes it would. Except then I'd like you to explain how you know that and also how did she even manage it?" She questions.

"Met him. It's Floyd Lawton. Aka Deadshot." He replies.

"Ahh. He could do better…"

"Sara." Oliver laughs as he holds her closer.

"No Ollie. I know what you mean. I remember being in the ocean, just floating and crying. I actually cried a lot. I thought you were dead, you and Slade. Honestly I was just waiting to die out there. Thought at least then I could be with you and Slade." She sighs.

"Well you know how I was. I was a mess. I kept trying to escape, I wouldn't eat, until I was forced, I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to die. I just felt like I didn't deserve to live to be the only survivor." He sighs.

"And now?" She looks up at him.

"Now. I feel like I deserve to live." He smiles slightly.

"I love you Oliver Queen." She smiles as he kisses her.

"I love you too Sara Lance." He smiles against her lips as together they stand there on the island that held them prisoner and where they had first admitted their love for one another.

"Now let's go home." He smiles.

"I'm flying." She smirks.

"Be my guest, I'm gonna go sit with Slade." He replies as they head up into the plane.

"Yeah. That ain't happening." Sin comments, glancing to where both Felicity and Roy are fast asleep and curled up beside Slade.

"I've already gotten the pictures." Sin mouths to Oliver and Sara.

"I can hear you." Slade grumbles with his eyes closed.

"We all can." Felicity murmurs the same, whilst resting her head on Slade's shoulder.

"Think Roy is the only one actually asleep over there." Diggle retorts.

"Can't blame him." Slade mutters.

"I'm flying then." Oliver sighs.

"Hey I'm flying." Sara protests.

"I got a question." Felicity murmurs through closed eyes.

"Wouldn't be you if you didn't." Slade smirks.

"If you spent five years on this island when did you learn how to fly a plane? Or did you learn how to when you and Slade were living together even though I don't see how you learnt then either." Felicity notes.

"I was in the ASIS. I knew how to fly a plane, perhaps I taught him, didn't you think of that." Slade murmurs as Sara and Oliver just smile at each other as Slade adds.

"I'm still better than him."

"Really?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Kid it's me, of course I'm better."

"Are these two always like this?" Lisa glances toward Sara.

"Yep." She laughs whilst looking at them both with a smile on her face.

"And I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world."

"Question. Who is flying then?" Leonard questions.

"Ohh my god. I will. Oliver, Sara, go and relax. You deserve it." Diggle sighs.

"So do you…"

"Go!" Diggle cuts Sara off as she and Oliver move to the back of the plane, sitting on the chairs in front of Slade.

"I'd reach out for you two but currently both my arms are dead." Slade murmurs gesturing with his head towards the sleeping Felicity and Roy.

"That's ok. We'll reach for you." Sara smiles, putting her feet in his lap, Oliver resting his on the side of Slade's chair, the two of them closing their eyes, whilst taking eachother's hands.

The four of them together sat in a square.

Slade smirks and opens one eye to look at Roy and Felicity who are asleep on him and Oliver and Sara across from him, using his slightly numb hand to pat Sara and Oliver's feet.

Relived he is with them now and they survived. It's as Sara had said, Slade thinks to himself.

He wouldn't trade them for anything in the word...

 _Hong Kong_

 _Gasping for air Oliver sits up abruptly._

 _He's not drowning…_

 _Sara. Slade. Harley. Shado…_

 _Is he in Heaven? It's hot so he's guessing it might be hell._

 _Well if it's Hell. Then he's guessing Sara, Harley, Shado and Slade would be here to._

 _He can't be alive._

 _He can't be the only survivor._

 _He's got to be dead. He can't be alone._

 _They can't be gone.._

 _Suddenly a man is beside him, muttering in Chinese as he tosses a shirt at Oliver._

 _Indicating toward a door, Oliver tugs the shirt over his head._

 _No. No._

 _He can't have survived this time._

 _He can't be alive…_

 _A woman walks toward him in high heels._

 _"My name is Amanda Waller, Mr. Queen." She speaks clearly._

 _"We have a lot to discuss." She notes as she opens the door to the busy street, the sound of chattering, different smells and noises filling his nose and ears._

 _"Welcome to Hong Kong." She reveals as a look of horror crosses Oliver's face._

 _He is alive._

 _He's in Hong Kong._

 _He murdered Shado._

 _Harley's dead._

 _Slade's dead._

 _Sara's dead._

 _Sara…_

 _He's alone._

 _Completely, utterly and truly alone._

 _The woman he loves is dead, his brother, his friend…_

 _Oliver doesn't even try and stop the tears that begin to fall from his eyes._

 _It would have been an impossible task anyway he comes to realise as he breaks down completely..._

 _ **Authors Note: So that's the end of season 2. I apologise for this chapter being bad, I went through it like ten times and this is genuinely the best I could come up with, yet I hope you guys liked it all the same. First part of season three is in the works and should be up sometime this week, thanks again so much for reading and to all of you who have followed and favourited this story. It means a lot to me that so many of you have supported this story for one hundred and forty chapters and counting. Again thank you all so much for reading, please leave a review if you can and see you all next update :)**_


	141. The Calm (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty One_**

 _Starling City_

Running through the trees on a late Starling City night, the Arrow races after The Man In The Mask who is already ahead of them all, the group of five racing toward a truck.

"We have him. Coming up on fifty second street, he's heading east." The Man In The Mask calls through the comms.

"Copy that. Or is it Roger? I never know the difference." Felicity Smoak babbles through the comms in response.

"John, there's an illegal shipment of RPGS headed your way." She adds.

"Roger. I'm on it." John Diggle calls from within a truck.

"Oh so it is Roger." Felicity sighs in confusion.

"Hey Felicity. You haven't gotten any, you know, phone calls have you?" The Wizard questions through the comms.

"You mean have I had any phone calls from your wife? Nope. Laurel hasn't called." Felicity replies as Blackbird almost shudders.

"Yikes I remember the night before the wedding, you know when were stopping that gang and she kept calling every five seconds. Ha! I didn't think Laurel ever swore before she let rip at Sara for not even being near her place to get ready that night." She chuckles.

"I know. Unfortunately we were all there for that." The Black Canary sighs.

"I thought Laurel was actually going to kill us that day." The Arrow notes.

"She was." The Wizard points out.

"Nice wedding though. It was great to see Nyssa again. Can't believe she made it." Blackbird comments as the Wizard and the Arrow move to ready their arrows.

"She promised Laurel. Probably too scared of my wife not to show up." The Wizard jokes.

"Honestly. I think we were all scared of Laurel those couple of weeks. I mean she 'suggested' we had your bachelor party one week earlier." The Arrow responds.

"Yeah well that wasn't exactly a bad idea. One week later I could still feel that hangover." The Wizard smirks.

"Ohh I agreed with her completely. Don't think I've ever been to one of your parties and left with my memory intact." The Arrow calls back.

"If you two are quite finished!" The Man In The Mask growls as he moves toward the moving truck, the Arrow and the Wizard jumping on the roof of it.

Firing an explosive arrow at the container on the truck, they jump to the side as it detaches itself from the main truck.

"RPGS are secure. I've got eyes on it." Diggle informs the group.

"Roy. We're coming to you!" The Man In The Mask calls through the comms as the Arrow jumps down to the side of the truck, punching through the glass to aim a punch at the driver, the Wizard holding on to the other side as from behind The Man In The Mask, the Black Canary and Blackbird are following behind whilst the Arrow and the Wizard change directions on the roof when the driver grabs his gun and begins to shoot at the two with the gun he recovers, both moving out of the way to avoid being shot at, the Wizard nearly falling from the truck it wasn't for the the support he receives from the Black Canary, who'd crawled across the side of the truck when she'd seen the gunfire, grabbing the Wizard's arm to stop him from falling whilst The Man In The Mask catches the Arrow's hand the second he sees him also about to fall whilst the truck continues on down the road.

Meanwhile, a distance a way from the truck, The Man In The Red Hood appears, jumping on top of a car roof before back flipping off of it to land in front of the truck, his arrows ready, which he fires twice at the truck causing it to come to a screeching halt in front of him.

The driver, then fires shots at the vigilantes around his truck, who drop off it to avoid the gunfire as he tries to climb out, only to be tripped over by the bow of The Man In The Red Hood who smirks slightly, The Man In The Mask already in pursuit of the man who begins to race away whilst the Arrow, the Black Canary, the Wizard and Blackbird get to their feet, racing after the man, who races quickly away, thinking he may have saved himself from the wrath of the vigilantes but suddenly he is knocked to the ground from above as The Man In The Mask jumps down, punching him swiftly in face before picking him up and throwing him across the floor before punching him again and again, the rage creeping up on him slowly…

"Stand down!" He hears the familiar call of the Arrow, which as so many times before manages to pull him out of the rage created by the Mirakuru still residing in his system and after kicking the man in the face he steps backwards allowing the Arrow to step forth to confront the criminal, who groggily looks up to see all six of the vigilantes stood directly in front of him. The Arrow in front of them all.

"Vincent Steelgrave." The Black Canary snaps whilst look to the Arrow who finishes with.

"You have failed this city."

 _The Foundry_

"The six vigilantes just took down another one of the city's most wanted and there's no denying that the city's crime rate has plummeted in the past five months." The news reporter reports as Felicity watches it from her computer.

"You're welcome." She sighs as she continues to watch the screen.

"But so has its unemployment rate and the population. We have experienced two terrorist attacks in almost as many years. Starling City is dying and a prison full of criminals…"

"Take another off the board." Oliver calls from behind her, hanging up his bow and arrow, Tommy doing the same.

"We keep this up and there will only be two types of criminals left in Starling City. The ones we put away and the ones that are running scared." Diggle smirks.

"We did good tonight." Sara smiles as she and Sin hang up their equipment.

"We did but Slade. Almost beating these criminals into comas has got to stop. I mean I'm glad you're not killing them or anything but please just calm it down a little." Oliver suggests with a slight smile.

"Sorry, kid. Don't know what came over me." Slade shrugs after lying with ease.

"Well you've been so used to killing these sons of bitches. It's understandable." Tommy points out as Oliver's jaw nearly hits the floor.

"Did you just say something moderately nice to Slade?" He smiles.

"I'm attempting to." Tommy responds.

"Wonder how long that can last." Diggle mutters under his breath.

"Not very long." Slade smirks as Oliver approaches him.

"You okay Slade?" He questions gently.

"Never better kid." Slade retorts.

"You're hands shaking." He points out.

"Ah." Slade glances down at his hand before waving it at Oliver.

"It's fine, see? Just had cramp in my fingers. You try holding one of those swords for a good few hours and see what your hands are like." He grumbles at Oliver.

Another lie to mask the effects of the Mirakuru.

No one has to know about the Mirakuru.

No one will know about the Mirakuru that is still within him. Ever.

Lost in his own thoughts, he nearly goes into fight more as Roy pats his arm on the way to the stairs.

"Movie night." He says firmly.

"Of course. Straight after someone explains to me what the hell that is?" He glances toward a green plant on the back table.

"A fern. It thrives on the light. I thought we should make this place more homely I mean Tommy did get me to babysit his kids in here." Felicity smiles.

"I still can't believe you did that Merlyn. You've done some dumb things but that was…"

"For the last time. I couldn't get a babysitter. I had to go out and stop a criminal with you guys both Laurel and Cat were in caught. Mr. Lance was still in the hospital and they were completely safe they just sat with Felicity." Tommy buries his head in his hands.

"Hey Slade you were right. The whole you two being nice to each other didn't last long." Roy sniggers from the stairs.

"And none of us are surprised." Oliver sighs.

"Hey did you guys read that letter from Thea?" Roy questions, pointing to where it lies on the table.

"Where is she now?" Slade questions.

"Amalfi Coast." Oliver sighs from looking at the letter.

"She should get a phone." Tommy sighs.

"To be honest I thought she would have come home, you know. I mean Slade basically came back from the dead. We stopped Shado. I thought she would have at least phoned." Roy shrugs sadly whilst Tommy passes him on the way up the stairs.

"Gotta get home." He calls to them in farewell.

"You did really good tonight Tommy." Oliver calls to him.

"We all did." Tommy smiles back before heading up the stairs.

"I think I'm going to head out too. I have to pull an early shift at work today which may or may not be the most depressing thing I've ever said." Felicity groans as Slade catches her hand lightly before she leaves.

"I'm still trying to get you your old job back." He murmurs as Felicity smiles.

"I know." She says as Oliver glances at her.

"Their still processing through all the mess Isabel left. Your name has been cleared completely of course but the board is just being thorough." Oliver shrugs.

"Well considering I quit because all that paperwork was a nightmare and someone needed to help look after the club after Thea left, you're gonna want to get her back in that job soon." Sin remarks.

"Who's got my job now then?" Felicity frowns.

"Me. Slade volunteered me." Roy grumbles.

"On a temporary basis until we could get Felicity back." Slade reminds him.

"And I appreciate what you're trying to do. I really am." Felicity beams happily, rests her hands against Slade's face.

"It the least I could do after how I acted towards you during that incident." He murmurs.

"Slade I wouldn't have believed me. Shado and Isabel were very thorough in making it look like it was me who'd hacked her." She smiles before adding.

"Ooh. Also isn't that meeting with the CEO of the building next door that finally finished being built this week?" She questions.

"Yes. That's going to be weird having another company next door." Oliver notes.

"I bet it is." Felicity remarks grinning once at Slade before heading toward the stairs, Slade watching her leave with a slight smile on his face.

"Ask her out." Roy coughs from behind him causing Oliver, Sin and Sara to smirk as Slade glowers at him and if looks could kill, Roy would most certainly have been six feet under.

"I'm gonna roll out, too. Lyla has me trying to build the bassinet from hell." Diggle mutters.

"That reminds me." Sara grabs Oliver's arm suddenly, who nods.

"What guys?" Diggle folds his arms.

"We have something for you." Oliver replies as Slade picks up a wooden box from one of the many shelves in the Foundry.

"We figured since you and Lyla are having a girl she perhaps would like this." Sara smiles as Diggle opens the box to reveal a beautiful silver necklace.

"Oliver you better not have spent a fortune on this." Diggle glances to him with a slight smile as he holds the necklace up.

"He didn't. We made it." Slade retorts before nudging Oliver.

"Arrowheads, one of the few things the kid can make." He chuckles.

"Hey!" Oliver protests indignantly.

"I can make a lot of stuff."

"Sure you can kid. Sure you can." He smirks.

"Well it's beautiful, thank you guys." Diggle smiles at him.

"It's no problem. We can make more if you'd like us to. Think you made an entire jewelry set for Rebecca along with that, didn't you Ollie." Sara notes.

"I did." Oliver responds.

"I mean you guys gave them our apartment." Roy adds.

"Well, we figured that it would be better if we moved into Queen Mansion since no one was living it anymore. More space for all of us." Oliver shrugs.

"Also Tommy wasn't prepared to move into Merlyn Mansion with Laurel and the kids and Laurel's apartment was tiny." Sara reminds them.

"Anyways congratulations John and not just on the baby, you and Lyla are happy." Oliver adds with a warm smile.

"You guys should try it some time." He retorts.

"We are happy." Sara replies, tightening her grip on Oliver's arm in response.

"Oh, you two are obviously. I was talking more about Roy and Slade." He glances to them.

"I just… I'm." Roy trails off.

"Not ready to move on?" Diggle questions as Roy shrugs, falling silent soon afterwards.

"Slade?" Diggle turns to him.

"Well considering I was married once, then divorced then said ex wife got murdered by ARGUS then the once love of my life lost her mind, decided to embark on a five year revenge mission which almost destroyed this city and is now spending the rest of her days on Lian Yu in an ARGUS prison, the only other times I have dated, one became a criminal known as The Huntress, the other is dead due to working for Shado, being a criminal in her own right then there was Lisa, which wasn't even a real relationship. I think the universe is trying to tell me something." Slade folds his arms.

"Maybe Felicity will change all that." Diggle smirks, pocketing the wooden box.

"Yes! Thank you. This is what we've all been saying for the last five months." Roy exclaims.

"No. Nothing will happen between us. Timings not right even if something could happen, which it wouldn't." Slade mutters.

"Slade. Things are as good now as they will ever be and come on. Look and me and Sara we've been together since Lian Yu and we're still together, we're still alive and we're still happy. It can be done and you know me and Sara want nothing more than for you to finally let yourself be happy." Oliver grabs his arm.

"And you love her." Roy adds.

"Even told her so." Diggle chips in.

"I was trying to fool Shado." Slade corrects them.

"Yes." Diggle rolls his eyes at him.

"Except now the only person you're fooling is yourself."

"He's right." Roy says in a sing song voice.

"You gotta ask her out." He continues.

"No I don't." Slade retorts.

"Come on, you have to! You love her, you want to be with her and she wants to be with you. She's crazy about you." Roy continues.

"I mean come on, you think she moved her chair and her desks right near The Salmon Ladder for no reason at all?" Sara grins as Slade glowers at her just as his phone begins to ring, glancing at the caller he sighs.

"Roy. You go on ahead. I'll join you in a little while." He murmurs, whilst picking up his sword and heading toward the stairs.

"Wait where are you going?" Oliver jogs to his side.

"Out." Slade retorts.

"No, you took a message then suddenly you want to go out. What's wrong? What's going on. Can I come with you?" He questions.

"No, kid and nothing's wrong. If you must know Mick and Leonard are in town and they've gotten into a bar fight. I'm gonna go help them out." He replies.

"Can I still come. I can have your back out there." Oliver continues.

"Kid. I can do this alone." He retorts.

"Yeah but…"

"OLIVER!" Slade snaps to cut him off, causing Oliver to go silent.

"What is the matter with you, kid?" He questions sharply.

"I'm. I just don't want you going out there alone, ok. You know we're a team. We stick together." Oliver reminds him.

"Kid this is absolutely nothing to worry about. Now tell me what's wrong because this isn't a first time occurrence." Slade folds his arms.

"It's. It's nothing ok. It's fine. I'll just…"

"Hey, Oliver. If it makes you feel better I'll go with him." Roy glances up at them.

"You know that would." Sara nods as Slade looks over at Roy, before heading towards the stairs, Roy following him.

"I got his back, don't worry." He calls to Oliver and Sara on the way out.

"Mind telling me what all that was about?" Diggle looks to Oliver and Sara. Oliver in particular who bows his head, wrapping an arm around Sara.

Waiting until Slade is far out of earshot and in the distance he can faintly here the starting of an engine before looking to Diggle.

"John. I watched him die five months ago." He admits in a quiet voice.

"I can't go though the pain of losing him again."

 _Hong Kong_

 _He's running again._

 _Through the bustling streets of Hong Kong he is running._

 _Pushing past a numerous number of people he reaches for a phone, trying to desperately dial a number when a gunshot rings out from a man chasing him._

 _Continuing to run as fast as he can, Oliver fears he might not outrun these people._

 _He's already tired. Exhausted._

 _Can still feel the dull ache in his nose from the tube these monsters placed there to force feed him when he refused to eat anything._

 _When he wouldn't leave the room he was in._

 _Wouldn't move a muscle, just curled up in a ball wanting it to be all over._

 _Just wanting to die._

 _Sara. Slade. Harley. Shado, well the Shado he used to care for._

 _He just wants to be with them._

 _First day and night in Hong Kong he'd broken down completely._

 _Locked in his prison; he sobbed. Sobs that became silent screams._

 _He begged. Begged to die. Begged for Sara, Slade and Harley to come back to him._

 _Crying out their names._

 _To no use though. They'd dead._

 _They're not coming back. Oliver wishes he could join them._

 _He can't go back home. He can't face his family, the Lance family and tell them Sara died because of him._

 _Yet he can't stay a prisoner either._

 _At least if he contacted someone he could be set free from this place._

 _Then he'd just disappear._

 _Go somewhere to die in peace._

 _Bursting into a room, he sees various computers in front of him._

 _Pushing a man violently of his chair, Oliver begins to type his message in his email account._

 _He types his message to his mom._

 _'Mom. I'm alive. I'm in Hong'_

 _Suddenly the computer is shot out by the man following him causing Oliver to fall to the ground from impact._

 _Getting up to face the man, he engages him in hand to hand combat but the man gets the better of him, swinging his leg out and kicking Oliver directly in the jaw before muttering to him in Chinese._

 _Oliver glares up at him._

 _"I told you. I don't speak Chinese!" He hisses._

 _"And I told you. You try to escape again. I beat you senseless!" He yells back whilst punching Oliver sharply in the face…_

 _Starling City_

"What are we doing?" Roy questions as Slade drives up alongside an alleyway.

"Leonard sent me a message. Apparently he needs a lift…"

Suddenly the sound of gunshots cut Slade off as before he can even react three figures begin to leg it toward their car and the doors of the car are thrown open and Leonard, Mick and Lisa jump in.

"Drive! Just drive!" Lisa cries breathlessly as the gunshots continue.

"Thanks for the lift!" Leonard calls, wincing at something.

"Mick. Please tell me you didn't drop the…"

"No, got it all here boss." Mick replies, Roy and Slade glancing to one another when they hear several things hitting the floor of the car.

"Wait…" Roy frowns at it dawns on him before leaning over to Slade.

"Are we driving the getaway car?!"

"Couldn't have done it without you." Leonard smirks.

"Leonard Snart." Slade growls.

"Wait hang on so we just aided and abetted in a…" Roy continues.

"Heist. Yeah, first time we've actually gotten away with some decent loot." Mick grins.

"We are going to talk about this. Leonard you cannot call me when you need someone to get you out of this kind of trouble." Slade grumbles.

"I wasn't going to. Then I got shot and well. Figured I needed to call in the cavalry before word got out and the vigilantes came. Try explaining this to Queen!" Leonard mutters back.

"Oh he would have put all three of you on Lian Yu." Roy notes.

"Exactly!" Leonard retorts.

"Leonard I am being serious here, you cannot expect me to always be available when a heist goes wrong, not to mention expect me and Roy to aid and abet in a crime we should he stopping." He scolds him sternly.

"Technically you are stopping the shooting of us. So you're stopping a crime." Lisa points out as Slade glowers back at them all.

"Where do you want us to drop you guys. Or do you want to come back with us for movie night?" Roy questions.

"Hmm." Leonard smirks, reclining against his seat.

"That sounds like fun."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

Throwing his keys in the nearby dish, Tommy groans tiredly as he enters his apartment.

Still a megawatt smile crosses his face when he sees Laurel curled up on the couch, several empty mugs of what Tommy guesses was probably coffee on the table in front of her.

"I'm still awake." She groans tiredly as Tommy smiles at her.

"Of course you are." He laughs lightly before lifting her with ease into his arms.

"Did you catch him?" She questions as he carries her up the stairs.

"Of course we did. All ready for you to destroy the guy tomorrow in court." Tommy smirks.

"We're a good team." She sighs as he carries her into their bedroom.

"That we most certainly are." Tommy smiles, placing her on their bed and kissing her forehead and sitting down beside her.

"Please tell me they're both asleep." He glances at her.

"Of course. I just wanted to stay up until you got in. You do worry me you know. I mean you're a vigilante now and I know who the vigilantes are so of course I'm going to worry." She yawns as he strokes her hair.

"Well. I can promise you that above everything else I will do whatever it takes to get home to you. To the three of you." He adds before moving out of the room, down the corridor, opening one door and popping his head inside to see his son fast asleep in his cot and then into the other room where his daughter sleeps soundly.

Moments like these make all this late vigilantism filled nights worth it.

 _Queen Mansion_

"So… What's new with you. Your ex still rotting away on the island from hell?" Leonard questions whilst reclined against the couch, trying to focus himself on the movie Roy put on instead of Slade digging the bullet out of his arm.

"Yes." Slade responds.

"Excellent." Mick grins whilst taking a sip from his beer.

"If I ask you if there's anything new with the three of you will I get stories of criminal activity?" Roy glances at the three.

"He's a smart kid." Leonard remarks.

"Smarter than you were tonight. Few more inches to the left and it could've severed an artery." Slade grumbles.

"I told you it was bad Lenny." Lisa folds her arms.

"What can I say? The thrill of the heist just dulled the pain." He attempts to shrug, regretting that action instantly.

"You guys staying around for long?" Roy questions.

"No. We only really came here for the usual heist and visit." Lisa replies.

"Then once again we shall return to Central City. You know, we wouldn't have to keep coming here if you'd just realize there are better things for you to be doing with your time then being a vigilante and accepted your destiny as one of us." Leonard smiles up at Slade.

"That is the painkillers I gave you talking, Snart." Slade retorts.

"I don't think it is. It's a serious request." Leonard corrects him.

"It's been discussed." Mick shrugs, silence passing for a few moments before Roy speaks up.

"Hey, Leonard. Don't you think Slade should go ahead and ask Felicity out?" He queries.

"You still haven't asked her out?" Leonard glances up at him.

"Shut up and watch the movie." Slade grumbles.

"Ohh no, this is far more interesting." Leonard grins.

"Figured you hadn't made a move yet. Lenny never mentioned Felicity bringing that up." Lisa tilts her head to the side as Slade looks down at Leonard with a suspicious glance.

"When were you speaking to Felicity?" He questions.

"Ohh she's got our numbers. She messages me quite frequently." Leonard replies.

"What do you even talk about?" Roy questions.

"Quite a bit actually." Leonard notes before glancing to Slade.

"You should ask her out Slade. She loves you. She was a wreck when she thought you had died. She mentioned to me then during the times I was training her to help her handle her grief that she regretted not telling you how she felt before. Ask her out." Leonard smiles.

"I appreciate your advice Len." Slade murmurs.

"Because my advice my excellent." Leonard retorts. Mick snorts.

"Keep believing that Snart."

 _Starling City: Next Morning_

"Steelgrave took a plea for fifteen to twenty. His lawyer folded like a deck chair after I hit with with evidence that the six vigilantes gathered." Laurel smirks gleefully at Tommy, Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"Good work sis." Sara grins as Laurel puts an arm around her.

"You guys catch them, I cook them." Laurel grins as Tommy laughs.

"Did I say that too loud?" She glances at them worriedly.

"No you're just fine. You did great." Tommy slides his hand into hers.

"You did. We make a good team." Oliver remarks.

"Did you ever think that we'd end up as business partners?" She questions.

"Never. I never expected any of this." Oliver admits.

"Neither did I." Slade glances at them all.

"Well I certainty didn't expect my baby sister and my husband to be vigilantes but we all make a good team." Laurel notes.

"That we do." Tommy kisses the side of her head.

"Question. Why did you invite us down here?" Oliver queries.

"Wanted us to see Mr. Steel grave sent off into his new life?" Tommy continues.

"No. I have a surprise for you four." She smiles secretively.

"Good or bad?" Slade murmurs.

"You'll find out." Laurel grins as they approach a podium Quentin Lance is stood at.

"What's dad doing here?" Sara frowns as she moves quickly to embrace him.

"You'll see." Laurel calls after her as she follows.

"You okay?" She hears Sara ask.

"I'm just fine sweetheart. I'm glad you're here. Both of you." He smiles at Laurel.

"You get the others here to?" He queries.

"Some. Oliver, Slade and Tommy." Laurel gestures toward them.

"Good. I want them here to hear this." He notes before sighing.

"Even though if I was told that press conferences came with the promotion. I would tell them I prefer getting shot at." He mutters.

"Good thing your doctors didn't give you a choice then." Laurel smiles.

"You know you could try to hide the fact that you're glad I can't get out in the field anymore." He grumbles to his daughters.

"Hey. I told you. You can always come sit with Felicity and overlook our missions." Sara reminds him.

"It's a good offer." Quentin admits.

"Then take it." Sara smiles.

"I'm considering it." He mutters.

"Look, I can't hide that I'm glad you're safe." Laurel sighs.

"Well. Looks like I gotta begin. See you two later." He notes, wrapping his arms tightly around both his daughters before watching them head off toward Oliver, Slade and Tommy.

"So what is all this?" Tommy frowns as he slides his hand into Laurel's.

"The surprise." She replies, smiling at Oliver, Sara and Slade as well as Quentin approaches the microphone.

"Uh. Thank you all for coming. Five months ago this city was under siege and the SCPD rallied behind a team of vigilantes. A team that began with three vigilantes. The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask. Well, I ended up with a captains rank and they didn't even get a thank you. But today, they do. Because today the Starling City Police Department is formally recognising the three vigilantes know as the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask and I'm using my new position to disband the anti-vigilante task force charged with capturing them." He reveals as Oliver, Sara, Slade and Tommy look on in surprise and amazement at Quentin's words.

As finally, at long last the anti-vigilante task force has been disbanded.

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this first part of my version of season 3! Next chapter hopefully should be soon, thank you all so much to those of you who have followed, favourited and reviewed, thanks again for reading and please leave a review if you can._**


	142. The Calm (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Two_**

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Now make no mistake vigilantism will never be tolerated but I refuse to hunt, in the name of this city, the heroes who saved it!" Captain Lance says from the TV in the room.

"Shirt that crap off. Less heat on the vigilantes means more heat on us and the ATF now has our shipment of grenade launchers." A man grumbles angrily.

"They got our shipment already? What are we paying bribes to the cops for?" Another man remarks in annoyance.

"We have a more pressing concern. Lack of leadership." Comes the voice of a man who enters the room, causing the other men to turn to face him.

"I nominate myself. Any objections?" He continues.

"Yeah a few." The other man retorts.

"Oh, illuminate me." He sighs.

"Where do I start? It's not just that you talk funny. You don't know the first thing about business, you're just a low level street dealer, a pill pusher." The other man snaps.

"Oh, those pills I push. Are known as Vertigo." The man retorts before sending something flying into the neck of the man who'd objected to him.

"In the wake of The Count, I tinkered with some of his formula. Introduced an additive produced by certain mushrooms. My Vertigo reveals the face of your greatest fear." He hisses as the man who'd been hit by the syringe looks to the man in front of him, only to see a ghoulish demon instead.

With a sickening yank, the man pulls the syringe from the man's throat.

"As I was saying. Lack of leadership. I nominate myself." He moves to walk in front of the other men left standing.

"Any objections? Our course of action is as straight as an arrow. Gentlemen." He smirks at them all menacingly.

"We're going to kill them."

 _Outside Verdant_

"I can't believe your dad has done that for us." Oliver comments as he walks beside Sara and Slade down the path toward Verdant.

"I'm as surprised as you are kid, always thought we'd have the SCPD on our backs." Slade mutters as Sara shrugs.

"I was wondering if my dad was going to do anything about us with his new position. I wouldn't have asked him but I did kinda wonder." She smiles.

"Things really are calming down." Oliver muses whilst squeezing Sara's hand.

"Good. I don't think any of us can handle a repeat of five months ago." She sighs.

"No. Never." Oliver agrees whilst looking to Slade.

"Ohh I agree. Five months ago, urghh, horrific." Comes the voice of Felicity Smoak as she joins the three, nudging into Slade wine she reaches them.

"Hey Felicity." Sara smiles at her.

"I heard it all on the news. I'm so pleased we're all finally getting a thank you and that you're dad has done this for the team. I mean if people knew his reasons. I'm sure questions would be asked. I mean considering he knows who we are and all but still it's…" She trails of mid babble, closing her eyes.

"And how was work?" Oliver questions kindly.

"It is not work Oliver. It is a soul crushing exercise in misery that offers health and dental. Suffice it to say I am highly motivated in my hopes you guys can get me my job back at Queen Consolidated." She grins at them.

"Trying." Slade replies.

"I know you are and that is one of the reasons I. I care about you because you try. You care and that's really great." She smiles up at him before skipping ahead.

In the instant she moves from his side, Oliver and Sara look at Slade expectantly.

'What?' He mouths to them.

'Ask her out.' Oliver mouths back.

'Right now.' Sara adds.

"No!" Slade growls at them silently.

"Then, this has gone on long enough Slade Wilson, you leave me no choice." Oliver shakes his head before looking toward Felicity.

"Hey Fel… OWW!" He groans as Slade stamps down hard on his foot and manages to land a punch to cut his speech off.

"What… You okay Oliver?" She questions, frowning when she sees him hissing in pain.

"Everything's fine." Slade replies as she turns around again.

"Actually. Slade had something he wanted to say to you." Sara grins only to end up being shoved forcibly out of sight by Slade.

"What?" Felicity calls as she continues to walk toward Verdant

"He wanted to ask you out!" Oliver calls just as Slade forcibly knocks him down.

"Wait what?!" Felicity spins around only to see Oliver on the ground groaning and Sara pulling herself out of a few wooden crates she'd landed in.

"Sure you're okay?" She glances down at Oliver.

"He tripped. Clumsiness has always been the kid's greatest downfall." Slade smiles as Felicity gives him a skeptical glance.

"He wants to ask you out to dinner!" Oliver groans from the ground.

"Don't you Slade?" Sara adds with a sly smile.

"What? Slade. Are they having a joke or something." Felicity folds her arms.

"Yes… They…" He looks down at Oliver then to Sara, who gives him an encouraging nod whilst helping her boyfriend up from the ground.

"Actually. Felicity would you like to accompany me for dinner?" He says through gritted teeth knowing already what smug looks will be on both Oliver and Sara's faces.

"Are you all having a joke now?" She frowns.

"No I am asking you seriously if you would like to go out to dinner with me, Felicity." Slade responds clearly.

"It's only taken you two years." Slade thinks he hears Oliver whisper as both he and Sara beam at him happily and as Slade had expected, the smugness on both of their faces are rather evident.

He'll be certain to deal with them both later.

"Um. I. I don't want to read. Uhh to much into this but are you asking me out on a date?" Felicity questions nervously as she approaches Slade.

"Like an actual date? Like a date-date?" She babbles as she tries to keep a calm posture whilst internally screaming with joy at the very thought.

"YES!" Both Oliver and Sara yell in an instant.

"You two keep this up and I swear to god I will kill you slow!" Slade snarls at them both as Felicity laughs lightly.

"Perhaps you should answer her question before that though." Sara smirks gleefully.

"I'd definitely like an answer." Felicity says in an almost faint voice.

"Of course I mean the implication being with dinner that you…" Slade mumbles.

"Usually I'm the one talking in sentence fragments." Felicity notes as Slade fixes her with a stern glance causing her to fall silent for a few moments.

"Felicity. Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Slade asks her.

"Yes." She nods quickly with a wide smile.

"Definitely a hundred percent yes." She grins as Slade smirks at her briefly before turning toward Oliver.

"Come on, kid. I'll get you some ice." He murmurs.

"Hey. I actually got you to ask her out." Oliver replies as Slade wraps an arm around his shoulders as they head toward Verdant.

"I mean. Eventually. You never would have asked if I hadn't forced the issue." He notes as Slade glances at him.

"And that's why you're gonna need the ice." He says threateningly.

"So you're still gonna kill me and Sara slow?" Oliver tries his hardest not to smile.

"No. No but I am going to kick your arse up and down The Foundry for as long as I please!"

Meanwhile, Felicity is stood standing in a state of shock.

Slade Wilson just asked her out.

She, Felicity Smoak is going on an actual date with Slade Wilson.

Slade Wilson. The tall dark and beyond handsome Australian man she's spent two years admiring, sometimes fantasising about. Ok fantasising about a few times.

More than a few times…

"You okay there?" Sara's voice calls cheerfully.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm good I'm good." Felicity nods as Sara grips her shoulders.

"They've gone inside." Sara smiles and whilst if asked Felicity would one hundred percent deny it! She squeals and jumps up and down a few times in joy.

"I can't believe it! I'm going out with Slade!" She cheers as Sara laughs, having joined in with Felicity's happy dance.

"I really can't believe it either. I didn't think this day would ever happen!" Sara admits with another laugh as Felicity squeals again happily.

"Neither did I!" She cries before embracing Sara tightly.

"I'm going out with Slade! Wait. I'm going out with Slade. Holy crap what am I gonna wear?" Felicity grabs Sara's arms tightly.

"Ohh don't worry. I'll give you a hand there." Sara replies.

"You?" Felicity frowns as Sara laughs lightly a mischievous smile crossing her face.

"Hey don't forget that pre island me was a notorious party girl. I've got you covered."

 _The Foundry_

"You okay Oliver?" Roy questions as he enters The Foundry to see Oliver sat, looking like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards.

"Bit of sparring with Slade." He winces as Roy smirks.

"Ahh, ohh god he isn't going to get me to spar with him now is he?" Roy winces.

"No he was just getting me back for earlier." Oliver assures him.

"What did you do? Touch his swords, screw up his sword system? Ate his secret stash of cookies. I'm never doing that again." Roy shudders at a memory.

"More like put my foot down and basically asked Felicity out for him." Oliver responds.

"Wait. You did what? So they're actually going out. Like, finally?" Roy's eyes widen.

"We are having dinner." Slade calls as he moves toward Roy and Oliver.

"Way to go Oliver! Slade this had to happen. Trust me it is beyond for the best. I'm so glad you're actually doing this." Roy beams at him.

"Not by choice." Slade glances between Oliver and Roy.

"Why are you looking at me?!" Roy folds his arms.

"Well, you have a part in this, trying to convince me the other day, the past few weeks, months!" Slade reminds him.

"And yet you kick my ass for it and not his?" Oliver glances up at him.

"I'm so telling Leonard about this." Roy smiles, reaching for his phone.

"He already knows." Slade murmurs.

"You actually told him?" Roy frowns.

"No, he called me about it. Felicity has his number." Slade mutters.

"Well I think that is is great." Roy grins at Slade as Tommy and Diggle enter The Foundry.

"Well done, man. You took my advice." Diggle smiles at Slade.

"Oliver took your advice." He glowers down at Oliver who shrugs.

"It had to happen. You two pining for each other was getting painful." Tommy retorts as Slade raises an eyebrow at all of them.

"Who doesn't know about this?" He questions as Sin enters the room.

"No one. Trust me when I say this. This is something we've all been waiting for." She grins.

"A'right, a'right." Slade holds his hands up to silence them all.

"We have actual jobs to do."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Go!" The Black Canary calls through the comms as she sits on the back on the Arrow's motorcycle which zooms down the road.

"Kevin Nico just knocked over a liquor store. Nico's In Steelgrave's crew." Diggle explains to the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask.

"Send his photo to the others. I need Felicity." The Man In The Mask commands.

"You got it." Diggle replies.

"I can't talk right now." Felicity says the minute the call connects.

"I'm at work." She winces through gritted teeth before turning to the customers in front of her, desperately wishing she had her old job back.

"Could I ask you guys just to wait one moment?" She questions quickly before racing toward the back of the store she works in.

"Someone's calling for tech support!" She calls in explanation.

"Oh you guys are going to get me so incredibly fired." She hisses the minute she sits at a computer in the back.

"Okay, I am hacked into the city's database. I am running facial recognition… Now!" She cheers as she types the correct formula into the computer in front of her.

"Felicity." The Man In The Mask murmurs through the comms.

"Yes, what else do you want me to do?" She asks.

"Answer my question. Do you like Italian food?" He questions gruffly.

"What?" She frowns.

"Tonight." He reminds her causing a beaming smile to cross her face and she bites her lip.

"Slade you're in the middle of a high speed chase." Felicity reminds him.

"I'm good at multitasking." He retorts as something flashes up on Felicity's screen.

"I got him. He's in the sewer. I'm picking up his cell phone underneath. He's at the corner of Grand and Ames and yes, I love Italian." She grins as something else appears on her screen.

"Detective Lance… Captain Lance is also in pursuit, you guys are welcome I have to go!"

Meanwhile as the criminal races down the sewer, looking behind him due to the knowledge he knows he's being pursued by the vigilantes he doesn't see incoming punch from Quentin Lance who stands at the other end of the tunnel.

Yet before he can be captured by him, he manages to get himself directly in the path of The Man In The Mask who throws him against a wall before punching him repeatedly.

"Woah. Woah, Wilson don't kill the guy." Quentin calls as he pulls a few pills out of his coat pocket whilst the Black Canary moves toward him.

"Dad not to sound like Laurel but you shouldn't be out here." She sighs, resting her hand on his arm as Quentin shakes his head.

"I'm fine sweetheart." He protests.

"STAND DOWN!" The Arrow growls, pulling The Man In The Mask by the arm away from the criminal he was previously beating senseless.

"What is wrong?" He questions squeezing his arm gently, the simple action causing the almost uncontrollable rage to melt away.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm just… Kid, I'm fine." He says firmly, tugging his arm free.

"You sure about that?" Quentin glances at him.

"Yes." The Man In The Mask mutters gruffly.

"Thank you for being here." The Arrow smiles.

"You guys had it handled I know. I just miss the action." He sighs.

"Yeah, dad we are gonna talk about this." The Black Canary retorts.

"Also, for what you said today." The Arrow continues.

"Only wish there was more I could do for you guys." Quentin responds.

"You've already done more than enough for us, dad." The Black Canary squeezes his arm.

"We have to go." The Man In The Mask says bluntly.

"Yes." The Black Canary agrees, moving quickly after him.

"Got a hot date or something guys?" Quentin frowns at them.

"Slade has." The Arrow and the Black Canary call back.

"Seriously? Wait please say this one is like, you know, normal, not a revenge wanting psychopath intent on destroying the city." Quentin replies as he walks with them.

"It's Felicity." The Arrow replies as Quentin nods

"Ahh well, you know. It's about damn time."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Standing at the desk at her job, waiting for her shift to end, Felicity boredly helps customer after customer with their technical demands.

"Hi! Thank you for waiting." She smiles to another customer who approaches her.

"Ah, no problem. I just want to buy this." He responds.

"This is a satellite frequency communicator TX40." She replies.

"Yeah. I'm trying to breach a torsecured firewall and I need something to help me piggyback off a keyhole hexagon satellite so…" He trails off.

"I did that once. Hacked a public wifi signal. Piggybacked using crowd sourced stealth processing." She informs the man who smiles back and nods.

"You're Felicity Smoak." He remarks.

"Formerly of Queen Consolidated. Do you mind if I ask you something. Why are you here?" He questions quietly.

"Well. Actually I was…"

"I know. Fired for um.. Hacking someone, right? But she turned out to be a criminal and then it turns out you didn't actually hack her and the."

"Charges were all cleared. Yeah." Felicity nods.

"It's just taking a while to process the mess she left behind but I could possibly be getting my job back there one day. How do you know who I am?" She frowns.

"I know a guy who might be interested in hiring someone with your expertise. I mean the charges were cleared and even if they hadn't have been. She was a criminal." He shrugs.

"I'm not actually… Looking for a new job right now, god help me, as I said. Could be getting my old one back eventually but I can help you buy this." She informs him.

"Unless I can't. I mean I shouldn't. You shouldn't buy this." She adds quickly before moving past him toward something else in the store as he follows her.

"Ok. Clearly you don't understand how this whole sales thing works." He chuckles.

"The next gen. The TX50 comes out in a few months. I got to touch one last year, pure bliss." She moves to pick up a leaflet.

"And if you want to breach tor-level security you should really deploy a remote administration tool. I have a good one. Here's the URL." She places the leaflet in his hand.

"Thanks." He smiles at her.

"Happy hacking." She replies.

"I certainly hope so." He responds before walking away.

"Phew." Felicity sighs in relief as she knows that was her last customer before her shift at work ends and racing toward the desk, she grabs her bag and coat before all but skipping through the door when she realises that in a few short hours she will be on her first date with Slade.

She knows Sara said she would assist with the outfit, hair and makeup but she wonders to herself how high should her heels be? Quite high? Slade is taller then her and she knows that she would have to stand up on tiptoes if possibly there was a goodnight kiss.

Or even. Should she race home and clean up her apartment? Perhaps put her bedding in the wash just in case she and Slade…

No. It's the first date. There is most certainly not going to be any of that…

But, maybe just in case…

"Hey!" Sara calls toward her from where she is stood basically right outside the door.

"Ohh you were serious about helping me get ready?" Felicity starts nervously.

"Of course I was!" She links her arm through Felicity's.

"Now come on, trust me. Slade isn't gonna know what hit him."

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

"Sara when was the last time Slade went out with a woman?" Felicity questions as Sara is putting a curler through Felicity's hair.

"Well. Honestly he never really went out with Lisa that was more of a sexual thing but he and Isabel would sometimes go out for company appearances, you know and well honestly not really ever. I mean there was that triple date thing with me, Ollie, Tommy, Laurel, Slade and Helena but that was about it." She replies.

"Wow." Felicity winces looking at Sara.

"Have you got any tips for me? I mean you and Oliver know him the best." She starts as Sara moves on to the makeup.

"Just be your usual self." She smiles.

"Really? Me being myself is awkward, babbling way to much…"

"Would you say if I told you he likes that." Sara grins.

"Wait, he does?" Felicity frowns.

"Of course he does. He likes you, very much." Sara assures her.

"Yeah but. I'm not, I'm not his type I mean all the women he's been with before are kick ass and I'm just an IT girl." Felicity shrugs.

"Felicity. Five months ago, to avenge him you wore that suit, you fought beside us. You even tried to fight Shado. You were so brave, so kick ass." Sara reminds her.

"Not like he wanted me to continue going out fighting with guys though." She points out.

"That's because he cares about you. He wants you to be safe. Slade will do anything and everything to protect the people he cares about. Ollie and I wouldn't be here right now if it was for him." She admits as Felicity smiles at her.

"Thank you for doing this Sara. I was used to doing all this stuff by myself if I ever got a date, I never had a sister like you did." She admits as Sara beams at her warmly.

"Well now you do."

 _Hong Kong_

 _"So this morning makes how many escape attempts in the last five months?" Amanda Waller questions Oliver sharply as he sits on a chair in the centre of a room._

 _"Nine." Oliver retorts._

 _"What we have here is a failure to reach an understanding." She notes._

 _"Go to hell." Oliver hisses._

 _"So this is my reward from saving you from drowning in that freighter off the coast of Lian Yu?" She folds her arms._

 _"Yeah? Why'd you do that. Why didn't just let me die? I was ready to die. I was with my best friend, my brother. I was at peace. Why couldn't you just let me die instead of make me live with the pain that the woman I love is dead, my best friend, my brother is dead, my other friend is dead and that I murdered someone who I used to love like a sister?" Oliver whispers, shaking his head as the tears begin to form._

 _"That's a need to know. Suffice it to say I have a need of a man in your capacity." She retorts as she moves to stand in front of him._

 _"I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore and you should know that, you should know that I will never stop trying to escape one way or another." He murmurs._

 _"And you should know that it's extremely easy to kill someone the world already thinks is dead." She retorts sharply._

 _"Kill me then. I don't care. I want to die. I'll be with her, with them. Just let me die but you won't, you continue to force feed me, stop me from trying to escape. Just kill me and that'll be the end of it because I don't want to be here. I will never help you. I would rather die." He murmurs honestly._

 _"We're going to have to try this another way then." She sighs as she begins to walk away, glancing at the man behind her, when Oliver uses the remainder of his strength to kick the chair back sharply into the man, before breaking into a run._

 _"Escape attempt ten." Waller mutters as Oliver races out of the room._

 _"After him." She glowers at her agent races after Oliver, who has moved toward the staircase, yet instead of going down the stairs he goes up._

 _Racing up the stairs as the agents race after him. Yet for once he is quicker and he scales the staircases as fast as he possibly can._

 _Moving towards a ladder, he climbs it, pulling himself through a hole that allows him to stand on the roof of this building, grabbing a discarded piece of steel to lock the hatch he just pulled himself out of before racing across the roof._

 _Running as fast as he can until he reaches the very edge of the roof._

 _"Mr. Queen. Get down from there. Now." Amanda Waller snarls at him far down below._

 _"Of course." He mutters as he takes another step forward, standing up to the very ledge._

 _"Its like you said, Amanda." He starts as he hears the banging on the hatch doors, her agents trying to get through to him._

 _"You can have your freedom one day, just get down off that roof now." She hisses._

 _"I have nothing to lose." Oliver shakes his head as he prepares to jump, to finally be at peace, with Sara, Slade, Harley._

 _Meanwhile, Amanda grabs a hold of her phone, anxious that her agents won't get through the hatch in time before Oliver jumps._

 _He could be useful to her and he is no use dead and she does wonder even if he men do get to him and pull him down from the roof._

 _What's to stop him from trying again unless they lock him down. But she will require his services and when he declines he will again, possibly attempt something like this._

 _"Medbay, this is Waller. I need you to transport a prisoner to me right now." She hisses to an answer she didn't want to hear._

 _"Look. I don't care how drugged up he is. Wake him up and bring him here now!" She snarls as she looks up at Oliver who stands on the very edge of the roof._

 _"What is it you wanted to say to me? What did I say to you?" She questions, wondering if she could keep him talking long enough for either her guards to break through or her secret weapon to arrive._

 _Standing on the very ledge, Oliver looks down at her._

 _"I'm already dead." He mutters as he prepare to jump…_

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter is already in the works and should be updated soon, thanks for all the follows and favourites, thanks again for reading and please tell me what you all thought of this chapter._**


	143. The Calm (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Three_**

 _Starling City General_

Diggle groans as he buries his head in his hands, whilst nervously waiting for the verdict.

"False alarm." The doctor announces.

"Are you sure? These contractions…" Lyla frowns from the chair.

"Are just Braxton-Hicks. You're not even four centimetres dilated." The doctor assures her as Lyla runs a hand over her large baby bump.

"I feel like an M1-A1." She groans.

"It's a tank. Think a big, big tank." Diggle informs the doctor, whom was confused by her choice of words.

"You did the right thing coming in. You don't want you're husband…"

"Boyfriend."

"Ex husband." Both Diggle and Lyla say to correct him.

"To be delivering the baby on the side of the freeway. You can get dressed now." The doctor smiles at them both kindly before leaving the couple.

"All right." Diggle sighs, clasping his hands together.

"Are you okay?" Lyla frowns.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm not the one that's nine months pregnant." Diggle responds.

"You look a little scared." She points out.

"Honey, please, I've thrown down with the Taliban, Malcolm Merlyn and a host of Mirakuru powered human weapons. I'm terrified." He admits as soon to be parents both laugh to one another before sharing a careful embrace.

 _A Restaurant In Starling City_

Using a zipline, leant to him by the Arrow. The Man In The Mask uses it to swing from one building to the roof of a restaurant where he lands with ease, pulling off his mask and vigilante uniform to reveal his smart dinner suit and places everything in two bags, one for the uniform and some of the weapons, the other bag for the rest of the weapons before moving down the stairs, seeing a shelf hidden away that he could place said two bags and his three swords, locking them away and clenching his fists to try and quell the urges of the Mirakuru.

He'd almost lost control again to night.

He shrugged it off as adrenaline from the chase to Oliver and Sara.

How many times can he use that excuse, he doesn't know he thinks to himself before heading into the restaurant itself where he is led to a table where Felicity is already sat.

The sight of Felicity alone causing him to freeze in place.

She looks so beautiful…

"Hi." She starts nervously, getting to her feet as he approaches her.

"Hey." He murmurs before wrapping her in a tight embrace.

Having Felicity in his arms taking the violent Mirakuru urges away instantly, calming him.

After a few moments of just standing there in each others arms, they move to sit down.

"What?" She frowns at the look on his face.

"Nothing." He responds.

"Ok. Sara did all this. I was her prisoner." She babbles.

"No, no, you look beautiful Felicity." He smiles at her causing her to bite her lip nervously whilst trying not to grin like a maniac.

"Are you nervous?" She asks after that as he raises an eyebrow at her.

"Have I seriously made the fearful Slade Wilson nervous?" She laughs lightly.

"Not likely." He smirks at her before they order their drinks, Slade frowning at her when she requests just a glass of water.

"Alcohol might help with your…"

"The alcohol is not going to mix well with the three benzos I already took." She whispers before burying her head in her hands.

"I'm being crazy. What do we have to be nervous about? I mean we've already exhausted every topic that one would normally talk about on a first date and a second date and a third date and every date actually, we've kissed twice and I've already seen you shirtless, multiple times. Shirtless and working out all the time, right by my desk. I swear if you fall off one day and break my computers I will kill you. Actually. It would kinda be my own fault, considering I moved the desks there so I could… Um hear you better when you're…" She trails off when their drinks arrive, Felicity instantly grateful for the interruption.

"There are still many things that you don't know about me." Slade replies.

"Please, name one. I mean I actually know a lot about your old job, you know before island job. I had to do some research once for purposes. I hacked into the ASIS database a few times. Yet don't worry. That was only because you guys went missing and I wondered if there were any safe houses you had, or locations you'd go to. I know you were born in New Zealand but grew up in Australia and you have a lot of safe houses and that cave that you said actually existed, what did you use it for… I am saying way too much." She closes her eyes, opening them again only when Slade rests his hand over hers.

"Kept some of my best weapons in that cave. It exists underneath the house I lived in with Oliver." He responds before adding.

"And at a later date we are going to have a conversation about why you decided to research all that." He murmurs.

"Ohh I said. Because you guys went back to the island and well I could literally ask anyone and easily find stuff about Oliver and Sara but not you as you only came to Starling City because of them." She points out as Slade smirks at her, making her feel slightly less nervous already.

"Actually, you'd be surprised that there is more." He notes before fixing her with a one eyed glance, that threatens to bring back some of her nerves again.

"The five years Oliver, Sara and I were gone. We were not always on the island as you can probably guess from the house." He notes.

"I thought so. You what. You and Oliver escaped from Lian Yu and just went straight there? I mean I know ARGUS had involvements and that's not something we should be talking about on a first date." She gives him a sad smile.

"No. We were on Hong Kong. Well Oliver, myself and Harley Quinn was. Sara was on Nanda Parbat with the League Of Assassins as we later discovered. Hong Kong was where ARGUS brought Oliver and I and I have been thinking about our time there. The choices Oliver and I had to make, what happened to my son as Waller gave me new information about him." He admits to her as she squeezes his hand gently.

"Ohh my god Slade. You don't have to…"

"I do. She told me they pursued him. That he ran after they shot my ex wife and that someone was there. Someone I don't know. Attempted to rescue him, I have no idea, but they continued pursuit and they stopped that man, probably killed him for all I know and my son, he, he jumped off a cliff when they wounded him. That he. He killed himself." He reveals as Felicity looks at him in horror, trying to fight the tears appearing in her eyes.

"But they killed him Slade. ARGUS did that and they branded you a monster for no reason at all." She whispers.

"I was a monster Felicity. I massacred them. I wasn't going to stop…"

"Slade, they killed your son. Anyone in your position, Mirakuru or not would have done the exact same thing." She points out.

"I didn't notice until Waller caused him pain that she'd got a gun to Oliver's head. I was so far gone. She kicked him to the ground and told me I had a choice. I could continue massacring ARGUS or I could watch her blow Oliver's head off as she had implanted a bomb in his neck that if she pressed one button would blow Oliver's head off so I. Oliver. He, he protested. He told me to forget about him. To continue but I couldn't. I had lost everything Felicity. My son, the woman I loved at the time. The only thing I had left in the world was Oliver Queen so I made the choice to save him and I have never regretted it. I couldn't lose him. He was all I had left. There was no one I trusted more than Oliver. I didn't trust a single person beside him and as you probably know, I still have difficulties with trust now and during those five years the only people I trusted was Oliver and Sara and they're still with me now because they both mean the world to me but back then, they were the only people I could completely trust. I could never see other people for people, only threats, or people I had to kill and when the time came that the three of us decided to come home, each of us, we didn't know how to switch that off. Sara and Oliver had it easier, they had each other and their friends and family, me. All I had was Oliver and Sara when coming to Starling City. A completely new place for me, where all I knew were the two of them and well. I wasn't exactly welcomed by Moira and Thea at the beginning, or Thomas. Honestly the only people who tried to make feel welcome were Lance and Laurel and then Deadshot's laptop came into our possession and we had to go and find technical support and I walked into your office." He admits to her as she looks at him with wide, almost tearful eyes as she listens.

"You were the first person that I could see as person, not a threat, or a danger to us, just a person and there was something about you…"

"Yeah I was chewing on a pen." She winces.

"Me and pens, ha. Remarkable how I keep ending up stabbing people with them now."

"It was red." Slade cuts her off as Felicity just smiles at him.

"I can't believe you can remember that." She laughs lightly.

"I remember a lot of things, Felicity." He replies.

"Yeah. I noticed, I mean a pen colour?" She grins.

"Yes." He retorts.

"Well. Thanks for not seeing me as a threat." She smiles.

"Likewise." He murmurs.

"Likewise? I mean I know I was a little shocked when I found out you were one of the vigilantes when I found you and Oliver in my car but I. I was never scared of you. I used to think that you may think I was scared of you. A lot of people were and please don't kill him for this, but Dig was always a little wary around you and did tell me to be a careful, sort of know you at arms length kinda thing but you, yeah you were grumpy a lot but you were always kind to me. Just kind. I remember the second time we met and you just looked really, really angry but also. Sad. You looked sad. You had a fight with Oliver and Sara right?" She questions as he nods.

"They'd recruited Diggle without my consent. It's as I told you. I had difficulties with trust and I was just so used to it being the three of us. Honestly I didn't want that to change but look where we are now I have you, Roy, Sin, even Diggle and I became friends and our honorary team members, Nyssa, Selina, Mick, Lisa, Len." He smiles slightly.

"You learnt to let more people in. I felt like, in someways you did let me in kind of that second time we met and we had coffee together. I just remember walking into you…"

"You didn't walk into me." He murmurs.

"Yeah I did. I remember you were outside Queen Consolidated." She points out.

"Yes I was. I was there to see you. I knew you were about to have your break." He admits causing Felicity to fall silent.

"I told you. You were the first person I could see who wasn't a threat and usually when I need to calm down I go to Oliver but when I'm angry at Oliver himself, I don't normally handle it well but then I went to you. Probably saved some criminals life." He notes as Felicity looks at him shocked, unable to say a word in response.

"I told you once before Felicity. You do mean a lot to me."

 _Elsewhere…_

"GPS shows one of them in a restaurant. One of the vigilantes is definitely in there. If we're going to find which one that is. We got to get in closer." One man mutters from looking down at his phone.

"We're close enough." The boss smirk as he opens up a case…

 _The Restaurant_

"Do you remember when I told you that because of what we do and everything else I'd been through, I mean now you can probably guess, with Shado and every other relationship I have ever been in that I didn't believe that I could be with someone that I could really care about and that I'd made that mistake before and it didn't work out? Which was basically me on the island, ignoring my rules about not having an attachment to anything yet falling in love with Shado." He admits to her.

"Yeah. I remember and it does make more sense now." She nods.

"Perhaps I was wrong." He retorts.

"Slade Wilson, admitting he's wrong? Is the world ending!" She laughs softly.

"Possibly." He smirks himself as she tightens her grip on his hand somewhat before tilting her head to the side nervously.

"Slade are you…" She starts before noticing the grave look on Slade's face as he hears the familiar sound of…

Instantly grabbing Felicity he throws her to the ground just as a missile hits the restaurant...

 _Moments Later…_

The impact of the missile threw everyone to the side, scattered them across the ruined and now fiery restaurant.

The Mirakuru having kept him from being knocked out, Slade crawls out from under the debris, feeling said Mirakuru get to work on his injuries, healing them instantly.

Instant rage passes through him.

Who did this? Who is responsible he will find them and when he does…

Felicity…

Just the thought of her quells the Mirakuru fuelled rage as he hurriedly looks around for her.

"Felicity." He murmurs as he looks through some of the charred bodies that lie on the ground. He threw her from the blast didn't he? He contemplates quickly, getting to his feet and searching around for her, until he finally lays eyes on her.

"No." He murmurs as he bends down beside her bleeding, ash, smoke and glass covered form lying on a broken table.

"Felicity." He lifts her head gently.

The relieved feeling unimaginable when he finds that she has a pulse and is still alive.

He doesn't know what he would have done otherwise…

 _The Foundry_

Having carried Felicity with ease through different pathways through Starling City, it is quite the relief when Verdant comes into view.

Carrying her toward the basement he quickly unlocks the door before heading down the stairs and surprise, surprise both Oliver and Sara are stood right at the bottom of said stairs.

"Slade?! Ohh my god." Sara calls toward him as he moves past them, placing Felicity gently down on the table, stroking her forehead momentarily.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sara asks quickly, keeping one of her hands wrapped around Slade's arm whilst looking to Felicity.

"She's out cold." Slade responds, staying close by her side, Sara wincing as she pushes Felicity's hair back gently away from her face, which one side is covered in blood.

"What about you? Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Oliver grabs his arms quickly.

"I'm fine, kid. I'm a'right." Slade mutters.

"Are you sure? We heard it on the news, we didn't think it could be… We were about to suit up and go out but… Are you sure your okay?!" Oliver asks worriedly.

"Oliver! I'm fine. I was furthest away from the blast. Other than covered in soot I wasn't affected." He murmurs.

"But…"

"OLIVER!" Slade all but bellows to cut him off.

"I'm fine." He growls as he tries to push past Oliver, but is instead pulled into a tight embrace from Oliver.

"God Slade." He murmurs as he holds his brother tightly.

He could have lost him.

Could have lost him again.

He could have lost him again… Oliver thinks repeatedly.

"Hey guys did you hear all that on the… Ohh my god!" Sin yells, she and Roy racing into the room upon seeing Felicity unconscious and bleeding on the table and Oliver embracing a rather messed up looking Slade.

"We just heard about it on the news. I didn't think…" Roy trails off.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Sin moves toward Felicity.

"She'll be fine." Slade murmurs as he tries to step away from Oliver, only to be all but tackled by Roy.

"Are you okay? Where are you injured?!" Roy asks quickly as Slade squeezes his shoulder.

"I'm fine. Completely fine. Furthest away from the blast." He lies again as Oliver grabs his arm, looking up at him worriedly as Sara does to, soon moving to hug Slade when Roy has moved to check on Felicity.

"Police and fire are on the scene." Diggle informs them from the computer.

"Well I didn't exactly think it was the best idea to stick around to answer questions." Slade growls angrily.

"You don't think you and an explosion at the same place is a coincidence?" Diggle points out with folded arms.

"No. Of course it isn't but the question is who." Slade retorts.

"Can you think of anyone who would…" Sin shrugs.

"Yes. Yes I can. Anyone who I've gone up against as The Man In The Mask, anyone who I fought on the island and other places and even before that during my time in ASIS! I have made a lot of enemies narrowing it down would be a near impossibility." He hisses.

"Wilson why is all your stuff like on the top of the stairs… Woah what happened. Ohh my god were you guys in that restaurant?" Tommy calls from the top of the stairs, carrying the bags down that contain Slade's weapons and uniform.

"What do you think Thomas?!" Slade snarls at him.

"She okay?" He looks to Felicity.

"Yeah." Oliver nods as Tommy opens up on the bags.

"Woah. Ok, check this out guys. GPS." He pulls something small from the bag.

"Where did you find that?" Slade hisses.

"On your uniform. It's wrecked now I think." He passes it to Oliver.

"We took out one of Steelgraves' crew earlier. You were the one that was beating the guy. It was…" Sara trails off.

"Set up." Slade snarls.

"So what? They could plant a tracker on one of us? I mean I got close, as did Sara but Slade you took him down. He put it on you." Oliver nods as Slade just shakes his head, turning away from them and running his hands through his hair.

"Slade I know what you're thinking right now and it wasn't…" Sara trails off as Slade glares at her, both she and Oliver moving toward him carefully.

"You don't." He mutters.

"But we do. We're not other people, Slade and we know what you're thinking right now and you're wrong." Sara folds her arms as she moves to stand in front of him.

"SARA!" He bellows at her, trying to keep himself from either destroying something or even worse, attacking Sara as the rage begins to build again.

"Don't shut us out, we know, we know what you think is happening here but it's not. None of us noticed Slade. If we couldn't have, you couldn't have." Oliver starts carefully.

"Somebody placed a tracker on me and I didn't notice? None of us noticed? We've become complacent. Sloppy. That is the only explanation here. We're distracted and distractions get you killed." Slade hisses.

"No. No, do not go down that road again, Slade." Oliver shakes his head.

"How can I not? I was distracted. We've all been distracted and we shouldn't have. We weren't focused because of distractions." He stops looking once toward Felicity than away from Sara and Oliver.

"I cannot allow that to happen again." He mutters before moving away from them, causing Oliver and Sara to look at one another worriedly, about to follow him when Roy does instead, Oliver closing his eyes in dismay as Sara reaches for her phone.

"Calling your dad?" Tommy questions.

"Yeah." Sara nods.

"Hey dad." She calls when the calls connects.

"Sara, sweetheart please tell me that none of you were near that…"

"Slade and Felicity were but before you start. They're okay. Felicity's unconscious and Slade is, well Slade but dad, that guys we took down earlier is working with whoevers responsible for the explosion." She tells him quickly.

"Another one of Steelgraves' crew I'm guessing." He mutters.

"Well we need to know who's at the top of that organisation now." Oliver mutters.

"And where we can find him so I can gouge his eyes out and tear out his spine!" Slade snarls as Quentin winces at the choice of words.

"Okay. I'm on it. Sara, can I have a word?" He requests.

"Sure." Sara replies, taking him off speaker phone.

"I'm off speaker right?" He questions.

"Yep. Go on." Sara sighs, already knowing where this is going.

"Right you and Oliver. You get to this guy first, alright. Or Tommy or Harper. Any of you but Wilson cause I actually believe he would do the things he just listed. I mean yikes." Quentin notes as Sara nods.

"Sure. Don't worry dad. Thank you." She smiles as she hangs up, glancing towards Slade, who gives her a glance that makes her wonder if somehow he heard all that.

"She's going to be okay, Slade." Roy looks over at him.

"She wouldn't have even been there if I hadn't have let myself get distracted. This is just like before. I let myself feel something for someone and…" He gestures to where she lies.

"Shouldn't form attachments. I made the mistake of doing that a long time ago." He glances toward Oliver and Sara, then to Roy and Felicity.

"You don't mean that." Roy continues.

"I don't know anymore." He admits, moving toward the table Felicity lies upon.

"SLADE!" Felicity all but shrieks when she abruptly regains consciousness.

"Hey you're safe, you're safe, you're okay, I'm here, you're okay." He murmurs soothingly to her as she grips tightly to his hand, breathing heavily.

"You're okay." He assures her, stroking her hair gently.

"Ohh god where… Where are we? Are you okay? What happened?!" She cries softly.

"We're in The Foundry. I brought you here, I'm fine, what do you remember?" He questions gently as she continues to clutch tightly to his hand.

"There was an explosion… Ohh my god there was an explosion." She whispers as she shudders, Slade drawing her carefully into his arms as she clutches tightly to him, burying her face against him as he strokes her back comfortingly.

"Where are we on information?" He looks up at Oliver and Sara.

"Called my dad. He's digging up what he can. We should probably suit up and wait." She looks toward the others.

"Perhaps you should sit this one out…" Oliver starts but is cut off by the glare Slade gives him, causing Oliver to sigh.

"I would feel much more comfortable if you sat this one out." Oliver continues.

"I wouldn't." Slade retorts as Oliver sighs, not wanting to do this but he feels like it's necessary, he almost lost Slade… Again.

"I'm in charge. I say you should stay here while me, Sara, Tommy, Roy and Sin go and check this out." Oliver says sternly, he didn't want to pull rank but he felt like he had no choice.

"You may be in charge, kid." Slade hisses angrily as he turns to face Oliver, feeling the rage begin to slowly built.

"But don't forget who taught you how to fight and become the leader you are, kid!" He growls, yet is somewhat kept from the rage as Felicity, having felt how tensed up Slade had become, tightens her hold on him causing the rage to begin to fade again.

Holding her close to him, he kisses the top of her head gently before pulling away, much to Felicity's protests.

"I'll be right back." He murmurs, heading to retrieve a few supplies before sitting across from her, wiping the blood gently off the side of her face.

"Are you hurt you were closest to the blast?" She asks softly.

"Few scrapes, nothing to worry about." He shrugs, feeling her wrap her hand around his as he continues to tend to the cuts and bruises.

"You sure your okay?" She asks in a small voice.

"Yes." He responds curtly.

"We're going after whoever did this. They are going to pay." He hisses.

"Guess you're doing that now." She queries as she notices the others suiting up.

"Yes." He answers.

"Well. I do need to get out of this dress and have a very long shower. So the timing isn't terrible." She shrugs her shoulders as Slade gets up moving towards the others.

"Slade. I know…"

"Kid if you say another word concerning me not joining you I will put you down right here right now." He growls when Oliver opens his mouth to say something.

"I was gonna say try and take it easy out there. I know you're angry…"

"Basically. Try not to kill anyone okay." Tommy fills in for him, wishing he hadn't when Slade glowers at him, moving away from them both to the other side of The Foundry to collect his weapons, hearing footsteps behind him, he spins around to see Billy Wintergreen stood behind him.

Ensuring the others are not anyway near him, he glowers at Billy.

"What do you want?" He hisses, his voice barely a whisper.

"I am here to set you straight, brother. You've become complacent, soft. Distracted and you know why that is Slade? Oliver Queen and Sara Lance. They, more specifically Oliver was beginning of the end for you. You're a shadow of your former self. They've done that you. With your abilities you should have detected that bomb before it exploded but you didn't because of Felicity Smoak and why were you with her? Because Oliver and Sara convinced that being with her is good for you. They're wrong Slade. Oliver is wrong." He comments.

"Go away." Slade hisses.

"Can't do that, I'm a product of that wonderful Mirakuru substance you kept. Kept and are currently wasting. You should be using it to its full extent. No kill rule my arse. You're no follower Slade Wilson. You're a leader. Yet what do you do with your life now? Trail behind Oliver Queen. Meeting him was the worst thing that ever happened to you and you know what Slade?" He questions moving to stand in front of Slade.

"Your love for Oliver and Sara is your weakness and yet you believe that Oliver especially is what you need. To help you stay in control of the Mirakuru? No. No. What Oliver Queen is doing is suppressing the Mirakuru, the person you really are. Oliver Queen doesn't make you stronger. He makes you weak." He hisses before adding.

"Push him away. You don't need him..."

"Slade." Sara calls over to him.

"Ready to go?" She queries, pulling Slade from his thoughts.

"Of course." He grumbles before moving toward the stairs, only for gentle fingers to wrap around his wrist.

"Be careful." Felicity whispers, looking up at him.

"I'll be fine." He murmurs as to his utmost surprise, Felicity leans up, resting her palm against his cheek as she kisses him.

Pulling away only a moment later, yet still long enough for them both to hear a silent cheer from Roy (deciding to deal with him for that later) Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"What was that for?" He questions.

"Despite nearly getting blown up, a good first date." She replies with a slight smile, Slade just rolling his eye at her as he moves toward Sara and Oliver.

Determined, one way or another to make the ones who almost got Felicity killed pay for what they did before the night is out.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Walking down a long deserted corridor, the sound of footsteps causes the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask to raise their weapons.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm on your side!" Quentin protests.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The Black Canary growls.

"For one that is no way to speak to your father and the other. These guys blew up a building with two of you guys in it. You think I'm sitting this out?" Quentin retorts.

"We have this handled, detective." The Arrow murmurs.

"We don't need any help." The Man In The Mask growls.

"Think you need someone else here for other purposes such as restraint. I know you and Felicity were there and from what I could hear though the phone earlier you sounded pissed. Like inclined to break your no kill rule pissed so here I am, in case you two let him do what the hell he wants to this guy." Quentin folds his arms.

"He has a point." The Black Canary shrugs.

"Canary." The Arrow growls.

"What. I could have lost two of my friends tonight. I for one am inclined to let him do what he wants to this guy. Sorry." She shrugs.

"You were saying what about having this handled?" Quentin looks to the Arrow, who shakes his head in despair.

"Do you have anything on the suspect?" He questions.

"Name is Werner Zytle. He's a real nut bar." Quentin retorts.

"Keep your head on a swivel then." The Arrow replies as they turn toward the building.

"We should split up." The Man In The Mask suggests near the entrance.

"Like that's a good idea." Quentin snorts as The Man In The Mask moves off in a different direction anyway.

"Follow him." The Arrow glances to the Black Canary who nods as the Arrow enters the building one way, moving down a dimly lit corridor, bow and arrow close in hands.

Stopping when he hears the sound of footsteps behind him.

"I'm Werner Zytle." The man behind him speaks before jabbing him in the side of the neck with a needle before he can even do anything.

"But you can call me Vertigo." He hisses as the Arrow staggers backwards.

"The Count's dead." He murmurs.

"Some things never die. You and your friends for example. It's frustrating, just means I have to try a little bit harder." He aims a various combination of attacks at the Arrow, who deflects them with ease, his vision clouding over as he begins to stumble to the floor.

"The Count might be dead, true but his glorious narcotic lives on, with a few enhancements that will reveal to you your greatest fear, like gazing upon truth itself." He grins as the Arrow feels something grab his leg from behind.

Sara…

Sara lying on the floor, blood pooling from her mouth, three arrows protruding from her chest…

"SARA!" The Arrow cries, falling to his knees beside her as she coughs.

"Ollie…" She whispers before saying no more, her head lolling to the side, her blonde curls becoming doused in her own blood.

"SARA! SARA…" The Arrow trails off, voice raw from screaming, tears streaming down his cheeks, reaching for her just as he sees something slumped against a wall.

"Slade…" He whispers as he crawls across the floor, unable to get to his feet.

"Kid." He murmurs, his lips bloody, a large stab wound in the centre of his chest.

Just like all those months ago when Shado killed Slade in front of him.

"SLADE!" The Arrow growls as his head droops to his shoulder.

"SLADE!" He cries again as he realizes that he's sat in a pool of blood.

Slade and Sara's blood.

Sara and Slade are dead…

"No." The Arrow whispers, tears falling from his eyes.

"No." He shakes his head, burying his head in his hands, only to be kicked hard in the head, knocked to the ground, unable to move, barely even able to fight back against the attacks, the toxin and the grief…

He keeps staring at the bodies of Sara and Slade as he's attacked, punched, kicked, thrown to the ground, until he is lifted from the ground by his throat.

His attack squeezing the life out of him, approaching him with yet another needle as his vision flickers rapidly, darkness approaching, yet Sara and Slade's bodies vanishing from sight for several moments…

Suddenly gunshots sound out.

"Get away from him or get put down!" The voice of Quentin yells, a scream of pain filling the Arrow's ears moments later and he's dropped to the floor, Werner Zytle's entire arm also hitting the ground beside the Arrow.

"For the love of god." Quentin winces at the sight of The Man In The Mask's action to slice the man's entire arm off with one deliberate swipe of his sword.

"He said. Get away from him!" The Man In The Mask snarls, advancing on Werner Zytle, whom begins to scramble out of sight, clutching the bleeding stump, backing away as the Black Canary, kneels down beside the Arrow.

"Ollie. Ollie talk to me. Ollie. It's okay. We're here." She whispers hurriedly as he clutches to her unable that he's doing so.

She's gone… Sara's gone. Her body… He moves his head to where he last saw her body.

It's no longer there, neither is the blood or Slade's body. The only thing in arms reach is the Black Canary herself.

His Sara…

His remaining tears stopping him from being able to say a word, he clutches to her for dear life as she rests her hand against his cheek.

"Ollie. It's okay. Ollie you're safe. You're safe." She whispers, looking up to where The Man In The Mask is dealing with Warner Zytle, about to finish him off completely.

Yet before he can, Quentin notices from the distance Zytle's remaining hand reaching for needles from his pocket, beginning to run backwards at the same time, preparing to jab the needles in The Man In The Mask, causing Quentin to shoot at him rapidly until he begins to clutch his chest and collapse to the ground.

"Dad!" The Black Canary cries, getting to her feet instantly, hating to move away from the clearly distressed Oliver, but knows she needs to be also with her dad.

"Slade stay with Ollie. Slade!" The Black Canary calls to where he is beginning to chase after Werner Zytle.

"SLADE!" She cries as she reaches her father's side.

"Slade we'll take him down but right now Ollie needs you!" She continues to cry as she kneels down by her father's side who wraps one of his hands around hers whilst continuing to clutch his chest with the other.

The Man In The Mask near to the door, hears the latter part of the Black Canary's words.

Oliver needs him.

But that monster harmed Oliver. He needs to have his head removed from his body…

One glance at Oliver is all it takes though to break through the Mirakuru rage.

Oliver's shaking form, the tears sliding down from behind the mask…

"Kid. Kid. It's a'right, I'm here. It's a'right. What did he do to you?" He growls the instant he's at the Arrows side, who instantly begins to clutch onto him the instant he's near enough.

He's alive top

Sara's alive. Slade's alive.

Greatest fear. The greatest fear the Arrow thinks to himself somehow, remembering the words before he was stabbed with the needle of Vertigo.

It was all just a Vertigo induced hallucination.

Sara and Slade are alive…

The harrowing experience keeping him close to The Man In The Mask, whom is murmuring comforting words to him in more than one language, whilst the Black Canary, staring over at the man she loves, squeezes her father's hand as she calls through the comms.

"Felicity call an ambulance!"

 _The Foundry_

"My god, Oliver." Tommy calls the instant he sees Slade moving down the steps, basically supporting Oliver down them.

"What the hell happened?" Roy questions as Slade reaches the final step, moving Oliver toward the nearest chair, trying to move to face the others, yet Oliver's death grip on his arm keeps him in the position he is.

He could get out of it if he wanted to but currently Oliver is the only thing keeping him from tearing apart Starling City to tear apart the man who dared harm Oliver.

"Oliver. What happened? You were hit by a drug?" Tommy moves toward him.

"I'm okay. They're okay." Oliver murmurs, looking up at Slade momentarily.

"Detective Lance…" He starts.

"Sara called. He's at the Starling General apparently he had a coronary artery spasm and he's being treated with medication." Sin fills him in.

"Should have let us come out there with you." Roy murmurs.

"What? You'd want to risk ending up like this?!" Slade growls at him.

"I think what he meant to say was perhaps if you had me, Roy and Sin it wouldn't have happened." Tommy corrects him as Slade glowers at him, Oliver's grip on his arm keeping him from tearing Thomas a new one and also Felicity who has moved to his side.

"Are you a'right?" He mutters through gritted teeth.

"Believe it or not I've had worse first dates and as I said before. It got off to a good start." She rests her hand on his arm, frowning when Slade pulls away from her to stand the other side of Oliver, who still hasn't freed his arm.

"Thomas. Head out onto the streets. Werner's agenda isn't stopping with the vigilantes. We need to know what he has planned." He instructs him.

"On it. Mind if I take Roy and Sin for backup in case you know, he comes after me." He folds his arms.

"Rather they stayed." He murmurs.

"Slade." Oliver sighs quietly.

"Fine. Take Sin and Roy." He mutters, yet grabs Roy's shoulder roughly when he passes.

"He comes at you with anything. You put him down. I don't care how. You put him down. I do not want to see you like this." He gestures to Oliver.

"I'll be fine. I'll have the comms open all times." Roy nods.

"Good." Slade mutters, patting Roy on the shoulder.

"I'll join them for backup." Diggle pulls on his coat.

"No, go, go home to Lyla. In fact. Tommy. Don't go. Go go to Laurel and the kids. Sin and Roy have this covered." Oliver murmurs shakily.

"Oliver. If this about what happened tonight to you, or even with what happened to Slade and Felicity and your concerned. It's okay. I was trained by you. I can handle some asshole with a bunch of needles." Tommy tries to smile.

"I agree. We're good. Also I don't think Slade even wanted Roy and Sin out there so I think Tommy and I going would probably make matters easier." Diggle adds.

"It's just Intel gathering, Roy and Sin can handle it." Oliver shrugs.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Sin smiles at Roy, the two of them suiting up, whilst Diggle moves toward the stairs.

"Are you going to tell me exactly what happened, kid?" Slade looks down at him.

"Do you. Do you mind if I… I can't…" Oliver trails off.

"It's okay. I understand. Now I'll just put the weapons away. I'll be right over there." He replies, glancing at Felicity who nods and moves to stand near Oliver as Slade finally manages to tug his arm free, moving across the room with both his, Oliver and Sara's vigilante equipment in his hands.

"What are you doing?" The voice of Billy says behind him.

"You should have killed that man tonight Slade. Killed him. Tore him apart. Not let him go because Oliver was having a mental breakdown. It's Oliver again. Always Oliver, getting in your way and look what you've doing now. At his side, watching over him. Concerned for him. You let that force your instincts to kill away. That, concern for someone you don't even need in your life. He makes you weak. What was it you said about attachments Slade? You didn't want to make them because they get people killed. It's going to get you killed. Other people killed. He is worth nothing. Put some distance between the two of you. It will make you feel so much better…"

"Slade?" A hand on his arm almost causes him to go into attack mode, only to see that it is in fact Felicity.

"What?" He questions.

"You looked really lost then. You okay?" She asks him softly.

"I'm fine." He attempts to move past her.

"No you're not. What's wrong? Is this about what happened to Oliver? To me?" She asks carefully, rubbing his arms gently as Slade closes his eyes, trying to get the voice of Billy out of his mind and focus on the caring, wonderful woman in front of him.

"We need to talk." He mutters.

"About our dinner, or our dinner getting blown up?" She questions.

"Both and more." He murmurs.

"It's okay. We'll talk about it after we catch this guy." She replies as Slade's phone suddenly begins to ring. Seeing that it's Roy. Slade answers instantly.

"What's wrong where are you?!" He growls instantly.

"Woah. Woah calm down I'm good. I'm good. It's just there's that meeting at Queen Consolidated. You know, with the new next door company? The reminder just showed up on my phone and considering I'm supposed to be doing Felicity's job I'm supposed to get Oliver and you there." He reminds Slade, whom hears Oliver groan in the background.

"When is it?" Slade mutters.

"An hour." Roy replies as Slade glances over at Oliver, who is slowly getting to his feet.

"We'll be there."

 _Hong Kong_

 _"Get down from there right now." Waller snaps at Oliver, who stands at the edge of the roof, about to jump._

 _To be with Sara._

 _Sara. Slade. Harley, even the Shado he'd remembered and loved as a sister._

 _It's harder to do this then he thought._

 _He thinks of the ones alive. His mom, Thea, Tommy, even Laurel._

 _He could still try and go home to them…_

 _But not without Sara._

 _He remembers the night before the attack on the Amazo how both he and Sara had come to realization that whilst they wanted to go home, there home now included Slade and at the time, even Shado._

 _But they're gone. They're dead._

 _They're never coming back._

 _He can hear Wallers men trying to break through the door. Their efforts proving unsuccessful currently._

 _He knows he'll be dead by the time they do open the doors._

 _Yet before he can make the final decision, he watches a van appear, a load of other ARGUS men exiting it, more soldiers, with larger weapons._

 _Perhaps she'll make the decision for him, order them to shoot him, to end it once and for all._

 _He doesn't want that to be here decision._

 _It's his and he knows which one he's going to make._

 _To be with Sara, Slade, Harley and Shado._

 _He moves to jump…_

 _"OLIVER!" A sudden yell causes him to freeze, resting the foot back on the ledge as he looks around hurriedly at the sound of the yell that had prevented him from jumping._

 _"OLIVER!" The voice yells again, the familiar accented voice._

 _Not a voice he'd ever forget._

 _"Slade." He finds himself whispering from his place upon the roof._

 _"Let him out. Be prepared to fire." He hears Wallers voice call out as from the back of the van, surrounded by a mass of ARGUS soldiers, all with guns pointed directly at him._

 _Slade…_

 _Slade. Is. Alive…_

 _The shock alone prevents Oliver from moving at all._

 _Getting a closer look of Slade, Oliver sees that one side of his face is covered in white bandages, mostly over his eye._

 _The eye Shado shot an arrow through._

 _The arrow intended for him…_

 _He's still alive…_

 _The Mirakuru is the only thing that comes to mind. Yet it couldn't be that powerful could it? Slade was dead. He was gone and yet now he's right here._

 _Alive..._

 _"Oliver. Come down from there now." He calls to him and yet still Oliver doesn't move._

 _"Kid, kid don't do this." Slade starts, edging forward slightly, only to be bombarded by the ARGUS soldiers._

 _"Is this necessary? Let me past. I need to get up there." He snarls at Waller._

 _"You can speak to him from down here. Shout at him if you must. You're probably used to doing that." Waller retorts._

 _"You stupid bitch." Slade hisses, only to growl out in pain as one of the guards, with a nod at Waller shoot him through the leg._

 _"No!" Oliver cries from the roof, watching Slade fall slightly._

 _"Kid I'm a'right. Just having a disagreement about how to handle this down here. Perhaps we can all have that disagreement, come down from there. Join me." Slade suggests through gritted teeth._

 _"Kid, you need to get down before you hurt yourself." He continues._

 _"That's the point." Oliver finds himself murmuring._

 _"You know kid, if we were back at the plane right now. I'd kick your arse up and down the island for talking back to me like that and I have a very good mind to climb up there and do that now. You remember that don't you kid? The training. I might have been hard on you but you never gave up. You are a fighter Oliver Queen. You were the day I met you and you are now. You don't want to do this, kid." He calls to him._

 _"It's all my fault." Oliver shakes his head._

 _"What's your fault, kid. How about you tell me what you think is your fault and as always I'll tell you if it is or not." Slade says in response to his comment._

 _"Sara's dead." Oliver whispers, feeling tears begin to trail down his cheeks._

 _Looking down a little, he sees Slade has taken a step back._

 _As if he were receiving the news for the very first time._

 _"Kid that was not your fault…"_

 _"Harley's dead. Shado. I. I killed Shado, Slade. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He says, almost crying as he does so._

 _"I know. I know and that wasn't your fault either, kid. I can assure you. I promise you that wasn't your fault…"_

 _"It was. I couldn't choose. I couldn't make that choice between Shado and Sara and when I didn't because of my cowardice you were made to and you chose me by accident and Shado was shot. I went against her wishes and used the Mirakuru on her. They're all gone because of me. I killed all of them. I need to…"_

 _"No kid. No you do not need to do anything. You did not kill them. That blasted Mirakuru was the cause of all of this…"_

 _"Which was my fault. We wouldn't have discovered it if you hadn't had half your face blown off because I didn't listen to you, because you ran after me and I couldn't let you die. I caused all of this because I'm selfish. I don't think. Sara. Sara was only with me because I cheated on her sister, my girlfriend. She's dead because of me. They're all dead because of me. You. I don't know what happened to you but it's my fault." He cries._

 _"I ran after you kid. That was my choice because I was not going to let you die and I am not going to let you kill yourself now. You're not alone kid. I know it might not mean much to you right now but you are not alone. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I promise." He murmurs up to him._

 _"You can't promise that." Oliver shakes his head._

 _"I can damn well try kid but I can't keep that promise until you come down to me." Slade says gently. The most gentle Oliver thinks Slade's ever been when he's concerned._

 _"I can't do anything more for you until your down kid. I know you're in pain kid. I know and I don't know what else I can do for you other than just be there for you. I will not let you go through this alone. You are not alone, kid. I'm here and your family, your mother, your sister, your best friend they're at home, waiting for you, kid they need you." He stops._

 _"I need you, kid. I ain't getting out of this without you. If you do this. You'll be leaving me alone in this hell hole, come on kid. Brother to brother. I need you to listen to me. I said we were brothers and I meant that, kid. Oliver I meant that." He reminds Oliver, who continues to look to Slade, unable to say a word._

 _"We can make it, kid. We can survive this." He vows before adding._

 _"You and me, kid."_

 _"For the love of god. This has gone on long enough." Waller hisses suddenly before clicking her fingers, causing all her guards to swarm around Slade, each of of them with their guns to his head, there is nearly twenty of them._

 _"Now. I'm not sure what your Mirakuru can do for you but I doubt it can resurrect the dead if the cause of death was multiple bullets through the brain." She hisses._

 _"Get down off that roof Mr. Queen, or I will shoot Mr. Wilson." Waller growls._

 _But Oliver had already made up his mind._

 _He chooses Slade._

 _Beginning to step back, wobbling a little bit though just as the door behind him to the roof bursts open, ARGUS guards swarming him, dragging him back as he almost looses his footing, realizing this, Oliver opens his mouth to say he just slipped he wasn't jumping but the sound of gunfire fills his ears…_

 _"NO!" Oliver yells, trying to get to the edge of the roof upon hearing that sound._

 _He couldn't._

 _He couldn't have just found Slade only to lose him again._

 _Not again…_

 _Yet before he can do a thing, a needle pierces his skin and everything fades away…_

 _Later…_

 _Oliver opens his eyes to a gentle yellowish glow and the feel of a towel being pressed against his head, the sound of someone speaking a different language…_

 _Sitting up instantly he sees a woman beside him, the source of the voice._

 _Yet, attempting to sit only forces him back down as he finds handcuffs wrapped around both his wrists, chaining him to the bed._

 _The woman continuing to speak in Chinese._

 _"When are people going to realize that I don't speak Chinese?" He murmurs hoarsely._

 _"Japanese." The woman corrects him in English as Oliver tugs on the restraints._

 _"You speak English?" He mutters._

 _"Better than you speak Chinese." She retorts._

 _"Well can you release me. I gotta…"_

 _"You're a danger to yourself." She informs him, cutting him off before he can say a word._

 _"I'm supposed to watch you to ensure you don't cause yourself harm." She adds._

 _"Good luck with that." Oliver grumbles as it hits him._

 _Almost jumping from the roof. Slade being alive and trying to stop him, succeeding in doing that. Oliver knows he would have gone to him._

 _He wasn't alone anymore and he couldn't leave Slade alone._

 _But then he almost slipped. To Waller, Oliver fears she thought he was jumping._

 _Then came the gunfire. The gunfire that…_

 _No. No he's alive. Slade's still alive. He has to be he can't be… He just got him back…_

 _"My friend." Oliver whispers._

 _"Gone." The woman replies plainly, causing Oliver to freeze._

 _"You however, are in our home. Mine and my husband's." She replies plainly, Oliver unable to speak a word._

 _Slade's gone._

 _Again. He's gone again._

 _A man enters the room then._

 _One of Wallers guards._

 _He's this woman's husband. He has a bowl in hand._

 _"Welcome to my home. Dinner?" He offers in a kind voice._

 _"I don't want to eat anything." Oliver murmurs._

 _"We know. We know you have tried starving yourself but you should know that we will not let you die." The woman replies as Oliver fights against the restraints._

 _"Please." He whispers to them both desperately._

 _"Please just let me die."_

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, for all your kinds reviews and follows and favorites. Sorry the update took a while. I didn't have many ideas for this chapter but I might not be able to update at all next week as I'm off on holiday so I wanted to get a chapter out before then so I apologize if this chapter is the worst. Thanks again for reading, please review if you can :)**


	144. The Calm (4)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Four_**

 _Starling City General_

Upon awakening and finding himself in the hospital, Quentin sighs in frustration.

Sighing even more when he sees both Laurel and Sara by the door.

"I got to warn you. The doctors told me not to get yelled at." Quentin murmurs.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't care about your doctors instructions then seeing as you're still going out in the field." Laurel growls.

"Laurel. I told you if you need someone to yell at. Yell at me, hell, yell at all of us. I should've have let dad follow us. Slade was getting angsty so he wanted us to split off so he could kill the guy, then Ollie got hit by this new improved version of Vertigo…"

"Yeah. Don't get mad, we saved Oliver's life between me, Sara and Slade." Quentin adds quickly, hoping to calm his angry eldest daughter.

"Ok. I'm glad that Oliver's okay but dad. Do you know what an advanced healthcare directive is?" Laurel questions with folded arms as a sad look crosses Sara's face.

"It's what they ask for when you're going to die, dad. The night you collapsed the ER doctor asked me and Sara if you had one. You know I remember this because Sara had just gotten back from Lian Yu after putting that psycho away, she was happy, all up until she found out what happened to you and she broke down. You remember that Sara?" Laurel turns to her sister, who nods slowly.

"Laurel. Don't take it out on Sara." Quentin starts.

"I'm not. I'm just warning her. Telling her that she needs to remember how she felt then and how she would feel if something were to happen to you if you ever decided to go out in the field again, with her." Laurel glances to Sara, who looks devastated at her words.

"I'm sorry Laurel, I really am." Quentin reaches for both his daughters hands.

"I'm sorry to both of you. I shouldn't have done what I did. I didn't give Sara much of a choice." He squeezes both their hands tightly.

"If you're sorry then why do you keep pushing yourself like this?" Laurel sighs.

"I don't know how. I've been a cop since before you two were born. It's all I know. If I'm not a cop. What am I?" He questions.

"You're our dad." Sara whispers, squeezing his hand as Laurel rests her free hand on Sara's arm, she hadn't meant to upset her sister.

"And we need you."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"No."

"Come on Slade." Oliver sighs.

"No. No, kid. There is a line and you just crossed it." Slade growls.

"I'm just thinking about the good of the company." Oliver shrugs.

"You do realize kid that your mother would be turning in her grave right now if she heard what you asked of me." Slade hisses.

"Hey, you two were on good terms when she died. She accepted you. She would probably think this is a good idea to." Oliver retorts.

"Ask Thomas." He growls.

"Can't. You know trying to redeem the Merlyn name by turning the Merlyn Global building into a block of flats for those who lost their homes during the Undertaking and the homeless." Oliver reminds him.

"Oliver Queen I am not going to take over your duties as CEO of this company, do you understand me?" Slade growls at him again.

"I've already talked to the board…"

"Of course you have." Slade shakes his head.

"They think this is a good idea. Considering you got more work done than me in a few hours than I did in a year of being CEO." Oliver points out.

"That was because I was stressed. I tend to do things quicker when I'm stressed, kid. Shado had Thea and Mick as it tuned out and you left me here without giving me much of a choice. This is your company Oliver, now I don't mind advising you as your second in command but I am not about to take over the…"

"Hey guys. You know, the whole meeting the company next door thing is happening like now." Roy calls from the door.

"Where are they?" Oliver questions calmly.

"In the conference room." Roy replies.

"Guys got a presentation."

"I miss the godforsaken island." Slade grumbles under his breath.

"Just think about it, please?" Oliver rests a hand in Slade's arm, who shrugs him off.

"Let's just get this over with." He mutters before following Oliver and Roy toward the conference room.

"Hello!" A cheery voice calls from within from a guy who has his back to them at first.

"Ray Palmer…" He trails off with a smile on his face.

"Ray?" Oliver frowns, a smile of his own crossing his face.

"Who's this?" Slade glances to him.

"An old friend." Oliver smiles, crossing the room to embrace Ray.

"It's been too long."

"Way too long. Years and years even. What is it? Nearly seven years since we last saw each other? Cause you ended up on that island and… I need to shut up, sorry." Ray winces as he pulls away.

"I see haven't changed a bit." Oliver laughs.

"Kinda have, I mean I'm running the company next door." Ray replies.

"What? The new company next door is yours?" Oliver frowns.

"Yeah it is so I guess I'm your new neighbor!" Ray grins at them.

"I always believed that good fences made good neighbors, preferably with barbed wire and machine gun torrents." Slade remarks.

"And he has a very unique sense of humor." Oliver says through gritted teeth.

"I see." Ray nods, a slightly nervous look crossing his face as he looks around, Oliver glaring at Slade the minute Ray is looking elsewhere.

"This is my second in command and my best friend, Slade Wilson." Oliver introduces them as they shake hands.

"Yeah, the guy who came back off the island with you and Sara. I know. I read all the stories. I should have gotten in touch. I should have come to see you but I was traveling around the world and when I did get back…" He trails off a sad look crossing his face.

"You okay?" Oliver queries.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm good. I. I'm just sorry I couldn't get in touch sooner. I have got to see Sara to. Also I heard Tommy was in an accident? He's okay right." He asks quickly.

"Yes. Yeah he's good." Oliver nods.

"After what his father did I felt so bad for him and then I heard he was amongst the injured in the Undertaking." Ray shudders.

"Well he's great now. Married with kids."

"What?! We're talking about the same Tommy Merlyn right?" Ray tilts his head to the side.

"Yes. I know. I've had similar thoughts." Oliver laughs.

"Marry anyone we know?" Ray queries.

"Laurel Lance." Oliver replies.

"He married Laurel? Wow. I did not see that coming. I mean last time I saw you guys, you and Laurel were together. Wow. I have missed a lot. After the presentation, which is what I'm here for. We have to catch up. We should meet the five of us, me you, Tommy, Laurel and Sara. You're with Sara right?" He questions.

"Yes I am and we must." Oliver nods as Ray moves toward table again.

"Also so sorry I am late. Traffic was terrible, which is why I took my helicopter and for quickness Oliver, I kinda parked on your roof. I hope that's okay, you guys validate right?" Ray queries as Oliver chuckles.

"That's absolutely fine Ray."

"Considering your company is next door, couldn't you have landed on your own roof perhaps?" Slade folds his arms.

"Yeah. The roof is still under works, I mean. The whole building kinda took a step backwards considering the psychos behind the Siege were using it as their base for some time last year." Ray sighs before resting his hands on the table, seeing other Queen Consolidated workers have moved near to the room to hear the new next door company's CEO's speech.

"Ok. On with the presentation. I promise to be brief, if not a little entertaining. Ahh, oh, that's one of my new smart watches, I'm very proud of those. You like it? It works out for you?" He moves toward one of the Queen Consolidated workers.

"This guy is crazy." Roy murmurs to Slade.

"He is a pain in the arse." Slade replies through gritted teeth.

"Anyway. Despite the wonderful efforts of Queen Consolidated, especially during the time of that awful terrorist attack last year." Ray continues, pulling something from his belt buckle and placing it on the table, the device projecting images onto the white board, set up already for his presentation.

"My company has been brought to this town, right next door because. This city that our two companies now in is dying. Nobody wants to live here anymore and after two terrorist attacks, who can blame them? This city still needs saving and that is my vision for my company, next door. To not only see it rise from the ashes but to take his city with it to that new horizon and I hope to do this with Queen Consolidated, both our companies working together so we can reach that new horizon together and that new day has a name." He grins, glancing toward the presentation behind him that has now got an image of the Starling City skyline behind him with two words.

Star City.

Applause sounds out soon afterwards as Oliver moves to shake his hand, a beaming smile on his face as he approaches Ray.

"It is so good to see you again Ray."

"You to. What did you think? Too much?" He queries.

"No, it was great." Oliver responds.

"So, as I said in the presentation. I want us to work together to get to the, you know, 'Star City'. Think our companies can be allies, friends? A terrific team?" Ray continues to smile.

"You know what Ray? I think that is possible." Oliver replies as Slade rolls his eye leaning against the wall as Roy to wears a similar expression upon his face.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth watching that." Roy murmurs beside Slade.

"You and me both." Slade grumbles both of them deciding there and then that neither of them are particularly keen on their new 'neighbor'.

 _Later…_

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver calls toward Slade when the working day is done and they're heading out, Roy behind them, typing in different work reminders for them, silently cursing Slade for making him take this job.

"You've been pretty quiet all day. Is it about Ray? I know he can be a little eccentric, he always has been like that. Or is it about what I asked of you earlier?" He questions.

"Kid. I'm not taking your offer. Especially not now Queen Consolidated is planning to be allies with that." Slade retorts.

"Slade…" Oliver sighs.

"Look, kid. I know that you believe me leading the company is a good idea but may I remind you of this kid. Two years ago you, myself and Sara decided to put ourselves aside and become the three vigilantes and that is not a choice we get to unmake. We live in two worlds, but as there is more of us we are able to handle things, such as the company with ease but I do not want to accept what it is your offering, kid because I know you have an ulterior motive." Slade responds.

"What? I don't have an ulterior motive." Oliver shakes his head.

"Kid, it was established a long time ago that you cannot lie with ease to me. I remember what happened when you forced me into the position of CEO the first time, because you wanted me as far away from Shado as you could get me. So I will ask you, what are your motives this time?" He questions as Oliver looks away.

"Oliver answer me." He says sharply.

"The Vertigo I was hit with last night it showed me my greatest fear." Oliver admits.

"And? How does what I'm asking of you relate to that?" Slade folds his arms.

"Because I watched you and Sara die!" Oliver exclaims, shaking his head.

"That's my greatest fear. Losing you and Sara, with Thea gone. I was going to ask Sara to take over Verdant and you to take over the company so you two are not in the field as much as you used to be. So I can keep you both safe." Oliver sighs.

"We don't need your protection kid." Slade retorts as Roy jogs toward them.

"Guys, sorry to interrupt…"

"You're not." Slade gives him a slight smile.

"Just saying, Tommy and Sin are back at The Foundry. They probably have information. Perhaps we should head back?" Roy suggests as Slade nods.

"I think that would be a good idea."

 _The Foundry_

"How was the meeting, the new company a bunch of tools?" Tommy queries as Oliver, Slade and Roy make their appearance.

"Yes." Slade replies.

"Actually." Oliver glowers at Slade.

"They're not. It's run by Ray Palmer." Oliver replies.

"Ray Palmer as in our Ray Palmer? The guy we were all friends with back in college?" Tommy questions.

"They very same. I said we should all get together sometime." Oliver smiles.

"Agreed." Tommy nods.

"So, more importantly what did we find out?" Slade cuts them off, folding his arms.

"Well, you know how we've got the number of crime bosses in Starling City down to three? Well this new guy Werner, he wants to make that number zero." Sin informs them, pulling up information for them all to see.

"Take out the competition. Mikhail Petrov, Luciano Costa, Shintawa Shimosawa." Diggle reads off the list.

"Got any locations?" Sara calls from the stairs.

"Your dad okay?" Oliver questions, moving to her side, she nods.

"Already been yelled at by Laurel, he's good." She smiles.

"Are you okay?" He asks her.

"Yes. Laurel just pointed out some stuff, all true. I just wasn't thinking." Sara shrugs as Oliver kisses her forehead, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Locations?" Slade glances to Felicity who is sat at the computer.

"I'm not getting anything off their last known addresses." She notes.

"Werner could be relocating these guys now, right?" Tommy folds his arms.

"I'm going as fast as I can. It's not like these guys walk around with little GPS's attached to them!" Felicity exclaims, her choice of words suddenly hitting her.

"Unless they do. Petrov, Costa, Shimosawa they're all on parole or out on bail."

"Ankle monitors." Oliver nods as Felicity frowns.

"Can't be right they're all in the same location."

"Rockets Arena." Roy notes.

"The heavyweight title fights on tonight." Tommy adds.

"Which is like Christmas for crime bosses, there'll be like twenty thousand people there." Roy nods.

"He was willing to blow up a restaurant to take down one of us, pretty sure he'll blow up a stadium to take down three guys." Sara points out.

"Yet an RPG won't accomplish that. I need you looking for a large explosive device. Roy, Sin, suit up." Slade commands.

"Where you guys want me?" Diggle questions.

"And me." Tommy waves his hand.

"Here." Oliver replies.

"I can't have either of you in the field anymore." He informs Diggle plainly.

"Really? What changed?" He questions.

"Well for one, you're going to be a father and Tommy is a father." Oliver responds.

"Oliver you've known for the past five months that I was going to be a father and we've known Tommy's a father even before he knew!" Diggle points out.

"I agree here, Oliver. Why are you doing this?" Tommy adds.

"Our risks can't be your risks. Diggle you have a life, a new life and Tommy I should never have even trained you." Oliver shakes his head.

"You were trying to stop me from losing my mind to the Mirakuru. Oliver, this can work. I a can be a dad and I can be a vigilante. Laurel is cool with it and you were until now. Look, you're my best friend. I know when something's wrong and you're acting odd. Is it about last night?" Tommy queries softly.

"Yes. Yes it is. He witnessed his fear of losing Sara and I when injected with the Vertigo. Wouldn't worry about this Thomas. He's already threatened to make me CEO of Queen Consolidated to cut down my activity in the field and was planning to give Verdant to Sara to keep her from the field to." Slade cuts in.

"Wait what now?" Sara folds her arms.

"Sara it doesn't matter…" Oliver starts, glaring at Slade.

"Yes it does. You know I would never agree to that. Thank you for warning me." Sara looks to Slade who nods.

"He shouldn't have said anything." Oliver mutters.

"Yes he should. Look, man I get it. Five months ago, you basically watched Slade die along side your mother. Now last night, Slade and Felicity were in an explosion, people died and either one of them could have. You could've lost Slade again but you didn't, they're both here and they're okay. You can't let this shake you, man." Diggle points out.

"Sara's father is lying in a hospital bed right now…"

"What and you think that what my dad did was your fault? Ollie. I should've stopped him. I should have done more that wasn't your fault. None of us could've changed his mind and you know it, you know my dad, he's stubborn and what happened to him wasn't your fault. I know that you're afraid to lose us. I get that. Do you know how many time I dream that I'm back in the League and that you and Slade are dead? Me, you and Slade. We all feel that way Ollie. We're scared of losing the other but we can't let that fear overcome everything else." Sara folds her arms.

"She's right Oliver and not to mention I've given the last two years of my life to the crusade you three began. I don't know what that's supposed to earn me but it earns me at least the right to make my own choices and after everything he went through last year, it gives Tommy the right as well." Diggle retorts.

"Agreed. Oliver. We chose this, knowing the risks. After last year, after how bad it got for me. This is what I need to be doing, helping people. I know I hurt people on the Mirakuru. I have to keep on doing this." Tommy sighs.

"No you don't. Neither of you do…"

"Damn it Oliver, you Sara and Slade would be dead ten times over if it wasn't for me! Without me, your fears could have come true, you could've lost Sara and Slade. With backup out their in the field, that minimizes the chances of loss greatly because we're a team! There's seven of us out!" Diggle snaps loudly at Oliver.

"You're right but this is my crusade, which makes this my decision." Oliver replies calmly as Diggle storms away angrily.

"We better get suited up." Sara murmurs during the silence, both she and Slade heading away as Oliver looks to Tommy.

"Go home to Laurel, Brandon and Rebecca." He sighs.

"My decision Oliver. I'm not going anywhere." He shakes his head.

"Then, stay here with Felicity on comms. Good compromise? Yeah I thought so." Sara decides as Oliver just stands and sighs.

 _Rockets Arena_

As the three mob bosses stand watching the fight before them in a room, whistling to himself, Werner Zytle sets a countdown on a device, with one hand, his other arm completely gone from The Man In The Mask's attack, yet which he managed to get the stump in a position where he could continue with his plans, the bomb which his covers with a sheet of paper beefed heading out of the room.

"It's a five minute timer." He informs his men in passing, leaving the room just as one of his men is hit with an arrow from the Arrow himself, who jumps down with the Black Canary and Blackbird in front of another man, the Black Canary punching him in the face just as he grabs a knife, cutting her arm as she pulls back.

"Come on! What are you three freaks waiting for?" He calls as a flying knife knocks the knife out of the man's hand from The Man In The Mask, whom along with The Man In The Red Hood jumps down from above, the latter punching the guy twice in the face.

"Our partners." The Arrow retorts, all of them tuning into the comms.

"I've isolated a frequency spike consistent with an incendiary device. It's in the maintenance tunnel underneath the stands. I should warn you guys. Wizard is kinda already nearly there." Felicity winces as the Arrow sighs.

"You're not going to stop him, kid." The Man In The Mask points out.

"Ok, you two let's focus more on the fact that there's a bomb and those lot are getting away." Blackbird notes, glancing toward where Zytle and another man are moving away.

"Blackbird, Wizard and I will deal with the bomb. You three get that son of a bitch." The Man In The Red Hood glances to the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask before racing away with Blackbird at his side.

"Thought you were told to stay out of all this." Blackbird calls when they reach the Wizard who enters from a door near to them.

"Well, Oliver should realize something." He notes as he runs with them.

"I have never ever done what I'm told."

 _Meanwhile…_

Racing up to the roof, Zytle stops as he sees the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask in front of him.

"Back for more, Arrow? Wanted to let your friends in on this to?" He queries throwing darts toward them, The Man In The Mask using his sword to intercept them.

"It's as if you've developed and addiction to Vertigo." He hisses, throwing more darts, which The Man In The Mask continues to intercept as the Arrow fires at Zytle, who ducks to avoid it, the Black Canary racing forward to hit her batons into the stump of his arm just as he hits her with a dart of Vertigo…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Think this is it." Wizard comments as the The Man In The Red Hood pulls away a cloth.

"Watched enough TV and movies to know that's definitely a bomb." Wizard adds.

"How the hell do we deactivate it. In the movies, isn't there something about cutting the wires?" Blackbird queries as The Man In The Red Hood shakes his head.

"I don't know if you two had noticed this but this is not a movie!"

 _Elsewhere…_

"Canary!" The Arrow and The Man In The Mask call to her as she begins to shake, having being hit by the vertigo, seeing her greatest fear.

Tears stream down her cheeks as she lays eyes on the bodies in front of her, Oliver, Slade, Laurel, her dad, her mom, Brandon, Rebecca, Nyssa, Sin, Felicity, Tommy, Roy, Diggle. In the middle of them all. Herself.

Yet not herself.

Her League Of Assassin self.

Ta-Er Al-Safer…

"She's not who I am anymore and I will never be her again!" She cries, before punching herself in the face, kicking her backwards toward the Arrow, whom Zytle attempts to inject with Vertigo, only for The Man In The Mask to intercept it.

The Vertigo drug having no effect on him whatsoever, the Mirakuru burning it away before the effects can hit, allowing him to punch him, the Arrow dragging Zytle back from behind before he can inflict anymore damage on to him, the Arrow engaging Zytle in rapid combat whilst the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask turn toward the other man Zytle had with him, only to see that he is being fought by none other than Nyssa Al Ghul…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Felicity we're running out of time here." The Man In The Red Hood calls through the comms whilst he, Wizard and Blackbird stand close to the bomb.

"Ok from the description you guys gave me it sounds like a collapsible circuit design." She informs them.

"English Smoak." Blackbird retorts.

"Cut the yellow wire." Felicity responds.

"I told you it had something to do with wires!" Blackbird nudges The Man In The Red Hood.

"Just like the movies." Wizard grins, bending down to cut the yellow wire when…

"Uhh Felicity." Wizard calls anxiously.

"What? You done it?" She questions.

"Not exactly considering there well, isn't a yellow wire." Wizard winces as Felicity comes back at them with a brand new plan for them.

"Ok, new plan. Look above you there should be an insulated piping pumping the arenas AC system. They're pumping freon. You guys are gonna want to break one off, aim it at the bomb and freeze the thing."

 _Elsewhere…_

Continuing to engage Zytle in combat, the Arrow punches Zytle straight in the stump, causing him to yell out and fall as the Black Canary angrily drags him away whilst Nyssa and The Man In The Mask fight along side one another against Zytle's man, The Man In The Mask slicing his hand off whilst Nyssa drags him back by his throat…

 _Meanwhile…_

"Wow that is high." The Wizard comments as The Man In The Red Hood scales a column to get to the pipe, holding on to it to break it and jumping down with it, the Wizard and Blackbird moving to get the bomb in the correct direction from behind it so The Man In The Red Hood can freeze it as the seconds continue to count down.

"It's not working!" The Man In The Red Hood yells.

"It is, keep aiming it at it!" The Wizard calls back as he and Blackbird move to grab the pipe with The Man In The Red Hood, all three of them holding the pipe as the bomb finally begins to freeze until completely frozen at the final seconds.

"We did it!" Blackbird calls loudly as The Man In The Red Hood sighs in relief as the Wizard smiles at both of them.

"So much cooler than the movies."

The Man In The Red Hood shakes his head at him.

"You're kidding me right?"

 _Elsewhere…_

Jumping down toward Zytle, The Arrow uses an arrow to shoot him backwards with an arrow that ties him up.

"Tie me up, lock me down it doesn't matter. There will always be a Vertigo. Always someone to pick up the mantle. You have given it the power don't you see, don't you see?" He questions as the Black Canary knocks him out viciously with her fist and baton at the same time, the Arrow wincing at her ferociousness.

"You okay?" He calls to her.

"Getting there." She replies, moving to grab his arm, the Arrow wrapping his arm around her and holding her close, whilst looking toward The Man In The Mask and Nyssa whom, their victim either unconscious or dead, are walking away from him toward them.

"You look surprised to see me." Nyssa calls as she moves toward the Arrow and the Black Canary, who immediately move forth to embrace her tightly.

"I didn't believe I'd been away that long."

"It feels like it." The Black Canary murmurs as Nyssa pulls away from them, liking arms with both the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"I'll keep an eye on this." The Man In The Mask glances toward Zytle.

"Please." The Arrow nods as Nyssa glances toward him.

"Good to see you again to Slade. Alive." She adds.

"You to. How was Nanda Parbat?" He calls to her.

"The usual." Nyssa responds as she walks with the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"You look well." The Arrow comments.

"Surprised about that one. My father has been once again getting on my last nerve. He's still annoyed at me for last year." She admits.

"Gathered." The Black Canary nods.

"You would know all too well Sara, you've met him. Anyways. Less about my father more about the fact that I am glad to see you both." She replies.

"You've been missed." The Arrow responds.

"I was on my way to see Laurel when I couldn't find you at Queen Mansion, I gathered you could be busy with a mission so I figured I'd go to see Laurel then surprise you lot when you returned home, yet then I picked up upon your radio chatter. You should inform Felicity to change up her frequencies a little." She informs them.

"That's a good tip." The Arrow replies.

"I'm full of them." Nyssa smiles.

"You always are. So is this a permanent thing, you being back here. I hope so. I missed you Nyssa. We both have." The Black Canary leans into her as Nyssa moves to face them.

"We'll see. I would love nothing more than to stay with the two people I love more than the world." She looks to both the Arrow and the Black Canary.

"And you know we love you to right?" The Black Canary sighs as Nyssa smiles warmly.

"So. How have the two of you been and Slade. He looked rather agitated earlier." She glances toward him.

"We're uh. Working through a few things." The Arrow admits.

"And I'm trying to get him to listen to some advice I've been trying to get through them both." The Black Canary adds.

"And what is that? I always find that advice from you is always been rather helpful." Nyssa nudges the Black Canary.

"That we're not our masks and that we need to remember that." She smile as the Arrow sighs, Nyssa slapping his arm.

"That was good advice Oliver." She says sternly.

"If you say so." The Arrow sighs before pulling both the Black Canary and Nyssa into his arms, the three simply standing there never wanting to let go and to let the moment they're in right now last forever.

 _Starling City Genera_ l

"Hey." The voice of the guy Felicity assisted with at her job calls out to her as she walks down the corridor of Starling City General.

"What. How did you know I was here. Why are you here? Are you stalking me?" Felicity babbles nervously.

"No, no. Well that depends on whether or not you consider pinging you phones GPS stalking. Ok, guilty. Look. I wanted to introduce myself to you properly. My name is Ray Palmer." He informs her, causing her to stop.

"Wait. Ray Palmer as in the guy who is the CEO of the company next door to Queen Consolidated?" She stops, remembering hearing the name being mentioned between Oliver, Slade, Roy and Tommy earlier.

"Yes that is me. You have heard of me then?" He smiles.

"I know people who know you." She retorts.

"Well, okay. So you know how I said I know a guy who would be interested in hiring someone with your expertise. Yeah, turns out. I could really use it. I would like you to come and work for me. I mean, I kinda think I met the new assistant to Oliver Queen and his quite frankly, terrifying second in command and seeing as you still don't work there. Well. I promise everything that happened last year to you that caused you to lose your job there is completely gonna be like it never even happened if you choose to accept my offer." He explains to her.

"Ohh. Well, that's kind of you to offer but I could still be getting my job back at Queen Consolidated and not to be rude, but do you mind like you know, contacting me about this at another time and in a less stalkerish manner. My friends just had baby." She informs him.

"Sure okay. I'll call you." He calls as she walks away from him, stopping though halfway to turn to face Ray Palmer once again.

"BTW if you ever ping my phones GPS again I will hack you and all your data will be replaced with audio files of porcupine flatulence. So just so you're aware. If you're not prepared to get used to the sound of spiky rodents farting, stay away from my tech." She threatens before moving toward the room in which Lyla, Diggle and their newborn baby is in.

"Hey." She calls softly.

"Hi." Lyla smiles warmly as Felicity moves into the room.

"Aww she is scrumptious. Mazel Tov, guys seriously." She beams.

"Thank you." Diggle says, the three of them looking down at the baby.

"Aww she is so cute." Sara calls from the door, moving to join the three whilst Oliver and Slade linger at the door.

"Come in." Diggle calls to them.

"She is perfect." Oliver smiles.

"Congratulations John." Slade adds.

"Thank you." Diggle smiles at them both, before resting a hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"And thank you Oliver." He adds.

"For what?" Oliver queries.

"For being right. The second I looked at her. Everything changed. The whole universe changed and I am going to have a serious conversation with Tommy about what he's thinking of doing. Tell him how I felt now and how he probably should cut back on his time in the field as I, honestly I thought about what Slade went through losing…" He trails off looking toward Slade.

"I don't want to imagine pain like that. Not to mention experience it. So. Oliver, you were right." He holds her hand out toward Oliver, whom looks about to take it when Diggle pulls him into a tight embrace instead…

 _Hong Kong_

 _"We can't let that happen." The woman responds after Oliver asks to die once again._

 _"Why not. Why can't you let me die? The woman I love is dead, my brother, my best friend is…"_

 _"In captivity. Same as you." The man responds._

 _"She just. She told me he was gone." Oliver whispers at his choice of words, unable to believe what he's hearing._

 _"No. Ohh when I said he was gone I meant returned to his prison. He is alive still." The woman corrects myself._

 _"Slade's alive?" Oliver croaks._

 _"He is and Amanda Waller wants you both working for her and she will have her way." He informs Oliver._

 _"Yeah well, too bad for her, I'd rather die." He murmurs._

 _"Which is why it's not your life she's threatening. I am to be responsible for you, for your friend to. She's found the proper way to motivate me. Akio!" He calls suddenly, a young boy suddenly appearing from behind a door._

 _"She's threatened my family. She'll kill them if I let you go. My father had a proverb he was once fond of. A man cannot live by two names." He informs him plainly as Oliver looks on in horror at the very of an child being killed being killed because of him._

 _"And what does that mean?" He questions after a moment._

 _"In your case. I believe it means not having any choice. I know how your state of mind is right now. I know you wish to die because you believe you're alone, which is why I managed to allow Waller agree to something. Something for you, incentive. I believed it to be the only way and whilst she is skeptical I thought it might help." He informs Oliver before undoing his restraints, causing Oliver to frown._

 _"Get up. You have a visitor." He informs him as Oliver struggles to get to his feet, shaking as he does so, yet sudden he can hear an angry voice coming close and closer._

 _A familiar accented voice._

 _"Slade?" He whispers, limping in the direction of the door._

 _"Slade?!" He calls out upon finding his voice._

 _"OLIVER!" He hears Slade's voice yell back as somehow, despite exhaustion, despite everything Oliver breaks into a run, racing through the door, he knows he's being followed but he isn't trying to run away._

 _He's trying to get to Slade._

 _"Slade!" He calls again as, turning a corner he sees his best friend._

 _His brother in all but blood._

 _Alive. He's alive._

 _He's here and he's alive…_

 _Not caring if this gets him punched one bit, Oliver races forward and doesn't stop until he has throw himself toward Slade, wrapping him in a tight hug._

 _The first hug he has ever shared with Slade._

 _And he hasn't been punched, he notes as in reaction he hears Slade's laugh before feeling Slade wrap his arms around him, holding him tightly._

 _"Slade." He croaks, feeling tears fill his eyes once again as Slade holds him close._

 _"It's okay kid, I'm here. I'm here." He murmurs back as all Oliver's thoughts become a jumbled mess._

 _Slade is alive, he's here, they're together but Sara is still dead, the woman he loves, his friend Harley, she's gone to and he killed Shado._

 _All of those thoughts surround him immediately, causing the tears to fall from his eyes._

 _Slade tightens his hold on Oliver, murmuring words of comfort to him in more than one language as he feels him shaking, Oliver clutching to his brother in all but blood desperately as at least with Slade holding him._

 _Slade being here in general, just takes away some of that inescapable pain._

 _Slade being alive gives him a reason to keep on surviving._

 _Starling City General_

Having left Lyla and Diggle with their newborn daughter, Sara and Oliver lingering for a few more moments whilst Slade and Felicity head down the corridor.

"Ahh they look really happy. She's beautiful." Felicity gushes as they walk side by side.

"You and I need to talk." Slade reminds her grimly.

"Well I don't want to talk, which for me I know is a little unprecedented but as soon as we talk it's over." She sighs sadly, stopping in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I thought that I could be me and The Man In The Mask but I can't and I apologize I started to talk to Oliver about this earlier and how he and Sara couldn't be the Black Canary and the Arrow and themselves as well as we can't not now and maybe not ever…"

"Then say never." Felicity cuts him off.

"Stop… Dangling maybes. Say it's never gonna work out between us. Say you never loved me say you…"

"Felicity." Slade murmurs, silencing her by cupping her cheeks gently and kissing her softly, lingering there for several moments before pulling away, keeping his hands against her cheek as she looks up at him with big eyes.

"Don't ask me to say that I don't love you Felicity." He murmurs, resting his forehead against hers as Felicity clutches his arms.

"But. Nothing can ever happen between us." He mutters firmly, pulling himself away from her as Felicity continues to look up at him, trying to keep the tears from her eyes.

"I told you as soon as we talked it would be over." She whispers before walking away, letting the tears slide down her cheeks as she does so.

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver calls to Slade as he approaches him.

"Fine, kid. I believe you and I need to discuss earlier." He responds, trying to out Felicity out of his mind so he can address Oliver.

"Yes. Look Slade. I just. I just want you and Sara to be safe. I watched you die five months ago and that is the reason I try to keep you from missions, the reasons I've been basically following you around for five months because I am so afraid of losing you because I don't know if I could survive that." He admits truthfully as Slade sighs, looking to Oliver's clearly distressed face.

"The reality is kid, even if something were to happen to me or to you. We'd survive it. You'd get over it, be the leader I've trained you to become as you did when you believed I'd been killed five months ago. We've become far to fearful of losing the other, kid and that's something we need to work on. It's because of the island. Those five years, not knowing whether or not we'd survive or see each other again every time we parted. That's what caused this irrational fear of ours." Slade mutters before moving past Oliver.

"We're not on Lian Yu anymore kid."

"Slade." Oliver grabs his arm to stop him from going anywhere.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" He asks gently.

"Never felt better kid." Slade replies as he walks away from Oliver.

Not once looking back, leaving Oliver stood alone, just ask he walks straight into Roy.

"Hey, what's wrong." He questions.

"Nothing." He mutters.

"Really? Cause I kinda just heard all that and Felicity looked upset. What's going on with you? In all the time I've known you you've never pushed Oliver away." He points out.

"I just told him what he needed to hear." He murmurs sternly, as Roy frowns, but rests his hands on Slade's arms.

"Ok. If you say so, just promise me if something's wrong, you'll tell me at least, even if you don't tell Oliver. Okay? Also. Considering you look miserable to and I kinda just stopped a bomb, how about a movie night?" He suggests with a smile.

"Fine." Slade grumbles, turning to follow him, just as Oliver's phone begins to ring.

"Hello?" Oliver questions upon answering it.

"It's Barry. Barry Allen." The voice responds as a surprised look crosses Oliver's face, Slade glancing back toward him as Sara approaches from the other end of the corridor, Oliver continuing to hold the phone to his ear as Barry continues to speak.

"I woke up and I could use some advice." He continues as Oliver looks to Sara and Slade.

"We'll be right there."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"And here I thought you used up all your League Of Assassin vacation days." Laurel beams at Nyssa when she returns with a trey of food for them both.

"You look wonderful how's your father doing? Brandon, Rebecca, Thomas?" She questions.

"They're the same. My dad is being stubborn, my children are wonderful, just like my husband even though as okay with it as I am I still worry every time he goes out with the others that he's not going to come back you know." Laurel sighs, resting her hand on Nyssa's arm gently.

"Honestly, I was feeling the same way about you recently, not knowing if you were ever coming back, if I'd ever see you again." She admits.

"Laurel I will always come back for you. You are my dearest friend. I'm probably closer to you then I am my own sister." She reveals, causing Laurel to smile.

"Are you staying?" She asks after a moment.

"As I told Oliver and Sara. We'll see. Yet I would like to. I'd certainly like to see Rebecca and Brandon again." She responds.

"And you can with pleasure. Except now. Let's eat. I got us black and white milkshakes." She beams as Nyssa frowns.

"What is a black and white milkshake?" She questions.

"This." Laurel passes her a glass as Nyssa picks up a chip.

"You know I never understood your countries need to fry everything." She notes.

"That's because everything tastes better that way." Laurel passes her the sauce.

"This is more oil than potato." Nyssa retorts.

"Dip it in your milkshake." Laurel commands.

"I sense you're mocking me." Nyssa raises an eyebrow at her.

"I'm serious. Here, dip it in your milkshake." Laurel instructs as hesitantly, Nyssa does so, smiling slightly as she eats the now milkshake covered chip.

"I have to admit. It's fun seeing you like this." Laurel smiles.

"Like what?" Nyssa frowns.

"Like a normal person."

"I am a normal person!" Nyssa protests.

"I can't believe you just said that." Laurel laughs lightly as Nyssa smiles at her upon eating the chip at long last.

"It's actually not that bad." Nyssa admits before nodding.

"You have a point for me normal is the world were only the strong survive. One without simple pleasures, or many I seem to receive every time I'm here." She notes before resting her hand over Laurel's.

"Thank you Laurel, before I came here to seek out Sara, I was alone and adrift. Then I met Oliver, the whole team and then you and you have shown me kindness." She says softly.

"Well, I've only been retuning the favor, isn't that what you did for Sara?" Laurel replies.

"There's little comparison between my current situation and Sara's after her time with Oliver and Slade on Lian Yu." She admits.

"But you were there for her. You loved her even when she believed Oliver and Slade were dead. You helped her survive. I know neither me or my father wanted a life like she had for her but she had you at her lowest point and I will always be forever grateful that you were there for her." Laurel smiles as even Nyssa herself finds herself smiling once more.

"Now. Tell me more about what you, your husband and your children have been since I saw you last at the wedding?"

 _Later…_

Walking along a rooftop a while after their pleasant meal, Laurel leans into Nyssa as they walk beside each other.

"When I asked if you staying was permanent? Is it. Cause I really don't want you to go again. I doubt Oliver and Sara do either and Brandon and Rebecca would love to see you." Laurel sighs after a moment as Nyssa stops in front of her, stroking her hair lightly.

"Laurel the time I have spent here has enlightened me. To live a life outside of my father's rule to be someone else even for just a little while has brought me great happiness but happiness is not something that was ever meant for me. No matter how many times I return here I will always have to return home to Nanda Parbat as that is who I am. I am the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, Heir to the Demon."

"And you're also my friend and I love you Nyssa. You're one of the best friends I have and I want you to be happy. I want you to stay here in Starling with all of us because this is your home to." Laurel admits softly.

"And I would be honored to call this place my home." Nyssa replies as Laurel's phone begins to vibrate, causing Laurel to sigh, as she reaches for it, reading the message there for her,

"The vigilantes busted up someone who tried to blow up a rockets arena and my boss wants me and Cat to head to the station to backstop the interrogation. Sorry." Laurel groans, Nyssa chucking and patting Laurel's hair into place.

"It's as you're family say about you, Laurel Lance always trying to save the world." She smiles, Laurel beaming back.

"Seems to run in my family." She says before wrapping Nyssa in a tight embrace.

"Stay in the area. I'll come back for you." Laurel calls as she moves toward the stairs.

"I'll be waiting!" Nyssa calls back, watching Laurel leave, continuing to watch her as she exits the building.

Watching as Laurel walks confidently away, Nyssa raises her hood again as she walks away herself to the other ending the building.

"Hello Nyssa." A distorted voice calls from behind her, causing her to spin around, a weapon primed, until she sees who it is and frowns instead.

"What are you doing here?" She questions curiously as suddenly she is shot in the middle by an arrow, then a second arrow, then a third…

Walking down the alleyway beside the building she and Nyssa just spoke upon, Laurel stops as she sees something fall from the top of the roof…

Unable to move, frozen in place Laurel watches as Nyssa hits the ground, her hood falling from her head, blood pooling from where she hit it, her hair cascading across the ground, whilst her eyes remain open and glassy, three arrows protruding from her chest…

"No, no no! NYSSA!" Laurel lifts her bleeding form into her arms, shaking her slightly, but it's no use.

She's gone…

"NYSSA!" She screams, holding her friend to her as she sobs.

"No, no!" She continues to cry as holds Nyssa to her, her hand in her blood stained hair, as she holds her close, sobbing loudly whilst gripping tightly to her dead friend…

"NYSSA!"

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, sorry for the wait for the chapter, I was away and only got back the other day and the wifi was awful over there so sorry again and thanks for reading this chapter and to all of you who have followed, favorited and reviewed. Thanks again for reading, please leave a review if you can :)_**


	145. Sara (1)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners**_.

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Five_**

 _Verdant_

"It's a good idea."

"No!" Felicity growls, cutting Tommy off immediately.

"I'm just trying to make things easier for you and also easier for us." He points out.

"Fighting a losing battle, buddy." Oliver pats his shoulder.

"I'm negotiating." He corrects him.

"And failing drastically at that." Sin adds.

"No, I'm not. I'm a good negotiator." Tommy sighs.

"Not in this case, your not." Sara notes as Felicity nods.

"Do you have any idea how hard having me completely reconfigure our phone system would be? Do you even know how difficult it is to ping a clone off a hacked transband multiplex?" Felicity retorts sharply.

"No because all that just went completely over my head as I don't speak computer!" Tommy exclaims as Sara wraps an arm around her brother in law.

"Which is exactly why you need to shut up, right now. Leave the technical side to Felicity, all of us do, right Ollie?" Sara calls to where he is already down the steps.

"Ollie?" She calls again seeing that he's frozen in place.

As what he sees in front of him has caused him to become a completely and utterly speechless statue.

Laurel standing by a table, blood staining her clothes.

On the table, Nyssa Al Ghul, motionless.

Three arrows in her chest…

"Nyssa?" He croaks when he finally finds some of his voice.

"I didn't know where else to take her." Laurel whispers tearfully.

"Wait. What? Nyssa…" Sara frowns, moving down the rest of the stairs to stand by Oliver.

"Is she okay…" She trails off just as she sees what now all of them can see.

Nyssa…

"No, no." Sara shakes her head as Tommy lays eyes on Laurel, the distraught look on her face, the blood on the clothes.

"No, Nyssa!" Sara cries as she races forward to her side, reaching for one of her hands, even though her gloves they are cold, cold as ice.

"No." Sara whispers, tears in her eyes as she begins to shake, looking down at Nyssa, the three arrows in her chest, the glassy look in her once full of life eyes.

"No." She sobs, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she clutches Nyssa's hand tightly, her other hand resting in her blood stained hair.

The woman she loved is dead...

"Ohh my god." Felicity whispers as she approaches Nyssa herself, glancing once to Sara, who is fighting back powerful sobs as tears drip down her cheeks, whilst looking down at Nyssa.

"What happened?" Oliver asks as calmly as he can whilst still frowns in place.

"I couldn't… I couldn't leave her." Laurel whispers, tears falling from her eyes as, not caring a bit about the blood she is covered with.

Nyssa's blood...

Tommy draws his distressed wife into a tight embrace, holding her close to him as she cries, Laurel clutching on to him for dear life.

"We have to do something." Sin murmurs, tears in her eyes to.

"Yes. We we have to call. We can take her to the hospital!" Felicity cries, covering her mouth with her hand, whilst pulling Sin into a hug from the side.

"It's not fair. She just came back. She didn't deserve this. It's not fair." Laurel sobs whilst holding tightly to Tommy.

Wanting to remain there, yet also wanting to be by Nyssa's side.

By Sara's, who's tears are still running down her cheeks as she continues to hold Nyssa's hand, still stroking her hair.

Finally able to move again Oliver reaches Nyssa's side, resting a hand gently on her shoulder.

His other hand closing her eyes.

 _Hong Kong_

 _It had been decided that due to Oliver's suicidal tendencies, that Waller agreed to let both Oliver and Slade remain together._

 _Before showing them where they would be sleeping, Maseo, the ARGUS operative Waller had placed Oliver and Slade with told them that there was a job for them to do the next day._

 _His wife had been reluctant to let Oliver out of their sights, but Slade had assured them both that whilst he was around Oliver wouldn't attempt anything of the sort._

 _"I'm sure you've been filled in on what would happen if you attempted to stage an escape with him." Maseo glances between Oliver and Slade._

 _"Haven't actually. Perhaps you'd like to do that." Slade folds his arms._

 _"Amanda Waller threatened my family. My wife, my son, he's a child. She will kill them if the two of you leave. Now, Mr. Wilson. Amanda Waller mentioned to me that you have a son? She said his name was…"_

 _"Don't you dare speak his name." Slade growls, Oliver keep a tight grip on his arm to keep Slade as calm as he possibly can._

 _"All I wanted to say was. You have a son, just like I do. So if you plan to escape. Just imagine how you'd be feeling if your son had been threatened in the manner mine has." Maseo remarks whilst opening the door to the room Oliver and Slade will be staying in._

 _Left in their room, Oliver keeps close to Slade as he checks out the room, for traps, hidden cameras etc._

 _"How did you survive?" Oliver whispers._

 _"Warning shot, kid, when it looked like you were about to jump. I'm sorry you didn't realize that." He apologizes._

 _"No, no, the freighter. You were gone. Shado. She shot the arrow…"_

 _"The Mirakuru, kid. It healed me, somehow from the brink of death, it healed me. Woke up in a room, there were voices. I wasn't entirely with it but I came to the realization that I was in surgery, they were taking the arrow out. I tried to ignore it best I could but." He shrugs._

 _"Please tell me you couldn't…"_

 _"Ohh I felt all of it, kid. The Mirakuru wore off all the pain relief and the anesthesia they gave me." Slade informs him as Oliver shakes his head in horror._

 _"Ohh my god." He murmurs, gesturing to the white bandage covering the eye._

 _"So. You're blind in one eye?" Oliver questions carefully._

 _"I've only got one eye, kid." Slade retorts, peeling the side of the bandage away to show Oliver the gaping hole where his eye used to be._

 _"It's all my fault." Oliver murmurs, sitting on the bed._

 _"It's all my fault…" He whispers as Slade moves to sit beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder carefully._

 _"No it's not."_

 _"It was all my fault. I should never have given Shado the Mirakuru. I should never have been such a coward. I should have just told Ivo to kill me when he gave me the choice between Shado and Sara. I wouldn't have had to kill Shado. Sara would…" He trails off, feeling tears fill his eyes again._

 _"How do you not hate me." He whispers._

 _"Because it was not your fault, kid. I am to blame for this as much as you are and kid, right now you are all I have. I could never hate you and kid, if this happened in the order you said it did, that Shado killed Sara and Harley before you did what you did. I would've done the same thing." He rubs his shoulder gently._

 _"She drowned her." Oliver murmurs._

 _"What, kid?" Slade questions his choice of words._

 _"Sara. Shado drowned her, threw her at a broken part of the freighter, she cried out for me as she was dragged under. I couldn't get to her…" He trails off as Slade wraps his arm around Oliver's shoulders, holding him close._

 _"It wasn't your fault, kid. You are not to blame for Sara's death." He murmurs, silence passing between the two of them as tears slide down Oliver's cheeks._

 _Whilst Slade thinks about Sara himself the kind, brave woman he'd cared for as if she were a sister, she was like a sister to him._

 _He never even got say goodbye to her..._

 _"Let's talk about something else kid, ok? Like how you can I are going to get out of here and get you home…"_

 _"I don't want to go home." Oliver murmurs adding soon afterwards._

 _"I want to stay with you."_

 _Slade glances down at him, nodding once, before saying no more._

 _Unsure how to respond to what Oliver said._

 _He hadn't expected that reaction at all._

 _"So. One bed." Oliver say suddenly as he glances at the bed they're both sitting on._

 _"Think we can manage?" He queries._

 _"We're doing the same as we did on the island kid, I'll keep watch for half the night, you keep watch the other half the night." Slade responds sternly._

 _"Really? Is it really…"_

 _"We are not sharing a bed." Slade growls firmly._

 _"But there's only one…"_

 _"Oliver. Did I hit you so hard that you forgot the night of the sub zero temperatures on Lian Yu?" Oliver shakes his head, shuddering as he remembers the night well._

 _"Ok. Whatever you say, I really don't want you to break my nose again."_

 _The Next Day_

 _Maseo walks ahead, a case in hand whilst Slade and Oliver follow him._

 _Slade in front, keeping himself on alert in case there's a need to attack someone, kill them or otherwise, whilst keeping Oliver shielded._

 _Doubting very much that in his current state of mind he'd be able to defend himself that well, possibly even let anyone who attacked him simply go ahead._

 _That Slade could never condone._

 _"We'll take our position here." Maseo says suddenly, coming to a stop whilst unlocking the case he has with him to reveal the sniper rifle he has inside of it._

 _"Who's your target?" Oliver questions._

 _"I don't have a target." Maseo says, assembling the gun as he does so._

 _"You do Oliver." He informs him as Oliver looks horrified at the thought._

 _"It might have escaped your notice but Amanda Waller doesn't have a sense of humor…"_

 _"Ohh really? They why'd she drag me and Slade off of Lian Yu and bring us all the way to Hong Kong so that I could become her hit man?!" Oliver exclaims._

 _"For you two to become her operatives. Obviously she needs the two of you for something or she wouldn't be threatening my family to assure your compliance. The target will be entering our line any moment." He passes the gun toward Oliver, who looks hesitant to take it from him._

 _"Now." Maseo snaps._

 _"No, let me. I'll do it." Slade steps in, reaching for the gun._

 _"Look, as long as the mission is achieved by one of us, what does it matter who pulls the trigger between me and the kid? Besides, look at him, he's in no shape to do anything of the sort. I however, have the training to get this done quickly and efficiently." Slade yanks the gun from Maseo's hands._

 _"You don't have to do this for me." Oliver murmurs._

 _"Another benefit of the Mirakuru, kid. It allows you the ability to shut off your emotions. With the Mirakuru in my system and with the amount of people I've killed. This won't way to heavily on my conscious. It would on you. So shut up and let me take the shot." Slade speaks, all leader and professional like. Taking charge of the situation as always._

 _"However, as the eye I used to use when firing snipers has been destroyed. If this is going to be done quickly. I need you to look through the lens for me, kid. I'll pull the trigger." Slade explains as they begin to move into position._

 _"The target will walk ten paces through the roof garden and arrive at his hotel suite. That's your window." Maseo informs them both._

 _"See it." Oliver murmurs upon seeing three men entering the roof garden, one lingering around the roof._

 _"Now." Maseo commands._

 _"Line it up, kid." Slade informs him, reaching for the trigger._

 _Yet as Oliver lines up the gun, their target turns around._

 _Tommy Merlyn…_

 _Their target is Tommy Merlyn._

 _"No." Oliver whispers, pushing the gun away from them._

 _"Kid what are you playing at?" Slade begins to growl whilst looking to Oliver who grabs his arms, a horrified look on his face._

 _"Tommy."_

 _Verdant_

Unable to remain in The Foundry any longer, Laurel moved upstairs, Tommy following her. Laurel clutching the big silver cuff Nyssa had given to her, still around her wrist, having not taken it off since Nyssa had given it to her.

"I couldn't do anything for her." She whispers as Tommy kisses her head.

"There's nothing you could've done, honey. There's nothing you could have done." He murmurs as he holds her close.

"I want to stay here with Nyssa, with Sara but I also want to go home. I want to see Brandon and Rebecca and I want to hold them and not let them go." Laurel whimpers.

"I know. I feel the same right now." Tommy agrees.

"But I can't leave Nyssa, Sara… Ohh god Sara. She's still… I left her where she was…"

"I don't think Sara's going to move from there for a while, Laurel." Tommy says carefully.

"She's not." Oliver's calm voice says from in front of them.

"Did you just. Did you leave my sister down there like that?!" Laurel looks up at Oliver.

"She's not going to move Laurel, not yet and I don't know what I can say to her right now." Oliver responds.

"So you're not going to say anything to her at all?" Laurel murmurs.

"I think talking is the last thing Sara needs me to do right now." Oliver admits as more tears fall from Laurel's eyes, Tommy tightening his hold on her.

"Sara used to have a stuffed animal it was this old worn out shark that she got from the Starling Aquarium. Every time something awful would happen to her. I would always find her holding that stupid little shark, close to her chest and seeing her like that down there, with Nyssa. All I can think about is finding that dumb stuffed animal and putting it in her arms, just anything to ease her pain. She loved Nyssa, you loved Nyssa, Oliver. I did. She was my friend and she was unique and wonderful and she didn't deserve to die like that. She deserved to be happy, here with us." Laurel cries, pulling out her phone with shaking hands, unlocking it and bringing up one of her pictures, which had been taken by Sara.

Both Laurel and Nyssa sat on a couch with Brandon and Rebecca in their arms, Rebecca's hand wrapped around some of Nyssa's hair.

Another photo, at the wedding of Oliver, Sara and Nyssa.

Upon seeing it, Oliver tries not to look away when he sees it, remembers how happy he was.

How happy Sara and Nyssa were.

"I'm sorry." Laurel whispers a moment later.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for." Tommy murmurs.

"Hey, whoever did this. I'm going to find them." Oliver says carefully.

"Yeah, yeah we are. We're gonna get this son of a bitch, I promise you." Tommy nods.

"Yes. We're going to." Laurel wipes her tears away.

"When I thought you and Sara had died on the Gambit the only thing that I could do was scream at the ocean. I had so much anger and rage and I didn't know what to do with it but I do now and I'm going to help all of you guys catch whoever it is that did this." Laurel practically hisses as Tommy looks to Oliver worriedly, who moves to grab a chair to sit in front of her.

"You're doing enough Laurel. You don't need to do anything else, honey." Tommy tightens his hold on her.

"No. I need to do more." Laurel mutters.

"Tommy's right, Laurel. You're already helping. You told us where to look." Oliver points out as Tommy nods.

"And you brought Nyssa here. You've done everything and more Laurel, okay. Perhaps you could go to the kids. Or try, try talk to Sara. Or you know, find her stuffed shark. I know you and your dad kept a hold of it after the Gambit, did you ever give it her back or do you still have it?" Tommy queries.

"We still have it but Tommy, that's not doing anything. I cannot just basically sit here and wait." Laurel points out.

"No, that's not what you'd be doing, Laurel. You'd be taking care of yourself, go be a mother. Go tell your father, he needs to know about this to. I know he and Nyssa were somewhat friends. Just don't be here, ok?" Oliver says gently.

"No. I have to…"

"Laurel. Go home. Cat's got the kids, remember she said she'd drop them off in about an hour. One of us needs to be home and I. Well." He trails off as Laurel nods.

"I know, you can do much more here than I can." She whispers, hugging him tightly, kissing him briefly.

"Be careful." She murmurs.

"I will." Tommy nods, leading her toward the door, waiting until she's gone through it before turning back to Oliver.

"We gotta catch this bastard. We've got to do something." He growls folding his arms.

"What are you doing?" He looks to where Oliver is dialing a number into his phone.

"Calling our sister." He murmurs, sighing when all he gets is Thea's voicemail.

"Thea, it's Oliver. I know that you're still traveling but I just… We could all really do with hearing your voice right now. So please call anyone of us back." He sighs.

"Wouldn't answer me either Oliver. Figured she would seeing as she didn't know about the whole, me getting cured right?" Tommy folds his arms.

"Ohh I wrote that in the letter I sent. The first letter, explaining everything. That you got cured, we stopped Shado, Roy got cured, Slade wasn't dead. All she wrote back to us was that was great. Honestly I thought her finding out about all of that would bring her home." Oliver admits as Tommy shrugs his shoulders.

"We get anything off the cameras?" Tommy calls to Felicity who approaches them from behind slowly.

"Place is a drug haven. They've all either been disabled or paint balled by local dealers." Felicity murmurs as Oliver turns to head for the door.

"Where are you going?" Felicity asks softly.

"Where it happened." Oliver mutters.

"Oliver. Sara hasn't moved. She's still down there. You need to be…"

"Where it happened." Oliver cuts her off, storming toward the door, leaving only Tommy and Felicity behind. Tommy shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll go after him."

 _Where It Happened_

Walking across the roof Nyssa was killed on, Oliver and Tommy search for clues.

Anything that could give them a hint as to who killed Nyssa.

"Got something?" Tommy questions as Oliver bends down.

Getting to his feet again, he waves a piece of green glass at Tommy who sighs, moving across the roof himself, toward the edge where it Nyssa was shot.

"I got blood." Tommy notes solemnly.

"It's probably Nyssa's." Oliver murmurs, raising his hands as if they were holding his bow, directing them in the direction of where Tommy is standing.

Where Nyssa was standing before her sudden death.

"Hey." Tommy calls to where Diggle is standing behind Oliver.

"There's something…" Tommy starts when Oliver doesn't.

"That's ok, Tommy, I know. Felicity told me." Diggle informs him, glancing toward Oliver's grief stricken face.

"You okay?" He questions.

"Sara?" He adds.

"She's not doing to good. If she's where we last saw her she's still with the body, Nyssa. She's still with Nyssa." Tommy informs him.

"Killer stood there." Oliver comments, cutting Tommy off.

"Loose gravel on the rooftop…"

"Oliver…" Diggle starts as Tommy just shakes his head.

"Nyssa was here. Scuff marks back to the edges where Tommy is…"

"You don't have to do this right now man, go, go be with Sara. She needs you Oliver."

"It's the only thing I can do and Sara understands that." Oliver cuts Diggle off.

"Listen. I get it, military training, stay on task. Your friend gets shot, you just keep on fighting but Oliver…" Diggle sighs.

"I'm fine. " Oliver grumbles.

"Well, I'm here for you and Sara to, just the same. Listen, Nyssa was my friend to." Diggle reminds him as Oliver looks down at his feet whilst Diggle continues.

"And if you think you're going after the person who did this solo. You couldn't possibly be more wrong."

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading, next chapter should hopefully be out soon, probably, thanks for all the follows and favorites, please leave a review if you can :)_**


	146. Sara (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Six_**

 _Where It Happened_

Stood on the roof in silence that is only broken by Oliver's phone ringing.

"Yeah." He sighs.

"Detective Lance called. He says it's important. I didn't tell him about Nyssa, do you want to do that?" Felicity questions.

"I'll tell him to go to Laurel or bring him to Sara. Is she?"

"She's bagging up Nyssa's things. She's just. Took the arrows out." Felicity answers shakily.

"Ok." Oliver replies after a moment of silence before hanging up.

"What?" Tommy glances toward him.

"Detective Lance wants to see me. Coming?"

 _Later…_

"What is it detective?" Oliver questions as he and Tommy approach him.

"You two okay. You both look like someone just peed in your cornflakes. Also, is Sara okay? She's not picking up her phone, neither is Laurel for that matter." He folds his arms.

"Something really bad happened." Tommy admits carefully.

"What? Are my daughters alright?" Quentin exclaims worriedly.

"They're fine. Laurel went home and Sara's at The Foundry." Oliver responds.

"Why what happened? Look there's something you ain't telling me here and before I tell you two anything you gotta tell me what's going on." Quentin, glaring at them both.

"Son in law, you first." He looks to Tommy.

"Nyssa was killed. She's dead. Laurel brought her to The Foundry. We're trying to catch her killer." Tommy sighs.

"Ohh my god." Quentin shakes his head.

"You got any leads?" He growls after a moment.

"Nothing so far. We've just come from the scene of the crime." Oliver replies.

"I don't care what you guys do. What lines you cross. Hey, to me right now, the no kill rule is void. You lot just do whatever it is you can to catch the son of a bitch that did this." He hisses angrily, shaking his head again.

"What was it that you had for us?" Oliver questions moments later.

"Another archers in town. Dropping bodies, seen this guys work before?" He questions showing Oliver and Tommy a file.

"Nyssa was killed by three arrows to the chest." Oliver mutters.

"What? You think this is the bastard that killed her?" Quentin snaps.

"Who's the victim?" Oliver continues.

"John Burke, some corporate financier from Quarac, seems like he wandered into the wrong parr of town tonight looking for a little local entertainment. He ended up with an arrow in his chest." He murmurs.

"Thank you." Tommy nods as he starts to follow Oliver.

"Wait. You guys watch your backs alright? Whoever this guys is…"

"He's a killer." Oliver cuts him off sharply before simply walking away.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Running through an abandoned building a man stops just behind a frame of glass, thinking that he's finally outrun the man chasing him.

Yet when he stops to catch his breath he is shot expertly with an arrow..

 _The Foundry_

"Can't believe we're doing this." Sin sniffs as she places a few of Nyssa's pieces of weaponry into a bag as Sara folds up her cloak, not speaking a word as she does so.

"She was always so strong and brave." Felicity whispers.

"Other than 'my hero' that's one of the first things I thought about her to when she pulled me out of the sea." Sara murmurs, Felicity instantly moving to her side at hearing her finally speak words.

"Sara I'm so sorry." She places a hand on her shoulder, surprised when Sara grabs hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Unsure of what else to do, Felicity decides to wrap an arm around Sara, keeping her close in an attempt to comfort her.

"You know, I always envisioned her as this sort of Amazonian warrior." Felicity continues.

"I did to." Sara nods, looking up in an attempt to stop the tears from falling.

"Invincible." She whispers.

"I know, I saw her as something I could never be. I was so jealous and I know I shouldn't have been." Felicity murmurs as the sound of her phone ringing pulls her out of her thoughts.

"I'll be right back." She says softy to Sara, releasing her before heading to her phone.

"Hi. I know I was supposed to come into work today. I. I'm sorry, there's been a death in the family. Thank you." Felicity murmurs before hanging up, spinning around when she hears the sound of voices.

"I cannot believe you made me sit through all of those." Slade mutters.

"What? The Fast and Furious movies are great… Sara?" Roy trails off as Sara finally moves from Nyssa's side, straight to Slade.

"Sara what is it?" Slade questions as Sara just wraps her arms around her closest friend.

"What's wrong?" He murmurs, freezing at a sudden horrific thought.

"Oliver…"

"No, no, not Oliver. Ohh my god." Roy whispers as he sees Nyssa.

"What?" Slade looks up finally seeing Nyssa's body.

"What happened to her?!" He growls.

"She was shot with three arrows. Laurel brought her here." Sin explains carefully, leaning against Roy, as Slade, keeping one arm around Sara, moves toward Nyssa's body.

"Do we have any idea who could have done this." He hisses as Sara shakes her head.

"No." She whispers.

"Where's the kid?"

"He's out there with Tommy and Dig, looking for answers." Felicity replies quietly, moving her glasses aside to rub tears from her eyes.

"You two got any ideas about what other archer could have done this?" The sound of Diggle's voice arises as he, Tommy and Oliver enter The Foundry.

"There aren't that many of us. Maybe ten that I know of and most of them are in the League Of Assassins." Oliver mutters.

"What. You don't think that…" Sin starts.

"No, no. They don't target their own." Oliver says quickly.

"Not to mention someone like Nyssa. Ra's he may be a bastard but he wouldn't send someone to kill his own daughter." Sara murmurs.

"Did you find anything?" Tommy looks to Felicity.

"An abandoned warehouse on the corner of third and Lemire, ninth floor. The victim was a construction foreman, Tim Kauffman, security cameras can't get an angle." Felicity informs them as Tommy frowns.

"Then who's that?" He questions.

"Just some low level dealer." Sin mutters.

"Yeah my they set up shop in abandoned warehouses." Roy adds.

"Don't particularly look like archers to me." Tommy notes.

"He could be a witness though." Slade states.

"Where do you guys want me?" Diggle questions.

"Will Lyla give you access to ARGUS's database?" Oliver enquires.

"To find out who did this, Lyla will give us access to ARGUS." Diggle retorts.

"She let us destroy them afterwards." Slade mutters, a menacing look in his eyes at the very mention of ARGUS, the Mirakuru only making his hatred of them worse.

"Slade it's for Nyssa." Sara whispers as Slade says nothing in response.

"Thank you." Sara replies, glancing toward Diggle and nodding.

"We need a list of everyone on their radar. Assassins and mercenaries who uses a bow." Oliver commands moments after.

"I'm on it." Diggle replies, leaving the room as Oliver looks down at his phone.

"What is it?" Tommy questions.

"Thea hasn't called back yet." Oliver admits as a sad look crosses each one of their faces at the reminder that Thea isn't here where they would really prefer her to be right now.

 _Hong Kong_

 _"Kid, kid, talk to me." Slade says hurriedly as Oliver pushes the gun away from the both, gripping Slade's arms._

 _"You can't, you can't kill him. That's Tommy. My…"_

 _"Your friend? Please don't tell me it's that…" Slade sighs as Oliver nods quickly._

 _"You didn't eliminate the target, neither of you did." Maseo snaps at them both._

 _"That's not a target, that's my best friend." Oliver exclaims._

 _"Why are we pointing a gun at my best friend? Is this some sort of test? Some way to put Slade and and I against each other by having him actually pull the trigger, ohh my god if I hadn't…" Oliver trails off._

 _"What the hell is going on? Is this a test? Tell us now!" Slade snarls angrily._

 _"Yes. One you both failed!" Maseo snaps back._

 _"Good. Flunk me." Oliver retorts._

 _"You think it's a coincidence your friend just happened to show up in Hong Kong? He's here looking for you!" Maseo shouts at Oliver._

 _"What?" Slade interjects._

 _"When he logged into his email, it set off an account alert. Dead men don't check their email." He informs them both as Oliver runs a hand through his hair._

 _"Oh, so this is my fault?" Oliver sighs._

 _"Waller needs the two of you. She can't let you both be compromised by some rich kid flashing your picture all over Hong Kong. Whether you're the one who pulls the trigger or not Oliver and I would highly suggest, seeing as this is your best friend, you let him do it." He glances to Slade momentarily before continuing._

 _"She wants Tommy Merlyn off the board."_

 _The Foundry_

Sat in front of Felicity's computers, Roy types hurriedly into the FBI database, not expecting Felicity Smoak herself to walk in and catch him in the act.

"That is a cobalt encrypted workstation. You better not being using it to tweet." Felicity hisses at him.

"You know I wouldn't dare to do a thing like that, especially after the reprimanding I got from using Slade's phone to tweet that one time." Roy comments as Felicity storms toward him, an annoyed look on her face.

"I was actually just…" He starts but she beats him to it.

"Accessing an FBI database what… Roy why are you looking for Thea?" She questions when the picture of Thea comes up.

"Because I don't think she is where she says she is." Roy replies.

"Why would she lie?" Felicity frowns.

"Felicity. Slade was like a second brother to her and when we get in touch to tell her that he's alive, all we get is some postcard saying 'that's amazing news'? Felicity. If I got news like that. I would be straight back here as fast as I possibly could. Or at least, if I couldn't easily have got home just called." Roy sighs.

"Roy, it's Thea. I'm sure she's fine."

"She's been gone five months and all we've had is a couple of crappy letters." Roy retorts.

"Well you did tell her to leave town and never come back. You should just be happy that she had stayed in touch with us, even if it's through letters…" Felicity trails off as her phone begins to bleep.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She snaps before storming off.

"What where are you going?" Roy frowns.

"Keep your phone on your incase I decide to ask you to bring that suit I wore during the Siege. There's someone I need to kill."

 _Palmer Technologies_

Arriving at the top floor of the new Palmer Technologies building, that Felicity actually had already been inside of, during the Siege, shuddering slightly as she enters the top floor, remembering how Shado and Isabel had used this place as their headquarters.

"Did you do this to make a point?" She snaps at Ray Palmer, whom is currently signing a document held out toward him.

"Because I get it. Loud and clear. You are rich, you are impulsive and frankly you are the creepiest form of stalker that I've ever had to deal with and believe me when I'm telling you that, that is saying a lot." She shouts at him, when he finally looks down at her.

"Hi, I'll be right back." He smiles, walking away from her.

"You like what I've done with the place? I've tried to liven it up a little bit after it was evil villain headquarters last year. I'm hosting an event tonight, a pledge drive of sorts. Got to make an impression, right. I was planning to ask Queen Consolidated to give me a hand. Now, what can I do for you?" He turns back to her for a moment.

"You can stop. You can stop sending me flowers and you can stop texting me and calling me and emailing me, because I spam them anyway…"

"Oh is spam a verb now?" Ray queries with a smile.

"Because I am never, ever, ever going to work for you." She continues anyway.

"Actually, you already do." He points out.

"Only because you brought the store that I work at!" She cries.

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did! My boss just called and told me that you did." She moves toward him when he walks away from her again.

"Well, he's wrong, kind of. I brought the holding company which owns and operates all twenty thousands tech village stores but I guess either way, yes I am your boss now. So you can either work for me here, in a big office with a big salary, or you can work for me from there, in that awful uniform." He offers with a confident smirk.

"Or. I can quit, which is what I just did and anyway's I could literally be hired back at Queen Consolidated any day now, so I'll have a job, in a big office, with a big salary and working with two people I care about." Felicity retorts before turning towards the door.

"You know, most girls would be flattered that I spent 1.2 billion dollars to hire them, even if I do have a fairly genius plan for revamping the stores." He follows her.

"In case you haven't noticed, I am not most girls and I don't need this, or you, or any of this. I'd have everything I want right next door." She moves toward the elevator.

"Felicity. I. I piss people off on a daily basis. It's part of business and well, being the smartest guy in any given room, I own that. So I have enough experience with people being angry with me to know when they're really angry at something else. You right now are not angry at me. What's your something else?" He asks her kindly.

"Oh, money won't fix this problem." She sniffs.

"Money won't solve most problems, not the ones that matter, but talking helps. I know, we barely know each other…"

"I'm going to leave now." Felicity whispers, trying to keep the sadness from her voice.

"Listen, whatever happened, I'm sorry. It helps to remember that, it gets better." He says softly as she disappears though the lift.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Are you sure you want to be here right now?" Wizard looks to the Black Canary.

"Yes." She mutters as she follows Blackbird, the Arrow and The Man In The Mask.

"I need to be here. I can't stay down there." She murmurs as they look to see a man trying to escape from them, The Man In The Mask walking calmly toward him before grabbing him by the foot and throwing him to the ground from the vantage point he'd attempted to climb upon to evade the vigilantes.

"Damn." Blackbird glances toward The Man In The Mask in surprise at his action as the Arrow and the Black Canary pull the man up from the ground, the Black Canary shoving him roughly up against the wall.

"Someone was murdered here. Tell us what you saw." The Arrow starts.

"I saw nothing." The man retorts as The Man In The Mask wraps a hand around his throat.

"Wrong answer." He hisses.

"Let him go." The Arrow commands.

"He ain't gonna be able to talk if you strangle him to death." Wizard adds as The Man In The Mask reluctantly lets him loose, holding his sword out to his neck though.

"Ok, ok. There was a black face mask. Like a, like a hockey mask. Now please guys…" He is cut off by the Black Canary knocking him out whilst the Arrow taps into the comms.

"Diggle, are you at ARGUS? We've got something."

"Yeah, I'm here, I got a list of archers twenty long, man." Diggle replies.

"How many of them wear a mask?" Blackbird questions.

"Only one. Simon Lacroix, mercenary. Goes by Komodo." Diggle responds.

"Send Felicity everything." The Arrow commands.

"Yep." Diggle replies, doing the required task.

"Guys, I'm opening up the file now." Felicity calls to them.

"Is that him?" Laurel, whom had arrived back at The Foundry after leaving her kids with Cat, asks Felicity as she brings up the information Diggle sent over.

"Simon Lacroix. Born in Saint-Sophie, Quebec, raised by a single mom, terrible credit score, oh and wanted for murder in seven counties." Felicity adds.

"We need his location now." The Man In The Mask growls.

"One minute." Felicity replies, using her chair to push herself toward another set of keyboard whilst Laurel glances down at her.

"Put them on speaker." She requests.

"Ok, I'm indexing all active burner cell phones within the city limits." Felicity informs her.

"That's stupid there's got to be at least ten thousand phones." The Black Canary mutters.

"Yes, but how many are making calls to dear old mom in Saint-Sophie, Quebec?" Felicity questions as she types.

"I got him. He's on the move."

 _Later…_

As a car drives along the road, an archer upon a motorcycle speeds after him, firing an arrow directly at the tire, causing the man to lose control of the car and crash.

Pulling the motorcycle to a stop beside the car, the archer looks to the side as he sees three other motorcycles approaching him.

About to shoot his target, the Arrow fires first, knocking the arrow out of the way.

"We found Lacroix." The Arrow calls.

"I need to see what's happening." Laurel requests from within The Foundry.

"Ok, blowing up street camera feed." Felicity nods.

Meanwhile, after watching his arrow get intercepted, Komodo, turns his motorcycle in the direction of the Arrow's, whom along with the Wizard and The Man In The Mask drive away from him, waiting until he's followed them away from his intended target.

"Guys what's happening?" Felicity calls through the comms.

"Motorcycle standoff." The Wizard responds as the Arrow sets off, Komodo firing arrows at the Arrow, who ducks, one arrow slicing the Black Canary in the arm.

"Son of a bitch!" The Wizard mutters, firing an arrow of his own at Komodo, whilst Blackbird ducks to avoid being shot at as Komodo fires an arrow at them to. The Man In The Mask continuing on, throwing a knife at Komodo, who shoots an arrow at the wheel causing the motorcycle to flip, sending The Man In The Mask halfway down the road.

"Ohh my god. Slade?!" Felicity cries through the comms as the Arrow zooms after Komodo, shooting an arrow of his own, just as Komodo flips his motorcycle on to the side, standing on top of it to send an arrow directly at the Arrow, hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to lose control of the motorcycle, he and the Black Canary instantly falling from it.

"Sara!" Laurel calls having seen what had just happened to her sister.

"Sara get up, Oliver? Anybody. Tommy?!" Laurel calls through the comms watching as Blackbird gets off of the bike, racing towards the Black Canary and the Arrow whilst the Wizard zooms off in the direction of Komodo, firing arrows at him as he drives straight through a gap on old building, shooting up at the roof to bring some of it down, preventing the Wizard from following him any further.

"I lost him. He blocked my path. I lost him." The Wizard sighs.

"It's ok. It's ok you tried, go, get back to Oliver, Sara and Slade. They're hurt." Laurel calls to him whilst she and a Felicity look anxiously through the cameras.

"Sara are you okay?" Laurel cries as the Arrow stands, ripping the arrow from his arm, before helping the Black Canary up.

"He got away." The Arrow murmurs.

"We know. Tommy lost him to." Laurel sighs before adding quickly.

"Are you okay? Sara are you hurt?" She questions worriedly.

"Flesh wound." She replies before looking to the Arrow, who's already moving toward The Man In The Mask.

"Slade? Slade answer me. Slade?!" Felicity cries as the Arrow, the Black Canary and Blackbird race to where he was violently thrown, only to see him miraculously walking toward them as if nothing had happened.

"Fall knocked my comms out. I'm fine." He calls, looking around as he does so.

"You get that son of a bitch?"

 _The Foundry_

"I had him guys. I swear to god, I freakin' had him. He blocked my path with crap I couldn't do anything." Tommy snaps as he enters The Foundry.

"The way you guys look, it seems he almost had you guys." Diggle notes, as Oliver grabs Sara's arm to view her cut whilst Felicity immediately rushes towards Slade.

"I'm fine, stop mothering me." He grumbles gruffly, all but pushing her away.

"Man you were thrown clean off that thing, how are you still walking, let alone not have a mark on you." Sin frowns.

"The armour in this suit is exceptional." He mutters and it's not entirely a lie, the suit Shado crafted for him has been much more substantial than the last one.

"Where's Roy?" He questions almost instantly he notices his absence.

"He's out canvassing." Felicity replies.

"Tell us about the driver of the car?" Sara questions as Oliver stitches up her arm.

"His name is Erlich Kelso, he just got out of Starling General…"

"Where are we with Lacroix?" Slade cuts her off sharply.

"He ditched his burner." Diggle responds.

"I'm searching the city for any calls made to Quebec." Felicity adds.

"We used that method to track him once. He's not going to allow that happen again." Slade folds his arms.

"Alright, so we stop searching for Lacroix and look for the guy he was trying to kill instead?" Tommy suggests.

"Because there must be a connection with his victims." Oliver nods.

"Already on it." Felicity informs them as Oliver finishes stitching Sara's arm.

"Hey, do you want to talk yet?" He questions carefully.

"Not right now, Ollie. Can you just stay here though, please?" She requests quietly, holding out her uninjured hand, which he takes instantly, Sara squeezing his hand tightly as if she were afraid to let go…

 _Hong Kong_

" _I mean what if we just… We go to a local morgue and we find a body that looks like Tommy's." Oliver suggests, pacing up and down until Slade wraps his hand around Oliver's wrist, grounding him._

 _"Kid, you've had some insane theories in the past but just think about where we are and…"_

 _"At the Hong Kong morgue? You've got a better chance of winning the lottery and trying to pay Waller off." Maseo interjects instantly._

 _"Kid he's right." Slade adds carefully._

 _"We have to do something. We have to save him. I am not going to assassinate my best friend." Oliver shouts at both Maseo and Slade._

 _"There has to be another way." He protests._

 _"There is but it involves Amanda Waller finding someone else to execute your friend." Maseo admits._

 _"No, no. There has to be something we can do." Oliver runs a hand through his hair._

 _"Kid, I'm thinking but I don't know…"_

 _"Well considering you killed your best friend forgive me if I don't think you're thinking out the box here!" Oliver snaps without thinking._

 _"HEY!" Slade bellows instantly, gripping Oliver's arm roughly, the Mirakuru rage flaring up as Oliver yanks his arm free, storming away without another word._

 _Later…_

 _"No, not you, dad. Look, I'm already in Hong Kong." Tommy sighs as he picks up his mobile._

 _"No! No, I didn't tell you I was taking the jet because I knew you would freak out like this." Tommy retorts as he walks across a short wooden bridge._

 _"No, I don't know how long, ok? It doesn't matter. Listen, if Oliver is still alive, if he is still here…" He trails off in anger._

 _"Look, why don't you just go back to banging your Pilates instructor, ok?" Tommy snaps, hanging up and shaking his head._

 _"I'll just be here searching for my best friend."_

 _He is unable to even react when a hand covers his mouth and a needle is inserted into his neck…_

 _Starling City General_

Walking into Starling City General, Laurel is stopped by two SCPD officers.

"I'm sorry, miss. You can't go in there." They inform her.

"Laurel Lance. I'm with the district attorney's office. Erlich Kelso is a witness of my ongoing investigation." Laurel informs her, showing her, her credentials.

"Mr. Kelso's under protective custody…"

"Not from me and if you have a problem with that you can call your Captain, tell him his daughter says hello." Laurel cuts her off, resulting in her stepping aside and letting Laurel through into the room.

"Who are you?" Kelso questions the instant she enters the room.

"I work in the DA's office." She replies.

"I already told the police, I don't know anything." He responds.

"I still have to ask you a few questions." She says after shutting the door…

 _The Foundry_

"Is isn't working. Why isn't it?" Sara glances toward Felicity.

"It is." She replies, leaning over her chair, hands clasped together.

"It's running an NSA algorithm aggregating the victims personal information using every government database known and unknown." She replies.

"It's taking too long." Sara interjects.

"Hey, how about we go for a walk. You know, go upstairs a bit, get some fresh air. I bet we come back and she's got something." Oliver suggests.

"Ok. Slade could you stay here, please. Just call the minute there's something." Sara sighs.

"Of course." He responds as Sara heads toward the stairs, Oliver following her, leaving Slade and Felicity alone, who leans against her chair with a sigh.

"Felicity. The person who murdered Nyssa is still out there which means that every minute that we waste down here..."

"I know! You don't need to tell me as if I don't already know." Felicity whispers.

"We just need you on full alert right now Felicity." He retorts sharply, beginning to walk away from her.

"Well, I'm not!" She pulls her glasses off.

"My friend, our friend was shot with arrows and fell off of a rooftop and the two people you love most in the world are losing their minds up there because they're probably also with her because her body is upstairs right up above us in a freezer because we don't know what to do with it. With her." Felicity whispers tearfully.

"So I am so sorry, Slade if I have feelings but maybe if you did too…" She trails off as Slade turns to face her in an instant.

"I have watched people I care about die in front of me Felicity. I had to kill someone I once trusted with my life. I seen things you couldn't even dream of and I have done so questionable things so forgive me if I've tried to put my feelings to one side to focus on the important aspects of the things that happens as if you give over to those feelings it is only going to slow you down to the point you make mistakes. You get people killed. Year two on the island I told the kid, distractions are what gets you killed and we are all in this position because none of us listened to that. I didn't, none of us did." He mutters.

"But this is Nyssa we're talking about, your friend, Sara and Oliver's Nyssa. How can you stand there being so cold and rational. How can Oliver, Sara?" She shakes her head.

"Because we don't have the luxury of falling to pieces." Oliver calls from where he has reappeared with Sara.

"Everyone's looking to the three of us to handle things." He adds.

"To make the right decisions." Slade nods.

"To lead." Sara finishes.

"We grieve, no one else gets to." Slade finishes moving away from her.

"You're still a human being Slade. All three of you are. You're allowed to have feelings. I know sometimes that it's easier to live under your masks, your hood and wig." She looks between Oliver, Sara and Slade.

"We're not." Slade hisses, Felicity recoiling a little from him at his sharp tone of voice.

"Felicity. When we were looking at Nyssa earlier. It hit me that the next time there's a body there. If there ever is. Then it could be John, Tommy, Roy, Sin or Slade, it could even be Ollie and I don't know how I'd be able to handle that but I'd have to. Someone would have to lead and if one of the three of us were still alive. We'd have to handle it because we started this." Sara sighs, running her fingers through her hair.

"She's right. I to realized something, that of these days it's going to be me, or Sara, or Slade, or any of us who do this and this…" Oliver trails off.

"This life that I've chosen, it only ends one way."

"So that's it? You three are just going to spend your lives, hiding down here in this cave, waiting to die? I'm sorry. I'm not going to wait with you guys because if there's one thing that today has taught me, is that life is precious and I want so much more in mine than this." Felicity retorts before walking away, wiping away her tears that fall as she leads the room.

"Felicity." Sara starts as Slade grabs her arm.

"No, let her go. She doesn't need to be here." Slade retorts, moving towards the computers, both Sara and Oliver turning to look at him as he coldly sits, emotionless and rational.

"Her presence is not essential."

 _ **Authors Note: Thanks all for reading I am so sorry this has been such a long chapter in the making. College started back up and it's my final year so I have all my exams and as its just started I've literally thrown all my time at revision and trying to write my original book. So I can't promise an update is coming any time soon but I just wanted you all to know I am never giving up on this FanFiction I am going to see it to the very end. It might just take awhile this year to get chapters out. Thanks for all the support, follows and favorites, please review if you can and thanks so much for reading :)**_


	147. Sara (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred And Forty Seven_**

 _Starling City General_

"Let's start with the obvious." Laurel begins as she moves closer to Kelso's hospital bed.

"Why would someone want to kill you?" She folds her arms.

"I have no idea. This whole thing it's insane." Kelso replies in protest.

"Mr. Kelso, despite what you may have heard, homicides at the hands of a stranger are incredibly rare. Imagine how rare homicides by bow and arrow are." Laurel points out.

"Yeah, the guy was a sicko."

"And you're a liar." Laurel interjects angrily.

"I'm the victim here." Kelso continues.

"You're also a witness. My witness and you better give me something useful otherwise you're going to be facing an obstruction charge." Laurel says sternly.

"You know, I think I want to talk to your boss because you can't treat people like that." He retorts as Laurel frowns.

"Oh, really, you want to talk to my boss?" She starts before abruptly grabbing his bad arm and slamming it down hard on the rails of the bed, causing Kelso to call out in pain.

"How's your arm feeling?!" She snaps.

"What are you doing?!" Kelso asks in shock.

"John Burke and Tim Kaufman, they were also shot dead with arrows and they're too dead to tell me why." She shouts.

"Can't." He replies, pained by Laurel's grip on his bad arm, which she forcibly knocks into the rail of the bed again.

"Burke and Kaufman! What do the two of them have to do with you?" She yells.

"We were all working on a deal but nobody was supposed to know about it." He admits quickly just as Laurel frees his arm at long last.

"What kind of deal?" She questions.

"To build an oil pipe line." He gasps.

"For Amertek, it's…" He is cut off by an arrow suddenly entering his chest, killing him instantly. Laurel racing toward the window just to see an archer dressed in black on a nearby rooftop, watching them from afar before disappearing into the night…

 _The Foundry_

"You've reached Thea, leave a message." The sound of Thea's voicemail reaches Oliver's ears yet again as from the computers Slade sighs.

"Give it a rest, kid." He growls as Oliver just closes his eyes in frustration.

"Hey, Thea its me again and I don't know if you're getting these messages but I would really like to talk to you. So please, just call me back. Call any of us back ok? Bye." He says before hanging up as Roy watches him with a sad look on his face.

"Lyla has multiple teams trying to get an angle on Lacroix." Diggle says upon entering with Sin who puts her hands in her pockets.

"Haven't got anything yet but apparently we have a message from Deadshot." She replies.

"What the hell does he want?" Tommy frowns.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't impact on what we're doing now." Slade retorts.

"But he is connected to a friend of ours and she might need our help."

"Then Harley would have contacted us herself. You know, kid. I should've killed that son of a bitch when I had the chance." Slade snarls.

"We thought he was dead." Oliver points out.

"This is why we should make sure of that." Slade hisses.

"Ok. Let's focus on catching Nyssa's killer. Don't go off in one about Deadshot. We can deal with him later, ok." Roy moves toward Slade.

"I know I risk losing my head saying this but, you need to calm down a bit." Roy starts as Slade glowers at him causing Roy to hold his hands up in almost surrender.

"Attempt it at least?" Roy tilts his head to the side as Slade glares at the computer screen in front of him but does feel the rage fading slightly at Roy's words.

"I'd ask if you wanted a hand with those things but you seem to know what you're doing." Roy remarks upon seeing Slade use Felicity's computers with ease.

"I do but you can sit there and…" Slade trails off as he considers a word to use in place of the truth.

"Just sit there." He mutters.

"Where's Felicity?" Diggle questions.

"She needed some air." Oliver replies.

"Don't sugar coat it, kid. She can't handle what it is we do down here, so she's probably thinking contemplating getting out of this while she still can. Don't blame her. Always thought my life would have been a lot simpler if Billy and I hadn't been put on the mission to retrieve Yao Fei from the island." Slade mutters whilst typing.

"Are you guys okay?" Sin asks in quiet voice as a sad look crosses both Oliver and Sara's faces at Slade's words.

"I. I just need Thea to call me back." Oliver sighs as Diggle nods, patting Oliver on the shoulder in passing.

"Something that's probably not going to happen." Roy murmurs.

"Why? What do you mean?" Oliver enquires.

"I'm sorry, Oliver but don't you think it's a bit odd that all the times we've written to her, tried to contact her that she hasn't come back home yet?" Roy questions.

"You told her to leave town Roy and that's what she did." Sara shrugs.

"To save her from Shado and the Siege, because Moira and Slade had just died and you know out of everything that's what gets me the most here. There's something else going on I know it because, Thea. She loved Slade. She saw him as another brother and her written to that was 'that's great'? It just. It doesn't make sense. No matter where I was I would do whatever it took to get back home if I found out that someone I loved who I believed to be dead actually wasn't. So you can keep writing to Thea, keep calling her but I don't think she's ever going to answer or come home because there's something going on and we all need to find her ourselves. We have to do something because right now. I am terrified that something has happened to her." Roy exclaims before getting to his feet, looking between Oliver and Sara before storming towards the steps.

"I need some air."

 _Starling City General_

"Felicity I really need to talk to you. So please, can you call me back as soon as you get this." Laurel mutters through her phone as she walks down the hospital corridor only to practically walk straight into her dad.

"Laurel! Baby, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asks her hurriedly.

"I'm fine." Laurel replies.

"Baby, a guy just got skewered right in front of you. I hope you're not fine. What the hell were you doing here in the first place?" He questions.

"The District Attorney's office…"

"Did not send you. You lied to my officers and now what? You're just going to stand there and you're going to lie to me?"

"I needed to talk to him it was important…"

"Look, sweetie, I know you want to help, especially considering what's happened with Nyssa. I know you're hurting. I know but you don't need to take these kind of risks, you understand? Think about Brandon and Rebecca okay? Think about them instead of thinking about taking risks like that. I'm pretty sure your husband and your sister got those risks covered for you." He reminds her sternly.

"Yeah." Laurel nods.

"Go home. Go to Rebecca and Brandon. We got this." He wraps her into a quick embrace, kissing her forehead, leaving just before her phone begins to ring, seeing it to be Felicity, she answers.

"I got something. Meet me at Verdant."

 _The Foundry_

"Hey, thank you for agreeing to meet with me." Laurel looks to Felicity as she joins her.

"Yeah, it's fine. I heard about what happened on the news. Please tell me you weren't there." Felicity starts.

"Can you not tell Tommy…"

"Not tell me what Laurel, that you were there when that guy got killed? Like right there almost in line of target?" Tommy mutters from the top of the stairs.

"My dad called you." She sighs.

"He did. Also told me to make sure you went home." He folds his arms.

"I know, but I've got something that might help. I'll go home after, okay?" She assures him as he moves quickly toward her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Ok, ok. I'm just so glad that you're okay." He murmurs, holding his wife close.

"Now you know how I feel every night you go out there as the Wizard." She replies as Tommy wraps an arm around her shoulders, the three of them walking down into The Foundry together.

"You're okay?" Sara starts instantly.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry." Laurel nods, resting a hand on Sara's arm when reaching her.

"I see my chair is occupied." Felicity comments, glancing toward where Slade is sat at the computers.

"Didn't think you were coming back." Slade retorts.

"Ok. Let's not get into this now, Laurel do you have any information?" Oliver looks to her.

"Yes, I called Felicity so she could do the research. Has something happened?" She looks between Felicity and the others.

"What have you got?" Slade calls to her.

"Do you want me to do that? Felicity starts.

"I'm perfectly capable of using these computers." Slade responds sharply.

"Ok. So Amertek Industries. It's an oil company based in Starling City." Laurel starts, she and Tommy moving toward the computers.

"So far. I've managed to consolidate all of Lacroix's victim's records. I can run an algorithm, scan whatever data I receive and see who received money from Amertek." Slade murmurs whilst typing.

"How long does that take?" Laurel queries.

"Shouldn't be long."

"You're good at this, your like near Felicity good." Sin remarks.

"Computers, something I got used to during my time with ASIS. This is easy." Slade replies.

"I really, really don't mean anything by this but why did you recruit Felicity if you knew how to do all this?" Tommy questions.

"Yeah, I'm wondering that myself." Felicity sighs.

"I'd rather be out in the field." Slade murmurs as the information appears on screen.

"Three to Kelso, one more to Burke and two more to Kaufman." Diggle reads.

"They've all come from a subsidiary from Amertek in Qurac, which also happens to be the largest untapped oil field in the world." Slade reports boredly.

"Yeah, looks like Amertek was trying to strike an oil deal." Diggle notes.

"And someone paid Lacroix to stop it." Laurel continues.

"None of this explains how Nyssa was involved." Oliver interjects.

"Nyssa and I once worked in Qurac, we assassinated people there." Sara admits grimly.

"So you think she might have brought her work home for her. Wait if you two were together there, what if this guy wants to kill you to?!" Sin asks anxiously.

"It was a long time ago. If it is because of that. It's because Nyssa either returned there or something, I doubt anyone's coming after me." Sara assures them all as Sin approaches her.

"I'm sure, okay?" Sara looks to Sin, putting an arm around her as she does.

"Who authorized the payments?" Oliver looks to Slade.

"Tom Westin. He's a board member of Amertek. I believe he's Lacroix's next target. Getting a location." Slade types quickly, the information appearing on screen.

"Wait. Ohh crap. We're supposed to be at that." Roy winces upon seeing it to be the event Ray Palmer is setting up, which being neighbors, Queen Consolidated offered to support him, meaning Oliver had agreed that he and Slade would be there.

"And we're going to be." Oliver sighs.

"What are CEO of Queen Consolidated or the Arrow?" Tommy queries.

"Oliver will play his part as dutiful CEO. I don't have to be there. I'll take charge of this." Slade states in a matter of fact tone.

"You're my second in command, you probably should be with me." Oliver interjects.

"It would be easier to explain my absence then yours not to mention. One of us needs to be in charge of this. You're our leader, kid but you also have a job to do. I think I can handle leading this, a'right are we agreed?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this…"

"Kid. There's nothing to discuss." Slade cuts him off and whilst both men are occupied, Laurel moves quickly across the room to grab a gun, both Tommy and Sara following her.

"What are you doing?" Sara questions as Laurel pulls out the gun.

"Laurel…" Tommy reaches toward her but she pulls away.

"I'm coming with you guys."

"No."

"Absolutely not." Both Sara and Tommy start to protest at the same time.

"The only reason you guys know where to find him is because…"

"You almost got yourself killed. Lacroix could have put an arrow in you, Laurel!" Tommy cuts her off.

"We can handle this." Sara continues.

"Can you?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Yes. Yes we can. Look, honey, I know you're upset, I know I understand but you can't…"

"You can't come out there with us. End of." Oliver folds his arms.

"But…"

"Laurel please. Just go home to Brandon and Rebecca. We can handle this, okay. Trust us, please, trust me." Tommy practically begs as Oliver takes the gun from her.

"Don't any of you dare try to tell me to stay put and think that I'll listen! You all know me better than that." Laurel snaps.

"Laurel. Nyssa was the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. She was trained to become a killer probably even before she learnt how to walk and Lacroix put her down, so what do you think he's going to do to you?" Sara points out.

"I don't care about anything except for getting him." Laurel retorts.

"And we will, okay? We'll get him this time." Tommy reaches for her.

"Really?" Laurel snaps back.

"Laurel. I already lost someone that I loved so much. I cannot lose my sister. Please, just stay here, I'm begging you." Sara cries.

"You guys couldn't catch him before he escaped."

"We won't let him escape again." Slade mutters, reaching for his sword.

"I promise."

 _Palmer Technologies_

"Hi." Ray Palmer beams as he shakes hands with many businessmen upon entering the top floor of his building.

"Ray." Oliver smiles as he approaches him.

"Oliver, it is so good to see you. Thank you for coming." Ray hugs him briefly.

"Well, I'm only next door." Oliver says with a light laugh.

"Yes you are, thankfully. I mean we're friends as it is. Our companies can coincide peacefully. Where's your second in command?" He enquires.

"Oh he's prone to migraines. Bad ones." Oliver covers quickly.

"Ah that sucks. Glad you're here anyway. Also, question. Are you still trying to get Felicity Smoak her job back because, I really don't want to impose. I just want to be upfront and honest with you, I'd like her to work for me and she seems to think she could still have a place with you guys and I thought I met your new assistant, you see and…"

"Ray, if you want to hire her, that's fine with me, yes, we are working to get her job back but at the end of the day. It's her choice where she wants to work." Oliver points out.

"Also, is she. You know, is she seeing anybody?" Ray finds himself asking.

"Not currently." Oliver answers honestly.

"Good, good. Anyways. Thank you for being so understanding." Ray smiles.

"That's what friends are for." Oliver assures him.

"Talking about friendships, I have still got to see Sara, Laurel and Tommy again. I haven't seen them in years." Ray sighs.

"Well, we can arrange something, I mean. We could all have dinner. Just the five of us." Oliver suggests.

"That sounds great." Ray grins just as his name is called.

"That's my cue. Again, thank you so much for being here." Ray beams as he moves past Oliver to the podium.

"Thank you, thank you all for coming out tonight, given all that has befallen this city, it's easy for us to lose hope. To hide in our castles and be thankful that our ledges are in the black. Well, we, the city's most affluent businessmen and women hold its futures in our hands." Ray addresses the crowd confidently.

"Tonight I am making a pledge. I will give away half my net worth to the benefit of our home and this will be my salary for this year." Ray pulls out a dollar note from his pocket.

"So tonight, I invite you all to join me in this investment, not just with your money but with your ingenuity and most importantly your time. This city is my home, but it's yours too. So help make Star City our future, something I hope, my company and our neighbors and allies Queen Consolidated can make happen." Ray beams, everyone applauding him instantly just as Komodo dives through the window, everyone screaming and running in an attempt to evade him but, he's already got his sights on his target, who when attempting to run, is caught up in the snare Komodo shoots at him, yet just as he's dragging the man toward him, The Man In The Red Hood intercepts the rope, cutting it and freeing the man, yet as Komodo begins to advance on The Man In The Red Hood, the Wizard shoots at him, hitting him in the shoulder as The Man In The Mask, the Black Canary and Blackbird corner him off, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask engaging Komodo in instant combat whilst Oliver moves to get Ray to safety, watching cautiously as The Man In The Mask and the Black Canary battle Komodo, who when attempting to duck their attacks is engaged by The Man In The Red Hood and the Wizard, yet during the combat Komodo uses a zip line to jump out of the window, The Man In The Mask, the Wizard and the Black Canary, who grabs onto The Man In The Mask following on zip-lines of there own.

"Everyone out!" The Man In The Red Hood commands, he and Blackbird working on evacuating the people to safety, Blackbird leading the way whilst, The Man In The Red Hood sends them out into different elevators, making it easier for Oliver to slip out of sight.

"Stuffs a floor down." The Man In The Red Hood informs Oliver.

"Thank you." Oliver nods before racing down the stairwell…

 _Meanwhile…_

On the lower floor, in rooms that have not yet been refurbished and to The Man In The Mask, hauntingly reminds him still of Shado's lair. The three vigilantes move around the room, using the various boards and sheets to their advantage.

"There!" The Wizard yells upon seeing a cupboard door moving.

"Idiot." The Black Canary hisses as the three of them race to another vantage point, each with their weapons raised.

"Son of a bitch." The Man In The Mask hisses as Komodo vanishes from sight again.

However, upon seeing him around the corner, expertly, The Man In The Mask throws a knife in his general direction, the Wizard firing another arrow into the man's shoulder.

"It's over. Put down your weapons and you'll live." The Wizard calls.

"We all know that's not going to happen." Komodo replies.

"True." The Black Canary hisses before advancing on him.

"Canary!" The Wizard yells as the Black Canary races toward him just as Komodo fires his arrow, which is fortunately knocked aside by one of her batons before the Arrow appears and fires an arrow that traps Komodo against a wall.

"Who hired you?" The Black Canary hisses.

"Who hired you!" She yells, advancing on him and holding her baton to his throat, ready to snap his neck at any given second.

"Canary." The Arrow says in a warning tone.

"You tell me right now. Who. Hired. You." She growls.

"Who's…"

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" The Black Canary yells, slamming his head against the wall.

"You got a seventh vigilante?" Komodo questions causing them all to turn around in an instant, the Black Canary looking up only for them all to see Laurel Lance standing, gun in hand facing Komodo.

"Put down the gun." The Wizard starts.

"Do as he says, I'm gonna snap his neck." The Black Canary hisses.

"No you are not and your not going to shoot him. Neither of you are going to kill this man." The Arrow looks to the sisters.

"You don't want to do this, honey. You really don't. Come, on, give me the gun." The Wizard holds up a hand.

"I do want to do this." Laurel mutters.

"As do I. I don't want you to kill him though. Put the gun down and watch me do it for you." The Black Canary looks to her.

"No!" The Arrow growls at her.

"Why not! He killed her! He took her away from me, away from us!" The Black Canary yells.

"But killing him won't bring her back." The Arrow points out.

"We know it won't bring her back, she's dead!" Laurel yells.

"She wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you to do this. Either of you." The Wizard continues as the Black Canary shakes her head.

"Oh she would, you didn't know her. She would have wanted us to avenge her death." The Black Canary mutters.

"And if she won't I will." Laurel shouts.

"I have stood where you are right now, all of us have. Where you're so consumed with rage, you can hardly breathe and you think that taking revenge will make it better but, Laurel. It won't. It only makes it worse." The Arrow warns her.

"No, he murdered Nyssa. Canary, either you kill him, or let me!" Laurel calls to her.

"Who's Nyssa?" Komodo chokes due to the baton at his throat.

"A woman I loved you son of a bitch!" The Black Canary snaps.

"You killed her two nights ago. You put arrows in her chest." Laurel continues.

"Laurel. Laurel, put down the gun." The Wizard starts carefully.

"What? Two nights ago I was drunk in Bludhaven." Komodo croaks.

"You're lying to us." The Black Canary growls.

"I'm proud of my work. I wouldn't deny it." He points out.

"Even with a weapon to your throat and a gun to your face?" Laurel cries.

"I think what we need to all do is stop and listen to him." The Arrow looks to them both.

"No, he killed Nyssa!" The Black Canary cries.

"Nyssa wouldn't have wanted this…"

"NO! Don't you dare tell me that this isn't what Nyssa would have wanted. She would! She would, wouldn't she?!" Laurel looks to the Black Canary.

"Ohh she would."

"She wouldn't have wanted this from the two of you though. Think of what she would have wanted from the two of you." The Wizard points out.

"Don't tell us to think about Nyssa because we are thinking about Nyssa." The Black Canary cries as Laurel prepares herself to pull the trigger.

"Laurel, if you pull that trigger…" She does anyway, yet nothing happens.

"One of you took the bullets out of the gun." She whispers.

"Thank god." The Wizard murmurs.

"But no bullets aren't going to stop me from…"

"You can't! Please! You can't do this. You need to…" The Arrow is unable to finish his sentence as Komodo suddenly dies from a knife imbedded into his chest, thrown there by The Man In The Mask.

"Now, if we're all quite finished. We have to go, now!" The Man In The Mask barks.

"What have you done?" The Wizard whispers as the Arrow just looks to The Man In The Mask in horror.

"What none of you were going to do." The Man In The Mask replies, before storming toward the exit…

 _Verdant_

Sitting on the steps side by side, Laurel sits in between Tommy and Sara, holding them both close to her.

"Hey." Tommy starts when seeing Oliver walking towards them.

"What?" Laurel looks up at him to.

"Well, Lacroix's alibi checked out. Two murders in Bludhaven, same MO. Same night Nyssa was killed." Oliver reports regrettably.

"Wilson killed an innocent man." Tommy murmurs.

"He wasn't innocent. He may not have killed Nyssa but he was a murderer Tommy." Sara reminds him.

"I almost killed Lacroix." Laurel whispers.

"But you didn't, honey. You didn't do it and right now that's all that matters." Tommy reminds her.

"But Slade did." Laurel murmurs causing Oliver to sigh.

"I'll deal with Slade."

"I can't believe he did it." Tommy says with a shake of his head.

"Neither can I." Oliver admits.

"But he did and let me remind you all that the guy was a murderer so it wasn't like he killed an innocent person. Have we got any more leads. Anything at all we can chase up?" Sara looks to Oliver.

"The trail's run cold." Oliver responds solemnly.

"We are going to find whoever did this though. We will." Tommy interjects quickly at the look on both Sara and Laurel's faces.

"But we don't know when. This could take time and we will devote all our time to it but we've also got to focus on other things." Oliver points out.

"I understand." Laurel nods, looking down at her feet.

"I'm going to. I'm going to go see my dad, then go home and be with my kids. Tommy…" Laurel looks up at him.

"Yeah. I'm coming. That's if. I'm not…"

"No, go. I was just going to see what Diggle was talking about earlier you know, about Deadshot." Oliver replies as Tommy smiles.

"Okay, thanks man." Tommy nods before sliding an arm around Laurel's shoulders as they leave Verdant together.

 _The Foundry_

"You cut straight to the chase. What you did was excellent. Don't let the poor substitute for me tell you any different." Billy informs Slade, who sits on a chair facing near his glass case. "I know I did the right thing. Even if he didn't kill Nyssa, he killed others." Slade replies with a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's nice to see you no longer brainwashed." Billy smiles.

"I was never brainwashed." Slade mutters.

"I hate to disappoint you Slade, but you were, I mean, you're here after all. Still in Starling City." He sighs just as Roy enters The Foundry.

"Slade. His alibi checked out, he didn't murder Nyssa." Roy starts carefully.

"Still, murdered a lot of other people." Slade retorts plainly as Roy moves in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Roy questions carefully, sitting down in front of him.

"Whatever it is that's going on with you. You can talk to me about it." Roy assures him.

"I'm fine." Slade replies.

"Really? You don't seem fine. I am worried." Roy admits.

"Please don't be. If there was anything wrong. You'd be one of the first to know about it." Slade says with a slight smile.

"Good, I just. I care about you and after what happened with Shado, when I thought you were dead. I don't ever want to feel like that again." Roy says in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry. I am fine." Slade lies, leaning back in his chair as Oliver and Sara appear.

"What we doing?" Sin calls to them.

"We are going to find out what Deadshot wants. Diggle." Oliver turns to him.

"On it." Diggle sighs as Oliver walks over to Slade.

"We've got to talk about what happened you know." Oliver says in a calm voice, trying not to start yelling and lecturing Slade for what he did.

"I doubt we do. I thought he killed Nyssa. I did what I believed to be right, we were wrong but he was a murderer so I don't regret my actions." Slade says firmly before getting up and moving away from Oliver, who sighs as Diggle walks into the centre of the room, with the phone in hand, which Oliver takes.

"Deadshot." Oliver starts.

"Arrow." Floyd drawls.

"Is Harley okay?" Oliver enquires instantly.

"Oh she's just fine but it's because of her that I'm doing this."

"What do you mean?" Oliver questions.

"You and the asshole who cut off my leg. She cares for you and something's bothering her so when, I saw John. Figured I'd say something."

"Something about what?" Oliver frowns.

"To warn you and your team about something ARGUS has deployed…"

 _SCPD_

"Reckless idiot." Quentin mutters as he sits at his desk after reassuring yet another official that the vigilantes were not starting to kill people again, to be honest he'd told them the partial truth, in telling them that he'd heard a 'rumor' on the streets that Lacroix killed one of their own and they sort revenge but were most certainly not backing in the killing people business. There no kill rule still stands.

"Captain Lance." An unfamiliar voice calls.

"What is it?" He murmurs, looking up at the man that has just walked into his office.

"Figured I'd introduce myself. It's my first day after all." He states, extending a hand.

"Rick Flag. My superiors have decided to station me here after you disbanded your anti vigilante task force. I'm here to be a liaison with the SCPD and if it so happens that, the vigilantes step out of line, I'll be here to handle them. See to it that justice is served."

"Yeah, look. We don't need you. You see, the vigilantes they have a no kill rule in place…"

"Seems like it." He retorts.

"Last night was a mistake, rumor has it, Lacroix killed one of their own. We're letting it slide." Quentin shrugs.

"And if it happens again?" Flag questions.

"We'll handle it."

"Come on, man we're all here to do a job, I'm doing mine. I hope they don't do anything to warrant my involvement but my bosses want me here in case they do." Flag replies with a shrug as Quentin rolls his eyes.

"Fine, fine, we'll get a desk made up for you." He replies regrettably, relived the instant he sees Laurel and Tommy entering the precinct.

"Now, I'm sorry but my daughter and her husband are here." Quentin says moving past Flag to get to Laurel and Tommy.

"Who's that guy?" Tommy queries.

"We'll talk about that later." Quentin murmurs.

"Dad?" Laurel frowns.

"Laurel." Quentin fixes her with a stern look.

"I won't ask."

"Is there anything you guys need? Everything okay?" He asks.

"Yes. After that's gone on today and last night. I just wanted to see you before I went home. I've just…" Laurel falls silent.

"I know Laurel, I know." Quentin says pulling his eldest daughter into his arms, giving Tommy a grateful look as he holds his eldest daughter close to him.

Quentin grateful he still has her and Laurel beyond grateful that she has her father at horrific times like these.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"She can rest now." Oliver murmurs as he, Sara, Laurel, Tommy, Diggle, Slade, Roy, Quentin and Sin stand around the recently dug hole for Nyssa's body, under a willow tree in one of the furthest parts of the Starling City Cemetery.

"She's home. This is her home." Sara murmurs.

"Hey guys." A familiar voice suddenly interjects.

"Selina." Oliver looks up as she walks toward the group.

"What's going on?" She asks.

"You came back." Sara remarks.

"Said I'd drop by from time to time. This. This looks like a burial." She remarks.

"It is. It's. It's Nyssa's." Sin informs her as Selina looks between her then Sara.

"I'm sorry. I knew you guys cared about her, from what I knew of her she was a great woman." Selina looks down as she moves to stand beside Sin.

"Thank you for coming back." Sara nods as the ten of them stand looking down at the grave Nyssa's body now resides in, inside a wooden box they'd found in The Foundry, seeing as they'd had no time or had any plan to acquire a coffin.

Felicity steps forward, moving toward the pile of dirt, taking a handful, tearfully dropping it onto the box.

"It's a Jewish custom. I know she wasn't but it feels right." Felicity explains as Sara nods gratefully, moving to grab her own dirt, dropping her own on the box just as Oliver does to before Quentin then Selina, Sin, Roy, Slade, Diggle and Tommy, who rests a hand in Laurel's arm, who has tears falling down her cheeks.

"This isn't right. It's not fair." Laurel whispers as before Tommy and Quentin can embrace her, Sara tiptoes forward to hug her, herself, clutching her sister tight as tears run down Laurel's cheeks, Sara fighting back her own tears.

"Sara." Laurel whispers, pulling away and pulling something out of her jacket.

The stuffed toy shark.

"Laurel…" Sara's eyes widen as Laurel places it in her arms.

"I had it the whole time. I forgot to return it when you came home from the island." Laurel says quickly as Sara nods, holding her sister and now the toy shark close to her.

"I know this doesn't count for much but me and Lyla, we're naming the baby Nyssa." Diggle speaks up as Sara and Laurel look to him in an instant.

"We will never forget." He vows.

"Thank you." Sara nods as she nods her sister close to her, Roy wrapping his arms around both Sin and Felicity. The ten of them just looking over Nyssa's grave remorsefully.

All knowing one thing.

She will never be forgotten.

 _Hong Kong_

 _Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, a bag is ripped off of his head, instantly, Tommy knows he's trapped, that his hands are restrained._

 _"How did I? What the hell is going on here?" Tommy hisses as he sees two sets of feet circling him._

 _"Where am I?!" He practically yells as lights are switched on._

 _"Please, please don't, please don't hurt me." He begs._

 _"Just, just let me go, please. I promise. I. I won't tell anybody about this."_

 _"Do you believe a fisherman would simply throw his prized catch back into the sea?" One deep voice sounds out from the bigger figure out the two._

 _"What are you talking about?" Tommy enquires before closing his eyes._

 _"Look, whoever you two are. You really don't want to do this. Do you have any idea who I am? Who my father is?!" He snaps._

 _"You're Thomas Merlyn. You've been looking for Oliver Queen." The second voice sounds out._

 _"How. How, do you. How do you two know that?" He questions._

 _"One simple hack of a missing billionaires email account. Figured somebody would bound to start coming to look for him, but we believed it would be his mother, his sister, but you." The first person speaks again._

 _"The son of the CEO of Merlyn Global. Jackpot. My friend, you are going to make me a very rich man." The second person continues._

 _"So Oliver didn't…" Tommy trails off._

 _"He isn't…" He says whilst Slade looks to Oliver, glaring at him as he begins to pull down his balaclava ever so slightly._

 _"Oliver Queen is dead. He's rotting at the bottom of the ocean." Oliver says slowly._

 _"As will you. If your father does not pay that ransom." The first man continues just as the sound of the Hong Kong police arrives._

 _"I'm in here! Please help! Help! Help!" Tommy yells hurriedly as the as dressed as a member of the Hong Kong police, Maseo moves into the room whilst Slade pulls Oliver to the side._

 _"Thank you." Tommy whispers as Maseo frees him from his restraints._

 _"You're going home. You're safe now." Maseo assures him as Slade carefully leads Oliver away, down the corridor and to someplace where they can't see or hear Tommy._

 _"You did well, kid." Slade assures him as Oliver shakes his head._

 _"Slade, what I said about Wintergreen. I was out of line. I was wrong. I was just so scared about Tommy. Tommy. I grew up with him, he's like a brother to me…"_

 _"It's okay, kid. I know." Slade rests a hand on his shoulder._

 _"He could've died." Oliver whispers._

 _"Yet we prevented that." Slade reminds him._

 _"Yeah, we did." Oliver nods as he shakes his head._

 _"I'm sorry about earlier." Oliver repeats._

 _"Kid, Oliver. It's a'right." Slade says as Oliver embraces him._

 _"Thank god I've still got you."_

 _The Foundry_

"Quiet in here isn't it?" Tommy starts as he enters The Foundry, seeing Oliver sat at a desk, Sin and Diggle near the computers and Selina placing some of her weapons amongst the others as Tommy walks toward Oliver.

"Lance took Laurel and Sara home. I'm going to go to Laurel soon but I wanted to see you. Make sure you're okay." Tommy informs Oliver.

"I'm going to catch whoever killed Nyssa." Oliver murmurs.

"We know you are." Diggle speaks up.

"He's right. We all are, together." Tommy says, looking to Diggle who nods.

"And until we do no more of this planning to sideline me and Tommy." Diggle pipes up.

"What about your families? You saw Laurel, Tommy how she's handling Nyssa's death. If anything were to happen to you…"

"I can't guarantee it won't but Laurel knows what we've got to do here. She knows that we need to find out who did this to Nyssa." Tommy reminds him.

"Nyssa was family, just like you all are." Diggle adds.

"So what's are next move." Tommy folds his arms.

"Well, we keep our heads down, considering we've got that ARGUS operative, Rick Flag as a part of the SCPD ready to take us down if we make a wrong move but right now? Now I got to go get Thea. It's long past time she came home." Oliver murmurs.

"I agree." Tommy nods as Selina walks toward them.

"What? Where is she?" Selina asks with folded arms.

"She never came back after the Siege." Diggle fills her in.

"Oh god. Yeah, it is long past time then. I'll help you bring her back. I liked your sister." Selina looks to Oliver and Tommy, who look at her gratefully in response as she moves back to her weapons.

"See you all tomorrow." Diggle says as he heads to the stairs.

"John." Oliver sighs, causing Diggle to look to him again.

"I don't want to die down here." Oliver admits in a small voice.

"So don't Oliver." Diggle says as he leaves, looking once to Tommy who walks toward Oliver.

"I need to go home to Laurel and you need to go home to Sara." Tommy reaches out a hand, Oliver taking it, yet just holds to it instead of using it to stand.

"Oliver Queen is dead. He's rotting at the bottom of the ocean." Oliver murmurs as Tommy freezes, the words stirring a memory in him.

"I said that to you five years ago." Oliver whispers.

"Wait. When I came to Hong Kong, when I was abducted. I was abducted by two men. That…" Tommy trails off.

"You were never wrong Tommy. I had activated my email account. The people who abducted you were Slade and I. You almost saved me." Oliver admits.

"But why. Why didn't you reveal yourself to me. I could've… I could've brought you and Wilson home." Tommy looks at Oliver in horror.

"Because only hours previously was Slade and I holding a sniper to your head. Our mission was to kill you because you came to look for me. I had to make you leave." Oliver admits.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Tommy asks quietly.

"I was thinking about it today. About how you went to the other side of the world for me. To bring me home." Oliver manages a slight smile.

"I'd do it again." Tommy promises as Oliver draws him into an embrace.

"I know you would, buddy. I know you would because I would for you. Always." Oliver murmurs as Tommy nods.

"Always."

 _Diggle's Residence_

Once at home, John Diggle makes his way into his daughter's room, smiling down at his only nearly two days old daughter.

His precious baby girl.

His baby Nyssa.

 _Palmer Technologies_

Speaking to builders about the redesign of his office floor yet again, after yet another criminal has come into his place of work, Ray turns around when he hears the sound of the elevator dinging.

He shouldn't complain he thinks to himself as he walks toward the elevator.

At least his building hasn't been taken over and being used as HQ again by some evil terrorist group, deploying those awful soldiers.

"Hey." Ray says, smiling when he sees that its Felicity Smoak.

"Hi." Felicity responds.

"Changed your mind." He remarks with a beaming grin as Felicity nods.

"I just decided I want more out of life."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Looking down at his phone, Roy contemplates ringing Thea again but is distracted by Slade walking past him and toward the darkness.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Away." Slade murmurs.

"What do you mean by that?" Roy frowns, jogging to keep up.

"What I said." Slade retorts.

"Yes but there's 'away' and there's 'away'. What's going on?" He asks as Slade sighs.

"I don't know if I belong here anymore."

"This is home Slade. Of course you belong here." Roy replies worriedly.

"Yet it isn't. I don't belong here anymore."

"No, Slade." Roy reaches for his arm as Slade turns to walk away.

"Where are you going."

"I'm going to talk to someone."

"Who?" Roy continues.

"You don't want to know."

"Well I will know, I'm coming with you." Roy says firmly.

"No you most certainly are not." Slade growls.

"Yes, yes I am."

"ROY!" Slade snaps at him.

"No! I'm coming, you can keep saying no but I'm just going to keep following you." Roy responds stubbornly.

"Roy. You cannot come with me. I'm going somewhere that you…"

"Ohh my god." Roy freezes as it hits him.

"Are you. You can't be serious. Why? Slade please tell me I'm wrong. You are not going back to the island."

"I need to speak to someone."

"Yeah and you and I know who that someone is and you're not. Whatever's wrong. You're going to tell me. You're not going to tell her. You're going to tell me, Sara or Oliver."

"This isn't something I can speak to them about…"

"Slade." Roy reaches for his arm causing Slade to spin around.

"What?!" He snaps loudly as Roy looks down at Slade's visibly shaking hands.

"Slade…" Roy starts as he looks down once at Slade's hands.

"No. No, you told me. You told me you took the cure. Please tell me this isn't what I think it is." Roy groans in despair.

"I don't know what you're insinuating." Slade retorts.

"Yes you do. You're lying to me." Roy murmurs.

"I don't know where you get that idea from." Slade says, turning to leave again when Roy wraps his hand around Slade's wrist to stop him.

"Slade. Please tell me that the Mirakuru is no longer in your system." Roy all but begs as Slade looks down, yet instead of denying it he remains silent.

"Ohh my god." Roy mutters.

"Spare me your judgment." Slade mumbles.

"You're not going to get it. I'm not judging you, I'm just… You've had it all this time."

"I can use it to protect all of you. I could control it before, I can control it again."

"Yeah but even you told me that without Oliver you wouldn't have been able to and Oliver. I doubt he knows about this and you think what you need to do is talk to Shado." He starts.

"I'm seeing things, Roy. Like, she hallucinated me. I'm hallucinating my old partner, Billy Wintergreen and I need…"

"You need your friends, the people who love and care about you. You've got me. I had the Mirakuru remember and the only reason I'm still here and not in a cell opposite Shado is because I had you and you've got me. You're always going to have me here for you and Sara and Oliver. Slade, you have to tell Oliver."

"The kid doesn't need to be burdened by this…"

"Slade, Oliver needs to know."

"Oliver doesn't need to know anything!" Slade snaps.

"Okay, okay." Roy says carefully.

"This is between you and I. Yes?" Slade looks to him as Roy reluctantly nods.

"Ok but. I would recommend you tell Oliver what's going on. You know he can help you, you know he would. You really need to talk to Oliver…"

"Roy." Slade growls as Roy falls silent before simply reaching out to embrace him…

 _Corto Maltese_

"And I thought what you do to me is barbaric." Siobhan Smythe mutters, tugging at her collar as Malcolm Merlyn passes her where she sits in a chair, outside a room that, from within emits the sounds of grunting and sticks hitting other sticks.

"I wouldn't call it that Siobhan." Malcolm sighs as he passes her, watching the three people who wear all black and are duelling with escrima sticks until one overpowers them.

Siobhan scoffs and shakes her head as Malcolm begins to clap the victorious one.

"Well done." He praises the person, who pulls of her protective shield, a scowl on her face.

"Didn't give me much of a choice if I wanted to do this or not." Thea Queen murmurs.

"You did well. Take pride in that." Malcolm continues as Thea sighs sarcastically.

"Thanks, dad."

 _Laurel & Tommy's Apartment_

Sitting on the floor in the middle of the large playroom they have for their children, Laurel happily plays with Brandon and Rebecca, regardless of how late at night it is.

"Are we done? Go get more toys. Go on!" Laurel encourages them as they crawl across the floor towards where a load of their toys are spread out across the room.

As they're doing so, keeping her eyes on them at all times, Laurel does find herself glancing down at the bracelet Nyssa gave her, running her fingers over it as she hears the door to the playroom opening, looking up with a smile to see Tommy.

"Hey, honey." He smiles as he moves to sit on the floor beside her.

"I love you." Laurel murmurs as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"As I love you." Tommy replies as Brandon and Rebecca return to them.

Yet instead of focusing on the toys they have with them, they race into the mother and fathers arms, tears escaping Laurel's eyes as she just draws them all into her arms, holding tightly to Tommy, Brandon and Rebecca as she thinks of Nyssa.

Thinks of her family.

The closest of which she has in her arms.

"I love you all so much."

 _Queen Mansion_

"Sara?" Oliver calls as he enters the foyer of the mansion, jogging up the stairs to their bedroom, where he finds the door slightly ajar.

"Sara, honey are you there?" He starts which is when he hears it.

The unmistakable sound of sobbing.

Pushing open the door, Oliver feels his own eyes pricking with tears as he sees Sara, on the floor beside the couch in their bedroom, the soft plushy toy shark held to her chest as she sobs, heart wrenching sobs.

Without words, Oliver crosses the room, sitting down beside the woman he loved and attempts to wrap his arms around her and instantly, she moves, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she sobs wordlessly, Oliver stroking her hair, murmuring words of comfort and love to her in more than one language as she cries, the two of them just holding onto one another as they both break down from the excruciating pain of the loss of the woman they had both loved…

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading :) so sorry this chapter has taken forever. College is a bitch, there's no other way of saying it. I have so much work to be doing as its my last year and all my exams are coming up this year/early next year so. Updates won't be regular but they will keep coming and again. I am NEVER giving up on this story, I'm seeing it through to the end. Thank you all so much for reading, following and favoriting and please leave a review if you can :)_**

 ** _PS: Hope you all enjoyed the premiere of Arrow: Season 6 as much as I did. Personally and I know this is a bit mean of me, but I kinda hoped for more deaths but there we are and I'm a bit annoyed no ones really said much about Nyssa. I mean did I miss something?! Is she alive or not? But on the whole great premiere. But tbh I'll love any part of Arrow that has Slade Wilson in it._**


	148. Corto Maltese (1)

**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 _Six Months Ago_

 _"You know if my brother and his friends find out that you're alive, if the SCPD find out you're alive, they'll come after you! They'll stop you and whatever you're planning." Thea snaps trying to free her hands from their restraints._

 _"You're very perceptive Thea, knowing when people are hiding something behind their smiles, your mother had that talent." Malcolm replies._

 _"Also because you've kidnapped me! And I'm pretty sure she's you're slave/prisoner!" Thea looks toward Siobhan Smythe, who looks down._

 _"She's my assistant." Malcolm responds firmly._

 _"Yeah right, I'm going to go with prisoner, seeing as you've got that collar around her neck."_

 _"That is to control her rather unique abilities." Her informs her before adding._

 _"And sometimes to keep her in check if she decides to disobey me." He glances to her as Thea just rolls her eyes._

 _"You are correct though. If someone knew where I was it would be unfortunate for all of us." He reveals._

 _"Well, I don't even want to be here, please just let me go." Thea sighs._

 _"I can't do that Thea. You will see why this will benefit you in time, I mean your brother and his girlfriend abandoned you, your mother and Slade Wilson are dead and your now ex boyfriend told you to leave town. You're in pain and I can help you."_

 _"How can you help me? You're keeping me as your prisoner!" Thea cries._

 _"The restraints wouldn't be necessary if I didn't believe you would escape at the first chance you got." Malcolm says in a matter of fact tone of voice._

 _"You're damn right I would." Thea snaps._

 _"I know you're in pain Thea and, I can help you so that, you never have to feel pain like this again. To hurt, or get hurt, ever again. I can teach you how not to." He reveals, Thea pulling at her restraints some more as the car begins to speed up…_

 _Starling City_

Jumping from the top of a bus to the top of a car, the Arrow and the Wizard crouch upon it as they focus on their target trying to evade them, who runs into the road, almost getting hit by cars as he runs, the Arrow and the Wizard in pursuit, Blackbird and the Black Canary coming joining them.

"For gods sake. If we die getting hit by cars, you can explain it to Laurel." The Wizard calls to the Arrow as they escape getting hit by another car.

"Hopefully we get hit by the same car, so I don't have to do that." The Arrow replies as they continue the pursuit, turning down an alleyway as the criminal does, who is intercepted at the other end by The Man In The Mask and The Man In The Red Hood. The Arrow firing an arrow at the criminal that, wraps a string around his neck.

"I didn't do it!" The man calls, looking between the six vigilantes.

"A woman was killed on a rooftop last week, dark clothes, wore a hood and veil, archer." The Black Canary advances on him, the Arrow moving with her.

"I didn't kill her!" The man cries.

"But you were there." She hisses.

"I don't know anything about it." He protests.

"Your fingerprints were found on this thing." The Wizard pulls out a piece of a glass bottle.

"From a fifth I drank up there but, I…"

"What did you see?" The Arrow snarls.

"Tell us now." The Black Canary adds as The Man In The Mask pulls his sword free, The Man In The Red Hood keeping a restraining hand on his arm so, he isn't tempted to kill the man like he killed Komodo.

"Nothing." The man replies.

"I was up on the roof with some buddies. This lady showed up and she, she told us to go. Looked like she could handle herself you know? Whoever it is you're looking for, I wouldn't want to be him." The man shakes in fear at the threat of the six vigilantes before being knocked out by Catwoman who leaps down from the top off the roof to knock him out.

"Nice." Blackbird and The Man In The Red Hood remark at the same time.b

"He was useless." The Black Canary snaps.

"He knew nothing." She hisses before storming away…

 _The Foundry_

"Tonight was a waste of time. Nothing, absolutely nothing just more dead ends." Sara snaps, throwing her equipment onto the table.

"It took me a week to get a hit off that print." Felicity sighs in disappointment as the vigilantes move to put away their equipment.

"I had to reconstruct the partial using a predictive indexing algorithm, appropriate since it was his index finger…" Felicity babbles before seeing the glares she is met with by everyone else in the room.

"Not particularly relevant now." She trails off as Oliver reaches out for Sara, who continues to pace up and down The Foundry.

"Don't worry guys, we'll find him." Diggle tries to boast the morale.

"He's right, the son of a bitch is bound to be out there somewhere." Tommy continues.

"But he isn't is he? Considering we can't find him." Sara yells.

"The trails gone cold." Oliver replies in agreement.

"We can pick it up again. I'll go look on the streets." Selina suggests.

"We've done that Selina." Oliver sighs.

"You probably have but I grew up on the streets and I'm betting the streets of Starling City are a bit similar to the streets of Gotham City." She shrugs.

"Thank you." Oliver pats her shoulder as Sara runs her fingers through her hair.

"But it's not going to help. We can't find who did this. The killer is still out there!" She shouts, angrily throwing one of her batons across the room, only for it to be caught by Mick Rory, sauntering down the steps.

"Good throw, Blondie." He remarks, throwing it back.

"I was sorry to hear about your friend. She was a badass." Mick notes as he heads into the main area of The Foundry.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver folds his arms.

"I dunno. Found myself in the area. Thought I might stop by." He says in explanation, moving toward Roy and Slade.

"Where's your other half?" Tommy questions with folded arms.

"On a business trip." Mick replies, sharing a knowing look with Slade, Roy, Felicity, Sin and Sara as he does.

"I hate to do this but, I have to head off to work." Felicity informs them carefully.

"Tech village is open this early?" Roy frowns.

"No. Um, I got a new job."

"You accepted it?" Oliver turns to her.

"Accepted what?" Slade frowns.

"Well, Ray, Ray Palmer from the next door company to Queen Consolidated, he offered me a job and I decided to take it. Considering you have Roy doing an excellent job of my job." Felicity explains.

"So, you've decided to work with the rivaling company?"

"We're not rivals, Slade. We're allies. Ray is my friend and what better way to solidify an alliance between companies then one person who formerly worked for our company, now working for his. Like she said. We have Roy." Oliver points out.

"So wait, this means my jobs permanent now?!" Roy exclaims.

"Seems so." Slade mutters as Roy face palms the desk with a groan.

"You seem to know an awful lot about this, kid." Slade glowers at Oliver.

"And on that note, I'll go. If I see you guys through the windows, I'll wave." Felicity says, edging out of the room where Oliver grabs her arm.

"Have you figured out where in Italy Thea's staying?"

"Yeah about that, she's not in Italy, or Europe. Or, well, she's…"

"Where is she?" Oliver asks in a short voice, Felicity wincing a little as she's met with glares from Oliver, Slade, Roy, Tommy and Selina.

"I had to ping her cell phone to find out where in 'Italy' she was texting from. Turns out, came back Corto Maltese." Felicity informs them before leaving.

"Your sisters missing?" Mick questions Oliver..

"No, she's still away. It's just. There's something not right about it." Roy shrugs.

"You did say how you believed she should have come home by now." Mick nods.

"Roy might be right, Corto's an island off of South America. What's up with your family and islands Oliver?" Diggle notes as Roy shakes his head.

"I told you. I told all of you. Something's happened to her. We need to go to Corto Maltese and get her." Roy exclaims.

"He's right. There's something not right here." Tommy agrees.

"I agree, it's time for my sister to come home." Oliver nods, turning to face the others.

"Ok, Roy, make arrangements for us to take the company plane also, cancel any meetings Slade and I have at Queen Consolidated today. Sin, can you keep an eye on the place whilst we're gone because. Slade and Roy should be coming with me, right?" He looks to them both, pleased when they both nod.

"I thought Tommy was third in command?" Sara speaks up.

"Yeah well, Tommy is coming to." He looks over at Tommy.

"Sure, it's my sister to." He agrees before titling his head to the side.

"I'll go talk to Laurel. Let her know what's happening." He informs them, heading for the stairs.

"Can I come?" Selina asks with folded arms.

"Look, I liked your sister. I'd like to help you bring her home, rescue her if that's what it's going to be." She explains as Oliver nods.

"Thank you." He nods as Mick glances toward Slade.

"I'll come."

"You." Slade gives him a skeptical glance.

"Yes. His sister, we escaped your insane ex together and whilst I might not like him." He nods toward Oliver. "I liked her."

"More the merrier." Roy nods in passing.

"Fine. I don't mind you being there." Slade mutters.

"He's not coming." Oliver shakes his head as he overhears the news.

"He can if he wants I don't have an issue with that."

"I do." Oliver replies with folded arms.

"And?" Slade retorts as he passes Oliver with Mick and an anxious looking Roy.

"Don't worry about him, he's just in a bad mood." Roy smiles reassuringly at Oliver.

"Yeah, he's been in quite a few of those bad moods recently." Oliver folds his arms.

"I'm sure it's nothing, just Slade being, you know, Slade." Roy shrugs.

"He's pushing me away." Oliver states quietly.

"You're overthinking things." Roy says bravely before walking away as quickly as he can, not wanting to continue the awkward conversation anymore. Yet he doesn't particularly like the conversation he hears between Mick and Slade as he approaches them as Mick smirks at Slade.

"Perhaps you should consider joining us in Central one day." He comments as Roy groans, closing his eyes in despair.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Selina approaches Sara who is busy throwing knives into a target.

"You okay?" Selina starts.

"Ohh, I'm just great." Sara mutters sarcastically.

"I know you're in pain, that your dealing with the loss of someone you loved. I get that, I do. I remember when I was younger, teenager really and I thought that one of the only friends I had, had burnt to death. Technically she had, my friend that I knew had died and I remember the pain I felt, the anger I felt and I know that you must be feeling the same, if not worse and well, people I know in Gotham have had run ins with the League Of Assassins and i know that there are people there that people who want someone dead contact to get the person they want dead killed and I know for a fact that a woman called The Lady has always been looking for a way to restore her reputation and restart her business, perhaps she already has. Someone could have contacted her and got her to arrange a hit on your girl." Selina shrugs.

"Thank you." Sara looks over at her.

"It's no problem Canary, I consider us friends." Selina shrugs before wrapping Sara in a quick but caring embrace…

 _Diggle Residence_

"I know, you're not doing anything and I could literally watch you forever." Diggle smiles down at his daughter who, lies in a cot.

"Oh, yeah? What about when she discovers boys?" Lyla enquires from the door.

"Well, that's what my glock is for, right, baby? Right, it's my glock." Diggle smirks down at her before moving towards Lyla, shutting the doors behind her.

"I'm going to enjoy some quality time with her for the next few days. I'm even looking forward to changing a few diapers." Diggle admits, accepting the drink Lyla offers him.

"And I'm looking forward to believing that when I see it. Why the time off?" Lyla queries.

"You quit the team again?"

"No, Oliver and Slade are going to Corto Maltese for a couple of days with the others and Sara, well, I'd help her out with finding Nyssa's killer but with Sara recently, it's like she will literally rip your head off if you open your mouth." Diggle sighs.

"Well then, go with Oliver, Deathstroke and the others." Lyla responds.

"Like I don't already spend enough time with them as it is, not to mention something just seems really off between Oliver and Slade and believe me I do not want to get in the middle of that." Diggle murmurs.

"Team Arrow may have Starling City purring like a kitten but the rest of the world is still a very dangerous place, including Corto Maltese." Lyla leans forward.

"Lyla, I already don't like where this is headed." Diggle practically groans.

"We have a field operative down there who's gone dark…"

"Alright so, send an agent. Send a task force." Diggle gives her options.

"He's not in any kind of trouble. He hasn't touched his panic button, he's probably just drunk in some Belleza's villa. Mark Shaw's been known to miss a few days from time to time. Will you just do me a favor and see if he's ok? Tell him to check in. Two more days and I'm going to have to call in the cavalry and I don't want to get him into trouble with Waller." Lyla moves to sit beside Diggle.

"Mark's an old friend." She continues as Diggle glances at Lyla before toward their daughters now closed door.

"She better not do anything interesting whilst I'm gone." Diggle murmurs as he and Lyla share a sweet kiss…

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"Next time keep your hands up." A man whom had been boxing with another man says as he knocks him down.

"Ted Grant?" Laurel calls to the man exiting the ring as she walks into the room.

"Well, I guess that badge means you're not here for a self defense class." He comments.

"No, I've already had my fair share. I'm here about one of your students, Tom Bronson. A witness places him at the scene of a break in last night." She informs him sharply.

"Well, that's not possible. See, because Tom and I were sparring last night." He begins to walk away from her.

"Mr. Grant, do you know that lying to the District Attorney is against the law?"

"If by that, you mean am I willing to lie in order to keep a good kid who just happened to make a stupid mistake out of this system? I think you know my answer."

"Are you admitting to perjury, Mr. Grant?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Now that's a big word. I'm just a dumb fighter, right." He shrugs.

"Look, Tom was here with me last night, we worked on his uppercut combinations. Like I said, in this city, there's a lot of good people who get dealt bad hands. They lose someone, they lose themselves, which is why they come in here to work off that rage. I've gotten good at picking out the types. Types just like you." He informs her.

"If I'm angry, it's because I'm dealing with someone who's willing to like to a D.A to protect a punk kid." Laurel retorts sharply.

"I don't think that's the case and you know, I do watch the news sometimes, see some magazines. I know who you are. That you're the wife of one of Starling City's billionaires and that you have children of your own so, how would you be reacting if one day, your son or your daughter decided to make a stupid mistake? How far would you be willing to go to keep them out of trouble. Now, I get I might be speaking out of line here…"

"I could have you arrested." Laurel hisses angrily.

"I know, I know but, if you decided not to a if you do have something you want to work off." He passes her a leaflet, which Laurel takes as he walks away…

 _Corto Maltese_

"Ahh, I love the heat!" Mick grins as they exit the hired car.

"Why do I have the feeling that if he had been here, Len would have been complaining?" Roy smirks slightly as he glances toward Oliver, Tommy, Selina and Diggle.

"So what's the play with Thea?" He enquires.

"Tommy and I will go and talk to her alone first, it's been awhile." Oliver responds.

"Was Felicity able to pin her down?" Diggle questions as Oliver nods.

"She gave us an address. Slade, actually, I do want you to come." Oliver adds.

"Keep an eye on him." He murmurs in Roy's ear, eying Mick.

"You mean, you want me to make sure he doesn't set fire to anything?" Roy glances to Slade, who nods.

"Sure. Me and Selina have got this." Roy smiles slightly, he, Mick, Diggle and Selina watching as Oliver, Tommy and Slade begin to walk away…

 _Later…_

"Wow, nice place." Tommy comments as he, Oliver and Slade approach a large house.

"You know Thea, she does enjoy the good life." Oliver smiles slightly as he approaches the house, Slade holding him back.

"What?" Oliver sighs.

"There's something off here, kid." Slade replies.

"Seriously, there's literally nothing except a house." Tommy points out.

"I can hear something." Slade responds.

"We can't, right?" Tommy looks to Oliver.

"Yeah, I can't hear anything Slade. You're just being paranoid." Oliver rolls his eyes at him.

"At least let me go first." Slade suggests.

"Slade, it's nothing." Oliver sighs as he walks to the front door.

"Thea?" He calls, tapping on the front door.

"Kid…" Slade says in a warning tone.

"Señor's?" A male voice calls from behind them. The gardener.

"See? It was nothing, just the gardener. Wilson you need to chill." Tommy sighs as Oliver engages the gardener in a conversation in Spanish.

"You must be Mia's brother, I see the resemblance." The gardener replies to Oliver in English as the three men walk forward.

"Is 'Mia' around?" Oliver questions.

"She works at the café." The man replies.

"Where's that?" Tommy continues.

"I'll show you." The gardener responds.

"Thank you." Oliver nods as the three men follow him, unaware that just behind the door was Silver Banshee and Malcolm Merlyn with a raised bow…

 _Past Corto Maltese_

 _"Thank you, Siobhan." Malcolm nods at her as she pours steaming hot water into a cup, Thea sat across from him, a shackle around her foot, keeping her on the ground._

 _"You kidnapped me and dragged me all the way to South America to poison me?" Thea mutters, yanking at the unbreakable chain as Malcolm laughs at her._

 _"It's a meditative tea. It will activate your mind and body." He explains to her._

 _"I think I'm going to need a little bit more than tea to get through this." Thea retorts._

 _"You know, the Sohei Buddhist Warriors believed that first you fight with your mind, then your sword." He tells her._

 _"Yeah, well I just want to get out of here, I don't want a sword. I don't want to use one, I don't even want to look at them. They remind me…" Thea trails off, shuddering and biting her lip to keep the tears from falling as she is hit by a sudden flashback of Shado running through her mother and Slade with her sword…_

 _"They remind you of what Shado did." Malcolm finishes for her._

 _"Yeah, you got that right."_

 _"Wouldn't you like to use one though? I could train you to get back at her. To kill her if you wanted to for taking your mother away from you, your friend. The same friend of yours who's preferred weapon was a sword." Malcolm points out._

 _"Ohh believe me, I would love nothing more then to hurt her for what she took from me." Thea mutters sharply._

 _"And you can. I can help you, you know, I remember when I was training to be a warrior. I began just like you will, devastated by my wife's death. I was angry and hurt. The pain was unbearable." He murmurs whilst lifting a spoonful of hot boiling water._

 _"Like this." He says as he pours the boiling water over his hand._

 _"You're out of your mind, put your hand in here!" Thea reaches for his hand._

 _"Every warrior must learn the simple truth, that pain is inevitable and suffering is optional." He says as he grasps her outstretched hand._

 _"Please, don't. Don't do what I think you're going to do!" Thea begs, tugging against the restraints in an attempt to get away._

 _"I brought you here for a reason Thea, to teach you and that, is exactly what I'm going to do." He hisses as he pours the water over her hand…_

 _Corto Maltese_

Speaking in Spanish and smiling, Thea serves a family at a table before walking toward a table, startled when someone calls her name.

"Thea." She spins around to see Oliver behind her.

"It's good to see you." Oliver starts as she leaps into his arms.

"You too but how, how did you…"

"Well, it's not exactly the Amalfi Coast. Oliver, please deal with your paranoid friend." Tommy glances towards Oliver before nodding to where Slade is still looking suspiciously at the house they'd just walked from.

"Tommy!" Thea cries, pulling her other brother into an embrace to.

"Hey, I've missed you." Tommy beams as Thea pulls away.

"Wait the last time we saw each other you… The Mirakuru…"

"Is gone. It's all gone. I got the cure and now it's all a distant memory. Ohh I'm so glad you're okay, we've been so worried about you." Tommy smiles as Thea holds him tightly.

"Worried about me? I was worried about you, Tommy." Thea sighs as she pulls away to hug Oliver again.

"How are you doing? I mean, I haven't seen you since… Just tell me, Ollie. Are you doing okay?" Thea questions.

"I'm doing great, Thea. I'm doing great." Oliver assures her with a beaming smile.

"Are you sure? I mean I know, there's not a day that goes by where I don't think about mom or Slade…" She sighs before frowning at the look on Oliver's face.

"What?" She frowns, pulling Tommy and Oliver towards a table, speaking to a man in Spanish when he passes her.

"Swear you flunked Spanish." Tommy comments.

"More like skipped it altogether." Thea chuckles.

"You look good." Oliver rests a hand on her arm.

"Yeah, you're new haircut is awesome." Tommy adds.

"Thank you, yeah. I wanted it short, you know. It gets hot down here. Look, guys I think I know why you're here and I am sorry that I lied to you all about it. I just needed some space after everything that happened." Thea sighs.

"It's ok, you've had five months of it." Oliver replies.

"This isn't just a visit." Thea bows her head slightly.

"The company jet is at the airport. Six of us came, I hope that seven of us leave in it." Oliver offers before sighing.

"After what happened to mom and Slade. I understand why you let Roy and Sara convince you to leave Starling but Thea, I miss you. We all miss you and we would all really like it if you came home." Oliver says to her.

"I miss you too. I do and I love you, Sara, Tommy, all of you so much but I'm never coming back to Starling City I can't I… Ohh my god." Thea stops suddenly at the sight of Slade approaching the three of them.

"Oliver." Thea glances to him and Tommy.

"You're. You're dead. He's dead. He can't be here. He's dead how?" Thea looks to Oliver and Tommy then to Slade again.

"You didn't know?" Tommy starts as a perplexed look crosses Oliver's face.

Roy may have been right…

"This isn't possible." Thea shakes her head rapidly.

"Hello, Thea." Slade gives her a half smile.

"Ohh my god. Oh my god." Thea whispers as she gets up from her chair and races over to Slade as fast as she can to embrace him, tears in her eyes.

"You're alive?" She whispers as Slade holds her.

"Yes." Slade replies quietly as she tightens her hold on the man she sees as another brother, Oliver smiling at the sight, in a way happy and a way extremely worried.

"What is it?" Tommy glances to him.

"We wrote to her and told her that he was alive, she replied to us, you saw the letter. She should've known that he was alive months ago…"

 _Past Corto Maltese_

 _Thea groans and gasps in pain as Malcolm pours the scalding hot water over her hand before dropping it into the cold water bowl below._

 _"I can't. You can't do this to me." Thea hisses._

 _"There is strength in you, Thea. I see it, even if you can't see it yourself…"_

 _"I'm not like you, I can't do this!" She shouts as Malcolm reaches over to embrace, despite the fact she fights to push him away._

 _"It's alright. It's not your fault." He sighs as he holds her._

 _"It's mine."_

 _Palmer Technologies_

"Ah, Miss Smoak, good morning." Ray Palmer calls cheerfully as Felicity enters the office.

"I think, I've been here all night. Tried to see if I could get Oliver next door to give me a hand but he and his associate are on leave so I had to deal with what they'd left behind. Nice girl, quiet I don't really think she could keep up with me, I know I speak really fast and she really didn't look like she understood me. Figured I'd just talk with Oliver when he got back. You know, I'm still really trying hard to get this company started properly then I find, that there's still issues with this building because of the psychos who decided to use it as there base. I should be doing actual work, Felicity. Not trying to get rid of blood stains of the floors I'm supposed to be conducting meetings in." Ray babbles quickly.

"Sorry, if I'm rambling, I'm a little over caffeinated. I just had three expressos, speaking of coffee…" He continues.

"Let me stop you right there." Felicity cuts in before her new boss can go off on another babbling spree.

"I told myself that I would stand firm on a few points. No late night emails, no personal errands and definitely no coffee. There will be no expressos brought to you by me. I stand very firm on that last point." Felicity states sternly.

"And I admire your conviction. This is Kane, he is your executive assistant and I wanted to know if you'd like him to get you a coffee, or are you just anti-latte in general?" Ray enquires, nodding towards a young man with dark hair, deep brown eyes and a kind but somewhat mischievous look on his face standing behind him.

"Um… Executive assistant?" Felicity whispers in shock.

"I think that's a yes on the latte." Ray nods to the man, who nods and walks away.

"Thank you, Kane." Ray calls after him.

"Thank you, Kane." Felicity echoes meekly.

"Should we get to work? Excellent. Applied sciences, next doors bleeding edge research division until some wacko blew it up last year." Ray moves toward another table.

"I'm sure they had there reasons." Felicity winces.

"The point is, is that it's the cornerstone for my plan to form a strong allegiance with Queen Consolidated and rebuild the city. Another thing I needed to discuss with Oliver and his associate about. I know, he's got some of his people salvaging what they can so I figured I'd give them a helping hand by sending my own people to salvage to. I mean we could rebuild it but it could be a joint applied sciences. I think Oliver would like that, even more so, if I salvaged something interesting and I did. This. The file server containing applied sciences design work. It's not working, unfortunately on account of being caught in a massive explosion." Ray picks it up, only to have it taken from him by Felicity.

"You want me to access the data?" She enquires.

"A brilliant mind at work already. Speaking of, I got to get back to work." Ray smiles.

"Then why are you leaving your office?" Felicity frowns.

"Oh, I'm not, I'm leaving yours." He beams before departing, leaving Felicity in complete and utter shock.

This office is the same size as Oliver and Slade's, if not bigger, seeing as there's less clutter. Not to mention, it's the top floor so she can actually see Oliver and Slade's office next door.

If this is her office, she can wave to them! She thinks before internally groaning, why must she always think of the strangest things?

"Your coffee, Miss Smoak." Her executive assistant (she can't believe she's saying that) Kane, reenters the room with a mug of coffee for her.

"Please, call me Felicity." She practically begs.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" He enquires.

"No, not at all." Felicity shakes her head before holding out her hand.

"It is nice to meet you though." She says, shaking hands with her new executive assistant.

"You to." He nods as Felicity tilts her head to the side.

"Have we met? I don't know if it's just me but you look bit familiar?" She frowns.

"No, people have told me though that I've just got one of those faces. If you need me at all, I'm right through there, don't hesitate to ask for anything." He smiles as he heads towards his desk at the far, far end of the floor.

"Trying to fix a hard drive?" He queries as Felicity picks it up.

"Yeah, yeah I am going to attempt that."

"I know hard drives if you need a second set of eyes." He adds.

"Really? Because honestly, even for me this looks like it could use an extra person." She winces slightly.

"I'd be happy to help. I've learnt quite a lot about computers over the years recently. I've even got a side job where I use them on a regular basis and besides that, I learnt a few tricks when I was with an intelligence service, technically I'm still with them, I still call out for various missions but my godfather wanted a hand with his setup and I wanted to try something new, so I got a job here, even though my godfather had a proper go at me for getting this job here but as I told him it's my life and if I want to try something new, I'm going to do just that." He speaks quickly but in a confident tone.

Felicity decides there and then that she likes her executive assistant already.

He's kind and he talks almost as quickly as her, she can definitely already see them having an absolutely fantastic friendship, so smiling, she holds out the hard drive so it's between the two of them.

"Where should we start?"

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! I know this chapter is probably god awful and I'm sorry if it's crap but after many looks at it and adjustments this is what came out of my desperate urge to write a new chapter, seeing as college is still evil and won't be completely over until June next year so. I'm going to try to update when I can but it might not be for a while as I'm really trying to focus on my A-Levels as well :( thanks all so much for reading though and please tell me what you all thought of this chapter :)**

 **PS: Arrow for the past two weeks has been epic! I cannot believe Slade returned :) I was so happy to see him back he has definitely been missed I just hope to god he comes back again one day.**


	149. Corto Maltese (2)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred & Forty Nine **_

_Corto Maltese_

"So. She killed you in front of us then brought you back with the Mirakuru which, you promise me you are completely cured off?" Thea raises an eyebrow at Slade.

"Yes." Slade replies.

"And you're cured too?" Thea looks to Tommy.

"Yeah completely as is…" He stops, looking between Oliver and Slade.

"Roy?" Thea whispers, a hopeful tone to her voice.

"Yes. I saw to that myself." Slade assures.

"He's at Starling right?"

"No, he's here. Came with us." Tommy answers.

"Wow, okay. Um. I. I. I don't know what to say… I can't believe you're all here. I can't believe you're alive." She grips Slade's arm momentarily.

"If I'd have known you were all okay. That the Mirakuru was gone, that you were alive. That, that evil bitch was finally out of our town. I would've. I would've come back…"

"Thea, we wrote to you. You wrote back. Look." Oliver puts the letters in front of her.

"Ollie, I swear. I didn't write these…" Thea trails off.

"Then who did?" Tommy frowns.

"Someone who didn't want me to leave Corto Maltese." Thea sighs.

"New boyfriend?" Tommy enquires.

"No, nothing like that. Just people who have become used to me being here… Look. I'm going to go and have a word with a few people and pack…"

"Pack?" Oliver interrupts.

"Yeah, I'm going to pack." She stops, smiling at her three brothers.

"I'm coming home with you." She says before embracing Oliver, who beams widely.

"I'm coming home." She nods before walking away from Oliver, Slade and Tommy.

She is going home with them.

But before that, she is going to have a long conversation with her father...

 _Elsewhere…_

"So what is it that you're doing?" Selina Kyle asks Diggle as she, Mick and Roy approach him.

"Work for my girlfriend." Diggle murmurs.

"Bitch." Mick mutters under his breath.

"Hey!" Diggle snaps at him.

"She shot at Slade." Mick retorts.

"Thank you Mick." Slade says as he, Oliver and Tommy arrive.

"And?" Selina looks at them expectantly as Roy freezes.

"She's coming home with us." Oliver beams.

"Really?" Roy starts.

"Yes." Oliver nods.

"That's great man. I'm happy for you." Diggle gives him a genuine smile.

"She's packing her things now, think she's made a few friends who don't want her to leave. They wrote the letters." Tommy sighs.

"But she is going to have a word with them and knowing my sister. She's going to make those people regret what they did." Oliver notes with a proud smile.

"You should go to her." Tommy rests a hand on Roy's shoulder.

"Um…" Roy starts quietly.

"Go to her." Slade says sternly.

"Hey you can't talk. I don't see you and Felicity…"

"That's different." Slade murmurs.

"Not really." Oliver comments.

"I'll go." Roy sighs.

"She'll be pleased to see you." Oliver notes. Roy shrugs before walking away.

"So what are we gonna do? Wait for her to pack?" Mick questions.

"No. Diggle. What did you say you were here for again?" Oliver turns to him.

"This is Lyla's busy work guys, you don't have to do anything."

"He has a point." Mick remarks.

"And if it's ARGUS related isn't it like a terrible idea to have him around?" Selina glances to Slade who folds his arms.

"I can take care of myself."

"No doubt there but…" Selina just folds her arms.

"She has a point, man." Diggle adds.

"Go and wait for Thea?" Oliver suggests.

"Ain't a bad plan." Mick adds.

"Fine." Slade mutters.

"Fine." He nods before walking away, Mick following him.

"After what they did to you. I'd never help those sons of bitches." Mick grumbles and Slade finds himself nodding in agreement.

"I think you're right."

Watching them leave, Diggle turns back to face Oliver, Tommy and Selina.

"That'll make things easier with ARGUS." Diggle admits before adding.

"But you guys still don't have to…"

"Well, I don't know how to vacation like a normal person, Diggle." Oliver points out.

"You probably don't even remember the vacations we had." Tommy sniggers.

"Yeah, because you would have gotten me wasted even before we got off the plane." Oliver points out.

"You say that but you did the same to me." Tommy laughs.

"You're not wrong." Oliver admits.

"Ahh, those were the days. The good old days." Tommy smiles.

"So what's the plan?" Oliver turns to Diggle, pulling them all back to the present.

"Well, this spot is his usual day drop. Lyla sent me over this file photo. Just gonna make sure he's alright." Diggle informs the three, glancing toward where the agent in question is heading towards a bench.

"Yeah and we've got you." Tommy replies.

"He's a friendly guys." Diggle sighs as he walks away from them.

"Shaw." He calls to the agent sat on the bench, who immediately turns around with a knife in his hand, aimed directly at Diggle.

A whip rips it out of his hand, courtesy of Selina who begins to advance with Tommy and Oliver, whilst Diggle kicks the knife away.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, listen man, I'm with Lyla Michaels." Diggle explains quickly whilst shaking his head at Oliver, Tommy and Selina.

"Have you seen any Capuchins today?" The agent questions.

"If that's a challenge code, I got to tell you, I'm not with ARGUS, I'm just Lyla's baby daddy. Now, you didn't check in, Shaw. She was worried so she sent me to find you." Diggle responds in explanation.

"If you're lying, you'll be picking your intestines up off this sidewalk." He hisses.

"That's fair enough." Diggle responds.

"Who's she?" He glances to Selina.

"Friend of mine. She ain't associated with ARGUS either. Just a friend. Now, Lyla gave no a security transcoder in my right jacket pocket." Diggle says and Shaw rips it out, Oliver flashing Diggle a warning glance as Selina taps her whip against her leg.

Plugging it into his phone, Shaw confirms Diggle's identity.

"Pretty jumpy Shaw." Diggle comments.

"Better jumpy than dead." Shaw retorts.

"Copy that. What's going on?" Diggle asks.

"Not here." Shaw murmurs, walking away. Shooting a glance at Oliver, Tommy and Selina, Diggle begins to follow Shaw.

"I had eyes on me all week, a whole follow team." Shaw mutters.

"Wait Shaw, what makes you so important?" Diggle moves to stand in front of him.

"I have hard Intel. Someone from Corto Maltese hacked into the server and acquired the ARGUS actual. They want to sell it." He retorts.

"Did I mention that I don't work for ARGUS?" Diggle sighs.

"The actual is an encrypted data omnibus. It's a complete record of agent covers, personal details, affiliated soft targets…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, soft targets? As in family members?!" Diggle cuts in.

"Yeah, as in women and children. You get why this is so important?"

 _Starling City_

"So. What is wrong with you Laurel?" Cat Grant asks her as they walk down the street on after their lunch break.

"What do you mean?" Laurel frowns at her.

"Laurel. You are one of my best friends. I know you so well and I know when something's bothering you so, I would like you to tell me what is wrong with you." Cat says firmly.

"A week ago, I… Something happened. Something that I can't actually share with you for several complicated reasons…"

"Is it to do with your connection to the Arrow, the Black Canary and The Man In The Mask? Because you know, I was there when we were going after Sebastian Blood." Cat points out.

"I know, I know, okay. Something happened. Something bad and someone died. Someone that, I cared about, that they cared about and, I'm. I'm angry." Laurel admits honestly.

"Which is completely understandable." Cat nods.

"But, I. I don't know what do to with it. The anger, or where to put it. I just know that all I feel is this anger and I want to do something about it."

"Laurel, be careful. I know they do good but, what they do is also dangerous…"

"I know. I'm just…" Laurel trails off, clenching her fists together as they head into their office, bumping into one of their associates on the way in, who winces.

"Sorry Erica, are you okay?" Laurel asks worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." She says quietly, which is when both Laurel and Cat notice the large bruise on her collarbone.

"You don't look it. What happened to you?" Cat asks with folded arms.

"Oh, it was nothing. Really, my boyfriend and me, got into another fight last night, you know he, he still drinks quite a bit and I said something. I know, I should have just kept my mouth shut and I know I should just leave him, but I can't. I just…" She trails off, Laurel giving her a sad look as Cat grabs her arm.

"Listen, if you need a place to stay, my home is big enough. You…"

"Laurel." Quentin calls her name from across the room.

"I'll be right back." Laurel tells Cat and Erica before heading towards her father.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Laurel asks.

"You know why you're sisters in Gotham?"

"Wait what?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Well, seeing as your husband, Oliver, Slade and Harper went off to Corto Maltese for Thea, I assumed Sara had gone with them. I called and apparently she isn't with them but she is in Gotham. Told me not to worry about it, can you call her?" Quentin asks.

"Yeah, I can do that." Laurel says.

"Are you okay?" He asks her.

"Yes. I'm fine. Hey dad, that woman over their, with Cat. I work with her and once every month she comes here with bruises on her because she's being abused by her boyfriend. He's a drunk and it's getting worse for her. The boyfriend has eight assault charges against him and not just in Starling, he's got warrants out on him as far off as Coast City." She informs him. Quentin nods.

"Dirtbag. I'll get something done about him, I'll tell you what, I'll mention it the second I get back to the precinct, okay?" He rests a hand on Laurel's shoulder.

"Thank you." Laurel nods.

"It's fine. It's completely fine. Now, call your sister and make sure she isn't doing anything stupid. Trust me, she does not want to get in trouble with people over at Gotham."

"I thought you had a good friend in the GCPD?" Laurel frowns.

"Yeah, I didn't mean the law. I meant the sons of bitches that really run that place." Quentin mutters before leaving the office.

 _Corto Maltese_

Stood in a secluded area, watching from afar Oliver taps the side of his ear piece.

"We're in position." In informs Diggle, glancing to where Tommy is stood beside him and Selina is crouched, like a cat on a vantage point.

They watch as a car containing Diggle drives down a road.

"The sale of the ACTUAL is going down here." Shaw states.

"Only two of us. You didn't want to call for back up?" Diggle points out.

"Hey, that's the only insurance policy you're going to need." Shaw pulls out a gun, passing it to Diggle as he stops the car.

"We're here." He states as, from their vantage points Oliver, Tommy and Selina move to.

"You're not worried about them seeing our ride?" Diggle questions to silence.

"How did you know that the buy was happening tonight?"

"I've been a station agent in Corto Maltese for three years now, I got this third world garbage dump wired." He replies, frowning at the expression on Diggle's face.

"What's wrong?"

"There's no buy, is there Shaw?" Diggle mutters before throwing the gun away and moving to attack Shaw, who pulls out a taser on him, causing Oliver, Tommy and Selina to jump from their vantage points.

"Guys go!" Diggle calls as Shaw fires his gun at them, Oliver and Tommy duck to the sides, Selina ducking to when she sees the gun is too big to be taken out of Shaw's hands with her whip. They have to wait until the gunfire is over but, by that point Shaw is dragging Diggle away.

Racing down the metal stairs, Oliver and Tommy leap off the side of the rails. Selina just jumping over them completely, landing in a crouch position, the three racing in the direction Shaw had taken Diggle.

"Sorry for lying to you, John, well, partially lying. There is a buy going down, just not until tomorrow I needed to get this first." He pulls a memory stick from Diggle's coat.

"Thanks for helping me decode the ACTUAL." Shaw says before getting into his car just as Oliver, Tommy and Selina arrive.

"Diggle!" Oliver calls to him just as they watch Shaw's car drive right past them…

 _Gotham City_

Smashing her baton into the side of a lowlife's head, the third she'd come across the Black Canary sighs. She still hasn't found an exact location for The Lady.

Selina's information had only led her so far and all she has, is a vague idea of where The Lady is situated but unfortunately, not an exact location.

Walking a long a street, she pulls out her phone when it begins to ring.

"Laurel, not now." She sighs.

"Why are you in Gotham City, Sara." Laurel questions sharply.

"Chasing down a lead."

"A lead. A lead on Nyssa?" Laurel enquires.

"We'll talk about it when I get back." She replies.

"Sara…"

"Laurel, I got to go." She replies, hanging up when she sees two men approaching her from one end of the street, turning around she sees another two men the opposite end, closing her in. She looks for a way to access the rooftop.

"Hold it, right there." A voice calls, loud and clear.

The Black Canary reaches for the ladder she sees but the sound of guns cocking cause her to stop where she is.

"Who and what are you?" The man asks, walking towards her, well, it's more of a limp than a walk, she notices. He stops in front of her, a sly smile on his face.

"Why should I tell you that?"

"Because I am the Mayor." The man replies calmly, running a hand through spiky black hair.

"You? You're the mayor?" The Black Canary all but laughs in disbelief.

"Did I stutter?"

Eying the men that stand around her with guns aimed at her, she turns back to face him.

"I'm looking for someone. Someone who could be connected to the death of someone I loved." She responds truthfully.

"You still haven't told me who you are and where you're from, like I asked." He retorts.

"Why does that matter." She mutters.

"Because you're on my turf."

"Fair enough." She sighs.

"Starling City, I'm the Black Canary."

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" The man smiles.

"Can I go?" She questions.

"Hmm, I don't know, you are after someone on my turf, I am in all in my rights to just kill you now but, I don't know, you haven't tried to kill me yet and I like your name, Canary. Who is it that you're looking for?" He asks her.

"The Lady. She hires assassins."

"Why didn't you lead with that, it would've saved us a lot of time." He sighs, shaking his head at her before beginning to walk away from her.

Rolling her eyes at the man, the Black Canary begins to climb the ladder.

"Where do you think you're going?" The man turns to her.

"I thought…"

"That I was letting you go? No, no. Theirs enough vigilantes in this place already, I don't need another one running around. No, I'm going to take you to The Lady so, you can sort out whatever business you have with her and then go back to Starling City. Last thing this place needs is more vigilantes." He remarks before limping away from her.

Shaking her head once at the peculiar man, 'the mayor of Gotham City', The Black Canary begins to follow him.

 _Corto Maltese_

Roy runs, he runs as fast as he can to the place where Oliver, Slade and Tommy said Thea was, knowing if he doesn't run he won't go at all out of disconcertion.

How he left things with Thea, he cant believe she'd ever want to see him again.

He told her to go. He told her to leave.

They whole reason she left was because he told her to go and never come back.

He skids to a halt when he sees her and in that moment all he can think about is how beautiful she is and how much he still loves her.

She doesn't even see him at first, she's carrying rubbish to bins, one of her bags break and she sighs.

"Only on my last day." She says in a sing song voice.

"Well, then you should've got the heavy duty ones." Roy says when he can find the words.

Thea freezes in an instant.

"Roy?" She whispers.

"I like your hair." Is the next thing he says.

"It's nice." He continues just before he is tackled by Thea into a hug that knocks him off his feet, the two of them falling into the rubbish she'd dropped.

"I missed you." She whispers, holding tightly to him.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you to. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I told you to go, that I…"

"No, no, none of that was your fault. You were trying to keep me safe." She reminds him.

"I was. I really was." Roy nods.

"And now, you're okay, it's gone. The Mirakuru. It's all gone." Thea smiles at him.

"I don't have it anymore." Roy promise her.

"I know." Thea nods as she holds him tighter, the two helping each other to their feet.

"Now, I'm going to go and get my stuff and I'm going to come back." She promises him.

"Can't I come with you?" He asks, she turns back to him, walking back to his side and kisses him for the first time since they'd last seen each other.

"You don't need to do that." She says softly.

"I love you." Roy smiles at her as she rests her forehead against his for a moment.

"I love you to." She replies softly before walking away, a happy smile crossing Roy's face as he looks for somewhere he can sit and wait for Thea, who walks away, in the direction of the house, the smile fading from her face as she knows she'll have to face Malcolm…

 _Corto Maltese: In The Pas_ t

 _"What do you mean?" Thea ask quietly._

 _"It's not your fault, it's mine?"_

 _"I thought I could do this differently, but I can't. I need to train you as I was trained. I need to treat you as my student, not my daughter." He admits to her before elbowing her sharply in the face, knocking her straight to the ground._

 _"What are you doing?!" Thea cries, crawling away from him but he kicks her in the face._

 _"The only way to force steel is to temper it with fire." Malcolm informs her sharply as Thea crawls towards the rack of swords._

 _She tries not to think about the fact that her mother and Slade were killed by one as he lifts it up into her hands._

 _"You stay the hell away from me, you sick son of a bitch!" She snarls._

 _Malcolm just smiles at her."_

 _"Now we can begin."_

 **Authors Note: Hey guys, I am so, so sorry that this update has taken so long and that the next one probably won't be until after my A-Levels which are unfortunately taking place in eleven weeks and I have so much revision and work to do for the, as I really need the grades to get into university, so I just wanted to tell all of you who kindly read this story so you all know that I am not abandoning this story, I have no intention of doing that at all, I just need to focus all my time on my studies and I wanted you to know this because of how much I appreciate every single one of you that follow, favourite, review and read this story and I figured you deserved an explanation as to why updates won't be frequent and probably won't be for a while. I hope you can all understand the position I'm in and how much I appreciate all of you who read this story. Thank you so much for reading, please leave a review if you can and I promise that I will update when all my exams are over.**


	150. Corto Maltese (3)

_**I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

 _ **Chapter One Hundred & Fifty**_

 _Corto Maltese_

"Why didn't you call me sooner, I could've helped." Lyla sighs from the computer Diggle has set up.

"I don't know, because we were busy trying not to let Diggle get killed by the guy." Selina mutters as she folds up her whip.

"We didn't want you to worry either, besides I thought between the four of us we could've handled it." Diggle replies in response to her initial question.

"Well, ARGUS has hacked his email traffic. He's got a buyer en route to Corto Maltese."

"Who?" Diggle asks,

"The tech guys at ARGUS are still working on that but, Waller's dispatched a wet team to your position." Lyla informs them.

"They're not going to get here in time." Diggle says with a shake of his head.

"They might, keep your powder dry."

"Copy that." Diggle murmurs.

"Yeah and if your other friend's there, tell him to lay low. They'd take a chance to arrest Deathstroke if they were there and I think a lot of people would prefer it if Corto Maltese remained intact." Lyla warns them.

"I'll tell him to stay low." Oliver smiles.

"Good. I'll see you all when I see you." Lyla says in farewell as Diggle shuts the laptop down.

"Whilst, I agree with keeping Slade as far away from any ARGUS agents as possible, we are not going to keep our powder dry are we?" Oliver starts.

"Hell no." Diggle agrees.

"Yes!" Selina cheers.

"Now that's more like it!"

 _Gotham City_

"She'll be in that building. I've taken the liberty of cutting the power supply for you." The strange man informs the Black Canary.

"Thanks." She replies, still wary of this person.

"It's no problem at all. I've always been meaning to either take down her organisation or use it for myself. If you're not going to kill her, give her my number and if you want to kill her, just tell me afterwards, stop by city hall. I'll be around, or my chief of staff will, literally just tell him everything, that you've met with me, Mayor Cobblepot and that I sent you." He informs her cheerfully as she opens the door.

"See you around Canary bird." He calls to her.

"It's the Black Canary." She corrects him.

"A canary is still a bird." He points out with a smile.

"And those people like us who have been nicknamed after birds should stick together. You're really not from around here are you." He sighs, leaning on his stick.

"Nope." She shakes her head.

"Well, people around here call me The Penguin." He says before turning around and limping away and as she watches him limp away from her, she thinks she can see why they do.

 _Palmer Technologies_

Biting at a pen, Felicity glances toward her assistant (she'll never get used to saying that) Kane, to see if he's had any luck but, seeing as she hadn't she's very much doubts he has.

"Any…"

"No, it is fried." He sighs.

"I know, I'm trying to get some, any life out of it, just…" She rests her head on her hand.

"Hey guys, any luck on raising our digital Lazarus from the dead?" Ray calls cheerfully as he enters the office, Felicity's office (she'll never get used to saying that either)

"The hard drive is toast and the power supply and the actuator. Trust me, both of us have been going at it and neither of us can get any life out of it at all." Felicity groans.

"I thought I was sensing a pattern." Ray sighs as Felicity's phone begins to ring.

"Sorry, one second." She says, smiling at Kane when he throws it into her hands before she can even start to move.

"Hello?" She calls cheerfully.

"Hey, Felicity, this is John. Where are you?" He asks her the minute the call connects.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She says quietly.

"Are you near a computer?"

"Ah, kind of." She replies.

"I'm looking for somebody in Corto Maltese." He requests.

"I'm actually a little bit in the middle of a…" She glances towards Ray and Kane.

"I need to know where he is, I've emailed you everything I have on him. Oliver, Tommy and Selina are getting angsty, they and myself want to get after this guy ASAP and preferably before Slade loses his patience, joins us and has ARGUS soldiers after him." Diggle informs her of the situation.

"Meeting right now." Felicity finishes when she can finally get a word in, even though the thought of Slade having ARGUS soldiers after him really isn't music to her ears.

"I am so sorry, it's a friend, well a few friends, actually, you know what, it's a long story." Felicity says to both Ray and Kane as in explanation.

"Heh, why am I under the impression that you have a lot of stories, all of which are long?" Ray smiles at her as she types hurriedly.

"Do you want me to come back later?" He asks, grabbing her attention then.

"What? Sorry." Felicity looks up at Ray just as another phone call comes through.

"Felicity, I need a favour." Laurel Lance states.

"Are we favor friends now? Are we even friends?"

"What? Yeah, seeing as you work with my sister and my husband, I figure we kind of can do each other favors." Laurel points out.

"Never mind, sorry." Felicity says as another calls comes through.

"Oh dear god, one second, one more second. Hello?" She answers the call.

"Is there any crime happening right now around Corto Maltese?" The voice of Slade arrives.

"Wait, what? Oh, Slade are you calling me because you're bored?" Felicity sighs, trying not to start smiling.

"It's a valid question."

"You're bored because the others aren't letting you join in because of the whole, you know, situation with the…"

"Felicity." Slade growls.

"You have a phone, download Angry Birds or something! What?!" She yells as another call comes through.

"Felicity, we got cut off." Diggle points out.

"Okay, according to the file you send me, they guy is somewhat of a hacker."

"I know hackers, want a hand?" Her ever helpful assistant calls.

"That actually might not be a terrible idea right now." Felicity admits.

"Let me guess, another long story?" Ray tilts his head to the side as Felicity nods.

"Yeah, the guy I'm looking for hacked into the ARGUS system."

"And he left a trail, it's faint, hacking wise but with a little bit of luck, I will find him, or his laptop, I will email you when I have something." Felicity puts the phone down before grabbing her mobile.

"Did you find anything for me?" Slade questions.

"Ask Roy if you need help downloading Angry Birds." Felicity says before hanging up on him, returning to the phone call from Laurel.

"I'm having a bit of a day, Laurel. I am at work, my boss is literally stood in front of me, I've got work from the other work, I've got work from work!" Felicity cries.

"I need you to help me find someone by googling his phone or something." Laurel requests.

"Pinging his GPS." Felicity can't help but correct her before sighing.

"Can I call you back?" She says before hanging up anyway, turning to face Ray.

"Is this what a typical day looks like for you?" Ray enquires.

"Believe it or not, this is better than most." She admits.

"Keep going to see if you can get any spark of life out of that." Ray taps the desk before leaving Felicity, who all but curls up in her chair and falls asleep.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Kane offers.

"Well." Felicity tilts her head to the side.

"A problem shared... You said, you know hackers, right?" She asks.

"Yes, I've worked with a few, more than a few." He admits.

"If you just agree not to, you know ask…"

"Don't worry, I won't ask. I'm actually pretty good at top secret work, used to be part of my job description." He informs her.

"That." Felicity points her pen at him.

"Is a very good thing."

 _Corto Maltese_

"When Felicity has Shaw's location, I want you to text me and Tommy, Selina and I will be there." Oliver commands.

"Okay, seems like Felicity's got a lot on her plate so that might be awhile." Diggle notes.

"Yeah, well, the sooner the better, tell her." Oliver says sharply before picking up his phone.

"Who are you calling?" Tommy frowns.

"Well first, I'm going to make sure I know where Slade and Roy are and then check in on Sara." Oliver says as the call connects.

"Kid, what's going on?" Slade growls.

"Where are you?" Oliver decides to ask a question of his own.

"With Mick and Roy, waiting for Thea." He replies.

"Good. Keep doing that."

"What are you doing?"

"Okay, Slade a lot has gone array with Diggle's mission. Tommy, Selina and I are dealing with it…"

"I'll be right there."

"Slade this is about ARGUS."

"I can handle ARGUS." Slade hisses in response.

"I know. I know that but because of the amount of ARGUS soldiers that might be arriving. I'd rather you and them be far, far away from each other. Look, just stay with Thea and stay out of trouble, that goes for Rory as well." Oliver commands.

"Oliver…"

"I do this because I care about you." Oliver says quickly before hanging up, before Slade can start yelling at him again before dialling Sara's number.

"Sara, honey..." He starts the minute the call connects.

"Kinda busy." She says sharply.

"What did you say you were doing again."

"Doesn't matter. I'll tell you later. I really am kinda busy Ollie." She sighs before hanging up.

"Love you to." Oliver sighs.

"Well at least Sara answered you. Laurel isn't even picking up her phone." Tommy sighs.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, she's probably at work." Oliver shrugs.

"Yeah, yeah. She's probably in a meeting. I'll call back later." Tommy decides as he, Oliver and Selina, look to Diggle, as they wait for Felicity to come through with the location.

 _Starling City_

Laurel Lance, however, is not at work, she is stood in an alleyway next to a bar watching as a man exits the bar.

Not just a man though, Erica's abusive boyfriend.

Walking up behind him, she swiftly hits him with the baseball bat in her hand, her face hidden by the black balaclava she wears.

"I hear you like to hit women. How about one who likes to hit back?" She aims the baseball bat at him again and again.

He rips it from her hand, punching her sharply in the face before kicking her in the ribs when she's down.

"You're right, it's better when they hit back." He snaps before walking away from her, leaving her in a bloodied mess on the ground…

 _Gotham City_

Walking into the club, the Black Canary takes out the two guys guarding the back door without making a sound and then the other two stood near the door.

Storming through the doors, an immaculate woman, sipping at a cocktail barley even looks up at her.

"You The Lady?" The Black Canary hisses as she approaches her.

Setting her glass down and pushing her dark brown curls away from her face, she looks up at the Black Canary.

"Have we met?" She questions in a crisp Scottish accent.

"No." The Black Canary mutters, tapping her baton on the table.

"How may I help you?" The woman enquires.

The Black Canary moves to attack her, when The Lady pulls out a bejewelled gun of her own.

"Now what is it that you want because, I have no idea who you are or what I could've done to offend you." The Lady comments.

"You employ the best assassins. People who want someone dead come to you, someone high profile. Someone I cared about was killed and I need to know if it was you who was part of this. A woman, was shot with arrows and send off a rooftop in Starling City. Were you involved?" The Black Canary growls.

"Yes people come to me and if they pay me right, I accept the job and the job gets done, period. You see I believe in the beauty of extreme measures, my dear but, I only accept the jobs and send out the killers." She points out, taking a sip from her drink before looking back up at the Black Canary.

"And I can't recall having send any killers out to Starling City, which I'm guessing is where you're from. You're one of those vigilantes aren't you? You know, I heard about that woman, the one who was shot with arrows and fell from that rooftop…" She tilts her head to the side and in that second, the Black Canary uses her baton to hit the gun out of The Lady's hands, pull her from her chair and throws her up against the wall.

"I see you believe in the beauty of extreme measures as well." The Lady remarks, a confident smirk still at her lips.

"What do you know? Tell me now, or believe I will kill you." She growls.

"Thought the Starling City vigilantes were against killing now?" The Lady retorts.

"Yeah, that's when I'm in Starling." She snarls.

"I didn't arrange for that Al Ghul daughter to be murdered believe me when I say that. She's an assassin. I hire assassins for a living, to get jobs done. I don't have them killed. None of my people were involved in this but it has been mentioned around her and I'm guessing…" She stops as the Black Canary glowers at her, before releasing the grip she has on her when it becomes evident to her that, The Lady isn't going to say anything else until she releases her from the hold she has her in.

"That the insane individual that did this either has a death wish, or has issues with the Al Ghul's. Someone like, Malcolm Merlyn, perhaps, if you're looking around for people with issues." The Lady informs her.

"Yeah, well he's dead."

"Dead?" The Lady laughs.

"Malcolm Merlyn isn't dead, my dear. He was literally in here a couple of weeks ago. We meet from time to time. We have a beneficial friendship when we need to." She says with a sly smile as a look of horror crosses the Black Canary's face.

"Anything else you need from me, dear? Or is that it?" The Lady asks and the Black Canary has to fight past shock to find her words again.

"You didn't have a part in Nyssa's death?"

"No I didn't not. That kind of act would ruin my reputation. Hiring an assassin to murder and assassin. I'm not stupid." The Lady points out.

"I didn't get that impression." The Black Canary retorts before handing her the number The Penguin had told her to give to her, if she didn't kill her and she doesn't see the point in doing that.

"I suppose I should thank you for sparing my life." The Lady notes.

"If you want." The Black a Canary retorts.

"You know what, I like you. I like you very much. If you ever need someone killing, I'll do it for you for free." The Lady smiles.

"Thanks but, if I want someone killing. I'll do it myself." The Black Canary informs her.

"I like your attitude. Say, if I ever need a partner in crime."

"Don't even think about it." The Black Canary laughs.

"I just might." The Lady smirks as the Black Canary departs the club.

The horror of what she'd learnt in there, filling her mind in an instant.

That Malcolm Merlyn is alive…

 _Starling City General_

"Yes, she's fine, Cat, I'm just going to see her now. Thank you so much for watching the kids… Yeah, don't you worry, we are definitely going to be having a talk about this." Quentin sighs down his phone.

"Thanks again." He says before hanging up, racing into the hospital room in which Laurel lays upon a bed, her face all cut up and bruised.

"Are you okay?" Quentin asks as he reaches her side.

"I'm so sorry." Laurel murmurs.

"I'm too relieved to be mad at you, I really am and before you ask, Cat is with Brandon and Rebecca." He informs her, causing her to sigh with relief.

"Please don't call Tommy." She starts, wincing slightly.

"You have haven't you?"

"No, no, not yet. I was too busy trying to sort out what's happened to you. I think I'll leave you to phone your husband and tell him what you were playing at out there, I mean, sweetheart. This is crazy, what the hell were you thinking going after that girl's boyfriend. You're kids Laurel, think about what would have happened to your kids if you had…" He takes a step back, shaking his head for a moment.

"I know, I know." Laurel whispers, shaking her own head.

"There was just something I needed to work out. I was angry and I know that the world isn't fair, I know it's a terrible place where, where people deserve to get punished and they don't. I just… For one night, I needed the world to be different." She admits softly.

"Okay, Laurel, Laurel… What's going on with you, huh? Is this about Nyssa? Because you haven't been yourself since she was murdered and now you're running around, you're tuning this guy up. What are you doing?! Laurel, you can talk to me about anything, you know that right? You know that and if what happened to her is eating you up then talk about it. Talk to me, because you can." His protests.

"I know." Laurel says with a nod of her head.

"Talk to me then. Tell me about all the anger your feeling from her death. I know, it's probably hard to try and talk to Sara about it but please, just talk to someone. Me, Tommy. Talk to your husband, because I'm pretty sure he isn't going to be pleased about this…"

"He'll understand, he goes out there every night himself. He'll understand." She murmurs.

"Laurel, you're not Tommy, or Oliver, Slade and your sister. So, you promise me that you'll never do anything like this again. You want something like this to happen, I can't believe I'm saying this but ask any of them to help. Don't do anything like this again, ever!" Quentin warns her sharply, but in a caring tone of voice.

"I promise." Laurel whispers.

"It was a mistake. I wasn't thinking." She murmurs as she squeezes her father's hand, her eyes however, trail over the bracelet Nyssa gave her…

 _Gotham City_

From her time here, Sara has decided that she really is glad she lives in a Starling City and not Gotham City.

She'd had to stop various attacks upon innocent people on her way to get to the city hall.

Knowing she can't go in through the front door, she climbs up through the window into a posh office, which she assumes and hopes is the mayor's.

However, upon entering it, a tall man with glasses appears from nowhere.

Pulling out her batons, she moves to incapacitate him when he turns around.

"Well that's new." He remarks as she advances on him.

"Wait, wait. Do you like riddles?" The strange man enquires.

Rolling her eyes at the man, she moves to attack him but he pulls out a cane in retaliation from the nearest coat peg.

"Okay there's two of us, that makes a fifty fifty chance that I win." He babbles, she uses her baton to hit the stick from his hand.

"Yeah, I think your chance just went down." She growls, advancing on the man just as the main doors open.

Both the man and the Black Canary stopping in their tracks.

"What on gods green earth is going on in here?" The familiar voice of the mayor calls.

"Oswald, an insane blonde lady in a mask is trying to kill me with a stick."

"Wait, what? Ohh ahh Canary! It's nice to see you again." He calls cheerfully.

"You two know each other? She's trying to kill me!" The man protests.

"Hey, Canary bird, that's my chief of staff so…"

"Oh, yeah, you mentioned him. Sorry." She lowers her batons.

"Now that's all better isn't it?"

"Better? Better! Oswald. She just tried to kill me with her sticks!"

"Oh please, I only would've knocked you out."

"Ignore my chief of staff, he is such a drama queen."

"I'm the drama queen? Really, Oswald?" The man folds his arms.

"Um, yes you are."

"You're way more of a drama queen than I am."

"I am not." The mayor replies indignantly.

"Oh, yes you are. Let's not forget who made me sleep on the couch for an entire week just because I happened to get a drop of blood on that rug…"

"It was a white rug." The Mayor mutters.

"It was just a rug…"

"I saw flecks on the wallpaper!"

"There was nothing I could see." The man retorts.

"You'd taken off your glasses!"

"Can I go?" The Black Canary tilts her head to the side.

"No, you may not. You have work to be doing don't you, my chief of staff." The mayor growls with folded arms.

"Actually there are some papers I have to…"

"Go." The Penguin sighs sharply.

"Do you want to end up on the…"

"GO!" The Penguin yells in frustration, waiting for the taller man to leave before turning back to face the Black Canary.

"Sorry about that, sometimes I don't know why I married that man."

"I'm not even gonna ask." The Black Canary says with raised hands.

"So, how did it go?" He asks with a smile.

"Well, I didn't kill her, so I gave her that number." She replies.

"Excellent! Thank you for that. Sometimes you just think that you might just need someone who hires killers to work for you as well, even though, just so we are clear, I am one hundred percent capable of killing someone myself." He says with a snap of his fingers.

"It's been interesting." The Black Canary says after a moment.

"It really has. Please, do come by again if you find yourself in Gotham. Perhaps we could all team up for a bit of destruction." He grins.

"Not really my thing." The Black Canary responds.

"Hmm, I'm sure I could persuade you some point down the line. It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Canary." He extends a hand to her.

"You to, Penguin." She says, shaking his hand.

"Would you like to join me and that one for a drink at the Iceberg Lounge?" He enquires.

"I'd love to, but, I got things I need to sort out in my city." She shrugs.

"Some other time then?" He suggests as she begins to walk towards the window.

"Maybe." She replies before disappearing into the night.

 _Corto Maltese_

"Where's Thea?" Slade enquires as he and Mick walk towards where Roy is sat.

"Ohh, she's just gone to get her stuff." Roy comments, before frowning.

"And what is it that you two have been doing?" He eyes them both suspiciously.

"Looking around for something to occupy ourselves with, seeing as there is a chance of ARGUS showing their faces." Slade mutters.

"And there's nothing. We're bored, he phoned his girlfriend because we're bored." Mick retorts with a shrug of his shoulders.

"She is not my girlfriend." Slade grumbles.

"She should be." Roy says in a quiet voice.

"Roy." Slade growls.

"Damn your enhanced hearing." Roy sighs before turning to Slade.

"Look, Slade. Felicity makes you happy and you can't deny that…"

"I can."

"But you wouldn't mean it."

"Roy, nothing can happen between Felicity and I and you know why." Slade reminds him.

"Yeah, I get it. I get what you're saying and I get what you believe but…" Roy stops, making sure Mick isn't listening in before continuing.

"When I was infected with the Mirakuru. All that kept me grounded was you and the love I had for Thea. It was always her, she was my anchor and I'm just thinking if you let Felicity…"

"What if I hurt her? What if…"

"Did I hurt or kill Thea? No because, I loved her so much. I still love her and I think I always will and I know how you feel about Felicity. Slade, it could. Being with her could help." Roy says with a slight smile but Slade just shakes his head.

"You're wrong."

 _Elsewhere In Corto Maltese…_

"He's here." Diggle announces as he, Selina, Tommy and Oliver watch as a van arrives and Shaw exits it.

"So is his buyer." Oliver remarks.

They watch as Shaw walks toward a group of men.

"I was expecting Armitage." Shaw addresses them.

"This country's soil is not worth of Mr. Armitage. Do you have the item?" The man retorts.

"Where's the money?" Shaw retorts as he turns the computer toward them.

Nodding towards one of his men, they throw a bag at him.

"And the transcoder?"

Shaw checks to see if the money is legitimately in the bag before beginning to type after plugging the transcoder into the computer.

Upon seeing Lyla's name to be the first to show up on the computer screen, Diggle lowers his binoculars.

"We better go." He says firmly.

"Thank god we took the private jet." Tommy remarks as Oliver passes him his bow.

"You want anything?" He looks to Selina whilst pulling out the arrows.

"I'm covered." She smiles, showing him the knives and whip.

"Good?" He look to Tommy.

"Yep." He nods just as two cars pull up.

"Who are those guys?" Selina tilts her head to the side.

"Could be ARGUS." Diggle responds as the armed men race towards them.

"That's not ARGUS." Oliver shakes his head as Diggle raises his gun.

Shouting something in another language, it causes Oliver to glance towards Diggle, Tommy and Selina.

"Let's go!" He commands, the four moving to take cover.

"Go!" Diggle says after a moment and they move.

Oliver and Tommy firing arrows rapidly at the men whilst Diggle shoots at them with his gun and Selina throws knives in their direction.

Stepping ahead of them all, Oliver fires more arrows consistently, ducking only when the gunfire becomes too intense, Tommy doing the same.

Meanwhile, from within the shed, the men who had done the deal with Shaw look around at the sound of gunfire.

"ARGUS. They know we're here." He mutters.

"Which is why I got a bunch of Renta-Soldiers to secure the perimeter. You know it is amazing how cheap you can buy an army in this country." Shaw remarks.

Meanwhile, as the gunfire continues, Selina throws a knife into the leg of a soldier, giving Oliver and Tommy a gap to continue firing their arrows.

Nodding towards Tommy, both he and Oliver rise, firing arrows at the soldiers simultaneously.

Oliver bends down whilst Tommy and Selina continue the attack.

"Diggle!" Oliver yells, looking to Selina, who nods.

"Behind you!" Diggle calls as both Oliver and Selina stand, firing the guns they have at the soldiers. Oliver expertly shooting at the soldiers with the gun he has, whilst Selina defends him with her own, until the majority of the soldiers are down.

"Oliver…" Tommy starts, eying the gun in Oliver's hands.

"I spent five years with Slade Wilson, you really think I didn't know how to use a gun?" Oliver smirks.

"Guys." Selina calls to them as they see a car beginning to drive away.

"I got this." Diggle says before beginning to run in the direction the car goes in, jumping onto the side of it and and pulling Shaw directly out from the vehicle.

Meanwhile, as the soldiers advance, Oliver, Tommy and Selina leap out at them, engaging them in quick combat.

"Selina, you got this?" Tommy glances towards her as Oliver begins to run in another direction.

"Of course." She yells, using her whip to take down another man just as Tommy runs in the direction of Oliver, to back him up but, by the time he reaches Oliver, he has taken out the men around him and is in the process of shooting out the tires of the van.

"Duck!" Tommy warns him as the men turn their guns on Oliver, both he and Tommy taking cover as they're fired upon.

Meanwhile, Diggle is in the process of punching the life out of Shaw, who when attempting to fight back, is evidently no match for Diggle, who slams him backwards into a crate.

Taking down the last man around her, Selina runs in the direction of Tommy and Oliver who, are standing back to back, taking down all the men around them, engaging them in rapid combat, Tommy and Selina backing up Oliver as he takes on the majority of them.

"I got it." Oliver tells Tommy and Selina when there's only one man standing before, attacking the man, ripping the case from his hands and knocking him out with it.

"You really are such a badass." Selina glances towards Oliver, who smiles as he, Tommy and Selina simply walk away.

Elsewhere, Diggle has Shaw pinned up against a wall, blood dripping down his face.

"Lyla was your friend and you endangered her and her daughter for what? A lousy payday!" Diggle snaps at Shaw angrily.

"Not a payday, it's my ticket out." He hisses back.

"Of what?" Diggle snarls.

"ARGUS!" Shaw yells in response to Diggle's question.

"You don't know half the things Waller has made me do. You don't know the person she turns you into." He mutters.

"That still gives you no right to put a bulls eye on my family's back!" Diggle bellows.

"I had no choice, but you do John. Tell Waller I died. Tell her you put a bullet in me." Shaw begs and only moments later, Diggle punches him into unconsciousness.

"If only."

 _Elsewhere In Corto Maltese_

"I've been thinking." Thea says as she approaches Malcolm.

"You keep telling me that I'm not your prisoner, despite the fact you abducted me and have been intercepting all the letters my brother and Roy have sent me. The letters, you know, that said that Slade Wilson was actually alive. That he's okay! Those letters that you didn't let me see." Thea snarls at Malcolm then, causing him to turn around.

"Thea…"

"No. I want to go home to my brothers and Roy."

"You obviously haven't come as far as I thought Thea, I thought we'd left them behind now."

"Yeah and I thought that Oliver was still missing, that he hadn't come back and never would after my mom and Slade were killed. I thought that Slade was dead. I thought that Roy, the man who I happen to love more than anything, was still infected with the Mirakuru. I believed all of this because of you and don't you dare. Don't you dare say that I haven't come far because I have, I have fought against my pain every freaking day. Despite the fact, you basically abducted me. I have tried. I have tried with you. For nothing! I am stronger than I've ever been and you are not in a position right now, or ever to tell me what to do." She hisses before storming away, stopping at that point.

"Actually. No, I am not just going to walk away from you and leave you here." She comments, ripping a sword free from its holder.

"I'm going to show you exactly what I'm made of." She growls, sword in hand, advancing on Malcolm at that moment, slicing him in the arm just as he reaches for a sword of his own, attacking back at that point, before the two begin to circle around one another.

"Thea…"

"Shut up!" She yells, fighting back with her sword, quickly and rapidly, ducking when Malcolm swings his own at her, managing to destroy an ornament in the process. But Thea doesn't back down, she keeps launching her sword at him until she breaks an ornament of her own.

"Impressive." Malcolm can't help but remark as she keeps attacking him.

"I did have a good teacher." She hisses before swinging her sword at his head.

"I'd feel complimented but, I have the impression that you're trying to kill me." He hisses as manages to disarms her but, Thea quickly kicks the sword in Malcolm's hand upwards so she's holding it against your throat.

"Thea…" He starts.

"Give me one good reason not to." She growls and for a moment, Malcolm wonders if she's actually prepared to do it…

Meanwhile...

Moving toward the house. Mick, Roy and Slade hang around.

"You know Slade. Perhaps we should talk about the Mirakuru, you know. We do need to talk about it and why you're not prepared to tell Oliver." Roy folds his arms.

"Shut up." Slade hisses suddenly.

"Slade…"

"Roy, seriously. Be quiet." Slade growls, holding up a hand as he hears voices. Thea's voice, Thea shouting and than another.

A voice he would never forget and never believed he'd hear again.

He rips the double doors off their hinges violently.

"Slade what the hell?!" Roy looks startled at him.

"Stay here!" Slade bellows at him and Mick as he races into the house.

"It seems like we have company." Malcolm sighs upon hearing the commotion.

"Ohh god." Thea whispers, turning around in time just to see a beyond furious Slade behind her, the distraction causing her to lower her sword somewhat.

"Merlyn!" He snarls viciously.

"Slade. Slade, I swear to god there is an explanation for this…" Thea starts.

"Go outside." Slade hisses.

"Slade…"

"I SAID GO OUTSIDE!" He bellows as Malcolm pulls out a sword.

"Don't hurt him." Thea glares at Malcolm.

"Don't worry about me." Slade hisses as he advances on Malcolm, ducking to avoid the sword Malcolm aims at him, tearing one off a wall to defend himself when allowed the chance to arm himself.

"GO!" Slade yells at Thea, who steps slowly towards the door as the two men advance on each other.

"You shouldn't be alive!" Slade snarls at Malcolm.

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you!" Malcolm hisses, aiming an attack at Slade, who moves quickly aiming one of his own, the two men going back and forth in their attacks until Slade uses the Mirakuru to assist him, grabbing one of the pedestals an ornament was sat on, he aims that at Malcolm's head, whilst using his sword in the other hand.

"Stop, please stop." Thea cries, joining the fight with her own sword, much to Slade's disbelief and surprise, however, Malcolm knocks her backwards, fortunately into Roy, who runs into the room with Mick beside him.

"Ohh crap." Roy remarks upon seeing Malcolm Merlyn, just as Slade knocks him backwards sharply, pushing Malcolm into a wall, which actually causes the wall to cave in ever so slightly by the sheer force, yet Malcolm raises his sword to block another attack from Slade, managing to stab him.

Slade takes absolutely no notice of this whatsoever and continues to fight back.

However, seconds before Slade is close to actually be heading Malcolm Merlyn a sudden screeching sound, sounds out so loudly that it knocks all of them to the ground, even Slade, who covers his ears, glancing up only to see a woman stood in the door way.

"Thanks Banshee." Malcolm looks up at Siobhan, reaching for her hand.

"I didn't have much of a choice." She mutters, touching the collar that Malcolm had activated due to the remote in his pocket. He hits it again at her words, causing her to cry out from the electric shock, her cry another scream which sends, Slade, Thea, Mick and Roy backwards again, Malcolm managing to slip out of the room with Siobhan at that moment.

"Argh!" Slade winces at the sharp ringing in his ears..

"What the hell was that?!" Roy gasps as he grips Thea's hand..

"It wasn't her fault. He's forcing her. We need to save her… Slade…" Thea murmurs, rubbing her sore ears before crawling towards him.

"He stabbed you. God, he stabbed you." She whispers, her hand hovering over his side until she realizes that the wound is seemingly a simple cut despite the astonishing amount of blood that covers him.

"Looks worse than it is." Slade groans, moving to sit up.

"Slade, he stabbed you. Like, full on stabbed you."

"It only grazed me." He lies.

"Wait…" Thea trails off, looking bad at the wound that is now barely even a cut.

"It's. It's nearly healed." She whispers.

"Yes. Like I said, it was barely a graze. Now, would you like to explain…"

"He stabbed you. I saw him stab you."

"I think we should be discussing Malcolm Merlyn." Slade growls.

"Slade, please. I. I was going to tell you guys, I just. It's a long story. Ollie…"

"Don't worry. I'm getting Oliver." Slade mutters, moving to stand up, helping both Roy and Thea up as well.

"Are you a'right?" He looks to Thea.

"Yeah." She nods.

"I see you seemed to have things handled before I showed up." He comments.

"I think he was letting me win." She admits.

"I don't think so." Slade replies, as Roy turns to her.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yep." She nods, squeezing his arm before turning to Mick.

"What are you doing here?" She smiles at him.

"Snart's in Central City. Your brother and Slade wanted to find you. I joined them for the sake of time we escaped that Shado together." Mick reminds her.

"We did good." She agrees as he pats her shoulder.

"And I prefer you to you brother." He mutters gruffly causing Thea to smirk slightly, wincing at the look of rage on Slade's face as he yells at someone down the phone.

Probably Oliver, she's guessing.

She leans back into Roy.

"Thea…" He starts but Thea just embraces him.

"Let's just go home."

 _Later…_

"What the hell happened? What were you trying to tell me on the phone. Is that blood?" Oliver questions the second he, Diggle, Tommy and Selina meet Slade, Mick, Thea and Roy on the tarmac near the Queen Consolidated plane.

"Slade are you hurt? What happened." Oliver grabs his arm, Slade shrugs him off.

"Oh god, you didn't run into ARGUS did you?" Diggle sighs.

"I don't want to hear this." Tommy holds his hands up before heading onto the plane.

"Slade." Oliver starts but Slade glances towards Thea.

"Thea, could you come over here please?" He requests.

"What's going on?" Oliver folds his arms.

"Ollie, please don't freak out. I've already had an earful from him but, the truth is is… I. I didn't come here because I wanted to. When I left Starling, Shado's Mirakuru soldiers attacked me and I was saved by that woman, Siobhan Smythe, the one who worked for child protection services and tried to have Laurel condemned as an unfit mother and she's got this crazy power where she can let out this noise that's so powerful… I'll bring that up later but she was. She was working with Malcolm Merlyn because, he's alive." She admits quietly.

"Thea, that's impossible. Sara, Slade and I killed him."

"Then why did just engage me in a fight?" Slade retorts.

"Wait. You've…" Oliver trails off.

"Yes, as was Mick and Roy. We were all there. Merlyn is alive. He…" He turns to Thea.

"He abdicated me from Starling. Said I wasn't his prisoner but he wanted to I don't know, bond with me or something. I was always against it. I hated it but, I didn't have any of you. I had no clue where you were Ollie, mom and Slade were dead. Roy was losing himself to the Mirakuru. You know, I just. It was a point where I just couldn't fight back anymore. I went along with what Merlyn wanted and Oliver. I was going to tell you guys this. I was, I was going to tell you the truth. I just needed to find the right time because obviously, Tommy…" She glances towards the plane, where Tommy thankfully isn't in earshot.

"I swear, I wasn't going to keep this from you guys. I mean. I. I. Things are are different. The past months I've been learning how to fight, how to, block out pain. Merlyn taught me all he knew. In a way, I think I'm sort of like…" She trails off.

"You know how to…"

"I know how to fight like you guys." She admits slowly.

"Oh god." Oliver mutters, pinching the roof of his nose for a moment.

"Ollie. I am so…" She is cut off by Oliver pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry Thea. I am so sorry." He murmurs to her.

"Why? Why are you sorry, Ollie?" She asks.

"If I hadn't abandoned you. This wouldn't have happened. If I'd just listened to Roy about the letters…" Oliver trails off.

"Ollie. Don't blame yourself. It's no ones fault and honestly. Despite everything surrounding Merlyn, I like how I am now. I do. I feel powerful. I feel strong. I feel in control and honestly, when I was planning to tell you guys. I just thought to myself. I could just imagine, being with you guys. You, Roy, Slade, Sara. Sparring and training with you." She stops.

"This isn't a bad thing, Ollie. Yeah, I mean, we're probably going to have issues with Malcolm but. We can handle this. Together." She looks between Oliver, Roy and Slade.

"We can kick his ass." Mick remarks.

"I like you're thinking." Thea nods as Oliver drags Slade to one side.

"I. I don't even know what to say right now. I'm angry. I'm angry at Merlyn. I'm trying to figure out how to tell the others about this. How to tell Tommy and Laurel but honestly. Right now, all I can think about is tracking him down and putting an end to this right now." Oliver mutters sharply.

"I agree, kid. We find him and end this now."

"This can't escalate. That can't happen. We're ending this." Oliver hisses.

"Ollie, he's probably already left Corto Maltese…" Thea starts.

"Yeah, probably." Oliver admits before storming towards the plane.

"What are you gonna do man?" Diggle rests a hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to kill him and again and this time, we're going to make sure he stays dead but first. I need to talk to Tommy." Oliver sighs before walking towards the plane and toward where Tommy's sat.

"Tommy…" Oliver starts.

"Honestly Oliver, I don't want to know what they were doing." Tommy chuckles briefly before looking at the look on Oliver's face.

"Oliver, are you okay, buddy? You look like you've seen a ghost. What's going on?" He frowns as Oliver sits beside him.

"Okay, this seems serious…" Tommy trails off.

"Thea. We couldn't get a hold of her properly or communicate with her before because she's been staying here with… She's been staying here with Malcolm Merlyn." Oliver admits.

"Wait… What? No. No, my father is dead. You, Sara and Wilson killed the guy. He's gone! Oliver what. He's dead. Dead and gone right? Oliver please tell me he's dead and gone!" Tommy practically shouts at him.

"Tommy I am so sorry. He's alive and he brought Thea here during the Siege and now he's out there, god knows where but we're going to stop him. All of us. I will find him and I will kill him myself, Tommy." Oliver says carefully.

"No. No, you're not going to kill him." Tommy shakes his head.

"Tommy…"

"Not without me. If anyone's going to kill my father, it's going to be and you. Me and you, side by side. Besides, after you, Sara and Wilson did such a great job of killing him before, I think I should be the one to stand by you this time." Tommy tries to smile but can't even manage a slight smirk.

"Okay." Oliver nods before sitting besides Tommy, who rests his head against Oliver's shoulder and closes his eyes, whilst doing everything he can not to think about his father…

 _Verdant_

"Laurel?" Oliver starts the minute he enters Verdant, drawing Tommy's attention toward where his wife is sat.

"I didn't know vigilantes liked to take vacations." She tries to joke.

"Ohh my god honey what happened to you?!" Tommy races to her side in an instant, immediately beginning to assess the wounds on her face.

"Laurel what did you do?" Oliver sighs.

"I'm okay. I'm fine. Are you, you look…"

"I'll explain that later, Laurel, what happened to you? Who did this. Who do I need to go out there and shoot?" Tommy enquires sharply.

"Laurel, what happened?" Oliver says more firmly when she doesn't say anything.

"Tommy, please don't freak out but. I was only trying to do good. It just didn't work out that's all."

"Oh god, Laurel, Laurel, Laurel." Tommy groans whilst pulling her into a gentle embrace as Oliver just shakes his head and from behind him Selina takes the smart move to just direct Thea, Roy and Slade towards the basement.

"What were you thinking?" Tommy whispers.

"I know that it probably sounds insane. It is probably but. Nyssa." Laurel pulls away from Tommy to show both her husband and Oliver the silver cuff around her wrist.

"She gave me this and when I wore it, it made me want to help people like she ended up doing. Like she's alive again. She was my friend and I want to honour her." Laurel says firmly as both Tommy and Oliver look between each other.

"Laurel, I get it. I loved her to but. Nyssa was an assassin for the League Of Assassins. She has training, training since birth. Years and years…"

"Oliver, I know. Which is why I need to start and I need your help, you, Sara, Slade, Tommy." She looks between them.

"Are you insane? No. No. Oliver. Please back me up on this. Laurel. One vigilante in the family is enough. Laurel, I know, I understand that you want to do good and I respect that I do but what happens to our kids if both of us are out there and we both get killed?"

"If the worse came to the worse my dad…"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Oliver shakes his head.

"Seriously. I want to do this. I can do this."

"Laurel, honey. I know you could do this…'

"Tommy." Oliver sighs.

"No, she could and if I wasn't absolutely terrified about orphaning our children I would say yes but I am. I am terrified about orphaning our children and I know that excuse might not be enough for you but Laurel, you were the only thing they had for the first year and bit of their lives. They need you probably more than they need me. They're still getting used to me. I know that, you know that and Laurel. Something's going on right now, that I will explain to you…"

"I understand Tommy I do but I…"

"No! No." Oliver cuts her off firmly.

"I. I want you to consider everything that Tommy just said and also what would happen to your father if something happened to you." He reminds her.

"Guys, ever since it happened I have had this fire inside of me that I can't get rid of. I need to find a way to rid myself of it or I'm going to go insane! And the other night, even though it was wrong it went the first time since Nyssa died where I haven't felt that fire." Laurel protests to her husband and Oliver.

"I'm sorry but we can't! When Sara gets back she'll be telling you the exact same thing. I mean Laurel, even if we could. Nyssa wouldn't have wanted this for you." Oliver says before walking away, leaving Tommy with Laurel.

"Tommy, I swear…"

"Laurel, come here." Tommy pulls her back into his arms.

"He's being unreasonable." She grumbles.

"Yeah, I don't know. After seeing you like this…"

"I'm fine…"

"Laurel, I don't know what I would do without you. I love you."

"I know that but…"

"Laurel, just give me a moment to explain something that's happened recently. It's." Tommy stops as Laurel soon begins to look worried.

"What. What is it?" She frowns.

"It's about my father."

 _Diggle Residence_

Carrying baby Nyssa toward her cot, Lyla looks behind her as she hears the front door go.

"There we go, there we go, yeah." Lyla whispers to her baby as she puts her down, wrapping a blanket around her as her daughter looks up happily at her mom.

Dropping his suitcase to the ground, Diggle wraps his arms tightly around Lyla.

"Hey." She smiles as he kisses her cheek.

"I love you. I love you both. The two of you were all I could think about." Diggle admits as Lyla kisses him, before wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm just trying to put her down." She speaks softly.

"That's okay. I just want to look at her for a while." Diggle smiles.

"Okay." Lyla nods as they both look down at their sleeping baby daughter.

"I have to head into the office." Lyla admits.

"So late?" Diggle glances toward her.

"I do whatever Amanda Waller asks, remember?" Lyla says before moving away, Diggle though, keeps a hold of her hand and kisses it.

"Are you okay?" She enquires.

"Yeah." Diggle nods.

"Just hurry back."

 _SCPD_

Walking into the precinct, Quentin eyes the abuser who Laurel had attacked sitting at one of the desks.

"What's with this guy?" He enquires as if he didn't already know.

"Outstanding warrants for assault and battery in Coast City. Got an anonymous tip that he was in Starling." The cop replies.

"Anonymous tip, huh?" Quentin starts whilst looking at the criminal.

"That's a bad break buddy."

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Seeing the man, Ted Grant slamming his fists rapidly into a bag in front of him, Laurel walks towards him. She told Tommy after he revealed to her that Malcolm Merlyn was alive that she was going to see her father.

That had been a lie.

Ted stops when he sees her, surprised to see bruises around her face but doesn't ask.

"Alright." Laurel mutters.

"When can I start?"

The Foundry

"What the actual…" Oliver stops when he sees Thea sparring with Roy.

"Ollie. I can keep up with him now. I ain't stopping just because I'm back." Thea laughs, avoiding one of Roy's attacks whilst launching one of her own.

"She's um…" Oliver starts.

"Brilliant." Slade finishes.

"Awesome." Mick adds.

"Don't encourage her." Oliver says firmly whilst going to talk to Selina.

"Join us!" Thea calls to Slade.

"Yeah, you don't want that on your first go." Roy warns her.

"This isn't my first go, Harper. I can handle it."

"Thea. I can't handle it!" Roy protests as Slade moves to join them.

"So, Slade. Roy is telling me that you still haven't asked Felicity to be your girlfriend and I'm horrified! After everything that happened she should be your girlfriend!" Thea protests, yelping as she and Roy both avoid an attack from Slade.

"Roy needs to keep his mouth shut if he wants any movie nights for the rest of the year!" Slade growls whilst launching another attack at Roy, Thea landing one of her own.

"Slade, come on. She makes you less grumpy…"

"I'm not grumpy!" Slade protests.

"Yes you are!" Everyone in The Foundry calls back in response.

"Seriously, Slade. I have Roy and despite all the crap around us and everything we've been through I know I'll always have Roy and that he makes me a better person, the way. I'm pretty much convinced Felicity makes you a better person. I know you're haunted by a lot of things in your past and after last year. No one can blame you but being with Felicity could help with that, trust me." Thea sighs as Slade knocks both her and Roy down simultaneously whilst looking off into the distance where a disapproving Billy Wintergreen stands, shaking his head.

"I understand what you're saying." Slade mutters as he pulls Thea and Roy to their feet.

"I just…"

"You just what. What grand excuse are you going to give me as to why you shouldn't be with her. Felicity loves you. She would put up with all your grumpiness and everything. She'd be there for you no matter what, like how Roy is here for me." Thea points out sharply.

"I agree with her. Felicity would be a good thing for you. I know why you don't think it would be but, believe me she'd help with things. She'd just be there for you. You know that and please don't kill me but you're an idiot for not seeing it."

"No he is an idiot. Slade think of Felicity. Sweet, kind Felicity. She would be beyond good for you and we all know it." Thea says. Slade glares at them but can't help but think about Felicity.

Lovely Felicity. The woman who always smiles at him, who's always willing to listen, strong, brave Felicity.

The woman he loves…

Looking up at Thea and Roy, he sees in the distance that Billy Wintergreen has disappeared.

Did thinking about Felicity make his Mirakuru fuelled hallucinations go away?

No, not possible it couldn't have…

But it could, a voice says in the back of his head. His hallucinations would vanish when being around Oliver all those years ago.

Maybe. Just maybe, this time. His anchor from the Mirakuru is actually Felicity Smoak…

"Okay." Slade says after a moment.

"I'll talk to her."

"Yes!" Both Roy and Thea cheer simultaneously, only to be knocked to the ground by Slade seconds later.

 _Palmer Technologies_

"Do you know how many techs I asked said this data was unrecoverable?" Ray beams happily whilst looking at the data Felicity has managed to recover.

"Only all of them." He beams at her.

"Seems like this would be a good time to ask for a few days off then?" She enquiries.

"You just started." Ray scoffs.

"I know but, my friend was stuck by lightening and is in a coma so, well was. I don't know, um, it's…"

"A long story. See ya." Ray smiles at her.

"Thanks." Felicity says, leaving the office, chatting with Kane as she goes.

Meanwhile, Ray on the computers pulls up a site titled top secret with the tag line advanced weapons…

 _Meanwhile…_

"So you're off to visit your friend who got struck by lightning and came out of his coma, is that right?" Kane frowns.

"Yes. Yes I am. Hold on a sec." Felicity smiles as her phone begins to ring.

"Hey!"

"Felicity." Slade's voice replies.

"So you're back! Is everything okay? Is Thea…"

"Thea is with us. There's some things we all probably need to discuss in person but she's safe." He informs her.

"That is a great news." She smiles.

"Felicity." Slade sighs.

"What? Slade you okay?" She asks worriedly.

"Felicity you and I…"

"Yeah…" She starts, trying not to sound hopeful. It never normally ends well.

"You and I need to talk. I've come to several realizations and because of those realizations I need to talk to you about, well. You and me." He admits causing Felicity's jaw to almost hit the floor at the realization.

"Okay… We'll talk. I promise. We'll talk. Slade is everything okay. I mean…"

"I'll see you soon." Slade murmurs gruffly before hanging up.

"Ohh god." Felicity whispers. Unaware of what is happening but she thinks she likes the sound of it.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Kane enquires.

"No, no, no he's not my boyfriend… Well, he most certainly would be my boyfriend if he'd just pull his head out of his ass but that's just the way it is and I need to shut up." Felicity groans as Kane laughs.

"My advice?" He offers.

"Yeah?" Felicity glances up at her assistant and new friend.

"You should go for it, show him what he's got in front of him. Make him pull his head of his ass." He suggests. Felicity laughs lightly.

"I like your thinking."

 _The Foundry_

"You did good over there." Oliver says to Roy when he and Thea are cooling off after their fun sparring match with Slade.

"I had brilliant teachers." Roy smiles at both Oliver and then Slade, who pats Roy's shoulder affectionately in passing.

"Judgemental, occasionally temperamental ones but…"

"Those are the best kind." Oliver says whilst looking to Slade.

"Damn right, kid." Slade smiles.

"I mean this is just great. Slade taught Oliver then Oliver and Slade taught Roy and now Oliver, Slade and Roy are going to teach me a few more tricks." Thea laughs at her two brothers and boyfriend.

"Never in a million years did I imagine this scenario Thea." Oliver laughs.

"Neither did I, but, weird things happen when you get stranded on a deserted island and meet and grumpy, temperamental but still lovable Australian special forces guy." Sara laughs from the stairs.

"Sara!" Thea cheers, bounding over to give Sara a big hug.

"Hey Thea, are you okay?" Sara looks at her.

"Yeah I am. I'm happy to be home." Thea admits as Sara crosses the room to embrace Oliver tightly.

"Hey. I missed you today." Oliver looks down at her.

"I missed you to." She smiles.

"Did you find…" Selina starts.

"Yeah. Selina, how the hell do you live in that city?"

"You get used to it." Selina shrugs as Sara sighs.

"Did you find out anything?" Roy enquires.

"Yeah and it's not going to be easy to hear." Sara admits.

"Well, what we found out is definitely going to be worse." Oliver murmurs, looking down at Sara with a sigh.

"Yeah, probably not Malcolm Merlyn…"

"Is alive." Oliver, Slade, Roy, Selina, Thea and Mick finish for her.

"You guys know to that's made things easier." Sara winces.

"He was keeping Thea in Corto Maltese." Oliver mutters.

"Oh god. Does Tommy…"

"Yeah he does." Thea nods.

"How did he…" Sara is cut off but the sound of someone drawing back their bow.

"It's one of them ninjas!" Mick announces the second they all turn around.

"Where is she? Where is my sister?" Hisses the bow and arrow wheilding Talia Al Ghul…

 **Authors Note: Hey guys, I am so sorry for not updating in so long. I had my A-Level's to do and I was revising every single day to try and achieve the best grades possible so I can get into University. My A-Levels have now come to an end so I can now devote all my time to the things that I enjoy and had to give up due to revision and I have really missed writing my fanfiction so, chapters should be posted more regularly. So, I am so sorry for the incredibly long wait. Thank you so much for all the people who have stuck with me through this story so far and a big thanks to all of you who have followed, favorited and reviewed. The continuous support you guys have shown this story got me through the hard times of revision and to the other side! Which is the fanfiction side! Thanks again for reading, and please leave a review if you can.**


	151. The Magician (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred & Fifty One_**

 _The Foundry_

"My sister Nyssa came here for the League two weeks ago. We've not heard from her since and my father isn't happy." Talia informs them.

"Talia…" Sara starts carefully.

"I have a somewhat allegiance with you Ms Lance, you too, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Queen. I expect honesty and I expect an answer right now." She hisses at them, her now still raised.

"There's something that we have to tell you." Oliver admits, trying to remain calm.

"It's not going to be easier to hear but…" Sara stops, bowing her head slightly.

Talia looks between everyone in the room, reading the expression on their faces with ease.

"Nyssa's dead?" She whispers.

"Yes. She is. She is dead." Sara nods her voice quiet as Talia lowers her bow.

"I'm so sorry Talia. I am so so sorry." Sara shakes her head as she and Oliver approach her.

"It was an arrow, wasn't it?" Talia mutters.

"How would you know that?" Slade enquires.

"Where is my sisters body?" Talia questions.

"Talia…" Oliver starts.

"Where?!" Talia practically snaps at them all.

"We buried her in a grave underneath a willow tree in Starling City which used to be a memorial for someone we thought was dead. It was respectful and peaceful and it was the only place we could think of putting her to rest." Sara explains, her voice shaking slightly.

Talia just shakes her head at them all before storming out of The Foundry.

"Well, we're screwed, we're gonna have the ninja's after us!" Mick breaks the silence.

"He's right isn't he. I mean, a member of the League dying is one thing but I'd think the daughter of that Ra's Al Ghul is pretty serious, right?" Thea looks up at them all.

"I don't think you're wrong." Selina agrees.

"Talia knows something. I want you to follow her…" Oliver looks to Roy.

"No, he's not going after a member of the League Of Assassins alone." Slade interjects.

"I'll be fine." Roy shakes his head.

"No, it's too risky. We know Talia. We know her ways. If Roy's going he's taking backup."

"I'll join." Selina holds up a hand.

"Me too." Sin calls from the stairs.

"Be really discreet, okay?" Sara warns each other them.

"We will, don't worry." Roy eyes them, giving Thea a kiss before moving to collect his suit with Sin and Selina.

"We need to get back to the company." Oliver glances toward Slade.

"I'll go talk to Tommy." Thea decides.

"If you're going to company I'll back up Roy, Selina and Sin." Sara decides.

"Good idea, you were a member of the League after all. If they get caught you can…"

"Do whatever it takes." Sara agrees, Oliver kissing her forehead before letting her go.

"What should I do?" Mick calls.

"I don't trust him down here or in our office."

"Rude." Mick mutters.

"But not wrong." Slade smirks at him.

"You can come with me." Thea smiles.

"Okay." Oliver nods towards his team.

"Let's go."

 _Laurel & Tommy's Apartment_

"Hey." Thea starts when Tommy opens the door.

"What is it? Is about, dad?" He asks.

"No it's about ninja's arriving at arrow base." Mick puts bluntly.

"What?" Tommy whispers, exiting the apartment and shutting the door.

"Yep. We were all down there and Nyssa's sister showed up. We had to tell her that her sister is dead and now Sara, Sin, Selina and Roy are tracking Talia. Figured we'd warn you." Thea admits.

"Good, I'm glad you did. I'll join you, I'll just see if Cat or my father in law are prepared to babysit. Hey have you seen Laurel? She went out early this morning. Haven't heard from her." Tommy enquires.

"Nope." Thea shakes her head.

"I'm sure she's okay though. Probably at work, you know Laurel. She the best her when she's working." Thea laughs.

"Yeah." Tommy laughs. "That's Laurel."

 _Queen Consolidated_

"I'm kind of regretting sending our assistant to trail Talia." Oliver sighs at the amount of work on his and Slade's desks.

"Don't be lazy, kid. We can get through this."

"Can we though?" Oliver eyes him as Slade chucks a file at him.

"Yes we can and we shall. Now stop talking and get on with it!" Slade growls at him.

"Okay." Oliver holds his hands up before moving to open the first file.

"I hate paperwork."

"Stop ya whining kid and get on with it! You know, you act sometimes like we didn't survive five years of hell." Slade grumbles at him.

"I know we did and I'm sure compared to that…"

"Oliver." Slade glances at him.

"Yes, Slade?"

"Stop talking."

"Okay." Oliver sighs whilst preparing his pen. Finding himself thinking back to those five years of hell…

 _Hong Kong_

 _"Targets on the move. He's headed North." Oliver speaks through his comms whilst following a man._

 _"Yeah, I see him, kid." Slade responds._

 _"Where are you?" Oliver enquires._

 _"Coming at the target from the opposite angle." Slade answers._

 _"He's stopped." Oliver informs them._

 _"Saw." Slade notes._

 _"What's he doing?" Maseo questions._

 _"He's buying ice cream." Oliver says after a moment of silence._

 _"He doesn't look much like a terrorist." He adds._

 _"From my days in the ASIS I learnt that usually the decent ones tend not to look much like terrorists, kid." Slade replies._

 _"He's right. The best ones usually don't." Maseo adds._

 _"Why does Waller want us to take this guy out?" Oliver asks._

 _"You ask too many questions."_

 _"It is a problem, but I'd like to know the same thing." Slade interjects._

 _"For gods sakes, you two follow the orders and eliminate the target. Or is this one your best friend too, Oliver?" Maseo snaps._

 _"Leave him alone." Slade growls._

 _"No it's okay, Slade. I get it. We're just guns that Waller can point at things she doesn't like?" Oliver snaps back._

 _"That's exactly what you are. You're a gun and your friend is a human weapon. Now get on with what you have to do." Maseo growls._

 _"He's moving." Slade informs Maseo when Oliver falters._

 _"Best not to waste time then!"_

 _Starling City_

Stood under the willow tree. Laurel looks down at the place Nyssa is buried, her fingers running over the bracelet Nyssa had given her.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Laurel spins around, wondering if it's Sara.

She's shocked to see who it really is.

"Talia." She starts, remembering the woman to be Nyssa's sister.

"Is this it. Is this where my sister is buried?" Talia asks curtly.

"Yes." Laurel replies as Talia pushes past her, kneeling in front of the raised earth.

Speaking Arabic softly before rising to her feet again.

"She was my friend. I cared about her." Laurel says softly.

"Condolences from myself and my father." Talia mutters.

"I don't want your condolences and I definitely don't want your father's. Nyssa died with arrows in her chest. I held her when she died. Do you think any of that would have happened if she wasn't an Al Ghul? If she wasn't part of the League Of Assassins? She was born into a place that forced her to be around so much darkness and evil, you and your father did that to her and she finally. She finally found some light, some peace in being here, in being a part of Team Arrow. You know honestly, I'm just glad Sara got out when she did or else I could be stood at my sisters grave to!" Laurel snaps at Talia, who glares at Laurel, resting her hand on her knife.

"I only spare your life because of my sister and Sara. Never speak to me in that manner. I know you grieve but so do I. Nyssa was my sister! Think of the pain you endured when you believed your precious Sara was taken from you…"

"I know how you feel." Laurel agrees.

"Do you? Your sister came back." Talia hisses.

"After she was engulfed in the darkness shown to her by the League?" Laurel folds her arms.

"We didn't show your sister the darkness, Ms. Lance-Merlyn. Or my sister. She was born into the League Of Assassins. She knew what was expected of her. She followed her destiny and when Nyssa found your sister, the darkness was already there. If anything she was shown it by everything she went through with Mr. Wilson and Mr. Queen! Nyssa found her alone, starving and terrified and crying out for her love, her friend and for you. Nyssa protected her. We both attempted to but Nyssa took Sara into her heart and loved her with all of her soul and despite initially being against your sister's presence I put up with her because of the love I had for my sister. My sister Nyssa. That bracelet you wear. I crafted it myself and gave it to Nyssa as a gift when she was born. You are not fit to wear it." Talia snaps before storming away from Laurel.

"She's moving." The Black Canary mutters from where she was perched, wiping the tears from her eyes at Talia's words, whilst in front of Roy.

"We following?" Roy enquires.

"Where was she?" Oliver enquires.

"She went to visit the place we buried Nyssa." Sara replies.

"And now?" Oliver adds.

"Top floor of some dump." Catwoman calls from where she's perched on a stairwell.

"On Amsterdam. Could be where she's crashing." Blackbird adds.

"League Of Assassins safe house of something maybe?" Roy enquires through the comms.

"Could be." The Black Canary agrees.

"Give us the address. Slade and I will meet you all there."

 _Meanwhile…_

Sat in the empty apartment, Talia furiously wipes the tears forming in her eyes.

Hearing something behind her, she spins around quickly, hatchet in hand only to see Oliver, Slade and a masked Sara and by the doorway, other members of their team.

"Are you ready to talk?" Oliver asks carefully.

"There is nothing to talk about." Talia lowers her weapon.

"I think there is." Slade starts but Sara holds up a hand.

"Talia. Please, talk to us, you know us, you how we all feel about Nyssa…"

"Sara. Don't…" Talia mutters, putting her weapon away.

"The trail we had for Nyssa's murderer has gone cold." Oliver admits.

"We could use your help." He adds.

"I don't need yours, or any of your team's. I can handle this on my own."

"Really?" Slade snorts.

"Look, we've gathered evidence and we're working leads." Oliver points out.

"Whilst your hiding away in League Safe Houses and visiting graves." Slade mutters.

"I am not hiding! This is not my safe house it is my sister Nyssa's. She stayed here when she visited Starling on her missions." Talia snaps at them as almost immediately Sara begins to look around, her eyes landing on a famille bag filled to the brim with weapons.

"This was her favorite dagger." Sara notes as she pulls out a familiar looking dagger.

"Keep it. She would've wanted you to have it." Talia grumbles as Sara accepts.

"Talia, you said that Nyssa was in Starling City for the League. That suggests to me that her target was also the person who killed her." Oliver starts.

"Agreed." Both Talia and Sara say simultaneously.

"It wasn't Nyssa's target though. She came to Starling City to confirm rumors, whispers and remarks really. That there was an enemy of the League Of Assassins was here." Talia admits.

"Who?" Slade folds his arms.

"Merlyn. Malcolm Merlyn he's alive. First I wasn't sure if the rumors were down to his son Thomas Merlyn, who I know has joined your ranks but no. It really was Malcolm Merlyn. None of you look surprised." Talia comments.

"Yeah well." Oliver sighs.

"We already knew."

 _The Foundry_

"So you brought the scary ninja chick back with you?" Mick enquires when Oliver, Sara, Slade, Sin, Selina and Roy return with Talia.

"Don't insult the ninja's." Thea holds a hand up.

"Merlyn's offspring's, right?" Talia looks between Thea and Tommy.

"Unfortunately." Tommy mutters.

"Good answer." Talia nods before turning to face the others.

"Malcolm Merlyn was a member of The League Of Assassins. My father released him from his obligation to the league with the understanding that he would abide by its code of conduct." Talia informs them.

"Well, you guys are professional killers. That's kind of a low bar." Roy retorts.

"Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking violated the League Of Assassins principles." Talia reveals.

"No kidding, that wrecked half the city and left me in a coma and because of that coma I missed a year of my kid's lives." Tommy snaps.

"You have his anger but you are not alike. It's fortunate for you that you are against your father." Talia remarks.

"Believe me, you guys might hate my father but none of you will hate him as much as I do. If he were here right now, I would not hesitate to kill him." Tommy informs her.

"Good." Talia nods before turning to address the others again.

"When Oliver, Sara and Slade believed they had killed Merlyn, we considered the matter settled. My father was pleased with that outcome but then the League received word from a reliable source that Merlyn faked his demise."

"Yeah well, he ain't dead. I was with him in Corto Maltese, he kept me." Thea mutters.

"You know where he is? Daughter of Merlyn?" Talia approaches her, immediately causing Oliver, Sara, Selina, Sin, Slade, Tommy, Mick and Roy to move in front of her.

"He kept me in Corto Maltese he left after I attacked him with Slade and Roy. I have no idea where he went and I don't care. He lied to me and basically kidnapped me." Thea speaks firmly as Talia glares at her.

"Fine." She mutters.

"Who was your source?" Diggle questions from the stairs.

"Moira Queen, Oliver's mother." Talia says in a matter of fact tone of voice causing Oliver and Thea to look up at Talia immediately.

"Yeah, well, my mother wasn't exactly known for her honesty. She lied and lied to us." Thea mutters as Roy wraps an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah I always thought she was a lying… No offense." Roy winces at the cold looks he receives from both Queen children.

"But he did turn out to be alive." Thea shrugs before bowing her head.

"And if my mother knew that, that means she kept stuff from me and Ollie again!" She practically shouts.

"Nyssa took these photographs." Slade taps the screen of the nearest computer.

"We recovered them from the camera in her apartment." Sara informs Talia viewing the many photo's of Malcolm Merlyn. Tommy flinches instantly.

"What I'm not getting here is that there must have been a body right, that the police found?" Sin points out.

"Merlyn had resources all over Starling City." Oliver points out.

"What the bet he has one in the coroner's office?" Slade mutters.

"The instant we learnt that Merlyn was alive, the League Of Assassins has hunted him all over the globe, running down every rumor, following every whisper." Talia explains.

"And one of those whispers put Merlyn back in Starling?" Diggle frowns.

"Nyssa tracked him here." Sara starts.

"We are going to retrace her steps." Oliver decides.

"It wasn't just because of the possibility of the actual Malcolm Merlyn coming here that Nyssa chose to come here it is also because when looking for Merlyn members of the League wanted to put people on his son, his son's wife and their two children. They were insistent and Nyssa chose to be the one to do it because she did not want random members of our organization watching your family." Talia looks to Tommy.

"She came back here for us." Sara continues quietly.

"Retracing steps." Slade reminds them all.

"You said you found evidence on my sister's body." Talia points out.

"Yes, Roy." Oliver nods towards him.

"We found a blank piece of paper in Nyssa's boot but why would she be carrying a blank piece of paper?" Roy frowns.

"Do you have a flame?" Talia enquires.

"Yes!" Mick all but cheers, brandishing a lighter.

"God help us all." Roy and Thea whisper as they all move toward the piece of paper.

"Lighter." Oliver holds out a hand, Mick passing it to him.

Igniting the flame, Oliver shakes the blank piece of paper over the flame until writing begins to appear on it.

"Unbelievable." Diggle remarks.

"Why didn't I think of this." Sara whispers.

"My father had a notebook with hidden writing just like this." Oliver admits, the writing on the paper immediately reminding him of his father's notebook.

"The list isn't coming back to haunt us is it, kid?" Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

"Hope not." Oliver winces.

"Did your father receive this notebook from Merlyn?" Talia enquires as Oliver sighs.

"This is ghosts ink. One of the means the League Of Assassins employs for concealing secrets." Talia points out.

"This is Nyssa's handwriting." Sara taps the paper.

"Notes from her surveillance of Merlyn." Oliver adds.

"Guys, there's not much to go on here." Diggle sighs.

"There's always something." Slade retorts.

"He's right. There is a couple of things here. Jansen, there's a question mark." Oliver points out looking up at Talia who shakes her head.

"S's Father help. Question mark." Oliver continues.

"Assuming the 'S' stands for Sara that means she reached out to my dad." Sara frowns.

"Well if Lance knew that Merlyn was alive don't you think he would have said something to Sara, Laurel or Tommy or any of us." Roy folds his arms.

"That depends if Nyssa told my father that Merlyn was alive." Sara sighs.

"What matters is what Nyssa told your father." Oliver looks to her.

"And how do we find that out?" Talia mutters.

"He's my dad and our ally." Sara points out. "We just ask the question."

 _SCPD_

"So, gentlemen. Word of advice, next time you arrest a bookie, please make sure the chief is not one of his clients. Now, that's what the chief told me to tell you, okay, but as far as I'm concerned you just keep doing your jobs. First round tonight's on me. Please, get out of here." Quentin addresses the officers, hanging them cash before letting them go.

"Buying rounds?" Laurel Lance starts as she enters the precinct.

"Ah, buying love. The fastest way to a cop's heart is through his liver. How are you feeling?" He enquires.

"I'm fine."

"The kids?"

"Safe with their babysitter." Laurel smiles.

"Do you have a minute?" She enquires.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"I have to talk to you it's about Nyssa. Sara just called me and told me that before her death Nyssa was looking into something, a thing called Jansen?" Laurel questions.

"Um… Ah, yeah someone. Ken Zhi Jansen. I gave her his last known address. Yes, Nyssa was here but she asked me not to say anything to you or anyone on the team. I know I probably should have, I'm sorry." He admits to her.

"It's okay. Thank you for telling me. The others wanted to know and Nyssa's sister…"

"Aw hell she ain't here is she?" Quentin exclaims shaking his head.

"I think they might be on to finding her killer." Laurel admits.

"Well that is a good thing. That being solved with be a relief. To all of us. Here, give the others this." Quentin puts a piece of paper in Laurel's hand.

"It's the address I gave Nyssa for Jansen. Now, Nyssa told me that there wouldn't be any, you know, assassinating. That better still be the case." Quentin warns as Laurel nods.

"The only objective they're looking for is justice I'm sure."

 _Later…_

"This was the next lead Nyssa was going to follow?" Diggle enquires as he follows Talia, Blackbird, Catwoman, The Wizard, The Man In The Red Hood, The Black Canary, The Man In The Mask and The Arrow as they walk across a Chinese style bridge.

"Jansen's a Buddhist monk. Nine years ago, he was facing deportation to a China, Merlyn bankrolled his defense." The Arrow points out.

"That doesn't sound like my father." The Wizard mutters.

"He didn't do it for nothing." He continues.

"So Merlyn does this then Jansen returns the favor by giving Merlyn asylum in his garden?" The Man In The Red Hood continues.

"Monastery." Talia corrects him.

"That sounds more like my father." The Wizard nods.

"We should split up, go in smaller groups. Take flanking positions." The Man In The Mask strategies.

"I agree but…" Talia storms past The Arrow before he can continue.

"Never understood why you guys were friends with her." Diggle looks between The Arrow, The Man In The Mask and The Black Canary.

"I hated her when I first met her." The Black Canary remarks.

"We are going to split up but we need to be careful." The Arrow decides.

"Copy that." Diggle agrees as the team begin to move.

Talia goes off alone, walking around the outskirts of the building. The Arrow and The Wizard follow behind her, their hands on their bows, moving in different directions.

Diggle jogs ahead with Catwoman, Diggle's hands gripping his gun, he nods toward The Man In The Red Hood and The Man In The Mask who near them. The Black Canary and Blackbird going around the outskirts whilst Diggle, Catwoman, The Man In The Red Hood and The Man In The Mask move into the centre, nearing a tree.

Elsewhere, Talia continues to go through the building, stopping briefly at a post when she sees a man sat in a room alone.

Meanwhile, The Man In The Red Hood follows behind The Man In The Mask both those two, Diggle and Catwoman meeting in the middle in the exact same spot.

Whilst The Arrow and The Wizard begin to move down a corridor, glancing toward the Black Canary and Blackbird across from them. None of them aware that Talia has promptly entered the room in which the man is sat, raising her bow in an instant.

"Guys we found Jansen." Diggle says through the comms.

"Negative. We have eyes on him." The Arrow replies whilst stood beside the Wizard, Black Canary and Blackbird, the four of them looking in on the room Talia has entered and is approaching the man sat inside.

"Yeah he's in a room with Talia." The Wizard replies.

"Yeah well, whoever's in there is not Jansen." The Man In The Red Hood retorts.

"But…" Blackbird starts.

"We're standing in front of his memorial." The Man In The Mask mutters.

"So who's in there?" The Wizard glances towards the others.

"Let's go!" The Arrow decides to call, running ahead, the other three following him.

Meanwhile, Talia is stood in the room prepared to shoot and kill the man, whoever he may be where he sits.

"Jansen Sensei. I am Talia. Daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, Heir To The Demon. You will tell me where I can find Malcolm Merlyn or I will slay you where you sit." She hisses as the man gets to his feet and turns around.

Revealing himself to be Malcolm Merlyn himself.

"Hello, Talia." He starts the instant Talia fires an arrow at him. He ducks it and moves to engage her in combat, defending the attacks she throws at him and eventually managing to knock her to the floor, only momentarily but long enough for Malcolm to drop a fire pellet and vanish only moments before the Arrow, the Black Canary, Blackbird and The Wizard arrive at the door.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Talia yells.

"Who?" Blackbird starts.

"Merlyn!" She yells, all of them turning around instantly to see Malcolm Merlyn escaping.

"No. No, no, no!" The Wizard hisses, taking off after him.

"Tommy!" The Arrow calls after him, firing an arrow at Malcolm, which hits his arm.

Turning back to face them, Malcolm smirks as he watches an archer chase after him, whilst smirking at the Arrow and the Black Canary before jumping over the wall, dropping another one of his smoke bombs so that, when The Wizard leaps over the wall it explodes, sending The Wizard flying back into the brick wall and subsequently into unconsciousness…


	152. The Magician (2)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred & Fifty Two_**

 _The Foundry_

"Try to look on the bright side. It might have finally knocked some sense into him." Slade remarks as Sara, Diggle and Oliver help drag a barely conscious Tommy into The Foundry.

"Seriously?" Oliver sighs as Slade shrugs.

"Not the best time." Roy suggests.

"Ohh god, Tommy!" Laurel races forward from where she had been stood by Thea.

"What happened to him?!" She whispers as they sit him down on the nearest table.

"Malcolm Merlyn happened." Oliver mutters as Laurel tends to her husband.

"I'm alright, just pissed and my head hurts. Visions a bit." He shakes his hand slightly.

"You hit your head pretty bad on that wall." Selina remarks.

"What happened?" Laurel asks softly.

"Malcolm Merlyn was there. Tommy chased after him, he detonated this device. I warned you…" Oliver shakes his head at Tommy.

"You really think I was about to listen?" Tommy mutters.

"Nope. I didn't think you would but, now you need stitches, cracked your head open a bit there. I'll do it." Sara sighs, moving to get the equipment.

"Please don't be mad." Tommy looks to Laurel.

"I'm not mad. What you did was understandable." She says softly.

"Bit stupid." Mick notes.

"That's what I thought." Slade agrees.

"You could've waited." Roy adds.

"I just, I just saw red. I had to…"

"It's okay, don't worry, I'm not mad." Laurel squeezes his hand before looking to the others.

"You don't think that Malcolm had anything to do with Nyssa's death do you?" Laurel asks.

"Well Nyssa was here looking for him and trying to keep him and the League away from you, Tommy and your kids. We thinks Malcolm may have found her first." Oliver admits.

"And where is he now?" Laurel enquires.

"We're working on that." Slade responds.

"He got away from us earlier tonight but not before I hit him with an arrow laced with particulate nanotechnology. Felicity wrote a program that tracks the nanites using GPS." Oliver explains as Slade moves toward the computers.

"So, basically a tracer arrow?" Diggle frowns.

"That's about it. I saw Felicity make that." Sin nods.

"Wait, you had a shot at Merlyn at you didn't kill him?" Laurel looks at him incredulously.

"I've already had this argument." Tommy murmurs.

"You'd already ran off after him." Sara retorts, pulling the needle and thread.

"I tagged him."

"With a flesh wound!"

"He's marked." Oliver retorts.

"Look, Laurel. There is now nowhere in the world that he can go where we can't find him. There's nothing to worry about. We're going to kill him." Slade informs her.

"And when you do?" Laurel folds her arms.

"Well, when we do. We finish what we started." Oliver sighs.

"Wait. You, Sara and Slade. You're not killers anymore." Diggle points out.

"I know. I know we're not but, I think in this case we can bend the rule slightly seeing as we should have already killed Merlyn. You okay with us killing him Tommy?" Sara looks to him.

"I'll deliver the final blow." Tommy mutters.

"Thea?"

"Whatever we have to do." She nods.

"He should have been dead tonight. He put Tommy in a coma for a year, my babies didn't have a father for the first year of the lives. He almost had me proved as an unfit mother, he basically kidnapped Thea and let's not forget the five hundred and two innocent people that died in The Undertaking. You should have just killed him, Oliver." Laurel mutters.

"She's not wrong." Selina notes.

"Now he's still out there. How many more people are going to have to die before someone in this room puts him down?" Laurel questions.

"We'll kill him Laurel. We will." Oliver promises her.

"I hope so. I really, really do." Laurel murmurs before grabbing a chair and sitting beside Tommy as Sara continues to stitch his head.

"The tracer arrow program." Oliver starts after a moment.

"I'm working it from here." Slade murmurs.

"You also have Felicity monitoring remote from Central City?" Diggle adds.

"No, she told me an idiot could run it." Oliver replies.

"Attempting not to take that personally." Slade mutters.

"She probably thought Diggle or Oliver was going to have a go at it." Thea laughs lightly.

"Diggle is going to do it because right now, Slade is joining me on the streets. Sara, stay here with Tommy. Talia can you…"

"I'll keep him here and have a word with her." She nods to Laurel.

"Okay. Selina?" Oliver looks to her.

"With you." She nods picking up her whip.

"Roy stay with Thea." Slade suggests.

"Are you actually sidelining me right now?" Roy raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm keeping you and Thea safe." Slade retorts, before grabbing his sword, he and Selina following behind Oliver.

"Talk me in when you have his location." Oliver instructs.

"Copy that." Diggle replies as Oliver, Selina and Slade leave The Foundry.

 _Hong Kong_

 _Walking down the street after the target Oliver follows the man with a knife in his hand, aware that Slade's coming at the target from the other way._

 _Pushing him into the side Oliver raises the knife to kill him but Slade abruptly slits the man's throat from behind._

 _"Slade you didn't…"_

 _"For your sanity I did." Slade retorts as Oliver grabs the keys from the man's pocket._

 _"It's done." Oliver speaks through the comms to Maseo as he and Slade continue walk, almost as if they hadn't just killed a man._

 _The Foundry_

"Laurel." Talia starts after a moment as Laurel paces back and forth, eying her husband out of the corner of he eye as Sara continues to tend to his head wounds.

"Talia, even you should understand why I don't feel like talking right now. Why no one in here is talking right now!" She snaps, Diggle, Sin, Roy, Thea and even Mick wincing a little at the rage shown from Laurel.

"Believe me, I understand." Talia retorts.

"Merlyn may have killed my sister. I understand completely how you're feeling. I'm pretty sure Sara is feeling the same way." Talia points out, causing Laurel to glance towards Sara, who she hadn't really noticed before but now Talia really makes her focus, she she's the sadness in Sara's eyes and the dark circles underneath them.

Reaching out with her hand, Laurel takes Sara's free hand in her's, not even caring that she's getting her husbands blood on her own hand.

"Talia. I am sorry for your loss." Laurel says after a moment, causing Sara to somewhat smile at the peace that is somewhat falling between Laurel and Talia.

"I promise Nyssa. I promise Sara I promise everyone on this team and I promise you. We will find Malcolm Merlyn." Talia speaks carefully.

"We kinda already did." Tommy groans.

"Oliver should have killed him." Laurel mutters.

"I agree." Talia replies.

"We all agree." Sara sighs.

"Do you think it's possible that if Oliver catches up to Merlyn that he's going to let him live or let him go?" Laurel finds herself asking.

"No. He might be a bit against the whole killing thing but, everyone in here wants to kill Merlyn, believe me." Roy informs her.

"When Slade was presumed dead and Moira was killed. He didn't want to kill Shado." Laurel points out.

"Yeah but, again, the rest of us did. Which is why Leonard and I took charge everything nearly went to hell I know but. If Oliver has doubts which I'm sure he doesn't. He's got all of us standing beside him to kill Merlyn if he wants to keep to his no kill rule." Sara declares.

"We can't let Merlyn live. You need to get Merlyn, Talia. I am terrified that if he is in this city then he's going to go after my babies and take them away from us, I won't let that happen."

"None of us will let that happen." Sara promises.

"We have to do whatever it takes to kill Merlyn." Laurel murmurs as Talia smirks.

"Believe me, we shall." She replies.

"Okay. So I'm gonna go get the club ready. After the Siege we closed it down for a bit because of everything and seeing as I'm back, I'm opening it all up again. So. I'll just be upstairs." Thea says before heading up the stairs.

"Go with her Roy." Sara commands.

"Already going."

 _Verdant_

"Hey wait up." Roy jogs after Thea as she reaches Verdant.

"You don't have to follow me you know. I love you, so much but you really don't have to." She smiles at him.

"I don't want you to be left alone." Roy admits.

"Because of Malcolm Merlyn?" Thea raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. Safety in numbers you know. We can kick his ass together."

"I like the sound of that." Thea smiles, briefly kissing his lips.

"Should I help with the grand reopening?" Roy smirks.

"Hell yeah, what? Did you think you were just supposed to stand around here doing nothing. You work here Roy." Thea reminds him.

"Actually. I have a proper, extremely probably overpaid job." Roy admits.

"What now? Since when?" Thea laughs.

"Since Felicity went to work for Oliver's old friend Palmer and I joined Queen Consolidated as Oliver and Slade's personal assistant." Roy informs her.

"I won't believe that until I see it. Do they make you wear a suit and everything?" She grins.

"Yes." Roy mumbles quietly.

"Ahh brilliant, I am so just gonna stop by one day to see this." She chuckles.

"I still want your help now though." She informs him.

"Yes, Ma'am." Roy nods.

"So." Thea holds up three boards of colour.

"Bonsai Green, October Mist or Avocado?"

 _Starling City_

On the streets of Starling City, the Arrow and The Man In The Mask ride their motorcycles side by side down the streets until Diggle finally comes back to them.

"Merlyn stopped. I've got his position." Diggle informs them.

"Go." The Arrow calls.

"Air conditioning factory. Eighteenth and Nelson." Diggle gives them the information.

"Do you want me to share this with anyone else?"

"No. I actually want to get answers out of the guy before we kill him. I don't think the others are on the same page." The Arrow decides.

"That's because we're not." The Man In The Mask agrees.

"Come on Slade, you've got to be interested in finding out some answers." The Arrow sighs.

"I just want to finish what we started, kid."

"We will. I promise. Let's just. Let's just get some answers first."

 _The Air-conditioning Factory_

Arriving at the Air-conditioning factory, the Arrow, The Man In The Mask and Catwoman find nothing. Absolutely nothing there at all.

"This place is empty." The Man In The Mask hisses.

"Diggle there's nothing here, he's not here!" The Arrow yells through the comms as The Man In The Mask and Catwoman search the room.

"Hello Oliver, Slade. Cat lady." Malcolm's voice calls out.

"You're absolutely right. I'm not at the… What is it? Air conditioning factory. It's a very neat trick you have but I'm sorry. It didn't work out…"

"When we find you…" The Man In The Mask snarls.

"You absolutely will. You and Oliver anyhow. We need to talk but I prefer a venue less conducive to conflict. Nelson Plaza at Coldwater and Fifth, bottom of the stairs. It's a very public place so you'll want to leave your masks behind. Just the two leaders of Queen Consolidated meeting in the Plaza. No one will bat an eyelid. I want this to remain between the three of us so I even see one of your associates and that includes Sara Lance. I promise you both, you will not see me." Malcolm says sharply before hanging up.

"What are we going to do kid?" The Man In The Mask questions.

"What he says. Selina go. Go wherever, we'll see you later." Oliver states before looking to Slade and sighing.

"Let's go meet with Malcolm Merlyn."

 _Nelson Plaza_

"No killing." Oliver says the minute they reach Nelson's Plaza, eying the crowds of people.

"I'm sure the moment they see who I've killed they'll see it as public service." Slade growls.

"What, you have a weapon on you?" Oliver glances to him.

"You don't? Kid I am extremely disappointed in you!" Slade hisses.

"Slade, don't start." Oliver groans.

"You should always be armed, always! Have you listened to anything I've taught you?"

"Hello Oliver, Slade!" Malcolm's voice calls out suddenly from behind them, causing both Oliver and Slade to whirl round, Oliver holding out a hand of restraint toward Slade as they begin to walk towards Malcolm.

"How are you both? I've got to say, you look a lot more alive then I thought." Malcolm eyes Slade who glares at him.

"Death is for other people. People like you." He hisses walking into Oliver's outstretched arm of restraint.

"You've both accomplished a lot with this city, I see. The two leaders of Queen Consolidated. Who does more work, is it you or Slade?" Malcolm smirks.

"We're not here to discuss Starling!" Oliver snaps.

"You think I killed Nyssa Al Ghul."

"How else would you know she's dead?" Oliver retorts.

"These streets were mine long before you, Sara and Slade laid claim to them. This is still my city. I chose this place because of the crowds equal invisibility. Besides, I understand you're not killing people these days." Malcolm retorts.

"I tend not to listen to that rule." Slade hisses.

"And for you, even I am planning on making an exception. Every single member of my team wants you dead our allies included." Oliver snarls.

"Ra's Al Ghul has placed a blood bounty on my head. Why would I try to get in lifted by killing his daughter. It's illogical!" Malcolm snaps at them both.

"Well, let me spell this out for you. Nyssa returns to Starling. You return to Starling. Nyssa is then murdered…"

"I cam back to Starling City for the simplest and most noble of reasons. Thea. Tommy. Brandon and Rebecca. You know what, six months ago during The Siege she was almost killed by one of Slade Wilson's ex girlfriend's Mirakuru soldiers. I protected her!"

"That is irrelevant. You kidnapped her. You didn't tell her that Slade was alive. You manipulated her and attempted to turn her into a killing machine like all of us! She told us everything and she wants nothing to do with you and Tommy? You know that other archer that chased after you earlier. That was him. That was Tommy because he wanted to kill you. Laurel Lance-Merlyn wants you dead for almost talking her children away from her…"

"My grandchildren. Who I haven't yet been able to see!" Malcolm cuts Oliver off.

"You'll never get to see them." Slade snarls.

"Yes I will. They are my grandchildren, Tommy is my son and Thea is my daughter! They need me!"

"Both Thomas and Thea would kill you." Slade hisses.

"I'll kill you."

"Oliver can you keep your pet Mirakuru solider under control please?" Malcolm sighs.

"He doesn't even have the Mirakuru anymore. That's just Slade believe me." Oliver snaps.

"Oh, really?" Malcolm smirks, an evil glint in his eyes an he looks to Slade.

He knows. Slade thinks to himself.

"Yeah." Oliver nods.

"So listen to us both when we say we will kill you and we will make it hurt so badly if you go anywhere near Thea, Tommy, Laurel, Brandon and Rebecca!" Oliver growls.

"Don't worry. I've kept my distance but the world is a dangerous place and you, Slade and your whole team is too distracted to protect Thea and my grandchildren…"

"You're a killed." Oliver hisses.

"Yes I am and like it or not, so are the two of you! But I swear to you both on Thea, Tommy, Brandon and Rebecca's lives. I am not Nyssa Al Ghul's killer." He states before walking away, Oliver keeping a tight grip on Slade's arm to stop him from going after him…

 _Verdant_

"I'll talk to Laurel and Tommy. He's still concussed so he's not going to be getting up any time soon so I'll just tell them the truth now. I'm glad you're both okay." Sara looks toward Oliver and Slade after they tell her everything that has happened before heading downstairs, Oliver and Slade moving towards where Thea and Roy are sat, drinking coffee at the bar.

"Hey." Oliver touches Thea's shoulder as he sits beside her and Slade sits the other side of Roy, both looking anxiously at Oliver and Slade.

"Are you okay?" Roy frowns.

"From the looks on your faces you need something a lot stronger than coffee." Thea winces as Slade reaches over the bar to grab a bottle of something alcoholic.

"Slade." Oliver shakes his head at him.

"What?" Slade shrugs.

"It isn't even midday."

"After what we've just endured we're all going to need some of this." Slade mutters.

"Why, what's happened… Ohh god. You haven't."

"Ran into Malcolm Merlyn. Yes."

"Who else knows?" Roy whispers.

"Just the four of us, Sara, Tommy and Laurel." Oliver replies.

"What did he say to you?" Thea frowns.

"That he came back to Starling City for you, Tommy and Tommy and Laurel's children." Oliver answers as Thea rests her head in her hands.

"That's not a surprise. He wanted me with him and he wanted Tommy and the kids to be there. Hell, he said he'd even take Laurel in if it made Tommy and the kids happy." Thea admits to them.

"Thea if he tries to contact you…"

"I'll either kick his ass or immediately tell anyone in the team, except maybe her." Thea whispers as Talia Al Ghul approaches them.

"There are more pressing matters at hand then you four sitting around here, drinking having a chat and paining!" She scolds them.

"They're not doing nothing, Slade and Oliver tracked down my father last night." Tommy announces as he appears, staggering slightly towards them with Laurel and Sara at his side.

"Did you kill him?" Talia looks between Slade and Oliver.

"For the record I wanted to but he forced us into a public place." Slade informs them.

"Great." Laurel sighs before turning on a heel and heading downstairs again.

"Laurel." Tommy turns to follow her, grabbing her arm.

"Guys, he swore to Slade and I that he didn't kill Nyssa." Oliver holds his hands up.

"He's lying." Laurel shakes her head.

"You know all of his words are lies. How could you be so naive as to believe him?" Talia begins to advance on him.

"Because he swore to me on Thea, Tommy and his grandchildren's lives." Oliver retorts as Talia just shakes her head.

"That is the reason he came back to Starling City. To make amends with Thea and Tommy and get to know his grandchildren." Oliver continues.

"No. No way in hell. I am not letting him anywhere near my kids!" Laurel hisses.

"Believe me Laurel. No one is expecting you to." Sara squeezes her arm.

"He's only here because of them and he wants to protect them." Oliver continues.

"Is this why you spared Merlyn, twice!" Talia hisses.

"I wanted answers and he explained to me in his own twisted way that he loves, Thea, Tommy and his grandchildren and then in front of Slade and I, he swore on their lives." Oliver retorts.

"But I swore an oath of my own. That I would see my sister's killer brought to justice." Talia says before turning around and storming out of Verdant.

"Talia. Talia!" Oliver yells after her.

"I still would have killed him Oliver." Tommy admits.

"I know, I know but. If he didn't kill Nyssa…"

"This is not just about Nyssa." Laurel points out.

"I know but…"

"Oliver, wait."

"We need to stop her." Oliver protests.

"Do we? Listen I understand why you somehow can't kill Merlyn all of the reasons even if killing Merlyn is actually what you really want because I can tell it is." Diggle starts.

"It is. I want to kill Merlyn. I do believe me but, I don't know. I just feel like something has changed."

"That's just my father Oliver. I'd think that. I'd think that my dad had changed that he was truly prepared to love me and be a father to me but it was always just an act. All lies! Exactly like it is now. My father is never going to change. He's always going to be an evil bastard and if Talia kills him, okay. The only thing I'm pissed about is that I'm not there to do it myself!" Tommy points out as Oliver sighs.

"You're right." Oliver murmurs as he sits back down.

"He is and I can't believe I'm saying that." Slade mutters.

"Maybe he killed Nyssa, maybe he didn't but either way, the world is a better place without Malcolm Merlyn in it. Oliver, you may have made this team a vow not to kill but Talia didn't." Diggle adds.

"We should just let things run its course." Laurel adds.

"Yes. Okay." Oliver nods causing Tommy to smile slightly.

"I agree."

 _Hong Kong_

 _Opening the door to Maseo's home, Oliver and Slade enter._

 _"Where's your wife?" Oliver queries._

 _"Tatsu? She needed to be someplace else." Maseo replies._

 _"Ah she doesn't like me." Oliver sighs._

 _"She doesn't seem to have a problem with me." Slade remarks._

 _"You're wrong, she hates you Oliver. Slade she does not mind. She shares your love for katana's." Maseo smiles._

 _"She's still not happy that either of us are here. Neither are we. Slade killed a man today." Oliver points out._

 _"I've killed a lot of men kid."_

 _"You did it so I wouldn't have to!" Oliver protests._

 _"Exactly." Slade retorts._

 _"We don't even know the reason." Oliver folds his arms._

 _"Sometimes it's better that way." Maseo remarks._

 _"What? Blindly following orders is better." Oliver turns away._

 _"Kid, I had do missions for ASIS that I didn't particular like or want to do but I did them anyway because they were my orders." Slade informs him._

 _"And I am not blind. I am focused on what's most important, you should do the same. It's not our place or our burden to know what we carry out our missions." Maseo glances towards his son Akio, who sits on his bed with a laptop._

 _"I didn't realize having a conscience was a burden." Oliver retorts as Maseo walks away._

 _"I hate to say it kid but he's right…" Slade says after a moment._

 _"How can you say that." Oliver groans._

 _"Because I want to get back to my son. I want to see Joe again and I want to take you with me, that is the plan, kid and if we have to be Waller's slaves until there is an opening where we can protect this family and get back to our own then that is what we are going to have to do. We have lost too much already, kid." Slade murmurs as Oliver nods, glancing over again to where Akio is._

 _"Give me a sec." Oliver starts before moving towards Akio._

 _"What are you playing?" He asks the kid kindly._

 _"A reading game." Akio retorts._

 _"Oh, yeah? Do you mind if I try? I want to work on my Cantonese." Oliver asks in a softer voice as Akio raises an eyebrow at him._

 _"My dad said I shouldn't let you use my computer." Akio retorts._

 _"A'right, kid, let me handle this." Slade pushes Oliver aside, slightly._

 _"How about we make a deal." Slade smirks._

 _"Neither of you have anything. You're bums." Akio retorts._

 _"Well, this bum and I do have something that you don't. Height. Since being here I have become aware that there is a stash of candy in a cupboard above the fridge. Now Oliver and I can each swipe you five pieces. What do you say?" Slade bargains with a smirk._

 _Akio practically throws the laptop at Slade._

 _"Good kid." Slade laughs as he takes the keys from Oliver._

 _"Bribing kids has got to be an all time low." Oliver groans._

 _"Not really. I'd bribe Joe all the time to get him to do household chores. Told him I'd teach him how to shoot if he tided his room and did a good job of it." Slade laughs._

 _"Aren't you father of the year." Oliver rolls his eyes at Slade._

 _"He cleaned his room." Slade shrugs before glancing at what comes up on the computer._

 _"Slade. Slade calm down." Oliver starts as Slade's hands begin to shake, his Mirakuru anger flaring up at what he says._

 _"We need to speak with Waller. Now!" Slade growls, Oliver ripping out the memory stick._

 _"How did you… Akio!" Maseo snaps._

 _"It's not his fault, Slade bribed him. We need a meet now, make it happen." Oliver instructs._

 _"Waller's going to want a reason." Maseo sighs._

 _"How about unless she agrees to meet with us. I kill every single one of her agents and tear Hong Kong apart until she's willing to talk!" Slade snarls._

 _"Or just. This." Oliver holds up a hand._

 _"Ferris Air. Flight 637. She'll know what we mean."_

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

"I apologize to whoever you are for the awful headache you're going to have but this was one hundred percent necessary." Talia sighs as she steps over the unconscious Cat Grant.

"You work at the district attorney's office, so you should understand a thing or to about Justice. My sister has been killed you see and the man who killed her is in this city and he wants something. Now I'm not stupid. Going after the son or the daughter wouldn't get me anywhere except injured and angry so I had to go for the targets who wouldn't fight back." Talia informs Cat as she picks up the crying Brandon and Rebecca Lance-Merlyn.

"It's a shame it had to be this way but. It is the only way to bring Malcolm Merlyn to me." She sighs as she walks away, the crying babies in her arms.

 _Somewhere In Starling City._

Stood in his place of refuge. Malcolm looks out of the window at his city with a smirk a smirk that only fades when he sees the purple smoke of the League Of Assassins.

 ** _Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading my FanFiction. It means a lot. Please review if you can :)_**


	153. The Magician (3)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred & Fifty Three _**

_The Foundry_

"I AM GOING TO KILL THAT EVIL BITCH!" Tommy explodes furiously.

"Right behind you. Every step of the way." Diggle agrees as Tommy paces the room, ignoring the painful ache in his head.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe that Talia would do this." Oliver shakes his head.

"I do. She's willing to do whatever it takes to bring Nyssa's killer to justice even…" Sara stops rubbing Laurel's back as she sobs.

"You don't think she'd…" Roy starts as Thea looks on in horror.

"She didn't kill Cat. She could've but she just left her unconscious. She wouldn't. She wouldn't kill…" Oliver stops as Laurel lets out another wail.

"Those League Of Assassin assholes. That's it. No kill rule is off. You kill that bitch and bring back my grandchildren!" Quentin yells as he storms down the stairs.

"We're looking for them. We're doing everything we can." Oliver holds his hands up as Sin approaches them, tablet in hand.

"I got this off a traffic camera, it was recorded ten minutes ago. After I couldn't find anything related to Talia or the babies. Rory suggested to just look for strange." Sin whispers as Laurel pulls away from Sara to look at the screen herself.

"It's Talia. The League's communication system. She's…"

"Sending Malcolm a message." Oliver finishes Sara's sentence.

"I don't know the cipher but I'm willing to bet my wallet that it's means, we've got your grandchildren." Diggle mutters.

"Doesn't matter. The video gives us a location. Sara, Slade, Selina, Roy let's go." Oliver instructs.

"I'm coming. That's my son and my daughter that bitch has got. I'm going out there." Tommy says firmly.

"Tommy, you have a bad concussion. You'd…"

"Be a liability." Slade finishes.

"Wilson, I swear to god… They need me there. I need to be there to get my kids back." Tommy says firmly.

"They will have a parent there. They will have Laurel." Slade looks to her.

"WHAT?!" Everyone yells simultaneously.

"She ran with a lot of you during The Siege. She can handle facing one woman. Thomas is right, the kids will need a parent to come for them. He can't go, Laurel can. Can you do this?" Slade glances towards Laurel.

"Yes. Yes I can. Thank you." She whispers as Oliver and Sara shake their heads at Slade as he throws a gun into her hands.

"Honestly, you know I'd be the one that's one hundred percent against this normally but right now. It's your kids Laurel, go get them back." Quentin sighs before looking at Oliver, Sara, Slade, Selina and Roy.

"You watch her back."

"We will, dad." Sara promises as Laurel nods, wiping the angry tears from her eyes.

"Laurel…" Oliver starts.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare say a word Oliver Queen. This is my fault. I told Talia to go after Merlyn. I told her to do whatever it takes. This is on me. I have to put things right and Oliver, I know that you and your team are not killers but Merlyn and Talia are. Know that." She mutters before cocking her gun and being the first out of The Foundry.

 _Somewhere In Starling City_

Having placed the two kids in a basket filled with blankets, Talia looks down at the two children with a sigh.

"I do apologize for involving the two of you in this. My quarrel is with your grandfather. Not the policeman grandfather but your other one. Al Sa-Her. The Magician. That's the name he chose when he was in the League. Known to the uninitiated as Malcolm Merlyn. He'll come for the two of you and he will die. My father taught me ways to cut a man to make his death last for days. I mean, my father might be The Demon but your grandfather. He is the devil."

Talia sighs before getting to her feet.

"Get away from my children you evil psycho bitch!" Laurel yells, firing her gun at Talia and hitting her in the shoulder, whilst The Black Canary uses her black ropes to swing down and snatch up the basket that contains her niece and nephew before swinging out of the way.

"I did not expect that Ms. Lance-Merlyn." Talia notes.

"You kidnapped my babies. How else did you think I was going to react?!" Laurel screeches.

"It was the only way of getting to…" Talia is cut off as she is attacked by The Arrow, The Man In The Mask, Catwoman and The Man In The Red Mask.

"Apparently we all handle grief differently." Talia notes.

"We don't kidnap innocent children." Catwoman growls before Talia launches an attack at her, everyone springing into action immediately. Talia using her sword to battle off The Man In The Mask and The Man In The Red Hood's attacks, whilst Catwoman and the Arrow attack her from behind, Talia doing battle with all four of them whilst also avoiding gunshots that are well placed by Laurel Lance.

Suddenly an arrow knocks the blade out of Talia's hands and the four vigilantes and Laurel move to one side.

"There's been a misunderstanding we all need to clear up." The voice of Malcolm Merlyn calls, wearing his Dark Archer uniform.

"A conversation I am eager to have. Only over your rotting corpse!" Talia hisses, using her shield to stop the arrows Malcolm fires at her from hitting her directly.

Malcolm soon drops down from his vantage point and joins the fight with the four vigilantes. Laurel begins to fire her gun again, expertly, yet finding it hard to fixate on targets when they're all moving so quickly in combat.

"Shoot at her not me, daughter in law!" Malcolm yells when one of Laurel's bullets grazes his shoulder painfully.

"I'm aiming for both of you!" She hisses as the fight continues, Talia knocking the Arrow and Catwoman to one side whilst The Man In The Mask and The Man In The Red Hood fend off attacks from both Talia and Malcolm with their swords.

Yet coming from around the corner, The Black Canary drags Talia backwards allowing Malcolm to use his arrows to trap her against the wall.

"Thanks." The Arrow looks to her as she nods.

"Sara how…"

"Shut up!" The Black Canary snaps at Talia before reaching out towards Laurel just as Malcolm prepares another attack just as The Man In The Mask throws a dagger into the machine above causing sparks that distract Malcolm which subsequently allows the Arrow the chance to draw back his bow and Laurel to aim her gun.

"Do it. He killed Nyssa!" Talia yells to them just as the sound of Brandon and Rebecca crying can be heard loud and clear from where The Black Canary is holding them.

Looking once at them is all Laurel needs to lower her weapon.

Despite everything. Despite the hate and the pain it causes her. She can't kill Malcolm Merlyn in front of her babies. Her children…

She moves immediately towards them, embracing them instantly.

"It's okay. It's okay Mommy's here. It's okay, mommy's got you." Laurel whispers through tears as she holds onto to her babies.

"He put Thomas in a coma. A coma that caused him to miss a year of his children's lives." Talia continues.

"Children who you abducted?" The Man In The Red Hood can't help but scoff.

"He will corrupt Thea Queen and those children!" Talia yells.

"There is blood on my hands, almost too much to contemplate but none of it is Nyssa's." Malcolm removes his hood, looking up at the vigilantes in front of him.

"KILL HIM!" Talia orders.

"I DID NOT KILL YOUR SISTER!" Malcolm snaps back.

"After everything your sister did here. After all those connections she made to the people you see around you. Your father began to doubt Nyssa's loyalties, especially when she just basically abandoned the League to join them. You know your father, what he is capable of. He will kill without hesitation. Do you really need me to tell you what he would do a woman who was his daughter, who decided to give up everything she'd been raised to believe and to see as her destiny as Heir To The Demon to become a part of a team of degenerates and to even come to see them as her friends and family?" He yells at Talia who screams angrily as Malcolm gets to his feet.

"Talia doesn't believe me Oliver. If you don't believe me, listen to her. If all of you here don't believe me. Listen to her. You can kill me but come on, are you really going to murder me in front of my own grandchildren. She couldn't and she wants me dead more than you do!" Malcolm snaps, glancing toward where Laurel is embracing his grandchildren and murmuring comforting words to them.

"Oliver." The Man In The Mask growls as Malcolm sees that no one is about to attack him and subsequently begins to move.

"Not in front of them." The Arrow looks toward Laurel and the children in her arms.

"Fine." The Man In The Mask growls, watching until Malcolm has walked away somewhat before following him with the Arrow at his side until the three of them are out of Laurel and her babies lines of sight.

"You may not have killed Nyssa but you're still a murderer." The Arrow hisses, raising his bow again as The Man In The Mask pulls out his sword.

"What are you two going to do then. Arrest me?" Malcolm laughs.

"I could have the SCPD in here in three minutes." The Arrow points out.

"And in half that time I will escape from whatever prison they put me in, you know that. Everyone here knows than. She especially!" He nods toward where The Black Canary is moving to join the Arrow and The Man In The Mask.

"We were trained by the League Of Assassins, no prison can hold us! Not even your one on Lian Yu. I'd break out of that and just to piss you off, I'd break her out to. Shado. Let her finish what she started with all of you if you put me in that hellhole. The only way for you to stop me is to break your vows. You can't…" Malcolm is cut off by The Man In The Mask abruptly attacking him, launching at him with his sword.

"Slade!" The Arrow yells.

"That's enough from you, kid!" The Man In The Mask yells before firing at pipes, which let out gas, separating himself and Malcolm from The Arrow and The Black Canary.

"You were always the most violent out of the three. The one with the most anger, the most fire. Your Oliver's teacher. Oh, you would've have been a spectacular member of the League Of Assassins." Malcolm remarks as he ducks the various sword slices The Man In The Mask launches at him, throwing Malcolm backwards towards a wall, who attempts to defend himself only to receive more attacks from The Man In The Mask. However, he soon counters with his own, using everything the League ever gave him to fight back against The Man In The Mask as, he needs it at the rate The Man In The Mask is attacking him with so much rage, with so much pure power and anger.

"You want me dead. I can see it. I can see your anger." Malcolm hisses as he backs away from The Man In The Mask.

"I also know that if I wound you, I still think you'd keep going because. I see it. I know." Malcolm laughs as he duals with The Man In The Mask.

"It wasn't that obvious before because, you always have been rude, obnoxious and angry but it is clear as day to me now!" Malcolm yells as The Man In The Mask knocks him through a panel of glass viciously.

"You still have the Mirakuru inside of you. You're not cured of it. It's still a part of you isn't it?" Malcolm taunts him as The Man In The Mask continues to attack him.

"Oliver and Sara have no clue do they? They have no idea that you're still infected. You can't lie to them forever!" Malcolm continues but The Man In The Mask doesn't stop, using all the strength fuelled by the mirakuru he has to launch Malcolm across the room.

"You think you can protect them? You can't! You never will. No matter what you do, Mirakuru or not. Somehow someday you'll lose Oliver and Sara!" Malcolm taunts him until The Man In The Mask launches a nearby chunk of a wall at Malcolm, trapping him against the ground, advancing with his sword.

His fury uncontrollable...

"SLADE STOP!" The Arrow grabs his arm from behind but The Man In The Mask tugs it free immediately but, the moment he turns back to face Malcolm Merlyn he is already gone…

 _The Foundry_

"Are the kids okay?" Quentin asks the minute the team arrive.

"Oh thank god. Oh thank god." He whispers when he sees the two babies in Laurel's arms.

"Come here, come here all of you." Tommy beckons her forward and, whilst being careful with Brandon and Rebecca in her arms, Laurel races forward to join her husband.

She, Tommy, Sara and Quentin all stood around the two babies together.

Just over the moon that they are safe.

"They're fine." Oliver sighs thankfully as Slade throws his weapons down in the corner of the room before moving to work out.

"What's his problem?" Sin enquires from the computer.

"He completely lost it and almost killed Merlyn."

"And you stopped him?!" Tommy practically growls, keeping his voice low as to not disturb his children.

"Why the hell did you stop him, morons?" Mick enquires as he moves toward Slade.

"It wasn't the time or the place. I, many of us were certain that he didn't kill Nyssa, the children were there and even if we were out of sight. I. It just wasn't the time or the place to kill him." Oliver explains with his hands held up just before Talia storms in and punches Oliver across the face.

"I may have deserved that." Oliver starts.

"She deserves a hell of a lot worse for kidnapping my children." Tommy snarls.

"Oh believe me, she's going to get it." Quentin hisses his hands on his gun.

"Try anything and your dead by literally everyone in this room." He growls, noticing that in the second that Talia had punched Oliver. Sara, Roy, Thea, Sin, Mick, Selina and Slade had all grabbed a weapon of some variety and now have it aimed in her direction.

Slade considers throwing her through a wall for laying a hand on Oliver.

"You deserve worse, all of you deserve so much worse! Except Wilson, he tried to finish this. You wouldn't let him…"

"You kidnapped two defenseless children. I'm not sure who I want dead more." Slade snarls from where he stands beside Mick.

"What's going on. What actually happened out there?" Tommy asks quietly.

"Merlyn didn't kill Nyssa. Which means whoever did is still out there." Oliver explains.

"And you're sure?" Tommy continues.

"Yes." Oliver speaks firmly.

"You're a fool." Talia hisses.

"Who insults the memory of a woman who was loved deeply by your beloved and yourself." Talia snarls at Oliver.

"We will honor Nyssa's memory by finding and punishing the person who did this. The real person." Oliver continues with the same firmness in his voice as before.

"Talia." Sara calls to her as she begins to walk away.

"We will end this. All of us here will end this. We will avenge Nyssa and we shall deal with Malcolm Merlyn in the way we want to, believe that." Sara promises.

"So as long as Malcolm Merlyn is in our city. The League will make no move on him. He is for us to deal with as we please and you and the League are going to allow that." Oliver adds.

"You would incur the wrath of the League Of Assassins…"

"I would do what I have to in order to buy the time necessary to find out what really happened with Nyssa." Oliver finishes.

"The past between us aside. You have made an enemy tonight, one with a long memory!" Talia snarls before leaving The Foundry.

"Are you sure about this, kid?" Slade mutters.

"If I wasn't sure, I never would have let him go and I never would have stopped you, myself and Laurel from killing him." Oliver promises him just as a sudden yelp comes as someone falls down the stairs, having been pushed by Talia in passing, along with a hiss from Talia as she walks across a patch of ice that had suddenly appeared at her feet the moment she'd pushed the person down the stairs.

"You okay down there?" A familiar drawl sounds out.

"Snart?" Both Mick and Sara start simultaneously as he walks down the stairs, a peculiar gun in his hand.

"Len!" Roy smiles as Slade moves to join him and the unfortunate woman who'd been pushed down the stairs by Talia, who immediately reached towards Slade.

"So." Felicity Smoak calls, raising her head from the ground, picking up her glasses and rubbing her now very sore ankle, whilst accepting Slade's assistance.

"What did I miss?"

 _DLian Yu_

 _"I hate Hong Kong and I hate transpacific flights and do not even get me started on the topic of being summoned by two of my operatives!" Amanda Waller snaps, only to be throw up against a wall by Slade Wilson, who uses his Mirakuru strength to strangle her and keep her feet from touching the ground._

 _"FERRIS AIR FLIGHT 637!" Slade snarls at her._

 _"You're making a big mistake." Waller chokes against Slade's grip._

 _"Paris to Hong Kong, nonstop." Oliver continues._

 _"We prevented that flight from being shot over Lian Yu." Oliver continues._

 _"YOU WERE WATCHING US?!" Slade snarls._

 _"Via Keyhole Hexagon Satellite." Waller chokes out._

 _"How else was I supposed to know you two possessed the capabilities I require." She hisses against the grip Slade has on her throat._

 _"That business with the freighter last year, impressive. All of you. If the blonde had survived I'd have recruited her to. What was her name? Sara…"_

 _"DO NOT SAY HER NAME!" Oliver yells._

 _"You do not get to speak her name." Oliver hisses._

 _"Are you two finished yet, could you release me if that is the case?" Waller mutters._

 _"We're just getting started." Slade growls._

 _"Adam Castwidth. The man you had Slade and I murder. He was Edward Fyers handler and he worked for you." Oliver continues._

 _"Which meant Fyers worked for you, which meant you were involved in what happened to Yao Fei, Billy and I and when Billy…"_

 _"Was smart. Billy was such a smart man. It was a real shame what happened to him…"_

 _"HE WAS A TRAITOR!" Slade bellows._

 _"You're both out of your depths." Waller hisses._

 _"I don't think that we are, I think Mr. Castwidth had a USB drive on him detailing everything. I think he knew that you told Fyers to shoot the plane down and I think that you wanted him silenced!"_

 _"And the world thinks you're both dead, Mr. Queen, Mr. Wilson." Waller hisses when Slade eventually releases his grip on her to here what she has to say for herself._

 _"The convenient thing about dead men is that no one tends to believe them."_

 _"Yeah, well, what about dead men who make arrangements to get the information on that USB drive in the hands of every blogger and journalist in this hemisphere?" Oliver enquires sharply as he stands by Slade's side._

 _"If anything happens to Maseo's family, then you're going to spend a long time testifying in front of the senate sub committee!" Oliver threatens, causing Slade to look at him with an extremely proud eye._

 _"The world is much more complicated than you realise. Edward Fyers thought he was to shoot down that plane to destabilise the Chinese economy. In truth I wanted to take out a single target." Waller informs them as she approaches them both._

 _"So, let me get this straight. You were going to blow up a plane full of innocent people to take out one man?" Slade glares at her with disbelief._

 _"No. To take out one woman. Chen Na Wei. Two years ago we had our only chance at her and you two and your girlfriends saved her life and now she's in Hong Kong." Waller reveals to them whilst showing them the picture on her phone of Chen Na Wei._

 _"I need to know why."_

 _Starling City_

Having ensured that Tommy and her babies had gotten home safely and that Oliver and Sara were in the process of safety proofing their apartment in case of League Of Assassins break ins, Laurel had told them all she was going to visit Cat to make sure she was okay after the whole, getting knocked out.

She'd done that. That wasn't entirely a lie, she did go to check on Cat and ensure she was alright and to inform her that the babies were safe.

But now she's in the gym working out, slamming her fists rapidly into the bag in front of her.

Because she has to. Because she cannot handle the fact that Malcolm Merlyn is out there and that her two children got kidnapped. Because she needs to release her anger.

"I thought you were having movie night with Roy and your two friends." Laurel frowns at the sudden appearance of Slade.

"I'm on my way there now, but Talia wanted me to find you and give you this. I didn't want to. Personally I want to kill her for what she did but it's harmless. It's just a promise." He holds out a piece of paper towards Laurel, who takes it from him.

Opening the piece of paper, she sees the message Talia has written to her.

'Dear Laurel, I would have come to see you in person but after my actions I believe I am the last person you would want to see and I do apologise to you for what I did. I never intended to harm your children or upset you in that manner. I just wanted to see Malcolm Merlyn dead for all that he has done, but I can understand your anger towards me and I just wanted to ensure you that I intend to make good on my promise to Nyssa and to you.'

Screwing the note up Laurel throws it towards her bag before sighing.

"You know, it kills me that he's still out there. Merlyn, someone. It kills me." Laurel admits.

"It bothers me to. Merlyn should've died on that rooftop during The Undertaking. I still can't believe he didn't after all that Oliver, Sara and I did."

"Nobody can." Laurel bows her head slightly as Slade raises an eyebrow at her.

"I see you have been training despite what Oliver discussed with you." He remarks.

"Oliver isn't the boss of me and if you're going to stand there and tell me I'm not strong enough, please don't and don't you dare try to stop me either." She adds causing Slade to laugh at her.

"I would have if it hadn't have been for your actions when you fought with us tonight. After I saw what you were willing to do for your children's safety. You reminded me that the strongest metal is forged in the hottest fire." Slade informs her.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Laurel folds her arms.

"I'm not going to here the end of this if you say a word to Oliver and Sara so don't. You even hint it to them and we're done, do you hear me?" He warns her.

"Wait. Slade are you offering to..." Laurel gasps as he approaches her.

"Do not make me regret this." He warns her.

"Ohh my god you are actually offering to teach me?"

"A few things and on my terms." He tells her.

"If I could teach Oliver how to become the Arrow, I'm sure I can teach you and I have a feeling you won't whine as much as he did." Slade mutters.

"No whining." Laurel nods.

"Good." He replies curtly before turning to the bag in front of him.

"You need to get more power in your hits. Like this." He instructs her before hitting the bag a lot more powerful than she had.

"Turn your hips. It's where the power comes from." He advises her before leaving her to her own devices.

 _Verdant_

"I never imagined you and scrubbing, not unless it involved a spar treatment." Oliver remarks from behind Thea.

"Neither did I." She smiles.

"Where's Roy?" He enquires.

"Movie night with Slade, Mick and Leonard back home. I wanted to finish up here." Thea informs him before frowning.

"I thought you were helping Sara and Tommy make more security systems for his home?"

"I was. I am, I came here to pick up a few more things and I saw you here. Do you want a hand?" He enquires.

"No it's okay. Sin's helping aren't you." She calls toward the balcony where Sin is painting.

"Hey!" Sin calls.

"Just wanted to make sure you had someone with you." Oliver pats his sisters shoulder.

"Oliver, if you're worried about Malcolm Merlyn, I can handle him." Thea sighs.

"I'm sure you can, that doesn't stop me from worrying though." Oliver smiles at her.

"Thank you, for checking up on me." Thea embraces her brother tightly.

"But there really was no need. I'm fine." Thea assures him.

"Believe her. She can handle herself just fine. I'm sure. I believe in her." The voice of Selina calls as she approaches them, in her Catwoman suit but with the mask removed.

"You look like you're going to hit the streets." Oliver remarks.

"Yeah, everything okay?" Thea enquires.

"I'm good. I'll see you guys around." She smiles at them both.

"Wait, you sound like you're saying goodbye." Thea starts.

"Gotham City calls. Can't avoid it forever." Selina shrugs.

"You're going to come back through, right. You've been so helpful to us." Oliver asks.

"Of course I'll come back. I promise. This isn't the last you're going to see of me." Selina says with a smile before fixing Oliver with a stern look.

"Now, you make sure you say goodbye to Sara for me. I'll miss her a lot." Selina instructs.

"I will." Oliver nods.

"And I promise you, I will search Gotham to see if any one knows anything of Nyssa's death. Anything I find I'll report back to you guys instantly." She promises them.

"Thank you." Oliver says as he embraces his friend.

"I'll miss you." Thea says as she to hugs Selina.

"Me to." Selina beams before walking away from Oliver and Thea and off into the night.

 _Nanda Parbat_

Walking into a room and kneeling before the throne in front of her, Talia lifts her head.

"The rumours were true. Malcolm Merlyn is in Starling City." Talia speaks clearly to the person behind the walls.

"There is a sadness in your voice." The voice notes.

"Nyssa, she has fallen." Talia admits after a moment.

"My daughter is dead?" The voice returns, yet with not as much emotion as Talia would have thought he would have after learning of his youngest daughter's death.

"Yes. Struck through the heart with three arrows." Talia continues.

"At Merlyn's hand?" The voice snarls as he slides his sword into his sheath.

"It appears that way." Talia answers.

"I have vowed a blood oath to avenge her."

"Al-Sa-Her will face the leagues justice for his crimes against out code." He responds.

"But Nyssa, my sister…" Talia starts.

"Was becoming lost to us. She was neglecting her responsibilities to the League, she was disgracing her title as Heir To The Demon. In other words, she was going soft. She let that outsider Ta-Er-Al-Safer lead her astray, her allegiance to us was becoming questionable. I am sad that my daughter is no more but she was becoming a liability. What of Queen, Wilson & Lance?" He asks as he begins to move towards us.

"They have sworn to protect Merlyn at any cost. They want to deal with him themselves. I'm not sure how long that will last before one of them kills him though. There is a lot of anger." Talia informs him as Ra's Al Ghul reveals himself to her.

If that is true then Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson courts war with us."

 _Queen Mansion_

Having fallen asleep beside Leonard, Roy and Mick. Slade awakens with a start. The TV is still on but everything is cold. Freezing.

He wonders for a moment if Leonard's brought his new cold gun inside with him.

That's when he sees the blood on his hands… Thick red blood.

"Roy… Len… Mick…" Slade murmurs glancing to them both only to see them beside him, their throats torn out.

"No! No!" He yells just as fingers wrap around his arm. Roy…

"Why?" Roy looks up at him, choking on his own blood before dying in Slade's arms.

"Roy, Roy, no. Roy. ROY!" Slade yells as he holds Roy's body to him, tears welling up in his eyes as the agonising pain hits him.

The loss of Roy reminding him of losing Joe…

"This is what you're going to do Slade." The familiar voice of Billy Wintergreen fills his ears from in front of him.

"The Mirakuru it's going to consume you, you need to accept. You need to cut yourself off from emotion because this is what will happen. You'll lose everything you love. Oliver, Sara, Roy, all you're friends and what's her name? Felicity? They'll all die by your hands and you know it." Billy taunts him.

"Get out of my head. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Slade bellows, launching an attack at Billy which is when he awakes with a start.

Roy, Leonard and Mick are still beside him but there's no blood, no blood at all. They're all just asleep, all three of them, the TV is still on and Slade's phone is buzzing.

Careful not to wake Roy or Leonard, Slade gets to his feet and moves toward the door to look at the message he has received.

It's Felicity.

'You said before I left for Central City that you wanted to talk? Do you still want to do that, or not cause you can. Right now. I'm still awake. I can't sleep. I should never drink coffee at night. I am so stupid. Oh my god I need to stop typing' – Felicity xxxx'

Sighing, Slade looks at his phone before thinking to his hallucination. The Mirakuru. He could kill them all. Anyone and everyone who is close to him…

Everyone he loves…

He can't do this.

But the last time, having someone, having Oliver around it stopped him from losing himself to the Mirakuru but this time, it's shutting him off from Oliver…

But maybe not Felicity…

"What the hell." Slade growls before grabbing his leather jacket and leaving his room…

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Lying on her bed typing on her laptop, Felicity jumps when she hears the sound of knocking on her door.

It's very late, so she wasn't expecting anyone.

She sent a message to Slade but she didn't think he'd actually want to talk now or come this quickly.

Moving towards the door though, limping slightly on her sore ankle from earlier, when looking through the looking hole, she is surprised to see it is actually Slade on her doorstep and opens the door immediately.

"Slade. Hey, I didn't actually think it was humanly possible for you to get here this fast. I didn't actually think you were coming. Actually I didn't know what I was thinking…" Felicity babbles as Slade rolls his eye at her.

"Wait, are you okay. You look, you don't look good, I mean, you look good. You always look good good, you are so handsome but… Stop talking Felicity." She groans and offers Slade her hand, which he takes and she leads him towards her couch.

"Tell me what's wrong and what is it do you want to talk about?" She asks softly, resting her hand against his back.

"I've come to the realisation that I was wrong to push you away from me." He murmurs.

"Wow. Okay, I wasn't expecting that." Felicity admits after a moment.

"You'll never know how much you mean to me, Felicity. How I much I care for you and everything it is that you do for me." He laces his fingers with her.

"Slade what are you doing?" Felicity whispers.

"Felicity, I am prepared to let you in. I want to let you in and I was wrong when I told you that nothing could ever happen between us I just wanted to keep you safe to protect you from my past and from me." He admits to her.

"Slade, when I'm with you I am safe. You always keep me safe, why would you want to protect me from you? What?" Felicity starts as Slade pulls away from her and gets to his feet, pacing the space in front of her.

"I lied. I lied to you, I lied to Oliver. I lied to everyone." He murmurs.

"What do you mean?" Felicity gets to her feet, stopping in front of Slade.

"Hey." Felicity whispers, resting both of her hands against his chest.

"You said you wanted to let me so let me in. Tell me. No matter what it is, you can tell me." She whispers in a soothing voice.

"I still have the Mirakuru." He whispers.

"Wait, what?!" Felicity shouts immediately and regretting so instantly.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." She replies before taking a deep breath and looking up at Slade.

"What were you thinking. How have you still got the Mirakuru. Why did you lie?" She asks.

"I don't know. I just.. I didn't take the cure because I just knew if I kept the Mirakuru, I could be stronger. I could keep you safe. You, Oliver, Sara, Roy… All of you. I've lost many friends Felicity, my son… I can't lose any one else that I love and the Mirakuru makes me stronger, makes me more able to keep you all safe." He admits to her.

"But at what cost? Your sanity? God, that's why you've been so erratic the last few months isn't it? Why you've been pushing people away, me, Oliver…"

"I thought I could control it. I could last time. Well, somewhat. I had Oliver but this time. It's like it's trying to convince me to push him away and I can't stop it no matter how much I want to and then theirs the hallucinations." He mutters gruffly.

"The hallucinations?!" Felicity starts, trying to remain calm.

"I keep seeing my old enemy Billy Wintergreen, before I came here I saw Roy, Leonard and Mick, they were dead because of me. I'd caused their deaths. I know keeping the Mirakuru probably wasn't one of my smartest moves Felicity but, I know I have to keep it. I just have to find a way of ignoring the side effects. Last time, as I've told you. I had Oliver to ground me but this time…"

"It's making you push him away." Felicity whispers.

"Felicity. The most peaceful I have been is when I've been with you. I saw Billy once, he came to me in an hallucination and when I thought of you. He vanished. That encouraged me to talk to you because I thought it would…"

"Slade. Whatever you need, I am here for you. I will always be here for you. You know how I feel about you and you know I wouldn't push you away. I'm just so happy that you feel like you could trust me with this. That you finally believe you can let me in." She whispers.

"I had to. I just knew… I need you." He admits to her.

"It means so much to me to hear you say that." She admits.

"Roy was right." Slade finds himself admitting.

"Does Roy know?" Felicity asks quietly.

"Yes. He confronted me about it weeks ago. He told me to let you in. He managed to convince me to…"

"Pull your head out of your ass?" Felicity jokes.

"Yes." Slade sighs.

"Good." Felicity smiles before adding.

"So that's it. It's just Roy and me who know the truth. Not Oliver and Sara?"

"I can't tell them. It wouldn't be wise. Oliver's still freaked out from watching Shado kill me in front of him. He even admitted it. He hovers so much now and if I told him the truth. God knows what would happen or how he'd react. I don't want him to know. He doesn't need to know. Or Sara. They'd both overreact." Slade murmurs.

"Okay. I honestly think you should tell them but right now, I'm just glad you let me and Roy in. That's all I ever wanted, for you to let me in and be honest with me. That night in the hospital I knew there was something wrong, that you were going to say or do anything to keep us apart but now… I know you're being honest with me and perhaps…"

"Felicity Smoak." Slade starts looking down at her.

"I told you not to ask me to say that I don't love you." He reminds her.

"I remember." Felicity nods.

"The reason why I said that is because…" Felicity cuts him in seconds by kissing him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kisses her back, picking her up so she can wrap her legs around his waist, she pulls away then and rests her for head against his.

"I feel the same way." She whispers, causing Slade to smile against her lips.

"I was so wrong to tell you that nothing could happen between you and I." He laughs.

"So you mean that you're actually prepared to…"

"You and me, Felicity." He murmurs against her lips.

"Me and you, Slade." Felicity smiles back before he kisses her again, backing her into a wall, Felicity pushing his jacket off before kissing him again, the two of them moving towards her bedroom, Slade stopping to take off her glasses at the same time Felicity moves to remove his eyepatch, waiting for a moment until Slade nods at her before carefully taking it off, discarding it to someplace in her bedroom.

Slade drops her onto her bed, continuing to kiss her, his lips moving from her's to her throat and to her collarbone as she unbuttons his shirt, pushing that off and to someplace in her bedroom before their lips meet again for several moments before Slade pulls away.

"Hey, don't stop." Felicity whispers.

"I don't want to hurt you." He murmurs.

"You won't. I trust you. You should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you." Felicity chuckles before kissing him again, more deeply this time.

"Is that so?" He chuckles back against her lips.

"Yes." Felicity grins before kissing him again and turning them over so she's on top of Slade, continuing to kiss him, her fingers trailing over all his scars as he removes her top.

Smiling at Slade, Felicity kisses him as he runs his fingers through her hair, Felicity throwing her bra to the side before kissing Slade again, placing her palms against his chest to push him backwards into her bed…

 **Authors Note: Here is an extra chapter because honestly it means the world to me that so many of you have followed and favourited this story and I love everyone of you who have read, followed, favourited and sent me so many kind reviews. It means so much to me and honestly i read a scary article on Tumblr today about their being possible restrictions on fandom related stuff like FanFiction for UK & Europe users and I'm as English as they come so it really frightened me but I'm not sure it's actually a real thing that is actually going to happen. I just want to be able to publish my fan fictions because honestly the response I get makes my day. I use FanFiction to cope with some of my real life issues. I don't know who id be without out it. I just hope I never have to give it up because I love this story and every kind review I get just gives me another reason to keep writing to stop myself from finding relief in dangerous coping mechanisms so thanks so much for reading, my next chapter will be soon. I am grateful beyond words to each and everyone of you who read, follow, favourite and review. Please leave a review if you can :)**


	154. The Secret Origins Of Felicity Smoak (1)

**_I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners._**

 ** _Chapter One Hundred & Fifty Four _**

_The Foundry_

In complete sync with one another, Oliver and Sara face off against Roy and Thea with their Eskrima Sticks.

Oliver is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is now training with his baby sister.

It worries him that she looks like she's enjoying it.

He's more than happy to be spending more time with her yes but he's afraid that this might just be a little bit too much.

Because Thea is fantastic. The skills that she has learnt have probably turned her into a better fighter than the likes of Tommy or Sin.

She's practically equal with Roy.

It terrifies Oliver that she might ask to join them in the field.

He won't let his sister do what they do. He won't let her become a vigilante.

Yet he's also afraid that if he tries to stop her she might resent him.

Launching an attack at Roy, he is surprised when he hits him.

"You're not moving very quickly this morning, is everything alright?" Oliver questions.

"I didn't get much sleep last night." Roy murmurs. Thea cackles.

Oliver and Sara immediately making faces.

"Roy, I don't want to know." Oliver practically shudders.

"It's his own fault for…"

"Thea!"

"Keep putting on different movies all night. I fell asleep during the first one. He, Mick, Len and Slade were awake practically all night." Thea points out.

"Oh god he's not back is he?" Oliver sighs in frustration.

"Ollie." Sara glares at him.

"They're great! Let's not forget that Mick saved my ass from Shado last year." Thea reminds him as Oliver sighs.

"That doesn't mean I like them, or trust them." Oliver retorts.

"Well, we do and Felicity and Slade does. Trust Slade." Roy suggests.

"I do trust him. I always will. But it doesn't change how I think or feel about… Hey!" Oliver protests when Thea smacks his hand and with her stick.

Roy and Sara immediately start to laugh.

"I haven't seen anyone do that to Ollie since Slade." Sara sniggers.

"What the hell Thea?!" Oliver protests.

"My opponent was distracted. I used that to my advantage!" She informs them as she begins to strike again with her stick.

"I'm still in awe that you can do all this now Thea." Sara compliments her, ducking a well placed attack from Thea.

"It was a long and hard journey but. I think it was worth it." She smiles, deflecting an attack that Sara aims at her.

"Because, we can now do this kinda thing all together now. We can spend more time with each other." Thea speaks the words that Oliver had been thinking.

"Yep. Just regular old mornings beating the crap out of each other in The Foundry." Roy remarks sarcastically, dodging an attack from Oliver.

"Hey, that's not fair. We're only at risk of getting beat up if Slade's training with us." He jokes which causes Sara and Thea to laugh.

"Slade's never beat me up." Roy points out.

"Yet." Oliver and Sara say simultaneously.

"I haven't trained with Slade yet. Perhaps…"

"NO!" Both Oliver and Sara yell simultaneously.

"What?" Thea laughs.

"Do you have a death wish Speedy?" Oliver raises an eyebrow at her.

"This would be considered gentle compared to Slade's training sessions." Sara points out.

"I've nearly died in his training sessions. Multiple times." Oliver points out.

"Yeah well, he was training you how to fight. I already know what I'm doing."

"I nearly died in one of his training sessions last week." Oliver protests.

Thea just shrugs.

"What can I say?" She smirks before launching at Oliver and Sara with her sticks.

"I like a challenge."

 _Elsewhere In Starling City_

In the early hours of the morning Laurel knows that she should be in bed right now, with Tommy. Or up with her babies.

Not in a boxing ring at a small gym tucked away in the streets of Starling City battling with the trainer Ted Grant.

Any practices she can get she wants to have.

Slade Wilson has agreed to train her. Laurel wants to be ready for what he has in store for her.

As after everything she's learnt about the island from Oliver and Sara.

He did not go easy on them one bit.

Good. Laurel thinks.

She wouldn't want Slade to go easy on her. She wants to be like them. Like Oliver and Sara.

So she can go out there herself and pick battles with criminals that she knows she can win.

To find some form of peace after Nyssa's horrific death.

Which is why she's here now. Fighting with Ted Grant.

Throwing punches at the man who does not let up in his own punches.

He fights expertly and Laurel fights to keep up with him.

"You're not boxing, Laurel. You're not even fighting." Ted remarks in between punches from Laurel, which she thought were good ones.

"You're just lashing out." He continues to criticise.

Laurel ignores him, whilst talking his words on board.

She's going to have to get used to this sort of verbal abuse if she plans on training with Slade.

So, Laurel just decides to throw another punch.

One, that she believes has impressed Ted as he nods.

"Come on!"

 _The Foundry_

Deep within The Foundry, Oliver, Sara, Thea and Roy are still mercilessly attacking one another with their Escrima Sticks.

Oliver has to duck to avoid a strike from Thea, who launches expert attacks at both him and Sara. They can deflect her easily but she is good.

She is very good.

"Wow this is reminding me of my days in the League Of Assassins." Sara remarks as she takes on Thea alone whilst Roy gets Oliver.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Thea calls.

"Neither do I, but I'm impressed Thea." Sara replies truthfully, blocking an attack from the woman, launching her own only to have to deflected by Thea.

"Is this going to be our date nights now?" Roy jokes.

"Why'd you ask that?" Thea frowns as she blocks an attack from Oliver.

"This is Sara and Oliver's idea of dates." He points out.

"No it's not. Sara and I go on dates."

"Yeah. Training dates. When was the last time you went out for dinner together."

"Last week!"

"Ollie the Queen Consolidated conference dinner doesn't count." Sara points out.

"Like I said." Roy smirks, dodging to avoid an attack from Oliver.

"Oh, I promise that won't be us." Thea smiles at her boyfriend.

"At least we're not as bad as Slade." Sara retorts.

"True." Oliver agrees.

"We so need to set him up on a date." Thea states.

"I like living too much." Oliver retorts.

"Fine. Then Roy and I will set you two up on a date…"

"Thea!" Oliver practically whines.

"Wow, Slade was right. You do whine a lot during training." Thea sniggers, causing her to have to duck and avoid an attack from Oliver.

"Imagine what it was like on the island." Sara laughs.

"I'd rather not." Thea smirks.

"Why are you attacking me?" Oliver whines again.

"And he whines again!" Thea chuckles.

The four engaging in combat again until they're all practically on the floor exhausted.

"That was productive." Oliver remarks.

"We so kicked your asses." Thea grins.

"You are far from kicking our asses." Sara retorts as Thea leans into Roy.

"I'd say we've had a good morning though." Roy notes.

"We have." Oliver replies, collecting the sticks up as Thea just laughs.

"How do normal people spend their mornings?"

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Awakening with a start, Felicity feels sore and achey but in a pleasant type of way.

Turning her head, a wide smile crosses her face when she sees the sleeping form of Slade Wilson beside her, his arm draped across her waist, his head resting in the crook of her neck.

Slade Wilson is in her bed.

Slade Wilson is in her bed and neither of them are wearing any clothes whatsoever.

It's like one of her many various fantasies come true.

Yet this time, It hadn't been a dream, she thinks to herself gleefully.

Remembering the events of last night vividly.

The way he'd held her, how gentle he'd tried to be with her in fear of hurting her because of the Mirakuru that he still has yet she and Roy are the only ones that know that.

She should probably be worried about that. She is. That Mirakuru is a nightmare.

It's haunted Slade for so long and now he has it back.

Yet his reasons for keeping it are because he thinks he can protect those he cares for.

He could already do that without it. Felicity thinks she should tell him.

But only when he mentions it again or she finds the appropriate moment to bring up the fact that he has Mirakuru running though his veins.

Now is not the time to be thinking about that. Felicity decides.

Right now, she's just going to happily enjoy her memories of last night.

The way he'd trailed his lips across her skin.

Practically every inch of her skin as well.

Wow that man can do foreplay… Felicity's eyes widen to an alarming size.

Smiling down at Slade's sleeping form as she remembers how he'd practically cherished her in bed as he ravished her over and over again…

It was even better than in her dreams.

She's still in awe that that actually happened.

That she had mind blowing passionate relations with Slade Wilson.

'Yes!' She mouths feeling over the moon, triumphant and victorious all at the same time, her fingers gently resting in Slade's raven hair.

She does have to get up and start her day though. She reminds herself.

Immediately hating herself for reminding herself of that as now she has to move.

Carefully, being so careful not to wake him up, Felicity slides out of bed.

Wincing immediately when she's stood up.

Realising pretty quickly that she's finding it hard to walk.

What the hell did he do to her last night? Felicity blushes as she slowly limps into her living room.

She might not be a vigilante like Slade but even she enjoys a morning work out.

 _Later…_

Sitting upright with a sudden start, Slade looks around for any available weaponry as he has no idea where he is.

He's in a bed, yes but where…

He remembers in seconds. This is Felicity's apartment.

He came to her last night.

Told her the truth about the Mirakuru.

Why they couldn't be together but why now he believes that perhaps…

A smirk crosses his face when he remembers their night together in vivid detail.

Despite the fact he'd been genuinely afraid of hurting her, it had been the most enjoyable nights Slade can remember.

First time he's managed to sleep properly as well. He thinks, remembering how he'd fallen asleep besides Felicity, his head in the crook of her neck, buried in her blonde curls.

Yet, right now, she is no longer beside him. Or in the bedroom.

With a raise of his eyebrow, Slade decides to go and look for her.

Heading out into the hallway, he can hear the sound of the TV.

In all honestly Felicity, lying on the ground, glaring up at her TV with a pained expression on her face was not what Slade has expected to find.

"What are you doing?" Slade Wilson leans against a door frame as he watches Felicity Smoak do attempted sit ups in front of her TV.

"Yes" she throws her hands up in air.

She'd done four out of the eight. That is still an accomplishment to her.

Turning her head, she beams widely when she sees Slade watching her.

"I was working out, my own way." She smiles, gasping as she does, an idea coming to her and she quickly rushes to Slade's side.

Well, more like limps as the lower half of her body still aches like hell.

"You know, you could always show me a proper workout. You know, teach me a few…"

"After The Siege. No." He says kissing her forehead, whilst Felicity wraps her arms around his waist.

"Last night was fun." She speaks quietly, a flirty smile at her lips.

"I thought so to." Slade responds, caressing her face.

"You kept me waiting long enough." She jokes.

"Don't remind me." He murmurs.

"It was worth the wait. We've found each other now and that's all that matters." She smiles up at him which is when he captures her lips in a deep kiss.

"I need to shower." Felicity points out when they break their kiss.

"Really?" Slade raises an eyebrow at her as he kisses her again, his lips moving to the side of her jaw. Felicity's eyes widening with pleasure as he begins to trail soft kisses down the side of her throat, his arm around her keeping her pinned against him.

"Shower can wait." Felicity laughs, giggling when Slade picks her up and carries her to the couch, pinning her to it as they kiss one another hungrily.

Felicity more than happy to let Slade take her on her couch in any way he likes.

How the heck did she get so lucky?

How the heck did she manage to have this brilliant and gorgeous man with a body like an actual god in love with her?

Yet just as Slade is about to take off her clothes a loud knock upon Felicity's front door disturbs them.

Both Felicity and Slade growl simultaneously at the door and in disappointment at the interruption that has now broken the mood.

"I'll go. That's probably my neighbour and I don't want you to kill them." Felicity groans as Slade rests his forehead against hers in frustration.

"I know. I know." Felicity sighs, kissing him quick before resting her hand upon his chest.

"How about you go back to the bedroom. This will be continued. I swear in like…" Felicity groans when the knocking resumes.

"Be as quick as you can." Slade murmurs, climbing off her and pulling her to her feet, kissing her hand before heading back in the direction of the bedroom.

Felicity watches him go for a moment with wide eyes filled with happiness.

Happiness which is interrupted when her damn neighbour knocks upon the door. Again.

" Mrs Fernandes! I already told you I haven't seen your caaaaaaaaattt." Felicity's jaw drops open as she unlocks the front door and her boss Ray Palmer bounces into her apartment.

"I haven't seen him either. Or is the cat a girl was I being a misogynist just now or is it misogynistic I never know…" He trials off upon walking into her apartment.

Bewildered, Felicity has no idea what is happening right now.

"Ray what are you…" She starts.

"Nice place you've got here; lots of space." He informs her upon looking around her apartment briefly before turning to face her again to answer her question.

"So it occurred to me this morning, what is the one thing we have at Palmer Tech that we don't use to its maximum potential?" He enquires.

"A doorbell. A phone…" Felicity mutters under her breath.

Unable to believe that her boss just interrupted her sexy times with Slade.

That her boss has somehow figured out where she lives and is now stood in her home.

"Have you heard a process called cogeneration?" He questions as Felicity just looks horrified and startled still.

"I haven't even looked at a cup of coffee yet."

"Which is why I took the liberty to get you one." Her assistant Kane calls upon entering her apartment, a cup of coffee in hand.

"Kane did mention that it was early and you might have just woken up. I'm so glad I got you an assistant that is really with it." Ray babbles as Felicity approaches Kane with a warm smile, accepting the cup of coffee from him.

"You are an angel." She beams at him as he leans against her doorframe.

Ray frowns at her.

"Are you limping a bit? Are you okay?" Ray frowns when he takes in Felicity's almost unsteady walk.

"Are you hurt?" Kane gives her a worried look.

"Oh, not really. I'm just a bit sore from ummm, I um. I tripped and I fell on something uh, big. Very big." Felicity finds herself babbling.

"Just as long as you're good right, you are good, yeah?" Ray gives her another smile.

"I am." Felicity nods quickly, causing both her boss and assistant to smile again.

"Okay, like I said. We're both here to discuss cogeneration. Cogeneration is the..."

"Repurposing of waste heat given off by electricity production." Felicity finishes Ray's sentence for him as she takes a deep sniff of the coffee.

"Exactly! It's a principle of thermodynamic efficiency which occurred to me could be applied to a building which generates over 240 000 watts of electricity like Palmer Tech." Ray continues.

"Mmhm." Felicity nods whilst drinking the coffee in her hand.

"I did some preliminary calculations on the drive over and I sent a picture of them to Kane which is why he's here because he offered to come to work early to help with this." Ray grins widely over at Kane.

"I was awake. Figured I'd make myself useful." Kane replies politely from the door.

"You are. You are so, so useful." Felicity beams at him.

"He really is. You know he was an absolute legend when you were gone to Central City he was like almost as good as you but not as brilliant as you." Ray informs her quickly.

"Oh, I know. He told me about everything he'd done. He is a lifesaver. Thank you for finding me such an amazing assistant and friend." Felicity smiles over at him.

"Felicity, why can I hear Raymond Palmer in your living room?" The deep voice of Slade calls from within her bedroom.

Felicity closes her eyes and groans when both Ray and Kane look at her in an instant.

"Don't look at me. You guys did just come here, without phoning first." Felicity points out.

"Oh crap. I think I left my uh, stove on. I was making breakfast when Ray called. I think I should go and see, just incase." Kane starts quickly.

"Ohh my god, really? Yes, go, go. Neither of us want your apartment burning down. Even though I would buy you a new one if it did. I swear. Go, I'll keep you updated. See you back at Palmer Tech?" Ray glances up at Kane, who is already opening the door.

"Yes, of course. I'll see the two of you later." Kane smiles briefly at them both.

"I hope your apartment hasn't caught fire." Felicity says in farewell as he disappears from her flat with a smile.

"Wow. It was a good thing he remembered that. That's like one of my worst nightmares. Leaving something like that on and forgetting… Oh hey Mr. Wilson… yikes that must have hurt. Oh dear god!" Ray exclaims when Slade appears in the corridor, his empty eye socket visible for all to see.

With his one eye, Slade glares venomously at Ray.

If it wasn't for Felicity's presence that calms him down he probably would have killed Ray there and then.

Instead though he grits his teeth and clenches his fists.

"Felicity, where is my…"

"Bedroom floor." Felicity smiles up at him as he nods, heading back into her bedroom.

Turning to face Ray again, she tilts her head to the side when she sees the shocked expression upon his face.

"That is horrifying." Ray whispers.

"I'm not deaf Raymond!" Both Felicity and Ray hear Slade's growl.

"Okay. So, let me get this straight you want to cell PT's excess energy back to the city?" Felicity quickly changes the subject.

Hopefully before Slade tries to murder Ray.

"If by sell you mean give away for free then yes Energy is something that should be given freely to the masses…" Ray trails off when there is another knock upon Felicity's front door.

"Slade could you get that?" Felicity calls out for him.

"Eyepatch! What do you with it?" Is his response.

"Bedroom floor, honey." Felicity sighs. Freezing when she realises that she had just called Slade 'honey'.

He's never going to let her live that one down.

Ray frowns at Felicity for a mere moment, yet is startled by the sound of their being another knock to her door.

"Uh, you still haven't found Mrs. Fernandes' cat I'm guessing?" Ray questions, remembering Felicity yelling something about a cat when he had arrived.

"I haven't seen her cat, Ray." Felicity sighs.

Getting to her feet and opening the door, Felicity nearly has an actual heart attack at who she sees behind said door.

Her mother…

Both women immediately begin shrieking and screaming at each other at the same time.

"FELICITY! Felicity are you…" Slade bellows, bursting into the living room the second he'd heard Felicity's scream.

He is surprised to see Felicity standing in front of a older blonde woman, who is in her doorway.

"For the record, I have no idea what's going on either. I think she's looking for her cat." Ray whispers to Slade.

"Oh, my beautiful girl!" The older blonde cries as she wraps Felicity into a tight embrace.

"Very friendly with the neighbours I see." Ray attempts to joke.

"Mom…" Felicity starts.

"Mom?" Both Ray and Slade frown simultaneously.

"What are you doing here?" Felicity asks the second she is released.

Oh dear god her mother is here along with her boss and her new boyfriend.

"Honey, I came to see you. For a visit. Look, look, look. Didn't you get my text?" Felicity's mother raises her phone to show Felicity.

Felicity is instantly struck with horror at what she sees.

"Mom to send a text you actually have to press send on the text!" Felicity groans exasperatedly as she sees that her mother has not pressed the send button.

"Oh, okay. Not a big deal. I'll do it right now." Donna beams before pressing send, the sound of Felicity's phone ringing sounding out almost immediately.

Felicity doesn't even know what to say.

Her coffee cup is now empty. She decides to go and dispose of it to keep herself busy during this incredibly awkward situation.

"Are you adopted?" Ray asks in passing as Felicity passes him and Slade, grabbing Slade's arm tightly as she passes, wanting either the ground the swallow her up or to hide behind Slade. The latter she prefers and does.

Seeing the two men her daughter is stood by, Donna Smoak gives her daughter a proud look.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had somebody staying over… Two people staying over." Donna mouths, before grinning at her daughter.

"Good on you for getting two…"

"Ohh my god. Why would you even think of that? He's not staying over. He's not. We're not, like, we're not. This is my boss!" Felicity points to Ray.

"What about…" Donna glances towards Slade.

"Yes, yes he is staying over. He is my… Well he used to technically be my boss, well he and Oliver were my bosses and now he's here because he's my… He's my Slade." Felicity babbles, groaning and once again attempting to hide behind Slade.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Smoak." Ray breaks the awkward silence by moving forth to shake her hand.

"Hi. You can call me Donna." She gives him a wide smile.

"Mom." Felicity whines pitifully.

"I'm Ray." Ray introduces himself.

"Oh my god. Palmer? You're that watch guy!" Donna exclaims. Realising where she'd seen the man from.

"Well, we like to call them smart wearables." Ray corrects her.

Felicity wants to die. Right here, right now.

"I brought one of your watches, look see!" Donna flashes her wrist at him.

"Felicity here thinks I don't pay attention to all her techy things." She shakes her head at Felicity who is practically on the verge of tears of embarrassment.

"Yeah I see you've got a 3GS. I'm actually wearing a prototype for the new Six. Yeah, it basically replaces your computer." Ray chuckles as he shows her his own watch.

"Very fancy." Donna remarks.

"You know what, it's yours." Ray beams, taking off his own watch and passing it to Donna.

"Oh no seriously…" Donna trails off.

"It's all good. I've got plenty. It's no problem at all, Donna." Ray beams at her before glancing back at Felicity.

"I'll let you three catch up." He says before heading to the door.

"Let me know what think about those cogeneration numbers, either Kane or I will inform you if there's any plan changes and Donna I hope to see you again soon." Ray says in farewell before letting himself out.

"Well don't count on it she'll probably be really busy planning my funeral after I die of embarrassment!" Felicity groans as she heads to lock her front door.

Only realising then that she has just left Slade to the mercy of her mother.

"You look really familiar, what did Felicity say your name was?" Donna remarks upon turning to Slade.

'I'm so sorry.' Felicity mouths at him.

"Slade. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Smoak." He shakes her hand politely.

"Wait. Slade as in Slade Wilson, the Slade Wilson? The guy who got stranded on a deserted island with Sara Lance and Oliver Queen for five years and is now joint CEO of Queen Consolidated?" Donna's eyes widen.

"Mom!" Felicity all but yells.

"And you're with my daughter?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"No need to sound so surprised mom." Felicity murmurs before leaning against the wall.

What had started out as the best morning ever has now become an actual nightmare.

 **Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading. I am so sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I went on holiday, then remembered I'd accidentally neglected another fanfic. Then I came to write this chapter and honestly it took me forever and it's probably incredibly bad as I've been so depressed lately and haven't had much energy to do much of anything. Then I've just felt really sick all week and managed to binge watch the entirety of Spartacus which finally gave me the energy to write this chapter. Thank you all so much for reading though, your kind words, follows and favourites mean the world to me. Please review if you can :)**


	155. The Secret Origins Of Felicity Smoak (2)

**I don't own anything. All rights go to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter One Hundred & Fifty Five**

 _MIT_

 _"You are standing in an open field west of the White House with a boarded front door." Felicity Smoak speaks aloud as she types hurriedly._

 _Shaking her head ever so slightly when strands of her thick black hair fall across her eyes._

 _"What are you doing?" Her boyfriend, Cooper enquires with an amused look upon his face._

 _"I just finished coding a Linux Emulator for ZORK." Felicity grins, her eyes clued to the screen of her laptop._

 _"Ooh…" Cooper remarks as he moves from his bed to his girlfriend's side to view her work._

 _"It is pitch black." He states, wrapping an arm around her shoulders._

 _"You are likely to be eaten by Grue." He caresses her face._

 _"I guess you'll have to protect me." Felicity murmurs, inches away from his lips._

 _Smirking back, he lunges forward to make out with her, to the annoyance of their friend sitting only a few feet away._

 _"Why can't you just quietly have sex under a comforter like most college students?" He protests._

 _They ignore him and continue to make out until a computer begins to bleep._

 _"You found an exploitable note?" Felicity breaks away from Cooper with wide eyes._

 _"Now I just need your super computer virus to crack the firewall…" Cooper moves to his own computer, Felicity following him._

 _"I really wish you wouldn't call my X-Axis Bi-Numeric Algorithm a 'super-virus'." Felicity mutters as she types._

 _"Spoofing the IP, switching to MD6, and…" She holds her breath for a moment as she types._

 _Raising her hands when remarkably victory is hers._

 _"Somebody take a screenshot. We have to post this to Hackerforum to brag that we actually got in!" Felicity cheers excitedly._

 _"Hold on." Cooper murmurs, eyes fixated to the screen._

 _"Thirty eight seconds until the firewall goes back up." Their friends warns them._

 _"Cooper, what are you doing?" Felicity frowns when he continues to type._

 _"I think the world would be a much better place if there weren't any student loads, don't you?" He doesn't even glance up at her whilst he types._

 _His words worrying Felicity._

 _"You can't wipe out all the loans they'll never think it's a glitch." Felicity warns him._

 _He doesn't stop typing._

 _"No, they're going to track us down and find us!"_

 _"Ten seconds." Their friend adds, concern in his own voice._

 _"Cooper!" Felicity snaps at him._

 _Both she and her friend flashing him furious looks at this moment._

 _"I'm not gong to jail for you Cooper, and you shouldn't ether." He glances at Felicity whom, is still trying to get through to her boyfriend._

 _Thinking quickly, Felicity races to the power source and yanks out all the cables with her hand._

 _"Coop!" She glares at him, dropping the cables onto the table._

 _"I almost had it!" Cooper snaps at Felicity angrily when he realizes what she's done._

 _"What were you thinking?!" Felicity yells at him._

 _Annoyed, Cooper throws down his computer, rising to his feet to face his girlfriend._

 _"Ever heard of hactivism?" He turns on her._

 _"Instead of posting to web forums we could be doing some real good in the world." He protests._

 _"And going to prison in the process." Felicity warns him._

 _"It's all about what you want to be when you grow up, babe." Cooper retorts._

 _"A hacker, or a hero?"_

 _Somewhere In Starling City…_

"I cannot believe Thea convinced us to do this." Oliver smiles over at Sara.

The two of them sat at a table at a very fancy restaurant.

Which Thea and Roy had driven them to, personally.

Both saying that it was time for them to intervene and that Sara and Oliver deserved a night off and a night to be with each other.

"I'm glad they did." Sara beams over at him after sipping her drink.

"Me to. I had a long day at Queen Consolidated today. Sin and Roy helped out best they could but if Slade had showed up we would have been done much earlier."

"Slade wasn't at Queen Consolidated today?" Sara frowns.

"Nope. I guess you haven't seen him either." Oliver notes.

"I was with Thea and Roy sorting out Verdant all day. He didn't come back to The Foundry."

"Right." Oliver mutters, his lips pressed into a tight line.

"What? Look Ollie, he's Slade. He can look after himself, I know what Shado did to him freaked you out. It freaked me out to. Losing him… But he's alive. He's with us and we've got to remember that." She replies with a smile, squeezing Oliver's fingers.

"It's not just that. Sara. It's… There's something else." Oliver mutters.

"What do you mean?" Sara frowns.

"He's different. It's like there's this distance between us." He admits.

"Ollie. Let me just stop you there. There is no distance between you and Slade and there never will be." Sara continues to squeeze his fingers.

"No, Sara. There is. It's like year one on Lian Yu all over again." He murmurs in a sad tone.

"It's the three of us. It's always going to be the three of us against the world. After everything we've been through you've got to believe that Slade won't push us away." Sara speaks in a gentle voice.

"I hope you're right." Oliver attempts a smile.

"I'm always right." Sara retorts, sipping her drink.

Oliver beams at his girlfriend in response.

"One of the many reasons that I love you." This time it is Oliver who is squeezing her hand.

"I love you to." Sara smiles, leaning across the table to give the man she loves a gentle kiss.

"And you have no idea how happy I am to be spending a non interrupted evening with…"

Sara is cut off by the power in the restaurant abruptly going out.

At first, they think nothing of it.

However, when people start to gasp and voices arise. Sara and Oliver realize, by looking out of the window that the entirety of Starling City is dark.

The power outage has stretched across the town.

That is not a normal occurrence.

Oliver practically smacks his head down on the table.

The universe had one job.

Just one job.

But no, it wouldn't even let him have with one peaceful night out with Sara.

Sara is in a similar mood, her fingers tightening around her wine glass until it snaps.

"For the love of…"

 _SCPD_

"Oh please." Quentin grumbles when the power abruptly cuts out the second he heads into his office.

Today is just going to be one of those days, isn't it?

 _Felicity Smoak's Apartment_

Slade Wilson does not even know how he managed to end up sat between Felicity and her mother, sharing a meal with them today.

Which is basically take out as Felicity can't cook and she wouldn't let him cook.

Completely bemused at the whole affair, Slade simply sits back and lets Felicity's mother chatter away to them both.

In a way, he can somewhat see why Felicity has never mentioned her mother to them, yet it is obvious that she loves Felicity very much and so for that, Slade can tolerate her.

He genuinely would've left them to it hours ago if it wasn't for Felicity begging him to stay with her and the fact that Felicity's mother actually wants to get to know the man who is currently with her daughter.

However, she does ask rather a lot of questions.

Yet Slade remains calm.

Felicity has been practically crushing his hand for hours.

That is what's keeping him grounded.

Felicity's hand in his.

It is a sudden power outage that finally brings Donna's chatter to a halt.

If anything, Slade is kinda glad of the break.

 _Meanwhile, In Starling City…_

Holding his daughter close to his chest, Diggle walks calmly down the street.

Only to be halted when the street lights blow out.

Every single one of them.

Plunging Starling City into darkness.

Diggle clutches his daughter tightly as she begins to cry.

 _Elsewhere In Starling City…_

"And that is how I successfully managed to…" Roy is silenced by the lights in the diner he, Thea, Leonard and Mick are sat in blowing out.

"Well that's not good." Leonard drawls.

"It's everywhere. All the lights are going out." Mick reports after glancing out of the window.

"What, all over the city?" Thea looks surprised.

"Yep. Mick ain't wrong." Leonard confirms.

"Something is plunging this city into darkness."

 _Meanwhile…_

With Sara's hand held tightly in his, Oliver races down the street with her.

Watching as every light in sight is blown out one by one.

It is causing such a distraction to all that Oliver and Sara both have to run out into the road to save a woman about to be hit by a car.

Oliver winces when the car comes into contact with his back just a little bit too sharply.

"You okay, Ollie?" Sara grips his arm as they begin to walk away.

"I'm good." He reassures her.

The two of them immediately captivated by the strange happenings on the screens in the shops that sell TV's and computers.

"We are the Brother Eye." A disguised voice suddenly erupts from nearby speakers.

"Judgment has been rendered against this city. It's sentence carried out." The voice continues, as Oliver and Sara take a few more steps towards the screens that are just showing a random blast of color.

"The Undertaking, The Siege. This is what comes next a new life you will live on your knees and it will take nothing more than a push of a button." The voice warns.

"We are in control now and this is just the beginning."

"What the…" Sara holds up a hand as the voice falls silent.

"We're gonna kick their ass." She glances to Oliver, whom nods just as the voice returns.

"Let there be light." Is all that is said before the power is returned to the city.

 _Verdant_

"Ooh a nightclub." Donna smiles as she follows Felicity and Slade into Verdant.

"You know I'm not dressed for a nightclub." She continues.

"I'll get a start on restoring the power." Slade chooses that moment to go on ahead.

"I'll be right there." Felicity nods.

"Good." Slade presses a kiss to the side of her head before heading off down to The Foundry.

"Really?" Felicity turns to her mother once he's gone.

"You think so?" Donna frowns.

"Slade and his friends own the place. They just need me to help them switch the power back on because I sort of built the system here for them, so… Why don't you come, come." Felicity takes her mother's arm and leads her towards the set of steps.

Yes she's probably going to have to explain this to the team later but for now she just needs to do something about her mom.

"Stay put. Stay here. Right here." She indicates to the stairs.

"Ok." Donna nods.

"Hey whoever did this interrupted my date. I want them found." The angry voice of Sara Lance fills the room.

"I think what Sara means to say is. Have you had any luck tracking this…" Oliver pauses when he sees the unfamiliar woman stood beside Felicity.

"Hello." He corrects himself quickly.

"Hi, uh. Please tell me this is your friend." Donna glances to Felicity.

"Yes, mom." Both Oliver and Sara turn to Felicity in an instant.

This is Felicity's mother?

" This is Oliver…"

"Queen." Donna silences an immediately embarrassed Felicity.

"And Sara Lance?" She eyes Sara.

"Yeah, uh. Who are you?" Sara frowns.

"It's very nice to meet you." Oliver politely extends a hand.

"Yes, it's so nice to meet you too. Both of you… How many billionaires do you know?" Donna whispers, not so discreetly to Felicity who groans with embarrassment.

"I don't know what the hell is going on out there but I can't get hold of Laurel so I'm here, but I kinda had to…" Tommy pauses at the entrance to the door.

Brandon and Rebecca held tightly in his arms.

"Wait that's…" Donna's eyes widen even further.

"Tommy Merlyn." Felicity introduces him with closed eyes.

"Hey." Sara beams as she crosses the room to greet her niece and nephew.

"Why did you bring them here?" She hisses in Tommy's ear when greeting him.

"I couldn't get a hold of Laurel, or your dad or even Cat. Whatever the hell that was screwed up the phone lines so here I am, with my kids." Tommy explains quickly.

"How many…" Donna looks at Felicity in awe.

"Okay, that was the last one." Felicity holds up a hand.

"Your kids are adorable. It's very nice to meet you." Donna calls over to Tommy.

"Thanks and it's good to meet you to." Tommy smiles back, choosing to bring Rebecca and Brandon over to her with him.

"Hello." Donna speaks in a soft voice to Brandon and Rebecca whom both just look a little bewildered at the change in scenery.

"Aww, so sweet." She gushes before turning to face all that are stood in the room.

"Again, such a great pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about all of you on the news, everywhere I had no idea Felicity had such influential friends, let alone…"

"Mom." Felicity groans.

"That you were dating one of them." Donna continues regardless.

"Wait, what? Run that one by me again." Oliver frowns at her choice of words.

"Oh, I've already met your friend and my Felicity's boyfriend this morning at her apartment. Slade Wilson." Donna reveals to both Oliver and Sara.

Well that explains where Slade's been all day. Oliver thinks through his surprise.

"Wait you and…" Sara starts, grinning at Felicity.

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs." Felicity whispers, her eyes firmly closed.

"We'll talk about this later." Oliver eyes Felicity.

"Well, I'm not waiting." Sara retorts before heading for the stairs.

"Oh thank god I'm not alone." They all hear Tommy call which alerts them to the fact that Diggle has arrived but with his daughter in his arms.

"I feel a bit better as well." Diggle agrees upon seeing Tommy's kids with their father.

"Hey Diggle, meet Felicity's mom. I think she arrived this morning because she's already met Slade at Felicity's apartment then." Oliver tries very hard to keep a straight face as he admits this to Diggle, who just stares between Felicity and her mom.

In shock at the fact that this woman is Felicity's mother and that it seems like Felicity and Slade have finally made a move forwards.

"John Diggle." Diggle extends a hand towards Donna.

"Hey." She beams happily.

"Very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." She says just before she notices the baby in his arms.

"Oh, hello. Who's this?" She coos softly to the baby.

"This is my daughter, Nyssa."

"Aww what a lovely name. Did you say what your kids are called?" She glances back to Tommy, who is holding both his children close to him.

"No, but this is Rebecca and Brandon." He introduces them to her.

"It's so nice that you've brought your kids with you. They're so sweet…"

"Mom." Felicity finally decides to interrupt her.

"Mom. Mom!" She calls a little louder when Donna doesn't respond to her.

Both Tommy and Diggle glaring at Felicity for raising her voice around the somewhat at peace children.

"What?" Donna looks a little surprised when Felicity tugs her back.

"We have to go downstairs." Felicity reminds her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to stop you. I'm so sorry, baby moment." She shakes Diggle's hand again as he passes with baby Nyssa in his arms.

"Great meeting you." Tommy nods politely as he carries his own kids away.

"It's great to meet you finally." Oliver chooses to shake Felicity's mother's hand again.

"Yes, yes, definitely." Donna agrees as she watches Oliver leave to.

Basically running after Diggle and Tommy.

"Why is Nyssa, Brandon and Rebecca here?" He looks between the two fathers.

"Well, Lyla's on an assignment in Santa Prisca and the nanny called in sick." Diggle explains his reason.

"And I couldn't get a hold of Laurel, Mr. Lance or Cat and you know Laurel doesn't trust babysitters after what happened last year with the whole Shado and Harley Quinn thing." Tommy adds his reason.

"But we can't bring the kids down there." Oliver points out.

"My kids literally got kidnapped by a member of the League Of Assassin's. I think they can handle our base." Tommy retorts.

"It's not baby proof Tommy!" Oliver whisper-yells.

"And it's not like they're gonna tell anyone." Diggle adds.

"Well they… I'm not comfortable with them down there, it's not safe. Slade would throw a fit. Sara would probably kill you." Oliver eyes his friend.

"She wasn't exactly thrilled with me bringing them, no but what was I supposed to do?" Tommy shrugs his shoulders.

"And what are you expecting us to do right now?" Diggle queries.

"God help me." Felicity groans from beside them.

Hating the idea that she has formed in her mind.

"My mother loves babies. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to…" She trails off.

Diggle looks between Oliver and Tommy.

"Really?"

"You know what you've got to do." Oliver shrugs before turning around to follow Felicity.

"Right so there are two things I'd like to talk to you about. The first being you mother and the second being you and Slade. Really? You two actually…"

"Can we just not talk about that right now, Oliver?" Felicity all but begs.

"Oh but we are talking about it." Oliver retorts.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes."

"Oliver, Slade and I just want to keep it…"

Felicity is cut off by the round of applause she is met by from Roy Harper, Thea Queen, Sara Lance, Sin, Mick Rory and Leonard Snart the second she descends the stairs.

"I can't believe you two finally got your heads out of your asses." Leonard smirks in greeting.

"Everybody's finally on the same page." Roy cheers to a vicious glare from Slade.

"I'm going to kill you all slow." Slade growls menacingly, a thunderous look in his eyes.

"I knew we'd get there eventually." Thea grins at them both.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Felicity groans.

"Oh and we can't wait to meet this mother of yours." Leonard smirks again.

"I swear to god if you don't all shut up right now, I'm going to help Slade kill you all." Felicity threatens them.

"It doesn't sound as effective when it's you." Sara tilts her head to the side.

"You know we actually have a crisis on hand. Perhaps we can focus on that. Like, right now." Felicity blushes furiously, making her way over to her computer station.

Not even looking at Slade as she sits herself down and gets to work.

"Okay so whoever this brother eye group is, they've somehow got access to the city's protected network and uploaded a system-wide virus." Felicity informs them.

"Is there anyway to trace it?" Oliver enquires.

"There better be, the one time I get to have a night out with Ollie and a bunch of jackasses decide to ruin it. You find them and you let me know so I can go over to them and show them exactly what happens when they piss of The Black Canary." Sara grumbles.

"Add us to that list. Roy, Mick, Len and I were having a great time at Big Belly Burger." Thea nods from beside Roy.

"Unfortunately, tracing it is going to be hard as it deleted itself as soon as it completed its task." Felicity explains to them.

"They can do that?" Sin looks puzzled.

"These guys are good." Felicity murmurs, eyes glued to the screen.

"They said that the power outage was just the beginning." Diggle reminds them.

"Then let's make a conservative effort to find them so they are not allowed a next time." Slade speaks up.

 _SCPD_

Briefcases in hand, Laurel and Cat stride into the SCPD together.

Both immediately met by Quentin.

"Hey, Laurel, Cat. Are you two alright, get here okay?" He eyes them both.

"I'm fine. We were close."

"I've heard from Tommy. He's okay, he's got Brandon and Rebecca." Quentin assures her.

"They're at home, right? Whatever that was knocked out the phones."

"Look, he's got them. They're safe." Quentin says quickly.

"Why did we get the emergency services alert? Why don't they call the District Attorney?" Laurel enquires.

"Because he's visiting his niece in Coast City." Quentin tells the women.

"Of course he is." Cat grumbles.

"Which means, you are the acting District Attorney." Quentin rests a hand briefly on Laurel's shoulders.

"Congratulations."

Laurel is too stunned to move.

"Well. That's why we got called in then." Cat nudges her.

"I gotta call Tommy." Laurel whispers, still a little dazed.

Both she and Quentin reaching for their phones to ring the same set of people.

"Hello, Detective… Captain." Felicity corrects herself when the phones connect.

"Look, you Sara, Oliver, Slade, Tommy, Roy. You're on this Brother Eye thing, right?" He queries, hearing Tommy talking to Laurel in the background.

"You did what?!"

"I couldn't leave them on there own."

"Merlyn, please tell me that you do not have my grandkids in your vigilante cave?!" Quentin hisses as he gets the general gist of what Laurel is mad about.

"They're not actually down here. They're with Felicity's mom. In Verdant."

"In a nightclub?"

"It's not down here."

"Look, we're on the Brother Eye thing okay, we're on it." Felicity interjects when she realises that this is probably going to turn into a bit of an argument.

"Good." Quentin sighs, still a little annoyed at his son in law.

"Cause there's no one here that knows computers better than you do, Felicity."

 _MIT_

 _"No, no." Felicity calls down the phone._

 _"For the last time. I am not interested in buying a fake ID. I am hanging up now, bye." Felicity ends up growling down the phone as she angrily hits the red button._

 _"My mom says hi." She eyes Cooper whom is walking by her side._

 _Her mother can be so damn frustrating at times!_

 _However, talking of frustrating. Her boyfriend is being pretty frustrating too._

 _Yes, he's by her side and is holding her hand as they walk but he's not saying anything to her and her looks quite angry._

 _"You still angry at me?" Felicity eyes him suspiciously._

 _"I was past the firewall and into the account network." Cooper explodes then, releasing Felicity's hand._

 _"I had over three thousand debts wiped by the time you pulled the plug on me."_

 _Yes, he is still angry at her._

 _"Well think of how many accounts you could go to prison for if I hadn't stopped you." Felicity attempts to reason with him._

 _"Relax." Cooper says after a moment, realising that he may have been a little sharp with his girlfriend._

 _"The DNS wasn't configured. They can't backtrace me."_

 _"They can." Felicity takes a firm hold of his arm._

 _"They subroot was configured." She states._

 _"By accessing the accounts, you set off a packets feedback that anyone could trace back to." Felicity warns him of her fears, gripping the front of his shirt slightly as he just chuckles._

 _"You are so gorgeous when you're being a chicken." He taunts her playfully._

 _"Come on, I'm serious." Felicity doesn't waver from her point._

 _"I'm serious." Cooper grins before gripping her waist, pulling her up into his arm and gripping her thighs to hold her against him as they share a long lingering kiss._

 _They are completely lost in one another even when the sires sound out and the vans begin to swarm around them._

 _"Cooper Seldon you are under arrest." The officer announces the second they have leapt out of the van._

 _"What?" Felicity is in a startled daze._

 _"No!" She cries as she and Cooper are forcibly torn apart by the FBI agents._

 _"Don't move." They warn him as they try to put him on his knees._

 _"Let go of me! No! No! No!" Felicity cries as she is restrained by the agents as well, forced to watch as they arrest her boyfriend._

 _"You're under arrest for violation of the U.S. Code title eighteen, section one zero three zero." They start reading him his rights._

 _"Don't!" Felicity continues to protest._

 _"You have the right to remain silent…"_

 _"It's not him." Felicity cries._

 _"Let go of him. It's not him!" She tries to plead with them as they confiscate his laptop._

 _"Let him go!"_

 _The Foundry_

"We said this was just the beginning." The voice of the Brother Eye returns through the computer in The Foundry, altering the attention of all that reside.

"Electricity is not the only power in the city. Consider money for example. The banks are next to go dark. Your believed dollars wiped away as your accounts will finally all become equal at zero…"

"Felicity." Slade and Oliver start, both moving towards the computer with the others.

"Woah, they are not touching our cash. You have to do something." Thea pipes up.

"Cowards." Leonard mutters.

"What?" Tommy frowns at him.

"They're a bunch of cowards, hiding behind technology. If they want to steal they should do it in person. This is just cowardice." He states.

"Can't say I don't agree with him." Roy shrugs.

"More reasons to kick their sorry asses. Felicity?!" Sara places a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm working on it. I've set up some trace IP packets before Brother Eye's last broadcast as soon as he opened up the Chanel I scooped up the bread crumbs."

"Bread crumbs we can follow?" Oliver enquires.

"I hope so." Felicity nods, eyes fixated to the screen.

 _SCPD_

As she flicks through the papers in her hands, Laurel cannot take her mind off the fact that her husband brought her kids down to The Foundry.

Yes, they're with Felicity's mother, but still. If she hadn't have been there...

"Where's Captain Lance?" An officer interrupts her thought track.

"Coordinating the squad car patrols for dispatch." Laurel replies.

"Is there something wrong?" Cat enquires.

"There's a situation at Starling National."

"Then send in an ESU squad." Laurel instructs.

"I'm sorry, ma'am but you don't have to power to…"

"Im acting District Attorney. The city charter gives me operational authority in time of crisis, which this clearly is and I'm not letting anyone get hurt. Send in an ESU now." Laurel commands clearly.

"I'd do as she says if you wish to keep your job." Cat adds with folded arms.

Slightly bewildered the officer walks away.

"I've got your back Laurel." Cat squeezes her arm a little.

"Thank you." Laurel smiles gratefully.

Knowing that someway, somehow that they can make this work.

 _The Foundry_

"What is that?" Tommy questions the second something begins to bleep on the computers.

"The SCPD just dispatched a riot squad." Oliver reads.

"To where?" Thea folds her arms.

"Starling National." Felicity answers.

"It's like fighting fire with gasoline." Diggle murmurs.

"Okay. Tommy, Sara, Slade, Roy. Let's suit up. Diggle, you, Sin, Leonard and Mick stay here but be prepared to move if Felicity gets anything on the whereabouts of the Brother Eye." Oliver instructs as he reaches for his bow and arrows.

 **Authors Note: Hey guys, I am so so sorry for not updating in so long. A lot has happened in my life since my last update. I've been extremely depressed and currently am going through one of my worse weeks but I'm trying to fight through it. The only reason I've managed to have the energy to finish this was because its the Arrow premiere and because ChangingDestiny40 has given me a reason to. I will try to update when I can and when I don't feel like giving up on life. It might take me a while and I hope you can understand. I am so devoted to FanFiction I really am and I will finish this one day I'm just currently going through so much, I lost a family member the other month and it's my third week at university which is freaking me the hell out. I just need to try and get to grips with everything. I am sorry for everything. This applies to my other fic's as well. Thank you so much for reading.**


End file.
